Talks in Class

Happy unofficial start of summer 2026 (or possibly 2006, according to the clothes on display at the mall). In this episode I talk about my recent visit home to Wisconsin, my dying hometown mall, why I think Laguna Beach is *so* nostalgic for me, some thoughts on reality TV then & now, and the dumbest reason I got detention in high school.

I'm back! Back to the pod and back to LA after a long weekend trip with 10 (yes, TEN) other millennial content creators in Scottsdale, AZ. This episode is all about our first ever millennial creator trip - how it came together, the planning process, the weekend agenda, the funniest moments & all the behind the scenes tea!

I'm back! Well, kind of. I give some life updates (my new apartment may be cursed and I went on a crazy influencer brand trip), talk about some ideas for the future of the pod, and answer audience questions covering topics from mandatory 2000s TV viewing to staying organized to (of course) Mary-Kate and Ashley.

In part 2 of my MK & A episode, this week I'm talking about Mary Kate & Ashley Olsen's lives and careers in the 2000s and beyond. I discuss the many films the girls made throughout their teens (including their final movie together), the media frenzy around them turning 18, the many ways they were victims of the paparazzi culture of the time, and their successful careers in fashion since retiring from acting. I also share some fun Mary Kate & Ashley movie facts, and of course, talk a lot about their outfits.

Welcome to part 1 of a two-part look into the lives and careers of Mary Kate & Ashley Olsen. In this episode, I discuss the girls' early careers, the massive amount of work they did as child stars, and how they built a multi-media empire before they even hit their teens. I also reflect on why I loved the Olsen twins so much growing up and share my favorite Olsen twins movie moments from the '90s.

This week I'm answering a variety of questions from listeners, all related to the theme of mall nostalgia. From food court favorites to putting together the perfect mall outfit, I share some of my favorite memories of the mall and discuss whether or not I think we can expect a mall culture comeback.

This week we're paying tribute to the most important mall store of my twenties: Forever 21. I share some history of the famous fast fashion brand, discuss its impact on trends and shopping habits, and of course, talk about some of the most memorable items and outfits I remember buying at Forever 21 - for better or worse.

Once again we're talking about my favorite topic: mall stores! This week we're discussing the subset of pop culture in the '90s and early 2000s targeting pre-teen girls specifically and the stores, products, and brands that became popular at the time. I talk about some of the most popular tween fashion brands and stores of the early aughts, what happened to them, and why I think the Limited Too relaunch ultimately failed. I also share my favorite tween fashion moments from the Y2K era.

This week we're taking a deep dive into one of my favorite mall stores of the '90s, Bath and Body Works. I share some history of the iconic store (including the story behind the amazing '90s country market branding that I miss so much), reminisce on some of the products I remember from those days, and discuss the evolution of the brand from then to now. I also share my thoughts on the current B&BW branding and which products I think the brand should relaunch today!

We're traveling back to 2017 (yes, it's already been 8 years since 2017) to talk about 2010s millennial core, internet culture, Instagram aesthetics, the influencer economy, and parasocial relationships through the lens of one of my favorite movies ever, Ingrid Goes West. I share some of my own experiences as a content creator, discuss the evolution of millennial internet and & influencer culture, and share some of my favorite memories and trends from 2017.

This week we're traveling back to the '90s to explore one of the craziest cultural phenomenons I remember from childhood: the Beanie Baby craze. I overview the history of these floppy, stuffed toys and discuss how the Ty company was able to successfully manipulate the market to drive up the perceived value of the toys, share some of the craziest Beanie Baby moments I remember, and of course, talk about their downfall that left so many people with piles of nearly-worthless Beanie Babies.

This week we're looking back at cultural and fashion icons Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie and their rise to fame on 2003's "The Simple Life". I talk about some of the most memorable moments from the show, the outfits I desperately tried to copy, why I think the show was so popular and how Paris and Nicole changed our cultural understanding of what it meant to be a "celebrity".

Welcome back to the podcast, and happy holiday season! We're throwing it back to the year I graduated high school - 2005 - to talk about what I think is the most underrated holiday movie of the 2000s (and one of the most underrated movies of the decade in general). I share what makes me love this Christmas romcom so much, which parts hit home the most, and offer my thoughts on the mid-2000s fashion on display in this holiday classic.

