While there’s definitely no shortage of pop culture podcasts in the world, not all of them are created equal. From book reviews to analysis of mental health moments in film and tv, here’s a rundown of some of our personal favourite pop culture podcasts.
The Best Pop Culture Podcasts
Celebrity Memoir Book Club
Celebrity Memoir Book Club has hosts Claire Parker and Ashley Hamilton reviewing memoirs and books written by celebrities. The pair read excerpts from each book, with recent reads including Jeanette McCurdy’s I’m Glad My Mom Died and Matthew Perry’s anticipated Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing. Episodes are released every Tuesday and are available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Pop Culture Universitea
Pop Culture Universitea is the brainchild of a TikTok star @PattyPopCulture and is a continuation of his TikTok series of the same name. The podcast currently has a whopping 111 episodes so far, with releases every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Recent episodes have focused on Taylor Swift’s Midnights album release coinciding with Kanye West’s worst week and toxic and questionable age gaps in celebrity relationships.
Pop Culture Therapists
Pop Culture Therapists examines mental health moments and representation in film and television. The hosts of this podcast are actual mental health professionals, only adding to the credibility and allure of this show. The show has episodes from June 2018 to March 2020, but it is unclear whether or not it will return. Episodes have focused on A24’s 2018 horror film Midsommar, and Channel 4’s The End of the F****** World.
Twenty Twenty: A Pop Culture Podcast
Our very own Twenty Twenty podcast expertly combines storytelling and commentary, revisiting major pop culture moments from the early 2000s. The podcast has ten episodes, with subjects including Destiny’s Child, High Fidelity and Gilmore Girls. The podcast description says the show “explores these moments with the added benefit of twenty years’ hindsight”. Listen to it here.
Pop Culture Junkie
Pop Culture Junkie releases episodes on a weekly basis. Hosts Hayley, Nicole, Montae, and Shauna debrief what’s coming up in music, cinema, and television. Recent releases have been deep dives into the careers of Winona Ryder, Keanu Reeves, and Samuel L Jackson.
The Rewatchables
The Rewatchables comes from the team at Ringer, with each instalment focusing on a new film. Each episode provides commentary on the film of the week, behind the scenes info, fun facts, and general film trivia. Recent episodes have included Pitch Perfect, 90s nostalgia-filled Singles, and war epic Saving Private Ryan. Commentary guests have included praised filmmakers Quentin Tarantino and Aaron Sorkin.
Pop Culture Happy Hour
This podcast featuring employees at NPR are formatted as roundtable discussions of recent movies and TV shows that help listeners catch up–and get recommendations–for the newest in must-watch media. The episodes are 30 minutes long, keeping them bite-sized enough if you don’t want to miss out but are short on time!
Night Call
Pop culture writers Molly Lambert, Tess Lynch and Emily Yoshida discuss the interests currently dominating the internet, including weird celebrity conspiracy theories and inexplicable Internet rabbit holes. The show also covers TV, movies, music, Instagram trends, and whatever else is brought up in their weekly "night call" from real listeners.
Looking for more podcast recommendations? Check out our shows!