Which Junkie has the moves? They all do, unless you count tap dancing. It’s metaphorically hot as Hell here in Phoenix, so we are all about the summer music playlist this week. Each Junkie discloses their summer soundtracks, 2021-style, and we’re posting them below so you can rock out at your poolside barbecue or on your vacay road trip. Nicole’s has a country flair, Hayley’s is a little bit rock and roll, Shauna’s has those Vegas vibes and Alex’s brings the finesse and the funk. Whether you’re ...
Jun 03, 2021•54 min
Another Junkie is MIA! This time it is Hayley, who was somehow misplaced by the other Junkies. They pledge to find her by next week. This week, however, is all about Friends. Could we BE any more excited? No. The Junkies discuss the landmark sitcom, which will be celebrated with a reunion show on HBO Max on the same day this episode drops. Nicole and Shauna talk about their favorite characters and cast members while also looking at the ways the show was flawed. Then Alex is the game show host wi...
May 27, 2021•40 min
Nicole is back! The Junkies welcome her return with a big discussion of Law and Order: SVU, and whether she really was auditioning to play a cadaver. Hayley describes her solo snowboarding honeymoon in Purgatory and the junky (not Junkie!) beaches in California, but everyone wants to vacation there anyway. Shauna delves into Jupiter’s Legacy and how it ranks next to The Boys and Invincible. Alex reviews Those Who Wish Me Dead and Together Together, and rates them by how much action the main char...
May 20, 2021•46 min
We are one Junkie short this week, so as Alex, Hayley and Shauna soldier on without Nicole, they decide to do a deep dive into Marvel content past and yet to come in the year 2021. After speculating on Nicole’s whereabouts, we learn Shauna finally got into Invincible, Alex is digging superhero comedy The Neighbor (El Vecino), and Hayley is all over the Lost spoof Wrecked this week. Speaking of shipwrecks, the Junkies salute the 22 year-long sexless voyage of Benson and Stabler before settling in...
May 13, 2021•54 min
For an episode dropping close to Mother’s Day, there are so many mentions of, um, Daddies, this week. Alex talks about growing up sheltered from pop music, but not from lewd WWE gestures, and Shauna recounts re-enacting naughty Spice Girls videos as a youngster. Nicole remembers the drive to save horses by riding cowboys while young Hayley unknowingly channeled Christina Aguilera in a less-than-wholesome way. Alex and Hayley detail the glorious gore of Invincible and the impenetrable plot of Sha...
May 06, 2021•53 min
Embrace the nostalgia as the Junkies look back on the ’90s on this week’s episode. Remember the Spice Girls, Beanie Babies, high-waisted jeans and…lava lamps? Anyway, the Junkies reminisce about the decade that brought us chat rooms and All That and Law & Order (even Nicole, who wasn’t born until the decade was nearly over.) Alex compares the new Mortal Kombat to the classic ’95 version, and Hayley takes a look at how The Mighty Ducks became mighty d*cks and reflects on the surreal life of T...
Apr 29, 2021•48 min
This episode was recorded on 4.20. Just saying. Shauna does a bollocks Posh Spice impersonation, but Nicole rocks her Chicago accent. Hayley and Alex dish on everything good from Falcon and the Winter Soldier (and that special guest – spoilers!) and speaking of spoilers, Shauna brings you the mind-blowing truth about The Matrix (1999.) Nicole can’t place Mark McGrath from The Masked Singer but she does bring you the best in baseball from this week. Speaking of sports, Jake Paul had another fight...
Apr 22, 2021•52 min
Which Junkie sat at the emo kids’ table in high school? Which one ate with the teachers? And which one got to skip class to go to Red Sox games? This episode reveals all. The Junkies give a shout out to the fans who are making us Big in Egypt (hey!), and propose their own musical version of The Breakfast Club. And an OnlyFans swimsuit edition. Nicole (and her dad) are digging Law and Order: Organized Crime and pretty much everyone is a fan of Stabler’s perfect peach. Alex drops the first (and ma...
