I cannot escape the deep, seething hatred and humour online surrounding women ‘looking old’. Girls feel pretty and post online only to be attacked for ageing and appearing older than they are. It is an inescapable trap that we all fall to as women, yet we are continuing to tear down each other instead of challenging these expectations within wider society and from the very capitalistic anti-ageing industry. Let’s sit down today to discuss why we are so scared of ageing as women, how society treats ageing women, the paradox of ‘natural’ Botox, and unpicking the anti-ageing industry.
I really loved dissecting this topic, it feels like a very fitting follow up to the episode I previously did discussing whether we can view cosmetic procedures and Botox from a feminist lense.
Reading list/mentions:
https://www.harpersbazaar.com/uk/beauty/skincare/a38813523/baby-botox/Facing Age: Women Growing Older in Anti-Aging Culture - By Laura Hurd Clarke
Holstein, M. B. (2001). A feminist perspective on anti-aging medicine. Generations: Journal of the American Society on Aging, 25(4), 38-43.
https://www.spacenk.com/uk/skincare/treatment/serums/c-firma-fresh-day-serum-MUK200031988.html
Join me on the bus for the mini-deep-dive version of this week's topic. Full 40 min version is live too!
I cannot escape the deep, seething hatred and humour online surrounding women ‘looking old’. Girls feel pretty and post online only to be attacked for ageing and appearing older than they are. It is an inescapable trap that we all fall to as women, yet we are continuing to tear down each other instead of challenging these expectations within wider society and from the very capitalistic anti-ageing industry.
Let’s sit down today to discuss why we are so scared of ageing as women, how society treats ageing women, the paradox of ‘natural’ botox, and unpicking the anti-ageing industry. I really loved dissecting this topic, it feels like a very fitting follow up to the episode I previously did discussing whether we can view cosmetic procedures and Botox from a feminist lense. Reading list/mentions:https://www.harpersbazaar.com/uk/beauty/skincare/a38813523/baby-botox/Facing Age: Women Growing Older in Anti-Aging Culture - By Laura Hurd ClarkeHolstein, M. B. (2001). A feminist perspective on anti-aging medicine. Generations: Journal of the American Society on Aging, 25(4), 38-43.https://www.spacenk.com/uk/skincare/treatment/serums/c-firma-fresh-day-serum-MUK200031988.html
A reddit forum titled: ‘My Boyfriend is AI’ recently gathered a lot of attention, leading me down the rabbit hole of relationships with humanised chatbots. Millions are forging intimate, emotional connections and relationships with artificially intelligent chatbots, creating boyfriends, girlfriends, best-friends, deceased replicas, and more, and today I sat down to analyse it.
Is it ethical to build apps and systems that sell relationships to potentially vulnerable or lonely users? Users who will never own that connection, and rest solely upon tech companies not stripping that away now…
We’re fashioning towards a society where the elderly will cure loneliness with chatbot partners, and women are ditching Hinge and failed talking stages for the chatbot man of their dreams.
Let’s deep dive this from both and ethical and moral perspective, considering the risks, the harms, and the alternatives to artificial connections.
Substack: https://substack.com/home/post/p-171924338
Instagram: Whatzaraloves
Tiktok: Whatzaraloves6
Podcast: Taboo on the Bus
Email: collective@bricksmagazine.co.uk
Reading/Referance List:
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s43681-023-00348-8
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/03/30/replika-ai-chatbot-update/
https://www.npr.org/2024/08/27/nx-s1-5073962/exploring-concerns-around-users-building-emotional-dependence-on-ai-chatbots
https://jamesmuldoon.org
https://www.reddit.com/r/MyBoyfriendIsAI/
Join me on the bus for a mini version of this episode as we dissect the ethics and harms of forging relationships with artificially intelligent chatbots. Longer episode is also live for a fuller, broader deep dive.
A reddit forum titled: ‘My Boyfriend is AI’ recently gathered a lot of attention, leading me down the rabbit hole of relationships with humanised chatbots. Millions are forging intimate, emotional connections and relationships with artificially intelligent chatbots, creating boyfriends, girlfriends, best-friends, deceased replicas, and more, and today I sat down to analyse it. Is it ethical to build apps and systems that sell relationships to potentially vulnerable or lonely users? Users who will never own that connection, and rest solely upon tech companies not stripping that away now… We’re fashioning towards a society where the elderly will cure loneliness with chatbot partners, and women are ditching Hinge and failed talking stages for the chatbot man of their dreams. Let’s deep dive this from both and ethical and moral perspective, considering the risks, the harms, and the alternatives to artificial connections. Substack: https://substack.com/home/post/p-171924338 Instagram: WhatzaralovesTiktok: Whatzaraloves6Podcast: Taboo on the BusEmail: collective@bricksmagazine.co.ukReading/Referance List:https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s43681-023-00348-8https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/apr/15/she-helps-cheer-me-up-the-people-forming-relationships-with-ai-chatbotshttps://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/03/30/replika-ai-chatbot-update/https://www.npr.org/2024/08/27/nx-s1-5073962/exploring-concerns-around-users-building-emotional-dependence-on-ai-chatbotshttps://jamesmuldoon.orghttps://www.reddit.com/r/MyBoyfriendIsAI/
Consider this an expansion to one of my recent episodes: Food as a Status Symbol, where I discussed how food is increasingly becoming a luxury item as it becomes more inaccessible. Today I HEAVILY deep dive the broken UK food system, discussing how healthy eating and foods remain a privilege as opposed to a right amid our current climate. Join in for a discussion about the barriers to healthy foods, food poverty, the appeal of ultra-processed foods, and what the government is trying to do to improve the UK’s diet.
Thank you so much for listening and creating space for this important discussion. Unless something upstream is done to tackle access to healthy, nutritious food then we will see widening health and nutrition gaps between those who can and can’t afford these items.
Some notable references from this episode are:
- Food Fight by Stuart Gillespie
- Source quoting Wan et al., (2014) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0277953615300629
- Broken Plate 2025 https://foodfoundation.org.uk/publication/broken-plate-2025
- https://foodfoundation.org.uk/initiatives/food-insecurity-tracking#tabs/Round-16
- The Guardian article: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jun/30/obesity-crisis-uk-healthy-food-affordable-government-prices?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Find me online:
Instagram – Whatzaraloves
TikTok – Whatzaraloves Taboo on the bus
Email – collective@bricksmagazine.co.uk
Full deep-dive episode is also live, join me on the bus for a mini discussion. here.
Consider this an expansion to one of my recent episodes: Food as a Status Symbol, where I discussed how food is increasingly becoming a luxury item as it becomes more inaccessible. Today I HEAVILY deep dive the broken UK food system, discussing how healthy eating and foods remain a privilege as opposed to a right amid our current climate. Join in for a discussion about the barriers to healthy foods, food poverty, the appeal of ultra-processed foods, and what the government is trying to do to improve the UK’s diet.
Thank you so much for listening and creating space for this important discussion. Unless something upstream is done to tackle access to healthy, nutritious food then we will see widening health and nutrition gaps between those who can and can’t afford these items.
Some notable references from this episode are:
- Food Fight by Stuart Gillespie
- Source quoting Wan et al., (2014) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0277953615300629
- Broken Plate 2025 https://foodfoundation.org.uk/publication/broken-plate-2025
- https://foodfoundation.org.uk/initiatives/food-insecurity-tracking#tabs/Round-16
- The Guardian article: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jun/30/obesity-crisis-uk-healthy-food-affordable-government-prices?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Find me online:
Instagram – Whatzaraloves
TikTok – Whatzaraloves Taboo on the bus
Email – collective@bricksmagazine.co.uk
I have seen too many queerbaiting accusations fly around recently, during pride month of ALL months, and wanted to give my input on the topic. So so many times I see ‘queerbait’ accusations against celebrities there is real undertones of biphobia and the reinforcement of labels and boxes. Do these accusations do more harm than good? Are they just pushing the idea that we others an explanation of our sexuality?
Sit down with me and let’s discuss queerbaiting, celebrities, and the real origins of the term. Queerbaiting actually stems from a media realm, which I discuss with reference to Sherlock, and the pipeline from queerbait to fan fiction.
Thank you always for the support!
Instagram: Whatzaraloves
Tiktok: whatzaraloves6
[Mini bus bus episode, full deep dive is also live]
I have seen too many queerbaiting accusations fly around recently, during pride month of ALL months, and wanted to give my input on the topic. So so many times I see ‘queerbait’ accusations against celebrities there is real undertones of biphobia and the reinforcement of labels and boxes. Do these accusations do more harm than good? Are they just pushing the idea that we others an explanation of our sexuality?
Sit down with me and let’s discuss queerbaiting, celebrities, and the real origins of the term.
Thank you always for the support!
Instagram: Whatzaraloves
Tiktok: whatzaraloves6
Email: collective@bricksmagazine.co.uk
Alongside the longform podcast deepdive, here is the bus version of this week's episode.
Inspired by Laura Bate’s new book: The New Age of Sexism, I sat down today to analyse how the interaction between society and AI girlfriends/robots/cyber women is ultimately going to be at the detriment of us all. Is it really a good thing that men are now ‘redirecting’ abuse and harm towards AI women? Is that really sparing the rest of us?
Or we creating spaces and systems that tolerate and withstand abuse, creating if anything, a pathway towards further abuse and harm of women every day.
I take a look at existing technologies such as Alexa’s and Chat Robots to understand this correlation, giving you a deep insight into this important conversation. It will truly change your perspective on a lotttt of things.
Laura Bate’s new book: https://www.simonandschuster.co.uk/books/The-New-Age-of-Sexism/Laura-Bates/9781471190483
Instagram: Whatzaraloves
Tiktok: Whatzaraloves6
Email: collective@bricksmagazine.co.uk
Hello loves! This is somewhat a deep dive in to my dissertation topic and pulling in some of my own research. I sat down in the long episode today to discuss why we can’t just replicate Grindr for women and expect it to foster the same culture. We analyse the differences in hookup/dating app culture between queer men and women, and how these intertwine with dating app design. Someone please just let me design a dating app for the gay girls, I beg!!
Tiktok – Whatzaraloves6
Instagram – Whatzaraloves
Email – collective@bricksmagazine.co.uk
Join me to dissect and discuss whether filler, Botox, and aesthetic cosmetic procedures can be considered 'feminist'? While it may empower you, and be your choice, can we call that feminist when it is largely rooted in upholding harmful beauty standards?
I take a look down the lense of gender, class, and race to dissect this question, referencing the works of Dana Berkowitz and Margaret Hunter.
Let me know your thoughts…
Again, clarifying that this is not an individual attack on individuals who get these procedures. It is an unpack of the wider system these are part of and the standards/expectations of women that they ultimately uphold.
instagram: whatzaraloves
tiktok: whatzaraloves6
show: Taboo on the Bus
Email me: collective@bricksmagazine.co.uk
references:
https://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2016/12/30/botox-gender-and-the-emotional-lobotomy/
https://jpanafrican.org/docs/vol4no4/HUNTER%20Final.pdf
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/audio/2016/oct/15/when-womens-rights-meet-botox-what-would-a-feminist-do
Join me on the mini bus-version of the podcast to dissect and discuss whether filler, Botox, and aesthetic cosmetic procedures is feminist? While it may empower you, and be your choice, can we call that feminist?
I take a look down the lense of gender, class, and race to dissect this question, referencing the works of Dana Berkowitz and Margaret Hunter.
Let me know your thoughts…
Again, clarifying that this is not an individual attack on individuals who get these procedures. It is an unpack of the wider system these are part of and the standards/expectations of women that they ultimately uphold.
instagram: whatzaraloves
tiktok: whatzaraloves6
show: Taboo on the Bus
Email me: collective@bricksmagazine.co.uk
If your feminism only caters to white, middle class, cis women — is it really feminism?
In this episode, we talk about white feminism: a version of feminism that often only represents the experiences of white, cis, middle-class women — leaving out women of colour, LGBTQIA+ women, disabled women, and those impacted by class, colonialism, and systemic oppression.
From the exclusion of Black women in the suffragette movement (something your history teacher might not have mentioned) to the often pink, commodified feminism we see from large figures today — let’s deep dive the history and current displays of white feminism, looking at:
⁃ What is white-feminism?
⁃ the Suffragette’s exclusion of black women
⁃ choice feminism
⁃ Pop culture figure, influencers, and white feminism
⁃ How to be more intersectional in your approach
This episode was largely collective from the Taboo on the Bus community to be as inclusive and considerate to everyone’s viewpoints and experiences as possible. I understand I am a white woman and aim to be contributing to this conversation without taking space away from more important voices. Please use this as a potential basepoint, or small part of your understanding, and consider the voices, stories, and input from those more affected by these issues from marginalised communities. Reading list below!
This episode isn’t about shaming individual women — it’s about encouraging all of us to think more critically, be more intersectional, and hold ourselves (and the people we look up to) to a higher standard.
#tabooonthebus #whitefeminism #intersectionalfeminism #popfeminism #suffragettehistory #genderequality #choicefeminism
I have always been intrigued by the way in which the public feels entitled to share their opinion online, including ones that are deeply nasty or mean towards creators. In the aftermath of Becky Jones leaving the internet, I realised that this entitlement-to-share comes from the fact that we as viewers are aware of the fact that our views/likes/engagement keeps influencers ‘employed’messentially, therefore gives a degree of power. Today I discuss this power dynamic between influencers and viewers, and how we as the public essentially are employers in this realm. From the lense of comments, brand deals, cancel-culture, and nepo-babies, this is a real influencer deep-dive. A REAL insight in to my analytical brain.
Love ya!!
instagram - whatzaraloves
tiktok - whatzaraloves6
youtube - whatzaraloves
email me - collective@bricksmagazine.co.uk
Long-form deepdive is live!
I have always been intrigued by the way in which the public feels entitled to share their opinion online, including ones that are deeply nasty or mean towards creators. In the aftermath of Becky Jones leaving the internet, I realised that this entitlement-to-share comes from the fact that we as viewers are aware of the fact that our views/likes/engagement keeps influencers ‘employed’messentially, therefore gives a degree of power. Today I discuss this power dynamic between influencers and viewers, and how we as the public essentially are employers in this realm.
Is the WLW hashtag on TikTok really one of the closest things to a queer community for so many of us? Today I sat down to talk about the lack of intersectional physical spaces for queer women, discussing the historical reasons for this and also what is driving us to foster community online instead.
We’ve got dissertation research, we’ve got my own research study, we’ve got YOUR input, this episode is juicy and packed xoxo
Outline:
find me on insta: @whatzaraloves
tiktok: @whatzaraloves6
youtube: Whatzaraloves
References for this episode:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7430466/
https://scholars.fhsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4226&context=theses
https://scholars.fhsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4226&context=theses
https://www.vice.com/en/article/when-drag-kings-ruled-alongside-the-mafia-235/
Is the WLW hashtag on TikTok really one of the closest things to a queer community for so many of us? Today I sat down to talk about the lack of intersectional physical spaces for queer women, discussing the historical reasons for this and also what is driving us to foster community online instead.
We’ve got dissertation research, we’ve got my own research study, we’ve got YOUR input, this mini version on the bus is the beginning of this wider conversation. If you like this, check out the next episode which is a 30 min deep-dive.
In a week of PLT rebranding cementing the emphasis on ‘quiet luxury’, let’s discuss how food becomes part of this conversation. Amid our current economic climate, access to food, time, and resources is increasingly becoming harder, and with that, displays of food are becoming increasingly aspirational. Think: fridge restocks, fresh grocery hauls, come-shop-with-me content. We’re seeing this shift across fashion, art, and the social media sphere as food is positioned as more of a ‘luxury’ and symbolise both wealth and time. I discuss this from multiple lenses, including class, quiet luxury, and fashion. If you enjoyed the bus version, you’ll love this deep dive.
Sources mentioned:
Book: Bad Taste, Natalie Olah
Creators: @kfesteryga / @janinejellars (tiktok)
Nylon article: "Errand-Core" And The Rise of The High-Fashion Paper Bag
Journal: When is food a luxury? DOl: 10.1080/0043824021000026422
Is food a status symbol now? On food, class, and quiet luxury
In a week of PLT rebranding cementing the emphasis on ‘quiet luxury’, let’s talk about how food becomes part of this conversation. Amid our current economic climate, access to food, time, and resources is increasingly becoming harder, and with that, displays of food are becoming increasingly aspirational. Think: fridge restocks, fresh grocery hauls, come-shop-with-me content. We’re seeing this shift accross fashion, art, and the social media sphere as food is positioned as more of a ‘luxury’ and symbolise both wealth and time. if you enjoy the bus version, you’ll love the deep dive, see my latest episode for 35 minutes of this.
You all adored the mini bus version of this episode, so let's deepdive the 'full bush in a thong' discourse for 30 mins to truly underpin this changing discourse towards women's body hair. I’ve noticed an increase in the discusion and potential rage bait online amongst men debating whether or not women should have body hair, yet on the flip side, we are seeing mainstream love and normalisation of body hair amongst the girls - particularly the cis het community online.
This episode is a JOURNEY, discussing the where the notions of femininity=hairlessness derive from, the correlations between race, class, and body hair, and an interesting study conducted in the 2010’s that I think can underpin the entire ‘full bush in a thong’ discourse today. For real, grab a cup of tea and a snack.
All my love
socials: @whatzaraloves
Study mentioned:
http://www.breannefahs.com/uploads/1/0/6/7/10679051/2011_embodied_resistance_fahs_delgado.pdf
Commercialisation of choice quote from Susan Bordo: