Straight Up

This week we’re revisiting our ep on the dark side of the therapy boom, from unqualified therapists planting false memories in vulnerable people and an obsession with labels to ‘therapy boasting’ on Hinge and the weaponisation of ‘therapy speak’. Plus, what makes a good therapist, and can AI offer an accessible alternative to what has become a luxury? We’ll be back with our usual pop culture debrief next Thursday! Join us on Patreon for exclusive bonus episodes plus early access and ad-free listening at patreon.com/straightuppodcast Follow us on IG ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@straightuppod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and TikTok @straightuppod Find us on YouTube @straightupmediapod Email at ⁠⁠[email protected] Recs: Dangerous Memories podcast My therapist told me Mum had abused me. She hadn’t, Times The therapist who planted false memories, Pandora Sykes, Substack How the language of therapy took over dating, NYT Nobody has a personality anymore, Substack OpenAI CEO Sam Altman warns users not to trust ChatGPT agent with sensitive or personal data, Decoder Chatbots Can Go Into a Delusional Spiral. Here’s How It Happens, NYT He Had a Mental Breakdown Talking to ChatGPT. Then Police Killed Him, Rolling Stone What does bad therapy actually look like? Stylist Can AI therapists really be an alternative to human help? BBC . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mega-influencer Alix Earle’s new reality show has dropped on Netflix and so we’re unpacking it all, from all the details of her feud with Alex Cooper to the family’s bizarre dynamics. Could Earle Meets World be Gen Z’s answer to The Kardashians? Also this week: series two of The Gentlemen starring Maya Jama, as well as the brilliant film spin-off of French comedy Call My Agent! featuring an excellent cameo from George Clooney. Join us on Patreon for exclusive bonus episodes plus early access and ad-free listening at patreon.com/straightuppodcast Try the adaptogenic coffee that changed our lives with 20% off using code straightup at londonnootropics.com Follow us on IG ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@straightuppod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and TikTok @straightuppod Find us on YouTube @straightupmediapod Email at ⁠⁠[email protected] Recs/ reviews: Where Are The Kings, Donal Ryan The Gentlemen, Netflix Call My Agent! The Movie, Netflix Earle Meets World, Netflix . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ali G is back after more than 20 years, sparking a backlash over the character’s racist stereotypes with cinemas saying they’ll boycott the new film. And speaking of controversial comebacks, the planned John Galliano exhibition at the Met has been pulled, so this week we’re discussing cancel culture, second chances and when some things are better left in the past. Also on the show: the sky-rocketing of push-up bra sales, breastfeeding in public, Bonnie Blue’s baby announcement and Olivia Wilde’s new film, plus the Lindsay Clancy trial. Join us on Patreon for exclusive bonus episodes plus early access and ad-free listening at patreon.com/straightuppodcast Try the adaptogenic coffee that changed our lives with 20% off using code straightup at londonnootropics.com Follow us on IG ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@straightuppod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and TikTok @straightuppod Find us on YouTube @straightupmediapod Email at ⁠⁠[email protected] Recs/reviews Get our book club pick Where Are the Kings here FRIENDSHIP BREAKUPS: ghosting, group dynamics and comparison culture (our ep) Outcome, AppleTV Toy Story 5, SkyTV Furious, Disney Plus I Want Your Sex, in cinemas Eyes Down Here: Push-up bras are back with a vengeance, The Cut Not My G, More Brit (ish) Than Ever Substack, Afua Hirsch The Metropolitan Museum of Art Is Making a Very Bad Mistake, New York Times Lucky Boy, Tortoise Investigates . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why do so many adult men seem stuck in arrested development? We review the buzzy new novel from the “male Sally Rooney” Jem Calder, whose rom-com I Just Want You to Be Happy charts a dysfunctional age-gap relationship between a 35-year-old man-child and 23-year-old woman. Also on the show: our thoughts on the backlash to North West’s “age inappropriate” Dazed cover, Meghan Markle’s new career move, Kendall Jenner and Jacob Elordi’s hard launch and a possible sequel to How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. We’ve released a final batch of tickets to our book club on Wed 2 September! Get yours at via Ticket Tailor and order Where Are the Kings here Join us on Patreon for exclusive bonus episodes plus early access and ad-free listening at patreon.com/straightuppodcast Try the adaptogenic coffee that changed our lives with 20% off using code straightup at londonnootropics.com Follow us on IG ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@straightuppod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and TikTok @straightuppod Find us on YouTube @straightupmediapod Email at ⁠⁠[email protected] Recs/reviews I Want You to be Happy, Jem Calder I Want You to Be Happy is the excruciating millennial novel everyone will be reading this summer, The Independent Alice and Steve, Disney Plus Prue Leith – On leaving Bake Off and finding love again at 70, Experience is Everything Kendall Jenner and Jacob Elordi’s Dating World Tour Continues in London, Vogue North West: ‘Music is what I wanna do with my life’, Dazed Fresh Hell, Tina Brown’s Substack . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ariana Grande’s tour has been getting rave reviews, but the increasingly feverish discussion around her weight has us asking whether it’s more harmful to comment or stay silent, and what this and the tragic case of Jason Arday tell us about how journalists can lose sight of the real people behind headlines. Also this week: romantasy fans rejoice as Sarah J Maas reveals the covers, titles and blurbs for ACOTAR 6 and 7, Nicole Kidman faces backlash for looking “unrecognisable” on the cover of Vogue and the passing of actor Hayden Panettiere. Join the ticket waitlist for our book club on Wed 2 September via Ticket Tailor and order Where Are the Kings here Join us on Patreon for exclusive bonus episodes plus early access and ad-free listening at patreon.com/straightuppodcast Try the adaptogenic coffee that changed our lives with 20% off using code straightup at londonnootropics.com Follow us on IG ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@straightuppod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and TikTok @straightuppod Find us on YouTube @straightupmediapod Email at ⁠⁠[email protected] Recs/reviews DTF St Louis, HBO Max The A Court of Thorns and Roses series, Sarah J Maas The Last House, Netflix The Invite Camp Miasma How do you assign a star rating to Ariana Grande? Ellie’s Substack When the Snowflakes Pretend They Played No Part in the Avalanche, Conquest of the Useless Substack “Where Am I Going? And What’s Next?”: Nicole Kidman Is Keeping Her Heart Open, Vogue We call her Emma podcast This Is Me: A Reckoning, Hayden Panettiere Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.