Pop Culture Hill

Basketball is Cool, the Forest Whitaker Cinematic Universe, the Problem with (the Original) "Top Gun", and Re-Visiting "Go Set a Watchman"

Hey y'all! It's been a bit, but we're back. Before we jump in, this episode was recorded a few weeks ago, before the Supreme Court officially overturned Roe v Wade last week, so you won't hear it addressed. But as you listen we encourage you to find a way to take action and, if you're financially able, to please donate to great organizations working to protect reproductive health and access to safe abortions, such as The Yellowhammer Fund [https://www.yellowhammerfund.org/] and the National Network of Abortion Funds [https://abortionfunds.org/about/] (this is also a great resource to find local resources [https://abortionfunds.org/funds/] in your state). On today's episode, we're diving into why Siobhan has decided "basketball is cool" from her time watching this year's NBA playoffs, Claire introduces us to the FWCU (the Forest Whitaker Cinematic Universe). Then, Siobhan deep dives into her problem with the original Top Gun's cult following, and Claire breaks down what she thinks everyone actually didn't like about Go Set a Watchman.

The Week's Worst Take, "Everything Everywhere All At Once", Scammers in Culture, and Why "Wishbone" Slaps

WE'RE BACK AND IT'S FRIDAY! We've got a jam-packed episode this week, featuring the worst pop culture take that Siobhan found on the Internet, as well as Claire's spoiler-free, rave review for "Everything Everywhere All At Once". Then, we get into some big hills with conversations about how millennials are driving a wave of scammer content in pop culture, as well as why Siobhan thinks the PBS series "Wishbone" is a better introduction to literature than any high school class you've taken.  Content Warning: During the first mini-hill of the week and during our hill about scammer culture, there are brief mentions of rape and assault. While these are not topics we spend a great deal of time on in the context of the conversation, we wanted to ensure our audience was made aware of them ahead of listening to the episode. Links! "How Everything Everywhere All at Once makes the multiverse for everyone [https://ew.com/movies/everything-everywhere-all-at-once-makes-multiverse-for-everyone/]" by Christian Holub, Entertainment Weekly "In 'Everything Everywhere All at Once,' Intergenerational Trauma Is a Black Hole [https://jezebel.com/in-everything-everywhere-all-at-once-intergenerational-1848789205]" by Kylie Cheung, Jezebel "How Scammers Became Accidental Antiheroes Of The Girlboss Era [https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/female-scammers-became-accidental-girlboss-heroes]" by Alice Porter, Refinery29 "Our Obsession With Scam Culture Raises Major Issues About The Ethics Of Entertainment [https://www.marieclaire.com.au/scam-culture-obsession-entertainment-ethics]" by Lucy Cocoran, Marie Claire "From Fyre festival to Hustlers: why are we so obsessed with scammers? [https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2019/aug/28/fyre-festival-hustlers-holmes-obsessed-with-scammers]" by Adrian Horton, The Guardian "Con artists and disruptors – TV's latest obsessions [https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20220308-con-artists-and-disruptors-tvs-latest-obsessions]" by Caryn James, BBC "The People Could Fly: American Black Folktales [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_People_Could_Fly]" by Virginia Hamilton

Bridgerton! Aries Season! The Best Book to Movie Adaptations and Reality Dating Shows

Another week, another set of pop culture hills! This week we're covering the new season of Bridgerton and why "malicious compliance" is the theme of Aries season. Then, we get into a dual of "bests" beginning with Siobhan's pick for the best book to movie adaptation, along with Claire's pick for the best reality dating show!  Cool links: "How One Stupid Tweet Blew Up Justine Sacco’s Life [https://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/15/magazine/how-one-stupid-tweet-ruined-justine-saccos-life.html]" by Jon Ronson, New York Times Magazine "From the dreamy to the disappointing: We've ranked all of the Australian Bachelors [https://www.nowtolove.com.au/reality-tv/the-bachelor-australia/best-bachelor-australia-63469]" by Alex Lilly, Now to Love

Your Official 2022 Emergency Oscars Recap!

Surprise! Sometimes pop culture doesn't wait for a regularly scheduled podcast, so Siobhan and Claire are here with their burning takes on Oscar night. They break down the winners across categories, deliver takes on this year's films, and, of course, discuss the moment everyone has been talking about. It's an emergency podcast, so listen NOW!

Turning Red! The Linda Lindas! The Best Movies About Music and Wordle Controversy

We're back! After a brief hiatus to regroup, we're back to climbing up our own pop culture hills. Today, Claire and Siobhan weigh in on Disney's 'Turning Red' and the brilliance of The Linda Lindas. Then, Claire believes she's found the greatest movie ever (EVER) about music, and Siobhan thinks this Wordle controversy is ridiculous. Get on in here and listen! Links: "How Did Pixar’s Delightful ‘Turning Red’ Become the Target of Sexist, Racist Controversy? [https://www.thedailybeast.com/how-did-pixars-delightful-turning-red-become-the-target-of-sexist-racist-controversy?ref=scroll]" by Fletcher Peters, Daily Beast "Pixar’s Turning Red is an unlikely culture war battleground [https://www.vox.com/culture/22981394/turning-red-reviews-controversy-reactions-parents]" by Aja Romano, Vox "20 Years Ago 'Josie And The Pussycats Flopped', But Its Soundtrack Deserves Another Listen [https://www.stereogum.com/2122173/josie-and-the-pussycats-at-20/columns/sounding-board/]" by Phil Freeman, Stereo Gum "What 'Josie and the Pussycats' Taught Me About Capitalism, Government Mistrust, And Halter Tops [https://bust.com/movies/195815-josie-and-the-pussycats.html]" by Emma Davey, Bust "'Josie and the Pussycats' Was Far Ahead of Its Time [https://www.glamour.com/story/josie-and-the-pussycats-anniversary]" by Elizabeth Logan, Glamour "The 10 Best Movies About The Music Industry, Ranked [https://screenrant.com/best-movies-about-music-industry/]" by Nick Janks, SCREENRANT Wordle Twitter Thread [https://twitter.com/mjshally/status/1495458810177245184]! - @mjshally Another Wordle Twitter Thread [https://twitter.com/sarahlawsky/status/1495387733702979592]! - @sarahlawsky