'Algorithm Bodies' & the human need to worship celebrities

What makes someone a star nowadays? And why does every generation of humans crave to celebrate them? For decades, Hollywood has promoted a carefully curated ideal of aspirational talent, beauty, and intrigue. But in 2026, it feels like that power is in the hands of the one thing that alleges to know us best: the algorithm. Now computer programs hold more power in shaping who is famous and what we all are fed as aspirational ideals: from who is a star to what our bodies should look like. Enter the algorithm body. In this episode, host Brittany Luse is joined by Christiana Mbakwe Medina , screenwriter and host of the Pop Syllabus podcast . They get into the evolving nature of fame and why Christina thinks the thin body ideal is out and the sculpted body ideal is in. Want more about tech, beauty, and cultural cache? Check out these IBAM episodes: The morbid lifelessness of modern beauty Peptides & the pursuit of the "perfect" body Support Public Media. Join NPR Plus. Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluse For handpicked podcast recommendations every week,

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'Algorithm Bodies' & the human need to worship celebrities is an episode from It's Been a Minute by NPR.

This episode is 39:16 long.

This episode was published on Apr 14, 2026.

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