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Sit down with Zara McIntosh to chat taboo topics from the front seat of the bus. Taking an unfiltered stance on pop-culture, society, culture, and queer issues, she candidly shares her opinion as passengers around her go about their every-day life, overhearing snippets of these unspoken taboos. The viral TikTok series has launched on Spotify after demand for lengthier episodes, so you can tune in to taboos on your next bus journey.
- 65 - The crisis of homeless uni students in the UK - nobody is talking about this, so I will...
(Apologies about the quality of the footage!)
No chatty intro to today’s episode; I wanted to get right to the heart of the issue of homelessness amongst university students in the UK. A staggering number of students, both domestic and international, experience homelessness while studying every year. That may look like sleeping in carparks, libraries, living out of cars during breaks, or even surfing round sofas. The matter of fact is that this is an incredibly common experience, but one that goes underreported and underrepresented in datasets.
Sit down with me today to discuss the nature of this issue, the paradox within the support system, who this largely affects, and what we ultimately need to do to not just tackle it but prevent it entirely.
Thank you to Greg Hurst from the Centre for Homelessness Impact, who makes up the interview section of this episode, who joined me at the UCL campus café to discusssome research-backed recommendations for tackling this issue. Also thank you to the 13 individuals who shared their experiences with me to contribute to my ownresearch.
Find me:
Instagram: @whatzaraloves
TikTok: @whatzaraloves6
Podcast: Taboo on the Bus
Email: whatzaraloves@gmail.com
Links/Reading/Citations:
Scottish Government Report: Research intohousing insecurity and hidden homelessness in Scotland - https://www.gov.scot/binaries/content/documents/govscot/publications/research-and-analysis/2025/04/research-housing-insecurity-hidden-homelessness-scotland/documents/research-housing-insecurity-hidden-homelessness/research-housing-insecurity-hidden-homelessness/govscot%3Adocument/research-housing-insecurity-hidden-homelessness.pdf
LSE Research Paper: https://sticerd.lse.ac.uk/dps/case/cr/casereport158.pdf
Unite Foundation: https://www.unitefoundation.org.uk\
Greg Hurst: https://www.homelessnessimpact.org/people/greg-hurst
- https://www.hepi.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Could-universities-do-more-to-end-homelessness.pdf
Homeless Liaisons: https://www.highereddive.com/news/more-colleges-are-creating-homeless-liaison-roles-heres-why/744262/
University of Edinburgh page: https://www.ed.ac.uk/students/living-in-edinburgh/accommodation/emergency-accommodation#:~:text=If%20you%20don't%20have%20somewhere%20to%20spend,University's%2024%2F7%20Community%20Support%20team%3A%20Email%3A%20security24%2D7%40ed.ac.uk.
Guardian quote: https://www.theguardian.com/education/2026/aug/20/international-students-bring-much-more-than-money-to-the-uk
References:
https://taso.org.uk/news-blog/new-report-pathways-higher-education-childrens-social-care/
https://housinghand.com/who-we-support/students
https://wonkhe.com/wonk-corner/students-and-their-homelessness-are-invisible-in-mhclg
https://www.studygroup.com/blog/the-importance-of-international-students-uk-he
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8726680/
https://www.studynow.org.uk/blog/cost-of-living-uk-international-student-2026
https://wonkhe.com/blogs/removing-the-rent-guarantor-barrier-to-safe-and-stable-accommodation
Fri, 30 Oct 2026 - 51min - 64 - Taboo on the Tube, ft Kamal: on self help culture not actually helping
Bonus new monthly series: Taboo on the Tube where I unpack other people’s taboo topics and conversations on the tube.
Sit down with us on the Lizzie line today to unpack the taboo of self help content and culture, and how it doesn’t always serve us. Let me know if you’ve found yourself in a trap of this content before, and how we should manage?
Kamal: https://www.instagram.com/kamalnw?srtk=MW9vdXAzMW00c3Vtcg==
videographer: @roz.matuszyk
Outfit: @après / @Babytoefu
#tabooonthetube#tabooonthetube #videoessay
Fri, 23 Oct 2026 - 02min - 63 - The ‘Morality Olympics’ of Ed Sheeran’s Tour – why do we make celebrities the end-point of our advocacy on world atrocities?
Sit down with me today to discuss the fallout from Ed Sheeran dropping Macklemore from his tour over his public support for a free Palestine. What started as a conversation centred on Palestinian liberation has warped into memes, weighing up of celebrity ‘sides’, drags of Ed Sheeran’s tattoos, and somewhat of a ‘Morality Olympics’ at play online.
What I have noticed is that amid conversations centring on world atrocities, we can be quick to end our advocacy online at follows/unfollows, and surveillance of celebrity stances and movements. We can get wrapped up in mass cancellations, public dragging, and picking ‘sides’, which diverts from conversations and actions that actually can move the dial.
This episode serves to discuss how we must engage with BOTH in order to make a difference and keep pressure on the cause, which is, and remains, a free Palestine.
Let me know what you think. I hope this serves as an important addition of digital culture analysis and a reminder of the root here.
Thank you for your continued support for my podcast/vodcast, it means the world to me!
Insta – Whatzaraloves
TikTok – whatzaraloves6
Podcast – Taboo on the Bus
Email – whatzaraloves@gmail.com
Reference List:
TikTok:
Ed Sheeran Tattoo Artist: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZN8rATGRg/
Club Leader Gary: https://www.tiktok.com/@garebearclub?_r=1&_t=ZN-9A55wn0Qk5O
Articles Mentioned:
https://gaypop.substack.com/p/ed-sheeran-and-the-fallacy-of-apoliticism
https://glasgowguardian.co.uk/2025/09/19/the-curtains-arent-just-blue-why-art-cannot-be-apolitical/
https://www.palatinate.org.uk/the-fallacy-that-art-can-be-apolitical/
Donation Links:
Wed, 30 Sep 2026 - 36min - 62 - The ‘Morality Olympics’ of Ed Sheeran’s Tour – why do we make celebrities the end-point of our advocacy on world atrocities? [Mini Bus Version]
[Long-form deep dive episode at home is also live]
Sit down with me in the front seat of the bus to discuss the fallout from Ed Sheeran dropping Macklemore from his tour over his public support for a free Palestine. What started as a conversation centred on Palestinian liberation has warped into memes, weighing up of celebrity ‘sides’, drags of Ed Sheeran’s tattoos, and somewhat of a ‘Morality Olympics’ at play online.
What I have noticed is that amid conversations centring on world atrocities, we can be quick to end our advocacy online at follows/unfollows, and surveillance of celebrity stances and movements. We can get wrapped up in mass cancellations, public dragging, and picking ‘sides’, which diverts from conversations and actions that actually can move the dial.
This episode serves to discuss how we must engage with BOTH in order to make a difference and keep pressure on the cause, which is, and remains, a free Palestine.
Let me know what you think. I hope this serves as an important addition of digital culture analysis and a reminder of the root here.
Thank you for your continued support for my podcast/vodcast, it means the world to me!
