The Real Story of “West Elm Caleb”

ICYMI

Slate Podcasts

Entertainment News, News, Tech News, Society & Culture

3.8 • 678 Ratings

🗓️ 22 January 2022

⏱️ 31 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

The name on every TikTokker’s lips is “West Elm Caleb,” a New York City twenty-something whose dating practices and history have come under major scrutiny, after women started posting videos about their negative experiences with him. Things quickly got out of control as more and more people got swept up in the gossipy drama. On today’s episode, Madison and Rachelle talk to some of the women who shared their own stories about dating Caleb online. Then, they discuss how this is a moment both about the power of women coming together to protect each other and the way that this collective’s motives can quickly turn south. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	The Autopilot Order.
0:01.8	Now, informal.
0:03.0	The strong urge felt at the ordering kiosk or drive-through that takes over the entire body and mind
0:07.9	and results in a person ordering a Big Mac without even having to think.
0:11.6	Related phrases.
0:12.6	Looks like I've ordered a Big Mac again.
0:14.7	The Autopilot Order at McDonald's.
0:18.1	Serves from 11am subject to availability.
0:24.7	I'm. served from 11 a.m., subject to availability. Obviously, we're all watching the West Elm Caleb drama,
0:28.4	even if, you know, we live in Chicago like me.
0:33.5	Hi, I'm Rachel Hansen.
0:35.4	And I'm Madison Malone Kircher.
0:36.8	You're listening to I-Cy-Y-M-I.
0:38.6	And case you missed it.
0:39.8	Slate's podcast about internet culture.
0:42.3	Rachel, I have to ask, have you been seeing the TikToks about West Elm Caleb?
0:48.1	Okay, so I think when I was on TikTok about two or three days ago, it just started crossing my FYP, and I was like, oh, this is going to blow up.
0:59.7	It did mostly remind me of how much I hate dating, though.
1:02.9	Tell me more.
1:05.1	I know how much you love hearing about my dating life, so I'm finally going to tell you the story of the worst date I ever went on.
1:15.7	Picture this. A young girl, I think I was like 19 or 20. I definitely could not drink at this point.
1:21.6	I was in D.C. interning. And so I was like, let me go on a few tender dates while I'm here because I was stupid.
	...

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