The Popculty Podcast: Recent Episodes
Popculty
If you're feeling overwhelmed by the number of entertainment options these days, you're not alone. Who has time to watch 500+ TV shows?? ...I do. And I'm here to help you sort through the white (male) noise and find your next underrated obsession. A companion to the long-running entertainment blog, The Popculty Podcast turns a critical eye on the gamut of pop culture-- from indie film to videogame franchises-- while highlighting underrepresented perspectives. Here we celebrate the female, BIPOC, queer, and disabled side of pop culture and the directors, writers, and artists who are changing the industry one story at a time. Subscribe/follow for interviews with creators, in-depth discussions with experts and fans, and TV recommendations for the best shows you're not watching. The only podcast in your feed that is always AD-FREE for everyone.
This season, sociologist Trisha Crawshaw joins me for a deep dive into all things comics, gender, and Diana Prince. In the first episode of our Wonder Woman series, we excavate her queer, kinky, feminist origins in the 1940s, as well as the life of the man who created her, Dr. William Moulton Marston. Drawing on historian Jill Lepore's bestselling book, The Secret History of Wonder Woman, Angela Robinson's 2017 film Professor Marston and the Wonder Women, as well as my guest's own research, we delve into the complicated legacy of Marston and the role Wonder Woman has played-- and continues to play-- in our culture, one decade at a time.
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After a little unplanned hiatus, Popculty is BACK with Part 2 of our Halloween crossover event! Friend of the pod and Spooky & Gay co-host Carver Casey joins me once again to slice and dice Ari Aster's second film, Midsommar-- the one we actually liked (mostly)! Is it a 'good for her' movie? Cult propaganda? A surprisingly cathartic exploration of grief? We've got thoughts! Plus, side-trips into final girls, the dark history of dance marathons, and of course, Florence Pugh supremacy.
Carver's horror recs:
Next of Kin (1982) dir. Tony Williams
12-Hour Shift (2020) dir. Brea Grant
Pet (2016) dir. Carles Torrens [TW: Not for the squeamish!]
SJ's horror recs:
Evil (4 seasons, Paramount+)
Dead Ringers (1 season, Amazon Prime)
The Last of Us (1 season, HBO/Max)
Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022) dir. Halina Reijn
Fear Street trilogy (2021) dir. Leigh Janiak
References:
- Midsommar, except it's just Dani looking at Christian like he's the shittiest boyfriend ever, set to Wii music
- Florence Pugh on the Off Menu podcast
- The Grim, Depression-Era Origins of Dance Marathons - Atlas Obscura
- Atlas Obscura podcast: Hargaberget
Follow Carver on TikTok.
Support the show
Follow Popculty on Tumblr, Twitter and Instagram, and watch video episodes on our brand-new Youtube channel!
It's a two-part Halloween crossover event! Carver Casey of the Spooky & Gay with Carver & Jay podcast joins me to talk personal histories of horror, how the genre has always served as cultural allegory, and whether the films of A24 auteur darling Ari Aster are all they're cracked up to be. In this episode, we turn our queer lens on Hereditary - Transmasculine allegory or transphobic trash? Listen to find out where we land, and join us next week for Part 2, when we tackle his follow-up folk horror classic Midsommar!
Article discussed:
Trans Horror Stories and Society's Fear of the Transmasculine Body - Sasha Geffen (Them.)
You can follow Carver on Twitter and TikTok.
Spooky synth outro music by Ross Bugden.
Support the showFollow Popculty on Tumblr and Twitter for daily pop culture news and commentary!
When Killing Eve shocked viewers by ending with the oldest homophobic trope, known as Bury Your Gays, it dredged up old wounds for the LGBTQ+ community. But fans are turning their betrayal into action, to ensure the next generation of queer viewers get to see happy endings for the characters they love - and themselves.
Take action:
- Help the Killing Eve Billboard Project reach their goal
- View the Killing Eve Open Letter Project
- Donate to The Trevor Project memorial fund
- Email AMC+ and BBC America; Cancel your subscriptions and tell them why
References:
- The Harmful Trope That's Still Haunting Queer TV - AJ Willingham (CNN)
- Killing Eve Chose Cruelty - Angelica Jade Bastien (Vulture)
- Villanelle's Real Killer? Miserable British Puritanism - Adi Tantimedh (Bleeding Cool)
- The Killing Eve Finale Was Violent in the Worst Way - Jocelyn (Writing Through the Night)
- The Psychological Impact of the Killing Eve Series Finale - Jan E. Estrellado, Ph.D. (Psychology Today)
Thank you:
Viktorija (@anevolutionarynecessity)
@loving-villanelle
@alicia_desousa
@bertimic
@killingemily
@ke_sufferer
@fkacernes
anon and @horde-princess
@killingeveeditx
@doks-aux
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From director Cate Shortland's gritty tone to costume designer Jany Temime's practical wardrobes, to stars Florence Pugh and Scarlett Johansson calling bullsht on sexist jokes -- In this episode, I delve into how the women behind this summer's Black Widow* salvaged Natasha Romanoff from the male gaze of the MCU and made an intimate family drama/comedy/tragedy under the guise of a superhero movie. Plus, the Scar-Jo v. Disney lawsuit that may have inspired the IATSE strike threatening to shut down Hollywood. Oh, and by the way-- How is everyone's movie theater anxiety these days??
