Let’s face it, your brain cells are already working overtime just trying to keep up with the latest TikTok dance crazes and deciphering what “rizz” actually means. Why burden them further with anything actually important? Luckily for your overtaxed grey matter (and your desperate need for procrastination), the podcast universe is overflowing with brilliant minds ready to dissect every cringe-worthy reality show, every questionable celebrity fashion choice, and every superhero movie plot hole you never knew you cared about.
So, if you’re ready to trade meaningful productivity for peak pop culture enlightenment, you’ve come to the right place. Here are some of the top pop culture podcasts found anywhere.
Pop Culture Happy Hour
Listen to Pop Culture Happy Hour
Prepare to be thoroughly engrossed. Four times a week, Pop Culture Happy Hour delivers its takes and suggestions on the most talked-about films, shows, music, books, games, and beyond. Arts critics Linda Holmes, Glen Weldon, Stephen Thompson, and Aisha Harris, along with various guest enthusiasts, offer a spectrum of reactions and viewpoints on everything pop culture, from the utterly silly to the seriously sophisticated, all served with a dose of enthusiasm.
Culture Gabfest
New York Times critic Dwight Garner considers “The Slate Culture Gabfest” a weekly must-listen. This award-winning program showcases critics Stephen Metcalf, Dana Stevens, and Julia Turner as they debate the week’s cultural landscape, covering everything from high art to pop culture.
Keep It!
For a queer lens on the collisions of pop culture and politics, tune in to Ira Madison III and Louis Virtel. These “Princes of Pop Culture” bring their unique insights to the gorgeous mess each week, often joined by incredible guests like Michelle Yeoh, Hunter Doohan, John Boyega, Connie Britton, Gabrielle Union, and Sheryl Lee Ralph to discuss the newest controversies, champion character actors, and deliver all the necessary shade.
Be There in Five
Be There in Five, a long-form, solo podcast from Kate Kennedy (entrepreneur, author, and pop culture commentator), humorously and thoughtfully dissects pop culture and the millennial zeitgeist. From entertainment and social media to nostalgic looks at the 90s/00s (like AIM and Zenon), Kate Kennedy covers it all. According to one listener, you’ll “come for the relatable humor and lighthearted topics, stay for the surprising levels of depth and thoughtfulness injected into them.”
The Daily Zeitgeist
Navigating today’s overwhelming and often nonsensical news cycle, which feels more chaotic than pre-modern times, can be a struggle. In response, Jack O’Brien, co-founder of Cracked, presents THE DAILY ZEITGEIST, featuring sharp and humorous comedic and journalistic perspectives. Every weekday, Jack and co-host Miles Gray dedicate up to an hour to dissecting the key events and narratives shaping the headlines, helping you discern meaningful information amidst the chaos, all with a dose of humour.
Comments by Celebs
The Comments By Celebs Podcast, from @CommentsByCelebs creators Emma Diamond and Julie Kramer, delivers weekly pop culture updates. Mondays cover general news, the “Kardashian Bonus Show” recaps KUWTK, and Emma with Isabel Greenberg dives into Bravo.
Plumbing the Death Star
Listen to Plumbing the Death Star
An award-winning podcast originating from Australia features three of its most delightfully inept thinkers. Two guys named Joel and their friend comically misinterpret and answer pop culture’s biggest inquiries.
I Hate It But I Love It
Listen to I Hate It But I Love It
With a blend of bitter enthusiasm and affectionate cynicism, Kat Angus and Jocelyn Geddie dissect films, television, music, and other forms of media that they simultaneously loathe and deeply love. Occasionally featuring a bewildered guest!
Shameless
For the discerning pop culture enthusiast who isn’t afraid to embrace the ridiculous – this is the podcast for you.
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Hear that? It’s Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, your guides to all things CULTURE! Embark on a memorable exploration into its very core with them. Joined by exciting special guests, they delve into the most talked-about pop culture moments and the pivotal cultural touchstones that shaped them into the culture experts they are today.
Watch What Crappens
Get your daily dose of all things Bravo (and beyond!) with this podcast. Ben Mandelker and Ronnie Karam provide their enthusiastic approval, playful mockery, and sharp critiques of the Real Housewives, Below Deck, and the full spectrum of Bravo’s offerings. Their ribbing is rooted in love.