Insta – Whatzaraloves
TikTok – whatzaraloves6
Podcast – Taboo on the Bus
Email – whatzaraloves@gmail.com
Wed, 30 Sep 2026 - 02min - 61 - “Divas hate data centres “- on racial gentrification, Brick Lane, and the harm of big tech infrastructure
Sit down with me today to dissect the harms of AI data centres on a micro and macro level, looking at their local, racial, environmental, and social impacts. From Sophia and Cinzia promoting Google Gemini for AI pasta recipes, to Open AI taking influencers on a ChatGPT nature retreat, to the Save Brick Lane coalition, let’s unpack the current AI landscape and the powerhouses behind this force.
Email: charlie@84world.com
Instagram: whatzaraloves
TikTok: whatzaraloves6
Podcast: Taboo on the Bus
Links:
What is a Data Centre?: https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/ai-data-center
Save Brick Lane: https://www.savebricklane.net/press/press-cuttings
Oxford University Lecture: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKa1Z-Z6xOQ&t=2s
Capital B News:
https://capitalbnews.org/musk-xai-memphis-black-neighborhood-pollution/
https://capitalbnews.org/data-centers-black-communities-south/
References:
https://www.datacenterwatch.org/report
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/jul/06/scotland-lanarkshire-village-ai-datacentre
https://www.regen.co.uk/insights/the-data-centre-boom-has-a-justice-problem
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jul/14/new-york-moratorium-ai-datacenters
Wed, 02 Sep 2026 - 38min - 60 - AI Data Centres really are that bad - on racial gentrification, ChatGPT brand trips, and the harm of big tech infrastructure
[Mini Bus version. Long episode is also live]
Sit down with me today to dissect the harms of AI data centres on a micro and macro level, looking at their local, racial, environmental, and social impacts. From Sophia and Cinzia promoting Google Gemini for AI pasta recipes, to Open AI taking influencers on a ChatGPT nature retreat, to the Save Brick Lane coalition, let’s unpack the current AI landscape and the powerhouses behind this force.
Email: charlie@84world.com
Instagram: whatzaraloves
TikTok: whatzaraloves6
Podcast: Taboo on the Bus
Links:
What is a Data Centre?: https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/ai-data-center
Save Brick Lane: https://www.savebricklane.net/press/press-cuttings
Oxford University Lecture: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKa1Z-Z6xOQ&t=2s
Capital B News:
https://capitalbnews.org/musk-xai-memphis-black-neighborhood-pollution/
https://capitalbnews.org/data-centers-black-communities-south/
References:
https://www.datacenterwatch.org/report
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/jul/06/scotland-lanarkshire-village-ai-datacentre
https://www.regen.co.uk/insights/the-data-centre-boom-has-a-justice-problem
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jul/14/new-york-moratorium-ai-datacenters
Wed, 02 Sep 2026 - 03min - 59 - Meta glasses, surveillance fashion, and performing life for an audience
[Epsiode starts at: 11:18]
Meta have immersed themselves into the fashion realm with a line of trendy smart glasses and line-up of ‘IT-girls’ to promote the launch. Surveillance meets fashion in this collab, and we’re going to start seeing every-day recording and documentation become ‘normal’ in our society, or will we even notice?
Sit down with me today to discuss how these glasses pose threat particularly to women, children, and minority groups, and how smart yet harmful it is of Meta to target women with this launch. I’ll also give my thoughts on how I think the normalisation of these glasses in public will alter everyone’s behaviour from a lense of ‘performing for an audience’. Think of the way in which people don’t dance in the club anymore because of the fear of being recorded, now apply that to stepping outside.
Let me know what your thoughts are on Meta glasses going mainstream?
Find me online:
Instagram – Whatzaraloves
TikTok – Whatzaraloves
Podcast – Taboo on the Bus
Email: charlie@84world.com
Reading list of articles mentioned:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwy87wqz0q9o
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0q33nvj0qpo
Fri, 24 Jul 2026 - 39min - 58 - Meta glasses bus taboo
[Mini Bus Version - Full podcast episode also live]
Meta have immersed themselves into the fashion realm with a line of trendy smart glasses and line-up of ‘IT-girls’ to promote the launch. Surveillance meets fashion in this collab, and we’re going to start seeing every-day recording and documentation become ‘normal’ in our society, or will we even notice?
Sit down with me today to discuss how these glasses pose threat particularly to women, children, and minority groups, and how smart yet harmful it is of Meta to target women with this launch. I’ll also give my thoughts on how I think the normalisation of these glasses in public will alter everyone’s behaviour from a lense of ‘performing for an audience’. Think of the way in which people don’t dance in the club anymore because of the fear of being recorded, now apply that to stepping outside.
Let me know what your thoughts are on Meta glasses going mainstream?
Find me online:
Instagram – Whatzaraloves
TikTok – Whatzaraloves
Podcast – Taboo on the Bus
Email: charlie@84world.com
Reading list of articles mentioned:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwy87wqz0q9o
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0q33nvj0qpo
Fri, 24 Jul 2026 - 02min - 57 - What the ‘dot cake’ trend says about gen-z and luxury goods – are viral foods the new status good in our economic climate?
Sit down with me OFF the bus to dissect our consumption habits when it comes to viral food trends and ‘little treats’. In a backdrop of economic insecurity and the cost-of-living crisis, generation Z are not purchasing as many luxury material goods. In turn, we are watching the status of foods like the ‘dot cake’ take the place of ‘luxury’ as for many, it is the highest point of access, desire, and justification. Let’s dissect it together and take a look at what this means for gen-z.
Instagram: Whatzaraloves
Tiktok: whatzaraloves6
Email: charlie@84world.com
award vote (at the bottom): https://www.bcreator.co.uk/awards/vote/
Reading list / references:
https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/toleho/article/1610640
https://foodfoundation.org.uk/publication/broken-plate-2026
https://www.vogue.com/article/how-should-brands-navigate-gen-z-economic-nihilism
Sun, 21 Jun 2026 - 28min - 56 - Let's talk about the 'dot cake' – are viral foods the new status good in our economic climate? [Mini bus version]
Full deep-dive episode OFF the bus is also live!
Sit with me on the bus to dissect our consumption habits when it comes to viral food trends and ‘little treats’. In a backdrop of economic insecurity and the cost-of-living crisis, generation Z are not purchasing as many luxury material goods. In turn, we are watching the status of foods like the ‘dot cake’ take the place of ‘luxury’ as for many, it is the highest point of access, desire, and justification. Let’s dissect it together and take a look at what this means for gen-z.
Instagram: Whatzaraloves
Tiktok: whatzaraloves6
Email: charlie@84world.com
Reading list / references:
https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/toleho/article/1610640
https://foodfoundation.org.uk/publication/broken-plate-2026
https://www.vogue.com/article/how-should-brands-navigate-gen-z-economic-nihilism
Sun, 21 Jun 2026 - 03min - 55 - Social media is a breeding ground for classism [mini bus version]
[full deep-dive long episode is live]
Social media is a breeding ground for poor-shaming working-class mockery, and I’ve been collecting evidence for the past 4 months to prove that. What we are seeing is the re-invention of the harmful working-class stereotypes present in early 2000s/10s media regurgitated in our algorithms right now. We can look at how deeply intertwined identity and consumption habits to begin understanding why social media creates a hierarchy of lifestyles that shames those as the bottom and analyse the key theme of ‘distinction’ driving a lot of the hate and ‘humour’.
