Shows
Taboo on the BusYou are what you can afford: the privilege of a healthy diet, and the broken UK food systemConsider 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...2025-07-0944 min
Taboo on the BusYou are what you can afford: the privilege of a healthy diet [mini bus version]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...2025-07-0904 min
Taboo on the BusIs it queerbaiting or is it just biphobia? On celebrities, pride month, fanfic, and the real definiton of ‘queerbait’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 discu...2025-06-1831 minTaboo on the BusQueerbait or biphobia? On celebrities, pride month, and the harm of queerbait accusations [mini version][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...2025-06-1803 minTaboo on the BusShe’s not real, but the harm to society is: on AI girlfriends, robots, and cyber brothels [mini]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...2025-06-1203 minTaboo on the BusWhy there will never be a 'lesbian' Grindr - my favourite topic discussedHello 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 – Whatzaraloves6Instagram – WhatzaralovesEmail – collective@bricksmag...2025-05-2535 min
Taboo on the Buswe need to talk about white feminism: from social media ‘feminists’ to the SuffragettesIf 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 c...2025-05-2229 min
Taboo on the BusCan you call cosmetic procedures 'feminist'? dissecting filler, Botox, + beauty standardsJoin 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...2025-05-1928 minTaboo on the BusCan you call cosmetic procedures 'feminist'? dissecting filler, Botox, + beauty standards [bus version]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...2025-05-1903 min
Taboo on the BusAre influencers employed by viewers? Analysing influencers, TikTok comments, and cancel cultureI 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 deal...2025-04-0433 minTaboo on the BusAre influencers 'employed' by viewers? On comments, cancel-culture, and influencer power dynamics [mini version]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. 2025-04-0403 min
Taboo on the BusWhere are all the lesbian bars? on history, misogyny, and why all the queer women are onlineIs 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 xoxoOutline:why queer women are using dating apps, tiktok, and digital...2025-03-2227 minTaboo on the Buswhere are all the lesbians? on queer women online and our lack of physical spaces [mini version]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...2025-03-2203 min
Taboo on the BusIs food a status symbol now? On food, class, & quiet luxuryIn 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...2025-03-0826 minTaboo on the BusFood as a status symbol, class, and quiet luxury [mini version]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...2025-03-0803 min
Taboo on the BusFull bush in a thong: the changing discourse about body hair and femininityYou 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 der...2025-02-2225 minTaboo on the Bus"Full bush in a thong": are we finally normalising body hair on women?As someone in my comments coined it, we are in a “Buchaissance”, meaning it is high time for women and body hair! The ‘full bush in a thong’ discourse is going to be instrumental in breaking down the equation of women’s body hair to femininity, and I am here for it! Let’s discuss the origins of why women even shave, the harmful stereotypes and ideologies associated with women’s body hair, and an interesting study done on a class of girls that I think can tell us a lot about the impact of the ‘full bush in a thong’ discuss...2025-02-2204 min
Taboo on the BusWTF is an ‘Almond-Daughter’ - how tiktok is commodifying identities and aestheticsI was RUDELY confronted with an “almond-daughter’ aesthetic image on my Pinterest feed (help) and ran to TikTok to see if this is yet another girl, core, IT, aesthetic, and of course it is a thriving subculture. Let’s fully debunk the commodification of women’s identities online, and how we are pushed into these boxes of self, taking the almond-daughter as a perfect example of how this has gone too far now. The almond-daughter is simply a repackaged ED, sold and pushed as an aesthetic lifestyle to pertain to, and it has to stop. Listen...2025-02-1427 minTaboo on the BusWTF is an ‘Almond-Daughter’ - TikTok is commodifying identities and aesthetics [Mini version]Sit down with Zara at the front of the bus to discuss the thriving internet subculture of the ‘almond-daughter’. It is exactly what you think it is: a repackaged ED sold and made aesthetic to the girls in yet another girl, core, IT, box. Let’s talk about the harm that slotting ourselves in to these boxes can cause, and why I think the almond-daughter subculture/trend is pureposely kept online despite its harm. 2025-02-1403 min
