Everything Is Content

Hello EICookies, we've got a thought-provoking episode for you this week.

Firstly, we have to discuss the depressing local election results and how we begin to process it and move forward. A Substack essay on the end of the Western earnest tourist our interest on if we'll ever regain the sense of wonder and charm from a path rarely travelled in the age of TikTok travel content, and Google Earth shining a light on every corner, far and wide, on the planet. Finally, she's back: Amanda and her cringy exploits have returned to screens.

Also Beth is back next week, so do not fear our third essential ingredient will be back in the mix ASAP.

This week Oenone loved Why More Americans Are Seeking Religion and wanted to dive into Charli XCX's Rock Music. Ruchira loved Gen Z's New "Anti-Woke Voice" and Hacks season 5.

Also could we request a lovely review on Apple or Spotify? It's a huge push for the podcast and helps us continue to grow <3

Lots of love, O,R,B xoxox

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The More Than 30 Scandal-Hit Reform Candidates Elected Last Week

Minority groups brace for surge in racism after Reform UK election gains

‘I’ll talk to work on Monday’: what happens when a ‘paper candidate’ actually wins?

Reform cold calling public in bid to find ‘paper’ candidates for local elections

The End Of Elsewhere

The Myth of Authentic Travel

Amandaland

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello EICookies, we've got a thought-provoking episode for you this week.

Firstly, we have to discuss the depressing local election results and how we begin to process it and move forward. A Substack essay on the end of the Western earnest tourist our interest on if we'll ever regain the sense of wonder and charm from a path rarely travelled in the age of TikTok travel content, and Google Earth shining a light on every corner, far and wide, on the planet. Finally, she's back: Amanda and her cringy exploits have returned to screens.

Also Beth is back next week, so do not fear our third essential ingredient will be back in the mix ASAP.

This week Oenone loved Why More Americans Are Seeking Religion and wanted to dive into Charli XCX's Rock Music. Ruchira loved Gen Z's New "Anti-Woke Voice" and Hacks season 5.

Also could we request a lovely review on Apple or Spotify? It's a huge push for the podcast and helps us continue to grow <3

Lots of love, O,R,B xoxox

-----

The More Than 30 Scandal-Hit Reform Candidates Elected Last Week

Minority groups brace for surge in racism after Reform UK election gains

‘I’ll talk to work on Monday’: what happens when a ‘paper candidate’ actually wins?

Reform cold calling public in bid to find ‘paper’ candidates for local elections

The End Of Elsewhere

The Myth of Authentic Travel

Amandaland

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Happy Wednesday EIChatters!

To voice note or not to voice note, that is the question. In a piece for the Independent from the start of the year Helen Coffey explored whether a rise in voice notes has helped kill the art of conversation. She writes that despite being an initial sceptic about voice notes and finding them awkward and less useful than a phone call, she has since come around and become a primary source of communication in her circle.

A 2025 survey commissioned by Sky Mobile found that 62% of voice note recipients had experienced ‘voice note fatigue’, and 20% said they’d personally received a voice note longer than 10 minutes. More than one in ten said they received over 10 voice notes a day, and 44% said they listened at double speed to get through them quicker.

There’s also apparently a geographical element to this that suggests the UK is actually lagging behind other countries in our adoption of recorded messages. A 2024 YouGov survey found that 48% of Indian respondents either preferred receiving voice notes or liked them just as much as texts, compared to just 18% of people in Great Britain.

We dive in with your help!

We hope you enjoy, as always please do rate, review and share us with a friend :) Kisses! O,R,B x

The inexorable rise of voice notes: ‘I’m thinking of you – I just don’t want to speak to you’

VOICE-NO! Brits call time on long voice notes

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Happy Friday EIContrarians! Beautiful Beth is sunning herself on hols, so Ruchira and Oenone are driving the content car through the winding roads of the World Wide Web discourse.

First up Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni have settled their lawsuit, Britney Spears finds herself in trouble and Celebrity Traitors is back!

Secondly, The Met Gala! One of this year’s biggest themes was Jeff Bezos and wife Lauren Sanchez’ presence at the gala, with rumours the Amazon founder spent $10m to sponsor the event. We get into our fave, and least fave, looks from the evening, and what we made of the event as a whole.

And last but by no means least, 20 years after the original film, The Devil Wears Prada is back! The hotly awaited sequel has had everyone's tongues wagging, including ours.

We hope you enjoy! As always, please do rate, review, and subscribe. Mwah O,R,B xxx

Ruchira's been loving: Asian mothers, bad feelings: notes on an all-conquering stereotype, Tracey Emin
A Second Life, The Farewell

Oenone's been loving: Dandelion Is Dead, The Handmaid's Tale, Surrender (The God Shot)

Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni settle lawsuit over It Ends With Us film

Britney Spears pleads guilty to reckless driving charge in DUI case

The Celebrity Traitors series 2 line-up confirmed

The Best-Dressed Stars At The 2026 Met Gala

Met Gala 2026: Activists leave nearly 300 ‘bottles of urine’ in protest of Bezos’ involvement

The Devil Wears Prada 2? Groundbreaking. What The Sequel Got Right

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Happy Wednesday EIChickadees! What a show we have for you today.

To celebrate the release of her much-hyped debut novel Yesteryear, we sat down with the brilliant Caro Claire Burke to discuss everything from favourite tradwives to the process of selling the film rights to a novel. As well as being a phenomenally talented writer, Caro is also the co-host of Diabolical Lies- one of Ruchira's most recommended podcasts.

A quick synopsis of Yesteryear: Natalie is a trad wife influencer with hundreds of thousands of followers. As far as her audience knows, Natalie loves her farmhouse, her well-behaved children, making sourdough from scratch and her perfect husband Caleb. But behind the scenes of her Instagram content, everything is very, very different.

Then, one morning, Natalie wakes up in the 1800s. Her phone, her assistants, they’re all gone. Is it a hoax? A reality show? A test from God? Natalie just knows she has to escape. And don't worry- no spoilers!

Vanity Fair - Lifestyle Creator Nara Smith... Wants to Clear Up Some Things
Spotify - Diabolical Lies
Waterstones - Yesteryear
Indie Wire - Anne Hathaway’s Controversial New Horror Movie About a ‘Tradwife’ Is Already Hell Online
Substack - Matriarchal Blessing
Substack -Matriarchy Report 'What's so scary about a tradwife?'
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.