Christy Carlson Romano was ubiquitous on the Disney Channel in the early 2000s, starring in ‘Even Stevens,’ ‘Kim Possible,’ and ‘Cadet Kelly.’  But after the roles stopped and the checks dried up, she lost money to psychics, struggled with family relationships, and grappled with addiction. Now she processes those experiences on her popular YouTube channel, with videos like “Why I Don't Talk to Shia LaBeouf.” She talks with Sam about overcoming her past, tapping into nostalgia to find new audiences, and advocating for changes in the entertainment industry for child actors. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, Sam is joined by comedian Zach Zimmerman. We catch up on the writers' strike and ask for his opinions on the series finale of HBO's Succession, the streaming service formerly known as HBO Max (it's just Max now, thanks), standing ovations at the Cannes Film Festival, and more. We also chat about Zach's new book Is It Hot in Here (Or Am I Suffering for All Eternity for the Sins I Committed on Earth)? and the ways we might lose a religion, but find something better instead — a deeper relationship with our parents and a deeper understanding of ourselves. Plus: a round of "F*ck, Marry, Kill" with Adam, Eve, and Satan. And we remember the late Tina Turner from a moment in 2004: It was Oprah's birthday, but it was always Tina's party. Send us your culturegeist. What specific thing in the culture has haunted you for days, weeks, or even years? And why? Email a short voice memo to [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Halle Bailey stars as Ariel in the live-action remake of the classic Disney animated film. Casting a Black actress in the role caused quite a splash — which inspired us to look back at two of Disney’s forays into Black princess movies.  Dr. Aria Halliday studies cultural constructions of Black girlhood and womanhood at The University of Kentucky. She and Sam break down the 1997 made for TV ‘Cinderella,’ starring Brandy, and 2009’s ‘Princess and the Frog.’  Then, Vulture’s baddest film critic Angelica Jade Bastién tells us whether 2023’s ‘Little Mermaid’ has legs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, Sam is joined by comedian and writer Samantha Irby to dive into the week in culture: the latest movie in the Fast and the Furious franchise, Martha Stewart's historic Sports Illustrated cover, and Love Island-inspired British accents. We also chat about her newest book of essays Quietly Hostile and why she'd no longer want a TV show about her life. Exhibit A: her experience writing for And Just Like That... and the backlash to the character of Che Diaz. And we hear about the culture that's haunting us: The NBC "Brotherhood of Man" Super Bowl commercial is a rich tapestry of people's souls being sold out in real time. Send us your culturegeist. What specific thing in the culture has haunted you for days, weeks, or even years? And why? Email a short voice memo to [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

AI is making fake Drake/The Weeknd songs, weird images, and there’s a worry that TV and movie scripts could be written by ChatGPT. But it’s also about to dramatically change the way we consume, share, and obsess over pop culture. Nilay Patel, Editor-in-Chief of The Verge, explains to Sam how pretty much everything we search on the internet is mediated by Google… and how AI is about to disrupt it all. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices