The Junkies gather together to mourn some hopes, but also to celebrate an important victory. And while the future looks uncertain, Shauna and Olivia vow that we'll all get through whatever comes next together, and pop culture is going to help us do just that. Speaking of girl power and pop culture (and we were!), this week the Junkies take a good look at the history of feminism and how it was represented by pop culture. The Junkies recount the history, starting over a hundred years ago with...

Olivia recently spent some time in San Francisco, giving her time to think about her proximity to the Zodiac Killer's turf (and to binge watch both Princess Diaries movies.) Shauna continues to brush up against the cool and the famous in her quest to save Arizona from itself by getting out the vote. Speaking of propositions, the Junkies (and everyone) are nervous about the upcoming election, so what better way to cope than by...talking about politics? Specifically the intersection between pop...

Olivia is back from the Big Apple, where she took a tour through Jimmy Fallon's "Tonightmares" - a haunted house based on the late night host's own personal night terrors. Shauna is continuing to fight the good fight politically here in AZ, and as a reward got to meet a certain 'Electra-fying' star. The Junkies then discuss the perfect pairing of Halloween and pop culture, specifically in the multifaceted horror movie genre. From slashers to monster movies to psychological horror, this genre...

Shauna details her busy week getting interviewed by the national press (and the advocacy work that got their attention, and Olivia describes her slightly less fun adventures (though she did get a chance to consume a LOT of pop culture.) Then Shauna tells us about being a mathlete until Olivia challenges her to a bit of mental arithmetic and...BUSTED! Speaking of mental stuff, this week The Junkies look at the Uncanny Valley phenomenon, that eerie feeling we all get when we see something that...

Don't say it three times! Shauna details her recent encounter with a celebrity. Who was it? You'll have to listen to find out, but he's super cool, has gorgeous eyes, and is a great tipper. Olivia had an encounter with...Utah, thanks to The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, a Hulu series about one of the naughtiest Mormon momfluencers on television now. Then the Junkies segue into a look at Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, a sequel 36 years in the making. Fans of this podcast know we covered the first...

Olivia and Shauna start talking about bangs – the kind that you choose deliberately, not trauma bangs, and then…plot twist! No, that’s this week’s show topic: twist endings – the epic and the awful. While they do happen on television (usually ruining several years of storytelling), the most memorable twist endings are in movies. But why do filmmakers (including the patron saint of twists, M. Night Shyamalan) use them? What makes a good twist as opposed to a maddening one? The Junkies list...

Olivia and Shauna face an inconvenient truth: no family gets more airtime on Pop Culture Junkie than the Kardashians. And that’s odd, especially since Shauna could at one time claim to never have seen an episode. But she can’t be an anti-Kardashian pick-me any more, because ‘Keeping Up with the Kardashians’ is the subject of this episode. The Junkies look at the family’s entry into the zeitgeist and how the so-called reality show (and its many spinoffs) that made the whole family famous...

Shauna is obsessed with getting through this journey we call life, and what better way to do that than with a little bit of pop culture? She has controversial takes on the finales of both House of the Dragon and The Bear, and watching the Love Island reunion makes her wonder if she should catch the U.K. episodes. Olivia speaks out in defense of Blake Lively, who got roasted about stuff her hubby didn’t when his new movie came out. And a new documentary about the murder of Laci Peterson has...

Olivia complains about how Shauna "Elle Woodsed" her at her recent pool party, but Shauna tells her that her costume was perfection, even if she was the only one who showed up in one. Olivia's on a documentary kick right now, so if you want some amazing true crime reccs, she's got you. Shauna is still giddy from Deadpool & Wolverine, but manages to not spoil any of it for you (or Olivia.) She's also watching Love Island, which leaves her less than giddy, which makes her think of a recent...

Shauna and Olivia try to come to grips with the most jaw-dropping announcement from last week's San Diego Comic Con event: Robert Downey Jr. is returning to the MCU, but not as Tony Stark. No, he's going to play Victor Von Doom/Doctor Doom, the MCU's new Big Bad. The Pop Culture Junkie Podcast can now be seen on YouTube! Click here: https://www.youtube.com/@popculturejunkiepod/videos We have all new Patreon tiers! Be the first to hear new and uncensored content, if you dare! Click...

Shauna fills Olivia in on what she's been doing lately - as if they both didn't just spend the week on a girls trip in Mexico. Shauna tells us how she was detained by TSA upon re-entering the USA, (it's not as bad as it sounds!) and both she and Olivia agree there was a lot of sad pop culture news to take in upon their return. To get out of that funk, the Junkies talk about the lighthearted family comedy/snuff film their producers made them watch: Roar, also called "The Most Dangerous Movie...

Olivia is deep in her obsession with all things Game of Thrones, going down rabbit holes about the lore and boning up on her knowledge for a GoT trivia night! Shauna's appreciation of the acting skills of Fabien Frankel (House of the Dragon's Ser Crispy Creme) because he is an awesome villain leads her to want to play a villain - if she wins an Emmy, being hated would be worth it! And both Junkies agree that having this podcast is a wonderful outlet for all the pop culture thoughts that fill...

Shauna is almost done watching season three of Bridgerton and its weirdly-paced main romance, but is more excited about The Fourth Wing, a new book by author Rebecca Yaros – and so is Olivia who has been encouraging her to read this book about horny humans and dragons. (The humans are horny, not the dragons… probably). Olivia is still watching a lot of airline content, somehow managing to binge all of the Kristen Wiig murder mystery series Palm Royale. Since she really wants a second season,...

Shauna and Olivia have been busy lately: Shauna had a sober (*wink*) housewarming party and Olivia took a trip to San Francisco where she drank Martinis in the Castro. But did they make time to binge on pop culture? Of course - they're Junkies! Shauna wants to talk about JoJo Siwa's predilection for poppers and Colin from Bridgerton's lip flip. She also declares her love for the Ghost concert movie - a must-see, if you like Ghost. Olivia is ready to spoil the most recent (at the time of...

It is seriously hot outside now, so the Junkies are indulging in all their streaming obsessions now. For Shauna, that means The Boys, which returned with a scene that even made Shauna clutch her pearls. Then Olivia tries to talk about Bridgerton without too many spoilers, in case you, like Shauna, aren’t as far into the episode list as she is. House of the Dragon has also recently returned, and that prompts Olivia to look into the history, magic and lore behind not only HotD, but also Game of...

Nicole has decided to fly off into the great blue yonder, so this is her farewell episode (for now, we hope!) The two OG Junkies (Nicole and Shauna) reminisce about the early days of the podcast. like how they met in an escape room, recorded in a noisy, crowded restaurant at first, and got to appear on live (to tape) TV! Then Nicole, Olivia and Shauna talk about a subject near and dear to Nicole’s heart: sports movies! The Junkies confirm that movies about cheerleading (and possible...

Olivia has been globe-trotting (nation-trotting?) nearly as much as Nicole these days, but she has had time to binge season 3 of Regency-era sex-sation Bridgerton (and do her laundry). Nicole is still on a thriller book-kick, devouring Nerves of Steel about pilot Tammie Jo Shults and her daring emergency landing, and she and Shauna both consumed some Glen Powell content recently. Somehow that leads to a vote on which anthropormorphic rodent is the hottest, and sorry to say, but Glen came in...

The Junkies discuss what they are looking forward to as summer approaches. Shauna is looking forward to having two functional feet again, and also some of her pop culture wishes to come true, like new Marvel content - chiefly, the new Agatha All Along series. The only Agatha that Olivia cares about is Agatha Christie, but she's always thinking about reading. Speaking of books, Nicole is looking forward to the new TJ Newman book, and if you don't know who TJ Newman is, Nicole will tell you all...

The Junkies return to Phoenix Fan Fusion, this time to record a live episode that takes them back to that most controversial – and fun – topic of conspiracy theories. This time Olivia and Shauna are helped by the audience, who tell us shocking information about Hailey Bieber, and slightly less shocking information about Margot Robbie. But first, why do conspiracy theories, pop culture or otherwise, exist? What human needs do they fulfill? And why can’t Lea Michelle read? Shauna and Olivia...

The Junkies welcome back friend-of-the-pod and honorary Junkie Brad Perry to the show, and though it has been two years since Brad was last on the show, it seems like no time has passed. Unlike Shauna, Olivia is meeting Brad for the first time on this episode, but they become instant friends. Brad, known best in the Phoenix area as the Emmy Award-winning host of The Daily Mix morning show, is truly a multi-hyphenate. He hosts his own podcast, Things Men Don’t Talk About, he’s working on...

Nicole or, as Shauna and Olivia dub her, Australian Barbie, has finally returned from the other side of the world and has such stories to tell. Spoiler alert: none of those stories are about LARPing, but her vacation might make you jealous! Speaking of vacations, what better time than now to talk about vacation movies? The Junkies discuss what makes the perfect vacay flick, and why they never seem to be about vacations that go perfectly. And in fact, many of the movies discussed are straight...

Junkie Emeritus Hayley the Brave joins Olivia and Shauna for a reunion episode and though Hayley and Olivia have only just met, they instantly bond over the new Taylor Swift album. Shauna also has opinions on Tortured Poets Department, and the three debate which songs are (among) their favorites. Then Hayley brings up the topic she came here to discuss: Television spinoffs. A devoted fan of The X-Files, Hayley’s not sure how to feel about Ryan Coogler’s upcoming spinoff/reboot, but as they...

Shauna wants to add LARPing to her nerd repertoire - hey, is that what Nicole is out doing now? Probably not. Olivia is still in her Taylor era - not surprising as this is the time to indulge in all things Swift and Shauna's been using a SIMS game to bring back The Spice Girls. Then the two talk about the X-Men movies and Shauna's impersonation of the week is Rogue, as performed by Dolly Parton. It's really something. Then Olivia wants to talk about separating the art from the artist when the...

Shauna and Olivia are still running the show without Nicole, who went on a fabulous vacay but forgot to invite the other Junkies! Still, there's plenty to do here in Phoenix, like consuming pop culture! Shauna has been enjoying X-Men '97 and Next Level Chef with Gordon Ramsay, and she watched Total Recall for the very first time. Did you know there's a girl with three boobs in that? Olivia is still lost to the fae, currently reading A Court of Frost and Starlight, which is the 'Christmas...