In this episode of School of Pop , we’re diving into the psychology behind competitive fans. From chart battles and fandom feuds to internal hierarchies and stan wars, we're looking to understand: Why do fans get so emotionally invested in wins and losses that don’t directly affect them? Why is sports fandom celebrated while pop fandom is mocked? And what happens when fan spaces become less about community and more about proving you're the best? Dr. Courtney Plante, a social psychologist and pro...
Jul 15, 2025•32 min
In this episode of School of Pop, we’re unpacking the complexities of parasocial relationships: what they are, how they form, and when they might cross a line. Dr. Lynn Zubernis, a clinical psychologist and university professor and a passionate fangirl. She has published seven books which celebrate the positive outcomes of being a fan, including two written with the cast of her favorite series, Supernatural. Lynn has a regular column in Psychology Today on the science of fandom, has written for ...
Jul 09, 2025•56 min
Join Kat Monroe on School of Pop's very first field trip!!! We're headed to Philadelphia and New York for a special recap on two music festivals - Roots Picnic and Governors Ball.
Jul 01, 2025•55 min
From concert tickets and merch drops, being a fan is expensive! This lesson at School of Pop explores how to enjoy fandom without breaking the bank. Kat is joined by financial educator Alejandra Rojas , who shares advice for budgeting and setting financial boundaries, and Kristal Terrell , a concert pro who drops her best savings tips for going to shows. Follow School of Pop: Class Notes: https://schoolofpop.substack.com Pop Recap: https://poprecap.beehiiv.com Follow Alejandra Rojas: Brown Way T...
May 13, 2025•55 min•Season 1Ep. 5
From fan fiction and fan edits to AI-generated songs, this lesson at School of Pop dives into the world of fan-made creations Kat is joined by intellectual property attorney Kirk Sigmund, who unpacks the legal myths and explains how fan creations can cross into copyright infringement. The episode also explores ethical gray areas with fan-created content. Follow School of Pop: Class Notes: https://schoolofpop.substack.com Pop Recap: https://poprecap.beehiiv.com Chapters: 00:00 Intro 02:30 School ...
May 06, 2025•43 min•Season 1Ep. 4
From heartfelt interactions to pushy crowds, this lesson at School of Pop dives into the tradition of Broadway stagedooring and how fan culture, entitlement, and social media have shaped its evolution. Kat is joined by content creator and podcaster Jillian Hayes to explore the history, ethics, and shifting expectations around meeting performers after the curtain closes. Plus, Kat shares real fan stories and unpacks how broader fan behaviors across TV, music, and sports reflect similar patterns. ...
Apr 29, 2025•1 hr 6 min•Season 1Ep. 3
From signs and screaming to pushy pit behavior and throwing objects onstage, this lesson at School of Pop explores the unwritten rules of concert culture and where things can go too far. Kat is joined by concert-goer Cameron Bristow to unpack the evolution of live event etiquette and how artists and fans are pushing back on toxic trends. Plus, indie girlband Double Standard stops by for our first ever Show-and-Tell artist spotlight! Follow on School of Pop: https://www.instagram.com/schoolofpoph...
Apr 22, 2025•1 hr 5 min•Season 1Ep. 2
Welcome to School of Pop , the reimagined version of what started as Fan Fave with Katrina . After two years of off and on podcasting and figuring things out, we're back with a clearer vision, a new structure, and a deeper dive into pop culture. Each season is now a "semester," and this one? We're kicking things off with a theme I’ve been wanting to explore for a long time: Fandom Ethics . This first episode sets the stage. I’m talking about why the show has changed, what School of Pop actually ...
Apr 22, 2025•22 min•Season 1Ep. 1
Welcome to School of Pop's semester on Fandom Ethics!
Apr 18, 2025•1 min
In this episode of the Fan Fave podcast, host Katrina shares her thoughts about the newest Pixar movie, Inside Out 2! Plus, a Pop Recap all about Aaron Tveit and Jojo's return to the Moulin Rouge, Universal Orlando's Epic Universe - Dark Universe updates, the Kennedy Center's Gospel Symphony Celebration for Richard Smallwood and the Pop 2000 Tour featuring Chris Kirkpatrick, BBMAK, O-Town, Ryan Cabrera and LFO.
