In this episode, Mina starts off by talking about NYC party etiquette, but then delves into the topic of MOVIES – a topic she's been barred from speaking about... until now. Let's discuss Priscilla (2023), how it compares to Elvis (2022), and most importantly... Jacob Elordi vs. Austin Butler's portrayals. Also: tangents on Alfred Hitchcock, Jacob Elordi/Kissing Booth drama, David Fincher's The Killer (2023), and the importance of Letterboxd reviews (they are NOT annoying!!) Support the podcast on Patreon! Instagram: @highbrow.pod Send suggestions/thoughts/stories to [email protected] or leave a voicemail ‪(917) 727-8385‬ READING LIST Hitchcock/Truffaut: The Definitive Study of Alfred Hitchcock by Francois Truffaut Scriptwriting from soup to nuts. <a href="https://www.proquest.com/docview/237087817/3A6E0BB719C64E5BPQ/10?account

Mina serves some of her Booktok hot takes, opinions on anti-intellectualism, the rise of literary it girls/writer influencers, her first-hand experience risking her life with mercury poisoning, and the history of depression era food (white american food is bland because of PROHIBITION?) (loading her food history commentator phase...) Support the podcast on Patreon! Instagram: @highbrow.pod Send suggestions/thoughts/stories to [email protected] or leave a voicemail ‪(917) 727-8385‬ READING LIST How can I donate hair / fur / fleece? | MatterofTrust.org  Are We Losing the Ability to Read Books? - Scott H Young  Skimmin

In today's episode, Mina talks about how to launder your clothes, the ethics of wearing clothing made of human hair and also eating your friend's leg, urbanites cosplaying as farm girls (guilty), and the history of the dude ranch industry. Support the podcast on Patreon! Instagram: @highbrow.pod Send suggestions/thoughts/stories to [email protected] or leave a voicemail ‪(917) 727-8385‬ READING LIST How often should you wash your jeans? Levi’s CEO settles debate  Clothing Poverty: The Hidden World of Fast Fashion and Second-Hand Clothes by Andrew Brooks Studio Zsofia Kollar — Human Material Loop Victorian Hair Jewelry | Rosenber

In today's episode, Mina embraces Meg Ryan Fall™, asks the question "do the rats run this city?" (yes they do), her algorithm-induced David Byrne fixation, why review systems are no good (especially Rotten Tomatoes), what it means to be a "content creator" (barf?????), and online friendship etiquette. Support the podcast on Patreon! Instagram: @highbrow.pod Send suggestions/thoughts/stories to [email protected] Reading/sources list: New York's Rats Have Already Won - The Atlantic The Mongolia cashmere quote I mentioned is actually from this New Yorker article from 1999: The Crisis in Cashmere | The New Yorker  <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/09/arts/music/talking-heads-stop-making-sens

Also... PR girls, the Idaho cottagecore fantasy, Victorian book censorship, and fake alien abductions. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/highbrowbymina Tumblr: https://horsegir1.tumblr.com/ Mina's list: What Amanda Seyfried Can't Live Without The Dostoevsky Dash: The Reasons for Dashed Out Information in Literature Kurtis Conner: Stop Filming Strangers Abby Cox: We Need to Talk about TikTok's Obsession with Face Reading and its Dark History  <a href="https://www.psu.edu/news/research/story/nose-form-was-shaped-cli

Mina discusses her experience at New York Fashion Week. Also: why we all get upset about influencer attendance, the Kylie Jenner/Timothee Chalamet relationship, the hustle of working corporate in the industry, and how she gets a seat at a fashion show. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/highbrowbymina Vogue Business' Debunking the Dream Series Debunking the dream: Is working in fashion going out of style? Debunking the dream: Is fashion’s lifestyle sustainable for employees? Debunking the dream: Can fashion cool its burnout c

