Not My Scene

We took a trip back to the 2010's - when forums reigned supreme - for a delightfully cringey retrospective on Brony culture. Bronies AKA adult (typically male) fans of My Little Pony were a remarkably strong fandom, selling out convention centers and supporting cottage industries like suggestive MLP body pillows. What's left of Brony culture in the 2020s? The answer may scare you.Sources:The Last Bronycon: a fandom autopsyMy Little Pony Fans Are Ready to Admit They Have a Nazi ProblemEmail us: [email protected] us on Instagram and TikTok!

Grab your dauber and pour yourself a crispy rootbeer float because it's BINGO time, baby! Yarden filled in her bleached brows, marched herself to an ATM, and faced down security guards to bring us an exclusive peek into the most sceneless of all scenes: a Veterans of Foreign Wars Bingo Hall. And yet... aren't the most sceneless scenes in some ways the sceniest scenes of all? Other topics discussed include the ethics of gambling, meta-analysis of reality tv editing, and the right way to depict genitalia on a bingo card.Warning: listening may cause vocal exclamations and/or celebratory shouts of victory.Email us: [email protected] us on Instagram and TikTok!

Time limits, greyscale, and Brick not working to curb your phone addiction? Maybe you just need to toss it altogether! That's what anti-tech activist and writer August Lamm did. She dialed in to NMS via dumb phone to tell us about her experience as an artist in NYC without a smartphone or computer. Consider us inspired!! Other discussion includes the cuntiest dumb phone options, what we'd miss from the internet, and bleached eyebrows.Sources and further reading:August Lamm's SubstackKatie Lowe's essay about her first year without a smartphoneLuddite Teens 2022 NYT articleLuddite Teens 2025 NYT articleEmail us: [email protected] us on Instagram and TikTok!

Not My Scene will be back for a new episode on March 31st, but in the meantime we’re excited to share this episode of STAN that we were on!STAN is hosted by Allegra Ponti and explores obsessive celebrity worship, parasocial relationships and digital intimacy. On this episode, we go all in on Gossip Girl. We get into how media catalyses the loss of childhood innocence, unrealistic expectations of adulthood and the versatility of New York City as a background character. Tangents include…•the completely unwarranted shame that accompanies menstruation•the feminine urge to (unsuccessfully) experiment with ‘preppy’ clothes •the black box of Connecticut (what actually happens there!?!?!)Find more episodes of STAN here: https://linktr.ee/contactus.stanpodEmail us: [email protected] us on Instagram and TikTok!

In honor of awards season we are tapping in to the cinephile community. Filmmaker and host of the podcast Behind the Slate Aaron Strand (@behindtheslatepod) joins us for an insightful conversation (19:20) about the importance of IRL film community, Letterboxd culture, gatekeeping, KPop Demon Hunters, and what the heck the Criterion Collection is all about. Plus, we give our two cents on Olympic figure skating and, of course, the Oscars.Email us: [email protected] us on Instagram and TikTok!

The girls are joined by fan fiction expert Annamarie who gives us a history lesson on the origins of the art form (spoiler alert - always been gay!) and catches us up on where it is now (kinky and somehow even gayer?). We also discuss fan fiction's impact on mainstream media (Twilight, 50 Shades of Grey, The Love Hypothesis) and Kaia and Yarden read some of their extremely embarrassing fan fiction based on their 8th grade classmates.Email us: [email protected] us on Instagram and TikTok!

We're doing our "big day" here at NMS and watching the birdwatchers! Joined by birding friend Allison, we discuss the birder archetypes, our adventures in the field, and the hit YouTube documentary Listers. Who knew birding could be so cutthroat (finch)! Email us: [email protected] us on Instagram and TikTok!

On this week's episode we're sharpening our cheekbones, locking into our 'hunter eyes,' and mogging so hard that we promise you'll be able to sense our physical ascension even through an audio medium. We went deep on incel manosphere forums to get the scoop on looksmaxxing so that you can spot the warning signs when your tween boy cousins start referencing 'bonesmashing' at the next family function. Chads, Staceys, and Beckys, oh my! Topics discussed include the PSL scale, Clavicular, a multigenerational history of mewing, tabi footwear, and a very brave and vulnerable reddit interaction with the looksmaxxing community.Email us: [email protected] us on Instagram and TikTok!

PIN HEADS RISE!!! We got an EXCLUSIVE interview with Mo Davis of Den of Pin, the largest collection of pre-digital pinball machines on earth!!! PLUS our own experiences at Den of Pin, an interview with a regular, and our 2026 predictions!!Email us: [email protected] us on Instagram and TikTok!

