Poppish

For sale: Baby flipper, never worn. We explore the troubling world of child beauty pageants by examining 19th century Baby Shows and TLC’s Toddlers and Tiaras. Let’s cheer on these tots as they, against their will, vie for titles such as “Best Dressed Baby” and “Ultimate Grand Supreme.” If you are judged the most beautiful baby of them all, you’re entitled to prizes such as Princess Canopy Bed, fi...

All aboard to Trinket Town! We’re exploring the history and lore behind two keychain phenomena: Labubus and Lucky Rabbits Feet. How did they become so beloved? What is their role in culture today? We are fascinated by how scared we are by these little plushie monsters and severed animal limbs. How can something so frightening be held so dear to so many? Is harnessing terror the whole point? Scarie...

Oh no! We discussed our thoughts on the ethics of sex work on a hot mic! We hope we got it right and are aligned with the current feminist views we always strive to possess. We love all women and you can quote us on that. We unpack two mutually beneficial romantic arrangements: the Dollar Princesses, Gilded Age American heiresses who married into European nobility, and Sugar Babies, who date old m...

This week we talk about BOYS! In particular, the ones in The Beatles and One Direction. They were young, funny, and British, and we couldn’t get enough. We explore audience reactions to their fame and even call in an expert to speak to the Directioner experience. This episode is dedicated to Liam Payne (1993-2024). Plus: Lying to children, appreciating the beauty of fall, and a trip to Conjunction...

Everyone loves a good sex scandal! We cover two cases of infidelity that shaped America: The Clinton-Lewinsky Scandal and Scandoval. These men, or should we say sex perverts, shook the nation when their sneaky rendezvous came to light. We tell the stories so perfectly and eloquently that we gave our publicists the whole week off. We feel confident that many of the facts stated in this episode are...

Chef Gusteau says anyone can cook; we’re here to tell you anyone can fly. Whether in the cockpit performing a frankly unprecedented barrel roll or soaring through the air with 3 parachutes and $200K in cash, these men took to the skies with all the gusto of a Top Gun extra. We do NOT condone hijackings of any kind, but some of the things these guys got up to at 30,000 feet were lowkey funny and im...

Every time a 20 year old woman gets “preventative Botox,” Sylvester McMonkey McBean gets a boner. On this week’s episode, we unpack body trends, cosmetic surgery, and filler using the guiding framework of Dr. Seuss’s “The Sneetches.” If you feel like everyone has the same face now, you’re not crazy — we do! And we think it’s weird and embarrassing that you don’t. Do you have $5000 so we can work o...

Has anyone here ever met or heard of another person, living or dead? Okay, they’re stepping forward and they want you to know: it’s going to be okay. Or it’s not, whichever resonates more. We explore two cases of the spooky, the scary, the macabre hitting the mainstream for entertainment value: Mummy Unwrapping Parties and TV Psychics. We learn about the many practical uses for mummies and Ellie p...

Would you follow a pig you didn’t know? We answer this question and more in this week’s discussion of two animal heroes: Lulu the Pig and Cher Ami the Pigeon. They went above and beyond the call of duty when it mattered most, saving countless (195) lives. Whether you’re in your Lake Eerie mobile home or the trenches of World War (let’s hope this never happens again!) it helps to have a determined...

Looking to get out of your small town and find adventure? Can you carry a tray? Perfect. We explore two traditions of women leaving it all behind for opportunity out west by way of waiting tables: The Harvey Girls and the Vanderpump Rules SURvers. In these stories, the restaurant industry serves as a gateway to a new, exciting, independent life for a generation of young women. And as a bonus? Many...

EVERYBODY STOP LIVING VICARIOUSLY THROUGH YOUR DAUGHTERS RIGHT NOW! We explore the (at times)(often times)(most of the time) tragic stories of Shirley Temple and Piper Rockelle, two child stars who rose to fame and fortune at the cost of their childhoods. We learn how it turned out for Shirley, and pray for Comrade Piper as she enters adulthood. Plus: adventures in babysitting, fake news in Sevent...

Picture this: you’re completely isolated from the outside world, sleep deprived, hungry, fighting a yeast infection, and disgraced social psychologist Philip Zimbardo is hitting on his TA the whole time. We tackle two social experiments that push young hot singles to their limits: Love Island and the Stanford Prison Experiment. How do stressful, isolated conditions drive ordinary people to such ex...