Mina discusses some major updates for Patreon, Youtube, and the High Brow pod. Also: Hozier, Renaissance Faire turkey legs, the fashion influencer economy, the Real Housewives of New York City, whatever happened to Jeffrey Campbell, and “the commodification of taste.” Rachel's article:   Whatever happened to having taste? Well Met: Renaissance Faires and the American Counterculture by Rachel Rubin An ad for the 1963 Ren Faire Who Jane Read, Who Read Jane: Austen's Readers and Favorite Books

The director's cut version of Mina's the circus of celebrity house tours video. In this extended version, she discusses the modern farmhouse hgtv agenda, landlord-core, and celebrity property feuds, spurred on by your answers to the question "what is the ugliest interior design trend?" Sources Residence of MR. And MRS. MICKEY ROONEY — Beverly Hills, California | Architectural Digest | SEPTEMBER 1964 A Tour of the White House  Mary Ann Watson (1988). The Presidency in a Bicentennial and Quadrennial Election Year || A Tour of the White House: Mystique and Tradition. Presidential Studies Quarterly, 18(1), 91–99. doi:10.2307/27550536   Kryczka, Anna (2014). Television and taste on the New Frontie

Mina talks about the Depop styling bundle grind, whether or not they're a viable purchase, and how to choose between the many personal shoppers out there. Also: Erewhon "Hailey Bieber" smoothie review, Goodwill bins trauma, changes in Asian factory labor and what that means for the rest of the world, the ethics of doxxing Selena Gomez haters, and why we're all tired of the "hot take." READING LIST: Gen Z loves clothing hauls and hates landfills. Enter the style bundle - The Washington Post  The Era of Ultracheap Stuff Is Under Threat - WSJ "Opinion Fatigue" Is Setting In For Twitter, TikTok, &amp; Instagram Creators <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2

This is an extended version of the aesthetics episode that came out on Monday. Mina addresses your babygirlification concerns, shares audience experiences navigating online aesthetics, and includes insightful commentary from Evan Collins, co-founder of CARI (the Consumer Aesthetics Research Institute). Take a look at the CARI website when you have the time! You can support their valuable work through donations. SOURCES How the Zoot Suit Became a Symbol of Resistance for Mexican-American People | Teen Vogue; Pachuco – Subcultures and Sociology Column: Th

Join Mina as she shares audience getting-off-social-media tactics and rambles on about Cillian Murphy, being a girl's girl, Paris Hilton's hyperbaric oxygen chamber, Samba fatigue, and where to shop for vintage clothes online. Reads: Why everyone online is calling these Hollywood men 'babygirl' Having Sambas Fatigue? These Celebs Make a Case for This Classic Sneaker Instead Hollywood Elite Rushes to Get Plastic Surgery Before SAG-AFTRA Strike Ends | Allure Recs: http://gem.app  https://afterschool.substack.com/ Edited by Sophie Carter Music by Olivia Mart

Mina discusses the SAG strike and how that's impacting Hollywood, but also my content, Find My Friends addiction, dealing with the TikTok age filter, and how the tourism industry is making American tourists more annoying than need be. Mina's reading list: “Orange Is the New Black” Signalled the Rot Inside the Streaming Economy All the Actors Strike Questions You Were Afraid to Ask Fran Drescher on Her Disgust With Hollywood Executives IS TIKTOK’S AGED FILTER ACCURATE? NOT REALLY, EXPERTS SAY <a href="https://i-d.v

Mina talks about her first time solo traveling in Italy a few weeks ago, making and losing new friends on vacation, unfollowing politics in the Instagram age, tangents on Sarah Jessica Parker and 60s high society, and the so-called democratization of "it girls" and the internet's shift towards hyper-individualism... or not??? Her reading list: Party of the Century: The Fabulous Story of Truman Capote and His Black and White Ball by Deborah Davis  NYT article about the event if you don't want to read the whole book:  50 Years Ago, Truman Capote Hosted the Best Party Ever Why Sarah Jessica Parker Keeps Playing Carrie Bradshaw