I’ve pulled examples from my ongoing to prove just how social media fuels and reinvents the mockery of the working class.
Email: charlie@84world.com
Insta – whatzaraloves
TikTok – whatzaraloves6
YouTube: Whatzaraloves
Podcast: Taboo on the Bus
Kyey references:
Books:
Chavs by Owen Jones
Journals:
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.5153/sro.1814
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/01634437231185966
https://napier-repository.worktribe.com/output/3176889
Articles:
https://www.vice.com/en/article/chav-caricature-comeback-tiktok-2020/
https://consequence.net/2025/12/ricky-gervais-working-classes-mock-mortality/
Mon, 27 Apr 2026 - 02min - 54 - Social Media is Classist - why people favour the wealthy and shame the poor online
Social media is a breeding ground for poor-shaming working-class mockery, and I’ve been collecting evidence for the past 4 months to prove that. What we are seeing is the re-invention of the harmful working-class stereotypes present in early 2000s/10s media regurgitated in our algorithms right now. We can look at how deeply intertwined identity and consumption habits to begin understanding why social media creates a hierarchy of lifestyles that shames those as the bottom and analyse the key theme of ‘distinction’ driving a lot of the hate and ‘humour’.
I’ve pulled examples from my ongoing to prove just how social media fuels and reinvents the mockery of the working class.
Email: charlie@84world.com
Insta – whatzaraloves
TikTok – whatzaraloves6
YouTube: Whatzaraloves
Podcast: Taboo on the Bus
Kyey references:
Books:
Chavs by Owen Jones
Journals:
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.5153/sro.1814
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/01634437231185966
https://napier-repository.worktribe.com/output/3176889
Articles:
https://www.vice.com/en/article/chav-caricature-comeback-tiktok-2020/
https://consequence.net/2025/12/ricky-gervais-working-classes-mock-mortality/
Sun, 26 Apr 2026 - 35min - 53 - The girls are emotionless - discussing the politics of numbness and stoic femininity [Taboo OFF the bus]
Rachel Sennott preaching “numb is in”, " Botox is rising, the girls are emotionless, and lobotomy chic is looming in the air. Sit down with me to dissect what it means for stoicism, deadpan, and numbness to become intertwined in our perceptions of beauty and femininity. Let’s discuss whether this can be viewed as a potential clapback to the patriarchal expectations of women’s behaviour, or in fact just caging us further. Sit down with me to analyse the politics of numbness, the privilege of emotional suppression, and the tool of numbness.
Thu, 02 Apr 2026 - 53min - 52 - The Politics of Numbness and Femininity [Taboo ON the Bus]
[Full OFF the bus podcast version is also live for a longer deepdive]
Rachel Sennott preaching “numb is in”, botox is rising, the girls are emotionless, and lobotomy chic is looming in the air. Sit down with me to disect what it means for stoicism, deadpan, and numbness to become intertwined in our perceptions of beauty and feminity. Let’s discuss whether this can be viewed as a potential clapback to the patriarchal expectations of women’s behvaior, or in fact just caging us further. Sit down with me to analyse the politics of numbness, the privellage of emotional suppression, and the tool of numbness.
email: charlie@84world.com instagram- whatzaralovestiktok - whatzaraloves6podcast - Taboo on the Bus
Thu, 02 Apr 2026 - 03min - 51 - Trust me, you don't want to become reliant on AI - discussing the domestication of humans by artifical intelligence - Taboo OFF the bus
Sit down with me today to discuss the relationship between humans and artificial intelligence (AI) in comparison to that of humans and pets. Is it making our lives easier to become reliant on this technology, or are we domesticating ourselves and becoming sub-serviant to AI??
Shout out to Gresham College lectures for inspiring this episode.
Instagram - whatzaraloves
Tiktok - whatzaraloves
Email: whatzaraloves@gmail.com
Links and media references:
https://www.gresham.ac.uk/watch-now/ai-pet
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/apr/19/dont-ask-what-ai-can-do-for-us-ask-what-it-is-doing-to-us-are-chatgpt-and-co-harming-human-intelligence
https://sites.uab.edu/humanrights/2025/10/02/construction-and-consequences-the-human-impacts-of-artificial-intelligence-data-centers/
Sun, 01 Mar 2026 - 39min - 50 - Are we becoming domesticated by AI? - Taboo on the Bus
MINI bus version - full version off the bus is also live.
Sit down with me today to discuss the relationship between humans and artificial intelligence (AI) in comparison to that of humans and pets. Is it making our lives easier to become reliant on this technology, or are we domesticating ourselves and becoming sub-serviant to AI??Shout out to Gresham College lectures for inspiring this episode. Instagram - whatzaralovesTiktok - whatzaralovesEmail: whatzaraloves@gmail.com
Sun, 01 Mar 2026 - 03min - 49 - Physical media and the fate of 'micro-trends' (everyone is going 'analog') - Taboo OFF the Bus
Physical media will not replace your phone (is ‘analog’ the next internet micro-trend…)
Taboo OFF the Bus is back! Woo! `Sit down with me today to discuss the rapid rise of the 'analog' trend and return to physical media. We're watching rising consumption of DVDs, CD's, resorts back to old generation Apple IPods and IPhones, and all it says is that we are fed up with the current state of technology, AI, and brain-rot content. But will this rising consumption lead to overconsumption? Will physical media fall to the same 'micro-trend' fate of Labubu's, or Stanely cups - hyped, over-consumed, then discarded on to the next trend? Let's discuss the fate of physical media, and where it I think this is heading...
Instagram - whatzaraloves
Tiktok - whatzaraloves
Email: whatzaraloves@gmail.com
Fri, 16 Jan 2026 - 40min - 48 - The trend of 'physical media' and getting offline [Taboo ON the Bus]
Sit down on the bus with me for the mini digest of physical media, 'analog', and going offline. (Long episode OFF the bus will be live today) We're watching rising consumption of DVDs, CD's, resorts back to old generation Apple IPods and IPhones, and all it says is that we are fed up with the current state of technology, AI, and brain-rot content. But will this rising consumption lead to overconsumption? Will physical media fall to the same 'micro-trend' fate of Labubu's, or Stanely cups - hyped, over-consumed, then discarded on to the next trend? Let's discuss the fate of physical media, and where it I think this is heading...
Instagram - whatzaraloves
Tiktok - whatzaraloves
Email: whatzaraloves@gmail.com
Fri, 16 Jan 2026 - 03min - 47 - Why do we hate ageing women? Let’s talk “retired baddies”, the anti-ageing industry and how “old” became an insult
I cannot escape the deep, seething hatred and humour online surrounding women ‘looking old’. Girls feel pretty and post online only to be attacked for ageing and appearing older than they are. It is an inescapable trap that we all fall to as women, yet we are continuing to tear down each other instead of challenging these expectations within wider society and from the very capitalistic anti-ageing industry. Let’s sit down today to discuss why we are so scared of ageing as women, how society treats ageing women, the paradox of ‘natural’ Botox, and unpicking the anti-ageing industry.