Videos for this episode are coming soon! Keep an eye out for them on Tumblr, Twitter, and Instagram.
Leave the show a review and I'll send you this book with my chapter on chosen family as a thank-you!
TRIGGER WARNING: Some discussion of child trafficking (14:25 - 15:36) and forced hysterectomies (24:56 - 25:23).
References:
- Lucrecia Martel Turned Down Black Widow After Marvel Told Her 'Don't Worry' About Action Scenes - IndieWire
- Scarlett Johansson and Florence Pugh on Finding Sisterhood on Black Widow (video) - Variety
- Scarlett Johansson on Woody Allen - The Hollywood Reporter
- Cate Shortland Turned Down Directing Black Widow. So Scarlett Johansson Called Her on Zoom - Variety
- The Sexist Black Widow Joke Salvaged by Nicole Holofcener - Little White Lies
- Florence Pugh Pushed for Black Widow's 'Involuntary Hysterectomy' Clapback after Reading the Original Script - Polygon
- Scarlett Johansson and Florence Pugh on Black Widow Fighting Poses - The Hollywood Reporter
- Hair Ties and No Heels: The Evolution of the Female Superhero Costume is Finally Here - Entertainment Weekly
- Dear Carolyn: What Should Adults Do When They Don't Like Their Parents? - The Washington Post
- Martin Scorsese Says Marvel Movies are 'Not Cinema' - The Guardian
- TimesUp Condemns Disney for "Gendered Character Attack" on Scarlett Johansson in her Disney Lawsuit - Deadline
- When it Comes to Paying Comic Book Writers, Marvel is the Real Villain - Mic&l
Support the show (https://patreon.com/popculty)
With the pandemic wreaking havoc on our collective sanity, what better time to talk about mental health representation in media! Licensed Social Worker and friend of the show Megan Wykhuis is back to lay out the Seven Big Bad Mental Illness Tropes that movies/TV just can't get enough of. Then we go hard on some classic but problematic faves, Hollywood's misguided obsession with "crazy"/violent white men, and the most irresponsible show ever to air (can you guess?)!
Next time, for contrast, we'll rave about our favorite positive portrayals of mental illness (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend! The Magicians! My Mad Fat Diary!) and debate a few that are...er, complicated.
What are some of your favorite shows/movies/characters dealing with mental illness or addiction? Let me know and we might share your thoughts in the next episode! Tweet @popculty, or send a voice memo/email to podcast@popculty.blog.
CONTENT WARNING: Discussion of mental illness throughout, some discussion of addiction (~00:40:30 - 00:46:30), brief mentions of sexual assault, brief mentions of mass/school shootings, moderate-heavy discussion of suicide/self-harm (~00:57:30 - 01:10:00).
If you are in crisis, please reach out to one of the support organizations below:
- NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) helpline: 800-950-NAMI
- RAINN (Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network) Sexual Assault Hotline: 800-656-HOPE
- SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) National Helpline: 1-800-662-HELP
References:
- From 'Split' to 'Psycho': Why Cinema Fails Dissociative Identity Disorder - The Guardian
- Mind Over Pop Culture: 'Fatal Attraction' - Mental Health America
- Glenn Close Regrets How 'Fatal Attraction' Portrayed Mental Illness - The Mercury News
- Release of '13 Reasons Why' Associated with Increase in Youth Suicide Rates - NIH (National Institutes of Health)
Follow Popculty on Tumblr, Twitter, and Instagram for all the news and commentary on the underrepresented pop culture you care about!
Support the show (https://patreon.com/popculty)
One year ago, the Jessica Jones series finale brought the entire Marvel/Netflix Universe to an end. In the final part of this retrospective, SJ and Bethany break down the highs (Hellcat!) and lows (#TrishWalkerDeservedBetter) of the third season. We put our backgrounds in criminology and sociology to use, looking at the history of women's anger/violence and why TV just can't seem to let powerful female characters live (ahemGoT). Author Reuben “Tihi” Hayslett returns to weigh in on the show's lasting impact for survivors of abuse.
