Cover image of show Pop Syllabus

Pop Syllabus

Podcast by Pop Syllabus with Christiana Mbakwe Medina

English

Culture & leisure

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About Pop Syllabus

Pop Syllabus is a show where host Christiana Mbakwe Medina deconstructs the zeitgeist and answers the big cultural questions. How did we swing from body positivity to thin-being-in? Why do so many people trust wellness influencers over medical doctors? And how did tech oligarchs become the new celebrities? Think of Christiana as a cross between a messy news anchor and guerilla academic. Each week, she and an expert guest will unpack a buzzy topic, and help us understand the moment while going through it.

All episodes

20 episodes

episode The Conversation We Need About Womb Health With Dr. Kemi Doll artwork

The Conversation We Need About Womb Health With Dr. Kemi Doll

Womb health is still one of the most misunderstood areas of women’s care, especially for Black women.  In today’s episode, Christiana sits down with gynecologic oncologist and author of A Terrible Strength: The Hidden Crisis of the Black Womb and Your Survival Guide to Healing [https://kemidoll.com/book/b] to walk us through fibroids, endometriosis, and the symptoms that are often dismissed, plus what women should be asking about care and diagnosis. Dr. Kemi’s website [https://kemidoll.com/] Follow Dr. Kemi Doll: Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/kemidoll] Follow Pop Syllabus: YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@popsyllabus] | Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/popsyllabus] | TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@popsyllabus] | Substack [https://popsyllabus.substack.com/] Merch [https://popsyllabus.com/] available now! Sponsor Pop Syllabus: advertise@companionarts.com [advertise@companionarts.com] If there’s a topic you’d like us to deconstruct, tell us in the comments. Email: hello@popsyllabus.com [hello@popsyllabus.com]  01:00 Meet Dr. Kemi Doll 03:40 How Dr. Doll’s background has informed her work  07:30 Understanding womb suffering 08:55 Black women with womb suffering getting misdiagnosed  10:47 Womb condition #1: heavy menstrual bleeding  23:40 Options for people with the BRCA1 gene 25:36 Womb condition #2: endometriosis  35:29 Teenagers and young women with womb suffering  39:05 Womb condition #3: fibroids  51:18 Womb condition #4: endometrial cancer  01:01:28 Advice for dealing with doctors and medical institutions 01:08:45 Combining holistic wellness with medicine 01:11:55 Setting boundaries in order to heal  01:13:00 Where to find Dr. Kemi Doll’s work  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

20 May 2026 - 1 h 15 min
episode The Pop Culture Debrief: Mess, Drama & Headlines (Christiana Solo Episode) artwork

The Pop Culture Debrief: Mess, Drama & Headlines (Christiana Solo Episode)

Welcome to another week in pop culture, where nothing is calm and everything is a headline. In this episode, Christiana flips through the latest tabloids and magazines, breaking down celebrity chaos, unhinged headlines, and the editorials everyone can’t stop talking about. Sydney Sweeney, Doja Cat, Timothée Chalamet, Anne Hathaway, and more all show up in this week’s rundown as Christiana shares her hot takes on what’s worth the hype and what’s just noise. Follow Pop Syllabus: YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@popsyllabus] | Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/popsyllabus] | TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@popsyllabus] | Substack [https://popsyllabus.substack.com/]   Merch [https://popsyllabus.com/] available now! Sponsor Pop Syllabus: advertise@companionarts.com [advertise@companionarts.com] If there’s a topic you’d like us to deconstruct, tell us in the comments. Email: hello@popsyllabus.com [hello@popsyllabus.com]  01:50 Sydney Sweeney’s “Magazine Milkies” Moment 02:59 Sofía Vergara’s Sketchy Skechers Ad 03:54 Sydney Sweeney’s Viral Lingerie Editorial 08:15 Why Everyone Is Suddenly Obsessed With Tyriq Withers 10:04 Twilight Taylors 10:22 Is Robert Pattinson the New Leonardo DiCaprio? 12:40 Teyana Taylor as Lady Liberty 14:26 Inside the “MAGA Land” Editorial 21:54 Doja Cat on Vogue 24:48 India’s Growing Influence on Pop Culture 27:10 Bhavitha Mandava, Versace & Fashion’s Rising New Faces 29:08 Jelly Roll’s Weight Loss Transformation 34:20 Sarah Michelle Gellar’s People Magazine Cover 35:48 The Royal Roundup: Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle & More 37:22 Anne Hathaway’s Best Oscars Look 38:14 Sarah Michelle Gellar Is Making a Comeback 40:19 Harry & Meghan “Exiled” From Hollywood? 43:21 Christiana’s Top Magazine Recommendation Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

