High Low with EmRata

On the heels of the first Monday in May, I’m talking all things Met Gala. I reflect on my past Met Ball memories, including brushes with famous folks like Beyonce, Doja Cat, Phoebe Bridgers, Lizzo, and David Byrne. And I answer your questions about everything from the invites and red carpet experience to overall vibe. Plus, a look back at the origins of fashion’s biggest night. This is everything you always wanted to know about the Met Gala but never knew who to ask! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Anthem queen, supermom, and new author, Meghan Trainor muses on motherhood, music, and mental health. Plus, why she avoided sex during pregnancy and how a newfound friendship “Auntie” Kris Jenner has changed her life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Diving into the (possible) upcoming WGA strike and what it means for the entertainment we love and the artists who make it. In this episode, I break down why I'm so pro-union and explore the impact of past writers' strikes on the industry. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Bhad Bhabie, a.k.a. Danielle Bregoli, gets real about making bank on OnlyFans, being misunderstood, and the Troubled Teen Industry. Plus, why she recently covered up one some of her Chief Keef-inspired ink. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this special edition of EmRata Asks, I answer your questions submitted via DM or voice memo. Nothing is off limits in this Ask Me Anything, where I give my thoughts on New York, Celeste Barber and what people are like at the annual Vanity Fair Oscars party. You can submit your questions at HighLow.fm or on socials using #HighLow. A Sony Music Entertainment, Somethin' Else, and Bitch Era Media production. Subscribe to ‘High Low: Talk Back’ for exclusive extra episodes every week. Plus, you’ll get all episodes of High Low ad-free. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow us @sonypodcasts. To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Marc Jacobs has had a career in fashion for over 30 years. Today, my friend for better the part of a decade comes on to discuss the art of performance, facelifts, reinvention and what he’s learned about the creative process. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There is an inherent disconnect between people’s online personas and who they are in real life, creating a divide between their IRL (in real life) and URL (online) identities. The way we represent ourselves online-through curation and manipulation-creates a discrepancy between the expectations we have of ourselves and our actual experiences, leading to feelings of inadequacy and making it difficult to perceive and connect to others in real life. This week I’m exploring the idea of the real vs. ideal self and investigating how, in the age of the internet, we might reconcile the two. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Loren Gray is a lot more than just a TikTok star. Loren came in right before her 21st birthday to discuss her upcoming debut album Guilty, her rise to viral fame, and her recent quest to live a “Hannah Montana life.” She talks about what its been like growing up with the internet watching and how she’s learned to navigate the music business despite the people who have doubted her. Plus: making TikToks, Taylor Swift and trucks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I’m sick this week but still wanted to give you something to listen to. I’m still getting a lot of messages to HighLow.fm about the episode I did on Non-Ethical Monogomy back in December. Check it out and let me know your thoughts, and if they’ve changed since this episode first aired. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hari Nef and I have known each other for almost 8 (?!) years. It’s been incredible to watch her blossom into the accomplished model, actress, and writer that she is today. Hari is undoubtedly having a moment on both stage, runway and screen (Barbie, The Idol, The Seagull with Parker Posey and walking nine fashion shows last season). We talk about the letter she wrote to Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie which landed her the role in Barbie and what it was like behind-the-scenes of the controversial new Sam Levinson and The Weeknd HBO Max series. Plus raves, Ru Paul and the concept of performance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

During my conversation with Law Roach, he said when he started out, he didn’t know what he was doing but you have to "fake it till you make it," which led me to reflect on how many people do this. But it is easier said than done, thanks to a little thing called Imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is a phenomenon in which individuals doubt their abilities and believe they are unworthy of their accomplishments and the admiration they receive. As someone who has experienced imposter syndrome, whether it be in my modeling or writing, I often feel like I am going to be exposed as a fraud. In today's episode of EmRata Asks, we will explore what imposter syndrome is and discuss strategies for overcoming it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tan France says people think he was "plucked out of nowhere and they're right." Despite being best known for his role on Queer Eye as a fashion designer and entrepreneur, he had never aspired to be a television personality. Our conversation centered around his upbringing as a South Asian in the UK, his identity as a Pakistani, and his experiences as a brown and queer individual who has often felt like an outsider. We also delved into his experiences filming Queer Eye and his latest show, Next in Fashion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this week’s guest episode, Law Roach discussed his friendship and subsequent falling out with Tiffany Haddish. He told me about how their relationship violated his golden rule of not mixing personal with the professional and also described how they’ve managed to get to a friendly place. We all know what romantic breakups look like, but friend breakups are comparatively uncharted territory. Today I discuss my own experience with friend breakups and what I’ve learned from them. We also see what the internet has to offer in terms of advice for how to handle and recover from platonic relationships ending. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When I saw Law Roach’s post announcing his abrupt retirement, I had to have him come on High Low to hear the full story. Law was real, raw and vulnerable in our conversation. The self-proclaimed image architect and celebrity stylist (Zendaya! Hunter Schafer! Meg The Stallion!) spilled on everything: his origins in the industry, the politics of celebrity fashion, and the s**t he just can’t stand. He even gives us a relationship status update on where he and Tiffany Haddish are at, a few years after the two famously fell out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We’ve heard the word “empowerment" used and abused time and time again. Often, we hear it when we’re being sold something: almost everything from beauty products to exercise classes are meant to “empower women.” But what does “empowerment” even really look like? And feel like? Today I talk about my personal journey with the word, cite Jia Tolentino’s incredible essay “Always Be Optimizing” and Naomi Wolfe’s Beauty Myth to examine how capitalism has diluted true female liberation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Thomas Wesley or Diplo as most people know him is a DJ and music producer and yes, the first cis white male I have had on the podcast! Today, we talk about getting older, his relationship to the internet and even a bit about his sexuality. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In honor of Sly’s 2nd birthday, I’m dedicating today’s episode to reflecting on the last two transformative years of motherhood: I tell my birth story and talk about what Sly has taught me about control, time and love. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Suki Waterhouse is on fire. Her music career has exploded (she has performed in 70 shows since last summer) and her new show, where she plays a keyboardist, Daisy Jones and the Six, just premiered on Amazon Prime. We talk about her beginnings as a model, being protective of girls in their 20s and what music and writing has given her. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Last week on the show, Iggy Azelea talked about how creating an OnlyFans has offered her more control. After our episode aired, I decided to open up the conversation around monetizing your own image and body and the pros and cons of OF to all of you. Today I’m playing your voice recordings and responding to your comments. We discuss why starting an OF is not feminism, sex work through the lens of intersectionality, what empowerment really is, and what it means to be a celebrity potentially joining a platform of sex workers and creators. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

JVN grabbed the hearts of audiences globally when we came to know him as the incredibly positive, sensitive hairdresser on Netflix’s Queer Eye, but it wasn’t until he wrote his first book, where he chronicles his battle with addiction and his HIV status, that we fully got to understand JVN and how he has become the person he is today. On this episode, we talk about Jonathan’s connection to the South, his philosophy around hair and what it can tell us about ourselves and life in general and how he manages to continue to evolve as both a public figure and as an individual. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The attention economy has nurtured an environment on the internet where we are encouraged to distinguish ourselves. One of the quickest, easiest way to do that? Controversial, provocative and timely commentary aka “hot takes” delivered via Tik Tok or Twitter. We have built an entire culture around hot takes, but why are we so addicted to them? And are they actually contributing to healthy, nuanced discourse? Or are they just making us all shallow thinkers? Today I investigate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Iggy Azalea is a rapper, mother and OnlyFans creator. Iggy’s been famous for nearly a decade and, to use her own words from this conversation: “I made record labels so much money off my body. I made a lot of people so much money off my body and I got the smallest cut off my own fucking body and my own work, and my own ideas…” Today we discuss how she’s managed to take back control: through career moves, cosmetic surgery, motherhood, and starting an OnlyFans. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It shocking how little we still know about the side effects of the pill, especially when it comes to how hormones can affect your decision making. Recent studies have indicated that hormones from oral contraceptives can impact who you’re attracted to and even who you choose as a long term partner. Today I’m talking about the wider implications of these studies and what they mean. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Professional boxer Alycia "The Bomb" Baumgardner joined me in studio days before a career making (or breaking) fight at Madison Square Garden. And guess what? She won! She is now the undisputed super featherweight champion of the world. We talk about the newfound attention female boxing is getting, how she embraces her femininity while playing a traditionally masculine sport, and how she is able to maintain unrelenting confidence in herself and her destiny. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Well, it’s almost motherfu*king Valentine’s Day. And for the first time in my adult life, I’m spending it single. So this week I’m asking: is love overrated? And how can we reshape romantic love to augment life, rather than define it? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Amber Rose rose to prominence through several high profile relationships with famous rappers, but she has a whole lot more to say than gossip and rehash their history. Today we discuss how she has reclaimed the labels “slut” and “bitch” through her event Slut Walk, how she’s raising her sons to respect women, classism, feminism and racism, and what she wants to see happen with men (and women!) when it comes to fighting misogyny. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Women and femme presenting people spend billions of dollars annually to try and appear younger and slow down the inevitable: aging. Today I reference some of my favorite writing on women and getting older and talk about why so may of us fear losing our youth and discuss the how (and if!) we can change the way we think about age and beauty. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Like "the twink of the moment." This is how Tommy felt just before her gender transition. This week we discuss navigating gender identity, her decision to transition, and the complications that surround transitioning as a public persona. We also cover her struggles with drug addiction, her casting in 13 Reasons Why, and her future as a writer and director. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The truth about having your love life on blast? It’s pretty weird. I allude to my dating life a lot on the show but I wanted to take the opportunity this week to talk to all of you about what it’s really like to be dating in the public eye. I discuss paparazzi, dating multiple people at the same time Lori Harvey and Taylor swift, ofc. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When asked what Slave Play is about, Jeremy O. Harris responds, “Slave Play is a slave play. And you should go see it.” The play, which wrestled with sex and race, was as controversial as it was successful. Today we talk about his time spent at the Yale School of Drama, the origins of Slave Play, his approach to writing and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

'Icon' is definitely an overused word these days, but when it comes to Donatella Versace, THE Donatella Versace, there is no better description. Donatella comes into the studio baring Versace pillows and cups and sits down to give us rare insights into the house of Versace: she describes her childhood in the South of Italy, what the fashion industry was like in the late seventies, how Gianni ushered in the supermodel era and the experience of losing her brother. We also talk Britney, Lil Nas X, Naomi, and even share a special announcement about who the face of the SS23 Versace campaign is. Donatella shares her wisdom around business and her philosophy around life, which yes, includes a "Bitch Era" attitude. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Earlier this week, my guest Chloe Cherry talked about how she felt safer when she was acting in adult films than when she working as a waitress in the service industry. It was a perspective a lot of people took issue with, including my past guest Mia Khalifa. Today I share the reaction to Chloe’s comments: Mia’s response via Tik Tok and what friends of mine who have worked as both waitresses and strippers have to say. I also read comments and submissions from listeners like you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After moving to Miami at 18 to become an adult film actress, Chloe worked in porn for six years before she was cast in Season 2 of Euphoria. Unlike other adult film actors who I’ve spoken to, Chloe was very intentional about pursuing her career in porn. Today we discuss Chloe’s perspective on sex work, how and why she’s deliberately commodified her body, and the differences between acting in the adult film industry and Hollywood. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There is such an emphasis on the importance of truth-telling in our culture, but is honesty really always “the best policy”? In honor of the new year, I'm talking about the ethics of honesty in intimate relationships and how kindness and tact should, at times, come before candidness. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Olivia Ponton has a built a massive following on Tik Tok and landed a place in Sport’s Illustrated 2022 Swimsuit addition. Today we discuss what the last few years of her life have been like, the commodification of one’s body and being a queer woman in the spotlight. Today’s episode includes discussions surrounding eating disorders and body dysmorphia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s easy to write people off as “toxic” and cut them out of your life completely. But have we taken the culture of boundaries too far? Today I read from an article published in The Atlantic entitled “That’s It. You’re Dead to Me.” and discuss the “toxic” phenomenon that millennials and Gen Z have come to rely on. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Bella’s first photo shoot was at 6 weeks old. She grew up in Hollywood, and today on the pod she talks about her experience of being simultaneously sexualized and shamed as an adolescent in the limelight. You can check out Bella’s jewelry line, Thorne, at thornedynasty.