Episodes
Have you ever wondered what Tracy and Holly smell like? They’ll tell you! They’re also eager to talk about how people use and perceive perfume, and why cottage-industry perfumeries attract such devoted followings.
Published 06/03/13
Both Tracy and Holly love new games, but they also fondly recall the early days of the video game industry. Take a trip down memory lane as talk turns to arcades, “Wreck-it Ralph” and why gamers get so attached to the titles.
Published 05/27/13
The entertainment market is saturated with supernatural creatures, but vampires and zombies seem to be the most popular, with werewolves coming in a close third. What will we be seeing the most of once the various iterations of the undead are played out?
Published 05/22/13
PopStuff is addicted to coffee. This stimulant seems to have a stranglehold on humanity, and an entire culture has sprung up around it. Where does coffee actually come from, and why is our love affair with it so solid?
Published 05/13/13
From Rosie to Bender and far beyond, robots have been a part of the media we consume for decades. Tracy and Holly talk about R2D2, Wall-E, Terminators and a host of other mechanical pals, trying to figure out why we love them so.
Published 05/08/13
" Marketers often depend on hype to foster interest in a product, but sometimes, the hype machine backfires. Tracy and Holly talk about the hype cycle and hash out how it applies to tech, movies, music and other consumables."
Published 05/06/13
Have you ever had a song stuck in your head? That’s an earworm, and it’s an extremely common phenomenon. Holly and Tracy wonder why our brains latch onto small pieces of information, how you get rid of them, and why it’s important to study this field.
Published 05/01/13
Hipster. The very word makes people sneer. Why are hipsters viewed with such disdain? And what makes a person a hipster, anyway? Tracy and Holly examine the history of the word “hipster,” as well as the various definitions of what a hipster is.
Published 04/29/13
Bon appétit! There are more cooking shows on television than ever before, but it seems fewer and fewer people are actually prepping their own food. Has cooking become a spectator sport? Listen in to learn more.
Published 04/24/13
We all know the Internet is awash with garbage, but there are also some hilarious and creative gems floating around the ether. When Tracy and Holly separate the wheat from the chaff, what Web memes and other delights do they fall in love with?
Published 04/22/13
Love them or hate them, weddings are a part of our lives. But why are they so expensive, and why does everyone feel entitled to judge everyone else’s nuptials?
Published 04/17/13
Running continues to grow in popularity, but are all runners happy about that? Holly and Tracy talk about their experiences at races, their training, their gear and yes, their injuries, all while debating the merits of this hobby/sport/fitness regimen.
Published 04/10/13
One’s a wisecracking rabbit and the other’s a giggling mouse. Both have devoted fans. How did these famous animated rodents get their starts and nestle into their niches, and why has only one reached juggernaut status?
Published 04/08/13
She’s quirky, nutty and totally unfettered. She shows brooding screen heroes that life is full of fun and wonder. She’s Manic Pixie Dream Girl, and her roots as a cinema archetype go back further than you probably suspect.
Published 04/03/13
It’s exciting, it’s a rite of passage, it’s expensive and often a letdown. Few people look back on their proms and think “That was one of the greatest nights of my life!” Tracy and Holly relay memories of their proms and the origins of this tradition.
Published 04/01/13
Glittery, glamorous drag queens – Holly and Tracy love them. But what is drag, exactly? What social trends cause the popularity of queens to wax and wane? And why do straight girls love RuPaul and his tribe so much?
Published 03/27/13
Do you believe in love at first sight? How about soul mates? Movies and TV shows certainly seem to. Holly and Tracy talk about whether movies are setting us up for failed romance, and about Tracy's complicated relationship with the romantic comedy.
Published 03/25/13
Most of your friends probably like the same things you do and have similar views on religion and politics. In this episode, Tracy and Holly discuss the benefits and challenges of diversifying your pal portfolio, and why sloganism is bad.
Published 03/18/13
Whether it's a queue of podcasts, a pile of unread books or hours of content languishing on your DVR, odds are that you may find yourself inundated with loads of content. So how can we handle this constant stream of new stuff? Tune in to find out.
Published 03/13/13
How do you know when you have crossed into the world of uberfandom? Join Tracy and Holly as they discuss the good and the bad of super fans.
Published 03/11/13
When a show wraps up, the finale episode can either be the cherry on top of the ice cream, or salt in a wound. Tracy and Holly run down some of the best and the worst episodes that ended TV shows, and talk about some of the record-holders as well.
Published 03/06/13
PopStuff has some fantastic listeners who write us some fabulous missives. Tracy and Holly share some of their faves as evidence, from comments on previous episodes to really cool show suggestions.
Published 03/04/13
She’s a hero to some, a villain to others. But how did Barbie get so much power in the first place? And has she been treated unfairly? Join Tracy and Holly as they break down the cultural impact of the world’s most famous doll.
Published 02/27/13
If everyone has an ethnicity, doesn’t that make all food ethnic? After wading through the semantics, Tracy and Holly dig in to the topic of food imported to the U.S. from other cultures. Listen in to learn more.
Published 02/25/13
It’s that time of year! Tracy and Holly run down the 2013 Oscar nominees for Best Costume and wax rhapsodic about hand stitching. With everything from giant epic musicals to odd versions of the Snow White story, the field is wide open.
Published 02/20/13