I really loved dissecting this topic, it feels like a very fitting follow up to the episode I previously did discussing whether we can view cosmetic procedures and Botox from a feminist lense.
Email – whatzaraloves@gmail.com
Reading list/mentions:
https://www.harpersbazaar.com/uk/beauty/skincare/a38813523/baby-botox/Facing Age: Women Growing Older in Anti-Aging Culture - By Laura Hurd Clarke
Holstein, M. B. (2001). A feminist perspective on anti-aging medicine. Generations: Journal of the American Society on Aging, 25(4), 38-43.
https://www.spacenk.com/uk/skincare/treatment/serums/c-firma-fresh-day-serum-MUK200031988.html
Tue, 23 Sep 2025 - 39min - 46 - Why do we hate ageing women? "retired baddies" and the insult of "old" - mini bus version
Join me on the bus for the mini-deep-dive version of this week's topic. Full 40 min version is live too!
I cannot escape the deep, seething hatred and humour online surrounding women ‘looking old’. Girls feel pretty and post online only to be attacked for ageing and appearing older than they are. It is an inescapable trap that we all fall to as women, yet we are continuing to tear down each other instead of challenging these expectations within wider society and from the very capitalistic anti-ageing industry.
Let’s sit down today to discuss why we are so scared of ageing as women, how society treats ageing women, the paradox of ‘natural’ botox, and unpicking the anti-ageing industry. I really loved dissecting this topic, it feels like a very fitting follow up to the episode I previously did discussing whether we can view cosmetic procedures and Botox from a feminist lense. Reading list/mentions:https://www.harpersbazaar.com/uk/beauty/skincare/a38813523/baby-botox/Facing Age: Women Growing Older in Anti-Aging Culture - By Laura Hurd ClarkeHolstein, M. B. (2001). A feminist perspective on anti-aging medicine. Generations: Journal of the American Society on Aging, 25(4), 38-43.https://www.spacenk.com/uk/skincare/treatment/serums/c-firma-fresh-day-serum-MUK200031988.html
Tue, 23 Sep 2025 - 03min - 45 - My boyfriend is AI - dissecting the ethics of relationships with chatbots (is ChatGPT the new hinge?)
A reddit forum titled: ‘My Boyfriend is AI’ recently gathered a lot of attention, leading me down the rabbit hole of relationships with humanised chatbots. Millions are forging intimate, emotional connections and relationships with artificially intelligent chatbots, creating boyfriends, girlfriends, best-friends, deceased replicas, and more, and today I sat down to analyse it.
Is it ethical to build apps and systems that sell relationships to potentially vulnerable or lonely users? Users who will never own that connection, and rest solely upon tech companies not stripping that away now…
We’re fashioning towards a society where the elderly will cure loneliness with chatbot partners, and women are ditching Hinge and failed talking stages for the chatbot man of their dreams.
Let’s deep dive this from both and ethical and moral perspective, considering the risks, the harms, and the alternatives to artificial connections.
Substack: https://substack.com/home/post/p-171924338
Instagram: Whatzaraloves
Tiktok: Whatzaraloves6
Podcast: Taboo on the Bus
Email: collective@bricksmagazine.co.uk
Reading/Referance List:
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s43681-023-00348-8
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/03/30/replika-ai-chatbot-update/
https://www.npr.org/2024/08/27/nx-s1-5073962/exploring-concerns-around-users-building-emotional-dependence-on-ai-chatbots
https://jamesmuldoon.org
https://www.reddit.com/r/MyBoyfriendIsAI/
Fri, 12 Sep 2025 - 37min - 44 - My boyfriend is AI - dissecting the ethics of relationships with chatbots [Mini bus version]
Join me on the bus for a mini version of this episode as we dissect the ethics and harms of forging relationships with artificially intelligent chatbots. Longer episode is also live for a fuller, broader deep dive.
A reddit forum titled: ‘My Boyfriend is AI’ recently gathered a lot of attention, leading me down the rabbit hole of relationships with humanised chatbots. Millions are forging intimate, emotional connections and relationships with artificially intelligent chatbots, creating boyfriends, girlfriends, best-friends, deceased replicas, and more, and today I sat down to analyse it. Is it ethical to build apps and systems that sell relationships to potentially vulnerable or lonely users? Users who will never own that connection, and rest solely upon tech companies not stripping that away now… We’re fashioning towards a society where the elderly will cure loneliness with chatbot partners, and women are ditching Hinge and failed talking stages for the chatbot man of their dreams. Let’s deep dive this from both and ethical and moral perspective, considering the risks, the harms, and the alternatives to artificial connections. Substack: https://substack.com/home/post/p-171924338 Instagram: WhatzaralovesTiktok: Whatzaraloves6Podcast: Taboo on the BusEmail: collective@bricksmagazine.co.ukReading/Referance List:https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s43681-023-00348-8https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/apr/15/she-helps-cheer-me-up-the-people-forming-relationships-with-ai-chatbotshttps://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/03/30/replika-ai-chatbot-update/https://www.npr.org/2024/08/27/nx-s1-5073962/exploring-concerns-around-users-building-emotional-dependence-on-ai-chatbotshttps://jamesmuldoon.orghttps://www.reddit.com/r/MyBoyfriendIsAI/
Fri, 12 Sep 2025 - 04min - 43 - You are what you can afford: the privilege of a healthy diet, and the broken UK food system
Consider this an expansion to one of my recent episodes: Food as a Status Symbol, where I discussed how food is increasingly becoming a luxury item as it becomes more inaccessible. Today I HEAVILY deep dive the broken UK food system, discussing how healthy eating and foods remain a privilege as opposed to a right amid our current climate. Join in for a discussion about the barriers to healthy foods, food poverty, the appeal of ultra-processed foods, and what the government is trying to do to improve the UK’s diet.
Thank you so much for listening and creating space for this important discussion. Unless something upstream is done to tackle access to healthy, nutritious food then we will see widening health and nutrition gaps between those who can and can’t afford these items.
Some notable references from this episode are:
- Food Fight by Stuart Gillespie
- Source quoting Wan et al., (2014) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0277953615300629
- Broken Plate 2025 https://foodfoundation.org.uk/publication/broken-plate-2025
- https://foodfoundation.org.uk/initiatives/food-insecurity-tracking#tabs/Round-16
- The Guardian article: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jun/30/obesity-crisis-uk-healthy-food-affordable-government-prices?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Find me online:
Instagram – Whatzaraloves
TikTok – Whatzaraloves Taboo on the bus
Email – whatzaraloves@gmail.com
Wed, 09 Jul 2025 - 44min - 42 - You are what you can afford: the privilege of a healthy diet [mini bus version]
Full deep-dive episode is also live, join me on the bus for a mini discussion. here.
Consider this an expansion to one of my recent episodes: Food as a Status Symbol, where I discussed how food is increasingly becoming a luxury item as it becomes more inaccessible. Today I HEAVILY deep dive the broken UK food system, discussing how healthy eating and foods remain a privilege as opposed to a right amid our current climate. Join in for a discussion about the barriers to healthy foods, food poverty, the appeal of ultra-processed foods, and what the government is trying to do to improve the UK’s diet.
