Pop Syllabus

Are GLP-1s changing our relationship with our bodies? The science says yes, but not in the ways you might think.

In this episode, Christiana sits down with Dr. A. Janet Tomiyama, health psychologist, UCLA professor, and director of the Diet, Stigma, and Health (DiSH) Lab, to examine how GLP-1s are redefining body positivity, exposing the persistence of weight stigma, and raising bigger questions about who gets to be accepted and why.

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1:25 Meet Janet

3:53 What Japan and Nigeria Reveal About Weight Stigma

5:55 Is Weight Really About Willpower? The Science of Genetics & Dieting

7:56 Should Governments Pay for Weight Loss?

9:37 Why Most Diets Don't Work Long-Term

15:41 How Culture Shapes the Way We Eat

20:21 Why Bigger Bodies Once Represented Wealth

24:29 What Is "Food Noise"?

29:01 The Hidden Reality of Eating Disorders in Black Women

32:14 GLP-1s, Grief, and the Identity Shift No One Talks About

36:41 Who Gets Access to GLP-1s?

42:21 The Risks and Unknowns of GLP-1 Medications

49:03 Are GLP-1s a Lifetime Commitment?

51:28 Raising a Family in a Weight-Obsessed World

56:14 Should Parents Put Their Kids on GLP-1s?

1:01:21 Why Body Neutrality May Be More Realistic Than Body Positivity
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We're back with another round of our signature pop culture game, Are They a Star, Celebrity, or Famous Person?

This week, Christiana is joined by Emmy Award-winning TV host, Zuri Hall, to pull names from the bowl and weigh in on everyone from Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark to Cardi B, Dua Lipa, Timothée Chalamet, Anna Wintour, Billie Eilish, Bad Bunny, The Weeknd, and more. They also get into the rise of influencer culture, the business of celebrity, and who has the staying power to become a true star. Ready to play?

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Email: hello@popsyllabus.com 1:36 Meet Zuri Hall

3:35 Zuri’s exit plan from Access Hollywood

9:36 The game begins

12:33 Angel Reese enters the chat

13:30 Angel Reese vs Caitlin Clark rivalry breakdown

15:41 Timothée Chalamet, Leonardo DiCaprio & Daniel Day-Lewis energy

18:03 Anna Wintour: the “mean boss” myth

19:41 Charli D'Amelio family drama

20:37 Celebrities vs influencers: who runs culture now?

26:44 Cardi B chaos & charisma

34:14 Dua Lipa wedding watch + love life

37:47 Billie Eilish era check

40:03 Bad Bunny takeover

41:43 The Weeknd enters the conversation

47:23 Zohran Mamdani surprise finale
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More women are having children after 40, but what does that actually look like when you are in it? 

In this episode, Christiana sits down with Jesse Golden, CEO and founder of The Golden Secrets, to talk about her journey of trying for motherhood at 45, including IVF, miscarriage, and starting over later in life. She also opens up about home birth, treatment costs, community, and what it really means to redefine motherhood on your own terms.

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1:09 Meet Jesse Golden

2:53 Trying for motherhood again at 45

4:09 What it’s really like trying to get pregnant in your 40s

6:15 Navigating miscarriage and loss

10:04 Inside Jesse’s IVF journey

14:43 The real cost of IVF (financial and emotional)

19:44 Finding community as a woman giving birth after 40

22:14 What actually helps improve your chances of pregnancy

27:22 Is IVF the right path for you?

32:53 Egg freezing and what the future of IVF looks like

36:21 Exploring home birth later in life

40:13 Jesse’s home birth story

43:36 Staying grounded in your choices and your body
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This week’s pop culture syllabus comes straight from the magazine rack! 

In this solo episode, Christiana sits down to talk us through the latest from Women's Health, GQ, Harper's Bazaar, and the juiciest tabloids, breaking down celebrity glow-ups, style statements, and luxury obsessions from names like Jay-Z, Anne Hathaway, Rita Ora, and more while unpacking what this month’s magazines are really saying about pop culture.

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0:39 Rita Ora’s wellness era

3:12Inside Rita’s new look

7:00 The millennial facelift boom

13:55 Meghan & Harry tabloid drama

17:30 Ryan Seacrest’s face fears

19:17 Paris Hilton, theme queen

21:40 Crosswords: hot or not?

23:04 Jay-Z’s GQ takeover

23:39 Is Jay-Z channeling Basquiat?

28:12 Luxury ads everywhere

29:02 Pop culture’s iconic watches

32:22 Sketchers sketchy ads 

34:06 GQ’s wedding rulebook

36:22 The life of Jay-Z

38:44 The Horology of HOV

45:38 Anne Hathaway’s Harper’s Bazaar moment

49:35 Chanel’s star-studded campaign

54:10 Bobbi Brown & beauty businesses

57:18 Ariana’s Swarovski sparkle

59:03 Inside Lulu Guinness’ whimsical home
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Women spend a lot of time wondering what men really think about love and relationships. 

In this episode, Christiana sits down with Holly Solem, advice columnist and creator of the social media series Manthropology, to discuss what she’s learned from interviewing men about dating, masculinity, and loneliness. They also play a game revisiting iconic fictional men in pop culture and how they shaped millennial women’s understanding of love and relationships.

Holly’s Vogue essay

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01:19 Meet Holly Solem 

06:20 Holly’s move back to LA 

07:14 Creating “Manthropology”

11:28 What Holly has learned about men while making “Manthropology” 

13:34 How men in LA compare to men in NY

14:45 How women absorb the shame of men  

16:09 Misogyny in 2026

18:02 Platonic relationships between straight men and women 

22:20 How Holly reacts during Manthropology interviews

23:20 White girlhood vs. Black girlhood 

25:51 Fictional pop-culture men game 

27:14 Chandler Bing from “Friends” 

28:58 Ross Geller from “Friends”

29:39 Batman 

30:50 Superman 

32:24 Homer Simpson 

34:10 Lawrence from “Insecure”

35:13 Big from “Sex and the City” 

37:13 Don Draper from “Mad Men”

38:18 Walter White from “Breaking Bad” 

40:13 Nick Young from “Crazy Rich Asians” 

41:35 Prince Akeem from “Coming to America” 

42:46 Austin Powers 

43:37 James Bond

46:40 Wolverine

48:13 Adam Sackler from “Girls”
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