
Consumption Is Eating Art
From Pantsuit Politics by Sarah & Beth
May 22, 2026 · 51 min · Season 11 · Episode 40
About this episode
The episode explores how popular consensus is manufactured in art and media, touching on various cultural topics and personal reflections.
Beth’s daughter, Ellen, asked why our books aren’t on the bestseller list, and honestly? Great question, Ellen. That one question opens up the whole can of worms today: how popular consensus gets manufactured — from the mysterious black box of the New York Times bestseller list to music catalogs being protected like the financial assets they literally are, to the Vulture piece that confirmed what I’ve suspected for a while now, which is that nothing on your social media feed is actually organic. We also wade into the Michael Jackson biopic, which I have real feelings about, and we end in a much better place, talking about songs that have nothing to do with romantic love. I am warning you now that I cannot discuss Brandi Carlile without crying, so just be ready for that. — Sarah Topics Discussed Cultural Consensus and Its Impact Art, Trust, and Marketing in the Digital Age Outside of Politics: Nonlove Songs Ready to go deeper? Visit our website for complete show notes, exclusive premium content, chats, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
People in this episode
Hosts: Beth, Sarah
Topics covered
- Cultural Consensus
- Art
- Trust
- Marketing in the Digital Age
- Nonlove Songs
Keywords
- bestseller list
- social media
- music catalogs
- Michael Jackson
- Brandi Carlile
- nonlove songs
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: New York Times, Vulture
Books & works: Michael Jackson biopic, Brandi Carlile
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