Taboo on the Bus
Zara McIntosh hosts a candid podcast from the front seat of a bus, discussing taboo topics related to pop culture, society, and queer issues. The show originated as a viral TikTok series and has expanded to longer episodes on Spotify. Listeners can tune in to hear unfiltered opinions while observing everyday life on public transport.
Episodes
What the ‘dot cake’ trend says about gen-z and luxury goods – are viral foods the new status good in our economic climate?
Sit down with me OFF the bus to dissect our consumption habits when it comes to viral food trends and ‘little treats’. In a backdrop of economic insecurity and the cost-of-living crisis, generation Z are not purchasing as many luxury material goods. In turn, we are watching the status of foods like the ‘dot cake’ take the place of ‘luxury’ as for many, it is the highest point of access, desire, an
Let's talk about the 'dot cake' – are viral foods the new status good in our economic climate? [Mini bus version]
Full deep-dive episode OFF the bus is also live!Sit with me on the bus to dissect our consumption habits when it comes to viral food trends and ‘little treats’. In a backdrop of economic insecurity and the cost-of-living crisis, generation Z are not purchasing as many luxury material goods. In turn, we are watching the status of foods like the ‘dot cake’ take the place of ‘luxury’ as for many, it
Social media is a breeding ground for classism [mini bus version]
[full deep-dive long episode is live]Social media is a breeding ground for poor-shaming working-class mockery, and I’ve been collecting evidence for the past 4 months to prove that. What we are seeing is the re-invention of the harmful working-class stereotypes present in early 2000s/10s media regurgitated in our algorithms right now. We can look at how deeply intertwined identity and consumption
Social Media is Classist - why people favour the wealthy and shame the poor online
Social media is a breeding ground for poor-shaming working-class mockery, and I’ve been collecting evidence for the past 4 months to prove that. What we are seeing is the re-invention of the harmful working-class stereotypes present in early 2000s/10s media regurgitated in our algorithms right now. We can look at how deeply intertwined identity and consumption habits to begin understanding why soc
The girls are emotionless - discussing the politics of numbness and stoic femininity [Taboo OFF the bus]
Rachel Sennott preaching “numb is in”, " Botox is rising, the girls are emotionless, and lobotomy chic is looming in the air. Sit down with me to dissect what it means for stoicism, deadpan, and numbness to become intertwined in our perceptions of beauty and femininity. Let’s discuss whether this can be viewed as a potential clapback to the patriarchal expectations of women’s behaviour, or in
The Politics of Numbness and Femininity [Taboo ON the Bus]
[Full OFF the bus podcast version is also live for a longer deepdive] Rachel Sennott preaching “numb is in”, botox is rising, the girls are emotionless, and lobotomy chic is looming in the air. Sit down with me to disect what it means for stoicism, deadpan, and numbness to become intertwined in our perceptions of beauty and feminity. Let’s discuss whether this can be viewed as a potential clapback
Trust me, you don't want to become reliant on AI - discussing the domestication of humans by artifical intelligence - Taboo OFF the bus
Sit down with me today to discuss the relationship between humans and artificial intelligence (AI) in comparison to that of humans and pets. Is it making our lives easier to become reliant on this technology, or are we domesticating ourselves and becoming sub-serviant to AI??Shout out to Gresham College lectures for inspiring this episode. Instagram - whatzaralovesTiktok - whatzaralovesEmail: what
Are we becoming domesticated by AI? - Taboo on the Bus
MINI bus version - full version off the bus is also live. Sit down with me today to discuss the relationship between humans and artificial intelligence (AI) in comparison to that of humans and pets. Is it making our lives easier to become reliant on this technology, or are we domesticating ourselves and becoming sub-serviant to AI??Shout out to Gresham College lectures for inspiring this episode.
