Intelligentsia

(Not) live from New York—it’s Intelligentsia's season finale! This week, we break down the legacy, chaos, and cultural chokehold of Saturday Night Live—from its scrappy 1975 debut with Lorne Michaels and the “Not Ready for Prime-Time Players” to the comedy powerhouse that launched icons like Eddie Murphy and Tina Fey. We debate whether SNL still hits, make the case for our all-time casts, rev...

You asked for it: this week, Intelligentsia dives into the dark, weird, and wildly fascinating world of serial killers for our “listener’s pick” episode. We trace the history—from Jack the Ripper to America’s “golden age” of murderers like Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, and John Wayne Gacy—and unpack how they became cultural obsessions. Where the true crime girlies at? We also get into Hollywood’s fix...

From AIM away messages to the algorithm, the Intelligentsia squad is unpacking the evolution of social media—and how it went from harmless fun to full-blown industry. We revisit Myspace and THE Facebook, then dive into how platforms reshaped connection, identity, and influence for those of us who came of age in the social media era Plus: social media’s impact on TV, politics, and fame ( The Social...

Bonus content! A little quip about the Intelligentsia's true feelings about bad service in a restaurant.

From first sips to daily rituals, we’re diving into all things coffee—how we take it, why we love it, and how it became a global obsession. We trace coffee’s journey from Ethiopian goat herders to European Enlightenment fuel, break down how it’s produced and consumed around the world, and debate the essentials: hot vs. iced, and Dunkin vs. Starbucks. As always, we’ll chat iconic coffee moments in...

Therapy is having a moment—and we’re unpacking all of it this week. A warning though: apparently we’ve got a lot of baggage, so it’s a long one. We break down how therapy evolved from the ancient Greeks to Freud and modern-day CBT, we share our own experiences, debunk common myths, and spotlight iconic on-screen therapists like Dr. Melfi and Robin Williams’ Oscar-winning performance as Dr. Shaun M...

This week, the Intelligentsia is gearing up for a workout — reluctantly. We're talking about the evolution of working out from OG fitness icons Charles Atlas and Jane Fonda to SoulCycle, Barry’s Bootcamp, and the Peloton boom, and how we’ve gone from in-person community to at-home everything, and now back into the pilates studio. We swap our own fitness journeys, call out a few iconic pop cul...

It’s no secret that Intelligentsia is a millennial podcast, so this week we are unpacking what it actually means to be a millennial - and we’re going to take our sweet time doing it! (It’s a long one.) We’re diving into the generation that grew up analog, came of age online, and somehow ended up burnt out, overeducated, and still splitting rent. From being told we could “have it all” (lol), we unp...

From a 15-minute dinner in 1929 to what has become Hollywood’s biggest night, the Intelligentsia crew is breaking down the history, drama, and chaos of the Academy Awards. We cover iconic wins (and losses), legendary Oscar champs like Katharine Hepburn and Jack Nicholson, and the milestones that changed the ceremony forever. And since we're not "movie people" we are going to dive in...

From Martha Washington to modern power players, this week the Intelligentsia crew is diving deep into the history, influence, and pop-culture legacy of America’s First Ladies. We break down how the role evolved—from Dolley Madison setting the blueprint to Eleanor Roosevelt redefining it with advocacy and press power—plus the initiatives that shaped presidencies, from Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis’ Wh...

Love is in the air, Intelligentsia! Love it or hate it, Valentines Day is right around the corner, and we're going in deep this week with the help of some guest stars. For this very special occasion, we have our first ever panel of experts, Emily, Haley, and Janae, who will tell us all about how they "celebrate" the big day. And if you're looking for a little education, we&apos...

The Super Bowl takes center stage this week as the Intelligentsia crew breaks down the biggest night in football and pop culture — from football basics to iconic halftime shows and unforgettable commercials. Tara and Joey lean on Ryan’s Straight Guy Perspective to unpack Super Bowl history, key players to watch, and game predictions. They also dive into Super Bowl parties and food, billion-dollar...

We're baaaack! That's right, we have been renewed for season 2! After a short break, the Intelligentsia crew is back in your ears weekly, and we're starting with a  BANG: music we consider canon (get it?) Joey, Tara, and Ryan debate what makes an album legendary, break down the Rolling Stone Top 500 , and share hot takes on classics like Rumours , Jagged Little Pill and more — plus...

Bonus Episode Alert! Apparently the end of the year is a time for reflection, so in this bonus ep, the Intelligentsia crew is reflecting on Variety's Best Comedy Movies of All Time . From Bridesmaids and Legally Blonde to Mrs. Doubtfire , When Harry Met Sally , Annie Hall , and more, we swap first-watch takeaways, debate hits vs. misses, weigh-in on some shocking omissions, and pick the next...

It's a Christmas miracle - our gift to Intelligentsia, a bonus episode! The crew reunites for a lively debrief on Joey's recent nuptial celebration, featuring NYC's own Reverend Tara. Come relive the the food, the music, and the magic moments with us. It'll make those of you who were there wish you could do it all again, and those of you who weren't feel major FOMO. So com...

Have you ever wondered what it would sound like if we strung together all of the times Joey sings on the pod? Wonder no more, Intelligentsia! Your Joey singing compilation has arrived. Happy wedding weekend, Joey!

It’s our season finale, and what better way to go out than with a big wedding episode, just like all our favorite tv shows? Joey’s wedding is on the horizon, Tara’s officiating, Ryan, father, is here to dish on his experience from his own big day. We’re talking about our favorite wedding scenes in movies and TV, royal weddings, the outrageous costs, and ugh, the societal expectations of it all. Pl...

It’s September which can only mean one thing: back to school! This week, Intelligentsia heads back to high school. Joey and Tara swap stories about their very different high school experiences from underage clubbing to house parties, before diving into pop culture’s greatest takes on teen life—from Mean Girls and its cafeteria cliques to the cult classic Freaks and Geeks and the drama of Gossip Gi...

Okay hear us out, this one may sound a bit self-indulgent, but this week Intelligentsia is talking friendship - theirs, yours, and everything in between. Joey and Tara break down their top 3 must-haves in a friend, swap stories about their own friendship history, and dig into how television and music have shaped the way we see our closest bonds. From Broad City to Golden Girls , “Wannabe” to “You’...

We could lie and say this episode is your comprehensive guide to the history and lore of the Emmys—but really, it’s just an excuse for Joey and Tara to gush about their favorite big noms this year - which are, spoiler alert, Hacks and The Studio . Along the way, we drop some Emmy trivia, dish on record-breakers like Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Lorne Michaels, and debate the biggest snubs and play a ro...

From Tiger Beat to full-blown college heartaches and work crush chaos, this week we’re talking crushes. Tara spills on her early Rider Strong obsession, Joey weighs in on growing up gay without a “traditional” crush culture, and together we revisit the heartthrobs of the 90s (Leo, Hanson, Freddie Prinze Jr., and the eternal JTT vs. CMM debate). We swap top celeb crushes, gush over favorite crush s...

Back and refreshed from our week off, Intelligentsia takes on the American presidency—from Tara’s history obsession and Joey’s childhood memorabilia to the bizarre history of presidential street names and fun facts (spoiler: Harvard really knows how to crank ‘em out). We dive into pop culture’s take on the Oval Office (we’re talking Veep, The West Wing, Air Force One and more), presidential dynast...

This week we're bringing you a special bonus episode of Intelligentsia so that we can properly say adieu to the girls - Carrie, Samantha, Miranda, and Charlotte. With the end of And Just Like That, it is (once again) the end of an era. Join us on this special homage to Sex and the City as Joey and Tara recount their favorite SATC moments, and Ryan basically just crushes on Carrie.

This week, on Intelligentsia we’re talking all things pets—from our childhood companions, Tara’s “brother” Tiger the hamster, Joey’s dog Diver, and Ryan’s whole menagerie, to Joey and Tara’s current furry friends and most perfect angels, Archie and Stevie. We’ll reminisce about presidential pets, iconic pets in pop culture, debate the merits of various TV and movie animal sidekicks, and discover J...

This week, the Intelligentsia go to a concert! We’re spilling everything from our first concerts, to Tara’s definitive take on the age-old question: does John Mayer wear boxers, briefs, or boxer-briefs? Joey shares his traumatic turn as a Spice Girl boyfriend, and we relive our favorite shows, not to mention counting down the top 5 sickest moments from our night at the Eras Tour. We unpack iconic...