High Brow
High Brow
High Brow
High Brow is a chic podcast for cool girls and self-identified intellectuals. Hosted by Mina Le, the pod is an extension of her eponymous Youtube channel. Follow Mina every Wednesday as she leads you through the culture & fashion landscapes, dissecting topics that probably resonate most with the chronically online... but through the lens of someone who has touched grass of course (or so she claims!). Find Mina on Youtube, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter @gremlita
the oat milk industrial complex
In today's episode, Mina discusses the items on her personal Christmas wishlist, the Met Costume Institute’s new exhibit "Women Dressing Women," her thoughts on the new Balenciaga show, the lack of "third places" in the U.S. and, in the same vein, the overpriced oat milk lattes that are RUINING community, also: children being worse than ever before?, Emma Chamberlain "discourse," and the potential return of big dairy. Support the podcast on Patreon! Instagram: @highbrow.pod Send suggestions/thoughts/stories to [email protected] or leave a voicemail ‪(917) 727-8385‬ Reading List: Third Places TikTok video kids can't read and it's YOUR FAULT by Kyle Fitzpatrick The 2023 Gen Z Gift Guide, According to TikTok by Casey Lewis (paywalled) Got Milk? Not This Generation. by Kim Severson US retail sales of oat milk decline in latest quarter after years of explosive growth by Elaine Watson WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT MILK SHAME, THE BANE OF DAIRY-LOVING ADULTS EVERYWHERE by Andy Kryza Whole Milk Mounts Its Triumphant Comeback by Emily Sundberg THE CRIMES BEHIND THE SEAFOOD YOU EAT by Ian Urbina
Dec 6, 2023
59 min
my priscilla (2023) review
In this episode, Mina starts off by talking about NYC party etiquette, but then delves into the topic of MOVIES – a topic she's been barred from speaking about... until now. Let's discuss Priscilla (2023), how it compares to Elvis (2022), and most importantly... Jacob Elordi vs. Austin Butler's portrayals. Also: tangents on Alfred Hitchcock, Jacob Elordi/Kissing Booth drama, David Fincher's The Killer (2023), and the importance of Letterboxd reviews (they are NOT annoying!!) Support the podcast on Patreon! Instagram: @highbrow.pod Send suggestions/thoughts/stories to [email protected] or leave a voicemail ‪(917) 727-8385‬ READING LIST Hitchcock/Truffaut: The Definitive Study of Alfred Hitchcock by Francois Truffaut Scriptwriting from soup to nuts. Swicord, Robin.  Sight and Sound; London Vol. 7, Iss. 11, (Nov 1997): 28-30,3. How Jacob Elordi Became The New King Consensus Empire: Empowering the Spectator through Letterboxd Reviews Not Another Lonely Assassin Movie
Nov 22, 2023
58 min
so no one wants to read anymore!
Mina serves some of her Booktok hot takes, opinions on anti-intellectualism, the rise of literary it girls/writer influencers, her first-hand experience risking her life with mercury poisoning, and the history of depression era food (white american food is bland because of PROHIBITION?) (loading her food history commentator phase...) Support the podcast on Patreon! Instagram: @highbrow.pod Send suggestions/thoughts/stories to [email protected] or leave a voicemail ‪(917) 727-8385‬ READING LIST How can I donate hair / fur / fleece? | MatterofTrust.org  Are We Losing the Ability to Read Books? - Scott H Young  Skimming, scanning, scrolling — the age of deep reading is over  Skim reading is the new normal. The effect on society is profound  THE MAKINGS OF A LITERARY IT GIRL Consumer Expenditures in the New York Metropolitan Area — 2021–22 : Northeast Information Office  The Great Depression diet: 4 ways our eating habits have changed since the 1930s Creamed, Canned And Frozen: How The Great Depression Revamped U.S. Diets Why Hunting Down 'Authentic Ethnic Food' Is A Loaded Proposition HISTORICAL OUTLINE OF THE CANNING OF. FISHERY PRODUCTS 
Nov 8, 2023
57 min
cannibalism? and rural fantasies
In today's episode, Mina talks about how to launder your clothes, the ethics of wearing clothing made of human hair and also eating your friend's leg, urbanites cosplaying as farm girls (guilty), and the history of the dude ranch industry. Support the podcast on Patreon! Instagram: @highbrow.pod Send suggestions/thoughts/stories to [email protected] or leave a voicemail ‪(917) 727-8385‬ READING LIST How often should you wash your jeans? Levi’s CEO settles debate  Clothing Poverty: The Hidden World of Fast Fashion and Second-Hand Clothes by Andrew Brooks Studio Zsofia Kollar — Human Material Loop Victorian Hair Jewelry | Rosenberg Library Museum Why the Internet Isn’t Fun Anymore | The New Yorker TW: there are photos of the leg This Guy Served His Friends Tacos Made from His Own Amputated Leg Foraging Classes, Wellness Yurts, and the Agritourism Fantasy  Romancing the West: Dude Ranching in Wyoming | WyoHistory.org The History of Dude Ranches How often should you wash your jeans? Levi’s CEO settles debate The strange history of the dude and the American West | Aeon Essays
Oct 25, 2023
1 hr 5 min
you should watch bad movies & not look at ratings
In today's episode, Mina embraces Meg Ryan Fall™, asks the question "do the rats run this city?" (yes they do), her algorithm-induced David Byrne fixation, why review systems are no good (especially Rotten Tomatoes), what it means to be a "content creator" (barf?????), and online friendship etiquette. Support the podcast on Patreon! Instagram: @highbrow.pod Send suggestions/thoughts/stories to [email protected] Reading/sources list: New York's Rats Have Already Won - The Atlantic The Mongolia cashmere quote I mentioned is actually from this New Yorker article from 1999: The Crisis in Cashmere | The New Yorker  Talking Heads on the Return of ‘Stop Making Sense’ - The New York Times The Decomposition of Rotten Tomatoes   Emma Thompson Is Right: The Word ‘Content’ Is Rude - The New York Times The New Rules Of Friendship Online Group-Chat Culture Is Out of Control - The Atlantic Milk Experiment     Re: Google search engine results, the Wired article I read and got information from has been taken down since recording: A Note From WIRED Leadership  Here’s another article regarding Google interference - not sure if they do exactly what Wired first reported on, but still sounds bad whatever they’re doing: How Google Interferes With Its Search Algorithms and Changes Your Results - WSJ 
Oct 11, 2023
1 hr 7 min
becoming a girlblogger & tiktok "face reading"
Also... PR girls, the Idaho cottagecore fantasy, Victorian book censorship, and fake alien abductions. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/highbrowbymina Tumblr: https://horsegir1.tumblr.com/ Mina's list: What Amanda Seyfried Can't Live Without The Dostoevsky Dash: The Reasons for Dashed Out Information in Literature Kurtis Conner: Stop Filming Strangers Abby Cox: We Need to Talk about TikTok's Obsession with Face Reading and its Dark History  Nose form was shaped by climate Orange Ya Glad You Didn't Buy That Vitamin C Mask? 
Sep 28, 2023
50 min
new york fashion week hot takes
Mina discusses her experience at New York Fashion Week. Also: why we all get upset about influencer attendance, the Kylie Jenner/Timothee Chalamet relationship, the hustle of working corporate in the industry, and how she gets a seat at a fashion show. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/highbrowbymina Vogue Business' Debunking the Dream Series Debunking the dream: Is working in fashion going out of style? Debunking the dream: Is fashion’s lifestyle sustainable for employees? Debunking the dream: Can fashion cool its burnout culture? Debunking the dream: Who is allowed to succeed in fashion?
Sep 13, 2023
1 hr 11 min
the big updates episode
Mina discusses some major updates for Patreon, Youtube, and the High Brow pod. Also: Hozier, Renaissance Faire turkey legs, the fashion influencer economy, the Real Housewives of New York City, whatever happened to Jeffrey Campbell, and “the commodification of taste.” Keep up with High Brow on Instagram! Subscribe to the Patreon! and keep up with Mina on Youtube, Instagram, and Tiktok! Rachel's article:   Whatever happened to having taste? Well Met: Renaissance Faires and the American Counterculture by Rachel Rubin An ad for the 1963 Ren Faire Who Jane Read, Who Read Jane: Austen's Readers and Favorite Books
Aug 30, 2023
56 min
in offense of modern farmhouse!!!
The director's cut version of Mina's the circus of celebrity house tours video. In this extended version, she discusses the modern farmhouse hgtv agenda, landlord-core, and celebrity property feuds, spurred on by your answers to the question "what is the ugliest interior design trend?" Keep up with High Brow on Instagram! Subscribe to the Patreon! and keep up with Mina on Youtube, Instagram, and Tiktok! Sources Residence of MR. And MRS. MICKEY ROONEY — Beverly Hills, California | Architectural Digest | SEPTEMBER 1964 A Tour of the White House Mary Ann Watson (1988). The Presidency in a Bicentennial and Quadrennial Election Year || A Tour of the White House: Mystique and Tradition. Presidential Studies Quarterly, 18(1), 91–99. doi:10.2307/27550536  Kryczka, Anna (2014). Television and taste on the New Frontier: ‘A Tour Of The White House With Mrs. John F. Kennedy’. History and Technology, 30(1-2), 123–132. doi:10.1080/07341512.2014.934061 03 Apr 1963 - MONACO...with Princess Crace as guide - Trove A Tour of the White House with Mrs. John F. Kennedy Things You Didn’t Know About "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous" Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous: Influential Reality TV | TIME The Unshakable Allure of the Celebrity House Tour Robin Leach's 'Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous' paved the way for 'MTV Cribs' and the Kardashians - The Washington Post How Russia's Shared Kitchens Helped Shape Soviet Politics : The Salt : NPR Stargazing: Celebrity, Fame, and Social Interaction By Kerry O. Ferris, Scott R. Harris Greta Garbo: Hollywood's Most Mysterious Star - Variety The Streisand Effect: When censorship backfires - BBC News Cribs turns 20! We look back at the MTV series' most ridiculous homes 20 Most Ridiculous Things Seen On MTV Cribs Inside Grey Gardens With Gail Sheehy -- New York Magazine - Nymag The tragedy of Grey Gardens: was the landmark documentary actually an exploitation movie? Grey Gardens Original Documentary Trailer We Need to Talk About David Harbour and Lily Allen's Bathroom Inside RuPaul’s Dramatically Glamorous Beverly Hills Manse | Architectural Digest WATCH: Bretman Rock House, Beauty Room + Closet Storage Tour The story of the shopping mall in Barbara Streisand's house Merchandizing the Void - Dilettante Army The Modern Farmhouse Is Today’s McMansion. And It’s Here to Stay. - The New York Times Modern Farmhouse: The Style That’s Not Real, But Really Popular Same House, New Costume What Is It Like to Be a Late-Night Talk Show Guest? A brief history of the many lies celebrities told on MTV Cribs Redman: MTV Tried to Get Me to Rent a House for "Cribs" EP#7: Redman's Legendary New York Yard | MTV Cribs Collections Redman Shares All of the Hilarious Details Behind the Funniest Episode of ‘MTV Cribs’ Ever | Cracked.com Two Truths & A Lime: Pulling Apart Dakota Johnson's Glorious Web Of Lies Why does the internet love tree law so much? Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page & Robbie Williams End Mansion Feud EDEN CONFIDENTIAL: Silence is golden for Robbie Williams as he employs builders using '19th century hand-tools' to keep noise down during renovation after row with neighbour Jimmy Page over impact of work A nun begged Katy Perry not to buy her convent — then collapsed and died - The Washington Post  Inside the Katy Perry Convent That Sparked a Real Estate War: Never-Before-Seen Photos Katy Perry Is Finding Herself in Another Complicated Legal Battle Over Real Estate Written by Mina Le and Ella Gray Edited by Sophie Carter Music by Olivia Martinez Cover Art by Lindsay Mintz
Aug 23, 2023
1 hr 9 min
styling bundles, thrift store adventures, and the death of hot takes
Mina talks about the Depop styling bundle grind, whether or not they're a viable purchase, and how to choose between the many personal shoppers out there. Also: Erewhon "Hailey Bieber" smoothie review, Goodwill bins trauma, changes in Asian factory labor and what that means for the rest of the world, the ethics of doxxing Selena Gomez haters, and why we're all tired of the "hot take." Keep up with High Brow on Instagram! Subscribe to the Patreon! and keep up with Mina on Youtube, Instagram, and Tiktok! READING LIST: Gen Z loves clothing hauls and hates landfills. Enter the style bundle - The Washington Post The Era of Ultracheap Stuff Is Under Threat - WSJ "Opinion Fatigue" Is Setting In For Twitter, TikTok, & Instagram Creators What Did People Do Before Smartphones? Edited by Sophie Carter Music by Olivia Martinez Cover art by Lindsay Mintz
Aug 16, 2023
51 min
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