Physical media and the fate of 'micro-trends' (everyone is going 'analog') - Taboo OFF the Bus
Physical media will not replace your phone (is ‘analog’ the next internet micro-trend…)Taboo OFF the Bus is back! Woo! `Sit down with me today to discuss the rapid rise of the 'analog' trend and return to physical media. We're watching rising consumption of DVDs, CD's, resorts back to old generation Apple IPods and IPhones, and all it says is that we are fed up with the current sta
The trend of 'physical media' and getting offline [Taboo ON the Bus]
Sit down on the bus with me for the mini digest of physical media, 'analog', and going offline. (Long episode OFF the bus will be live today) We're watching rising consumption of DVDs, CD's, resorts back to old generation Apple IPods and IPhones, and all it says is that we are fed up with the current state of technology, AI, and brain-rot content. But will this rising consumption l
Why do we hate ageing women? Let’s talk “retired baddies”, the anti-ageing industry and how “old” became an insult
I cannot escape the deep, seething hatred and humour online surrounding women ‘looking old’. Girls feel pretty and post online only to be attacked for ageing and appearing older than they are. It is an inescapable trap that we all fall to as women, yet we are continuing to tear down each other instead of challenging these expectations within wider society and from the very capitalistic anti-ageing
Why do we hate ageing women? "retired baddies" and the insult of "old" - mini bus version
Join me on the bus for the mini-deep-dive version of this week's topic. Full 40 min version is live too!I cannot escape the deep, seething hatred and humour online surrounding women ‘looking old’. Girls feel pretty and post online only to be attacked for ageing and appearing older than they are. It is an inescapable trap that we all fall to as women, yet we are continuing to tear down each oth
My boyfriend is AI - dissecting the ethics of relationships with chatbots (is ChatGPT the new hinge?)
A reddit forum titled: ‘My Boyfriend is AI’ recently gathered a lot of attention, leading me down the rabbit hole of relationships with humanised chatbots. Millions are forging intimate, emotional connections and relationships with artificially intelligent chatbots, creating boyfriends, girlfriends, best-friends, deceased replicas, and more, and today I sat down to analyse it. Is it ethical to bui
My boyfriend is AI - dissecting the ethics of relationships with chatbots [Mini bus version]
Join me on the bus for a mini version of this episode as we dissect the ethics and harms of forging relationships with artificially intelligent chatbots. Longer episode is also live for a fuller, broader deep dive. A reddit forum titled: ‘My Boyfriend is AI’ recently gathered a lot of attention, leading me down the rabbit hole of relationships with humanised chatbots. Millions are forging intimate
You are what you can afford: the privilege of a healthy diet, and the broken UK food system
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 food
You 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 a
Is 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 o
Queerbait 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
She’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
Why there will never be a 'lesbian' Grindr - my favourite topic discussed
Hello 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 l
we need to talk about white feminism: from social media ‘feminists’ to the Suffragettes
If 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 i
Can you call cosmetic procedures 'feminist'? dissecting filler, Botox, + beauty standards
Join 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. Le
Can 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
Are influencers employed by viewers? Analysing influencers, TikTok comments, and cancel culture
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,
Are 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 influenc
Where are all the lesbian bars? on history, misogyny, and why all the queer women are online
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 episode
where 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 ve
Is food a status symbol now? On food, class, & quiet luxury
In 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
Food 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 g
Full bush in a thong: the changing discourse about body hair and femininity
You 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
"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 i
WTF is an ‘Almond-Daughter’ - how tiktok is commodifying identities and aesthetics
I 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 to
WTF 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 desp
Is fashion week accessible? - with Tori West of Bricks Magazine
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 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 acco
Is 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 gi
Social Media dysmorphia - the truth of fillers, botox, and the beauty standard
Has 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
Dating apps are killing the gay bar - mini version
Globally, 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 re
Dating apps are killing the gay bars - the privatisation of queerness
Globally, 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 re
Should we all go back to flip phones? - the downfall of social media
The 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?
Why we won't delete social media - digital vs real life FOMO
The 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 enjo
The "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?
You don't hate Emma Chamberlain's new hair, you hate when girls lose their teenage girlishness
Deep-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 bus
Cancelled influencers always come back - the performative act of cancel culture, a deep dive
It 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 ap
The state of the current beauty standard - it costs more than just money
I 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
Death of the influencer - on relatability and the shift towards more meaningful content
Sit 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...
Why is re-defining your sexuality such a taboo? On Madeline Argy starting this conversation
I 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
Diet Culture has been rebranded as "Nutritional Advice" on TikTok
Suddenly 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&#
Should 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 occas
the drunk elephant pre-teens are the 2016 beauty guru fans again, except it’s skincare not makeup this time
The 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 wh
What is an "acceptable body count" - the impact of alpha males on female body count
Why 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 be
"You are what you consume" - pay attention to who you watch online
No 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.
Is 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....
Comparing your 'day in the life' to others on TikTok - nothing is 100% real online
We'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
Celebrities love to cosplay the working class - it is a lifestyle not an aesthetic
Charli 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
For the girls who wouldn't date a bisexual guy - let's talk Bisexuality
I 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???
Influencer breakups - this heartbreak is not yours to grieve
The 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 bus
The '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
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