Mar 05, 2025•33 min
In this episode of Fan Fave, host Katrina talks all about her experience attending the Lollapalooza music festival in Chicago. Listen to hear about her favorite performances and lessons learned.
Aug 25, 2024•1 hr 3 min
The greatest night in theater has come and gone! Join Fan Fave host Katrina in a recap of the night's best and worst moments. Plus, a Pop Recap talking about the rise of Chappell Roan, new Taylor Swift discourse, All Things Go NYC vs MD, Ben Platt's residency at the Palace Theater, the I Got Away tour, WNBA games and more!
Jun 18, 2024•46 min
In this episode of Fan Fave, Katrina shares her thoughts on Merrily We Roll Along on Broadway AND her experience seeing The Rolling Stones in concert on their Hackney Diamonds tour. Plus, a Pop Recap featuring a *SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT* and Katrina's thoughts on Tiana's Bayou Adventure and The Last Dinner Party.
Jun 04, 2024•44 min
We are SO BACK and we have a lot of catching up to do. This episode is exactly what it sounds like, a recap of pop culture things that happened while I was busy with my finals.... Topics include: My experience attending Hozier's Unreal Unearth Tour Mother's Day weekend at Walt Disney World 2024 Tony Nominations A new movie starring Nick Jonas and Paul Rudd!!! Dua Lipa's Future Nostalgia and Billie Eilish's Hit Me Hard and Soft Saturday Night Live Season 49 Finale Deitrick Haddon's One Night in C...
May 28, 2024•57 min
This week's episode, host Katrina shares her thoughts on Taylor Swift's 11th studio album The Tortured Poets Department! Plus, an overview of trending topics that include Rachel Zegler's broadway debut, seeing Spider-Man 2 in theaters, Inside Out 2's focus group, the All Things Go music festival, and Travis Kelce's Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity.
Apr 23, 2024•24 min
This week's episode is all about Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter and the history of black country music. Host Katrina highlights stories of black country music artists, including trailblazers from the past, like DeFord Bailey, Ray Charles, Charley Pride and Linda Martell, and hitmakers of the present and future, from Mickey Guyton to Tanner Adell. Katrina also shares her thoughts in general on the Cowboy Carter project as a country music fan. POP RECAP TOPICS INCLUDE: FILM Timothee Chalamet and Warner B...
Apr 09, 2024•45 min
Over the weekend, host Katrina had the opportunity to attend the ceremony for the 25th Mark Twain Prize for American Humor at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C.. This year, America's top prize in comedy was given to Kevin Hart. Today's episode is all about the Mark Twain Prize and Katrina's experience attending the show. Pop Recap topics include: FILM Popeye the Sailor Man, Harold and the Purple Crayon, and live action remakes Aaron Taylor Johnson's day as James Bond The Wicked movie's live v...
Mar 26, 2024•38 min
In this episode of the Fan Fave podcast, host Katrina takes a look at all seven studio albums released by Ariana Grande and attempts to rank them based on her favorite songs. This episode is a celebration of our favorite pop girl’s discography so join in on the fun! Katrina also shares responses from Arianators who shared what their favorite Ariana album was. Pop Recap topics include: FILM SNL 1975 Update Casting news: Noah Baumbach’s new Netflix movie and the Cat in the Hat remake New releases:...
Mar 19, 2024•40 min
In this episode of Fan Fave, we talk all about the biggest moments of this year’s Academy Awards. I’ve also watched all ten Best Picture nominations so I’ll be talking through my thoughts on them to determine if the awards given out were deserved or if others were snubbed. Pop Recap topics include: FILM Kung Fu Panda 4 Inside Out 2 Now You See Me 3 Austin Butler's Elvis in Timothee Chalamet's Bob Dylan Biopic The Idea of You THEATER Spamalot and Days of Wine and Roses are closing Othello and Str...
Mar 12, 2024•1 hr 4 min
Today is the start of another brand new series for the Fan Fave podcast, called No Gatekeeping! This series is my way of helping out my fellow fans of pop culture experience all of the fun in the pop culture world by sharing everything I know about how to do a certain thing. Today's episode is all about how to get cheap Broadway tickets! I explain how rush and lottery works, and I do a huge rundown of all the ticket deals that I know so that you can see one of the many new shows opening this Spr...
