Middlebrow

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