This week, Kate recaps some of 2024’s least notable micro-trends, goes through her embarrassing purchases from the Tiktok shop, admits some of her shameful habits in the spirit of the “we listen and we don’t judge” trend, contemplates the vibe of Taylor Swift being thrown a Taylor Swift-themed party, discusses her concern for when lyrics about someone being blue border on a HIPAA violation, then reviews Pinterest Predicts for 2025’s forecasted trends, but not before taking United Airlines and Nabisco to task in the name of spreadable cheese. Happiest Holidays to you and yours, we’ll be back and Beth-er than ever in 2025!

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS

Order Kate's NYT Bestselling book, One in a Millennial here!

Text or leave a voicemail for Kate at 775-HEY-BETH!

Thank you to AllModern for furnishing Kate's Season 2 Studio! AllModern has the best of modern furniture and decor all in one place. With styles from Scandi and mid-century, to minimalist and maximalist, every design is hand-vetted for quality by their team of experts. Plus they have fast + free shipping! Check out allmodern.com; you'll find Kate's bookshelves here and her new rug here!

Save on the perfect gift by visiting AuraFrames.com to get $35-off Aura’s best-selling Carver Mat frames by using promo code BETHEREINFIVE at checkout. This deal is exclusive to listeners, so get yours now in time for the holidays! Terms and conditions apply.

20% off + 2 FREE pillows for all mattress orders at HelixSleep.com/bethereinfive.

MasterClass always has great offers during the holidays, sometimes up to as much as 50% off. Head over to MASTERCLASS.com/BETHEREINFIVE for the current offer.

Get matching pairs for the family, stuff a stocking, or gift a Pair to yourself. Save 15% with code BTIF at paireyewear.com. And support the show by mentioning Be There in Five in your post-checkout survey!

In this episode, Kate provides personal reflections about the past 21 months of Taylor Swift's Eras Tour fanfare, online and IRL, then reads listener-submitted stories about major moments and memories associated with the tour. Sweet, sentimental, and sometimes sad, but a beautiful reminder of how pop culture and fangirls are so much *more* than meets the cat-eye. Enjoy!

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS

Order Kate's NYT Bestselling book, One in a Millennial here!

Text or leave a voicemail for Kate at 775-HEY-BETH!

Thank you to AllModern for furnishing Kate's Season 2 Studio! AllModern has the best of modern furniture and decor all in one place. With styles from Scandi and mid-century, to minimalist and maximalist, every design is hand-vetted for quality by their team of experts. Plus they have fast + free shipping! Check out allmodern.com; you'll find Kate's bookshelves here and rug here!

Save on the perfect gift by visiting AuraFrames.com to get $35-off Aura’s best-selling Carver Mat frames by using promo code BETHEREINFIVE at checkout. This deal is exclusive to listeners, so get yours now in time for the holidays! Terms and conditions apply.

Stress less, sleep more, and live better with Calm. For listeners of our show, Calm is offering an exclusive offer of 40% off a Calm Premium Subscription at calm.com/BETHEREINFIVE. Go to calm.com/BETHEREINFIVE for 40% off unlimited access to Calm’s entire library.

Want your Cozy Earth pajamas by Christmas? Order by December 13 for free shipping! Missed it? You can still get expedited shipping until December 20 to ensure it arrives in time. Don’t wait—head to cozyearth.com/BETHEREINFIVE and use my exclusive 40% off code BETHEREINFIVE to give the gift of luxury this holiday season. If you get a post-purchase survey, say that you heard about Cozy Earth from this podcast! Wrap the Ones You Love in Luxury with Cozy Earth.

MasterClass always has great offers during the holidays, sometimes up to as much as 50% off. Head over to MASTERCLASS.com/BETHEREINFIVE for the current offer.

Give the gift of glow this holiday season with clean, clinically tested skincare from OSEA. And right now we have a special discount just for our listeners. Get 10% off your first order sitewide with code BETHEREINFIVE at OSEAMalibu.com.

Get 25% off your first month for a limited time at ritual.com/BETHEREINFIVE. Start Ritual or add HyaCera to your subscription today.

This week, Kate begins by recapping her experience seeing Wicked twice and shares her favorite Easter eggs, then answers listener voicemails that are a combination of nostalgic pop culture, millennial travel icons, and a witchy women’s studies lesson. In this episode, Kate reassures listeners that when America decides, it’s not always on our side, as evidenced by many years of questionable voting behavior from the majority that brought us the Soul Patrol on American Idol. Then she pilots something she’ll never do again called Bethtern Civ, where she explores the medieval demonizing of folk magic and pagan rituals later referred to as ‘witchcraft’ in the context of it being in opposition to the Christianization of the West. Lastly, she snorkels millennial queen/icon/legend, Samantha Brown: Travel Guide, and Kate shares how Sam's sensible haircut and can-do attitude at waterparks inspired her modern love for hotels and resorts. Enjoy!

Order Kate's NYT Bestselling book, One in a Millennial here!

Text or leave a voicemail for Kate at 775-HEY-BETH!

Thank you to AllModern for furnishing Kate's Season 2 Studio! AllModern has the best of modern furniture and decor all in one place. With styles from Scandi and mid-century, to minimalist and maximalist, every design is hand-vetted for quality by their team of experts. Plus they have fast + free shipping! Check out allmodern.com; you'll find Kate's bookshelves here and her new rug here!

For a limited time, visit AuraFrames.com and get $45 off Aura’s best-selling Carver Mat frames by using promo code BETHEREINFIVE at checkout. This exclusive Black Friday Cyber Monday deal is their best of the year, so don’t miss out! Terms and conditions apply.

This weekend only, I can offer you an exclusive 45% off discount code. This code is the best discount you’ll find for Cozy Earth year-round! Visit cozyearth.com/BETHEREINFIVE and code BETHEREINFIVE to get the best products for your loved ones this holiday season. Don’t miss out! Wrap the Ones You Love in Luxury with Cozy Earth!

25% off Sitewide + a FREE Bedding Bundle (2 Dream Pillows, Sheet Set, and Mattress Protector) with any Luxe or Elite mattress order at HelixSleep.com/BeThereInFive.

To get 15% off your next gift, go to UNCOMMONGOODS.com/BETHEREINFIVE. Don’t miss out on this limited time offer! Uncommon Goods. We’re all out of the ordinary.

An episode full of fun, fandom, and frisson where Kate and her guest, Caroline Moss, discuss their hot takes about Broadway musicals, but pepper in plenty of tangents from Babysitter’s Club to The Beets (from Doug) and beyond. The majority of this episode is in honor of this weekend’s long-awaited premiere of Wicked, and they talk through some Wicked lore, detail their favorite Elphabas, and walk through brain-scratching clips of different pre-approved riffs Elphie can use for her final “battle cry” in Defying Gravity. They also share their mutual fascination with Wicked, the complexities of Broadway casting and performances, and their favorite Broadway shows and songs. From vocal endurance to the atmosphere and experience of live musicals, they cover it all (including sharing their favorite clips from iconic songs). And don’t let the theater kid vibes scare you if you aren’t into musicals—this episode is for the theater fanatics and the average theater admirer alike. They’ve got a few pop culture and nostalgic rabbit holes to go down as well. Don’t worry, by the end they sing a duet because they cannot help themselves. Enjoy!

Enjoy! 

Order Kate's NYT Bestselling book, One in a Millennial here!

Text or leave a voicemail for Kate at 775-HEY-BETH!

Thank you to AllModern for furnishing Kate's Season 2 Studio! AllModern has the best of modern furniture and decor all in one place. With styles from Scandi and mid-century, to minimalist and maximalist, every design is hand-vetted for quality by their team of experts. Plus they have fast + free shipping! Check out allmodern.com; you'll find Kate's bookshelves here and her new rug here!

Visit cozyearth.com/BETHEREINFIVE and use my exclusive 40% off code BETHEREINFIVE to give the gift of luxury this holiday season. If you get a post purchase survey, say that you heard about Cozy Earth from this podcast! Wrap the Ones You Love in Luxury with Cozy Earth.

For understated luxury at its best this fall, shop the must-have pairs of the season and receive 20% off your purchase with code BETHEREINFIVE at marcfisherfootwear.com.

MasterClass always has great offers during the holidays, sometimes up to as much as 50% off. Head over to MASTERCLASS.com/BETHEREINFIVE for the current offer. 

