Middlebrow

Dan and Brian discuss curiously named English delicacies, temperature disregulation, Oasis fever, Montana, Teddy Roosevelt, a taste of Breitbart News, pre-screenwriting cold plunge, My Neighbor Totoro in the West End, Jang Sa Ik's song Flower Viewing, Stoner by John Williams and tennis at The Queen's Club.

Dan and Brian discuss UK heat waves, Wimbledon queues, inverse Anthony Bourdain, pro tennis' mental health problem, Bloomsbury Group, Brian's New Yorker piece, Lena Dunham's Too Much, NYT's video stars and Justin Bieber.

Recho Omondi, host and creator of the fashion podcast The Cutting Room Floor, is known for her candid interviews with the fashion industry's biggest movers and shakers . We dive into FiDi swag, Wicked, creative director musical chairs, Alessandro Michele as a case study, streetwear, her namesake label, The Cutting Room Floor, Anna Wintour, Mtv's lasting impact, haters as fans and queer fragrance collectives.

Delaney Rowe, actor, comedian and writer, has taken over your social media timelines with her satirical movie character cliches. We dive into theatre ruining your life, being called "insufferable", private chefs, Paris, Celine Song's Materialists, viral panic, hosting a dinner party like a pro and hot dads.

Dan and Brian discuss the return to a grindset mentality, Zohran Mamdani, Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's wedding, NYT top 100 best movies of the 21st century, Peter Thiel and the AI draft frenzy.

Jason Zinoman, critic at large for the Culture section of the NYT and the paper's comedy critic, digs into the how and why behind a well-crafted joke. We dive into hot and rich comedians, marketing at the expense of craft, Youtube, SNL's successor, a defense of clown, critiquing without bias, comedy pet peeves, late night talk shows and the lost art of making everyone laugh.

Dan and Brian discuss fast casual two a days, tourists from your own country, bourgeois bohemians, France's smoking ban, Jannik Sinner, environments to cultivate greatness, French street artist Invader, Wes Anderson's The Phoenician Scheme, Talking Heads new music video, Vincenzo Latronico's Perfection and vibe coding.

Kareem Rahma, comedian and host of Subway Takes, knows how to grab your attention. We dive into personal rebrands, a case against the gym, getting papped, Keith McNally, meditations in Minneapolis, Wernher von Braun, Subway Takes, Sex and the City, changing your name, Ben Affleck and future goals. *Note: Audio quality dips slightly between 38-45 minutes due to technical difficulties.

David Michon, writer and creator of the design newsletter For Scale, can help you unlock the supreme potential of your domestic space. We dive into design week events, bringing critique back into the mainstream, the spiritual weight of a couch, interior design as self harm, dude apartments, dupe culture, white boucle, false notions of completeness, cinema interiors and LA restaurants. Read David's newsletter: https://forscale.substack.com/

Dan and Brian discuss almond croissants, expensive water, European air conditioning, Cannes Film Festival, mimetic desire, America's middle-aged sweethearts, Mr. Beast's glow up, content creators, the final Mission Impossible and the Tate Modern.

Emily Sundberg, writer and creator of the daily business newsletter Feed Me, always has the inside scoop on New York enterprise. We dive into being on your British tip, Gem Home, business group chats, Criterion collection, East Hampton Star, girlboss 2.0, gossip, Substack's value proposition and another dumb app idea. Link to Emily's newsletter: https://www.readfeedme.com/

Dan and Brian discuss what it means to have an American pope, Donald Trump for HGTV, a defense of West Village girlies, let them theory, Andrea Long Chu's bars, Andrew DeYoung's Friendship, Tim Robinson style comedy, Cluely and another dumb app idea.

Dan and Brian discuss this year's Met Gala theme, buying the Kanye dip, Lena Dunham's New Yorker piece, being a "from person", American lean, Zohran, Constance Tsang's Blue Sun Palace, Artichoke Pizza, performing at Red Rocks amphitheatre and Liveball.

