As we wrap up 2025, we explore how our culture shifted from wacky, tacky, maximalist fun to today’s landscape of cringe, where caring is embarrassing, nonchalance is currency, and fear of judgment quietly keeps us small.

This episode digs into cringe culture, performance, and the ways we abandon ourselves just to avoid being seen trying from a pop culture lens.

If you’ve ever cared too much, tried publicly, or felt the urge to disappear before you even began , this one’s for you baby.

Be cringe. Be free! Happy New Year!

Choose your year: 2002, 2004, 2005, or 2007. You're rummaging through your DVDs deciding, what movie you'll indulge in for the day. The menu button is on a constant loop. Will you watch bloopers, commentary tracks, cast interviews, and hours of behind-the-scenes magic? Or are you playing an interactive game or watching the music videos?

This episode, we're taking a walk down Nostalgia Alley. (Our host's regular hangout spout) and we're going back to the era where DVD extras were sacred, chaotic, educational little treasure chests for nosy kids like you and me and let the host spiral about how she will NEVER forgive studios for hiding behind the streaming machine and the death of investment in physical media. And why the death of DVD extras low-key killed our media literacy, but also our empathy. And maybe, a behind the scenes look into the podcast itself right there alongside our host.

Press play, sit back, and relive the golden age of pop culture with our host ! The menu screen is right there

Join host, Tochi Iruke as she confesses her sins, unpacks her religious guilt, rants about her love of the fall-o-ween pop culture that raised her, and a nostalgic whimsical love letter to her inner child and every other person out there out that needs a cardigan of love wrapped around them. All seeped in autumn flavored goodness. Suppression. Rebellion. Freedom.

00:17 - Confession Booth Cold Open

02:50 - Introduction & Episode Overview

06:17 - Growing Up Without Halloween

12:30 - The Origins of Halloween

21:23 - Falloween Pop Culture that Raised Me

43:04 - Easy-Breezy-Beautiful Autumn Girl

45:31 - Reclaiming Joy & Healing Inner Child

54:50 - Quirky Black Girl Joy

1:04:39 - Final Thoughts

1:10:12 - 1800-Saved By Jesus Hotline

https://linktr.ee/nosywithintent