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Social media has made it easy for everyone to give their opinion...so why do people hate critics?

To answer that question Brittany is joined by Lovia Gyarkye, culture editor at Hammer and Hope, a magazine dedicated to Black culture and politics. Lovia’s spent the bulk of her career researching, reflecting, and writing about the films, artists, and celebrities we’ve come to love. And in that process, she’s found ways to embrace curiosity and skepticism, two essential parts of being a critic.

Today on the show, Lovia defines what being a critic means for her, the ‘thinking’ problem so many of us face, and the power of giving something your sustained attention. 

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How do you know what's safe to eat?

You don't. And after a summer full of food recalls from lettuce to blueberries and even jalapeños, a regular trip to the grocery store can start to feel like a dangerous game. But how are the flaws in our food safety system creating issues beyond what we choose to grab in the produce aisle? To find out, Brittany is joined by Eric Schlosser, author of Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal.

Want more episodes on food, access, and power? Check these out:

The politics of hunger
Think the Medicaid cuts don't affect you? Think again.

You can read Eric's piece, "Should We Be Afraid of Our Food?" in the Atlantic.

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Who's afraid of a horny movie? 

According to Bobbi Miller, culture critic and host of Culture Kitsch, horny movies pique our carnal curiosities. Sometimes there's an overall horny show like Heated Rivalry or movie like Wicker.  Other times, you have elements of horniness present, in movies like Sinners, The Handmaiden, and In the Mood for Love. But it seems like on the whole, Hollywood is still shying away from horny-forward art, even though romance adaptations are exploding in popularity. So what’s going on here? And why it is hard to find these horny depictions onscreen?

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Recipes online seem to have all become… kind of the same. 

They're described in lots of words that end in y – creamy, jammy, lemony – and they tend to use lots of globally sourced pastes like miso, gochujang and harissa. The luscious photos and videos that accompany them border on erotic. But how did this become the norm? What has the internet done to our palates – and what do today's tastes say about us?

To find out, Brittany is joined by Ruby Tandoh, cookbook writer and the author of All Consuming: Why We Eat the Way We Eat Now.

(00:00) Why online recipes all seem the same
(01:59) What shapes our tastes?
(03:28) How food influencers capture your attention
(06:53) 'Twist culture': why there's miso in everything
(09:30) American food is inescapable
(13:03) The roots of 'silly little drink' culture
(16:58) How algorithms drive orthorexic food ideas
(19:20) The rise of ultra-processed 'healthy' foods
(24:47) The politics of cooking and performative homemaking

For more episodes about food culture and how we eat, check out:
It's healthy to eat your feelings. Here's why.
Is your city shaped by yuppie taste?
The heavy weight of diet culture

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Got first date jitters? Maybe your siblings are already starting drama ahead of the holidays? Or perhaps you need tips on supporting a friend through a hard time?

You’re in good hands, because starting on Monday, September 28th to Wednesday September 30th, from 1pm-2pm ET, Brittany will be hosting a pop-up show called Please Advise, where she'll be giving advice LIVE on WNYC. 

But first, Brittany’s getting advice on how to give advice. NPR Embedded producer and author of The Other Significant Others: Reimagining Life with Friendship at the Center, Rhaina Cohen joins the show to share her expertise. Because knowing when to chime in with advice -- versus biting your tongue and lending an ear instead -- is an artform, and Rhaina has some insight on it all.

You can listen to Brittany on Please Advise at WNYC.org.

Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.

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