Pop This!

Summary:   "Can't miss what you never had." This week we are talking about Mike Leigh's 1996 masterpiece Secrets & Lies . Also discussed: Awkward Family Photos, The Passenger audiobook, and Vivek Shraya's new photography exhibit Legends of the Trans .   Show notes: Mike Leigh Reveals the Story Behind Secrets & Lies' Most Famous Scene (Slate)   Award Family Photos (Instagram)   Secrets & Lies: Seen...

Summary:   "There's More To Life Than A Little Money, You Know." This week we look back on the movie Fargo on its 25th anniversary. Also discussed: Only Murders in the Building , Shad's new album, and quitting social media.     Show notes: How "Fargo" Captures the Sad Realities of Toxic Masculinity (Bitch)   Why Fargo is still the mother of all pregnancy movies (FT)   Recommendations: Andrea W.: S...

Summary:   "Special chosen baby child." Cynara Geissler joins us to talk about the series everyone is watching: The White Lotus . Also discussed: home improvement horror stories, LuLaRich , and one-day stands.   Show notes:   Cynara Giessler on Instagram    The White Lotus Did Belinda Dirty, But Natasha Rothwell Shined Anyway (Refinery29)     Recommendations: Andrea W.: Bria (music)   Andrea G.: G...

Summary: "Festive pinafore." This week Dr. Florence Chee joins us to talk about Sandra Oh's new show The Chair . Also discussed: Shang Chi , pole dancing, and Andrea Warner's final wishes.   Show notes: 7 Girlfriends Decide To Spend The Rest Of Their Lives Together And Buy A House For $580k (Bored Panda)   Pole Dancing Made It To The Super Bowl. Now It Wants Another Stage: The Olympics (NPR)   A C...

Summary: "Dance is the sad cousin of music." We dig deep into the vaults to bring you the last episode of our summer re-release series. It's our epic debate from May 2018 over whether the best dance movie of the '80s is Dirty Dancing or Footloose . Who won this argument? You'll have to re-listen to find out. Pop This! will return to regular programming on Sept. 15.    Show notes:   Pop This! and S...

Summary: "Just get a divorce." This week, we go deep into the archives for our best-of summer repeat and dig up our timeless conversation with writer and editor Jackie Wong from July 2017 talking about pregnancy, celebrities, and the female body. Also discussed: Lisa's love affair with salad, Francis McDormand in Fargo, and Criminal . Pop This! will be back to our regular programming on Sept. 15. ...

Summary: "Your birth is my birth, your death is my death." It is summer repeat season at Pop This! and this week we re-visit our episode on Michaela Coel's brilliant series I May Destroy You from August 2020 .  Also discussed: drive-ins, period sex, and the excellent podcast It's Been A Minute . Pop This! will be back with regular episodes on Sept. 15.     Show notes: Michaela Coel | James MacTagg...

Summary: "We're all Mirandas." Summer is here and Pop This! is playing nothing but the hits! That's right, starting this week, we are on a short summer break and re-releasing some of our all-time favourite episodes. We're starting with one of the funniest, coolest, smartest guests we've ever had on the podcast: author, musician, and filmmaker Vivek Shraya, who joined us to talk about Sex and the C...

Summary: "Apocalypse Vag." This week we talk about how much we unabashedly love the British series We Are Lady Parts . Also discussed: Retail Nightmares , the Men Yell at Me newsletter, and our attempts to grow food. A note to our listeners: for the next four weeks, Pop This! will be taking a summer break and re-releasing some of our favourite episodes from the vaults. We'll be back to our regular...

Summary: "Finger of God." Yes, it's time. This week we talk about one of the all-time best summer blockbuster films: Twister . Also discussed: Women and Other Monsters , Minor Feelings , and public swimming pool etiquette.   Show notes: Helen Hunt Answers Every Question We Have About Twister (Vulture)   Twister Is the Perfect '90s Disaster Flick (Vulture)  Recommendations: Andrea G.: Minor Feeling...

Summary: "People would rather laugh at me than believe me." Writer, performer, and professional funny person Morgan Brayton joins us this week to talk about a show she dearly loves: Hacks . Also discussed: Pretty Hard Cases , Naomi Osaka, and our best sleeping tips.    Show notes:   Pop This! EP 212: The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel with Morgan Brayton Morgan Brayton's website 'Hacks' Is a Different Kind...

Summary:   "My life's a shit show, Zabel." We are officially done with music movies and back to our regularly scheduled programming this week with a belated look at the very buzzy crime drama Mare of Easttown . Also discussed: Crying in H Mart , Summer of Soul and I Think You Should Leave .      Show notes:   " The Real Twist of Mare of Easttown " by Sophie Gilbert (The Atlantic)    " Crying in H...

Summary:   "Life is a cabaret." All-star guest Steven Schelling returns to discuss the last entry in our music movies and musicals series: Cabaret . Also discussed: Kevin Can F**k Himself , Hack s, and dealing with post-restrictions social awkwardness.    Show notes:   Steven Schelling on Instagram   Liza Minnelli's Chicest Cabaret Looks  (CR Fashion Book) Schitt's Creek Finale- Cabaret - "Willkom...