TRIGGER WARNING: Some discussion of abuse.
If you need help, please reach out to the National Domestic Violence Hotline:
- @ndvh on Twitter
- CALL 1-800-799-7233
- TTY 1-800-787-3224
- chat: thehotline.org
Thank you again to Reuben “Tihi” Hayslett for sharing his story with us. Read his essay, We Don’t Need Another Hero: How Netflix’s Jessica Jones Saved My Life, and his collection of short stories, Dark Corners.
References:
Marvel's Jessica Jones Directed by Krysten Ritter - Netflix behind-the-scenes video
Rachael Taylor Deals with Trish Walker's Inner Demons in Marvel's Jessica Jones - interview
Credits:
Jessica Jones main title written by Sean Callery; cover performed by L'Orchestra Cinematique. Check out more of their awesome covers on Youtube and their album Geek Tunes.
All series clips property of Marvel and ABC Studios.
Logo by Max Badger.
Follow Popculty on Tumblr, Twitter, and Instagram for all the news and commentary on the underrepresented pop culture you care about!
Support the show (https://patreon.com/popculty)
In the second part of our Jessica Jones retrospective, sociologist/friend of the show Bethany digs into the series' queer subtext with me (#Trishica) and David Tennant as Kilgrave. We relive the life-giving season one finale (Jessica did that!) and the game-changing second season finale (Trish did that!). Special guest, author Reuben “Tihi” Hayslett, shares his own story about intimate partner violence in We Don’t Need Another Hero: How Netflix’s Jessica Jones Saved My Life.
Next time in our final JJ episode: Sallinger, Hellcat, and THAT series finale.
Please help us reach our Patreon goal, to keep this show going! Become a Supergirl-level patron or higher by May 15th, and get a signed copy of my new book Girl of Steel: Essays on Television's Supergirl and Fourth-Wave Feminism!
TRIGGER WARNINGS: General discussion of sexual assault and domestic abuse.
If you are quarantined with an abuser, or in a dangerous home situation, please reach out to the National Domestic Violence Hotline:
- @ndvh on Twitter
- CALL 1-800-799-7233
- TTY 1-800-787-3224
- Chat: thehotline.org
Explicit content: Some language throughout, brief sexual references.
Thank you to Reuben “Tihi” Hayslett for sharing his story with us. Check out his collection of short stories, Dark Corners.
Featured Interviews:
GoldDerby interview with Krysten Ritter
Cast interview with Entertainment Weekly
BUILD Series interview with Rachael Taylor and Krysten Ritter
Credits:
Jessica Jones main title written by Sean Callery; cover performed by L'Orchestra Cinematique. Check out more of their awesome covers on Youtube and their album Geek Tunes.All series clips property of Marvel and ABC Studios.
Logo by Max Badger.
Follow Popculty on Tumblr, Twitter, and Instagram for all the news and commentary on the underrepresented pop culture you care about!
Support the show (https://patreon.com/popculty)
It's finally here: The first episode in our epic 3-part Jessica Jones debrief!!
In this first part, we'll talk about why Jessica was such a revelation in the TV landscape back in 2015 and how she has impacted culture since. Then we'll share listener stories on what the show has meant to them.
We're just getting started! Join us next week for Part 2, when we'll talk queer subtext, David Tennant as Kilgrave, and season two!
Don't miss out on the bonus episode! Support the show for just $2 a month and get Part 4 of this series, exclusively for patrons! (Trust me, you'll want it by the time you finish that series finale...)
TRIGGER WARNINGS FOR THIS EPISODE: Mentions of sexual assault; discussion of alcoholism and child abuse. If you need someone to talk to about anything brought up in this episode, please call 800-656-HOPE or visit rainn.org.
References:
- Marvel's Jessica Jones Episode 1 Preview at NYCC Was Absolute Fire, So Get Stoked - Bustle
- These are the Jessica Jones Articles You're Looking For: A Masterpost - Popculty Blog
- We Don't Need Another Hero: How Netflix's Jessica Jones Saved My Life - Reuben Hayslett, The Mary Sue (We'll be discussing this essay with the author in Part 2)
- Agent Carter and the status of female superheroes in 2015 - Popculty Blog
Credits:
Jessica Jones main title written by Sean Callery; cover performed by L'Orchestra Cinematique. Check out more of their awesome covers on Youtube and their album Geek Tunes.
All series clips property of Marvel and ABC Studios.
Logo by Max Badger.
Follow Popculty on Tumblr, Twitter, and Instagram for all the news and commentary on the underrepresented pop culture you care about!
