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PODCAST

People Stuff

Michael Scroggins, Dan Souleles

People Stuff is a write-in, anthropology advice podcast wherein we answer all sorts of questions with the weird and wonderful wisdom that anthropology offers. From whether you should make your bed to what you owe to the dead, no dilemma is too tiny, no conundrum too vast for a little bit of anthropology. After all, as a species, we"ve been human-ing for like 300,000 years already. Surely we"ve figured some stuff out.

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All Episodes

00:43:52

Your Brain on Ads: The Ancient Instincts Marketers...

People Stuff ·

2026/10/01

This week, Michael and Dan dissect the tried-and-true formula of negative political ads, how pharma commercials changed the doctor/patient relationship, and the mysterious consortium of billionaires trying to convince us that Jesus is more relatable than Muhammad.Listen to PEOPLE STUFF wherever you get your podcasts:https://apple.co/4y26Ed2https://bit.ly/4hxGybSAsk Dan and Michael anything: https://www.people-stuff.com/contactJoin the discussion on Discord: https://discord.gg/zDePB3aujHosted,

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00:02:03

A Very People Stuff Programming Note

People Stuff ·

2026/09/26

That’s it for this week’s People Stuff — the show where twoanthropologists try (and sometimes fail) to make sense of people. If you’ve got a question, a dilemma, or just something deeply weird about humanity you’d like us to unpack, send it our way at people-stuff.com Credits Produced by Gabe Bullard Music by The Endless Bummer Art by Siobhan Henegan Marketing by Bryan Haut Legal support by The Law Office of Matthew Shayefar, the one true business uncle. You can also sign up for our

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01:10:36

[Encore] Why Do We Care About TV People? (feat....

People Stuff ·

2026/09/01

Why do we care so much about people we've never met?This week on People Stuff, Dan and Michael are joined by trivia expert and television veteran Arianna Haut—whose résumé includes Jeopardy!, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, The Chase, and five seasons on Master Minds—to ask what television actually does to us. Why do celebrities feel like old friends? Is it ever acceptable to talk to a TV star at the gym? Does watching violent shows like The Wire make kids more violent? And what happens when

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00:54:05

[Encore] Dan and Michael Touch Grass: Social media,...

People Stuff ·

2026/08/25

This week on People Stuff, anthropologists Dan and Michael get their hands dirty with the real weirdness of modern life — from politicians oversharing on social media to waiters wanting crypto paychecks to a man who just keeps adding doors to his house.We’re asking the big questions: Should politicians be more boring online? Is crypto a union-busting fever dream? How many doors are too many doors to the spirit realm? And can you really fix vaccine hesitancy with darts and cash? Along the way, Dan

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00:57:53

[ENCORE] Dan and Michael Heard it through the...

People Stuff ·

2026/08/18

Ever wondered why people still warn you to check your kids’ Halloween candy for razor blades — even though it’s never actually happened?Or why politicians say, “a lot of people are saying…” when they clearly made it up? In this week’s episode, Dan and Michael Heard It Through the Grapevine, our resident anthropologists dig into how rumors, myths, and moral panics shape our everyday lives. They unpack the folklore behind Halloween candy scares, explore how gossip and political speech both rely on

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00:50:46

Honor, Shame, Friendship & Job Hunting | Why Losing...

People Stuff ·

2026/08/11

Why can your closest friends insult you without consequence while a stranger's middle finger can ruin your entire day?This week on People Stuff, anthropologists Dan and Michael explore honor, reputation, shame, dignity, friendship, and status—from honor cultures and rural gossip networks to modern hiring rituals, HOAs, and the strange social rules that govern respect. Along the way they discuss: Why insults from friends strengthen relationships Honor cultures and reputation Why job hunting

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00:56:04

Dan and Michael Consider the Fruit of the Vine |...

People Stuff ·

2026/08/04

Why does wine make people unbearable—and civilization possible? This week, Dan and Michael uncork the anthropology of wine, from Roman vineyards to supermarket Pinot Noir, asking how globalization transformed taste and why Americans accidentally taught the world to make wine that tastes like vanilla jam. Along the way they answer listener questions about: 🍷 A Catholic priest in recovery who must choose between sobriety and appearing "normal" during Mass. 🍇 A wine shop owner who spent years chasing

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00:58:54

[Encore] Dan and Michael Are Not Your Type: Corporate...

People Stuff ·

2026/07/28

Are you a “blue brain,” a “Phoebe,” or just a person trying to do your job?This week on People Stuff, Dan and Michael dig into the strange afterlife of psychological typing — from Jungian archetypes to workplace “whole brain” seminars and gifted testing for seven-year-olds. Why do employers, schools, and BuzzFeed quizzes all want to turn us into caricatures of ourselves? They’ll also diagnose Peter Thiel’s end-times theology, dismantle the eugenic logic of IQ tests, and fix the entire school

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00:47:36

Heat waves, AI layoffs, Finnish saunas, and why...

People Stuff ·

2026/07/21

This week, Dan and Michael tackle one of humanity's oldest problems: staying cool. From heat waves and climate adaptation to office air conditioning, Finnish sauna culture, and the strange ways Americans think about bodies, risk, and comfort, they explore what sweating tells us about society.Along the way they discuss: why heat is political AI layoffs that companies are already reversing whether automation is actually making work better why Americans struggle with truly hot saunas tort law,

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00:57:52

Home Cooking, Kitchen Gadgets, Dinner Party Etiquette...