Dan and Brian discuss secret super powers, comfortable servers, weather appropriate attire, The Four Horsemen, Resy insights, Dungeons and Dragons, Lorde, live readings and Ryan Coogler's Sinners.

Dan and Brian discuss the pope, jacked Ralph Fiennes, Chelsea gallery shows, The Masters, nepo athletes, 4dx film screenings, Salone del Mobile, Athens and European reservation systems. Athens Recs Shops: Hyper Hypo, It's a Shirt, Mouki Mou, Phaon Food: Seychelles, Taverna Oikonomou, Ouzeri lesvos, Wine is Fine Galleries: Michael Werner, Breeder Gallery Stay: Ace Hotel Athens

Liza Treyger, standup comedian, is all about curating good energy on and off stage. We dive into stage animals, Law & Order: SVU, going out until 6am, Soulcycle, crowdwork, luck, her new Netflix special and being out on ideas.

Dan and Brian discuss romance audiobooks, the case against shorts, protein intake levels, Netflix's Adolescence, Mr. Beast's newest venture, ai voice models, Atelier Jolie and The White Lotus.

Noah Johnson, Editor in Chief of Highsnobiety, has quietly shaped what you've worn over the past decade. We dive into projecting hobby expertise, being a menswear grim reaper, the exquisite corpse era of fashion, Substack, foodie culture, A24 as an adjective and Evan Kinori.

Dan and Brian discuss Playboi Carti's I Am Music, Bong Joon Ho's Mickey 17, probiotic sodas, entrepreneurial killer instincts, Samuel Beckett, yonder pouches, innovative restroom solutions and Anne Imhof's DOOM.

Moss Perricone, writer for Saturday Night Live, knows how to craft a good joke. We dive into open mic Stockholm Syndrome, how being too stylish can signal fiscal irresponsibility, onboarding at SNL, pitch superstitions and the 50th anniversary special.

Wyna Liu, NYT puzzle editor and writer of the popular Connections game, crafts puzzles that provoke both anguish and joy. We dive into her personal morning game rituals, puzzle cruises, NYT games lab, the mechanics behind a good board and the beauty of applying constraints to our own lives.

Dan and Brian discuss high fashion podcast collabs, The Razzie Awards, Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake, Koch brothers, architecture salaries, posthumous recognition, Tony Tulathimutte's Rejection and dumb phones.

Dan and Brian discuss return to office productivity, the false promise of invisalign, country cottage cosmetic industries, New York uber ratings, New Yorker humor pieces, LA art fairs, Tim Cook swag, Timothee Chalamet's earnest acceptance speech and Delmonico's.

Dan and Brian discuss the spirit of LA being alive and well, chasing winter, mumblecore films, traveling through SFO, Hollywood accounting, flight risks, jury duty on a shoplifting trial, RFK Jr and the SNL 50th anniversary.

Jeremiah Stone, chef and co-owner of Wildair and Bar Contra, has shaped New York's downtown dining culture. We dive into breakfast routines, the underappreciated art of dessert, insider tips for restaurant bookings, critics, Noma's true influence in fine dining, Kitchen Confidential 2.0, and the pressures of staff meal.

Dan and Brian discuss the fall of TED and pop psychology, dressing up for standup audiences, Sundance film inspo, jury duty avoidance tactics, Madonna at the Comedy Cellar, Ramell Ross's Nickel Boys, Randall's Island, new right wing influencers and DeepSeek.

Alex Hartman, creator of the viral meme account 'Nolita Dirtbag,' chronicles the absurdities of the 'coastal elite'. We dive into Bryan Johnson's quest for immortality, buying things from social media ads, the future of office spaces, sneaky musicals, memes as art, and the enduring mystique of Chet Hanks.

Dan and Brian discuss David Lynch, actually reading Playboy for the articles, Jamie xx UK bangers, buzzy downtown restaurant Bridges, NYPD tow pounds, movie laughs and Zuck's masculinity crusade.

