Nymphet Alumni

In this week’s episode, we discuss Romantasy, the Franken-genre that has conquered the publishing world and defined the libidinal landscapes of a generation of women. We decode the genre’s DNA from dimestore bodice-rippers to high fantasy epics, examine the sociological profile of its authors and audiences, and explore how it’s mutated in the digital age via AI visualizers and high-budget audio erotica. We also talk about Renaissance faires, fujoshi discourse, the mirror image of male vs. female gooning in popular culture, Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights as the BookTok movie of the century, and more. Links: Image board
Sam’s Romantasy Spotify Playlist
“Did a Best-Selling Romantasy Author Steal Another Writer’s Story?” by Katy Waldman in The New Yorker
“She Fell in Love With ChatGPT. Then She Ghosted It.” (r/MyBoyfriendIsAI profile) by Kashmir Hill in The New York Times
“Gender difference in brain activation to audio-visual sexual stimulation” by Chung et. al. in PubMed
“Sexual Scripts: Permanence and Change” by William Simon and John H. Gagnon in Archives of Sexual Behavior, Vol. 15, No. 2
“How the Renaissance Fair became America’s favorite fantasy” by Kelly Faircloth in National Geographic
r/AskAHistorian discussions about medievalism and high fantasy (one, two, three)
The Oxford Handbook of Victorian Medievalism ed. Joanne Parker and Corinna Wagner
Hard to Be a God (2013) dir. Aleksei German
Candlelight Ecstasy Romance Guidelines c. 1980
Love Story magazine ed. Daisy Bacon (1921–1947) (see covers here)
“The Uses of Reading Mass-Produced Romance Fiction” (Harlequin study) by Susan B. Neuman (1985)
History of the “sex and shopping” genre by Pascal Tréguer
“Girls Who Love Boys Who Love Boys” by E. Alex Jung in Vulture
Interview with Quinn founder and CEO Caroline Spiegel in Refinery29
“Aural Fixation: Celebrity Audio Erotica Is 2025’s Answer to the Centerfold” by Hannah Jackson in Vogue
“The Importance of Critical Thinking in a Zombiefied World” (Why romantasy is crucial to understanding Apple TV’s hit show Pluribus) by Maris Kreizman in The Atlantic
“Liking Books is Not a Personality” by Hannah McGregor in Electric Literature
@shauna_the_author on Instagram



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In this week’s episode, we’re joined by actress and generational internet phenomenon Ivy Wolk (Anora, The English Teacher) to discuss her sartorial origins from roller derby to riot grrl to rockabilly, the sorry state of the Theatre, the evolving identity of the character actor, the cult mystique of a volatile decade-long online presence, and why cultural curiosity may be the closest thing we have to world peace. Ivy also weighs in on the uncanny e-girl invasion of the latest Guess campaign and reflects on the spirit of authentic Angeleno style.
Links:
Ivy Wolk on Instagram
Theatre and Film on Tape Archive at NYPL for the Performing Arts
Mike Tyson’s “fat and nasty” MAHA Super Bowl ad
Peloton’s Kendall Toole in viral “get ‘em banned” clip
Guess girl Instagam campaign


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In this edition of Study Break, we survey the triumph and tragedy of the 2026 Grammys and deliver our official assessment of the Momania (The Moment + Melania) double feature. The declaration of war on Sombr is formally expanded to include newcomer Olivia Dean, and the strange theater of Latino representation in Hollywood comes under review. Elsewhere, several urgent notes are issued to the pop music PR puppeteers who seem to have lost motor control of talents like Jelly Roll and Billie Eilish. We also unpack the honky tonk heartbreak of Bella Hadid and Adan Banuelos, Gaga’s McQueen resurrection, Justin Bieber’s soulful Captain Underpants realness, the newest wave of Windrush Generation excellence, and more!
Links:
Sacheen Littlefeather accepting an Oscar on behalf of Marlon Brando
Adan Banuelos Arrested for Public Intoxication
Bella Hadid dancing in a Honky Tonk with Adan Banuelos
Theo Von on Jelly Roll Acceptance Speeches
Zillennial Cozy Funk Wedding


This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.nymphetalumni.com/subscribe

In this week's episode, we examine a specific brand of dark femininity that feels like a vestige of 2016, embodied through dramatic imagery of luxury accessories, cartoon vixens, and predatory wildlife, and expressed through a paradoxical strain of man-hating male centrism. We discuss this aesthetic’s positioning in opposition to the Clean Girl and how interpersonal dynamics popularized by sex work inform its understanding of power and money. We also investigate why the dark feminine resonates so deeply among women of the so-called “Latina belt,” drawing connections to chola culture and Arabic literary traditions to explore how this affect functions as a negotiation between patriarchal tradition and Western ideas about female sexuality and autonomy. Finally, we identify the aesthetic’s greatest arbiters and muses, from Helmut Newton and Riccardo Tisci to Maddy Perez and BLACKPINK’s Lisa.Links:
Image board
Examples on Instagram, TikTok
Ralph Bakshi: A Forgotten Pioneer
Rihanna - B***h Better Have My Money (Explicit) (Official Music Video)
BbyMutha - RULES (Official Music Video)
Why Men Love B*****s: From Doormat to Dreamgirl by Sherry Argov
“How the Cholo Clown Became the Face of L.A.” by Frank Rojas for LA Times (“Smile Now, Cry Later” history)
Viral Alexa Demie Yo Voy clip
Ghazal History – Encyclopaedia Iranica
BLACKPINK’s Lisa introduces “Vixi”
@shopnou_ on Instagram
“The Wild World of Chris von Wangenheim” by Daisy Woodward for AnOther
Chris von Wanghenheim on TheFashionSpot
“Pomellato Revives Helmut Newton’s Daring ’80s Campaigns in a New Show” by Annie Davidson Watson for W
Ricardo Tisci by Donatella Versace for Interview
Givenchy Fall 2011 Menswear on Vogue Runway
Givenchy Spring 2011 Ready-to-Wear on Vogue Runway
Givenchy Fall 2011 Ready-to-Wear on Vogue Runway


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In the first Study Break of the year, Biz and Sam survey the state of the world refracted through the prism of pop culture. They discuss Odessa A’Zion’s wig allegations, the hypernormal clownery of Nicolas Maduro’s kidnapping, Bella Hadid’s blonde hair omen, and the pop-princess perfection of Zara Larsson. Plus: a meditation on time in the second quarter of the 21st century, viewed through the anamorphic looking glass of Hollister’s 2016 anachronism, Cameron Winter’s Dorian Grey agelessness, and North West’s prodigious beat-making potential.
Links:
Hollister’s Tumblr Drop
2016 Revisionism
Stateside + Zara Larsson by Pink Panthress
North West’s Beatmaking Sample
Cameron Winter at Carnegie Hall
Bella Hadid for Dazed MENA
@shop_reallifeasliv
Carnival Time, Hardness, and the Machines That Process Excess by Sachin on Substack
Work-Hardened Archetypes by Sachin on Substack
Venezuelan Oil Explainer in The Guardian
Enhanced Oil Recovery Techniques
Oil Company Pushback in The Guardian
Who is Zach Bryan’s Wife?
Rama Duwaji Profile in The Cut
Previous Episodes Referenced:
Ep. 76: Get Silly
Ep. 24: The Snapocalypse
Ep. 25: America (with Light Townsend Cummins)


This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.nymphetalumni.com/subscribe