Dazed and Discoursed – Details, episodes & analysis

“A video of Christina Aguilera has come up on my TikTok feed multiple times over the past few weeks. Going to the comments, it’s abundantly clear what has caused this clip to go viral. Dressed in an anime-cosplay monochrome look for a performance in Osaka, with her hair pinned high and flawlessly blended diamanté-encrusted make-up, it’s not just that Aguilera looks “good” for her age (which is 43), she looks 20 years younger. As one commenter puts it, 'wait what am I back in 2002.'"

In her viral article, We Are About to Enter the ‘Undetectable Era’ of Beauty, writer Bee Beardsworth investigates the shift we're witnessing in plastic surgery today, focusing on celebrities like Christina Aguilera and Lindsay Lohan, whose cosmetic procedures are being described as “natural” and “undetectable.” Plastic surgeon Dr. Prem Tripathi proclaims that this is the era of plastic surgery we’ve all been waiting for — but how does our relentless pursuit of youth impact us physically and mentally? What does it mean to be 40 and present as 25? Is plastic surgery truly a woman’s choice, and should we even be critiquing it?

This episode is hosted by Halima Jibril and Elliot Hoste, with research by Solomon Pace-McCarrick. It was edited by Oliver Gale. The executive producer is Lauren Ford.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Manifestation is intention-setting through focusing your thoughts on the desired outcome until it happens. It’s part of psychological thought that became popularised by books like The Secret, before taking over popular culture in 2020. Since then, there’s been a growing fascination around how algorithms, the internet, and even AI can be tools for manifestation. Over the summer, Gabi Abrão Tweeted: “Everything I have in my life, I once reblogged on Tumblr. The internet is a rapid manifestation tool. The images and essences you worship here lay on an altar that determines your future.”” 

In her article, The rise of the ‘manifinsta’: how social media became a manifestation tool, writer Laura Pitcher explores the phenomenon of "manifinstas"—social media accounts that young people use primarily to manifest jobs, relationships, and an overall improved life. This trend aligns with the growing popularity of astrology in culture, reflected in music of Ariana Grande and film’s like Tarot (2024). This week, we delve into the roots of the desire for predetermined outcomes and discuss whether social media should function as a tool for self-optimisation.

This episode is hosted by Halima Jibril, Elliot Hoste, and Laura Pitcher, with research by Solomon Pace McCarrick. It was edited by Oliver Gale. The executive producer is Lauren Ford.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Donald Trump won the 2016 election the New York Times declared he’d made the US a laughingstock. Lately, however, there has been a shift in how America is spoken about and portrayed in popular culture. Video essayist and podcaster Mina Le explored this change in her recent video, “Why is ‘America’ Cool Again?” She observed that while America has long been culturally dominant, patriotic sentiment has resurfaced in pop culture, which is reflected in country music’s growing popularity and a renewed focus on the midwest.

But what has fuelled this shift from deep embarrassment over the US to a renewed sense of pride? And is it possible, or even right, to love America under Trump while it continues to commit so much injustice both domestically and globally?”

This episode is hosted by Halima Jibril and Laura Pitcher, with research by Solomon Pace McCarrick. It was edited by Oliver Gale, and the executive producer is Harry Slater.

Find your creative community with Dazed Club+. Unlock a quarterly subscription to the magazine, invitations to talks and events at our space, and a world of money-off benefits at galleries and festivals. 

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Since Elon Musk acquired Twitter (and renamed it X) the platform has become inundated with right-wing rhetoric, sparking questions about whether X played a direct role in putting Donald Trump back in the White House. 

Recently, celebrities such as Lizzo and publishers like The Guardian have posted impassioned statements explaining their decision to leave X. And many people are flocking to Bluesky, a Twitter lookalike which gained more than one million new users in a week. 

In this episode, we delve into the turmoil on X and consider whether the solution lies in abandoning one social media platform for another or staying to challenge right-wing ideology and combat radicalisation.

This episode is hosted by Halima Jibril and Elliot Hoste, with research by Solomon Pace McCarrick. It was edited by Oliver Gale, and the executive producer is Harry Slater.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In July 2024, writer and artist August Lamm shared her prediction for the future on X: “I’m calling it right now: abstention is the next big thing. Sobriety, celibacy, digital minimalism, dumb phones, religion. The age of hedonistic hyper-consumption is over. We’re moving into a new peaceful age marked by moderation and self-discipline. I can’t wait.”

Lamm, who has been without an iPhone for two and a half years, wasn’t basing her prediction on trends she’d seen online (she doesn’t have a phone, remember?). Instead, she expressed her desire for a shift in culture, grounded in the belief that we have reached peak hyper-consumption. From Brat being synonymous with hedonistic indulgence, to Stanley cup fads and excessive skincare hauls, to Oxford’s Word of the Year, “brain rot”, a term describing the negative effects of consuming low-quality or trivial online content, 2024 was undeniably a year of excess.

As we enter the new year, however, a cultural shift seems to be emerging. People are challenging their consumption habits by participating in low-buy or no-buy years, where they refrain from shopping for an entire year. Others are turning to digital detoxes in an effort to rebuild their attention spans, productivity and overall

well-being.

In this episode, hosts Halima Jibril and Elliot Hoste are joined by Lamm to unpack our addiction to consumption, our scarcity mentality, and whether we’re simply swinging from one extreme to another – from hedonistic hyper-consumption to complete restriction. Is this the beginning of a world without pleasure, or could moderation finally offer the balance we’ve been craving?