Thank you so much for listening and creating space for this important discussion. Unless something upstream is done to tackle access to healthy, nutritious food then we will see widening health and nutrition gaps between those who can and can’t afford these items.
Some notable references from this episode are:
- Food Fight by Stuart Gillespie
- Source quoting Wan et al., (2014) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0277953615300629
- Broken Plate 2025 https://foodfoundation.org.uk/publication/broken-plate-2025
- https://foodfoundation.org.uk/initiatives/food-insecurity-tracking#tabs/Round-16
- The Guardian article: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jun/30/obesity-crisis-uk-healthy-food-affordable-government-prices?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Find me online:
Instagram – Whatzaraloves
TikTok – Whatzaraloves Taboo on the bus
Email – collective@bricksmagazine.co.uk
Wed, 09 Jul 2025 - 04min - 41 - Is it queerbaiting or is it just biphobia? On celebrities, pride month, fanfic, and the real definiton of ‘queerbait’
I have seen too many queerbaiting accusations fly around recently, during pride month of ALL months, and wanted to give my input on the topic. So so many times I see ‘queerbait’ accusations against celebrities there is real undertones of biphobia and the reinforcement of labels and boxes. Do these accusations do more harm than good? Are they just pushing the idea that we others an explanation of our sexuality?
Sit down with me and let’s discuss queerbaiting, celebrities, and the real origins of the term. Queerbaiting actually stems from a media realm, which I discuss with reference to Sherlock, and the pipeline from queerbait to fan fiction.
Thank you always for the support!
Instagram: Whatzaraloves
Tiktok: whatzaraloves6
email - whatzaraloves@gmail.com
Wed, 18 Jun 2025 - 31min - 40 - Queerbait or biphobia? On celebrities, pride month, and the harm of queerbait accusations [mini version]
[Mini bus bus episode, full deep dive is also live]
I have seen too many queerbaiting accusations fly around recently, during pride month of ALL months, and wanted to give my input on the topic. So so many times I see ‘queerbait’ accusations against celebrities there is real undertones of biphobia and the reinforcement of labels and boxes. Do these accusations do more harm than good? Are they just pushing the idea that we others an explanation of our sexuality?
Sit down with me and let’s discuss queerbaiting, celebrities, and the real origins of the term.
Thank you always for the support!
Instagram: Whatzaraloves
Tiktok: whatzaraloves6
Email: collective@bricksmagazine.co.uk
Wed, 18 Jun 2025 - 03min - 39 - She’s not real, but the harm to society is: on AI girlfriends, robots, and cyber brothels [mini]
Alongside the longform podcast deepdive, here is the bus version of this week's episode.
Inspired by Laura Bate’s new book: The New Age of Sexism, I sat down today to analyse how the interaction between society and AI girlfriends/robots/cyber women is ultimately going to be at the detriment of us all. Is it really a good thing that men are now ‘redirecting’ abuse and harm towards AI women? Is that really sparing the rest of us?
Or we creating spaces and systems that tolerate and withstand abuse, creating if anything, a pathway towards further abuse and harm of women every day.
I take a look at existing technologies such as Alexa’s and Chat Robots to understand this correlation, giving you a deep insight into this important conversation. It will truly change your perspective on a lotttt of things.
Laura Bate’s new book: https://www.simonandschuster.co.uk/books/The-New-Age-of-Sexism/Laura-Bates/9781471190483
Instagram: Whatzaraloves
Tiktok: Whatzaraloves6
Email: collective@bricksmagazine.co.uk
Thu, 12 Jun 2025 - 03min - 38 - Why there will never be a 'lesbian' Grindr - my favourite topic discussed
Hello loves! This is somewhat a deep dive in to my dissertation topic and pulling in some of my own research. I sat down in the long episode today to discuss why we can’t just replicate Grindr for women and expect it to foster the same culture. We analyse the differences in hookup/dating app culture between queer men and women, and how these intertwine with dating app design. Someone please just let me design a dating app for the gay girls, I beg!!
Tiktok – Whatzaraloves6
Instagram – Whatzaraloves
Email – collective@bricksmagazine.co.uk
Sat, 24 May 2025 - 35min - 37 - Can you call cosmetic procedures 'feminist'? dissecting filler, Botox, + beauty standards
Join me to dissect and discuss whether filler, Botox, and aesthetic cosmetic procedures can be considered 'feminist'? While it may empower you, and be your choice, can we call that feminist when it is largely rooted in upholding harmful beauty standards?
I take a look down the lense of gender, class, and race to dissect this question, referencing the works of Dana Berkowitz and Margaret Hunter.
Let me know your thoughts…
Again, clarifying that this is not an individual attack on individuals who get these procedures. It is an unpack of the wider system these are part of and the standards/expectations of women that they ultimately uphold.
instagram: whatzaraloves
tiktok: whatzaraloves6
show: Taboo on the Bus
Email me: collective@bricksmagazine.co.uk
references:
https://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2016/12/30/botox-gender-and-the-emotional-lobotomy/
https://jpanafrican.org/docs/vol4no4/HUNTER%20Final.pdf
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/audio/2016/oct/15/when-womens-rights-meet-botox-what-would-a-feminist-do
Mon, 19 May 2025 - 28min - 36 - Can you call cosmetic procedures 'feminist'? dissecting filler, Botox, + beauty standards [bus version]
Join me on the mini bus-version of the podcast to dissect and discuss whether filler, Botox, and aesthetic cosmetic procedures is feminist? While it may empower you, and be your choice, can we call that feminist?
I take a look down the lense of gender, class, and race to dissect this question, referencing the works of Dana Berkowitz and Margaret Hunter.
Let me know your thoughts…
Again, clarifying that this is not an individual attack on individuals who get these procedures. It is an unpack of the wider system these are part of and the standards/expectations of women that they ultimately uphold.
instagram: whatzaraloves
tiktok: whatzaraloves6
show: Taboo on the Bus
Email me: collective@bricksmagazine.co.uk
Mon, 19 May 2025 - 03min - 35 - we need to talk about white feminism: from social media ‘feminists’ to the Suffragettes
If your feminism only caters to white, middle class, cis women — is it really feminism?
In this episode, we talk about white feminism: a version of feminism that often only represents the experiences of white, cis, middle-class women — leaving out women of colour, LGBTQIA+ women, disabled women, and those impacted by class, colonialism, and systemic oppression.
From the exclusion of Black women in the suffragette movement (something your history teacher might not have mentioned) to the often pink, commodified feminism we see from large figures today — let’s deep dive the history and current displays of white feminism, looking at:
⁃ What is white-feminism?
⁃ the Suffragette’s exclusion of black women
⁃ choice feminism
⁃ Pop culture figure, influencers, and white feminism
⁃ How to be more intersectional in your approach
This episode was largely collective from the Taboo on the Bus community to be as inclusive and considerate to everyone’s viewpoints and experiences as possible. I understand I am a white woman and aim to be contributing to this conversation without taking space away from more important voices. Please use this as a potential basepoint, or small part of your understanding, and consider the voices, stories, and input from those more affected by these issues from marginalised communities. Reading list below!
This episode isn’t about shaming individual women — it’s about encouraging all of us to think more critically, be more intersectional, and hold ourselves (and the people we look up to) to a higher standard.