People Stuff ·

2026/07/07

Why do people collect ridiculous kitchen gadgets? When do dietary restrictions become impossible to cook around? Why does feeding people create friendship, obligation, and family? This week on People Stuff, anthropologists Dan and Michael are joined by cook, marketer, and longtime friend Bryan Haut for an episode about the anthropology of home cooking. Together they explore why kitchens fill with avocado slicers and egg gadgets, what dinner parties reveal about modern etiquette, why hospitality is

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01:02:35

[Encore] Dan and Michael Get Spooked: The...

People Stuff ·

2026/06/30

Highlights The cultural power of brutal honesty in hiring (and why job posts should repel as much as they attract). Vampires as symbols of modern alienation and eternal cool. Fascism as a false cure for loneliness and economic despair. Monsters as mirrors of humanity’s deepest fears and longings. A defense of national parks and public lands. Segment Breakdown 00:00 – Intro: Brutal honesty and vampire week preview 06:00 – What Fresh Hell: The war on empathy 12:00 – Question 1: “Can I be a

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01:10:36

Why Do We Care About TV People? (feat. Arianna Haut...

People Stuff ·

2026/06/23

Why do we care so much about people we've never met? This week on People Stuff, Dan and Michael are joined by trivia expert and television veteran Arianna Haut—whose résumé includes Jeopardy!, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, The Chase, and five seasons on Master Minds—to ask what television actually does to us. Why do celebrities feel like old friends? Is it ever acceptable to talk to a TV star at the gym? Does watching violent shows like The Wire make kids more violent? And what happens when

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01:03:46

Why Is Los Angeles Like This? Traffic, Identity,...

People Stuff ·

2026/06/16

What exactly is Los Angeles?A city? A county? A collection of freeways? A lifestyle brand with excellent tacos and terrible traffic? This week on People Stuff, Dan and Michael are joined by genetic counselor and longtime Angeleno-adjacent observer Saanchi Shah to tackle one of America's most confusing cities. Along the way they explore: Why Los Angeles seems designed entirely around cars Whether tourists fundamentally misunderstand LA Why the San Fernando Valley creates existential crises for

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00:49:52

Camping Isn’t Survival: Hiking, Hunting, REI Culture,...

People Stuff ·

2026/06/09

What is camping actually for? This week on People Stuff, Dan and Michael head into the wilderness to investigate one of modern life's strangest contradictions: millions of people spend thousands of dollars on gear, drive hours into the woods, and then eat store-bought snacks while pretending they're escaping civilization. Along the way, they tackle some surprisingly deep questions: Why do some people dress like they're summiting Everest to drop their kids off at school? What's the real difference

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01:06:25

Why Humans Need Privacy | Shelter, Office Design, and...

People Stuff ·

2026/06/02

Why do humans need privacy?This week on People Stuff, Michael and Dan are joined by anthropologist and design researcher Gretchen Pfeil to explore one of the most basic—and surprisingly complicated—human needs: shelter. What makes a space feel private? Why do open offices drive people insane? Why does living and working in the same place feel so strange? And what happens when the social rules that organize public space suddenly break down? Along the way, we discuss: • Why Europeans and Britons keep

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00:51:34

Dan and Michael Go to Home Depot | DIY Culture,...

People Stuff ·

2026/05/26

Home Depot may be the most American place on Earth. This week on People Stuff, Michael and Dan dive into the anthropology of DIY culture, suburban home repair, hardware stores, masculinity, construction work, and the strange emotional power of wandering the lumber aisle at 8:30 in the morning. Along the way: Why every home repair project somehow requires four separate trips to Home Depot The hidden anthropology of planning, improvisation, and “situated action” A carpenter loses part of his

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01:11:32

Dan and Michael Never Could Have Been Contenders...

People Stuff ·

2026/05/19

Competition used to be for sports and maybe college admissions. Now it’s for internships, student clubs, networking coffee chats, LinkedIn visibility, and apparently sleep scores monitored by the national security state.This week on People Stuff, Michael and Dan are joined by Brown University senior and Product Management Club leader Justin Dang to talk about what happens when every institution starts operating like a tournament bracket. Along the way: A party argument escalates into a threat of

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01:02:02

Home Is Where the Asset Is: FIRE Roommates, Haunted...

People Stuff ·

2026/05/12

This week on People Stuff, Dan and Michael tackle one of the great contradictions of modern life: why Americans treat houses simultaneously as sacred homes, speculative assets, retirement plans, emotional support animals, and deeply cursed money pits.Along the way: FIRE enthusiasts buy a house without an inspection and immediately discover foundation problems; a listener wants to know the most important room in a home; another listener discovers that buying a charming old house may also require

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00:58:50

Dan and Michael Get Back in the Saddle (with Jennifer...

People Stuff ·

2026/05/05

Horse girls. German cowboys. Private equity bowling alleys. This week on People Stuff, we take on horses—not just as animals, but as cultural objects, status symbols, and surprisingly effective therapists.Joined by medical anthropologist Jennifer Van Tiem, we explore how an eight-year-old’s horse obsession spirals into real estate searches, why the Western refuses to die (it just changes costumes), and what exactly is happening when a prey animal becomes your emotional support system. Along the

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00:56:59

Is It Really Human Nature? Gender, Boys, Parenting &...

People Stuff ·

2026/04/28

This week on People Stuff, Dan and Michael are joined by Princeton anthropologist Agustín Fuentes—author of Sex Is a Spectrum and Race, Monogamy, and Other Lies They Told You—to ask what human nature actually means, and why people keep using it to justify behavior they don’t want to examine too closely. We cover: Why Lord of the Flies is bad anthropology Scout camp pranks, masculinity, and whether boys are “naturally” violent Looksmaxxing, incel language, and why young men are hitting themselves

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