<p>Lots of great convos in today’s episode: the consistent desire to fit in during middle-school (we present: Livestrong bracelets), conflicting opinions on the viral Pookie/Jett videos and when #TradWives-esque content can turn harmful, how deepfakes work and are being used, and why continued layoffs in the news industry give us a sinking feeling.</p><p>In more “woo-woo” chatter, we explore our astrological compatibility and talk about what our approaches to haunting would be if we were ghosts.</p><p><strong>Pop Culture:</strong></p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.thecut.com/2024/01/stanley-cup-bullying-middle-school.html">The Stanley Cup: A 40 ounce bully?</a> By Julia Reinstein for The Cut</p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/taylor-swift-travis-kelce-kansas-city-chiefs-play-super-bowl-1234955730/">Travis Kelce’s Chiefs (and Likely Taylor Swift) Are Going to the Super Bowl</a> by Althea Legaspi for Rolling Stone</p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://people.com/sofia-richie-video-sex-reveal-baby-girl-tiktok-8551115">Sofia Richie Shares Video of Moment She Learned She Is Expecting a Baby Girl: 'I'm So Excited'</a> by Esme Mazzeo for People</p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.bustle.com/life/pookie-is-looking-fire-today-campbell-jett-puckett-tiktok">Pookie Is Looking Absolutely Fire Today</a> by Alexis Morillo and Sarah Ellis for Bustle</p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://annehelen.substack.com/p/tradwife-life-as-self-annihilation">#TradWife Life as Self-Annihilation</a> by Anne Helen Petersen for Culture Study</p><p><strong>News:</strong></p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/26/arts/music/taylor-swift-ai-fake-images.html">Explicit Deepfake Images of Taylor Swift Elude Safeguards and Swamp Social Media by Kate Conger and John Yoon</a> for the NYT</p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/12/technology/deepfakes-cheapfakes-videos-ai.html">Making Deepfakes Gets Cheaper and Easier Thanks to A.I.</a> by Stuart A. Thompson for the NYT</p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.npr.org/2024/01/23/1226406586/a-look-at-the-wave-of-layoffs-hitting-the-news-industry">A look at the wave of layoffs hitting the news industry</a> by David Folkenflik for NPR</p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/25/media/news-industry-future/index.html">News industry off to brutal 2024 start as mass layoffs devastate publishers, raising questions about the future of journalism</a> by Oliver Darcy and Jon Passantino for CNN</p><p><strong>Content: </strong></p><p>Strife, Series on Apple TV (AU)</p><p>Ghost Story, Podcast by Tristan Redman for Wondery and Pineapple Street Studios</p><p>Chicken Shop Date with Paul Mescal, YouTube Series by Amelia Dimoldenberg</p><p>Past Lives, Movie by A24</p> <br/><br/>This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://muchtodiscuss.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&#38;utm_campaign=CTA_1">muchtodiscuss.substack.com</a>