INDUSTRY PLANTS: the origin of

PARIS HILTON: her experience in the troubled teen industry

Welcome to Pop Cult: The Fame Files This is a bit of a solemn episode but we hope it’s at least fascinating and enlightening. One of the most seemingly carefree celebrities out there has a much darker past than most people even realize - to no fault of her own. We are diving into Paris Hilton’s experience in the Troubled Teen Industry when she was a teenager and we’ll break down how these places stay in business and some of the reasons why parents choose this path. But we also talk about Paris’s relentless work to free children from these places and her work towards getting them completely shut down. She is truly a classic case of “there’s more than meets the eye” and we thoroughly appreciated learning about her.  The Fame Files is part of Pop Cult, where we unpack pop culture’s biggest stories, scandals, and icons. Join us on Tuesday for our next episode of Reality Digest, where we’ll cover the previous weeks’ pop culture chaos and debrief the latest episodes of our favorite reality shows!  Follow us on socials! Youtube: @PopCultPodcast Instagram: @pop.cult.podcast TikTok: @pop.cult.podcast Disclaimer: The stories we cover are based on research and publicly available sources. While we strive for accuracy, some details may be disputed or unverified, and this episode is for entertainment and informational purposes only. All research in this episode is based on publicly available reporting and archival interviews and documentaries. Full list of sources available upon request.

06-17 REALITY DIGEST | Love Island, In the City, Farmer Wants a Wife FINALE, The Valley, RHORI, Summer House, Below Deck Med PREMIERE

We couldn’t be more excited to welcome the Below Deck Med crew back onto our screens. It’s like they never left! We continue to debrief a very mid season of Love Island and we of course discuss who is in our mental jails this week and who walks free…..for now. Sadly, we say goodbye to the best (only?) palette cleanser show we’ve ever had, courtesy to our Farmers. We are genuinely happy for them and they may have cracked the code with this show when it comes to these couples actually lasting. We will be patiently awaiting another season. On the contrary, we can’t WAIT for Summer House to stop haunting us at all hours of the day - at this point WE’RE the ones who need the beta blockers!!!!! And honestly, the rest of our shows aren’t uplifting our spirits. As we continue to rehash the same drama once again on The Valley, on the other side of the country, we’re feeling like the In The City cast already needs to make some replacements, and our overall conclusion - RHORI included - is that we are sick and tired of watching fake friend groups!!!!!!!!!  Reality Digest is part of Pop Cult, where we break down the wildest moments in reality TV and the week’s biggest celebrity stories.  Join us on Thursday for The Fame Files! Every week we do an episode on a pop culture moment. Be it a celebrity scandal, court case, deep dive or general pop culture phenomenons throughout the years. We’re always looking for requests, so send them our way! Follow us on socials! Youtube: @PopCultPodcast Instagram: @pop.cult.podcast TikTok: @pop.cult.podcast Disclaimer: The stories we cover are based on research and publicly available sources. While we strive for accuracy, some details may be disputed or unverified, and this episode is for entertainment and informational purposes only. All research in this episode is based on publicly available reporting and archival interviews and documentaries. Full list of sources available upon request.

JASON OPPENHEIM: celebrity deep dive

Welcome to Pop Cult: The Fame Files Our first ever celebrity deep dive on a man is starting off strong with the man who always has a strong woman by his side: Jason Oppenheim. One of the brilliant minds behind one of the best reality shows of our time, Selling Sunset. He’s quite the enigma as a reality TV star but a very fascinating background lurks behind his stoic presence on the show. We are happy to say we like him even more after this episode.  The Fame Files is part of Pop Cult, where we unpack pop culture’s biggest stories, scandals, and icons. Join us on Tuesday for our next episode of Reality Digest, where we’ll cover the previous weeks’ pop culture chaos and debrief the latest episodes of our favorite reality shows!  Follow us on socials! Youtube: @PopCultPodcast Instagram: @pop.cult.podcast TikTok: @pop.cult.podcast Disclaimer: The stories we cover are based on research and publicly available sources. While we strive for accuracy, some details may be disputed or unverified, and this episode is for entertainment and informational purposes only. All research in this episode is based on publicly available reporting and archival interviews and documentaries. Full list of sources available upon request.

06-10 REALITY DIGEST | Love Island, In the City, Farmer Wants a Wife, The Valley, RHORI, Summer House, Below Deck Down Under FINALE

We’re coming in hot with a new show this week. It’s officially Love Island season and we’re having mixed feelings so far. We’re sad to say that Below Deck Down Under is finally over but we won’t be sad for long because we’ll be picking up Med again next week. In VERY sad news, we only have one week left to watch our fav farmers find love and we’re on the hunt for more shows like this. Open to suggestions. Currently we are feeling the Summer House drama overload with the reunion and In The City premiering simultaneously. The exhaustion is setting in by our MVP is shockingly Dara this week. Who knew!??!! We continue to be unimpressed by the entire cast of The Valley but are intrigued by a potential new villain of the season. Speaking of villains, it’s starting to seem like the entire cast of RHORI might be one big villain final boss.  Reality Digest is part of Pop Cult, where we break down the wildest moments in reality TV and the week’s biggest celebrity stories.  Join us on Thursday for The Fame Files! Every week we do an episode on a pop culture moment. Be it a celebrity scandal, court case, deep dive or general pop culture phenomenons throughout the years. We’re always looking for requests, so send them our way! Follow us on socials! Youtube: @PopCultPodcast Instagram: @pop.cult.podcast TikTok: @pop.cult.podcast Disclaimer: The stories we cover are based on research and publicly available sources. While we strive for accuracy, some details may be disputed or unverified, and this episode is for entertainment and informational purposes only. All research in this episode is based on publicly available reporting and archival interviews and documentaries. Full list of sources available upon request.

HOLLYWOOD EXPOSÉ: randall emmett’s fall from fame

Welcome to Pop Cult: The Fame Files Today we’re diving into the MANY scandals that have followed tv and movie producer Randall Emmett. From his humble beginnings as Mark Wahlberg's assistant, to making some of the worst action movies literally ever, to stepping into the limelight on a Bravo show - he has been nothing short of diabolical every step of the way. The Fame Files is part of Pop Cult, where we unpack pop culture’s biggest stories, scandals, and icons. Join us on Tuesday for our next episode of Reality Digest, where we’ll cover the previous weeks’ pop culture chaos and debrief the latest episodes of our favorite reality shows!  Follow us on socials! Youtube: @PopCultPodcast Instagram: @pop.cult.podcast TikTok: @pop.cult.podcast Disclaimer: The stories we cover are based on research and publicly available sources. While we strive for accuracy, some details may be disputed or unverified, and this episode is for entertainment and informational purposes only. All research in this episode is based on publicly available reporting and archival interviews and documentaries. Full list of sources available upon request.