Pop Culture Yearbook

Send us a text We're kicking off 1987 with ALL OF IT! We have our specific choices coming up, but this year was too big to stop there. We try to stuff as much as we can into this one supersized episode. To make it even more special, we have our first visit from Classmate Johnny Mulkern. A 1988 high school graduate, he is a perfect choice for this discussion. We break this episode into 5 chapters:...

Send us a text We are closing the 1999 Yearbook with the MTV Films classic Varsity Blues. While we all love this movie, especially Giff, we have recruited a special guest who probably even loves it more, Gomez from the podcast Playlist Wars! Hear his pop culture influences through the years and why this movie has a special place in our lives. We dig into every aspect of the movie, from the whipped...

Send us a text Things are about to get dramatic here at PCY. Giff's choice for 1999 is the political series The West Wing. Developed by Aaron Sorkin, this series won a boatload of Emmys and was known for his usual great writing. So is Giff just trying to sound smart and classy? Listen to him explain his reasons for choosing this series. We focus on two specific episodes, but we answer bigger quest...

Send us a text We're talking more Foo! This time we are focusing specifically on the year 1999, which is when their album There is Nothing Left to Lose was released. This was Taylor Hawkins's first time actually recording on al album with the group, so it is definitely a big deal. We break down the album track by track from the heavy opening to the chill closing. In addition to TINLTL, we also sha...

Send us a text The next two weeks are all about the Foo Fighters. Both Brad and Pete are super fans, and in light of recent events, we decided this was the time to talk about one of our favorite bands ever. The other original host of PCY, Dave, is also a super fan, and he is here to join us as well! In this first episode, we discuss why we love the band, concert memories, rank the albums, and shar...

Send us a text It's a new month and a new year! This time we're opening the yearbook to 1999. First up, Office Space. This is a special episode as we have a special guest! Brian Rappe was the first PCY fan to become our Classmate by signing our yearbook and supporting us on Buy Me a Coffee.  He joins us for this whole episode in which he hand picked the topic. In addition to discussing the movie,...

Send us a text Rounding out 2020 is yet another great Tv show that helped Brad through the pandemic: Ted Lasso. The first season of this AppleTV series was one of the greatest single seasons in television history. You can't help but fall in love with the characters and the messages in each episode. This is all Brad's opinion of course. Pete and Giff have now been watching as well. Do they agree? W...

Send us a text Our next pandemic TV discussion focuses on Pete's choice: Schitt's Creek. While the series had been on for years, this is the year it ended. More importantly, people were discovering it on Netflix and it was talked about everywhere. All three PCY hosts watched the entire series in 2020, some more than once. It was clearly a big show for us, and we try to focus our commentary by stic...

Send us a text 2020 was the (first) year of the pandemic. People were stuck at home, and they watched A LOT of TV. At least the hosts of PCY did. One of the shows that stood out from the year was the wildly popular Netflix series The Queen's Gambit. Chosen by Giff for this discussion, we run through out thoughts on the whole series. How does a show focused on chess become a phenomenon? Both Dudley...

Send us a text We're kicking off 2020 with another supersized episode. 2020 was the year of the pandemic, but there were many good things that came out of it. Without the shutdowns, we may never have been blessed with Taylor Swift's Folklore album. So for our first episode of the month, we focus on all things Taylor Swift, with an emphasis on Folklore. While Brad is a big fan, Pete and Giff are no...

Send us a text We close the 1991 yearbook by talking about Brad's favorite movie of all time: L.A. Story. This underrated gem is one of Steve Martin's finest works in a catalog that spans decades and disciplines. If anyone ever deserved to be an EGOT winner, it's Steve Martin. While Pete is with Brad on the brilliance of this movie, Giff had never seen it. What did he think? Is there new friction...

Send us a text We're gonna win Twins! They actually did! Believe it or not, there was once a Minnesota sports team that didn't cause utter and complete disappointment. We take a detour from the traditional pop culture topics this week to remember this little team who went from worst to first and won the greatest World Series ever played. From Puck to Mack to Chili to Hrbie to Blackjack to Big Trai...

Send us a text Giff's choice for 1991 is the surfing/skydiving/heist classic Point Break. This movie is so insane Gary Busey is the most normal thing about it. Listen along as we discuss the ex-Presidents, the 50 Year Storm, and unforgettable names like Johnny Utah and Angelo Pappas. We also share our top TV shows for the year at the end of this episode. It's a wild ride and an adrenaline rush you...

Send us a text We're looking back at the 1991 yearbook in March. We start with a topic so big, we couldn't handle it ourselves. 1991 was one of the greatest years ever in music with many iconic albums released that are still beloved today. So to help us out, we recruited music expert Brian Colburn from the podcast Playlist Wars. We cover as much as we can. From the memories we still have to the hi...

Send us a text We close out our Ladies' Choice month with Jenny's (Pete's wife) choice: New Kids on the Block. We all grew up with NKOTB, but the guys' viewpoints differed greatly from that of their wives. While Jenny picked the Hangin' Tough album, it could have been chosen by any of the girls as they were all obsessed. After going through many memories from all involved, we break down the album...

Send us a text Now we're really getting into the nitty gritty of the ladies' choices! Brad's wife, Kim, won't be a guest for this episode, but she did provide a great choice in Sex and the City. The show is in the middle of a revival with the recent reboot, and Kim has been a huge fan all along. We focused on two episodes in the sixth season that she found particularly memorable. Listen to find ou...

Send us a text We have a special guest again this week! Giff brings his wife, Courtney, into the fold to discuss her choice: Billy Madison. We are all big fans of this movie, so her choice was definitely appreciated by the hosts. We dig deep into the... plot??? Well the plot certainly isn't the strongest part of the movie, but there are lines upon lines that we all quote on a daily basis. In addit...

Send us a text Season 2 premiere! We are devoting February to the Ladies. Our wives picked the topics for us, and one will even make a special appearance! In this episode we preview their choices and talk about some of the women in pop culture we have loved over the years. In addition we welcome our first ever live guest, Brad's sister Danaca, to the show! She chose the classic and tragically shor...

Send us a text It's been a wild ride, but we've made it to one year. Join us as we celebrate by sharing our favorite parts of the first year and shouting out several of our Classmates from our Freshman yearbook! We also look ahead to what's to come in season 2 and make a very special announcement. If you enjoy the show, please rate and review us on the iTunes/Apple Podcasts app or wherever you lis...

Send us a text We're baaaack! As we wrap season one of PCY, we recap the most previous year we have lived through. With the pandemic seemingly never-ending, did we find any joy this year? Yes, we did! We share our favorites from 2021: some movies, some TV, some music, some personal events, and more. We hope you had a great year as well and are ready to trudge through 2022 with us! If you enjoy the...

Send us a text Christmas is over. It's time to move on . We finish up the month (and year) by discussing all things (non-Christmas) from 2003. We start with the good stuff: our memories. What was life like 18 years ago for the gang?  We then get into all our favorites from 2003: movies, TV, and music.  It's all here in one place for your listening pleasure. If you enjoy the show, please rate and r...

Send us a text Staying in 2003, we wrap up the Christmas portion of our month with the modern day classic. Elf. Love or hate Will Ferrell, it's hard to not enjoy his performance in this movie. Jon Favreau's direction with homages to other classics like Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer is also something we love. We break down the amazing cast, share our favorite scenes and lines, an of course, have s...

Send us a text Now heading into the realm of 2003, but still focusing on Christmas, we discuss Love, Actually. Brad and Giff love this movie and have for years. Pete is new to it. Will he have the same appreciation? In this episode, we break down all nine storylines. Which were our favorites? Which could we do without? There's a lot going on in this movie and we try to cover it all. If the sappine...

Send us a text The Christmas season is here! To kick it off, here is our episode on Christmas music.  Borrowing the format from fellow podcast Playlist Wars, we each created what we think is the perfect 10 song Christmas playlist. Did Giff, Pete, or Brad create the best one? How hard is it to cut down so many wonderful options to only 10? Speaking of Playlist Wars, we have a special appearance fro...

Send us a text Growing up in the 80's meant you loved video games. Atari and other game systems, along with the pull to the arcade, were all the rage. In 1985 Nintendo came along and changed the game. Pete's choice for this episode is a topic near and dear to us. The NES will always be our favorite game system. In fact, Brad still has his original system and games and anytime we play it is guarant...