This is an extended version of Mina's the "perfect" wedding dress is a myth video, including digressions in royal weddings and bridezilla discourse, as well as some crazy wedding stories from the listeners! Written by Mina Le, Ella Gray, and Sophie Carter Edited by Sophie Carter Music by Olivia Martinez Cover by Lindsay Mintz SOURCES The Fake Poor Bride How 20-Year-Old Queen Victoria Forever Changed Wedding Fashion | Vanity Fair Creating her space - Philippa, princess of England, queen of Sweden, Denmark and Norway, and Vadstena Abbey | Mia Åkestam

Mina interviews writer, podcaster, and activist Aubrey Gordon! Find Aubrey's books (and other relevant info) here and columns she's written here. Listen to her podcast with Michael Hobbes, Maintenance Phase. Edited by Sophie Carter Music by Olivia Martinez Cover by Lindsay Mintz 

Director's cut version of Mina's The Cult of Celebrity Relationships video, featuring discussions on age gap relationships, Machine Gun Kelly + Megan Fox, and an interview with Dr. Kate Kurtin on what we're all misunderstanding about parasocial relationships. SOURCES Emotional arousal when watching drama increases pain threshold and social bonding - PMC  Crazy Love: Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton’s Epic Romance | Vanity Fair Burton and Taylor, private lives played out in public | Elizabeth Taylor | The Guardian “ELIZABETH TAYLOR IS WED TO BURTON” New York Times (1923-); 16 Mar 1964. “The Burtons Draw

Join Mina as she talks about private parties, Marvel fatigue, and Netflix's broken streaming model! Her reading list: How to Hire a Pop Star for Your Private Party How the Marvel Cinematic Universe Swallowed Hollywood The Binge Purge Get started with Athena Club today by shopping in-store at Target nationwide.

This is the director's cut episode for Mina's how do rich people actually dress? video, with explorations on hypergamy, cosplaying as poor, and a special interview with Amanda Mull on the mythology of quiet luxury! SOURCES Changing patterns of conspicuous consumption: Media representations of luxury in second homes by Trudie Walters   African American Dress by Helen Bradley Foster The Structure of Indian Society: Then and Now By A.M. Shah Alimony panic, gold diggers, and the cultural foundations of early twentieth-century marriage reform in the United States by Brian L Donovan How the Great Recession influenced a decade of design <a href="https://i

Mina and guest of the pod Avery Trufelman discuss all things rich people fashion, American Ivy, Ralph Lauren mania, and trend predictions for the future. Check out Avery's podcast Articles of Interest and her accompanying Substack.

This episode is a director's cut version of So we’re all obsessed with dolls right now, including extra discussions on dolls in horror films, "living dolls," the power of Bratz, and an interview with Dr. Jillian Hernandez, professor and author of Aesthetics of Excess: The Art of Politics of Black and Latina Embodiment. You can find Jillian on Instagram @pastelitocookie! SOURCES Ancient and Creepy Doll Head Discovered in Prehistoric Child Grave Joins World's Oldest Known Toy Collection Paddle Doll | Middle Kingdom | The Metropolitan Museum of Art Condon, Eileen M. "Spirit dolls (munequitas) in New York Puerto Rican homes: engaging

In this episode, Mina reviews some of late April/early May's trending topics. Here was her reading list: The rise of dating vigilantism Meet the People Working 3 Jobs to Afford Erewhon FINDING EREWHON Celebrity Chef Reveals What She Gets A-List Clients in $1500 Erewhon Haul 'Cosplaying as rich people': Customers spend $80 in EBT at Erewhon 2023 Writers Guild of America Strike: What You Need to Know - The New York Times <a href="https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/