Happy Halloween! This week I'm answering listener questions all about nostalgic Halloween memories. Topics range from homemade Halloween costumes, to trick or treating memories, to UNICEF boxes, to my personal favorite Halloween-themed sitcom episodes of the '90s.

Spooky season continues, and this week we're covering the massive popularity of witches, witchy aesthetics, and witch media in the 1990s. I discuss why I think witches were so popular at that particular point in time, some of the most influential witchy media for me as a kid, witches as feminist icons, and I count down my top 5 favorite media portrayals of witches.

It's about time I pay tribute and devote an entire episode to one the most iconic and influential brands of the McBling fashion era: Juicy Couture. In this episode, I talk about the history of the brand and how the founders successfully leveraged influencer marketing before that was even a thing to build a massively popular celebrity brand. I reminisce on some of the most memorable celebrities who wore Juicy, my earliest memories of the brand, how the 2008 recession changed the landscape of fashion, and ultimately, what led to the downfall of Juicy's popularity.

This week I'm talking about perhaps my very favorite toy growing up in the '90s: Barbie dolls. I cover a brief history of Barbie, talk about some of the iconic dolls I remember from the '90s, and discuss Barbie's legacy as a cultural icon. From her dream houses to her careers to her clothes, she's always reflected the current trends and values of society. I also share some fun facts about Barbie that you may not know!

Welcome back to the final episode in our nostalgic summer movies series! This week we're covering a hugely influential movie for me as a kid, 1995's Now and Then. I talk about some of the most memorable scenes in the movie (yes, including *that* scene with Devon Sawa), the ways this movie influenced my friends and in the '90s, and how its portray of girlhood and the adolescent experience differed from many movies aimed at young girls at the time. I also share some fun trivia facts I discovered about the movie and of course, talk about its amazing retro fashion and aesthetics.

This week we're talking about one of the most nostalgic summer time experiences for me: summer camp! I talk about my summer camp inspo (Bug Juice and The Parent Trap, obviously), my favorite parts of camp (like the pre-camp shopping trip), some of my best and worst camp memories, and unlock some Girl Scout camp memories with my top 5 favorite camp songs.

This week we're chatting about another nostalgic movie - and one of my favorite movies of all time - Dazed & Confused. I talk about the iconic moments, the famous quotes, the amazing soundtrack, and why I think this movie is such a realistic portrayal of high school (at least in my own experience).

Welcome back to another Q&A episode featuring summer-themed questions from listeners! In this episode, I cover everything from summer jobs (like detasseling corn - iykyk), how I spent my summers in college, my unfortunate experience with sun-in spray, and of course, some of my favorite & least favorite summer fashion trends of the 2000s.

Welcome back to our summer movie rewind series! This week we're talking about the '90s summer classic "The Sandlot". I talk about some of the most memorable scenes of the movie, the quotes that a lot of us probably still reference today, and why I think this movie captures the magic of being a kid in the summer so well. I also chat about the trend of kids' sports movies in the '90s and count down my top 5 of the genre.

In this episode, I'm taking us back to the early days of text messages, ringtones, and camera phones to talk all about the evolution of cell phones in the 2000s. I talk about the role of our cell phones in our lives throughout the years, all the unique and fun cell phones that were on the market when I was a teen, and the many ways we could get into trouble for running up a massive cell bill (ahem, buying ring tones). I also share my early cell phone memories and some of my favorite 2000s ring tone song picks!

Welcome to our Summer Movie Rewind mini-series where I'll revisit nostalgic summer movies to share with you on the podcast! We're kicking it off with a '90s twin double feature including the 1995 movie It Takes Two starring the Olsen twins and the 1998 movie The Parent Trap starring Lindsay Lohan. I discuss the movie's many similarities and differences, my memories of watching them, some of my favorite moments, and some fun trivia facts about each one that you may not have known before.

Before smart phones, social media, and the internet, we learned everything we needed to know from teen magazines. In this episode, I talk about some of the most memorable pieces of advice from these magazines, and I break out my stack of old magazines to read you some of the best, the worst, and the weirdest advice they have to offer, on everything from pimples to shiny hair to boys to diets (ew) to see how they hold up today.

