# The Loneliness Epidemic

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-latest-craze-a-forensic-analysis-of-pop-culture-7046151/the-loneliness-epidemic
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-latest-craze-a-forensic-analysis-of-pop-culture-7046151/the-loneliness-epidemic.md
Podcast: [THE LATEST CRAZE: A Forensic Analysis of Pop Culture](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-latest-craze-a-forensic-analysis-of-pop-culture-7046151)
Published: 2026-07-14T19:00:48+00:00
Episode link: https://thelatestcrazepodcast.substack.com/p/the-loneliness-epidemic
Audio file: https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/207043918/988068106d8f8e8616a59e0f944e3c7d.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-latest-craze-a-forensic-analysis-of-pop-culture-7046151/episodes/the-loneliness-epidemic
Duration seconds: 2376

## Resource

Loneliness is a human condition, and something we all have felt. In many cities and places across the globe, loneliness is on the rise and in 2023 was named an epidemic by the Attorney General. In this episode we’ll discuss a charming and unique feature film named “Rental Family” in which a washed up American actor living in Tokyo, played by the ever earnest Brendan Fraser, finds his own new family by working for an agency that rents people like him to act as stand-ins for strangers who seek companionship. Therapy comes in many forms, and writer/director Hikari’s “Rental Family” does a great job demonstrating just how true that can be. Additional Links: Loneliness epidemic advisory 2023 The Courage to be Disliked on Goodreads Rental Family CDC resources for Loneliness Music by ROSSER This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thelatestcrazepodcast.substack.com

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## Transcript

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