Elizabeth Minkel

Thrown Drapery 'Redux' Study 1 - David Ligare , 2004.

American , b. 1945 -

Our latest is live! 💞 The great Kayti Burt goes deep on Boy Throb, who rose to fame partly via a quest to get one of its members, Darshan Magdum, a U.S. visa. (Spoiler: he just got it!) For many fans, the immigration angle has been a core part of their Boy Throb fandom:

Like many Americans, Gabby, a 17-year-old fan who skipped school to wait in line for the Boy Throb concert, has her own experience with the immigration process. “As a daughter with an immigrant parent, I feel very seen and connected to Darshan,” she told me, adding that she helped her mom with her application. “[I also feel close to] the other boys for being so supportive and kind and shedding light on the process and how tedious it truly is.”

For others, their relentless positivity in this political climate has been a major draw:

Nat, a 19-year-old fan, had a similar fan trajectory. “My interest in Boy Throb started out with finding them endearing and their goal of being with their friend really sweet, and it’s grown into being a genuine fan of their music,” she said. “I don’t think they would have gotten as popular as they did if there wasn’t so much bad stuff happening in the world right now, especially in the U.S. I think they skyrocketed partially because their entire persona is so uplifting and fun, which is a refreshing break against the backdrop of corruption and turmoil in the world right now.”

Add the authenticity angle—specifically, the persistent speculation that the band is Nathan Fielder's next project—and the result is a truly interesting snapshot of our moment, in a place where ideas about popularity, virality, and fandom collide directly with geopolitics.

Our August special episode is out, and you guessed it.... ✨🩸✨🩸✨

This one features @hellotailor AND @flourish (and @elizabethminkel as usual lol):

Much like the opening pages of Anne Rice’s The Vampire Lestat, the new season of the show formerly known as Interview with the Vampire immediately punches you in the face with a wild new tone—one perhaps best summarized as LESTAT. Fresh off recapping TVL for Fansplaning, Gavia Baker-Whitelaw joins Elizabeth and Flourish to discuss the season. Topics covered include that notable tone shift, audience expectations and the writers’ somewhat combative approach to storytelling, and specific elements like Gabriella’s presentation, Lestat’s music, and the Regina storyline. And, as you probably could have guessed, despite promising non-book-reader Gav not to talk too much about The Vampire Chronicles, Elizabeth and Flourish continue to do so, with a focus on the season’s unorthodox approach to adaptation.

Special episodes are available to Benefactor- and Champion-tier subscribers, or you can purchase one-off access to any individual ep. As always, our audio comes with a full human-written transcript!

‘Before the people’ , Peck Lake, Algonquin Park - Marten Visser , 2025.

Dutch , b. 1968 -