Give the gift of glow this holiday season with clean, clinically tested skincare from OSEA. And right now we have a special discount just for our listeners. Get 10% off your first order sitewide with code BETHEREINFIVE at OSEAMalibu.com.

Get matching pairs for the little ones, stuff a stocking, or gift a Pair to yourself during Pair’s sitewide holiday sale. Go to paireyewear.com and shop the Holiday sale to save 20% sitewide. And support the show by mentioning that Be There in Five sent you in your post-checkout survey!

To get 15% off your next gift, go to UNCOMMONGOODS.com/BETHEREINFIVE. Don’t miss out on this limited time offer! Uncommon Goods. We’re all out of the ordinary.

Tags (Episode Tracker doc):

Caroline Moss, Gee Thanks Just Bought It, Interview, Guest, Musicals, Wicked, Idina Menzel, Ariana Grande, Laguna Beach

**Original air date 11/10. Sorry if this is duplicated elsewhere, had to upload another version because some pod catchers are missing the episode**

This week, Kate is joined by “America’s Government Teacher” Sharon McMahon of @sharonsaysso and NYT bestselling author of The Small and the Mighty. The first half of the episode contains some of Kate’s off the cuff thoughts / existential spirals following the election results and the second half of the episode is a nonpartisan discussion (FYI recorded 3 weeks BEFORE the election) about topics like: whose written into (and out of) history, what’s at stake in the election regarding the state of our democracy, how to approach people of differing beliefs, what she thinks are the most importantly yet overlooked issues, what we are in for in the coming months, and beyond. 

After this week, back to regularly scheduled pop cultural programming :) Enjoy!

Order Kate's NYT Bestselling book, One in a Millennial here!

Text or leave a voicemail for Kate at 775-HEY-BETH!

Thank you to AllModern for furnishing Kate's Season 2 Studio! AllModern has the best of modern furniture and decor all in one place. With styles from Scandi and mid-century, to minimalist and maximalist, every design is hand-vetted for quality by their team of experts. Plus they have fast + free shipping! Check out allmodern.com; you'll find Kate's bookshelves here and her new rug here!

We have an exclusive discount for BTI5 listeners - get an EXTRA 25% off (that’s 50% off total!) ALL sale inventory. Never a better time to try Evelyn & Bobbie - our very best deals! Go to evelynbobbie.com/sale and use code KATE50 for 50% off select colors + styles (general public will only get 25%! This code is good through the end of the year, but styles, colors and sizes are going quick! Shop soon for the best selection at these discounted prices!

Get cozy in Quince's high-quality wardrobe essentials. Go to Quince.com/bethereinfive for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns.

Get 25% off your first month for a limited time at ritual.com/BETHEREINFIVE. Start Ritual or add HyaCera to your subscription today. That’s ritual.com/BETHEREINFIVE for 25% off.

To get 15% off your next gift, go to UNCOMMONGOODS.com/bethereinfive. Don’t miss out on this limited time offer! Uncommon Goods. We’re all out of the ordinary.

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In this bonus episode, Kate discusses the impact of reproductive rights on millennial women ahead of the 2024 election, and uses experts and real-life stories to showcase how prioritizing a highly interconnected system of rights and freedoms impacting half the population is the farthest thing from a “single issue.”

This episode has three parts: 

00:00 Kate’s intro about the multi-faceted nature of reproductive freedom and millennials’ unique position re: being child-bearing age when the U.S. Supreme Court abandoned its duty to protect citizens’ fundamental rights and overturned Roe v. Wade 

23:58 An interview with Dr. Roohi Jeelani, MD, FACOG, double board certified Reproductive Endocrinologist and Infertility Specialist (REI) and Chief Medical Officer of Kindbody, who provides unbiased, scientific insights into IVF, fetal personhood, and the existing and potential complications that arise from misconceived policies related to IVF

59:28 (TW) Kate reads real listener-submitted personal stories about a broad spectrum of reproductive issues, e.g. the challenging landscape modern women face due to restrictive abortion laws when managing their lives and losses, experiences being provided limited options in strict states and/or Catholic hospitals for contraception, induced abortions, and miscarriage management, along with examples of women who felt forced to cross state lines to receive necessary care, heartbreaking stories about barriers in TFMR situations, and women affected by the IVF ruling in Alabama, among other experiences.