Featured articles: 

• No-buy 2025: So you want to try a year without shopping?
• How to avoid ‘lifestyle creep’
• You Don't Need a Smartphone: A Practical Guide to Downgrading & Reclaiming Your Life by August Lamm

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the year draws to a close, we couldn’t let it pass without reflecting on what has been an extraordinary year in pop culture.

In this episode, hosts Halima Jibril and Elliot Hoste dive into the highs and lows of 2024, spanning film, music, fashion and politics. From blockbuster films like Poor Things, Challengers, Dune: Part Two and Queer, they explore whether this has truly been the year of yearning – and, if so, why? They also discuss the fresh, exciting music releases of the year from artists like Mk.gee, Charli xcx, Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan, while examining the shifting dynamics of our relationships with celebrities and their evolving attitudes towards fame. Finally, Halima and Elliot turn their attention to the political landscape, sharing their thoughts on what to expect as Donald Trump takes office again and what the left needs to do differently moving forward.

This episode is hosted by Halima Jibril and Elliot Hoste, with research by Solomon Pace McCarrick. It was edited by Oliver Gale and the executive producer is Harry Slater.

Featured articles:

• PSA: Poor Things is not a true story
• In 2024, everyone is yearning – but what for?
• Kim Kardashian and the end of history
• Bubble butts, bag charms and brats: The 2024 Trend Report is here
• The 20 best albums of 2024
• In My Old Ass, Maisy Stella takes mushrooms and meets her future self
• 2024 was the year of the pop femininomenon

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dating is in the pits – everyone says so. In England and Wales, fertility rates are at an all-time low, with the US similarly reaching its lowest rate in 2023. Last week, our deputy editor, Serena Smith, wrote about how “the dating crisis is going global.” From the US to Finland, South Korea, Turkey, Tunisia, and Thailand, birth rates are falling, and it’s likely that part of this decline can be attributed to a corresponding drop in the number of couples. When relationships do form, they’re more fragile than they were in the past – but how did we get here?

Has the internet made us more antisocial and more prone to discarding people? Are the apps really ruining dating, or are they a scapegoat for a larger and more deeply entrenched set of problems?

In our second episode of the year, hosts Halima Jibril and Elliot Hoste are joined by Smith to explore the ‘relationship recession’, the crisis in heterosexual dating and how conservative modern dating shows have become. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From Halina Reijn’s Babygirl and Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu to FKA twigs’ EUSEXUA and Ethel Cain’s Perverts, sex is back in the mainstream. And it’s not just any kind of sex — as Emma Garland argues in her latest essay, “Everyone is Horny Now”, “there has been a pendulum swing not just towards sex, but towards deviance.”

With Nicole Kidman being dog-walked by her twenty-something-year-old male intern, Nosferatu elevating the conflict between repression and liberation to Biblical proportions and FKA twigs referring to the softer edges of her music as “the pussy,” music and media are depicting sex in ways that challenge socially accepted norms.

But what makes these depictions so deviant? And eight years on from the height of the #MeToo movement, how has the cultural conversation around sex evolved and what impact has it had on how sex is portrayed?

In this episode, hosts Halima Jibril and Elliot Hoste are joined by Garland to unpack the latest and most provocative depictions of sex in popular culture, explore why pleasurable sex is often framed as transgressive, and argue why everyone needs to let go and just be gross.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Since the Super Bowl, Kendrick Lamar has been all we’ve been able to think about. From his effortlessly cool bootcut jeans, his reimagining of Uncle Sam as the incomparable Samuel L. Jackson to the continuous jabs he made at Drake throughout his 13-minute performance – Lamar has been crowned by the public as thee professional hater. 

He even says it himself on Euphoria, his first full diss track aimed at Drake, calling himself “the biggest hater.” Over the last year, the general public has revelled in Lamar’s pettiness, celebrating his commitment to the art of the grudge. For many, Lamar inspires them to be better haters. But what kinds of hate are most celebrated in our society, and what depictions are condemned? 

In this episode, host Halima Jibril and Elliot Hoste are joined by music writer Solomon Pace-McCarrick to discuss the Lamar-Drake beef, the kinds of hate that are the most acceptable in society today and how their feud reflects a deeper battle over Black masculinity. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dan Erickson’s critically acclaimed Apple TV+ series Severance has returned for its second season. The show centres on Lumon, a mysterious corporation that has developed a novel medical procedure known as ‘severance’. This process allows employees to split their professional (“innie”) and personal (“outie”) identities via a microchip implanted in their brains. The chip activates when descending to the eerie severed floor, erasing all memories of their outside lives. Conversely, once they leave the office, they have no recollection of what they do from nine to five.

Severance is a brilliant and complex exploration of late-stage capitalism, identity, loss, and belonging. While often described as a dystopian sci-fi series, our deputy editor, Serena Smith, argues in her latest essay, “Are we all severed?” that its world is eerily similar to our own. “How many of us contain parts of our identities just to get through the day? How many of us have gone to work while depressed, brokenhearted or grieving? On a macro level: how many of us have gone to work knowing that wars, famines, and genocides are happening? Arguably, under late capitalism – which prioritises work over all else – we’re all kind of severed.”

This week on the podcast, Smith joins Halima Jibril to explore how capitalism forces us to split our identities, the consequences of ignoring pain and suffering and why the fragmentation of the self is such a compelling theme in popular culture.

This episode contains spoilers for Severance seasons one and two.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.