Summary:   "Hello, gorgeous." We forge onward with our music movies and musicals series and welcome back Steven Schelling to talk about Funny Girl and all things Barbra Streisand. Also discussed: The Night Manager , Fast & Furious 9 , and All the Sins .     Show notes:   Steven Schelling on Instagram Don't Rain On My Parade - Barbra Streisand - Funny Girl 1968 (YouTube) Barbra Streisand movies: Al...

Summary:   "Kissed by a muse." This week, we continue on our music movies and musicals odyssey, bringing in all-star guest Steven Schelling to help us tackle Xanadu. Also discussed: The Turning podcast, shaved ice desserts, and the music of LOLAA.     Show notes:   Steven Schelling on Instagram Xanadu | Olivia Newton-John & Gene Kelly's '80s/'40s Hybrid E.L.O. Roller Disco (YouTube) Xanadu (1980)...

Summary:   "The streets are made of music." Lin-Manuel Miranda's In the Heights was released just in time to make our music movies and musicals series and we are ready for it. Also discussed: High on the Hog , Lindy West, and Lisa's t-shirt collection.   Show notes: Lin-Manuel Miranda Apologizes For Lack Of Afro-Latinx Actors In 'In The Heights' (NPR) After 2020, 'In the Heights' Means Even More (...

Summary:   "Always Wong, never Wight." We continue on our tour of music movies and musicals and talk about one of the classics this week: the 1985 musical drama A Chorus Line . Also discussed: the music of Nimkish, the cult of ambition, and aggressive Vancouver crows.    Show notes: A Chorus Line (1985) - Dance: Ten, Looks: Three Scene (4/8) | Movieclips (YouTube) Ryan Murphy to Adapt A Chorus Lin...

Summary:   "4 is the perfect number." This week we continue with our music and musicals series and talk about the 2007 live-action/animated musical fantasy romantic comedy film Enchanted. Also discussed: Crash Landing on You , fried chicken, and Friends: The Reunion.     Show notes: Enchanted 2: Everything We Know About the Enchanted Sequel Starring Amy Adam s (Glamour)    Recommendations: Andrea...

Summary:   "We're getting the band back together." This week we continue our tour of musicals and music films with the hit movie Dreamgirls . Also discussed: fire ants, Diana Ross in Mahogany , and the book How To Do Nothing by Jenny Odell.     Show notes: Jennifer Holliday "And I'm Telling You" 1982 Tony Awards (YouTube) Mahogany (1975) | Romantic Drama Movie | Diana Ross, Billy Dee Williams (You...

Summary:   "Musical true crime." This week, pop culture omnivore Carlos Hernandez Fisher joins us to talk about a movie he saw five times in theatres: Moulin Rouge! Also discussed: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World ,  Mare of Easttown , and our ongoing efforts to reintegrate into society.      Show notes: Ranking the Moulin Rouge! songs, 20 years later (Vulture) Tessa Virtue, Scott Moir Free Dance at Wi...

Summary:   "Soul patch vibe." This week writer Erika Thorkelson subs in for Lisa as we talk about the 2001 cult classic film J osie and the Pussycats . Also discussed: Fanny , Bridget Jones , and our various midlife crises.      Show notes: Midlife . Feel Good About Feeling Bad (a book containing the essay "Me and Bridget Jones" by Erika Thorkelson) Pop This! EP 124: A Wrinkle in Time with Erika T...

Summary:   "Wanna dance, sister?" This week we hit week three of our musicals series with 1992 smash-hit movie Sister Act and discover that it may in fact not be a musical. Also discussed: the I Am All In podcast, Whoopi Goldberg's EGOT, and ideas for a gender-flipped version of Jaws .     Show notes: James Bond Evil Villian name generator (LoveReading) How did 'Sister Act 2' become a classic musi...

Summary:   "Women in overalls." This week we kick-off our musical season with the ever-popular jukebox rom-com Mamma Mia! Also discussed: DOXA Documentary Film Festival, food-stealing dogs, and our most memorable wipeouts.     Show notes:   Franklin Gin Clark (Instagram)  Cash and Rudy (Instagram) Muriel's Wedding - Waterloo (YouTube) ABBA Silver: 'Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again' (NPR)   Recommendati...

Summary:   "Man-crab." This week we talk about Melissa McCarthy's superhero comedy Thunder Force and discover it may not be the movie we want, but it's the movie we need. Also discussed: snakes in the woods, nature documentaries and Thandiwe Newton's season of Line of Duty .      Show notes:   Thunder Force Stops The Crab Robbery ft. Melissa McCarthy & Jason Bateman | Netflix (YouTube) Thunder For...

Summary:   "Netflix half-watch." Culture editor and film critic Dorothy Woodend drops by this week to tell us all about the films to keep an eye on at this year's Oscars. Also discussed: thrift store art, fried chicken, and Shira Spector's graphic novel Red Rock Baby Candy .      Show notes:   Lisa's photo on Thrift Store Art Instagram   Alan Kim at the BAFTAs (Hollywood Reporter)   Dorothy Wooden...