This week gay America received so much, but in particular, A Star is Born starring Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper, who also directed the movie. Guy, Wynter, Karen & Margaret--aka the full panel--got a chance to watch, cry, and be torn apart by the story of a lady who gained the world, but lost the man that she loves. On this episode, we go over the history of this film and all the remakes, share predictions on whether The Academy will hand out statues to Lady Gaga and/or Bradley Cooper, or if ...
Oct 12, 2018•57 min
***Trigger Warning - This episode contains discussion of sexual assault. You may want to sit this one out if hearing this kind of discussion is likely to do more harm than good.*** Current events have us (and many others) reconsidering the way high school and college relationships were depicted in the '80s, particularly in romcoms and raunchy sex comedies. Margaret Wappler hosts our discussion this week with Karen Tongson, Wynter Mitchell-Rohrbaugh, and our guest, actor, and comedian Ted Alexand...
Oct 05, 2018•1 hr
The autumn TV season has officially begun, and let's be honest, there is TOO MUCH stuff to watch out there. If you're feeling overwhelmed, fear not. The Pop Rocket panel has lots of binge-worthy shows to recommend, and a couple new shows they think you should skip. One panelist will tell you why they loved Netflix's Maniac , and another who couldn't make it through the season. If you're curious whether Amazon Prime's The First is worth your time, Tongson's got some opinions. They'll cover Bojack...
Sep 28, 2018•59 min
We’ve got another full panel! This week, Guy, Wynter, Margaret, and Karen tackle the ornery romcom Destination Wedding , starring Gen X darlings Winona and Keanu. Does their star-power shine bright enough to carry an entire film wherein they’re the only two people with dialogue? Has Hollywood discovered how to effectively harness their charm and charisma? You’ll find out as the panel weighs in on these questions and more. The Pop Rocket Seal of Approval The full quorum convened to vote on anothe...
Sep 21, 2018•59 min
Between the VMA's and Yom Kippur, we've got our own version of the high holidays here at Pop Rocket: The SUMMER JAMS episode! We will anoint OR NOT anoint the title of Song of the Summer to the most banging artist of the past few months. And yes, the band is back together again. The full panel - Guy Branum, Karen Tongson, Wynter Mitchell (don't forget) Rohrbaugh, and Margaret Wappler - put on their Grammy judge hats and measure up the best cuts from music makers this past season. What criteria m...
Sep 14, 2018•1 hr 6 min
It’s time, once again, to start deleting programs from our DVRs to make room for new ones. It's almost fall, y'all, which means award shows and the arrival of new network comedies, dramas, dramedies, and what have you. Sooooo Guy Branum, Karen Tongson, and Wynter Mitchell let us in on all the films and TV shows they're most excited about this upcoming season. Rocketeers, this here preview is the closest most of us will get to an actual harvest. The guys pick over the latest crop of entertainment...
Sep 07, 2018•52 min
Hop on the PARTY LYFT as we jam out for the long-awaited return of our favorite newlywed Wynter Mitchell-Rohrbaugh. She joins Karen Tongsen and frequent favorite Pop Rocket guest LA Times Film Reporter Tre'vell Anderson as they get into their thoughts on season 3 of HBO's Insecure . The crew touches on the careers of the leading ladies- specifically white privilege problems at Issa's nonprofit We Got Y'all, Issa's side gig as a Lyft driver, and Molly's experiences at her new black corporate law ...
Aug 31, 2018•1 hr 7 min
We did the book, now we're doing the movie! Goddess Guy Branum and dyke-about-town Karen Tongson are joined by fellow MaxFun host Alonso Duralde of the movie podcast Who Shot Ya? and returning favorite Andrew Ti, host of the podcast Yo, Is This Racist? to talk Crazy Rich Asians . Listen in to find out who the gang thought had the breakout performances? Did the food porn in the book match up with the food porn on screen? Who would be the leading man in the sequel? Was the movie "Asian enough"? In...
Aug 24, 2018•58 min
Goddess Guy Branum returns from his book tour just in time for Pop Rocket's annual Summer Book Club. He joins Karen Tongson and Margaret Wappler to finally dig into Kevin Kwan's Crazy Rich Asians book trilogy . By the way, the movie Crazy Rich Asians is out in theaters now. Go watch it! Kwan's trilogy is essentially about the crazy rich people of Singapore, but the main story in the first book Crazy Rich Asians centers around Rachel and Nick-a young couple who've been dating for two years. They'...
Aug 17, 2018•56 min
This week, Karen Tongson and Margaret Wappler get happy with Matt Bellassai and Bari Finkel, the host and producer of Pineapple Street Media's Unhappy Hour podcast. Today's show is like a Snuggie for one's soul. The panel dishes on the pop culture that brings us pure joy, from songs that compel us to dance, to the spots we gravitate toward on the Internet when we need a dose of adorable. Go ahead, try not to smile when you listen to this episode. All Abouts Margaret is all about the Vulture inte...
