Attention Episodes
Sept. 16, 2025
Dan and Michael Are Not Into Instagramming Their Food: Conspicuous consumption, Instagram attention economies, and the anthropology of standing in line.
Why does one lobster shack have a two-hour line while the identical one across the street sits empty? In this People Stuff special episode, anthropologists Dan Souleles and Michael Scroggins break down why food culture today isn’t about taste—it’s about being seen. From Red’s Eats in Maine to Magnolia Bakery and Instagram-famous bagel shops, they unpack conspicuous consumption in the age of social media, where attention is the real currency.