Support the show (https://patreon.com/popculty)
First, an announcement: The Popculty Podcast Patreon is now live, just in time for the season of giving! Check out all the perks you can get for showing your support! xo
But lesbihonest, the reason we're all here: THAT WONDER WOMAN 1984 TRAILER. Have you recovered yet?? Nope? Me neither. Gotta geek. We break down the big reveals from CCXP last weekend, and get hyped for Lasso of Truth realness, the return of Steve Trevor, and Kristen Wiig as Cheetah!
Credits:
Wonder Woman 1984 trailer courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures.
Logo by Max Badger.
Follow Popculty on Tumblr, Twitter, and Instagram for all the news and commentary on the underrepresented pop culture you care about!
Support the show (https://patreon.com/popculty)
Yep, you read that right. In a bit of a departure from our usual fare, I sat down with a real live nuclear engineer in the U. S. Navy to discuss bad science and good storytelling in HBO's mini-series Chernobyl. Void Coefficients? Cherenkov radiation? Human zombie bombs?? Patrick breaks down what the show got right, what it exaggerated, and why he's actually okay with that. Stay tuned to the end for my Halloween-themed read, watch, and listen picks!
Check out Patrick's Project NISEI, the fan-run continuation of the game Netrunner.
Next time we're going deep on Jessica Jones, so time to catch up on the final season! After you do that, you'll be needing a place to rant/cry/give thanks, and we got you! Tweet with #ThankYouJessicaJones, or better yet - if you wanna hear your voice on air, record a voice memo and email it to podcast@popculty.blog! I want to know what the show has meant to you.
October Recommendations:
- Read: 'It Was a Dark Time': Megan Fox and Karyn Kusama Revisit the Jennifer's Body Backlash
- Listen: Root of Evil: The True Story of the Hodel Family and the Black Dahlia
- Watch: American Horror Story: Apocalypse (Netflix)
Credits:
Chernobyl official trailer courtesy of HBO.
Logo by Max Badger.
Follow Popculty on Tumblr, Twitter, and Instagram for all the news and commentary on the underrepresented pop culture you care about!
Support the show (https://patreon.com/popculty)
It's an all-TV episode! On the eve of the 71st Primetime Emmy Awards, we run down what's nominated and who we're pulling for (#GiveAmyAdamsAnEmmyYouCowards). Jam-packed with dozens of TV recommendations, plus a fond farewell to some of our favorites (R.I.P. Broad City and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend), and some overdue recognition for O.G.s Jane Fonda and Gilda Radnor in the documentary category.
Join us next time when I chat with a nuclear engineer about the HBO series Chernobyl! #science
References:
- Full Emmys 2019 Nominee List
- Watch all 100+ Crazy Ex-Girlfriend songs here.
- You Must Remember This : Jean Seberg & Jane Fonda
- Read Rec: "Let Liv Tyler Go to Space" by Rachel Handler
- Listen Rec: Beach Bunny - "Prom Queen"
Follow Popculty on Tumblr, Twitter, and Instagram for all the news and commentary on the underrepresented pop culture you care about!
Logo by Max Badger.
Support the show (https://patreon.com/popculty)
Lulu Wang's new film The Farewell has quickly become the indie darling of the summer, with a 99% on Rotten Tomatoes and a record-setting per-theater box office average, despite only a limited release. It stars Awkwafina as Billie, an American woman who must return home to China with the rest of her family, to say good-bye to their beloved matriarch, Nai Nai, while keeping her in the dark about her own illness. Based on "an actual lie" from Wang's own life, the film tackles family dynamics and cultural divides in a way we have seldom seen on the big screen.
I talked with writer and digital media scholar Theresa Shim about why The Farewell meant so much to her as an API immigrant, and the state of Asian representation in media.
Follow Theresa on Twitter and Tumblr, and check out her writing on Medium.
Credits:
The Farewell official trailer courtesy of A24.
The Farewell original score by Alex Weston.
Logo by Max Badger.
Follow Popculty on Tumblr, Twitter, and Instagram for all the news and commentary on the underrepresented pop culture you care about!
Support the show (https://patreon.com/popculty)
In the very first episode of the Popculty Podcast, get acquainted with your host, SJ, and the kinds of topics we'll cover on this show. Then geek out with me as we re-cap all the big announcements from Comic-Con 2019, featuring an all-star lineup of female superheroes, villains, and Terminators!
Follow Popculty on Tumblr, Twitter, and Instagram for all the news and commentary on the underrepresented pop culture you care about!
Logo by Max Badger.
Support the show (https://patreon.com/popculty)