What's a recession indicator you've noticed?

Lately, one answer keeps resurfacing online: "You can see celebrities' ribs again." And as unserious as that sounds at first, history suggests it may not be entirely wrong.

In this episode, I dive into Ozempic, recession aesthetics, quiet luxury, heroin chic, and the return of thinness as a cultural ideal. From celebrity weight loss trends to the politics of appetite, I explore how beauty standards shift during periods of economic anxiety, social instability, and cultural fear- and why women's bodies so often become the place where those anxieties are projected.

Are. You. Ready?

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Sources & References:

Bordo, Susan. Unbearable Weight: Feminism, Western Culture, and the Body. University of California Press, 1993.

Bourdieu, Pierre. Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgement of Taste. Translated by Richard Nice, Harvard University Press, 1984.

Debord, Guy. The Society of the Spectacle. Zone Books, 1994.

Foucault, Michel. Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison. Vintage Books, 1995.

Foxcroft, Louise. Calories & Corsets: A History of Dieting Over 2,000 Years. Profile Books, 2011.

Rose, Nikolas. Governing the Soul: The Shaping of the Private Self. Free Association Books, 1999.

Stearns, Peter N. Fat History: Bodies and Beauty in the Modern West. New York University Press, 2002.

Strings, Sabrina. Fearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fat Phobia. NYU Press, 2019.

Tolentino, Jia. Trick Mirror: Reflections on Self-Delusion. Random House, 2019.

Veblen, Thorstein. The Theory of the Leisure Class. Oxford University Press, 2007.

Wolf, Naomi. The Beauty Myth: How Images of Beauty Are Used Against Women. Harper Perennial, 2002.

Additional reporting and cultural analysis referenced throughout the episode includes coverage of Ozempic and Wegovy, celebrity weight loss culture, recession aesthetics, heroin chic and 1990s fashion culture, wellness culture, self-optimization, and digital body surveillance from contemporary journalism, academic commentary, and media analysis.

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Apple Podcast:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beauty-unlocked-the-podcast/id1522636282

Spotify Podcast:

https://open.spotify.com/show/37MLxC8eRob1D0ZcgcCorA

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Intro/Outro Music:

“Fame Inc” by Savvier — https://icons8.com/music