CNN Podcasts: Engagement Party

From a viral story on a lesbian bar's masking policy to Nikole Hannah-Jones' essay on making school segregation a personal issue to the "Cornell Seven," Audie and Ari connect the dots on the internet's fresh reckoning with "Woke 1."

The film review app Letterboxd is a social hub for movie fans everywhere. But has democratizing criticism somehow lowered the bar, or is this the last truly great social media app? Plus, how makeup "dupes" sparked the internet's latest class conflict.

With The Disappearers, Marlon James has written an explicit and violent epic that's been called "the novel of the decade, if not the century."

Nepo babies have sparked debate for years, but a chart-topping singer-songwriter who also happens to be the daughter of a billionaire has put new fire behind the question: How should the rich and privileged navigate fame?

Dating horror stories and think pieces declaring modernity has killed romance are everywhere online. But is it real, or is it just your algorithm? Audie and Ari call relationship writer Karley Sciortino to talk romance in the age of the apps.

The era of "prestige TV" is over, replaced by one that's definitively more, as they say, "mid." Audie and Ari weigh in on whether TV really got worse, and the ingredients for making some of your favorite shows with TV's best director, Hiro Murai.

This week, the internet turned to a favorite 2020s pastime: watching freshmen rush sororities at big Southern schools via an endless stream of social videos. What does our obsession with RushTok tell us about the South, the internet, and America?

As generational warfare feeds TV scripts from Beef to Hacks, Emmy nominee Lauren Weedman joins the party to talk about hanging with Gen Z on the Hacks set, the art of scene stealing, and finding main character energy after 50.

"Choosin' Texas" broke the Billboard charts - so why can't we all agree it's the Song of Summer? Audie breaks down why the answer may say more about the state of the music industry than Ella Langley.

Writer and chef Eddie Huang joins the party for a conversation about "sad boy" literature, finding love, and the worst relationship advice he's ever received.

The '90s are back, from fashion and music to TV and cigarettes. Audie and Ari unpack why brands are embracing the revival, what Gen Z is skimming over about the decade, and why nostalgia is comedy gold with guest Rob Anderson.

Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey isn't just a movie - it's an event. Audie and Ari break down what the hype and backlash say about the cultural moment. Plus: how Venmo is warping our relationships and why Love Island watch parties rival the World Cup.

Meta's trying to make its AI glasses cool, but will partnering with Ray-Ban and Kylie Jenner be enough? Plus, the latest froyo revival and the merits of the viral "airport theory" of rolling up to security when you're flight's due to board.

Is this officially the summer of peptides and celebrity weddings? Audie and Ari consider what Serena Williams' Wimbledon comeback means for the rise of GLP-1s.

From pop stars in habits to praise for the "woke Pope," Catholic-core is in. Plus, why are TikTokers celebrating having no friends? And are those cute videos of World Cup travelers getting excited about ranch dressing for real?

Streamers are betting big on romance titles like "Off Campus," and the explicit sex and non-toxic masculinity means these aren't your mom's rom-coms. Plus, the debate over phone-free concerts and the ubiquity of the menopause industrial complex.

"Obsession" and "Backrooms" are breaking the box office. Audie and Ari dissect the secret recipe to their success, and why the horror genre is killing it right now.

The composer behind "Evita" and "Sunset Boulevard" on "Phantom of the Opera's" legacy, the "Cats" revival, and his journey to sobriety. Plus, what Andrew Lloyd Webber's latest idea has to do with the Mona Lisa in this extended interview.

Why has the love triangle drama on Bravo's long-running reality series 'Summer House' gone viral? Plus, Andrew Lloyd Webber talks 'Cats,' sobriety, and letting go of his babies, and Kara Swisher asks why Pete Hegseth is mincing across her socials.

From PopTarts to gummy worms, food brands are adding protein to almost everything, and people are going to gross lengths online to get enough of it. But can protein be...MAGA-coded?

Season three of HBO's Euphoria is coming to a close, and its characters...are not teens anymore. Plus, what the sales of original Bob Ross paintings says about the line between art and kitsch, and what's up with all these AI Michael Jackson cartoons.