Aug 10, 2018•1 hr 8 min
***Warning - this episode contains spoilers*** This week, Karen Tongson and Margaret Wappler chat it up with pop culture maven and Pop Rocket's own podcast godmother Linda Holmes, the host of NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour . The ladies revisit that wonderfully awkward time of their lives of Clearasil and body self-consciousness also known as 8th Grade while doing an in-depth exploration of Bo Burnham's debut film Eighth Grade . The movie centers around this socially awkward teen girl who tries rea...
Aug 03, 2018•1 hr 5 min
We've got a SUPERSIZED Pop Rocket for our first-ever Friday release, so strap yourselves in! This week, Guy Branum, Karen Tongson, and Margaret Wappler are joined by TV powerhouse Sarah Gertrude Shapiro, co-creator and executive producer of the Lifetime drama Unreal . The crew discusses the good, the bad, and the ugly of comedian Sacha Baron Cohen's new Showtime series Who Is America . Not unlike his previous series, Da Ali G Show , which aired on HBO in the early aughts, Cohen continues his con...
Jul 27, 2018•1 hr 24 min
***Warning - this episode contains major spoilers*** This week, Guy Branum and Margaret Wappler are joined by Bay Area comedian and two-time Emmy winning writer Kevin Avery . He was head writer on Totally Biased w/ Kamau Bell , staff writer on Last Week Tonight w/ John Oliver and writer on The Jim Jeffries Show . The gang is deep diving into Boots Riley's new movie Sorry to Bother You . Guy, Kevin and Margaret discover that, like Sorry to Bother You 's Cassius Green, they all worked as telemarke...
Jul 18, 2018•56 min
This week, Guy Branum, Margaret Wappler and Karen Tongson discuss HBO’s Sharp Objects . It’s based on the Gillian Flynn Novel of the same name and is about a woman, Camille Preaker, played by Amy Adams, who returns to her childhood home to combat her personal demons and look into a number of unsolved murders. Margaret is all about Won't You Be My Neighbor? , the Fred Rogers biopic that’s guaranteed to conjure up feelings of love and kindness even in this divisive time. Karen is all about the sec...
Jul 11, 2018•56 min
This week, Guy Branum, Margaret Wappler and Karen Tongson are declaring their independence from screens, push notifications and batteries. That’s right, it’s all about the pop culture that you’ll still be able to experience after the grid goes down. Margaret is all about The Moment app which displays just how much time you spend on your phone every day, which she hopes will help keep her phone out of her motherhood. Karen is all about LeBron James being signed to the LA Lakers and everyone celeb...
Jul 03, 2018•57 min
This week, Guy Branun, Margaret Wappler and Karen Tongson are joined by Lindy West , New York Times opinion writer and bestselling author of the book Shrill to discuss the AMC show Dietland and one of TV’s best fat characters ever: Plum Kettle. Lindy is all about is all about the UK show Grand Designs , which offers a respite of pleasantness in the current world of television. Margaret is all about Michelle Goldberg's NYT op-ed We Have a Crisis of Democracy, Not Manners , which takes a look at t...
Jun 27, 2018•1 hr 2 min
This week, Guy Branun and Karen Tongson are joined by Jordan Morris , writer of the new Maximum Fun scripted series Bubble , and Sudi Green , former Totally Biased w/ Kumau Bell production assistant, current model and current writer for Saturday Night Live . In honor of Bubble the team will discuss which shows and films help create their safe bubble from the rest of the scary world. Jordan is all about is all about Hearts Beat Loud , a summer film that offers the perfect respite from the deluge ...
Jun 20, 2018•1 hr
This week, Guy Branum, Margaret Wappler and Karen Tongson are joined by Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers, the hosts of the Las Culturistas podcast . The gang will discuss the show Pose which focusses on the Ball culture of 1980’s New York. Bowen is all about everything going down at E3, especially the long-awaited crossover madness that is Kingdom Hearts III . Margaret is all about Ocean's 8 , a film that may be full of missed opportunities, but also has enough iconic moments to make it worth the watc...
Jun 13, 2018•1 hr 3 min
**Warning: This episode contains spoilers from The Americans series finale. If you, like Margaret, want to avoid the spoilers, skip from 7:01 to 14:20.** This week, Margaret Wappler and Karen Tongson are joined by Alonso Duralde , one of the hosts of the Max Fun podcast Who Shot Ya? , a movie podcast that isn’t hosted by dude-bros. The gang will discuss the finale of FX Series The Americans and the effect of the Cold War on pop culture. Alonso is all about is all about National Drive-In Day , wh...
Jun 06, 2018•58 min
This week, Guy Branum, Margaret Wappler and Karen Tongson are joined by Katherine Spiers , host of the podcast Smart Mouth , which asks people about their favorite foods. The gang will discuss international travel and all the best things that come from it, including people, food and pop culture. Katherine is all about the actress Jameela Jamil, who criticized Kim Kardashian for advertising appetite suppressing lolly-pops , in spite of the wrath that Jamil may incur. Margaret is all about the fir...