Mar 05, 2024•59 min
We're taking a trip down memory lane! Everyone is talking about Fifth Harmony again, and as a former 5H fan, Katrina is talking all about the iconic girl group in this episode. From their music to their concerts, Katrina shares her favorite Fifth Harmony memories. Also discussed are the solo careers of each individual member, from Camila Cabello to Normani, who just announced her debut album! Pop Recap topics include: Film Challengers trailer Snack Shack trailer Beatles biopics Theater Water for...
Feb 27, 2024•54 min
Fan Fave is launching a brand new series! Full-Time Fan spotlights fans who turned their passion for pop culture into successful professional careers. Over the weekend, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Late Night with Seth Meyers both celebrated their 10 year anniversaries, and I realized that I never really took the time to share more about my experiences interning for NBC and The Tonight Show. I figured now would be a great time to launch this series and do just that, since I am a pr...
Feb 20, 2024•1 hr 15 min
In this special Valentine's Day episode of Fan Fave, host Katrina takes a look at some of the most iconic romance movies, across all genres - drama, comedy, musical, action, and horror (yes, horror). Pop Recap topics include: The Super Bowl The Game My disappointment for the 49ers loss The Halftime Usher!!! The Commercials New Beyoncé music Deadpool and Wolverine Wicked Trailer Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes Trailer Twisters Trailer Ben Affleck and Dunkin' Michael Cera and Cerave Judge Judy, ...
Feb 13, 2024•1 hr 26 min
For this episode of Fan Fave, host Katrina watched every single Super Bowl halftime performance from 2000-2023 and created a ranking of what she believes are the top 10 shows of this century. Listen to the episode to hear Katrina's rankings, with plenty of fun facts about music's biggest stage along the way.
Feb 09, 2024•53 min
Welcome to the season three premiere of the Fan Fave podcast! Today's episode is an extended Pop Recap of all of the trending topics and events that have happened since we last spoke in December. Topics include: Movies SNL 1975 Barbie Oscar Snubs Theater Purple Rain Musical Derek Klena in Moulin Rouge Beauty and the Beast 30th Anniversary Tour Television After Midnight with Taylor Tomlinson The Bachelor Season 28 Wizards of Waverly Place Revival Music 66th Annual Grammy Awards Wildcard Country B...
Feb 06, 2024•1 hr 9 min
In the Season Two finale of the Fan Fave podcast, host Katrina recaps the year of 2023 in pop culture. She shares her personal favorite memories from this year, including taking a graduation pic with the Jonas Brothers, attending Taylor Swift's Eras Tour, and going to Disney World. Katrina also breaks down her favorite moments and disappointments in music, film, television, and theater from 2023. Plus, she shares what pop culture things to look forward to in the new year!
Dec 26, 2023•1 hr 26 min
In this Fan Fave Holiday Special, Katrina shares her favorite holiday music, movies, tv shows, and special events! Plus, a Pop Recap about seeing Diana Ross and the Jonas Brothers in concert, MJ on Broadway, and more!
Dec 05, 2023•1 hr 6 min
It's that time of the year! Join Fan Fave host Katrina in a discussion all about the joy and cheer of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade! As a 2x balloon handler in the parade, Katrina will talk all about her experience, as well as the history and legacy of the NYC holiday celebration. Plus, a Pop Recap celebrating the end of the SAG-AFTRA strike! And thoughts on the 67th Grammy Awards nominations, the upcoming Mean Girls movie musical, Love Island Games, the 2024 Met Gala theme, the Six Flags/C...
Nov 15, 2023•32 min
In this episode of Fan Fave, we dive into the magical world of Oz! Learn about the history and legacy of two hit musicals - Wicked (celebrating 20 years) and The Wiz (celebrating 50 years)! Your host Katrina will also share her thoughts as she recently attended the brand new Broadway bound tour production of The Wiz. Plus, a Pop Recap featuring thoughts on the brand new Milli Vanilli documentary, the upcoming revival of Cabaret, Katrina's favorite Halloween memories, and more!
Oct 31, 2023•27 min
Fan Fave host Katrina breaks down how you can get tickets to see the late night comedy show Saturday Night Live! As someone who has successfully done the SNL standby line seven times, Katrina shares all her tips and tricks to help you get in. Plus, a Pop Recap featuring Beyonce's Renaissance World Tour movie, a countdown of Katrina's favorite "spooky" Broadway shows, and more!
Oct 17, 2023•42 min