Taboo on the BusIs fashion week accessible? - with Tori West of Bricks MagazineI’m on the London Tube this week for a special episode of: Taboo on the Tube instead of my bed/ the bus. Joined by Tori West, founder of Bricks Magazine, we discuss the inaccessibility of fashion weeks and the lack of accommodations made for disabled/neurodivergent individuals. Tori has worked her way from standing room to front row seats at fashion week, and sits down to give us a first-hand account of her experience. Join us to talk about the way clout is so often put before accommodation and lift the lid on fashion week. Thank you...2025-02-0718 minTaboo on the BusIs fashion week accessible - with Tori West [mini version][Full episode is posted]I’m on the London Tube this week for a special episode of: Taboo on the Tube instead of my bed/ the bus. Joined by Tori West, founder of Bricks Magazine, we discuss the inaccessability of fashion weeks and the lack of accomodations made for disabled/neurodivergent individuals. Tori has worked her way from standing room to front row seats at fashion week, and sits down to give us a first-hand account of her experience. Join us to talk about the way clout is so often put before accomodation, and li...2025-02-0704 min
Taboo on the BusSocial Media dysmorphia - the truth of fillers, botox, and the beauty standardHas the accessability and normalisation of aesthetic procedures and fillers warped our ability to accept our natural features? I realised that I am simply tolerating some of my insecurities with the idea that I will eventually get procedures and fillers to ‘fix’ it, and is this becoming common culture within society? Has the accessibility of fillers and exposure to such content begun to normalise changing ourselves instead of accepting?
Sit down with me in the long-form version of Taboo on the Bus to discuss:
how accessible and normalised aesthetic procedures have become
the ever...2025-02-0723 minTaboo on the BusDating apps are killing the gay bar - mini versionGlobally, gay bars are in decline, we are losing our queer spaces, visibility, venues, and community, and it has largely been pinned on our dating app usage. Yes, Grindr, yes Hinge, yes Tinder, yes HER. The facilitation of meet-ups, dates, hook-ups, romantic partners, and even friendships are so accessible online now that we are seeing less and less people ooccupying queer bars and spaces. As a result, we are losing our gay bars, so let’s dive in to the implications of that. (side note, this is my dissertation area, hence the enthusiasm, passion, and intense research haha) all of...2025-01-2104 min
Taboo on the BusDating apps are killing the gay bars - the privatisation of queernessGlobally, gay bars are in decline, we are losing our queer spaces, visibility, venues, and community, and it has largely been pinned on our dating app usage. Yes, Grindr, yes Hinge, yes Tinder, yes HER. The facilitation of meet-ups, dates, hook-ups, romantic partners, and even friendships are so accessible online now that we are seeing less and less people ooccupying queer bars and spaces. As a result, we are losing our gay bars, so let’s dive in to the implications of that. (side note, this is my dissertation area, hence the enthusiasm, passion, and intense research haha) all of...2025-01-2128 min
Taboo on the BusShould we all go back to flip phones? - the downfall of social mediaThe first episode of Taboo Off the Bus, the deep-dive longform version of Taboo ON the Bus. Today let’s talk about the downfall of social media and realising it IS the damn phone. I dug out my old nokia flip phone today and speculate whether I could go back to the flip phone, why it is so hard to delete social media, and if the girls who have deleted TikTok and ran to Substack are doing it right?