Apr 15, 2021•49 min
The Junkies are back on their regular beat this week, bringing you not one but two pop culture stories involving the Prince of Darkness. But first, they break down the emotional Benson-Stabler reunion in the long-running Law and Order SVU, a show that’s almost as old as Nicole. Then it’s on to the ethical questions about Falcon and the Winter Soldier and the questionable dance moves of Baron Zemo. You heard it here first: Nicole declares that Sharon Carter is the Power Broker. But she doesn’t wa...
Apr 08, 2021•53 min
It’s official: pop culture is dead. R.I.P. Over a year of Covid-related cancellations, postponements and Zoom call-themed episodes have put the kibosh on entertainment in 2021. So this week, the Junkies are turning to a subject of endless fascination: conspiracy theories. Where is Naked Celebrity Island, and which Elvis (hot movie star Elvis or chubby Vegas edition) greets every new resident? Why is the government dispatching so many of our beloved celebs, from Marilyn Monroe to the Notorious B....
Apr 01, 2021•43 min
The Junkies imagine the perfect private club, one with killer tunes and consensual groping only. Stay tuned for details on the opening of an exclusive PCJ Club near you*. Nicole confesses her love of those adorable porkers (and bacon) and Shauna discloses her past as a hip hop diva. Hayley dives into the Justice League Snyder Cut, separating the good from the unnecessary exposition, and Alex gives Tom Holland’s latest non-Spider-Man role a fair shake. Then get caught up on a whole week’s worth o...
Mar 25, 2021•56 min
Thimble, Shoe, Dog, Racecar… the Junkies disclose which Monopoly piece best represents them, and who is willing to flip the board when the game isn’t going their way. Shauna the Sebastian Stan stan talks about prepping for Falcon and the Winter Soldier with a massive Marvel rewatch. Alex and Hayley voice concerns about a CW version of the Powerpuff Girls, and imagine if the network made other reboots of childhood favorites, such as a dark version of Barney or the Rugrats on meth. Nicole uses her...
Mar 18, 2021•46 min
It’s our second season premiere, and this episode is bigger and badder than ever, and we mean bad as in good. First we meet our two brand spanking new Junkies, Hayley the Brave and Alexander Castillo-Nuñez. Hayley was a guest Junkie on our Cobra Kai episode, and Alex is making his ‘kind of surreal’ debut on the show. The Junkies celebrate Women’s History Month by giving snaps to important women in pop culture and IRL, recognizing everyone from Jennifer Garner to Buffy to Billie Eilish, Oprah and...
Mar 11, 2021•1 hr 6 min•Season 2Ep. 21
You picked the categories. You picked the nominees. And you voted on the winners. Now it’s finally time to find out the best and worst of Pop Culture from the year that wasn’t, 2020. Shauna and Nicole announce the winners of the First Annual Junkies’ Choice Awards in an elaborate ceremony, live on tape at the Pop Culture Junkie Pavilion. Really! Find out who is the Best Chris, the Worst Chris, the 2020 Pop Culture VIP and so much more. Finally, an awards show that won’t keep you up past midnight...
Mar 04, 2021•29 min•Season 1Ep. 20
Nicole and Shauna welcome guest Junkie and fellow Sun Devil Karla Hernandez from Live 101.5's Morning Mess in Phoenix, to talk about villains like Ashlee Simpson, Cruella, Rachael from The Bachelor and Justin Timberlake. Nicole confesses to becoming a Belieber, and Shauna and Karla discuss calling out your exes on the air without regrets. The Junkies make juice out of Bachelor rumors and throw down for a misunderstood pop princess (#FreeBritney). Karla talks about being Miss Arizona Latina 2020 ...