Page 7
Consider Page 7 the Last Podcast Network’s weekly pop culture slumber party. Jackie Zebrowski and MJ Knefel deliver your weekly dose of TV, movie, and music talk, along with enough celebrity tidbits to navigate water cooler conversations at work.
After Work Drinks
After Work Drinks is a podcast offering (pop)cultural insights, presented by Isabelle Truman and Grace O’Neill, both freelance journalists and previously magazine editors.
The Watch
Each week, longtime friends and fellow pop culture enthusiasts Andy Greenwald and Chris Ryan from The Ringer offer their analysis of the newest developments in television, film, and music.
Sentimental Garbage
Join Caroline O’Donoghue on Sentimental Garbage, a podcast dedicated to the culture we cherish, despite potential societal judgment. Evolving from a chick-lit focus and occasional Sex and the City discussions, the show prioritizes feelings and personal connection over definitive expertise.
Normal Gossip
Get your fill of delightful, bizarre, and hilariously mundane gossip about people outside your circle on Normal Gossip. Host Rachelle Hampton and her guests dissect funny, listener-provided rumors, examining the experiences and choices of complete unknowns. The secondhand stories are often stranger than anything made up. Discover the best episodes of Normal Gossip, and check out other podcasts like Normal Gossip.
It’s Become a Whole Thing
Listen to It’s Become a Whole Thing
Delving into the standout successes and spectacular failures of unscripted TV history, from iconic documentaries to the guilty pleasure reality shows of the early 2000s. We offer sophisticated commentary on the wonderfully unsophisticated shows we secretly adore.
ICYMI
Candice Lim and Kate Lindsay invite you to join them twice a week as they explore the internet’s mysteries and share what they encounter in its depths.
Overinvested
If you’re deeply absorbed in pop culture, join Gavia Baker-Whitelaw and Morgan Leigh Davies on their weekly podcast, Overinvested. Every episode, Gavia and Morgan explore a film, TV show, or comic that has become a fixation for them.
The Sarah Silverman Podcast
Listen to The Sarah Silverman Podcast
The Sarah Silverman Podcast is back for another season, featuring Sarah Silverman’s unfiltered takes on absolutely anything. Whether it’s discussing politics or the overabundance of cologne, no topic is too out there. Listener calls shape the show’s path, but Sarah’s unique perspective always steers the conversation towards the wonderfully bizarre, which is where she truly shines.
Switched on Pop
Explore the artistry and cultural impact of popular music with this podcast. Musicologist Nate Sloan and songwriter Charlie Harding take you behind the scenes to understand the magic of pop hits and their influence on us.
Who? Weekly
Join Bobby and Lindsey weekly as they navigate the perplexing world of pop culture’s almost-famous – the Whos and the Thems. Their mission: to answer the universal question, “Who are they?” Using banter, thorough investigations, games, and your calls, they’ll clarify the identities of those celebrities you’re unsure about. If grocery store gossip magazines leave you wondering, “Who even are these people?!”, then this is your podcast.
Decoder Ring
Decoder Ring is a podcast dedicated to unraveling cultural enigmas. Each episode, host Willa Paskin selects a cultural query, artifact, or custom; explores its background; and attempts to understand its significance and relevance.
Every Outfit
Following years of delivering sharp fashion critiques on their popular Instagram account, Every Outfit on Sex and the City, hosts Chelsea Fairless and Lauren Garroni discovered their strong opinions extended beyond clothing. Every Outfitis their weekly podcast, stemming from a lifelong, intense fascination with fashion and pop culture. Think of it as a younger, hipper blend of The View and Fashion Police, brought to you by two close friends who’ve presented at the Metropolitan Museum of Art but also promoted vibrators.
The Popcast With Knox and Jamie
Listen to The Popcast With Knox and Jamie
Tune in each week for a pop culture podcast dedicated to exploring the things we enjoy but that have no real consequence.
The Press Box
Get your weekly media briefing from The Ringer’s Bryan Curtis and David Shoemaker, covering the biggest stories in sports, politics, and everything else.
Katherine Ryan: Telling Everybody Everything
Listen to Katherine Ryan: Telling Everybody Everything
Join comedian Katherine Ryan as she openly discusses a wide range of subjects. From lighthearted complaints and phone calls to more serious matters, this is unfiltered chat straight from the nation’s sweetheart.
Do you know of another pop-culture podcast that you think should be on this list? Let me know.
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