In a Parallel Universe

How Aesthetics and TikTok Drive Inauthenticity

This episode explores how identity is being reshaped in the digital age by algorithms, aesthetics, and constant self-comparison. We discuss how TikTok’s personalization system shapes our tastes, how trends minimize individuality, and how the male gaze and feedback loops influence our self-expression. We examine why performative numbness has become the new “cool”, why enthusiasm feels embarrassing, and why so many people today are terrified of standing out. The episode also explores how the solitude, intuition, and the slow rebuilding of an authentic self is so powerful in creating a unique identity. Thank you for listening <3 Sources: Anne Burns (2015) Burns, A. (2015). “Self(ie)-discipline: Social regulation as enacted through the discussion of photographic practice.” International Journal of Communication. Alison Hearn (2017 / 2019) Hearn, A. (2017). “Affective Labor, Communicative Capitalism, and the Politics of Personal Branding.” Hearn, A. (2019). “On Branding the Self.” Cheney-Lippold, J. (2011). “A New Algorithmic Identity: Soft Biopolitics and the Modulation of Control.” Theory, Culture & Society. Gu, M., et al. (2022). Study on TikTok usage among Gen Z. (Exact title varies depending on the specific dataset, but this is the research tied to TikTok demographics.) Music: "The Sky of our Ancestors" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

The Science of Awe and the Wisdom of the Earth

In this episode of In a Parallel Universe, we explore the science and ancient wisdom behind awe — how it shapes our biology, connects us to one another, and reminds us of our deep relationship with the natural world. We look at how trees communicate through fungal networks, how fungi have given us life-saving medicines, why grounding resets the nervous system, and how even a 20-minute walk in nature can lower stress and shift the brain. We dive into Indigenous teachings like Māori kaitiakitanga, Native American seven-generation thinking, and the idea that water, forests, and rivers deserve personhood just as much as corporations. We also reflect on the Whanganui River’s legal rights in New Zealand and what it means for the future of guardianship here in America and why corporations in America have more rights than nature. Sources: • Dacher Keltner — Awe and Greater Good Science Center studies • Emotion Journal (2020): Awe walk research • Dr. Suzanne Simard — Mycorrhizal network studies (Nature) • Dr. Tara Swart — The Source; grounding studies (2012, 2023) • PNAS (2015): 90-minute nature walk & brain activity • Te Awa Tupua Act (2017): Whanganui River personhood • Burwell v. Hobby Lobby (2014): Corporate personhood Music: "The Sky of our Ancestors" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

The Beauty Myth: How the Beauty Industry Became the Patriarchy’s Greatest Distraction

In this episode, we explore how the beauty industry became one of patriarchy’s most effective tools of control. Drawing on the work of Naomi Wolf, Florence Given, and Cat Bohannon, we uncover how the “beauty myth” turns women’s bodies into currency and distractions—keeping us exhausted, divided, and striving for perfection that doesn’t exist. Together, we unpack the professional beauty qualification, the Madonna–whore complex, and how self-objectification steals our time, power, and joy. This episode is a reminder that our bodies were never meant to be ornaments for display—they are instruments for living, laughing, feeling, and creating. ** If you haven’t already I recommend reading all of the book used in this podcast you can find them below ** Sources & References • Wolf, Naomi. The Beauty Myth: How Images of Beauty Are Used Against Women. HarperCollins, 1990. • Given, Florence. Women Living Deliciously. 2024 • Bohannon, Cat. Eve: How the Female Body Drove 200 Million Years of Human Evolution. Knopf, 2023. • Engeln, Renée. Beauty Sick: How the Cultural Obsession with Appearance Hurts Girls and Women. Harper Wave, 2017. Music: "The Sky of our Ancestors" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

The Honorable Harvest: Remembering How to Give Back

In today's episode I discussed the honorable Harvest- that is based on the knowledge of native Americansa and explaned in the incredible book Braiding Sweet Grass. I discuss how we can bring honor to our purchases and by doing so prevent over consumption. This episode discusses how to combat against capitalism, native wisdom, and how icons like Santa Claus have turned into a way to market capitalism. Sources: Braiding Sweetgrass — Robin Wall Kimmerer: https://milkweed.org/book/braiding-sweetgrass To Have or To Be? — Erich Fromm A Brief History of Commercialising Christmas — Tim Harford: https://timharford.com/2020/12/a-brief-history-of-commercialising-christmas/ United Nations World Food Programme — https://innovation.wfp.org/project/sharethemeal Music: "The Sky of our Ancestors" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Ep 1. Toxic Masculinity: Why Men Suck

In today’s episode, we discussed how societal norms shape toxic masculinity and push men to behave in certain ways. Music: "The Sky of our Ancestors" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/