Feb 25, 2021•37 min•Season 1Ep. 19
Shauna and Nicole welcome actor Sam Primack, a Broadway and touring company actor, who has appeared in Dear Evan Hansen and The Addams Family to talk singing, dancing, and barbecue. After settling the crucial issue of whether pineapple belongs on pizza (to be eaten only under duress, apparently,) the Junkies move on to who was canceled this week and how much they deserved it. Shauna approves of Aaron Rodgers’ mustache getting engaged and Nicole enjoys having a fan of The Bachelor to dish with. S...
Feb 18, 2021•48 min•Season 1Ep. 18
It’s Galentine’s Day, so there are no boys allowed in the Pop Culture Junkie clubhouse this week. Shauna and Nicole debate whether to give stealth Valentine cards to their neighbors and discuss which celeb couples will have a happy V-Day and which will not. (Sorry, J-Lo.) The Golden Globe nominations are out, but so are the Junkies’ Choice Award noms, which is just as important. Then Nicole and Shauna dish on rom-coms, chick-flicks and plain Janes as the gals discuss love, American movie-style. ...
Feb 11, 2021•50 min•Season 1Ep. 17
Nicole and Shauna welcome guest Junkie Adam Corcovilos of the Cinemadness podcast to talk about cinema...and madness. Nicole is all about the Anistons, while Shauna wants to print holographic Lady Gaga bucks. The Junkies do their best to figure out what the heck is happening in WandaVision and decide who to root for in the "big game." Then it's time to look back on the best movies of 2020 - the ones that came out, anyway. Adam tells us about being a Ghostbuster and explains why San Diego Comic C...
Feb 04, 2021•52 min•Season 1Ep. 16
The Karens are back in full force, so the Junkies consider telling their bosses to take that job and shove it. Then it's all about WandaVision, the gateway drug to the MCU for Nicole. Shauna spoils the ending of the Presidential Inauguration for Montae, who hasn't seen it yet. The Junkies talk sports (of course, from a pop culture perspective,) and try to figure out why the best sports movies are always about cheerleading. There's real world Instagram drama from the former Bachelorette, and the ...
Jan 28, 2021•40 min•Season 1Ep. 15
This week's episode has everything! The Junkies talk cereal and we discover how much influence The Flintstones had on Montae's childhood, Nicole salutes Captain Crunch and Shauna speaks in defense of the Trix Rabbit and it's all part of this complete breakfast. Staying on the topic of food, the Junkies talk leftovers: the good, the bad and the stiff biscuits. There's a mono alert on The Bachelor (not really) and the Junkies figure out which Sex and the City character they are (no one is a Charlo...
Jan 21, 2021•44 min•Season 1Ep. 14
It's our 13th episode, but the Junkies don't believe in superstition...unless you count stepping on cracks, black cats and splitting the pole. A catastrophic news week put an end to dry January for Shauna. Will she listen to her better angel (Montae) and get back on the wagon or the devilish Nicole urging her to give up? The Bachelor started this week so the Junkies dive into the shallow end of the dating pool to rate the hotties (and notties) vying for the hand of Matt James. The Junkies plan t...
Jan 14, 2021•49 min•Season 1Ep. 13
It's the first podcast of 2021, and the Junkies do a deep dive into Cobra Kai, so deep that they invited a special guest to help cover it all. Hayley the Brave from the Thirty, Nerdy and Thriving podcast becomes an honorary Junkie to talk about the show, which just dropped season three on Netflix. But first, the Junkies catch up on what's been happening since the holidays. Awesome: Wonder Woman 84, The Mandalorian finale, and Soul. Not Awesome: The Bachelorette finale (ew, Zac) and working throu...
Jan 07, 2021•57 min•Season 1Ep. 12
Time to bid adieu to the Worst. Year. Ever. The Junkies do the year-end thing, from discussing their New Year's Eve plans (with or without tequila) to lamenting everything that didn't happen thanks to the pandemic, like college graduation, trips to Vegas and Pussy Riot. But 2020 had a few upsides: Nicole remembers the time she got to touch Faith Hill's hand, Montae was a really good friend by sacrificing floor seats at a Kanye concert, and Shauna recalls the time she rocked a concert solo. Then ...