Thank you for all of the love on Taboo on the Bus, I hope you enj...2025-01-1023 minTaboo on the BusWhy we won't delete social media - digital vs real life FOMOThe first Taboo on the Bus of the year talking my prediction of manyyy people deleting social media this year, the reason many of us won’t, and the rise of Substack as we all turn against short form content and doomscrolling. Taboo OFF the Bus, the long-form version of Taboo on the Bus coming tonight xoxo
socials - @whatzaraloves
Thank you for all of the love on Taboo on the Bus, I hope you enjoy the longer version too!! xoxo2025-01-1003 minTaboo on the BusThe "Unpaid Aesthetic Labor" of free clubbing - is it feminist?I got down the rabbit-hole of Mayfair clubbing and the whole ordeal of 'free' nights out. Is it really free when you are doing 'unpaid aesthetic labor', or is it feminist to maximise this system? 2024-12-1403 minTaboo on the BusYou don't hate Emma Chamberlain's new hair, you hate when girls lose their teenage girlishnessDeep-diving the hatred I've seen of Emma Chamberlain's new haircut and discussing how I think it is allll tied to hating when teenage girls evolve into women. Also drawing some parallels between Miley and Emma, all from the front seat of the bus2024-12-1403 minTaboo on the BusCancelled influencers always come back - the performative act of cancel culture, a deep diveIt was Brooke Schofield and Alix Earl this week, who will be next…? This was the icing on the cake of influencer scandals, yet another big creator exposed for their racist tweets and vile views. How many infleuncer apologies and comebacks will be watch before we wake up to the performative act of ‘cancel culture’? Let’s talk all about the inevitable infleuncer comeback, who gets to accept their apologies, and who gets to grant them their platform back, all from the front seat of the bus
Edited video versions on TikTok: Taboo on th Bus...2024-08-1906 min
Here For The Craic with Emma Neillthe death of the influencer with whatzaralovesJoined today by the lovely Zara @whatzaraloves for this week's episode of Here For The Craic with Emma Neill, hosted in the gorgeous Spotify studios. We discuss the ever changing landscape of social media, the death of the Instagram influencer, the shift in the media we're consuming personally and whether the constant want for TikTok virality is affecting the space. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices2024-07-291h 23Taboo on the BusThe state of the current beauty standard - it costs more than just moneyI sat down on the bus today to talk (rant) all about the cost of the current beauty standard, and I don't just mean money, but the physical and mental cost we put our bodies through to adhere to the ever-changing standards of 'beauty'. The whole 'mouth breathing' epidemic really stirred up this episode. It was either ordering a batch of mouth tape on tiktok shop or making this episode. Let me know your thoughts...2024-07-2805 minTaboo on the BusDeath of the influencer - on relatability and the shift towards more meaningful contentSit down with Zara on the bus to talk about the shifting landscape of our for-you-pages and home-feeds. It seems as though we are moving away from the overly curated, typical influencer content and towards more educational, insightful, and relatable content. Are we just sick of being sold things or does this relfect a wider societal shift? Let's talk...2024-06-1007 minTaboo on the BusWhy is re-defining your sexuality such a taboo? On Madeline Argy starting this conversationI love a label! As someone who grew up knowing that "straight' did not fit, I longed to understand what term did feel right in order to finally gain a sense of belonging. Yet, why is it seen as such a taboo to change the label you first identified as? Let's talk the taboos of changing your label, being unlabelled, and the change from lesbian to bisexual, all from the front seat of the bus. 2024-05-0604 minTaboo on the BusDiet Culture has been rebranded as "Nutritional Advice" on TikTokSuddenly we are back in the depths of 2016 YouTube diet culture. Foods are being labelled as either 'good' or 'bad', we have men in supermarkets telling us how toxic these every-day items are for our bodies, oat milk is now the devil, except this is TikTok and it is 2024. Diet culture seems to have had a makeover, and is now presented in the form of nutritional advice online. Let's break it down from the front seat of the bus, and see how this "all or nothing' approach is actually not very healthy.2024-04-2604 minTaboo on the BusShould straight people be in gay clubs/queer spaces?Join me from the front seat of the bus to discuss my take on straight people entering queer clubs and bars. Truthfully, I see no harm in straight friends joining queer partners/friends/family for queer nightlife if they are respectful and there to have fun. Yet, bachelorette/hen parties and mobs of straight men.... not quite the same. Let me know what you think!
disclaimer: there are a few occasions that I used the word "gay" that I think would've been worded better as "queer" as a more umbrella term. 2024-02-0207 minTaboo on the Busthe drunk elephant pre-teens are the 2016 beauty guru fans again, except it’s skincare not makeup this timeThe pre-teens raiding Sephora to get their hands on £60 Drunk Elephant skincare has started quite a discussion online lately. So, let's talk all about how this form of overconsumption really stems from the desire to fit the current "clean-girl" aesthetic that is popular online, and how this really isn't any different to our overconsumption of Morphe palettes, ABH highlighters, and lip kits back when we were 14. The skincare hype is the new makeup-hype. Forget Alex 9 drawers full of makeup, it is the excessive skincare collection's time to shine, or is it?2024-01-1207 minTaboo on the BusWhat is an "acceptable body count" - the impact of alpha males on female body countWhy in 2024 are men still pushing the narrative that there is an "acceptable" number of people that a woman should have sex with? Let's sit down to discuss on the bus why there is simply no need to even count the number of people you have had sex with, and how the whole idea of 'body-count' is not a very sex-positive stance to bring in to the new year. Ditch the notes list besties, and to the alpha-males, please reassess your values.
