Kate and EB discuss the ethics of speculating on your favorite celebrity, if a woman could have her own Bieberchella and if celebrities owe us a performance. We look at research, online discourse, and examine our own opinions about the value of bringing back the hair swoop.

Sources:

• Justin Bieber's Coachella performance wasn’t ‘lazy’ – and actually references 50 years of music history (Callander, 2026)
• Parasocial Relationships: The Nature of Celebrity Fascinations
• Justin Bieber Wikipedia Page
• Coachella Wikipedia Page
• Justin Bieber Performance Coachella 2026
• Sabrina Carpenter House Tour Coachella 2026
• Sabrina Carpenter Espresso Coachella 2026
• Sabrina Carpenter Sugar Talking Coachella 2026
• TikTok by newagentp
• TikTok by dijangostruth
• TikTok by notwildlin
• TikTok by baileymacconnell
• TikTok by meechski
• Reddit thread: Justin Bieber in a cult

Questions? Compliments? Criticisms? Email us at: truefriendspod@gmail.com

Kate and EB discuss the ethics of kink-shaming Kristi Noem's husband. We look at research, online discourse, and examine our own opinions about the value of mocking ICE Barbie's bimbo-fied husband online.

Sources:

• 10 Things You Shouldn’t Be Ashamed of in the Bedroom (Ferguson, 2025)
• SNL Skit
• The Bimbofication Fetish Explained By Experts (Foster, 2026)
• In South Dakota, Neighbors Feel Sorry for Kristi Noem’s Husband (New York Times, 2026)

Questions? Compliments? Criticisms? Email us at: truefriendspod@gmail.com

Quick Editor's Note: We had some audio and tech issues this episode that were unable to be edited out. Stay tuned for fixes in our next episode.

Kate and EB debate the ethics of domestic violence in the public eye. For today's episode, we watched the Secret Lives of Mormon wives and engaged with the online discourse that followed. We discuss our opinions and experiences and debate the role the spotlight plays in DV.

Sources:

• National Domestic Violence Hotline
• Why is the Bachelorette Cancelled? A guide to the Taylor Frankie Paul controversy (Treisman, 2026)
• What Was ABC Thinking? (González-Ramírez, 2026)
• TMZ live clip
• Celebrities accused of domestic violence
• Domestic Violence (National Library of Medicine, Huecker, King, Jordan, Smock, 2023)

Kate and EB debate the ethics of reality TV. For today's episode, we watched Reality Check: America's Next Top Model, the documentary on the infamous reality show. We discuss our opinions and experiences and land on some hard truths about the reality of reality TV.

Sources:

• Get Real: The Tension Between Stardom and Justice for Reality Television Participants
• What are the legal rights of reality TV stars, really?

Questions? Compliments? Criticisms? Email us at: truefriendspod@gmail.com

Kate and EB discuss the ethics of quitting social media. We look at research, online discourse, and examine our own opinions about the value of deactivating our Instagram and TikTok accounts.

Sources:

• The Evolution of Social Media: How did it begin, and where could it go next? (2020)
• Smartphone History: A Complete Timeline (Paavola, 2022)
• Demystifying the New Dilemma of Brain Rot in the Digital Era: A Review (Yousef et al, 2025)

Questions? Compliments? Criticisms? Email us at: giveussomethingtothinkabout@gmail.com

Kate and EB discuss the ethics of boycotting. We look at research, online discourse, and examine our own opinions about the value of cancelling our prime memberships or refusing coffee from Starbucks.

Sources:

• Is boycotts an effective system of economic punishment? (Reddit AskEconomics, 2024)
• Do boycotts work? (King, 2017)
• Do the boycotts against McDonald’s and Starbucks work? (Mello-Klein, 2023)
• Target withstood DEI boycotts to show signs of reputation recovery (Danziger, 2025)
• Starbucks workers are still without a contract four years after their first union win. Here’s why (CNN Business, 2025)
• The 10 biggest strikes in U.S. history (Investopedia, n.d.)

Kate and EB discuss the ethics of targeted advertisements. We look at research, online discourse, and examine our own opinions on the hard truths about the insidious advertisements taking over our social media platforms and the data big companies are collecting on our habits and behavior.

Sources:

• What is Targeted Advertising? (Lau, 2024)
• What is Targeted Advertising, and How Does it Work?
• The Truth In User Privacy And Targeted Ads (Froelich, 2022)
• Targeted Ads Are Rewiring Your Thinking (Aurelia, 2025)
• Imagining a World Without Targeted Advertising…is it POSSIBLE? (Project No Buy, 2025)
• Project No Buy on YouTube
• r/Anticonsumption on Reddit
• Buy Nothing Austin on Facebook

Questions? Compliments? Criticisms? Email us at: giveussomethingtothinkabout@gmail.com

Kate and EB discuss the ethics of family influencers. We look at research, online discourse, and examine our own opinions on the hard truths about the monetization of children and parenting.

Sources:

• Family Influencing in the Best Interests of the Child (Chicago Journal of International Law, 2025)
• The Horrifying True Story Behind Hulu’s Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke (Brodsky, 2025)
• Why You Should Think Twice Before Posting That Cute Photo of Your Kid Online (Limbong, 2024)
• The Dangers of Parents Sharing Their Children’s Lives on Social Media (Sy & Hastings, 2024)
• Influencer Parents and the Kids Who Had Their Childhood Made Into Content (Latifi, 2023)
• The First Social Media Babies Are Adults Now. Some Are Pushing for Laws to Protect Kids from Their Parents’ Oversharing (Karimi, 2024)

Questions? Compliments? Criticisms? Email us at: giveussomethingtothinkabout@gmail.com