Dec 31, 2020•38 min•Season 1Ep. 11
Wonder Woman 1984 opens on December 25th, so the Junkies bring you the history of the Amazonian BDSM heroine. Nicole and Montae plan crime sprees in order to be saved by their favorite superheroes, which is extremely logical. The Junkies look back at Wonder Woman costumes through the ages, and rate them on attractiveness and the danger of accidental nip slips. Shauna plans her perfect superhero outfit, which has pockets big enough for a...taco? Find out how the portrayal of Wonder Women has chan...
Dec 24, 2020•46 min•Season 1Ep. 10
Mandalorian spoilers in 3...2...1...Pedro Pascale has an incredible mustache! You'll hear it here first. Shauna asks should adults even have a favorite number? Nicole says yes, and the debate rages on. The Junkies dream-cast Star-Lord's next polyamorous relationship and find out what happens when the men tell all. (It's not pretty.) On the topic of not pretty, Shia LaBoeuf gets a shout-out, and obviously not the good kind. The Cleveland Indians' imminent name change is celebrated, but the Clevel...
Dec 17, 2020•40 min•Season 1Ep. 9
The Junkies talk side hustles and celebrity freebies, and let us know who made their Naughty and Nice lists this year. Mediocre dudes and the Worst Chris? Naughty, of course, but Guy Fieri and Lady Gaga make the Nice list. And Ariana Grande? You'll have to listen to find out where she landed. In other news, Disney may soon be acquiring Nicole (among other things,) the Junkies plan a Vegas road trip to watch Logan Paul fight, and Ellen was just cringey. We've got mondo Mando spoilers, Shauna and ...
Dec 10, 2020•39 min•Season 1Ep. 8
And now we turn to sports...wait, are sports even pop culture? They have cosplayers, so yes they are. The Junkies talk football, basketball and boxing, if matches with Jake Paul count as boxing. Nicole calls Michael Jordan a goat, and the Junkies mock the "Little Rock" parade balloon. Back in the world of entertainment, Montae still can't correctly identify Disney movies, and Nicole brings us the Selena Gomez kidney scandal. Shauna looks at the influence of Ocean's Eight star Cate Blanchett on h...
Dec 03, 2020•45 min•Season 1Ep. 7
The Junkies assemble for a Thanksgiving feast consisting of a hard-boiled egg dipped in mayonnaise, hella-cheesy mac and cheese, and a TikTok snail, with Magnum Pie for dessert. Montae asks you to imagine getting a calm a**-whoopin' from Denzel Washington, and the gang discusses the Sexiest Mustache Alive. Nicole and Shauna are diagnosed with Jungle Fever and Montae updates everyone on his quest to woo the next Bachelorette. On a more serious note, the Junkies pay tribute to the creator of the I...
Nov 26, 2020•44 min•Season 1Ep. 6
After a weather update, the Junkies band together to solve the mystery of who Megan Fox is boinking. Montae can't wait to spill his really big news to the rest of the gang, and everyone shares in some "Oopsy Updates" Montae isn't sure about makeup, but he's definitely not wearing a dress. Shauna gives her best Keanu Reeves impression and Nicole ranks the cast of Friends. It should surprise no one that Ross is at the bottom. Join the Pop Culture Junkie Support Group on Facebook to join the conver...
Nov 19, 2020•42 min•Season 1Ep. 5
Episode 4 - "Anyone Can Have Surgery" Reba is just alright with Montae, but Nicole and Shauna are big fans. The Junkies decide it's time for the "Gay Bachelor" and Shauna ponders why Batman is always hiring teenagers and putting them in mortal jeopardy. Speaking of Jeopardy, the gang remembers the late Alex Trebek and debates the use of CGI to add the late Chadwick Boseman, the late Paul Walker, and the late Carrie Fisher into their respective post-mortem movies. Nicole dishes on the major Bache...
Nov 12, 2020•46 min•Season 1Ep. 4