It's finally time... to reveal the dark underbelly of renaissance festivals!!! We discuss the glorious origins of the festival and its descent into a capitalist hellscape built on the labor of unpaid volunteers and rife with sexual harassment. Fortunately, there are lots of heroic community members working to build local festivals and change the toxic culture. Among them is our anonymous interview subject who gave us all the tea!Email us: [email protected] us on Instagram and TikTok!

Hear ye hear ye! Calling all barbarian bombshells, swashbuckling sailors, and washing well wenches for we have a tale to tell! Are renaissance festivals magical sanctuaries for the fairies and witches of the world or simply an excuse to get drunk on mead and make lewd jokes? Both? We're discussing our personal experiences as well as an interview with a professional ren faire performer! Discussion topics include KATSEYE, ren faire performance as the truest thespian art, and WWZMDAARF? (What Would Zohran Mamdani Do At A Ren Faire?)Email us: [email protected] us on Instagram and TikTok!

Get your cards ready for swiping and your pins ready for entering because this week we're maxxxxxing out our spend limits to bring you the juiciest secrets and craziest point-fueled adventures from the world of credit card churners. When it comes to reward optimization, churners know no bounds. Are we telling you to throw caution to the wind and open as many credit cards as you can? No! Are we telling you to create ten email accounts and spam the McDonalds Monopoly rewards program to buy your friends as many cheeseburgers as their hearts desire? Maybe, yes? Topics discussed include airport lounge drinking behaviors, late stage capitalism, West End Girl, and of course, K-Pop Demon Hunters.Email us: [email protected] us on Instagram and TikTok!

Madison haunts the pod!!! We are famously scaredy cats so we had to get a true horrorfile on to tell us about her experiences frequenting haunts such as Halloween Horror Nights, Knotts Scary Farm, and the Eastern State Penitentiary. We attempt to understand the psyche of a brave girl and answer the question "why are you built different?" Discussion includes social anxiety in haunted houses, the sexualization of scare actors, EXTREME haunts, and of course, our thoughts on The Life of a Showgirl.Email us: [email protected] us on Instagram and TikTok!

Listen closely. Not for very much longer. Our Rocky Horror episode is here! A play and movie with an outsized cultural impact, this cult classic has built a community in every sense of the word. We got in on the madness to understand the inside (dirty) jokes in the counter script, the ins and outs of audience participation, and the queer representation (and misrepresentation) in the political climate then and now. I see you shiver with antici...pation.Email us: [email protected] us on Instagram and TikTok!

Come with us on a long, winding, harrowing journey through the commodification of women on the fields and courts of rec league sports. Topics discussed include Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde apologies from teammates, rec leagues as venues for romantic partners, and the woman who turned her apartment into the Titanic (mass grave site).Email us: [email protected] us on Instagram and TikTok!

Ladies, should you dump your man for an AI boyfriend? We took a long, strange journey through the online community of r/MyBoyfriendIsAI to get the tea on this hot new scene! Are they being judged too harshly? Listen to find out! #ClankerRightsEmail us: [email protected] us on Instagram and TikTok!

What is bobcheese you might ask? Well in a nutshell, it's thinking "bob" and "cheese" are funny, but really it's so much more than that. This week we're revisiting a more wholesome era of memes (I can has cheezburger?) and bring it all the way up to the present to discuss what elements of our society could be deemed "bobcheese" (Tim Robinson), or in contrast, "cheugy" (Dubai chocolate). Email us: [email protected] us on Instagram and TikTok!

No seriously, are we?? This week we're diving into the twisted and depraved world of local women-only dating groups to discuss the West Elm Caleb-ification of it all. Highlights include a recap of the The Woman Who Fell In Love With Her Psychologist and an interview with one of the Guys himself!Email us: [email protected] us on Instagram and TikTok!

It seems like every week there is a new theory online about how to keep your face looking smooth, glassy, and wrinkle-free. From "skin flooding" to the "caveman method" we've seen it all, but what actually works? Skincare angel Lili Stenn has descended on the pod to give us her tried and true routine. We also discuss anti-aging politics and the procedures that take it a step too far (Vampire Facials anyone??).Email us: [email protected] us on Instagram and TikTok!

