This week, Kate is breaking her hiatus for a special report recorded before Thursday's news that ABC was scrapping TFP's season of The Bachelorette. Ultimately, she decided this episode was still a relevant conversation to have, given that she and her guest (Sam Dalton, LCSW @sam.the.therapistt) talked through the systems and cycles that made this week's fallout unsurprising long before the video leaked. Together, they unpack the rose colored glass ceiling of Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, where women perform rebellion without ever actually leaving the structures that constrain them. They discuss how ABC and Hulu built a cross-platform content pipeline on top of a woman's unresolved trauma, why the show's premise was always rooted in Taylor's reactivity, the pattern of Dakota's strategic sabotage, what it means when healing requires the opposite of what reality TV rewards, and the uncomfortable question of why so many of us, Kate included, glossed over a 2023 aggravated assault charge that was packaged as the starting point of a redemption arc.

Content note: this episode discusses domestic violence, child abuse allegations, and toxic relationship dynamics.

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Order Kate's NYT Bestselling book, One in a Millennial here! Text or leave a voicemail for Kate at 775-HEY-BETH! Stay hydrated with on-the-go hydration from Liquid I.V. Tear. Pour. Live More. Go to LIQUID-IV.COM and get 20% off your first purchase with code BETHEREINFIVE at checkout. That's 20% off your first purchase with code BETHEREINFIVE at LIQUID-IV.COM. Discover how care in every detail transforms simple routines into moments of true comfort and ease. Head to cozyearth.com and use my code BETHEREINFIVE for up to 20% off. And if you get a Post-Purchase Survey, be sure to mention you heard about Cozy Earth right here! Experience the craft behind the comfort, and make every day feel intentional. Join the loyalty program for renters at joinbilt.com/bethereinfive. Make sure to use our URL so they know we sent you. Go to helixsleep.com/bethereinfive for the March Madness Sale, 20% off sitewide through March 26. Make sure you enter our show name after checkout so they know we sent you! Caraway's cookware set is a favorite for a reason, it can save you up to $230 versus buying the items individually. Plus, if you visit Carawayhome.com/BTIF you can take an additional 10% off your next purchase.This deal is exclusive for our listeners. Caraway. Non-Toxic kitchenware made modern.

This week, Kate attempts to revive (but then mostly records a new version of) a fan-favorite Patreon from 2021 about the way Taylor Swift pronounces words. We're talking plosives, brain-scratching vowels, and why certain words sung a certain way make you want to listen again, but with updated takes from Midnights to TTPD to Showgirl. Enjoy!

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Discover how care in every detail transforms simple routines into moments of true comfort and ease. Head to cozyearth.com and use my code BETHEREINFIVE for up to 20% off. And if you get a Post-Purchase Survey, be sure to mention you heard about Cozy Earth right here! Experience the craft behind the comfort, and make every day feel intentional.

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This week, Kate and Caroline Moss revisit the beloved Mama Slay at the Lake episode with a director's cut of our delirious 6 AM conversation about irreverent merch, warm beans, Facebook walls, Maxine culture, and Steve Madden platform loafers, followed by a brand new conversation where we get into pun drift, Disney adults in matching shirts, the grievance merch pipeline, Kate's Hamilton/American Girl mashup, and why lake town signs are the truest window into the suppressed psyche of second home motherhood. JFK Jr. and CBK content will be up later today on Patreon! Enjoy.

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Order Kate's NYT Bestselling book, One in a Millennial here! Text or leave a voicemail for Kate at 775-HEY-BETH! Join the loyalty program for renters at joinbilt.com/bethereinfive - Make sure to use our URL so they know we sent you. Caraway's cookware set is a favorite for a reason, it can save you up to $190 versus buying the items individually. Plus, if you visit Carawayhome.com/BTIF you can take an additional 10% off your next purchase.This deal is exclusive for our listeners, so visit Carawayhome.com/BTIF or use code BTIF at checkout. Caraway. Non-Toxic kitchenware made modern. Head to cozyearth.com and use my code BETHEREINFIVE for up to 20% off. And if you get a Post-Purchase Survey, be sure to mention you heard about Cozy Earth right here! Celebrate everyday love with comfort that makes the little moments count. Go to helixsleep.com/bethereinfive for the President's Day Sale, Feb 2 - 25, which is 27% off sitewide, exclusive for listeners of Be There in Five. Make sure you enter our show name after checkout so they know we sent you! For a limited time get 40% off your first box PLUS get a free item in every box for life. Go to Hungryroot.com/bethereinfive, code bethereinfive to get 40% off your first box and a free item of your choice for life. Tear. Pour. Live More. Go to LIQUID-IV.COM and get 20% off your first order with code BETHEREINFIVE at checkout. That's 20% off your first order with code BETHEREINFIVE at LIQUID-IV.COM.