#tabooonthebus #whitefeminism #intersectionalfeminism #popfeminism #suffragettehistory #genderequality #choicefeminism
Reading list:
BOOK
Ain't I a woman : black women and feminism
hooks, bell, 1952-2021.
Main stock ; 305.4208996073
Me, not you : the trouble with mainstream feminism
Phipps, Alison, author.
The Right to Sex: Shortlisted for the Orwell Prize 2022 Kindle Edition
by Amia Srinivasan
“Diversity Within”: The Problems with “Intersectional” White Feminism in Practice
Christoffersen, Ashlee ; Emejulu, Akwugo
Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women White Feminists Forgot Hardcover –
by Mikki Kendall (Author
White Tears Brown Scars: How White Feminism Betrays Women of Colour Paperback – 21 Oct. 2021
by Ruby Hamad (Author)
Your silence will not protect you
Lorde, Audre, author.
2017
Bad Feminist Paperback – 21 Aug. 2014
by Roxane Gay (Author)
What a tine to be alone - What a Time to Be Alone: The Slumflower's Guide to Why You Are Already Enough
Chidera Eggerue
Thu, 22 May 2025 - 29min - 34 - Are influencers employed by viewers? Analysing influencers, TikTok comments, and cancel culture
I have always been intrigued by the way in which the public feels entitled to share their opinion online, including ones that are deeply nasty or mean towards creators. In the aftermath of Becky Jones leaving the internet, I realised that this entitlement-to-share comes from the fact that we as viewers are aware of the fact that our views/likes/engagement keeps influencers ‘employed’messentially, therefore gives a degree of power. Today I discuss this power dynamic between influencers and viewers, and how we as the public essentially are employers in this realm. From the lense of comments, brand deals, cancel-culture, and nepo-babies, this is a real influencer deep-dive. A REAL insight in to my analytical brain.
Love ya!!
instagram - whatzaraloves
tiktok - whatzaraloves6
youtube - whatzaraloves
email me - collective@bricksmagazine.co.uk
Fri, 04 Apr 2025 - 33min - 33 - Are influencers 'employed' by viewers? On comments, cancel-culture, and influencer power dynamics [mini version]
Long-form deepdive is live!
I have always been intrigued by the way in which the public feels entitled to share their opinion online, including ones that are deeply nasty or mean towards creators. In the aftermath of Becky Jones leaving the internet, I realised that this entitlement-to-share comes from the fact that we as viewers are aware of the fact that our views/likes/engagement keeps influencers ‘employed’messentially, therefore gives a degree of power. Today I discuss this power dynamic between influencers and viewers, and how we as the public essentially are employers in this realm.
Fri, 04 Apr 2025 - 03min - 32 - Where are all the lesbian bars? on history, misogyny, and why all the queer women are online
Is the WLW hashtag on TikTok really one of the closest things to a queer community for so many of us? Today I sat down to talk about the lack of intersectional physical spaces for queer women, discussing the historical reasons for this and also what is driving us to foster community online instead.
We’ve got dissertation research, we’ve got my own research study, we’ve got YOUR input, this episode is juicy and packed xoxo
Outline:
why queer women are using dating apps, tiktok, and digital platforms to forge communitythe impact of digital queer communities and coming outwhy gay bars and clubs are not always safe/inclusive spaces to queer women, trans-women and women of colourthe history of lesbians and gay bars/clubsthe focus towards daytime, community centred cafes, bookstores, etc amongst lesbiansThe Mafia’s role in lesbian barsIntersectionality in queer spacesfind me on insta: @whatzaraloves
tiktok: @whatzaraloves6
youtube: Whatzaraloves
References for this episode:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7430466/
https://scholars.fhsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4226&context=theses
https://scholars.fhsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4226&context=theses
https://www.vice.com/en/article/when-drag-kings-ruled-alongside-the-mafia-235/
Sat, 22 Mar 2025 - 27min - 31 - where are all the lesbians? on queer women online and our lack of physical spaces [mini version]
Is the WLW hashtag on TikTok really one of the closest things to a queer community for so many of us? Today I sat down to talk about the lack of intersectional physical spaces for queer women, discussing the historical reasons for this and also what is driving us to foster community online instead.
We’ve got dissertation research, we’ve got my own research study, we’ve got YOUR input, this mini version on the bus is the beginning of this wider conversation. If you like this, check out the next episode which is a 30 min deep-dive.
Sat, 22 Mar 2025 - 03min - 30 - Is food a status symbol now? On food, class, & quiet luxury
In a week of PLT rebranding cementing the emphasis on ‘quiet luxury’, let’s discuss how food becomes part of this conversation. Amid our current economic climate, access to food, time, and resources is increasingly becoming harder, and with that, displays of food are becoming increasingly aspirational. Think: fridge restocks, fresh grocery hauls, come-shop-with-me content. We’re seeing this shift across fashion, art, and the social media sphere as food is positioned as more of a ‘luxury’ and symbolise both wealth and time. I discuss this from multiple lenses, including class, quiet luxury, and fashion. If you enjoyed the bus version, you’ll love this deep dive.
Sources mentioned:
Book: Bad Taste, Natalie Olah
Creators: @kfesteryga / @janinejellars (tiktok)
Nylon article: "Errand-Core" And The Rise of The High-Fashion Paper Bag
Journal: When is food a luxury? DOl: 10.1080/0043824021000026422
Sat, 08 Mar 2025 - 26min - 29 - Food as a status symbol, class, and quiet luxury [mini version]
Is food a status symbol now? On food, class, and quiet luxury
In a week of PLT rebranding cementing the emphasis on ‘quiet luxury’, let’s talk about how food becomes part of this conversation. Amid our current economic climate, access to food, time, and resources is increasingly becoming harder, and with that, displays of food are becoming increasingly aspirational. Think: fridge restocks, fresh grocery hauls, come-shop-with-me content. We’re seeing this shift accross fashion, art, and the social media sphere as food is positioned as more of a ‘luxury’ and symbolise both wealth and time. if you enjoy the bus version, you’ll love the deep dive, see my latest episode for 35 minutes of this.
Sat, 08 Mar 2025 - 03min - 28 - Full bush in a thong: the changing discourse about body hair and femininity
You all adored the mini bus version of this episode, so let's deepdive the 'full bush in a thong' discourse for 30 mins to truly underpin this changing discourse towards women's body hair. I’ve noticed an increase in the discusion and potential rage bait online amongst men debating whether or not women should have body hair, yet on the flip side, we are seeing mainstream love and normalisation of body hair amongst the girls - particularly the cis het community online.
This episode is a JOURNEY, discussing the where the notions of femininity=hairlessness derive from, the correlations between race, class, and body hair, and an interesting study conducted in the 2010’s that I think can underpin the entire ‘full bush in a thong’ discourse today. For real, grab a cup of tea and a snack.
All my love
socials: @whatzaraloves
Study mentioned:
http://www.breannefahs.com/uploads/1/0/6/7/10679051/2011_embodied_resistance_fahs_delgado.pdf
Commercialisation of choice quote from Susan Bordo:
Sat, 22 Feb 2025 - 25min - 27 - "Full bush in a thong": are we finally normalising body hair on women?