13 May 2026 - 45 min
episode Inside Hollywood’s Obsession With “Perfect” Faces With Dr. Carl Truesdale artwork

Inside Hollywood’s Obsession With “Perfect” Faces With Dr. Carl Truesdale

In Hollywood, everyone wants a “perfect” face, but the goal now is to make it look like nothing was ever done. But behind that natural look is a growing set of procedures most people would never recognize. Today, Christiana sits down with Double Board Certified Facial & Reconstructive Plastic Surgeon Dr. Carl Truesdale [https://www.doctortruesdale.com/about-us/meet-dr-truesdale/] to understand what’s driving Hollywood’s obsession with undetectable plastic surgery, from subtle lifts to revision procedures, as well as how cosmetic work among men and AI are shaping today’s beauty standards. Dr. Truesdale’s website  [https://www.doctortruesdale.com/] Follow Dr. Truesdale: Instagram  [https://www.instagram.com/doctor.truesdale/] Follow Pop Syllabus: YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@popsyllabus] | Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/popsyllabus] | TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@popsyllabus] | Substack [https://popsyllabus.substack.com/] Merch [https://popsyllabus.com/] available now! Sponsor Pop Syllabus: advertise@companionarts.com [advertise@companionarts.com] If there’s a topic you’d like us to deconstruct, tell us in the comments. Email: hello@popsyllabus.com [hello@popsyllabus.com]  01:02 Meet Dr. Carl Truesdale  02:07 How Dr. Truesdale got into cosmetic surgery  03:50 Cultivating a diverse practice with cultural competency  09:05 The costs of cosmetic surgery  10:01 Thread lifts, fillers and botox  12:20 How Dr. Truesdale contributes to beauty standards and pressures  15:00 Psychological shifts for patients 17:00 Patients who are unhappy after their procedures   18:55 Dr. Truesdale on sharing his work on social media  21:46 Not being able to share the work he does for some celebrities  22:58 Celebrities who don’t share that they have had work done  25:20 Karama Brown  25:38 Lower blepharoplasty 26:06 Men getting plastic surgery  30:08 Looking younger longer  31:24 Revision surgeries   34:17 Knowing when to operate and turning patients away  34:57 Mid-facelifts  35:45 Responding to those who say plastic surgery is bad  39:10 A rapper whose “friend” paid for her cosmetic work  40:41 The future of plastic surgery, AI, and beauty standards  46:02 Christiana requests a free consultation from Dr. Truesdale   47:30 Dr. Truesdale doing his parents’ plastic surgery  49:00 Where you can find Dr. Truesdale online Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

6 May 2026 - 52 min
episode Why Open Relationships Are More Common Than You Think With Dr. Amy Moors artwork

Why Open Relationships Are More Common Than You Think With Dr. Amy Moors

Non-monogamy is everywhere right now, and so are the opinions about it. In today’s episode, Christiana sits down with psychologist and Chapman University Professor Dr. Amy Moors [https://www.amycmoors.com/about] to unpack open relationships, ethical non-monogamy, and why more people are exploring love outside the traditional mold. Dr. Amy Moors research [https://www.amycmoors.com/research] Follow Pop Syllabus: YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@popsyllabus] | Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/popsyllabus] | TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@popsyllabus] | Substack [https://popsyllabus.substack.com/] Merch [https://popsyllabus.com/] available now! Sponsor Pop Syllabus: advertise@companionarts.com [advertise@companionarts.com] If there’s a topic you’d like us to deconstruct, tell us in the comments. Email: hello@popsyllabus.com [hello@popsyllabus.com]  01:07 Meet Dr. Amy Moors 03:31 Defining non-monogamy  04:30 Defining polyamory and open relationships  05:50 Different types of polyamory  07:06 Who engages in consensual non-mongamy? And how common is it? 10:25 Loving multiple people 14:10 Stigmas towards people who practice consensual non-monogamy  17:35 Christiana’s familial experiences with polygamy  21:35 Both monogamy and non-monogamy can be messy  22:40 How societal inequities show up in relationships  25:19 Lindy West, millennial feminism, and trad wives 27:04 Gender ratios among non-monogamous couples 28:10 Measuring “success” among non-monogamous relationships  31:01 Couples who open their relationships after being monogamous  34:20 Why is non-monogamy seemingly everywhere?  39:18 Americans don’t like to talk about sex  41:45 LGBTQ+ couples and non-monogamy  44:28 Learning from people who practice non-monogamy  46:16 Non-monogamous parents and their children  53:20 Non-hierarchical polyamory  55:30 Finding the time to sustain non-monogamous relationships    57:42 The future of consensual non-monogamy 01:04:30 Where to find Dr. Moors’ work  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

29 Apr 2026 - 1 h 8 min
episode Are They a Star, Celebrity or Famous Person? with Sam Sanders artwork

Are They a Star, Celebrity or Famous Person? with Sam Sanders

No matter where you find yourself on the internet, celebrities’ lives are constantly in front of us, but who’s actually a star and who’s just famous? From icons like Beyoncé to rising names like Sabrina Carpenter and Sydney Sweeney, Christiana sits down with award-winning reporter and podcaster Sam Sanders to play “star, celebrity, or famous person” and break down what really makes someone last in pop culture. Follow Sam: Instagram  [https://www.instagram.com/samsanders/] Follow Pop Syllabus: YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@popsyllabus] | Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/popsyllabus] | TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@popsyllabus] | Substack [https://popsyllabus.substack.com/] |  Merch [https://popsyllabus.com/] available now! Sponsor Pop Syllabus: advertise@companionarts.com [advertise@companionarts.com] If there’s a topic you’d like us to deconstruct, tell us in the comments. Email: hello@popsyllabus.com [hello@popsyllabus.com]  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

22 Apr 2026 - 1 h 11 min
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En fantastisk app med et enormt stort udvalg af spændende podcasts. Podimo formår virkelig at lave godt indhold, der takler de lidt mere svære emner. At der så også er lydbøger oveni til en billig pris, gør at det er blevet min favorit app.
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