This is also the first episode where we have had an input...2023-12-2303 minTaboo on the Bus"You are what you consume" - pay attention to who you watch onlineNo one is talking about the impact that the creators you watch online truly has on your own mental health. So let's sit down to chat about how you truly are a product of the content you consume, and some creators to have on your radar for 2024 for a 'healthier' feed online. The fact is, if you consume sad content for 3 hours a day, you cannot expect to have the healthiest mindset.
2023-12-2304 minTaboo on the BusIs the UK too deep in drink/drug culture to go sober? - casual sobriety is becoming trendy but can we keep our social life?Let's sit down on the bus and discuss how much society and uni-culture in the UK is deep rooted in drugs and alcohol. On pints, chit-chat, and how sobriety is becoming trendy, but so is casual alcoholism at university. Join me alongside the commuters and let's discuss....
2023-12-0205 minTaboo on the BusComparing your 'day in the life' to others on TikTok - nothing is 100% real onlineWe've likely accepted that our life isn't going to emulate the influencers online who wake up, open PR packages, then spend a day at appointments and pilates. But what about the "normal" girls who post a DITL ft their 9-5 and whole-food dinner?? Today let's talk about comparison online to the non-influencers, and how it is just important to not compare your life to theirs too. Social media can be fabricated, exaggerated, and just as fake for the "normal" users too.2023-11-1205 minTaboo on the BusCelebrities love to cosplay the working class - it is a lifestyle not an aestheticCharli D'Amelio shot some promotional videos behind the checkout in Walmart and everyone went wild, but is it justified? I sat down on the bus to break down why we find it distasteful to see high-class celebs and influencers cosplaying as working class individuals whether for fun, fame, or promotion. This isn't a quirky aesthetic, it's many people's lifestyles that shouldn't be tapped in to for the benefit of the rich. Let's talk about it on the bus2023-11-1206 min
Taboo on the BusFor the girls who wouldn't date a bisexual guy - let's talk BisexualityI saw a podcast clip of a bunch of girls saying how they'd never date a bisexual guy, and how that is "gay", and I've never jumped to research an episode sooner. Sit with me on the bus to chat about the stigma against bi girls and boys, ft a very interesting study that was done to prove if bisexual men even exist???2023-10-2006 min
Taboo on the BusInfluencer breakups - this heartbreak is not yours to grieveThe recent breakup of Anna Paul and Glenn Thomson sparked an intense public cry out that got me questioning the ways in which we react the breakups of public figures online. Is it normal to cry over the split of a couple who don’t know you exist? Let’s talk this taboo on the bus2023-10-1307 min
Taboo on the BusThe 'Rotten Girl Aesthetic' - Who gets to be gross online?With the rise of the ‘rotten girl aesthetic’, I wanted to sit on the bus and analyse how we perceive this authentic, unfiltered content online and how it can differ from one creator to another. I’ve noticed there is a real pretty privilege in being ‘gross’ online, and how not all creators are equally accepted for doing the same thing. The middle aged, male bus driver was definitely confused as to what I was on about with this episode. 2023-10-1106 min
The Digital Void PodcastInfluencer Creep & The Return of Banal VloggingHow did an early YouTube vlog style return to popularity after a generation of TikTok and YouTube creators including Emma Chamberlain and Charli D'amelio went mainstream? On today's episode, Jamie and Josh discuss how early YouTube creators like Tyler Oakley pivoted from creating content for family and friends to developing a public personality that came to define influencer culture at-large – and how a new generation of creators are documenting the banal and mundane in their content.Show notes and resourcesVlog Like Nobody's Watching - Kate Fowlersunday in ed...2023-07-3110 min