Not bad for a girl with no talent! This week we explore the singing careers of two artists who defied the odds and gained popularity despite critical disfavor: Florence Foster Jenkins and Sanjaya Malakar. These icons remind us not to listen to the haters, either by choice or by syphilis, and to chase our dreams. Plus, hear about how Ellie became a mother, Coachella being back, and how the Presiden...

Ladies, step right up and tell us why we should accept you into our special little society. We’re unpacking two traditions in which young women make their debut in a new chapter of their lives and work to prove their worth on this new stage: Bama Rush and Debutante Balls. From the Bridgertons to the Darnells, women across the centuries have endured these elaborate hazing rituals, hoping to bag eit...

Today we get into STATUS SYMBOLS! Two products that are so luxurious and so limited, people lose their minds over them a little bit. We’re unpacking the phenomenons of the Hermes Birkin and the Faberge Eggs. How did these pieces come to be? Who gets to have one? Can I have one if I go to the store and act cool and mysterious? Join Ellie, in her apartment, and Anneliese, recovering in the country,...

You remember being a teenage girl: the makeup, the magazines, the urge to kill. Many of us failed to commit to the bit, but these ladies pulled it off: Gypsy Rose Blanchard and Lizzie Borden (32-year-old-teenager). What drove them to kill? And did they even do it? How should they be remembered? Join us on our journey to eventually land on Lizzie Borden’s side of the whole axe murder thing. Plus: w...

PSA if you are invited to an island DO YOUR RESEARCH! This week on Poppish: the tales of two island destinations that proved extraordinarily disappointing: The Lost Colony of Roanoke and Fyre Festival. What was the plan? Where did all the people/money go? How is Ja Rule involved? We unpack it all. Plus: Ellie’s perfect pee, more insurance mysteries, and the mobile trash can.

You know how getting a little honey on your finger can ruin your whole day? Our stories this week crank that feeling up to 11, as we delve into two TRULY sticky situations: The Boston Molasses Flood and The Great Canadian Maple Syrup Heist. These syrupy events caused a SYRUP-lus of issues for all involved. Plus: musings on Love Island, a cultural examination of the communal fitting room, and which...

Choose 5 words to change history: “The regulars are coming out” OR “That’s not the truth Ellen.” We delve into two cases of powerful, outspoken whistleblowers who changed the world: Paul Revere and Dakota Johnson. They used their voices when it mattered most and warned the world of changes to come. Plus: unpacking the similarities between the Lincoln and Kennedy assassinations (ultimately: okay, a...

We’ll see you in court to discuss two infamous, high profile celebrity civil trials: the 1934 Gloria Vanderbilt Custody Trial and the 2023 Gwyneth Paltrow Ski Crash Trial. We learn about two women who overcame the farkakte justice system and media scrutiny and went on to live their dreams, from selling dark wash, tight fitting jeans to being Goop. Hear about the juicy trial details, media circus f...

Get taped in for an episode on working conditions, baby! We unpack similarities between the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire and the Shein Influencer Brand Trip controversy. What lessons can we take from past tragedies? Are women people? Globalization good or bad? Plus: the fate of the penny, being a tween on the internet, and a reminder that we DO NOT fuck with The Flinstones.

Can animals understand language? And if so, should we subject them to it? After all, it’s the devil behind fanfic-to-film atrocities like “The Idea of You” and “After.” We explore two cases of animals who seem to have developed a grasp of human language: Koko the Gorilla and Bunny the Dog. But are these creatures truly comprehending, or are they clout-chasing fame whores who don’t speak a lick of...

Boys trip! This week we cover two major jewel robberies: the 2016 robbery of Kim Kardashian at Paris Fashion Week, and the 1964 robbery of the American Museum of Natural History by The Beach Boys (not those ones). Both heists gained massive media attention, and fun nicknames get involved. We discuss the legal advantages of being either really hot or really old. We sympathize with a Kardashian. Sev...

Not bad for a girl with no talent! This week we explore the singing careers of two artists who defied the odds and gained popularity despite critical disfavor: Florence Foster Jenkins and Sanjaya Malakar. These icons remind us not to listen to the haters, either by choice or by syphilis, and to chase our dreams. Plus, hear about how Ellie became a mother, Coachella being back, and how the Presiden...

What do America’s first female mayor and Trisha Paytas have in common? Their commitment to the bit. This week, we discuss the prank that led to Susanna M. Salter's Mayoral election in Kansas and Trisha Paytas’ wonky Broadway debut. Tune in for a giggly episode filled with questions such as: has feminism gone too far (Moo Deng)? Can prohibitionists hang? How does one mid their way to the top?