As someone in my comments coined it, we are in a “Buchaissance”, meaning it is high time for women and body hair! The ‘full bush in a thong’ discourse is going to be instrumental in breaking down the equation of women’s body hair to femininity, and I am here for it! Let’s discuss the origins of why women even shave, the harmful stereotypes and ideologies associated with women’s body hair, and an interesting study done on a class of girls that I think can tell us a lot about the impact of the ‘full bush in a thong’ discussion online.
All my love
socials: @whatzaraloves
Study mentioned:
http://www.breannefahs.com/uploads/1/0/6/7/10679051/2011_embodied_resistance_fahs_delgado.pdf
Sat, 22 Feb 2025 - 04min - 26 - WTF is an ‘Almond-Daughter’ - how tiktok is commodifying identities and aesthetics
I was RUDELY confronted with an “almond-daughter’ aesthetic image on my Pinterest feed (help) and ran to TikTok to see if this is yet another girl, core, IT, aesthetic, and of course it is a thriving subculture. Let’s fully debunk the commodification of women’s identities online, and how we are pushed into these boxes of self, taking the almond-daughter as a perfect example of how this has gone too far now. The almond-daughter is simply a repackaged ED, sold and pushed as an aesthetic lifestyle to pertain to, and it has to stop.
Listen in to discuss the harms of fashioning yourself to these identities, the role of capitalism in heightening these, and why I think the almond-daughter subculture/trend is pureposely kept online despite its harm.
Keywords: Almond Daughter, TikTok trends, identity commodification, wellness aesthetics, social media and mental health, performative lifestyles, consumerism, online personas
Fri, 14 Feb 2025 - 27min - 25 - WTF is an ‘Almond-Daughter’ - TikTok is commodifying identities and aesthetics [Mini version]
Sit down with Zara at the front of the bus to discuss the thriving internet subculture of the ‘almond-daughter’. It is exactly what you think it is: a repackaged ED sold and made aesthetic to the girls in yet another girl, core, IT, box. Let’s talk about the harm that slotting ourselves in to these boxes can cause, and why I think the almond-daughter subculture/trend is pureposely kept online despite its harm.
Fri, 14 Feb 2025 - 03min - 24 - Is fashion week accessible? - with Tori West of Bricks Magazine
I’m on the London Tube this week for a special episode of: Taboo on the Tube instead of my bed/ the bus. Joined by Tori West, founder of Bricks Magazine, we discuss the inaccessibility of fashion weeks and the lack of accommodations made for disabled/neurodivergent individuals. Tori has worked her way from standing room to front row seats at fashion week, and sits down to give us a first-hand account of her experience. Join us to talk about the way clout is so often put before accommodation and lift the lid on fashion week.
Thank you Tori West and the darling Prada for joining me for this episode. I will be back on the bus/bed next week as per usual!
Socials: @whatzaraloves
#FashionWeek #lfw #taboo #fashionweek2025 #toriwest
Fri, 07 Feb 2025 - 18min - 23 - Is fashion week accessible - with Tori West [mini version]
[Full episode is posted]
I’m on the London Tube this week for a special episode of: Taboo on the Tube instead of my bed/ the bus. Joined by Tori West, founder of Bricks Magazine, we discuss the inaccessability of fashion weeks and the lack of accomodations made for disabled/neurodivergent individuals. Tori has worked her way from standing room to front row seats at fashion week, and sits down to give us a first-hand account of her experience. Join us to talk about the way clout is so often put before accomodation, and lift the lid on fashion week.
Thank you Tori West and the darling Prada for joining me for this episode. I will be back on the bus/bed next week as per usual!
Socials: @whatzaraloves
Fri, 07 Feb 2025 - 04min - 22 - Social Media dysmorphia - the truth of fillers, botox, and the beauty standard
Has the accessability and normalisation of aesthetic procedures and fillers warped our ability to accept our natural features? I realised that I am simply tolerating some of my insecurities with the idea that I will eventually get procedures and fillers to ‘fix’ it, and is this becoming common culture within society? Has the accessibility of fillers and exposure to such content begun to normalise changing ourselves instead of accepting?
Sit down with me in the long-form version of Taboo on the Bus to discuss:
how accessible and normalised aesthetic procedures have become the every-changing, consistently unattainable beauty-standard how marketers and advertisers influence and sell us insecurities How social media makes us desire aesthetic procedures The racial cherry-picking within western beauty standards Social media dysmorphiaAgain, I will clarify that I do not disasgree with aesthetic procedures/fillers. I personally would like them, but what I don’t agree with is how normalised, accessible, and promoted they are.
All of my love,
Zara
@whatzaraloves // Taboo on the Bus
Fri, 07 Feb 2025 - 23min - 21 - Dating apps are killing the gay bar - mini version
Globally, gay bars are in decline, we are losing our queer spaces, visibility, venues, and community, and it has largely been pinned on our dating app usage. Yes, Grindr, yes Hinge, yes Tinder, yes HER. The facilitation of meet-ups, dates, hook-ups, romantic partners, and even friendships are so accessible online now that we are seeing less and less people ooccupying queer bars and spaces. As a result, we are losing our gay bars, so let’s dive in to the implications of that. (side note, this is my dissertation area, hence the enthusiasm, passion, and intense research haha) all of my love
tiktok - whatzaraloves
insta - whatzaraloves
YouTube - whatzaraloves
Tue, 21 Jan 2025 - 04min - 20 - Dating apps are killing the gay bars - the privatisation of queerness
Globally, gay bars are in decline, we are losing our queer spaces, visibility, venues, and community, and it has largely been pinned on our dating app usage. Yes, Grindr, yes Hinge, yes Tinder, yes HER. The facilitation of meet-ups, dates, hook-ups, romantic partners, and even friendships are so accessible online now that we are seeing less and less people ooccupying queer bars and spaces. As a result, we are losing our gay bars, so let’s dive in to the implications of that. (side note, this is my dissertation area, hence the enthusiasm, passion, and intense research haha) all of my love
tiktok - whatzaraloves
insta - whatzaraloves
YouTube - whatzaraloves
Tue, 21 Jan 2025 - 28min - 19 - Should we all go back to flip phones? - the downfall of social media
The first episode of Taboo Off the Bus, the deep-dive longform version of Taboo ON the Bus. Today let’s talk about the downfall of social media and realising it IS the damn phone. I dug out my old nokia flip phone today and speculate whether I could go back to the flip phone, why it is so hard to delete social media, and if the girls who have deleted TikTok and ran to Substack are doing it right?