The goal of this non-monetized bonus episode is to 1. help clarify the murky and somewhat sudden involvement of IVF in the 2024 election cycle rhetoric, and 2. to provide listeners with examples of how politicians’ throwaway talking points can profoundly affect everyday women’ lives in dangerous and devastating ways.

It's All Hallows Eve, and Kate has crowd-sourced listener ghost stories to hear about your interactions with the other side. First, she details her fascination with ghost fashions, witchy rituals at sleepovers, and millennials' collective obsession with fall; then, she dives into your paranormal-core sightings—episode 1 of 2 this week. Enjoy!

Order Kate's NYT Bestselling book, One in a Millennial here!

Text or leave a voicemail for Kate at 775-HEY-BETH!

Thank you to AllModern for furnishing Kate's Season 2 Studio! AllModern has the best of modern furniture and decor all in one place. With styles from Scandi and mid-century, to minimalist and maximalist, every design is hand-vetted for quality by their team of experts. Plus they have fast + free shipping! Check out allmodern.com; you'll find Kate's bookshelves here and her new rug here!

Take a load off and let CookUnity handle dinner. Affordable food, crafted by award-winning chefs, delivered to your door. Go to cookunity.com/BETHEREINFIVE or enter code BETHEREINFIVE before checkout for 50% off your first week. 

For understated luxury at its best this fall, shop the must-have pairs of the season and receive 20% off your purchase with code BETHEREINFIVE at marcfisherfootwear.com.

Give the gift of glow this holiday season with clean, clinically tested skincare from OSEA. And right now we have a special discount just for our listeners. Get 10% off your first order sitewide with code BETHEREINFIVE at OSEAMalibu.com.

Go to cozyearth.com/BETHEREINFIVE and use code BETHEREINFIVE for an exclusive discount for up to 40% off. Also, If you get a post-purchase survey, say that you heard about Cozy Earth from this podcast! Wrap yourself in luxury this fall with Cozy Earth!

This week, Kate is joined by her sister Kelly, live from their attempt to do an incredibly hard viral dance move that the internet gaslit them into believing would be easy. In this episode, they mostly revisit The Tortured Poets Department for the first time on-air since they recorded their reaction video in April and update listeners on their favorite spins, skips, and sentimental lyrics that helped them reminisce, rage, or ruminate from their headphones in different ways. From TikTok dances and yearbook staff memories to deep emotional reflections on love, loss, and personal growth, this episode’s got something for everyone. Enjoy and listen for more of this conversation this weekend on patreon.com/bethereinfive.

Kate’s under the weather but over the moon to do some nostalgic reminiscing about staying home sick as a kid with a bed pillow on the couch, knowing exaggerating symptoms may be wrong but at least she got to watch The Price is Right. Then, she crowdsources wellness related Old Wives Tales/urban legends, and fact checks them live on-air, like if wet hair in the cold makes you sick, you shouldn’t swim after you eat, or if cracking your knuckles makes them bigger. News you can use! Sick!

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS

Order Kate's NYT Bestselling book, One in a Millennial here!

Text or leave a voicemail for Kate at 775-HEY-BETH!

Thank you to AllModern for furnishing Kate's Season 2 Studio! AllModern has the best of modern furniture and decor all in one place. With styles from Scandi and mid-century, to minimalist and maximalist, every design is hand-vetted for quality by their team of experts. Plus they have fast + free shipping! Check out allmodern.com; you'll find Kate's bookshelves here and her new rug here!

In October, Helix is offering 20% off all mattress orders at HelixSleep.com/BeThereInFive!

Fall into a new routine with infinite possibilities from Pair Eyewear. Go to paireyewear.com and use code BTIF for 15% off your first pair. And support the show by mentioning that Be There in Five sent you in your post-checkout survey!

Get 25% off your first month for a limited time at ritual.com/BETHEREINFIVE. Start Ritual or add HyaCera to your subscription today.

In this episode, we're joined by Ashley Spencer, author of Disney High: The Untold Story of the Rise and Fall of Disney Channel’s Tween Empire. She shares her four-year journey researching Disney becoming the choice tween TV channel, and shares details from her interviews with former executives and cast/crew members, like the infamous Hilary Duff and LaLaine fallout or how the Zac/Vanessa High School Musical romance came to be IRL. We explore Disney's internal culture and show development, the role of pop music in Disney Channel's success (Samantha Mumba!), and get all the tea from our favorite 90s and 2000s shows and DCOMs. And last but not least, we can’t help but touch on how things have changed since our Zoog Disney days—from modern media consumption patterns, the implications of binge-watching, and the loss of monoculture. And don’t forget to check out Ashley’s book below! Enjoy. 

Read Disney High by Ashley Spencer: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250283450/disneyhigh 

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS

Order Kate's NYT Bestselling book, One in a Millennial here!

Text or leave a voicemail for Kate at 775-HEY-BETH!

Thank you to AllModern for furnishing Kate's Season 2 Studio! AllModern has the best of modern furniture and decor all in one place. With styles from Scandi and mid-century, to minimalist and maximalist, every design is hand-vetted for quality by their team of experts. Plus they have fast + free shipping! Check out allmodern.com; you'll find Kate's bookshelves here and her new rug here!

Take a load off and let CookUnity handle dinner. Affordable food, crafted by award-winning chefs, delivered to your door. Go to cookunity.com/BETHEREINFIVE or enter code BETHEREINFIVE before checkout for 50% off your first week.

Upgrade your shower with clean, vegan face and body care from OSEA. Get 10% off your first order sitewide with code BETHEREINFIVE at OSEAMalibu.com. You’ll get free samples with every order, and free shipping on orders over $60.

Start HyaCera to help minimize wrinkles without compromising on clean science. HyaCera from Ritual is a clinically-proven skin supplement you can actually trust.* Get 25% off your first month for a limited time at ritual.com/BETHEREINFIVE. Start Ritual or add HyaCera to your subscription today.

TAGS: Ashley Spencer, DCOM, Disney, Interview, Guest, Disney Channel, High School Musical, Zac Efron, Hilary Duff, Hannah Montana

This week, inspired by the nostalgic TV masterpiece (excl. reboot) on Lifetime, Unsolved Mysteries, Kate introduces a (maybe?) new series she’s testing called “Influencer Unsolved Mysteries,” where she wants to deep dive into niche influencer lore, specifically times when fans/followers have been left with unanswered questions or presented with mysterious explanations for something that wouldn’t usually be our business, but they told us about it first and it’s their literal business.

The first episode of IUM discusses Seth and Jenna Wright, Ballerina Farm relatives who were formerly known as @whiteshantyathome, and their home construction project that grew their social media following in 2019-2020 due to sharing the process of building an unusual but grand English manor-style home made entirely of limestone by hand in Utah. They appeared to pour their hearts and souls into creating their “little piece of England” on a homestead in Utah, where they planned to raise their seven homeschooled kids (and Scottish Highland cows that matched their aesthetic). But one night in August 2020, everything they worked for went up in flames in the blink of an eye, and the half-finished custom home they built themselves stone by stone was destroyed in a matter of minutes by a house fire. What happened? What details did we miss about that tragic night due to their not explaining more until they went private? Why did they nearly disappear from social media for the past four years? Why are they back now? Is it to share their latest renovation? Or because they became known for posting far-right conspiracy theories the last time they were active in the fall of 2020? Tune into this BTI5 deep dive to see what we can find.

If you like this series, call or text 775-HEY-BETH to nominate your next influencer mystery. No topic is too light or heavy, whether an active account abruptly went dark, a friendship had a falling out, or a normal-seeming person went from zero to zealot faster than you can say, “Do your research.” The goal isn’t to drag anybody, but to have a watering hole for those of us who were chronically online before it was a term and check in on the bloggers and influencers of yesteryear we obsessed over, how they relate to current issues, and revisit their stories through a comedic, critical, and [where warranted] compassionate lens.

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS

Order Kate's NYT Bestselling book, One in a Millennial here!

Helix is offering 25% off all mattress orders AND two free pillows for our listeners! Go to HelixSleep.com/BeThereInFive. This is their best offer yet and it won’t last long! With Helix, better sleep starts now.

Simplify your kiddo’s mealtime with 30% OFF your first order. Go to LITTLESPOON.COM/BETHEREINFIVE and enter our code BETHEREINFIVE at checkout to get 30% OFF your first Little Spoon order.

For understated luxury at its best this fall, shop the must-have pairs of the season and receive 20% off your purchase with code BETHEREINFIVE at marcfisherfootwear.com.