Dazed and Discoursed

About Dazed and Discoursed

Dazed and Discoursed is a culture podcast by Dazed that delves into the most talked-about topics on the internet. Hosts Halima Jibril and Elliot Hoste take you through what's happening in popular culture today. Curious about the current state of beauty, why straight men don’t read fiction, or why 'girl’s girl' feminism is BS? We explore these questions and much more, every two weeks. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

Publisher

Dazed Media

Category

arts · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

15 Oct 2024

Latest episode

6 May 2025

Latest episodes

14 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   6 May 2025

   Why are so many young people looking for God?

   “More and more young people are embarking on spiritual journeys,” writes Susan Akyeampong in her latest article, ‘Why Are So Many Young People Looking for God? (https://www.dazeddigital.com/life-culture/article/66597/1/young-people-are-looking-for-god-gen-z-religion-church-christianity#:~:text=Maybe%20that)’. In 2019, just 22 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds in the UK said they believed in God. By early 2025, that figure had more than doubled to 45 per cent (https://www.instagram.com/stevefosterldn/p/DGIDyZFsHpL/?img_index=1). New research commissioned by the Bible Society reveals that, since 2018, the number of young men attending church has risen from 4 per cent to 21 per cent, while attendance among young women has grown from 3 per cent to 12 per cent (https://www.biblesociety.org.uk/research/quiet-revival). A similar trend can be seen in the US, where 46 per cent of Gen Z identify as Christian (https://www.economist.com/united-states/2025/02/27/americas-gen-z-has-got-religion) – many of them young boys and men. But what’s behind this religious revival? And why is this surge in faith and churchgoing largely concentrated in conservative Christian spaces? This week on the podcast, Halima Jibril (https://www.google.com/search?q=halima+jibril+dazed&oq=ha&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqBggAEEUYOzIGCAAQRRg7MhMIARAuGIMBGMcBGLEDGNEDGIAEMgYIAhBFGDkyBggDEEUYOzIGCAQQRRg7MgYIBRBFGDwyBggGEEUYPDIGCAcQRRg80gEIMTAyN2owajSoAgCwAgA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8) and Elliot Hoste (https://www.dazeddigital.com/user/elliothoste) are joined by editorial director Ted Stansfield (https://www.dazeddigital.com/user/tedstansfield) (our resident Christian) to unpack what’s drawing young adults to faith and spirituality, the reasons behind the striking gender divide and whether online trends like #tradcath (https://www.dazeddigital.com/life-culture/article/63238/1/rip-dasha-nekrasova-an-edgelord-death-by-cringe) and “Catholic chic (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWeaWLxwQLo&themeRefresh=1)” are making Christianity more attractive to the chronically online. Related articles: Why Are So Many Young People Looking for God? (https://www.dazeddigital.com/life-culture/article/66597/1/young-people-are-looking-for-god-gen-z-religion-church-christianity#:~:text=Maybe%20that) by Susan Akyeampong Trump and the changing face of America’s young evangelicals (https://www.dazeddigital.com/life-culture/article/66699/1/donald-trump-young-evangelicals-in-the-us-at-right-now) by Laura Pitcher Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

2. 

   22 Apr 2025

   We need to talk about female radicalisation

   Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham’s Adolescence has sparked vital conversations around the radicalisation of young boys and men. However, writer Esme Hood argues that while these discussions are crucial, they often overshadow an equally pressing issue: the radicalisation of young women. From platforms like Tumblr normalising self-harm and eating disorders content, subtly desensitising girls to violence and control to “tradwife” aesthetics that repackages far-right values in aesthetically pleasing, hyper-feminine forms, framing submission and domesticity as aspirational. In this episode, Halima Jibril and Elliot Hoste sit down with Hood to unpack the gendered nuances of radicalisation, question why female susceptibility is so often overlooked and ask how we combat this quiet but profoundly effective form of propaganda online. Related articles: We need to talk about female radicalisation (https://www.dazeddigital.com/life-culture/article/66575/1/we-need-to-talk-about-female-radicalisation-adolescence-online-content) by Esme Hood Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

3. 