Avery Trufelman, podcaster and host of 'Articles of Interest,' unpacks how we express ourselves through what we wear. We dive into the rise and fall of millennial excellence, Wikipedia editor tryouts, a case study for anonymous bullying, our personal style journeys and her upcoming literary debut.

Dan and Brian discuss American creature comforts, digital detoxes, Brady Corbet's The Brutalist, Sally Rooney's Intermezzo and our favs of 2024.

Dan and Brian discuss famous sightings at an experimental play, A Real Pain by Jesse Eisenberg, Spotify's plot against musicians, moral panic around celebrity infidelity and our ins and outs for the new year.

Harry Krinsky, host of the Nothing But Respect podcast, brings his eye for NBA culture and deep appreciation for good hangs to Middlebrow. We explore how media training killed sports personalities, the death of public social media engagement, the myth of run clubs, third spaces and recurring matches on online dating apps.

Noelle Perdue, porn historian and writer, traces the evolving boundaries of obscenity. We explore the definition of porn, algorithmic influences to our desire, tradwives, old playboys and fetishes.

Dan and Brian discuss the online footprint of today's assassins, stress addiction, Disclaimer on Apple TV, coffee shop zoom calls, Luna Luna, Dutch Bros and America's disappearing middle taste.

Tony award-winning playwright David Adjmi (Stereophonic) explores the creative aftermath of success. We chat about the tensions between artistic authenticity, creative ambition, and the weight of accomplishment.

Dan and Brian discuss friendsgiving as a concept, the millennial concert going experience, Paul Mescal and Denzel in Gladiator 2, Sunset Blvd on Broadway, Hauser and Wirth's restaurant and Rafa's retirement.

Dan and Brian discuss being personality hires for a J.Crew campaign, juggalo aesthetics, unicycle guys, becoming Joe Rogan of the left, virtual queues and the genius of Christian Marclay's 'The Clock'.

Designer and NYU media studies professor Ruby Thelot investigates the cultural dynamics of online spaces. Through his research, we discuss the act of being online, forms of gatekeeping, the Drake academic symposium and ways to become a better hater.

Dan and Brian discuss halloween costume effort, diversifying racism, Sean Baker's Anora, the truth about Blue Zones, Malcolm Gladwell-isms, testosterone replacement therapy and Hey Dude shoes.

Joss Fong, co-creator and host of the popular YouTube series "Howtown," brings her digital storytelling expertise from her time as a founding member of Vox's video team to dissect the evolving landscape of online media. We dive into generational divides, the challenges of public-facing creativity, ways to measure happiness and other possible "how do they know" explorations.

Award-winning journalist Bianca Bosker, author of the NYT bestseller "Get the Picture," immersed herself in New York's fine art world to understand its enduring appeal. We explore her findings, covering art literacy, market politics, artificial scarcity, and ways to disrupt the industry.

Gen Z workforce, Adam Neumann deja vu, Vampire Weekend concert report, partiful, industry parties and the agony and ecstasy of Megalopolis

Chilling at a $60M dollar home, classical music, Mk.gee at Terminal 5, Hudson NY as a concept, the appeal of ugly art and reading aptitude in decline

Andrew Yang jump scare, GQ behind the scenes, menswear inside job, gym culture and wellness tips that actually work

Politico drama, journalism twitter, romantasy novels, Mr. Beast evil guide to success, Substack writers and follow-unfollow etiquette

Fashion's coolness index, Stereophonic, a Jeff Bezos sighting, secret Uniqlo ad, elevated street food and panel culture

Founder Mode, "museum" experiences, college dorm room designers, Job on Broadway and therapy content

Male vs. female gaze celebrity, US Open aesthetics, corporate bowl lunches, Burning Man art and health optimization

LA's hotness distortion field, calculated risks, selling "mcm" furniture, Pete Wells, dining out in NY and the Ryan Reynolds multiverse

Tennis court justice, fashion devours film, a Brian Eno doc and some fire Japanese woodblock prints at the Brooklyn Museum