Pop DNA

This week we are discussing one of Rhonda's favorite things to talk about: corsets! Why is Hollywood so obsessed with the idea of corsets as symbols of patriarchal oppression? Why does Keira Knightley wear so many corsets in her movies? Is Elizabeth Swann a feminist icon? Also, remember like two months ago when people on TikTok were really into sea chanties? Follow us on social media and visit The...

We are dedicating the month of March to the most successful theme-park-ride-turned-movie ever, Pirates of the Caribbean. EPISODE NOTES: This week we are looking at some of the real-life pirates who may have inspired characters in the Pirates of the Caribbean films, from badass women pirates like Anne Bonny and Mary Read, to the possible basis for Captain Jack Sparrow, the pirate John/Jack "Sparrow...

We are dedicating the month of March to the most successful theme-park-ride-turned-movie ever, Pirates of the Caribbean. EPISODE NOTES: This week are walking the plank and diving in to the lore and mythology of the sea that Pirates of the Caribbean draws upon, from Davy Jones, to the Kraken, to ghost sailors and pirate codes. We also look at the novel responsible for most of our pop culture pirate...

We are dedicating the month of March to the most successful theme-park-ride-turned-movie ever, Pirates of the Caribbean. EPISODE NOTES: Kicking off this discussion, we talked about our first experiences with both the ride and the film series, embarrassing middle school sleepover stories and all (or maybe I edited those out...). We also discussed the cultural tendency to gloss over the real history...

We are celebrating Black History Month in the U.S. with a four-part discussion of Black Panther! EPISODE NOTES: To wrap up this series, we are looking to the future! We look into how Black Panther has interacted with education and been incorporated into the classroom at every level, influencing future generations. We also look at the Afrofuturism movement in art and literature, how its tenets are...

We are celebrating Black History Month in the U.S. with a four-part discussion of Black Panther! EPISODE NOTES: This week we sat down with Derrick and Perry of the Superhero Cinephiles podcast to get their expert opinions on Black Panther! We discussed the many approaches to storytelling in the comics, and how those approaches were combined in the film, plus thoughts on how the superhero genre is...

We are celebrating Black History Month in the U.S. with a four-part discussion of Black Panther! This week we got the chance to talk with author, speaker, and educator Tayo Rockson about his perspective on the Black Panther comics and film as a Nigerian American who grew up all over the world. We discuss favorite characters, thoughts on Black Panther 2, and the incredible power of seeing ourselves...

We are celebrating Black History Month in the U.S. with a four-part discussion of Black Panther! To kick off our Black Panther series, we look at the source comics for the MCU film, discussing Ta-Nehisi Coates' writing of the series, and how several characters changed from the comics to the movie. We also look at how Black Panther fits—and doesn't—into both the Hero's and Heroine's Journey cycles....

The results are in and it's finally time for the Pop DNA Film Awards! 2020 was an unprecedented year in movies, so what better time to premiere our very own film awards show! Listen to the end for bloopers from the past year's episodes! Special thanks to all our award presenters: Lydia Sigwarth, Lizy Simonen, Claire and Amanda of Fictional Hangover, Ayana of The Vintage Guidebook, Luthien of Girls...

New year, new series! We are talking about the smash-hit Broadway musical and film Hamilton all January. To wrap up this series, we're zooming out to take a look at Hamilton in its historical context, from how it portrays the history of early America, to how that history interacts with our present moment. We also talk about some of our favorite Hamilton references in pop culture, and of course rev...

New year, new series! We are talking about the smash-hit Broadway musical and film Hamilton all January. I think we can all agree that Lin-Manuel Miranda is a great writer. This week we are looking at how his lyric writing has developed over the years, and at a certain TV show that was hugely influential on his writing in Hamilton and other works. Did you guess the TV show? Listen now to find out!...

New year, new series! We are talking about the smash hit Broadway musical and film Hamilton all January long! EPISODE NOTES: This week we are looking at how Hamilton handles two vital elements of musical theater: costume design and choreography. We discuss how both of these elements draw inspiration from the historical source material, but also incorporate contemporary influences that highlight th...

