Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Caroline Moss

When author, producer, writer, and shopping expert Caroline Moss first began making product recommendations on Twitter, she had no idea it would lead her into the podcasting world, but that’s exactly what it did!

Every Friday, Caroline and a guest sit down and share their recent purchases as well as reveal where listeners can pick one up for themselves.

Pop Culturalist recently spoke with Caroline about Gee Thanks, Just Bought It! and the community she’s built through the years.

PC: How did you get started in the world of podcasting?
Caroline: It was (sort of) a fluke! When I started doing product recs on Twitter, Doree and Kate of Forever35 reached out and asked me if I wanted to parlay those rec tweets into something in the podcast world. I jumped at the opportunity, obviously!

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Caroline: Great question, but unfortunately it has no clear-cut answer. I guess if I had to name someone, I would say my first boss in the world of media and journalism, Joe Weisenthal. When I was interviewing for my job at Business Insider in early 2013, I was basically trying to get hired off of potential. I had majored in journalism in college, but my first four years out of school were in the wake of the recession, and journalism jobs were few and far between. So I was basically like, begging Joe to give me that job, even trying to barter during the interview process into a trial three-month thing where he could fire me no questions asked if I couldn’t perform in ninety days. Luckily, I think he was perplexed by my persistence and hired me. I loved that job so much and I never took it for granted that Joe basically took a major chance on me.

PC: Tell us about the inspiration behind Gee Thanks, Just Bought It! and how it came to fruition.
Caroline: Back in 2019, I started tweeting about things I had found, bought, and liked, starting with a $180 “under the desk” elliptical, which I didn’t know existed and immediately purchased when one popped up on Amazon as I was searching for something else. It’s just the pedals of an elliptical and you can pump your legs while answering emails—genius. I tweeted about it, shared a link, and then just kept doing that in a thread. I love researching things and buying things to make my life easier. I also love hearing about what other people are spending money on.

PC: You’ve recommended dozens of products on your podcast. If you had to choose the one that has had the biggest impact on your own life, which would it be and why?
Caroline: No, I can’t! I don’t have a clear-cut answer for this. I always say it’s the inflatable hot tub I have in my backyard (I spent a lot of time in the inflatable hot tub I have in my backyard), but impact? I would say the convos I have with guests impact me far more than the material things we recommend, and that I have become a way more thoughtful purchaser in the last year. To me, that is priceless!

PC: You started this podcast in 2019. What’s one thing you know now that you wish you knew when you started?
Caroline: That there would be a pandemic! No, just kidding. I mean, actually, no, I wish I had gotten a heads up on the pandemic, sure. I think in the beginning, I was determined to have everything figured out on day one. The beauty of having a weekly podcast is that it allows space for the content to evolve against the world you’re recording it in. I wish I knew that it was okay to lean into all of that ASAP…I don’t think I really started to get that aspect of it until a year in.

PC: You’ve built an amazing community of listeners. What has their response and support meant to you?
Caroline: In one word: everything. It has been the best part of the entire experience.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Caroline: Seasons 3-5 of The Real Housewives of New Jersey! It’s the ultimate white noise for me. It’s literally playing in the background of me answering these questions!

PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Caroline: Age of Adeline. Apparently, no one liked that movie except for me. I love it.

PC: Favorite book?
Caroline: Trick question! Next. Don’t make me pick.

PC: Favorite play or musical?
Caroline: As a lifelong theater kid, I am an equal musical employer and I love them all. The last show I saw before Broadway shut down was Tina: the Tina Turner Musical. It was honestly the most fun I have ever had in a Broadway theater! Adrienne Warren (who played Tina Turner) is a legend.

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Caroline: 100 Gecs, which is a hyper-pop electropop duo. It is definitely the most un-Caroline music I listen to.

PC: Go-to podcast (besides your own)?
Caroline: It’s gotta be Oh, I Like That from Rachel Wilkerson Miller and Sally Tamarkin. Their podcast is so soothing and fun to listen to!

To keep up with Caroline, follow her on Instagram. Subscribe to Gee Thanks, Just Bought It! here.