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I finally did it. In honor of me downloading my first dating app, I bring in my best friend, Kat, a former swiping pro to discuss the pros and cons of matching with strangers online. And yes, we even read some of my DMs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Andrea is a critic at New York magazine and the author of Females. Her searing critiques of writers like Ottessa Moshefegh and Bret Easton Ellis are as hilarious as they are insightful. Her essay “On Liking Women” has been credited as launching the “second wave” of transgender studies. I first met Andrea when she profiled me around the publication of my book and we have since become friends. We talk about writing, flirting via text, gender politics and so much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jealousy has been on my mind since we posted the episode on Ethical Non-Monogamy. Dozens of you came to me with the same feedback: "I could never, I'm too jealous". Today I take a closer look at the emotion we all seem to have the most shame and fear around. I talk about Ethan and Harper's relationship in White Lotus, read from the chapter on jealousy in The Ethical Slut and take some advice from Tik-Tokers on how to understand ourselves and our relationships better by learning to examine our jealousy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Drew Afualo has taken over TikTok by taking a no holds barred approach to eviscerating dudes who share racist, misogynistic commentary online. But the best part? She’s really, really funny. Today we discuss her Samoan heritage and its influence on her politics, why she doesn’t consider being called “fat” an insult, accountability in the age of the internet, her distinction between “nice” and “kind” and so much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Attachment theory has become incredibly popular in the last 5 years: not only for therapists and people working in psychotherapy, but also for individuals who hope to better understand their behavior and needs in close relationships. Today I explain the history of attachment theory and its rise to prominence in recent years before breaking down the 4 styles of attachment. Then I get into my personal experience with therapy and talk a little bit about confirmation bias and the other ways we attempt to understand ourselves and the ones we love. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Art! Patriarchy! New York City! Childbirth! My friend, Sarah Hoover, former Gagosian gallery director turned writer, comes on the pod today to talk about her experience with postpartum depression, her understanding of art history through the lens of feminism, the medical-industrial complex and the terrifying history behind women's healthcare. Sarah also gives a peek into her upcoming memoir, Motherload. A Sony Music Entertainment, Somethin’ Else, and Bitch Era Media production. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts To bring your brand to life on this podcast, email [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In her essay "Scenes from an Open Marriage" Jean Garnett asks her husband "’Which scenario endangers us more: you sleeping with other women, or you not sleeping with other woman?’” Partnership and commitment is difficult and inherently risky—so what about opening up a relationship? Today on the pod I explore ethical non-monogamy. I examine Garnett's essay as it relates to a friend, B, who has practiced ENM and then I'm joined on the phone by another friend. We discuss The Ethical Slut, love, individualism and how to connect to your desires and advocate for your own needs in a relationship. A Sony Music Entertainment, Somethin’ Else, and Bitch Era Media production. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts To bring your brand to life on this podcast, email [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mia Khalifa has a complicated history with the internet. But in recent years she has transformed her relationship to it, not only by gaining more control and ownership over her likeness, but also because she has introduced the world to the funny and thoughtful person she is. This week we discuss sex work, Mia’s relationship to shame, and how she has managed, to use her own words, to continually “fail upwards”. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Thanksgiving dinner is 13.5 percent more expensive than last year! This week on Emrata Asks we are talking inflation and the word everyone seems scared to say: recession. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Once a married waitress in her late 20s, my dear friend and best selling author put everything on the line in order to go to grad school. The result? Her smash hit novel, Sweetbitter, and a career as a writer. We talk slumber parties, the beginning of our friendship (which involves DMs and my therapist) as well as the writing process, privilege and likability. A Sony Music Entertainment, Somethin’ Else, and Bitch Era Media production. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts To bring your brand to life on this podcast, email [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Brazilian butt lifts. Botox. Lip gloss. These are all tools people use to appeal to the male gaze. But where do our personal decisions to alter our appearance collide with our politics and become problematic? Do they ever? On todays EmRata Asks I explore the complex relationship between plastic surgery and feminism. A Sony Music Entertainment, Somethin’ Else, and Bitch Era Media production. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts To bring your brand to life on this podcast, email [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ziwe of Ziwe fame. My close friend and neighbor comes on to give us personal insight into the character we all know and love from both Baited and Ziwe. We discuss anger, the color pink and our friendship. A Sony Music Entertainment, Somethin’ Else, and Bitch Era Media production. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts To bring your brand to life on this podcast, email [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Screaming Karens. Police brutality. Creepy stalkers. We all carry around a weapon to catch these wrongdoings on camera: our iPhones. But this pervasive surveillance in our culture also means any of us can be filmed at any time without our consent. So what are the ethics of taping others on your iPhone? I break down the pros and cons of recording strangers in public. Then I’m joined by my lawyer Ellie Heisler to discuss the law’s response (or lack of thereof) to these issues. A Sony Music Entertainment, Somethin’ Else, and Bitch Era Media production. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts To bring your brand to life on this podcast, email [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices