This week, we reminisce on mall culture and what once was: eating Cinnabon, going to Claire's, Justice, & Hollister, romanticizing the act of loitering, and more. We talk about the history of American malls, their subsequent demise, and how TikTok shop is responsible. Third-wave mall culture is just glorified amusement parks, and we're mad about it!
Links:
Avery Hartmans, "The rise and fall of the American shopping mall" (Insider)
Candace Davison, "If Malls Are Dying, Why Are We Still So Obsessed with Them?" (PureWow)
Eva Rothenberg, "The US mall is not dying" (CNN)
Find us:
Watch this episode on YouTube
Timestamps:
Intro 00:00
Let’s Go to the Mall 00:41
A Brief History of the American Mall 01:11
Is the Mall Dying? 04:58
The Mall in Culture 05:32
Nostalgia for the Mall 06:33
Recreation and Socialization 07:32
Online Shopping Killed the Mall 10:27
Clothing Stores 14:30
Mall Santa (and Easter Bunny) 18:48
Victoria’s Secret and Pink 19:21
The Mall’s Representation in Media 20:28
Milestones at the Mall 22:45
Stealing 23:13
Rainforest Cafe 23:47
Capitalism is the Design Killer 25:32
YouTube Shopping Hauls 26:31
Daria in “Malled” 27:04
The Symbol of Teenage Independence 28:24
American Dream Mall 29:04
Third-wave Mall Culture 30:29
Hobby Stores and Mall Kiosks 31:02
Frozen Yogurt 31:33
Mall Concerts 31:52
Paulina’s Celebrity Encounter 33:39
AI and Online Shopping 35:01
Mall Food 36:37
Claire’s vs. Justice 37:21
Outro 40:20
