Pop Trash Podcast

The pop trash boys are back with a fresh batch of predictions for the new year... and we tally up the scorecard for the last one!

We predict more cultural comebacks that will define 2025, from retro TV revivals to nostalgic tunes, with a few surprise sweet treats. 

Chestnuts aren't the only thing getting roasted this holiday season! Mike and Eric discuss the best and worst of Christmas kitsch.

It's a cornucopia of nostalgia! Pass the canned cranberry and gobble up this episode where we discover that Thanksgiving might be the kitschiest holiday on the calendar.

So much of kitschy pop culture in the 1970s to the 90s had one major audience in common: moms. Get in the minivan, we're taking a ride through a potpourri of mom-influenced nostalgia!

It's spooky season, so we're giving out handfuls of fun sized Halloween kitsch.

Why do people collect tchotchkes? From Franklin Mint to McDonald's glasses, we take some of the kitschiest collectibles off the shelf to give them a closer look.

Catch a preview of our upcoming season five, and take a deep dive into a shallow pool! Each episode, we'll try to scratch more than just the surface sentimentality that makes this kind of nostalgia so powerful. Join us for some kitschy conversations on a range of pop topics we know you'll love to remember. Collect them all!

A grab bag discussion of last-minute, unexpected topics finishes off our fourth season. 

It's summer blockbuster time, so we're discussing three pop stars who tried to get in on the action with unexpected movie roles. Find out whether Tina Tuner, Vanessa Williams, and Rihanna made a big splash at the box office or had their battleship sunk.

Unexpected actors who warble their way through a movie musical? We've got 'em here! Eric and Mike discuss the charm of Burt Reynolds in "At Long Last Love," Jodie Foster's lip syncing in "Bugsy Malone," and Lauren Bacall's Broadway comeback in "The Fan" ...plus a few other unexpected songbirds! This episode has more flavor than your last cup of High Point coffee!

Come and knock on our door... we've got a new episode waiting for you that covers unexpected performances from John Ritter, Suzanne Somers, Don Knotts, and the lovable cast of Three's Company.

On the occasion of Faye Dunaway's 83rd birthday, we celebrate several of her unexpected performances through the 70s, 80s, and 90s—including Eyes of Laura Mars, Supergirl, A Wicked Lady, and The Temp.

Hosts Mike and Eric conjure their best guesses for what’s to come in 2024 in our annual New Year’s predictions episode.

Move over Rudolph, and make some room at your holiday table for Pee Wee Herman, Solid Gold Dancers, and even a murderous toymaker played by Mickey Rooney! Pass the fruitcake, we're serving up some Christmas treats from pop culture's past.

We're re-examining and redeeming the genre of films lovingly (and somewhat controversially) called "Hagsploitation" or "Psycho Biddy" films, including 1964's Strait-Jacket (with Joan Crawford) and 1969's What Ever Happened to Aunt Alice? (starring Geraldine Page and Ruth Gordon). Mike and Eric also discuss the qualities these movies have in common with another shocking flick, 1965's Who Killed Ted...

You never quite expect being locked in combat with ants, bees, and bats! We discuss what it takes to prevail against creepy vermin in the disaster horror movies Empire of the Ants (1977), The Swarm (1978), and Bats (1999).

Hollywood's obsession with possession was never stronger than the years following The Exorcist. This episode looks at some of the unexpected performances by a few beloved 1970s stars who did battle with demons and spirits: Telly Savalas and Elke Sommer in Lisa and the Devil, Marsha Mason and Anthony Hopkins in Audrey Rose, and James Brolin in The Car.

In our fourth season, we'll be exploring surprising performances — from silver screen legends getting out of their comfort zones by trying out unfamiliar genres to Hollywood's leading ladies reinventing their careers with cult classic characters. These left turns and detours from beloved icons exiting their expected lanes helped steer them right into pop culture history.

In the last episode of our third season, we're discussing two big TV movies that shaped 20th century pop culture: 1983's "The Day After" and 1971's "Duel."

Are the kids alright? Primetime TV movies from the 70s through the 90s gave teens and their parents plenty to worry about. We're revisiting three dramas from the genre that have now become cult classics.

Faster than a speeding bullet... able to leap Nielsen ratings in a single bound! This episode, we're talking superhero TV movies from the 1970s and 1980s. Hear about film pilots for Wonder Woman and Spider-Man, along with the return of the Incredible Hulk!

What goes into bringing back a beloved TV show for more adventures and another chance at ratings gold? We discuss how Gilligan's Island, The Love Boat, ALF, and others tried to recapture the original magic with made-for-TV movie reunions.

What do Vanna White, Joan Rivers, and Paula Abdul have in common? They’re all surprising stars of made for TV movies! Mike and Eric discuss a few small screen flicks that gave some well-known non-actors a chance to flex their acting muscles. 

We're comparing the small-screen life stories of three superstars who left us early: Elvis, Jayne Mansfield, and Grace Kelly (as portrayed by Kurt Russell, Loni Anderson, and Cheryl Ladd). Revisit how TV movie biopics delivered big ratings for networks in the 70s - 90s, long before they were Oscar-baiting theatrical events.