In this director's cut episode, Mina taps into celeb "courtcore" aka the way that celebrities dress when appearing in the judicial court. In this special episode, she also dives further into history, starting with Joan of Arc and ending with contemporary films and the way characters are costumed for trial (e.g. Legally Blonde). Clothing | Joan of Arc | Jeanne-darc.info Primary Sources and Context Concerning Joan of Arc's Male Clothing Joan of Arc: A Life Transfigured by Kathryn Harrison Mary Queen of Scots by Antonia Fraser The Misgendering of Joan of Arc <a href="https://news.fordham.edu/inside-fordham/mary-queen-of-scots-became-an-iconic-figure-for-many-catholics-over-the-centuries-scholar-sa

The director's cut version of Mina's The Life and Death of the Fashion Magazine video she published onto Youtube on Monday. In this expanded edition, she shares listener stories, gives proper shout-outs to some 20th century woman EICs, dives into indie zines, and talks with Mi-Anne Chan, senior director of programming and creative development at Conde Nast (ooooh fancy), who shares valuable insight on today's digital fashion magazine industry. Keep up with High Brow on Instagram! and keep up with Mina on Youtube, Instagram, and Tiktok! Check out Mi-Anne's Mixed Feelings! SOU

In this episode, Mina explores some of the discussions that came up in April: the Barbie trailer, terrible lighting in modern movies/tv shows, sharing pet custody, Instagram divorce announcements, how therapyspeak is harming relationships, flavored watertok, and the luxury water market (have you heard of iceberg water (yes, water from an iceberg) and did you know it costs $300 a bottle?). Here was her reading list: Ryan Gosling Reveals Why He Agreed To Play Ken In ‘Barbie’ Movie: “His Story Must Be Told” And the Ryan Gosling Dancing Video Why are movies so dark these days? A filmmaker walks us through the reasons behind the ‘dark cinematography’ that’s causing so many complaints  <a hr

The director's cut version of Mina's "let's discuss MLMs, Pyramid Schemes, and Grindset Culture video she published onto Youtube on Monday. In this expanded edition, she shares listener stories, debunks bogus claims by MLMs like Young Living, and talks with journalist Sophie Dickinson who wrote the ever informative "The 'Get Rich Quick' MLM Schemes Targeting Gen Z During Lockdown" article for Vice! Keep up with High Brow on Instagram! and keep up with Mina on Youtube, Instagram, and Tiktok! Sources Multilevel Marketing: A Historical Perspective by William W. Keep and Peter Vander Nat

Mina welcomes friend of the pod, Rian Phin, to chat about cultivating your own identity/aesthetic, being part of a subculture, the perilous state of fashion archiving, our unhealthy(???) usage of social media, the old money mystique, and more! Rian Phin is a fashion writer, theorist, and content creator. You can find her on TikTok, Youtube, Twitter, and Instagram. This is the TikTok video we discuss briefly.

In this episode, Mina explores some of the discussions that came up in February and March: aestheticizing failure as a woman, HBO's The Idol, sex scenes in tv shows, and how censorship and AI are affecting society's relationship to sex and companionship. Here was her reading list: All hail the girlfailure by Roison Lanigan Why are so many people rewatching Girls? by Callie Holtermann What Rewatching Old Shows Teaches Us about Ourselves by Allie Volpe 'The Idol': How HBO's Next 'Euphoria' Became Twisted 'Torture Porn' by Chey

For this episode, Mina revisits an old video she made on the history of dieting, supplemented (no pun intended) with more information, listener stories, and an interview with Dr. Katharina Vester, culture historian and professor at American University. Keep up with High Brow on Instagram! and keep up with Mina on Youtube, Instagram, and Tiktok! Sources: Regime change: Gender, class, and the invention of dieting in post-bellum America by Katharina Vester From Robust Appetites to Calorie Counting: The Emergence of Dieting among Smith College Students in the 1920s by Margaret A. Lowe The Progressive Era Body Project: Calorie-Counting and “Disciplining the Stomach” in 1920s America by Chin Jou Diet