May 30, 2018•1 hr
This week, Guy Branum, Margaret Wappler and Karen Tongson are joined by novelist Mallory O’Meara , host of the Max Fun Podcast Reading Glasses . The gang will discuss books and reading habits. Mallory is all about is all about the book Text Me When You Get Home , which looks into the myth that women aren’t meant to be friends with other women. Margaret is all about the podcast The Habitat , which tracks people as they live out a simulated mission on Mars to learn that no matter which planet you’...
May 23, 2018•1 hr
This week, Guy Branum, Margaret Wappler and Andrew Ti are joined by British actor and comedian Humphrey Ker . The gang takes a look at the biggest transatlantic pairing of the year: The Royal Wedding between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Humphrey is all about Eurovision , the global music competition that showcases some of the best singing--and host banter--in the world. Margaret is all about the podcast Cocaine and Rhinestones , which tells the history of country music, warts and all. Guy is ...
May 17, 2018•57 min
Guy Branum, Margaret Wappler and Andrew Ti are joined by novelist Edan Lepucki . Together, they’ll take a look at our favorite bad moms, and grapple with how they're portrayed in popular culture. It turns out that being in the golden age of television could also mean the golden age of the portrayal of matriarchy in pop culture. Edan is all about the novel Blue Bird Blue Bird by Attica Locke, which she says is filled with the best kind of thriller tropes. Margaret is all about the Netflix series ...
May 09, 2018•1 hr
This week, Guy Branum, Karen Tongson and Margaret Wappler are joined by Andrew Ti, host of the “ Yo, Is This Racist? ” podcast. They take a look at HBO’s West World . Season Two just got started and the team is fairly certain it will be just as complicated as the first. Karen is all about Alexis Bledel in Handmaid’s Tale Season 2 , even though it puts a character she cares about though even more difficulties. Margaret and Guy are all about Michelle Wolf’s routine at The White House Correspondent...
May 03, 2018•57 min
This week, Guy Branum, Karen Tongson, Margaret Wappler discuss the finale of the Shonda Rhimes led show, Scandal . The ABC series wrapped up last week and it stirred up all sorts of thoughts from the team on the female anti-heroes on television. Karen is all about the upcoming Pixar short Bao , which she says is an important addition to Asian representation in popular media (which, let’s face it, is limited). Margaret is all about a recent article about parents raising their children as “Theybie...
Apr 25, 2018•53 min
This week, Guy Branum, Karen Tongson and Wynter Mitchell are joined by Riley Silverman. She’s the lead writer of the Max Fun podcast, International Waters. They discuss A Quiet Place , John Krasinski’s horror film about a family trying to survive a post-apocalyptic world where monsters kill anything that makes a sound. Karen is all about the video for Janelle Monáe’s new music video for the track PYNK , which she says may have established her as a force in queer performance and art. Guy and Wynt...
Apr 18, 2018•57 min
This week, Guy Branum, Karen Tongson, Margaret Wappler and Wynter Mitchell are joined by LA-based artist Akina Cox to discuss the Netflix documentary series Wild Wild Country and cults in pop culture. Karen Tongson is all about Killing Eve on BBC America , which features the return to TV of the beloved Sandra Oh. Wynter is all about The Zen Diaries of Gary Shandling on HBO , Judd Apatow’s love letter to one of the best and most complex comics in history. Akina is all about Ron Chernow’s biograph...
Apr 11, 2018•1 hr 15 min
This week, Guy Branum, Margaret Wappler and Karen Tongson watched the Roseanne reboot and they have feelings about it. Strong feelings. Margaret Wappler is all about Glynn Washington’s podcast Heaven’s Gate which features interviews and stories of surviving members of the deadly cult. The final season of The Americans kicked off last week with the episode Dead Hand and Karen savors the way it used music. Guy is all about the Netflix show On the Block . With the Roseanne reboot smashing all kinds...
Apr 05, 2018•1 hr 5 min
This week, Karen Tongson and Margaret Wappler are joined by clinical psychologist and actress Megan Auster-Rosen to discuss therapy in film and television shows. Margaret Wappler is all about High Maintenance on HBO and the show’s weed dealer/confidant The Guy. Megan is all about Parkland student, Emma Gonzalez and her six minutes of silence , dedicated to the victims of the shooting at Stoneland Douglas High School. Karen is all about the NBC drama, Rise , even though it falls into some unfortu...
Mar 28, 2018•1 hr 1 min
This week, Guy, Karen, Wynter and Margaret bare their souls and confess their problematic faves. Not sure what that means? Don’t worry. They break it down. Wynter Mitchell is all about Cynthia Nixon running for governor of New York. Margaret Wappler is all about Nina Riggs’ memoir The Bright Hour . Karen’s digging CBS All Access’ The Good Fight , and Guy has just discovered The Supersizers Go With Karen Tongson , Guy Branum , Margaret Wappler and Wynter Mitchell . That’s My Jam : Margaret Wapple...
Mar 22, 2018•1 hr 3 min
