It's Always That Deep
Nonfiction books that explore how pop culture reflects our identities and politics at large. These books examine music, celebrities, TV, film, games, literature, and the Internet to remind us that entertainment is never just entertainment, and it really is that deep.
created by crybabybea
last updated October, 2025
Comments
my new fave niche so recs are welcome!!
I donât have any coherent thoughts but I wanted to say that I love this idea â€ïž
yayyy tysm đ©·
Obsessed with you, obsessed with this. It also makes me think - have you listened to the Normal Gossip podcast? The pairing of gossip Theory and ruminations from academics and journalists and all sorts of media professionals with the silly fun gossip was so phenomenal and reflects this idea perfectly, like it's not that deep...except it is, really đ§
thank you queen đđ omg that podcast sounds perfect for me, i'm not much of a podcaster (too many books to read) BUT i will put it in my notes to listen if i ever get in the mood!! tysm for the rec
The host of Normal Gossip also put out a book! I had a good time with it - You Didnât Hear This From Me.
oh nice thank you i've added it!!
oh hell yea!! I'm here for this list. Can't wait to see it grow. I'll try to think of some recs!
yessss please do!!
I think maybe This Is Major by Shayla Lawson? caveat that I havenât read it yet, so I donât know for sure, but from the description it seems like it would fit!
also, I love this đ«¶đœ it feels like the perfect level of niche to be a satisfying list and youâre the perfect person to curate it!
hmmmm yes it sounds like it would fit!! i added it tysm!
Oh I LOVE this, thank you for putting it together! Might I suggest Pixel Flesh and maybe Culture Creep?
omg those are both PERFECT tysm for the recs!!!
oooooh and what a great title too!!
thank youuuu! i am a huge hater of the phrase "it's not that deep" lmaooo
Great list! This reminds me a bit of Anne Helen Petersen's work.
tysm! oh yes i was going to add one of her books but wasn't sure if it quite fit so ty for the rec!
The list I didnât know I needed! Thank you Bea! đ§Ą
this is one of my fave niches as well so iâm so excited that this list exists, itâs already a great mix of books iâve read and liked, books on my tbr, and books i havenât heard of before! a few books off my tbr that i think might fit (i havenât read these yet so take with a grain of salt) are authority by andrea long chu, mood machine by liz pelly, die hot with a vengeance by sable yong, and made up by daphne b
oh shit thanks for reminding me i was gonna add made up here!! i'll check out the others too. you and i are gonna get along just fine đââïžđââïž
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