Since it's that time of year, this week we're talking about one of the most important and memorable moments of our teen years: graduation. I reflect on my own senior year, our traditions, the parties, and all the excitement and emotion that surrounded graduation. I also share a few listeners' own funniest memories from senior year and graduation back in the 2000s, including wild pranks, iconic '00s outfits, and embarrassing moments. And of course, I share my top 5 graduation songs that you were sure to hear at any grad ceremony back in my day.

In this episode we're talking about the golden age of rom coms in the '90s and early 2000s - the good, the bad, and the forgotten. I discuss why I think the rom com formula works so well, the famous rom com stars of my childhood, the many variations of rom coms during the '90s and '00s (from JLo movies to indie rom coms to musicals) and the possibility of a rom com resurgence.

This week we're doing a deep nostalgia dive into the 2001 sitcom "So Little Time" starring millennial teen queens Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen. I talk about how deeply influenced I was by this short-lived show, the Fox Family Channel's programming around the year 2000, the girls' iconic outfits, and some of my favorite memories from this show. I also share my top 5 most influential Olsen Twins looks ever (a VERY hard list to narrow down to just five)!

We're finishing off our three-part journey through the cultural and fashion evolution of the 2000s with a discussion about the end of the decade. In this episode, I talk about the impact of the 2008 financial crisis on fashion trends and luxury, the odd combination of back-to-basics fashion items and flashy, tacky, neon styles, and the strong '80s influence on fashion at the time. And of course, I finish by sharing the late 2000s trends I personally hope to never experience again (tunics over leggings: I'm looking at you).

Welcome back to part two of our journey through the evolution of fashion & pop culture trends of the 2000s. This week we cover a lot of ground as we dive into the middle of the decade. I discuss the impact of post-9/11 rhetoric on pop culture and fashion, our obsession with celebrity, wealth, and designer labels during this time period, and I share some of the biggest shifts I experienced in fashion during the mid-2000s.

Welcome to a new series on the show where we will trace the evolution of fashion and cultural trends throughout the decade of the 2000s. This week we dive in to the Y2K era to discuss how technology, politics, and changing cultural attitudes impacted fashion trends and pop culture. I talk about the feeling of living in the "modern world" in the late '90s, the cautious optimism of Y2K, and (of course) some of my favorite Y2K trends.

Welcome back to part two of my audience Q & A episode! This week, I talk about life before social media, dating in high school, my content creation journey, how the economy and technology impacted millennials' lives, and some of the reasons I got grounded in high school (spoiler: I snuck out a lot). As always, I finish it off with a list: my top 10 favorite things I've uncovered in my time capsule bedroom!

Welcome to my first mail bag episode where I answer listener-submitted questions! In this episode, I talk about underrated 2000s trends and the ones I see coming back (plus 2000s things that sadly seem dead), social media perceptions, high school memories from the early aughts, and the infamous American Girl warehouse sale in the '90s. And of course, I share some of my most memorable moments from my freshman year of high school. Tune in for part 2 next week!

This week we're diving into the recent rise in popularity of '90s and 2000s fashion and nostalgia on social media and how the reality of life at that time differs from the current social media portrayal of it. I talk about some reasons for the "inaccurate" representations on social media, my memories of real 2000s fashion, technology, and everyday life, and some of the darker sides of life in the decade. And of course, I share a few of my favorite real life outfits from the decade too!

As nostalgic as I feel for many time periods in my life, there is one that will always make me feel equal parts nostalgia and cringe: middle school. In this episode I throw it back to 1999, when a little 12 year old Jenna started 7th grade, to reminisce on some of the worst (and best) fashion choices, most embarrassing moments, and all the time my friends and I spent obsessing over our crushes. And of course, I finish the episode by sharing my top 5 cringiest middle school memories.

This week we're visiting the 2010s once again, this time to discuss the social (and social media) phenomenon of boutique fitness and luxury athleisure wear that took so many young women by storm - Jenna included. She talks about "wellness" trends, the "girl boss" mentality of the time, and how aspirational social media and a desire for community fueled an obsession with status-symbol workout classes, accessories, and athleisure clothing.

For 20-something millennials in the early to mid-2010s, Brunch was a lifestyle. In this week's episode, Jenna reminisces on the brunch craze, the social and economic factors that made it so appealing to millennials at the time, the reach it had in pop culture, and reflects on the evolution of the brunch *aesthetic* throughout the decade. She also shares some of her favorite memories (and outfits) from the bottomless brunch heyday.

This week, Jenna shares some background (and possible origins) of a few seemingly random, but very universal, millennial experiences ranging from drawing the "S thing" to using the same Y2K school agendas to watching Channel 1 News in high school homeroom.

With so many IRl experiences moving to digital formats now, concerts are one of the few events that still generally rely on an in person audience - but that doesn't mean that the concert-going experience hasn't changed. In this episode, Jenna talks about how the process of securing concert tickets before online shopping was widespread, some of her favorite concert experiences, and counts down the top 5 concerts she wishes she attended back in the day.

Happy New Year! We're going back to the most notorious new year of millennials' lives (so far, at least) to relive the excitement of the new millennium and the anxiety about the "Y2K bug". Jenna talks about her memories of conversations about the potential consequences of the Y2K computer problem, what it was, and how it was eventually fixed before the clocks struck midnight on 12/31/99. She also reminisces on how she spent that memorable NYE and some of her favorite Y2K pop culture moments.

They say smell is the sense with the strongest ties to memory, so it's no surprise that the iconic scents of our favorite 2000s perfumes and beauty products unlock can feel like they're transporting us through time. In this episode, Jenna talks about some of her favorite Y2K and 2000s perfumes and the vivid memories they unlock.

Media and pop culture has changed so much over the past decade or two, so this week we're taking it back to the '90s and early 2000s to talk about movies, music, and the perfect combination of the two, movie soundtracks. Jenna talks about three different types of movie soundtracks she remembers, some of the most iconic soundtracks of the '90s, and counts down her top 5 most memorable soundtrack songs.

If you were a '90s kid who watched Nickelodeon, there's a good chance you had nightmares about one show in particular: Are You Afraid of the Dark? In this episode, Jenna talks about her obsession with this kids horror show from the early '90s, some of the most iconic celebrity cameos, and counts down her top 10 favorite episodes from the classic show.

This week we're talking more about college life in the 2000s and exploring the culture of excess drinking and partying among college kids at that time. From college party movies like Van Wilder and Old School to activities like Beer Olympics or Tour de Franzia, partying was built into the college experience. Jenna talks about the various ways she and her friends found to party in college (sneaking vodka into the dorms, basement parties) and counts down the top 5 most common drinks of choice among her friends back in the '00s

This week we're talking about iconic advertising from the '90s and Y2K era that became an important part of popular culture in itself. From the Budweiser WASSSUPP commercials that were quoted for years, to GAP Khakis commercials igniting a swing craze nationwide, to scandalous innuendo campaigns from brands like Herbal Essences and Candie's, '90s advertising was definitely memorable. Jenna talks about some of her favorite ads, the impact advertising had on pop culture in the days of a monoculture, and why these ad campaigns worked so well.

Happy one year anniversary to the podcast! We're celebrating with a story time episode where Jenna shares a few of her favorite stories from her teen years as a party girl in the 2000s, including the time she dropped a table on her foot before a Britney Spears concert and the lengths she went to in order to get into a teen dance club in 2003. She also breaks down the best types of parties she attended back in the early 2000s.

We're talking about one of Jenna's favorite topics this week: fashion trends. In this episode, Jenna talks about the impact of early social media, the internet, and fast fashion on trends she remembers in the early 2010s, the impact of hipster and business casual fashion trends, gives a rundown of various 2010s hipster subtypes, and counts down her top 5 favorite TV shows for early 2010s fashion inspo.

Happy Halloween! This week we're headed back to the '90s when kids went trick or treating unattended and the hottest costumes were Spice Girls and Power Rangers. In this episode, Jenna reminisces on the Halloween season when she was a kid and lists some of the most '90s Halloween costumes she can think of.

We're taking it back to the days of bedazzled mini skirts and graphic tees to talk about one of the most influential (for better or for worse) stores of the 2000s, Abercrombie & Fitch. Jenna talks about the popularity of the store, her first experiences with A&F as a tween in the year 2000, other popular A&F brands, and shares stories from herself and listeners about the experience of working at Abercrombie stores in the 2000s.

We have a special guest for today's episode, Jenna's husband, Joe, a movie-loving elder millennial who grew up with a special appreciation of horror movies. Jenna and Joe team up to count down their top 5 Halloween season movies from their childhoods, ranging from classic monster movies to '80s and '90s horror favorites.