When the University of Alabama sorority rush became a TikTok phenomenon in the early 2020s, Anne Helen Petersen wasn’t the only journalist to write about it. But in her analysis of the trend—the shifting face of Southern femininity, alumni power structures, white supremacy—there was also a real affection for the young girls squealing with excitement and showing off their rush outfits. That thread of sincere but critical interest runs through her work, including books and her Culture Study newsletter and podcast. She covers anything that tempts her to fall down a rabbit hole of research, from millennial burnout to making friends as an adult. Armed with a PhD in
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