Nymphet Alumni

In this edition of Study Break, we discuss the abhorrent kayfabe of Drake’s new “goth GF” courtship, the steamy, naturalistic Ryan McGinley portfolio that kicked off New York’s inaugural men’s style issue, and the incoming wave of dark technocrat dramas— Aaron Sorkin’s The Social Reckoning, Luca Guadagnino’s Artificial, Nathan Fielder’s You Can See Everything— and the risks of filmmakers drawing the map over the territory. We also get into Taylor Swift’s perplexingly jolly ode to getting picked and how the viral Western Mass lesbian bar discourse echoes three centuries of New England Puritan covenant culture.Links: 20 WOMEN VS DRAKE | 20 V 1Lin Lamar aka Pinkchyu on Instagram“Perky Goth” on TVTropes.com“We Can Tell You Have Low Social Power” by Breanna on Labyrinth of Art via Substack“Sombr’s ‘Sex’ Belt Was His Idea” by Eileen Cartter in GQ2hollis - Sex (Music Video) “Reggie Watts Is a Prominent Ketamine Advocate. Was It His Ex’s ‘Undoing’?” by Cheyenne Roundtree in Rolling StoneNymphet Alumni Ep. 86: Deadheads and Dark Hippie-ism“The Boys in the Baths” by Ryan McGinley for New York’s Men’s Style issue“The Chrome Hearts Hustle” by Ezra Marcus for The Cut“The Robert Pattinson and Skyler Gisondo Interview” by Slushy Noobz on YouTubeThe Social Reckoning dir. Aaron Sorkin (Trailer)Artificial dir. Luca Guadanigno (Trailer)You Can See Everything dir. Nathan Fielder, Lance Oppenheim (Trailer)Lost Weekend by Phoebe BridgersAI-generated steel coil safety song“I’m a Swiftie and even I think these new songs are terrible” by Poppie Platt in The Telegraph300SkullsAndCounting & Jenny Sparks - The Ballad of St. Nick’s Park (Music Video)Chiddy Bang - Opposite Of Adults (Music Video)“Greenfield lesbian bar Last Ditch faces mask-rule backlash” by Annalisa Quinn in The Boston Globe This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.nymphetalumni.com/subscribe

In this episode, we examine the aesthetic of the Dictator’s Wife, a 20th century archetype of conspicuous luxury, scary elegance, and icy detachment. We catalog the aesthetic’s signatures, from exotic furs and bulletproof coiffs to monochrome coordination and maximalist millinery. We consider how rigidly controlled femininity functions as armor and propaganda and survey the historical canon: Imelda Marcos’s infamous wardrobe, Elena Ceaușescu’s ugly-chic vanity crashouts, Asma al-Assad’s Vogue-approved Euro minimalism, and more. We also relate these issues to America’s current political climate, including the “edifice complex” ravaging our nation’s capitol, Melania's beleaguered glam squad, and the gilded tyranny of Mar-a-Lago glamour. Links: Image boardCardi B dictator’s wife memeCardi B by Szilveszter Makó for Vogue ArabiaRama Duwaji by Szilveszter Makó for The Cut“Fashion Twitter is mad Daniel Roseberry Dressed a MAGA heiress.” by Louis Pisano on SubstackLouis Pisano’s “Couture & Corruption” series on TikTokLady Macbeth monologue from Act 1, Scene 5 of Macbeth“Shoes, furs and hypocrisy: Why we love to hate despots' wives” by Rebecca Seales in BBC NewsBond villain nationality masterlist“Womanliness as a Masquerade” by Joan Riviere “Women Behind the Throne” by Camille Paglia MAGA women research by Style Analytics on TikTokThe Kingmaker (2019) dir. Lauren GreenfieldGeneration Wealth by Lauren GreenfieldImelda (2003) dir. Ramona S. Diaz“5 Shopping Sprees So Wild, They Made History” by Maureen O’Connor in New YorkEva Peron Rainbow Tour of Europe cover story for TimeSanta Evita by Tomás Eloy Martínez“Behind Mugabe’s fall: Gucci Grace versus the Crocodile” by Norimitsu Onishi in The Sydney Morning Herald“The Vanity Cult of Elena Ceausescu – Hated Wife of Romania’s Dictator” by Matthew Gaskill in Vintage News“Ceausescu sale: Everything must go” (auction report) by Kate Connolly in The Guardian“The Party that Toppled a Dynasty and Changed the Middle East Forever” by Jeff Zhou in Young Diplomats Society“Asma al-Assad: A Rose in the Desert” by Joan Juliet Buck in Vogue“Syrian first lady Adma Al-Assad’s outfits” by Aya Lowe in Monocle“How China Fell in Love with Syria’s First Lady” in Worldcrunch“Armour of Couture” by Szilveszter Makó in Vogue Hong KongGucci Spring/Summer 2026 “La Famiglia” portrait campaign by Catherine OpieMelania Trump’s “I Really Don’t Care. Do U?” Zara jacket This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.nymphetalumni.com/subscribe