Joined by bff of the pod Hana, we discuss social media accounts dedicated to celebrities! Long before PopCrave, PopBase, and PopTingz were around to tell you that Sabrina Carpenter "stunned" in new photo, we had One Direction fans dedicating hours to posting edits, photos, and updates to our Tumblr feeds. The ancient craft of stanning is alive and well today and we were lucky to get interviews with the loyal stans behind a Haim account (@thealanahaim) and a Boygenius account (@boygeniusource). Email us: [email protected] us on Instagram and TikTok!

The consumerism final boss has arrived in the form of a stuffed animal keychain based (very loosely) on Norse mythology. Wtf is a Labubu and why are they everywhere??? We get into it: the blind box psychology, Labubu BBLs, the recession indicator of it all, and a description of OUR dream collectable doll.Email us: [email protected] us on Instagram and TikTok!

On this very special episode we are joined by fragrance connoisseur Camryn Kim (@cammyreviews) to dive into the delightfully smelly world of Frag Heads (Fragrance Heads) and find out what got her and the rest of #PerfumeTok hooked on scents. We ask Cammy about her fragrance origin story and discuss other important questions like "what perfume should I wear if I'm going to a Charli XCX concert and want to be the Apple girl?"Email us: [email protected] us on Instagram and TikTok!

90's kids are all grown up and trading Pokemon cards like stocks. We went deep on this scene to find out what made Logan Paul spend $5M on a single card. Tune in to hear us rip fat packs live as well as some interviews straight from CollectaCon!Email us: [email protected] us on Instagram and TikTok!

Cinch your wristbands and clip on your flower crowns because it's time for a deep dive on the festival! We go through our tier ranking of every set we saw at Coachella. Digressions include cursed food options, brand activations, and an exclusive interview with The Dare. Full video episode on YouTube! https://youtu.be/FebRltdCGSwEmail us: [email protected] us on Instagram and TikTok!

I hope you're not tired of Coachella content because we're just getting started! Reporting from our designated 10x10 area to tell you all about the horrors and delights of festival camping when you’re almost 30 and not an influencer. Discussion topics include "day zero", deinfluencing campsite "essentials", the meme flag economy, why campers are willing to wait 12 hours to get a spot, and an exclusive interview with the Monks of Stoke!Email us: [email protected] us on Instagram and TikTok!

What do Foamers, NUMTOTs, and rail riders all have in common? Trains, trains, and automotrains! Tune in to hear some crazy tales of criminal mischief, gutter punks, and why influencers are train hopping in Mauritania…Email us: [email protected] us on Instagram and TikTok!

We came here hoping to find mossy-haired women with natural deodorant but instead found suspicious amateur massage and walnut meat tacos. On this episode, the girls share their radically contrasting experiences attending ecstatic dance events. We threw it back politely, threw elbows, and for moments, felt pure ecstasy.Email us: [email protected] us on Instagram and TikTok!

Hope you're hungry because we are serving up a delectably chatty episode on the world of home cookfluencers! Friend of the pod and cooking enthusiast Meggie joins us to discuss chef personalities like Alison Roman (and her mini-cancellation), Bon Appetit drama, and the food trends we've been seeing all over Tik Tok. Someone cooked here!Email us: [email protected] us on Instagram and TikTok!

From homesteaders to trad wives, what's the deal with people wanting to go back to "simpler" times? Do we really need Cheez-Its from scratch? We're breaking down the good (solar punk leftists), the bad (r/TradWifePersonals), and the ugly (botulism from rebel canning) of these two communities. Also in this episode: an interview with gen Z homesteader Sierra Sowell (@sowellseedandsoil).Email us: [email protected] us on Instagram and TikTok!

This week we're paying tribute to the hidden heroes of our society... Wikipedia contributors. While on the surface they may appear to be the dutiful historians of our civilization, trust there is plenty of DRAMA in this community. From edit wars to naughty redirects to micro-celebrity impersonators, this scene has it all!Email us: [email protected] us on Instagram and TikTok!

Wheeeeeeeee!!! The girls take you through the ups, downs, loops, and corkscrews of the roller coaster enthusiast universe. Discussion topics include the art of riding politely, negative G forces, how to spot a thoosie, coaster Facebook group drama, and some real community member interviews! Buckle in for a wild ride!Email us: [email protected] us on Instagram and TikTok!

Something shifted... For the inaugural episode of the pod, the girls dive deep into the community of Reality Shifters.  Discussion topics include the multiverse theory, script-writing, group-shifting, the starfish method, Draco Malfoy, parallel universes, the LIFA app, the Weeknd, and declassified CIA documents.Email us: [email protected] us on Instagram and TikTok!