Poppish

What do Walt Disney and Tana Mongeau have in common? They both had a dream. One, to open a theme park that wasn’t gross and also had a fully functioning train, and the other, to introduce a competitor to VidCon with just weeks of planning and no frontal lobe. These projects varied in their success, but both experienced similarly chaotic first days. In the Anaheim heat, ticket holders showed up to...

This one product can change your whole life and fix everything you don’t like about yourself? Huge if true. This week we talk Patent Medicines (AKA: snake oil) and Peptides, the wellness craze that has teens mixing and injecting miracle elixirs in their bedrooms. What are the claims behind these phenomena, and do any of them actually work? Plus: Poppish speaks on Punch the Monkey and we reflect up...

This week, we trace two historic timeline shifts back to their inciting incidents. We unpack how the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand kicked off World War 1, and how the death of Harambe the Gorilla led to… whatever this is. We discuss the tragic demise of two dudes who were ultimately just doing their thing, and survey the events that played out in their aftermath. Plus: a New Orleans Ma...

This week we get into a little classic Hollywood drama, exploring the casting processes for both “Gone With the Wind” and “The Greatest Showman.” Learn how Vivien Leigh landed the role of Scarlett O’Hara and how Jeremy Jordan did NOT land the role of Philip Carlisle. Plus: A report on the TikTok vertical drama scene and how to spend a day drying your sheets. For two girls suffering from wifi issue...

This week on Poppish: two inspiring tales of humanity showing up for one another after disaster. We share the stories of RMS Carpathia, the ship that rescued survivors of Titanic, and the town of Gander, Newfoundland, which took in thousands of stranded passengers whose flights were grounded on 9/11. In times like these, it’s nice to look back on how people have shown up to help strangers in the p...

Reporting drunk from the great NYC snowstorm of 2026, it’s Ellie and Anneliese. We each mixed a Buzzball, Beatbox, and Cutwater and then we hit record. We are so sorry for what followed. We did our very best to explain and compare two revolutionary inventions: the Printing Press and the Glambot. We recited the facts we could, and we slur our way to the finish line. We also catch up on TikTok influ...

POPPISH’S 6 STEP RECIPE FOR SUCCESS: Step 1: Change your name. Step 2: Take on a transatlantic accent. Step 3: Record “Ocean Eyes” in your brother’s bedroom. Step 4: Share your testimony. Step 5: Cut costs. Step 6: Maximize profits. Listen for more detail.

Are volcanoes pop culture? That question lies at the center of this week’s episode, wherein we unpack the terrifying eruptions of Mount Vesuvius (79 AD) and Whaakari (2019 AD). Two stories of volcanic disaster, one igniting tourism to Pompeii and one stopping tourism to White Island. If there’s one thing we learned, it’s that no matter how hard man tries to exert his control over nature, volcanoes...

This week, EVERYONE comes into a little wealth. James Marshall finds gold at Sutter’s Mill, a mysterious figure named Satoshi Nakamoto founds Bitcoin, Ellie gets a diamond ring, and Anneliese goes on a date with the creator of a brand new meme coin. Before recounting the California Gold Rush from 4th grade memory (it doesn’t go as well as we hoped), Ellie tells the story of her recent engagement t...

It’s up to each generation of women to destigmatize a new piece of the female form. In the 1920s, it was the knee. In the 2010s, bathed in the glowing optimism of the Obama administration, we pushed all the way to the nipple. Whether or not the nipple has been truly freed is still up for debate. We unpack 1920s flapper fashion and the knee-painting fad that drew attention to shorter hemlines and d...

Buckle your seatbelt and do NOT take it off until the pilot has turned off the seatbelt light, because we’re embarking on a Golden Age of Travel through two lumberjack tall tales. Whether you’re 63 axe handles tall or just regular height with a talent for speed climbing 90 feet in the air, you’ll find something to love in this rockin and choppin episode of Poppish as we tell you about obvious pair...

For sale: Baby flipper, never worn. We explore the troubling world of child beauty pageants by examining 19th century Baby Shows and TLC’s Toddlers and Tiaras. Let’s cheer on these tots as they, against their will, vie for titles such as “Best Dressed Baby” and “Ultimate Grand Supreme.” If you are judged the most beautiful baby of them all, you’re entitled to prizes such as Princess Canopy Bed, fi...