   8 Apr 2025

   The problem with Adolescence

   Since its release on Netflix last month, Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham’s Adolescence is all anybody has been talking about. The British crime drama television mini-series centres on a 13-year-old schoolboy named Jamie Miller (Owen Cooper) who is arrested for the murder of a girl in his school. The show has reinvigorated conversations about the manosphere, incels and the rise of misogyny among young boys and men. In this week’s episode, Halima Jibril (https://www.dazeddigital.com/user/halimajibril) and Elliot Hoste (https://www.dazeddigital.com/user/elliothoste) are joined by our deputy editor, Serena Smith (https://www.dazeddigital.com/user/serenasmith), to discuss the show’s popularity, the Labour government’s new initiative to show Adolescence in schools, the problems with the way we discuss toxic and positive masculinity, and so much more. Related articles: ‘The problem with Adolescence (https://www.dazeddigital.com/film-tv/article/66459/1/the-problem-with-adolescence-netflix-tv-show-stephen-graham-jack-thorne)’ by Serena Smith ‘Are young men really doomed (https://www.dazeddigital.com/life-culture/article/62302/1/are-young-men-really-doomed-adolescence-stephen-graham-gender)?’ by Halima Jibril Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

4. 

   25 Mar 2025

   What’s going on with fashion’s musical chairs?

   Since March 2024, the fashion world has stepped into an alternate timeline. In the last 12 months, we’ve seen a frankly ridiculous number of creative directors change jobs, with announcements happening days and sometimes even hours apart. Right now, the biggest houses in fashion are simultaneously refreshing their top teams – referred to by fans online as a game of “musical chairs.” Whether you love that phrase or not, it’s here to stay, with everyone from Chanel (https://www.dazeddigital.com/chanel) and Gucci (https://www.dazeddigital.com/tag/gucci) to Versace (https://www.dazeddigital.com/versace) and Loewe (https://www.dazeddigital.com/loewe) catching the bug. While it’s fun to speculate who’s going where (as you’ll find out in this episode), why is this all happening now, and what does it say about how the industry values the creativity of its designers? Behind the constant commentary, there are also teams of very real people dealing with the rumours and subsequent fallout. In this episode, fashion writer Elliot Hoste (https://www.dazeddigital.com/user/elliothoste) is joined by editorial director Ted Stansfield (https://www.dazeddigital.com/user/tedstansfield) and fashion director, editorial & commercial partnerships Emma Davidson (https://www.dazeddigital.com/user/EmmaElizabethDavidson?utm_source=Dazed%20Digital%20Daily%20Newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=The%20Download%2027.06.24%20%2801J1CGJZR66WEH5Y368Y2521H8%29&_kx=R7Aj0X3q2tdQBLx6jo8nvNITDCXG6y0dwOakDaO0lszKwdPk1xwIpg8kX7r8uxK5.YsDqRL) to discuss the “unprecedented” reshuffle and its online culture, run through all the rumoured appointments, address the white male elephant in the room, plus make some suggestions for vacant positions at Balenciaga, Fendi, Dior and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

5. 

   11 Mar 2025

   Are we all severed?

   Dan Erickson’s critically acclaimed Apple TV+ series Severance has returned for its second season. The show centres on Lumon, a mysterious corporation that has developed a novel medical procedure known as ‘severance’. This process allows employees to split their professional (“innie”) and personal (“outie”) identities via a microchip implanted in their brains. The chip activates when descending to the eerie severed floor, erasing all memories of their outside lives. Conversely, once they leave the office, they have no recollection of what they do from nine to five. Severance is a brilliant and complex exploration of late-stage capitalism, identity, loss, and belonging. While often described as a dystopian sci-fi series, our deputy editor, Serena Smith, argues in her latest essay, “Are we all severed? (https://www.dazeddigital.com/life-culture/article/66055/1/dazed-and-discoursed-is-everyone-horny-again-emma-garland)” that its world is eerily similar to our own. “How many of us contain parts of our identities just to get through the day? How many of us have gone to work while depressed, brokenhearted or grieving? On a macro level: how many of us have gone to work knowing that wars, famines, and genocides are happening? Arguably, under late capitalism – which prioritises work over all else – we’re all kind of severed.” This week on the podcast, Smith joins Halima Jibril to explore how capitalism forces us to split our identities, the consequences of ignoring pain and suffering and why the fragmentation of the self is such a compelling theme in popular culture. This episode contains spoilers for Severance seasons one and two. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

6. 

   25 Feb 2025

   Kendrick Lamar and the politics of hate

   Since the Super Bowl, Kendrick Lamar (https://www.dazeddigital.com/music/article/66062/1/symbolism-behind-kendrick-lamar-super-bowl-performance-donald-trump-drake) has been all we’ve been able to think about. From his effortlessly cool bootcut jeans, his reimagining of Uncle Sam as the incomparable Samuel L. Jackson to the continuous jabs he made at Drake throughout his 13-minute performance – Lamar has been crowned by the public as thee professional hater. He even says it himself on Euphoria, his first full diss track aimed at Drake, calling himself “the biggest hater.” Over the last year, the general public has revelled in Lamar’s pettiness, celebrating his commitment to the art of the grudge. For many, Lamar inspires them to be better haters. But what kinds of hate are most celebrated in our society, and what depictions are condemned? In this episode, host Halima Jibril and Elliot Hoste are joined by music writer Solomon Pace-McCarrick to discuss the Lamar-Drake beef, the kinds of hate that are the most acceptable in society today and how their feud reflects a deeper battle over Black masculinity. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

7. 

   11 Feb 2025

   Is everyone horny again?

   From Halina Reijn’s Babygirl (https://www.dazeddigital.com/film-tv/article/65726/1/babygirl-film-review-halina-rejin-director-interview-nicole-kidman-harris) and Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu (https://www.dazeddigital.com/film-tv/article/65735/1/nosferatu-review-robert-eggers-interview-nicholas-hoult-lily-rose-depp-release) to FKA twigs’ EUSEXUA (https://www.dazeddigital.com/music/article/65928/1/eusexua-is-so-much-more-than-a-brat-esque-ode-to-clubbing) and Ethel Cain’s Perverts (https://www.dazeddigital.com/music/article/65821/1/5-macabre-cultural-references-on-ethel-cain-perverts), sex is back in the mainstream. And it’s not just any kind of sex — as Emma Garland argues in her latest essay, “Everyone is Horny Now (https://www.dazeddigital.com/life-culture/article/65952/1/everyone-is-horny-twigs-eusexua-babygirl-nosferatu)”, “there has been a pendulum swing not just towards sex, but towards deviance.” With Nicole Kidman being dog-walked by her twenty-something-year-old male intern, Nosferatu elevating the conflict between repression and liberation to Biblical proportions and FKA twigs referring to the softer edges of her music as “the pussy,” music and media are depicting sex in ways that challenge socially accepted norms. But what makes these depictions so deviant? And eight years on from the height of the #MeToo movement, how has the cultural conversation around sex evolved and what impact has it had on how sex is portrayed? In this episode, hosts Halima Jibril (https://www.dazeddigital.com/user/halimajibril) and Elliot Hoste (https://www.dazeddigital.com/user/elliothoste) are joined by Garland (https://www.dazeddigital.com/user/emmagarland) to unpack the latest and most provocative depictions of sex in popular culture, explore why pleasurable sex is often framed as transgressive, and argue why everyone needs to let go and just be gross. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

8. 

   28 Jan 2025

   Are we in a relationship recession?

   Dating is in the pits – everyone says so. In England and Wales, fertility rates are at an all-time low, with the US similarly reaching its lowest rate in 2023. Last week, our deputy editor, Serena Smith (/user/serenasmith), wrote about how “the dating crisis is going global (/life-culture/article/65871/1/the-dating-crisis-is-going-global-relationship-recession).” From the US to Finland, South Korea, Turkey, Tunisia, and Thailand, birth rates are falling, and it’s likely that part of this decline can be attributed to a corresponding drop in the number of couples. When relationships do form, they’re more fragile than they were in the past – but how did we get here? Has the internet made us more antisocial and more prone to discarding people? Are the apps really ruining dating, or are they a scapegoat for a larger and more deeply entrenched set of problems? In our second episode of the year, hosts Halima Jibril (/user/halimajibril) and Elliot Hoste (/user/elliothoste) are joined by Smith to explore the ‘relationship recession’, the crisis in heterosexual dating and how conservative modern dating shows have become. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

9. 

   14 Jan 2025

   Is the age of hedonistic hyper-consumption over?

   Writer and artist August Lamm shares her prediction that the age of hedonistic hyper-consumption is over, and moderation will bring balance and self-discipline to our lives.

10. 

    17 Dec 2024

    The best and worst of 2024's pop culture

    Hosts Halima Jibril and Elliot Hoste dissect the highs and lows of 2024's pop culture, exploring the year's most significant films, music releases, and shifting celebrity dynamics.

11. 

    26 Nov 2024

    The Great X-odus: why are so many people leaving Twitter?

    Halima Jibril and Elliot Hoste explore the Twitter exodus and consider whether abandoning the platform is a viable solution to combat right-wing ideology and radicalization.

12. 

    14 Nov 2024

    ‘Cool America’ is back but will it survive Trump?

    When Donald Trump won the 2016 election the New York Times declared (https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/12/opinion/trump-america-allies.html) he’d made the US a laughingstock. Lately, however, there has been a shift in how America is spoken about and portrayed in popular culture. Video essayist and podcaster Mina Le explored this change in her recent video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vtqzjkmx9I), “Why is ‘America’ Cool Again?” She observed that while America has long been culturally dominant, patriotic sentiment has resurfaced in pop culture, which is reflected in country music’s growing popularity and a renewed focus on the midwest. But what has fuelled this shift from deep embarrassment over the US to a renewed sense of pride? And is it possible, or even right, to love America under Trump while it continues to commit so much injustice both domestically and globally?” This episode is hosted by Halima Jibril and Laura Pitcher, with research by Solomon Pace McCarrick. It was edited by Oliver Gale, and the executive producer is Harry Slater. Find your creative community with Dazed Club+ (https://www.dazeddigital.com/dazedclub). Unlock a quarterly subscription to the magazine, invitations to talks and events at our space, and a world of money-off benefits at galleries and festivals. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

13. 

    29 Oct 2024

    Has social media become a manifestation tool?

    “Manifestation is intention-setting through focusing your thoughts on the desired outcome until it happens. It’s part of psychological thought that became popularised by books like The Secret, before taking over popular culture in 2020. Since then, there’s been a growing fascination around how algorithms, the internet, and even AI can be tools for manifestation. Over the summer, Gabi Abrão Tweeted: “Everything I have in my life, I once reblogged on Tumblr. The internet is a rapid manifestation tool. The images and essences you worship here lay on an altar that determines your future.”” In her article (https://www.dazeddigital.com/life-culture/article/64823/1/the-rise-of-the-manifinsta-how-the-internet-became-a-manifestation-tool), The rise of the ‘manifinsta’: how social media became a manifestation tool, writer Laura Pitcher explores the phenomenon of "manifinstas"—social media accounts that young people use primarily to manifest jobs, relationships, and an overall improved life. This trend aligns with the growing popularity of astrology in culture, reflected in music of Ariana Grande and film’s like Tarot (2024). This week, we delve into the roots of the desire for predetermined outcomes and discuss whether social media should function as a tool for self-optimisation. This episode is hosted by Halima Jibril, Elliot Hoste, and Laura Pitcher, with research by Solomon Pace McCarrick. It was edited by Oliver Gale. The executive producer is Lauren Ford. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

14. 

    15 Oct 2024

    Are you ready for the 'undetectable era' of beauty?

    “A video of Christina Aguilera has come up on my TikTok feed multiple times over the past few weeks. Going to the comments, it’s abundantly clear what has caused this clip to go viral. Dressed in an anime-cosplay monochrome look for a performance in Osaka, with her hair pinned high and flawlessly blended diamanté-encrusted make-up, it’s not just that Aguilera looks “good” for her age (which is 43), she looks 20 years younger. As one commenter puts it, 'wait what am I back in 2002.'" In her viral article (https://www.dazeddigital.com/beauty/article/64559/1/undetectable-era-beauty-plastic-cosmetic-surgery-christina-aguilera-xtina-age), We Are About to Enter the ‘Undetectable Era’ of Beauty, writer Bee Beardsworth investigates the shift we're witnessing in plastic surgery today, focusing on celebrities like Christina Aguilera and Lindsay Lohan, whose cosmetic procedures are being described as “natural” and “undetectable.” Plastic surgeon Dr. Prem Tripathi proclaims that this is the era of plastic surgery we’ve all been waiting for — but how does our relentless pursuit of youth impact us physically and mentally? What does it mean to be 40 and present as 25? Is plastic surgery truly a woman’s choice, and should we even be critiquing it? This episode is hosted by Halima Jibril and Elliot Hoste, with research by Solomon Pace-McCarrick. It was edited by Oliver Gale. The executive producer is Lauren Ford. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

2 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 18 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

23

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

32