This week, Kate revisits an infamous episode from March 2020 about dips, sauces, and dipping sauces.

Order Kate's NYT Bestselling book, One in a Millennial here! Text or leave a voicemail for Kate at 775-HEY-BETH! Right now, Betterwild is offering our listeners up to 40% off your order at Betterwild.com/BETHEREINFIVE. That's Betterwild.com/BETHEREINFIVE for up to 40% off your order. Head to cozyearth.com and use my code BETHEREINFIVE for up to 20% off. And if you get a Post-Purchase Survey, be sure to mention you heard about Cozy Earth right here! Celebrate everyday love with comfort that makes the little moments count. For a limited time get 40% off your first box PLUS get a free item in every box for life. Go to Hungryroot.com/bethereinfive and use code bethereinfive. Refresh your wardrobe with Quince. Go to Quince.com/bethereinfive for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too. Instead of striving for perfect health, aim for supporting foundational health. Save 25% on your first month at Ritual.com/BETHEREINFIVE. Get organized, refreshed, and back on track this new year for WAY less. Head to Wayfair.com right now to shop all things home. Wayfair. Every style. Every home

The culture that made the Beths say the Beth culture was for them.

Mashup ep with 40+ min of new audio.

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Order Kate's NYT Bestselling book, One in a Millennial here! Text or leave a voicemail for Kate at 775-HEY-BETH! Whether it's a weekend away, a big night out, or just a much-needed wardrobe refresh – your dream wardrobe is just one click away. Head to REVOLVE.com/BETHEREINFIVE, shop my edit, and take 15% off your first order with code BETHEREINFIVE. Offer ends February 2nd, so happy shopping! Right now, Baked by Melissa is offering our listeners 20% off your order at Bakedbymelissa.com/BETHEREINFIVE. That's Bakedbymelissa.com/BETHEREINFIVE for 20% off your order.

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This week, Kate has an announcement that she shares at the beginning of the episode that will then explain the rest of the episode and why its title may sound familiar. Enjoy!

Order Kate's NYT Bestselling book, One in a Millennial here! Text or leave a voicemail for Kate at 775-HEY-BETH!

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS Right now, Betterwild is offering our listeners up to 40% off your order at betterwild.com/BETHEREINFIVE. That's betterwild.com/BETHEREINFIVE for up to 40% off your order. Start the New Year off right and give your home the luxury it deserves, and make home the best part of life. Head to cozyearth.com and use my code BETHEREINFIVE for up to 20% off. And if you get a Post-Purchase Survey, be sure to mention you heard about Cozy Earth right here! You're going to love Hungryroot as much as I do. For a limited time get 40% off your first box PLUS get a free item in every box for life. Go to Hungryroot.com/bethereinfive and use code bethereinfive. Rehydrate with better hydration from Liquid I.V. Tear. Pour. Live More. Go to LIQUID-IV.COM and get 20% off your first order with code BETHEREINFIVE at checkout. Refresh your wardrobe with Quince. Don't wait. Go to quince.com/bethereinfive for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too. Instead of striving for perfect health, aim for supporting foundational health. For a limited time, save 40% on your first month at Ritual.com/BETHEREINFIVE.

This week, Kate reflects on 2025 for feeling depleting yet not defining, exhausting and sometimes forgettable; a year of endless micro-trends, political chaos, and moment sludge that somehow left very little to hold onto. Fun! She dives into "viral death cycle" and why nothing sticks anymore, explores the three stages of aging out of culture, explores why many of us feel our brains are broken, and processes the weird grief of realizing you're no longer "becoming" someone but existing deep in a routine, all while she grapples with her uncool taste in apples. TLDR: a contemplative, honest, sometimes vulnerable year-end reflection about culture, the internet, our interests, and Kate's job at the intersection, and how this is the first year she felt like she's officially getting old. Happy Holidays!

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Order Kate's NYT Bestselling book, One in a Millennial here! Text or leave a voicemail for Kate at 775-HEY-BETH! For a limited time, save on the perfect gift by visiting AuraFrames.com to get $35 off Aura's best selling Carver Mat frames - named #1 by Wirecutter - by using promo code BETHEREINFIVE at checkout. That's AuraFrames.com promo code BETHEREINFIVE. Support the show by mentioning us at checkout! Terms and conditions apply.

