mother and kids taking selfie stick picture in Europe

Instagram, YouTube, and the New Child Stars

The term 'child star' is almost synonymous with dysfunction. We're familiar with TV and movie kids, but what about those made famous by social media?
Woman and Giant Typewriter

How Typewriters Changed Everything

Voice recognition technology is beginning to compete with typing. Would the end of typing change the business world forever?
Whole Foods

Eat the Rich: What Amazon and Whole Foods Tell Us about Internet-Era Eating

The internet has already transformed how Americans eat; the Amazon/Whole Foods deal is just the culmination of this transformation.
Tiger Beat Magazine

The Sexual Lessons of 1980s Teen Magazines

Teen magazines put girls in charge by inverting the male gaze
yoga studio

The False Promises of Wellness Culture

Wellness is everywhere today: juice cleanses, Soulcycle classes, self-care. The roots of the trend can be found in nineteenth-century health-consciousness.
Tang ad

There’s Class Inside That Glass of Tang

A scholar examines kitschy American foods as an entree into a conversation about class in the United States.
Chasing Rainbows Museum

The Sinful Allure of Southern Theme Parks

Southern theme parks have their roots in sin, regional patriotism, and sideshow culture.
Tailgating at a football game

How Beer Companies Made Light Beer Macho

Light beer was originally marketed for its reduced calorie count. But heavy drinking men weren't into that.
Man sitting on a pool chair with his arms joyfully thrown up

On Gold Diggers

A cultural history of gold diggers.
Signage reading, "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Nevada"

What Happens in Vegas is None of Your Business

You know that slogan? It was implemented as tourism marketing in 2003 after being developed by the ad agency R&R Partners.