I'm A Sophisticate and So Can You!

We're tilting at windmills, y'all. On our second episode about a book, we take on a true titan of postcolonial literature: Salman Rushdie's epic, Midnight's Children. This was a doozy of a book in every possible way. Co-Hosts: Sydney Painter and Anthony Pinggera Theme music by Dana Wilentz. If you enjoyed the show, don't forget to leave a rating, review, and/or subscribe wherever you catch your po...

On this episode, we watch the most wholesome movie, E.T., and then listen to the least wholesome band, the Sex Pistols. Or at least, that was the plan, until Sydney went rogue. This episode contains strong language and brief discussions of terminating pregnancies. Co-Hosts: Sydney Painter and Anthony Pinggera Theme music by Dana Wilentz. If you enjoyed the show, don't forget to leave a rating, rev...

We might as well call this episode "all nostalgia, all the time!" First, we review that classic 80's romantic comedy, "Moonstruck" (or as young people call it, the Cher movie with "snap out of it!"). Then, We spin up the kings of mid-aughts indie rock, Arcade Fire, and cry about how we're not as young as we used to be. But in a fun way, we promise. This episode contains explicit language and a bri...

This is the second part of our two-part COVID-palooza coverage of "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills." On this episode, we cover Seasons 3 through 5, including the continuing Tragedy of Kim and Kyle, the weird blip that is Season 4, and that fight in Amsterdam! This episode contains explicit language and frank discussions of addiction and domestic abuse. Co-Hosts: Sydney Painter and Anthony Pin...

If you've ever wondered what we do when we get stuck in the house with COVID, the answer is: we binge five seasons of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and then record a podcast about it! We had a lot to say, so this is going to be a two-part episode, with the second part releasing in one week. This first episode covers Seasons 1 and 2 of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills; the next episode w...

Sydney and Anthony are getting brainy this week as they find the groove of the legendary queer funk/rock girl group, Labelle! Then, they try to wrap their heads around David Lynch's "Mulholland Drive." Does the movie make sense? What is sense, anyway? Only time will tell...or will it? This episode contains explicit language and frank discussions of sexuality. Co-Hosts: Sydney Painter and Anthony P...

If you ever wanted to go back in time to convince your younger self to have better taste, this is the episode for you. This week, Anthony and Sydney are joined by their good friend and podcaster/voice actor extraordinaire Emma Sherr-Ziarko to discuss some media from their teen years. First, they zip to Neo-Tokyo to wrap their heads around the mind-bending power of Akira! Then, they sit down to tal...

On this our first episode about a book, we delve into one of the most beloved memoirs of the twentieth century: Maya Angelou's "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings." As it turns out, Dr. Angelou lived one of the wildest, most challenging, and altogether most interesting lives we've ever seen, and this book only covers her childhood! To say more would be to spoil the episode, so let's dive right in! Th...

From the plains of Texas to the crashing surf of Los Angeles, this episode has some wild rides. First, we dig into the discography of country-pop sensation Kacey Musgraves and ask the question: does anything get her down? Then, we put on our rubber president masks and watch the most famous movie to feature both surfing and bank heists: Point Break! Get ready: the little hand says it's Go Time! Thi...

HAPPY APRIL FOOL'S! To mark the occasion, we're joining Operation Switcheroo and swapping feeds for a day with another podcast that we hope you'll enjoy. Featured here is an episode of Alphabet Flight , a show that takes an encyclopedic look at the Marvel Universe in alphabetical order. This particular episode covers the Red Ghost's Super Apes, a group of--you guessed it--superpowered apes (techni...

Dust off your bell-bottoms and summon the Mod Squad: we're diving into the late sixties! First, we sit down and watch "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid." Who's more charming: Paul Newman or Robert Redford? Let us know. Also, is anyone else picking up on the throuple vibes in this movie? Then, we peel that famous banana and listen to one of the most important bands of the era: The Velvet Undergro...

On this, our first mini-episode of a segment that we're calling either "How Did We Get This Way?" or "Why Are You Like This?", Sydney and Anthony discuss something that they have seen and already love: The Matrix! We know that the rest of the tetralogy is a bit of a mess, but the first movie is still one of the best science fiction films ever made! This episode contains explicit language. Co-Hosts...

Wondering what this show is all about? Check out our short trailer to find out! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Of all the podcasts in all the world, you just had to stumble into ours. This week, Sydney and Anthony take on Regina Spektor, the twee piano virtuoso of the mid-aughts, with surprising results. Then, they sit down to watch the other most famous screenplay of all time: Casablanca! Will it fare any better than Chinatown? Only time will tell. Here's looking at you, kid. This episode contains explici...

On this episode, Sydney and Anthony cover one of the most popular balladeers of the '80s and '90s: Lionel Richie. Or, as most of our audience may know him, Nicole Richie's dad. Then, they tackle one of the most influential (and longest) action movies of all time: Seven Samurai! See if we answer Sydney's most burning question: are the horses in this movie okay?! This episode contains strong languag...

While we were recording our first batch of episodes, our world was rocked by the release of Red (Taylor's Version). It was then that we admitted a shameful truth to each other: neither of us had listened to an entire Taylor Swift album before! We felt called to drop everything and devour her entire discography multiple times in the span of two weeks. And what better time than Valentine's Day (okay...

Did you know that Diablo Cody wrote a sapphic horror-comedy about demonic possession? Neither did we! This week, we revisit "Jennifer's Body" to find out if it's as criminally overlooked as some people say. But first, we tackle a legendary '90s alt-rock outfit: Garbage! TikTok, we blame you for this. Co-hosts: Sydney Painter and Anthony Pinggera Theme music by Dana Wilentz This episode contains st...

When you walk through the garden, you better watch your back. On this episode, Sydney and Anthony review one of the most influential, unique, and just plain bizarre musical artists of the 20th century: Tom Waits! Then, they head down to Jamaica for a review of How Stella Got Her Groove Back . Co-hosts: Sydney Painter and Anthony Pinggera Theme music by Dana Wilentz Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/p...

One of the funniest movies ever made and a legendary hip hop group: what's not to love? This week, Sydney and Anthony listen to Public Enemy and watch This Is Spinal Tap . Strap in: this episode goes to eleven. This episode contains explicit language. Co-hosts: Anthony Pinggera and Sydney Painter Theme music by Dana Wilentz Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

She's my girlfriend! She's my lead singer! She's my girlfriend AND my lead singer! This week, Anthony and Sydney take on punk legends Sleater-Kinney and that perennial favorite of film bros everywhere: Chinatown. This episode contains explicit language and discussions of violence, including violence against women. Co-Hosts: Anthony Pinggera and Sydney Painter Theme music by Dana Wilentz Hosted on...

In our first episode, Sydney and Anthony explain what this podcast is about, and then leap headlong into the queer canon, tackling disco diva Donna Summer and the classic thriller "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?" This episode contains explicit language and discussions of violence. Co-Hosts: Sydney Painter and Anthony Pinggera Theme music by Dana Wilentz Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for...