All aboard to Trinket Town! We’re exploring the history and lore behind two keychain phenomena: Labubus and Lucky Rabbits Feet. How did they become so beloved? What is their role in culture today? We are fascinated by how scared we are by these little plushie monsters and severed animal limbs. How can something so frightening be held so dear to so many? Is harnessing terror the whole point? Scarie...

Oh no! We discussed our thoughts on the ethics of sex work on a hot mic! We hope we got it right and are aligned with the current feminist views we always strive to possess. We love all women and you can quote us on that. We unpack two mutually beneficial romantic arrangements: the Dollar Princesses, Gilded Age American heiresses who married into European nobility, and Sugar Babies, who date old m...

This week we talk about BOYS! In particular, the ones in The Beatles and One Direction. They were young, funny, and British, and we couldn’t get enough. We explore audience reactions to their fame and even call in an expert to speak to the Directioner experience. This episode is dedicated to Liam Payne (1993-2024). Plus: Lying to children, appreciating the beauty of fall, and a trip to Conjunction...

Everyone loves a good sex scandal! We cover two cases of infidelity that shaped America: The Clinton-Lewinsky Scandal and Scandoval. These men, or should we say sex perverts, shook the nation when their sneaky rendezvous came to light. We tell the stories so perfectly and eloquently that we gave our publicists the whole week off. We feel confident that many of the facts stated in this episode are...

Chef Gusteau says anyone can cook; we’re here to tell you anyone can fly. Whether in the cockpit performing a frankly unprecedented barrel roll or soaring through the air with 3 parachutes and $200K in cash, these men took to the skies with all the gusto of a Top Gun extra. We do NOT condone hijackings of any kind, but some of the things these guys got up to at 30,000 feet were lowkey funny and im...

Every time a 20 year old woman gets “preventative Botox,” Sylvester McMonkey McBean gets a boner. On this week’s episode, we unpack body trends, cosmetic surgery, and filler using the guiding framework of Dr. Seuss’s “The Sneetches.” If you feel like everyone has the same face now, you’re not crazy — we do! And we think it’s weird and embarrassing that you don’t. Do you have $5000 so we can work o...

Has anyone here ever met or heard of another person, living or dead? Okay, they’re stepping forward and they want you to know: it’s going to be okay. Or it’s not, whichever resonates more. We explore two cases of the spooky, the scary, the macabre hitting the mainstream for entertainment value: Mummy Unwrapping Parties and TV Psychics. We learn about the many practical uses for mummies and Ellie p...

Would you follow a pig you didn’t know? We answer this question and more in this week’s discussion of two animal heroes: Lulu the Pig and Cher Ami the Pigeon. They went above and beyond the call of duty when it mattered most, saving countless (195) lives. Whether you’re in your Lake Eerie mobile home or the trenches of World War (let’s hope this never happens again!) it helps to have a determined...

Looking to get out of your small town and find adventure? Can you carry a tray? Perfect. We explore two traditions of women leaving it all behind for opportunity out west by way of waiting tables: The Harvey Girls and the Vanderpump Rules SURvers. In these stories, the restaurant industry serves as a gateway to a new, exciting, independent life for a generation of young women. And as a bonus? Many...

EVERYBODY STOP LIVING VICARIOUSLY THROUGH YOUR DAUGHTERS RIGHT NOW! We explore the (at times)(often times)(most of the time) tragic stories of Shirley Temple and Piper Rockelle, two child stars who rose to fame and fortune at the cost of their childhoods. We learn how it turned out for Shirley, and pray for Comrade Piper as she enters adulthood. Plus: adventures in babysitting, fake news in Sevent...

Picture this: you’re completely isolated from the outside world, sleep deprived, hungry, fighting a yeast infection, and disgraced social psychologist Philip Zimbardo is hitting on his TA the whole time. We tackle two social experiments that push young hot singles to their limits: Love Island and the Stanford Prison Experiment. How do stressful, isolated conditions drive ordinary people to such ex...

Not bad for a girl with no talent! This week we explore the singing careers of two artists who defied the odds and gained popularity despite critical disfavor: Florence Foster Jenkins and Sanjaya Malakar. These icons remind us not to listen to the haters, either by choice or by syphilis, and to chase our dreams. Plus, hear about how Ellie became a mother, Coachella being back, and how the Presiden...

Ladies, step right up and tell us why we should accept you into our special little society. We’re unpacking two traditions in which young women make their debut in a new chapter of their lives and work to prove their worth on this new stage: Bama Rush and Debutante Balls. From the Bridgertons to the Darnells, women across the centuries have endured these elaborate hazing rituals, hoping to bag eit...