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This week, Kate welcomes back Sarah Chapelle (Taylor Swift Style) to discuss the first two episodes of Disney+'s The End of an Era docuseries. They dissect the emotional weight of episodes 1 and 2; from the devastating Vienna terror plot and Southport attack to Taylor's leadership style, bonus day generosity, and the physical toll of performing and beyond. Kate and Sarah analyze what the docuseries reveals about Taylor's collaborative process with her team, they predict future episodes (Miami costumes? Travis spotlight?), debate burning questions (Why no debut representation? Justice for YOYOK! What's the deal with the high-low ombre dress?), and explore whether the docuseries does a better job showing "the life of a showgirl" than the album itself. Overall, a thoughtful, detailed, and fun conversation about what makes this tour and this documentary still so compelling three years later. Enjoy!

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Order Kate's NYT Bestselling book, One in a Millennial here! Text or leave a voicemail for Kate at 775-HEY-BETH! For a limited time, save on the perfect gift by visiting AuraFrames.com to get $35 off Aura's best selling Carver Mat frames at AURAFrames.com promo code BETHEREINFIVE. Right now, Betterwild is offering our listeners up to 40% off your order at Betterwild.com/BETHEREINFIVE. That's Betterwild.com/BETHEREINFIVE for up to 40% off your order.

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This week, Kate investigates Elf on the Shelf: cute Christmas tradition or late-capitalist nightmare? After a simple Instagram question turned into hundreds of responses about surveillance capitalism, invisible labor, and performative parenting, she started to unpack what this manufactured tradition reveals about millennial parenting, Christmas magic, and the mental load of the holidays. Can it just be holly-jolly casual for those of us who like light whimsy labor, or does it have to match its corresponding oppressive, mischievous Christmas elf canon? Plus, the suspicious origin story of Christopher Pop-in-kins and whether Elf on the Shelf's biggest crime isn't the ziplining across the kitchen on dental floss, but intellectual property theft. Enjoy!

Order Kate's NYT Bestselling book, One in a Millennial here! Text or leave a voicemail for Kate at 775-HEY-BETH! Right now, Baked by Melissa is offering our listeners 20% off your order at Bakedbymelissa.com/BETHEREINFIVE. That's Bakedbymelissa.com/BETHEREINFIVE for 20% off your order. For a limited time, save on the perfect gift by visiting AuraFrames.com to get $35 off Aura's best-selling Carver Mat frames - named #1 by Wirecutter - by using promo code BETHEREINFIVE at checkout. That's AuraFrames.com promo code BETHEREINFIVE. .

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Give the gift of everyday luxury this holiday season. Head to cozyearth.com and use my code BETHEREINFIVE for up to 40% off — just be sure to place your order by December 12th for guaranteed Christmas delivery. Listening after the 12th? Don't worry — my code still works year-round for 20% off.

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This week, Kate's peer pressuring you to listen to an episode about the DARE program in the 90s and how it made every fifth grader in America incredibly wary of adults wearing trench coats. From winning essay contests and meeting Darren the Lion to interpretive dance performances and questionable field trips, listeners' stories did not disappoint. This episode also explores the program's history, why DARE may have worked to spook many of us but was statistically ineffective, the surprisingly dark surveillance tactics involving kids as informants, and the wild MLM-adjacent structures behind the program's expansion. Enjoy!

Works Cited

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/modern-american-history/article/dare-to-say-no-police-and-the-cultural-politics-of-prevention-in-the-war-on-drugs/2DF294BFCC638BFC0CC7744742401937

https://www.cerd.org/d-a-r-e-s-programs-cost-soars-past-1-billion-with-little-accounting/

https://slate.com/human-interest/2023/09/dare-history-police-surveillance-schools.html

Order Kate's NYT Bestselling book, One in a Millennial here! Text or leave a voicemail for Kate at 775-HEY-BETH! Right now, Baked by Melissa is offering our listeners 20% off your order at Bakedbymelissa.com/BETHEREINFIVE. That's Bakedbymelissa.com/BETHEREINFIVE for 20% off your order. Get 30% off sitewide with code BETHEREINFIVE at CHEFIQ.com. That's CHEFIQ.com, promo code BETHEREINFIVE . Give the gift of comfort that lasts beyond the holidays. This weekend only! From Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday, get 40% off at cozyearth.com with code BETHEREINFIVE.

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This week, Kate has Nora McInerny back for their tradition of poorly recapping The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. They do a better job this time of actually talking about the show, and after catching up on Nora's Groupons, they go through the main SLOMW storylines while drawing parallels with the current legendary season of Real Housewives of Salt Lake City. Enjoy!

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

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

Take advantage of this exclusive offer: For a limited time get 40% off your first box PLUS get a free item in every box for life. Go to Hungryroot.com/bethereinfive and use code bethereinfive.

Whether it's a weekend away, a big night out, or just a little style refresh – your dream wardrobe is just one click away. Head to REVOLVE.com/BETHEREINFIVE, shop my edit, and take 15% off your first order with code BETHEREINFIVE. Fast two-day shipping, easy returns – it's literally the only place you need to shop from.

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