New year, new series! We are talking about the smash hit Broadway musical and film Hamilton all January long! EPISODE NOTES: We are kicking off 2021 and our Hamilton series with a look at the show's relationship with the theater, from its unique journey to Broadway and our TV screens, to its ties to theatrical tradition dating back to the days of Shakespeare! (You didn't really think we WOULDN'T t...

Toss a coin to your podcast hosts because we're talking about The Witcher this month! To conclude the series, we're zooming out for a look at the world Sapkowski created around his original short story. We explore several of the most interesting elements of the world of The Witcher, including all the different types of monsters, the music and lore of the bards, and how The Law of Surprise would ac...

Toss a coin to your podcast hosts because we're talking about The Witcher this month! Part 3 is all about the fascinating characters of The Witcher and their relationships with one another. We also explore several concepts in the context of this fantasy world that have huge impacts on the characters, like friendship, humor, and the ever-present struggle against the patriarchy. Follow us on social...

Toss a coin to your podcast hosts because we're talking about The Witcher this month! EPISODE NOTES: Why is the timeline of The Witcher TV series so confusing? We attempt to answer that in part 2, linking back to our discussion of the source material in part 1. We also look at Geralt's origins as a Witcher and how those origins are explored in the video games and the series. Follow us on social me...

Toss a coin to your podcast hosts because we're talking about The Witcher this month! EPISODE NOTES: In part 1, we explore the books, short stories, and video games that inspired the Netflix series, plus talk about our initial thoughts on the show and our hopes for its second season. Follow us on social media for information on how to vote for the First Annual Pop DNA Film Awards! 
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All November long, we're talking about our favorite sitcom about local government, Parks and Rec! EPISODE NOTES: We are wrapping up our Parks and Rec discussion with a look at Pawnee's local history and how the show has made its way into our cultural lexicon, from Galentine's Day to Treat Yo'self and everything in between! (We recorded this before the US Presidential Election so some of our expres...

All November long, we're talking about our favorite sitcom about local government, Parks and Rec! EPISODE NOTES: We are so excited to welcome professor, writer, and member of the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation, Darren Lone Fight as our guest for part 3. Darren stopped by to discuss Ken Hotate, the Wamapoke tribe, and Native representation on Parks and Rec, plus give his perspective on this co...

All November long, we're talking about our favorite sitcom about local government, Parks and Rec! EPISODE NOTES: We discuss all things Pawnee, Indiana and its citizens in part 2 of the series. From the eccentricities of small town life, to the foibles and successes of local government, we look at how the people of Pawnee are the heart and soul of the town—especially one particular person named Les...

All November long, we're talking about our favorite sitcom about local government, Parks and Rec! EPISODE NOTES: In part 1, we talk about how Parks and Rec was foundational to our friendship, trace the origins of many cast members to the improv group The Upright Citizens; Brigade, and take a moment to honor one of the writers of the series, the late Harris Whittels. Li'l Sebastian would approve. F...

Is the title of this episode too long? Probably. But we're celebrating two years of Pop DNA with our favorite and most seasonally appropriate fiction genre! This super-sized bonus episode contains haunted houses, spooky paintings, secret passages, possibly villainous love interests, and a whole lot of tangents that are only marginally related to the topic of discussion. We look at the history of G...

It's Frickin' Bats! This month we're discussing the iconic Batman films, the Dark Knight Trilogy. The fourth and final part of our Dark Knight discussion, unlike the Dark Knight movies, is much more on the lighter side. We talk about how Batman Begins was a turning point for Batman onscreen, and for superhero stories and film in general. We also geek out over references to Batman in our favorite p...

It's Frickin' Bats! This month we're discussing the iconic Batman films, the Dark Knight Trilogy. In Part 3 we get very philosophical about the nature of heroes and villains. We explore how in the Dark Knight universe, a hero and a villain are two sides of the same coin, and both are larger-than-life personas taken on by flawed, ordinary people. We also look at Batman and Bruce Wayne's deep connec...

It's Frickin' Bats! This month we're discussing the iconic Batman films, the Dark Knight Trilogy. This week we are digging in to how the trilogy treats its female characters (spoiler: not great), which leads us to an exploration of the classic film noir character trope, the femme fatale. We also look at the films' and comics' use of violence, and the symbiotic relationship between Batman and the J...