The Great Big Podcast: Recent Episodes
Alyssa and Jenny
Two friends talk about their likes, dislikes and everything in between in pop culture. From Disney to Award-Winning Directors, we give our super biased and poorly researched opinions on the things we enjoy.
Jenny tells Alyssa about her love for "The Phantom of the Opera" and discusses its story of redemption and forgiveness. Learn about the history of the French novel, its silent horror film adaptation by Universal Pictures, and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical that launched its Broadway run and Tony Award win for Best Musical.
Jenny and Alyssa talk about all things Halloween in preparation for this spooky season. Learn about the origins of Halloween and the popular traditions Americans do for the holiday, must-watch scary movies that range from horror classics to modern indie thrillers, and the icon David S. Pumpkins.
Alyssa tells Jenny about her favorite character from the Bojack Horseman series, Diane Nguyen, and the portrayal of her Vietnamese-American identity. Learn about the controversy of having a white actress voice Diane Nguyen, the depiction of isolation that comes with being Viet-American, and how inclusive representation has a long way to go.
Jenny tells Alyssa about the overlooked feminist character arcs of beloved Disney princesses, such as Cinderella and Ariel. Learn about how the original Disney princesses were actually empowering with their aspiration for better futures and how current Disney projects have lost this value due to its commodification of feminism.
Jenny and Alyssa rank their top 5 songs from Taylor Swift's surprise sister albums released in 2020, "Folklore" and "Evermore." Learn about what their favorite songs mean to them and how their ranking helped determine which album they prefer.
Alyssa tells Jenny all about her admiration for her favorite actor Oscar Isaac. Learn about how his acting career in both drama and sci-fi indie films gave him large critical acclaim, how his involvement in the Star Wars franchise developed his rise to fame, and the upcoming projects we all need to be on the lookout for.
Jenny tells Alyssa all about her favorite Disneyland Park attraction, the Haunted Mansion. Learn about their favorite aspects of the ride, the early history and production details behind its construction, and the different lore and origin stories for the various Haunted Mansions around the world.
Jenny and Alyssa talk about the iconic Shrek franchise in celebration of the first movie's recent 20th anniversary. Learn about the early beginnings of DreamWorks, the fun anti-fairytale masterpiece behind the first two installments, and Shrek's lasting cultural impact on all of our lives.
Alyssa tells Jenny all about her love for Guillermo Del Toro's under-appreciated sci-fi movie "Pacific Rim." Learn about the heartfelt storytelling within this kaiju-mecha blockbuster, such as the importance of platonic relationships between male-female leads and the use of "drift compatibility" to cope with lost and trauma.
Jenny tells Alyssa all about the failed Walt Disney Company and Jim Henson Company merger from the 1990s. Learn about how this collaboration would have entailed the Muppets' year-long take over of Disneyland and some Muppet chaos throughout various aspects of the park!