Thank you for all of the love on Taboo on the Bus, I hope you enjoy the longer version from bed!! xoxo
Fri, 10 Jan 2025 - 23min - 18 - Why we won't delete social media - digital vs real life FOMO
The first Taboo on the Bus of the year talking my prediction of manyyy people deleting social media this year, the reason many of us won’t, and the rise of Substack as we all turn against short form content and doomscrolling. Taboo OFF the Bus, the long-form version of Taboo on the Bus coming tonight xoxo
socials - @whatzaraloves
Thank you for all of the love on Taboo on the Bus, I hope you enjoy the longer version too!! xoxo
Fri, 10 Jan 2025 - 03min - 17 - The "Unpaid Aesthetic Labor" of free clubbing - is it feminist?Sat, 14 Dec 2024 - 03min
- 16 - You don't hate Emma Chamberlain's new hair, you hate when girls lose their teenage girlishnessSat, 14 Dec 2024 - 03min
- 15 - Cancelled influencers always come back - the performative act of cancel culture, a deep dive
It was Brooke Schofield and Alix Earl this week, who will be next…? This was the icing on the cake of influencer scandals, yet another big creator exposed for their racist tweets and vile views. How many infleuncer apologies and comebacks will be watch before we wake up to the performative act of ‘cancel culture’? Let’s talk all about the inevitable infleuncer comeback, who gets to accept their apologies, and who gets to grant them their platform back, all from the front seat of the bus
Edited video versions on TikTok: Taboo on th Bus, Whatzaraloves
Creator mentioned in episode: @cameronkira
Mon, 19 Aug 2024 - 06min - 14 - The state of the current beauty standard - it costs more than just money
I sat down on the bus today to talk (rant) all about the cost of the current beauty standard, and I don't just mean money, but the physical and mental cost we put our bodies through to adhere to the ever-changing standards of 'beauty'. The whole 'mouth breathing' epidemic really stirred up this episode. It was either ordering a batch of mouth tape on tiktok shop or making this episode. Let me know your thoughts...
Sat, 27 Jul 2024 - 05min - 13 - Death of the influencer - on relatability and the shift towards more meaningful content
Sit down with Zara on the bus to talk about the shifting landscape of our for-you-pages and home-feeds. It seems as though we are moving away from the overly curated, typical influencer content and towards more educational, insightful, and relatable content. Are we just sick of being sold things or does this relfect a wider societal shift? Let's talk...
Mon, 10 Jun 2024 - 07min - 12 - Why is re-defining your sexuality such a taboo? On Madeline Argy starting this conversation
I love a label! As someone who grew up knowing that "straight' did not fit, I longed to understand what term did feel right in order to finally gain a sense of belonging. Yet, why is it seen as such a taboo to change the label you first identified as? Let's talk the taboos of changing your label, being unlabelled, and the change from lesbian to bisexual, all from the front seat of the bus.
Mon, 06 May 2024 - 04min - 11 - Diet Culture has been rebranded as "Nutritional Advice" on TikTok
Suddenly we are back in the depths of 2016 YouTube diet culture. Foods are being labelled as either 'good' or 'bad', we have men in supermarkets telling us how toxic these every-day items are for our bodies, oat milk is now the devil, except this is TikTok and it is 2024. Diet culture seems to have had a makeover, and is now presented in the form of nutritional advice online. Let's break it down from the front seat of the bus, and see how this "all or nothing' approach is actually not very healthy.
Fri, 26 Apr 2024 - 04min - 10 - Should straight people be in gay clubs/queer spaces?
Join me from the front seat of the bus to discuss my take on straight people entering queer clubs and bars. Truthfully, I see no harm in straight friends joining queer partners/friends/family for queer nightlife if they are respectful and there to have fun. Yet, bachelorette/hen parties and mobs of straight men.... not quite the same. Let me know what you think!
disclaimer: there are a few occasions that I used the word "gay" that I think would've been worded better as "queer" as a more umbrella term.
Fri, 02 Feb 2024 - 07min - 9 - the drunk elephant pre-teens are the 2016 beauty guru fans again, except it’s skincare not makeup this time
The pre-teens raiding Sephora to get their hands on £60 Drunk Elephant skincare has started quite a discussion online lately. So, let's talk all about how this form of overconsumption really stems from the desire to fit the current "clean-girl" aesthetic that is popular online, and how this really isn't any different to our overconsumption of Morphe palettes, ABH highlighters, and lip kits back when we were 14. The skincare hype is the new makeup-hype. Forget Alex 9 drawers full of makeup, it is the excessive skincare collection's time to shine, or is it?
Fri, 12 Jan 2024 - 07min - 8 - What is an "acceptable body count" - the impact of alpha males on female body count
Why in 2024 are men still pushing the narrative that there is an "acceptable" number of people that a woman should have sex with? Let's sit down to discuss on the bus why there is simply no need to even count the number of people you have had sex with, and how the whole idea of 'body-count' is not a very sex-positive stance to bring in to the new year. Ditch the notes list besties, and to the alpha-males, please reassess your values.
This is also the first episode where we have had an input from passengers, so thank you to the elderly couple who chimed in and shared their stance in this episode. It is still is making me laugh.
Sat, 23 Dec 2023 - 03min - 7 - "You are what you consume" - pay attention to who you watch online
No one is talking about the impact that the creators you watch online truly has on your own mental health. So let's sit down to chat about how you truly are a product of the content you consume, and some creators to have on your radar for 2024 for a 'healthier' feed online. The fact is, if you consume sad content for 3 hours a day, you cannot expect to have the healthiest mindset.
Sat, 23 Dec 2023 - 04min - 6 - Is the UK too deep in drink/drug culture to go sober? - casual sobriety is becoming trendy but can we keep our social life?Sat, 02 Dec 2023 - 05min
- 5 - Comparing your 'day in the life' to others on TikTok - nothing is 100% real online
We've likely accepted that our life isn't going to emulate the influencers online who wake up, open PR packages, then spend a day at appointments and pilates. But what about the "normal" girls who post a DITL ft their 9-5 and whole-food dinner?? Today let's talk about comparison online to the non-influencers, and how it is just important to not compare your life to theirs too. Social media can be fabricated, exaggerated, and just as fake for the "normal" users too.
Sun, 12 Nov 2023 - 05min - 4 - Celebrities love to cosplay the working class - it is a lifestyle not an aesthetic
Charli D'Amelio shot some promotional videos behind the checkout in Walmart and everyone went wild, but is it justified? I sat down on the bus to break down why we find it distasteful to see high-class celebs and influencers cosplaying as working class individuals whether for fun, fame, or promotion. This isn't a quirky aesthetic, it's many people's lifestyles that shouldn't be tapped in to for the benefit of the rich. Let's talk about it on the bus
Sun, 12 Nov 2023 - 06min - 3 - For the girls who wouldn't date a bisexual guy - let's talk Bisexuality
I saw a podcast clip of a bunch of girls saying how they'd never date a bisexual guy, and how that is "gay", and I've never jumped to research an episode sooner. Sit with me on the bus to chat about the stigma against bi girls and boys, ft a very interestingstudy that was done to prove if bisexual men even exist???
Fri, 20 Oct 2023 - 06min - 2 - Influencer breakups - this heartbreak is not yours to grieveFri, 13 Oct 2023 - 07min
- 1 - The 'Rotten Girl Aesthetic' - Who gets to be gross online?
With the rise of the ‘rotten girl aesthetic’, I wanted to sit on the bus and analyse how we perceive this authentic, unfiltered content online and how it can differ from one creator to another. I’ve noticed there is a real pretty privilege in being ‘gross’ online, and how not all creators are equally accepted for doing the same thing. The middle aged, male bus driver was definitely confused as to what I was on about with this episode.
Wed, 11 Oct 2023 - 06min
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