February 2013
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Episode 17 - Late-Night War, Merged Freckles, And...
Title: Late-Night War, Merged Freckles, And The Pet-Petter (November 19, 2010)
Glen Weldon returns from the magical land of hammocks and macitas de puerco. He renders his co-panelists helpless with laughter as he riffs about his Welsh heritage, vacation culture, and UV protection.
The A segment considers the premiere of Conan on TBS following the notorious late-night wars that pitted Conan...
November 2012
1 post
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Episode 16 - Punching Bags And The A Cappella...
Title: Punching Bags And The A Cappella Smackdown (November 12, 2010)
Guest panelist Barrie Hardymon (former producer for NPR’s Talk of The Nation) joins the gang once again as Glen Weldon visits a mythical land full of swim-up bars and hammocks. They begin by defending things considered as “pop culture punching bags.”
Stephen and Barrie choose reality television, but they...
October 2012
8 posts
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All in all, I can’t say the Rally To Restore Sanity quite measured up to the Hot Bath To Re-Restore Sanity.
— Linda Holmes (@nprmonkeysee) on her coverage of the event. October 31, 2010
Anonymous asked: Which episode did Linda talk about the book Gone Girl?
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Episode 15 - Replacing Zombies And James Franco,...
Title: Replacing Zombies And James Franco, Mountaineer (November 5, 2010)
This episode is a free-wheeling discussion of various pop culture events of the time, specifically the critically lauded James Franco vehicle 127 Hours, critic Roger Ebert’s objection to Top 10 lists, and the proliferation of zombies in pop culture as illustrated by the high ratings of AMC’s The Walking Dead.
...
Anonymous asked: Which episode features Stephen's story about his Bucky Covington CD collection?
Anonymous asked: Which installment of PCHH includes the story of how Glen was turned gay by the cater-waiter?
Anonymous asked: Glen Weldon mentioned on a PCHH many months ago that (I think it was the thing that was making him happy) he was using a productivity manager on his computer that blocked the internet for a period of time, allowing him to focus on his book. I don't suppose you know which episode that was? Or better, what program he was using? Thanks! - Julie
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September 2012
2 posts
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Episode 14 - BOO! Halloween Fears And Costume...
Title: BOO! Halloween Fears And Costume Theory (October 29, 2010)
Halloween takes up the bulk of this episode’s agenda, beginning with a segment where the panelists bring up some scary pop culture-related memories from their childhood. Glen begins by bringing up Bing Crosby and the 1949 cartoon The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (the entire short is available on Youtube). The part that young...
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Glen Weldon, Writr →
In a surprising turn of events not unlike the defeat of David Byrne in the hands of a 13-year-old Bobby Fischer, iconoclast Glen Weldon has joined the People’s Republic of Tumblr.
I am so happy.
August 2012
6 posts
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“The final frontier of corporate greed is demanding to be loved.”
– Stephen Thompson on Undercover Boss and the show’s extended PR stunt for corporations.
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Anonymous asked: What other podcasts should I try?
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Episode 13 - The Menace Of Laughter And A...
Title: The Menace Of Laughter And A Life-Saving Allergy (October 22, 2010)
The crew tackles the challenges of live television in this episode, reviewing a special 30 Rock episode that is acted and filmed in front of a live audience. Linda dislikes this particular episode, characterizing it as a so-so episode Saturday Night Live. They point out that the material is frequently stalled by audience...
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Episode 12 - Literacy, 'Modern Family,' And Other...
Title: Literacy, ‘Modern Family,’ And Other Blind Spots (October 15, 2010)
Stephen Thompson returns for a follow-up to episode 4 where they talked about their various pop culture blind spots. Each panelist took to their respective tasks with varying degrees of commitment.
Stephen - While Stephen does not tackle his real blind spot (Breaking Bad), he has progressed in his Stephen...
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Episode 11 - Superman, Tim Gunn, And Other...
Title: Superman, Tim Gunn, And Other Everyday Heroes (October 8, 2010)
Glen Weldon returns to the panel but Stephen Thompson’s stint at jury duty causes him to miss this episode. This necessitates the first ever deployment of the emergency back-up Mike Katzif! This episode is particularly superhero-y as they weigh the merits of a Superman reboot by director Zack Snyder. Glen gripes about...
July 2012
9 posts
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Anonymous asked: Did the gang ever discuss the movie "Dogtooth"? I believe Glen Weldon mentioned it around 3/11 hoping it would be up for discussion in a later episode. Thanks!
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Episode 10 - Our Very First Crushes, Albums, And...
Title: Our Very First Crushes, Albums, And Too-Adult Books (October 1, 2010)
Barrie Hardymon joins PCHH once again, substituting for Glen Weldon in an episode that celebrates childhood and nostalgia. They bandy about a series of questions about pop culture firsts and revealing various illuminating and sometimes embarrassing childhood predilections.
Questions List: First Album, First Grown Up...
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Episode 9 - Fall Television, With Donald Trump And...
Title: Fall Television, With Donald Trump And Zombies (September 24, 2010)
This episode tackles the dismal 2010 fall season television lineup. Each panelist chooses a returning show that they’re excited to see again as well as a new show that they’re kind of interested in seeing.
Returning Shows: The Venture Bros. for Glen, Dexter for Trey (though he mentions Glee and American Idol...
batgirls asked: Are you actually Mike Ross?
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brandondt asked: Hi, very good job at the blog. I know request for information probably slow up the process but I'm just curious of your level of knowledge of the show and also am stumped on finding 2 books... There was an episode last year I believe where Linda played a game with gang using an etiquette book, do you know what the name of the book was? Also I think it was during a What's Making Me...
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Episode 8 - Meat Dress, '90s Sitcoms And The Dog...
Title: Meat Dress, ’90s Sitcoms And The Dog Bed Of Repose (September 17, 2010)
A large chunk of this episode is taken up by their post mortem of the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards, which they largely deem “innocuous.” They discuss the two performances that was billed to be the most controversial, Kanye West singing “Runaway” and Taylor Swift singing...
June 2012
26 posts
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“I want to put my glasses over my contacts—to provide more of a...”
– Stephen Thompson reviews Bachelor Pad on Pop Culture Happy Hour (Episode 6).
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Episode 7 - Hobbits And Food Trucks And Freedom,...
Title: Hobbits And Food Trucks And Freedom, Oh My! (September 10, 2010)
A Barrie Special Episode! Erstwhile Talk of the Nation producer Barrie Hardymon (@bhardymon) guests for the very first time on PCHH, filling in for Trey Graham. Linda begins by talking about Glen’s invitation to an al fresco rooftop screening of Gymkata (callback to episode 5) hosted by the writer Ian Buckwalter. A...
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Episode 6 - Emmys, 'Runway,' And General...
Title: Emmys, ‘Runway,’ And General Misanthropy (September 3, 2010)
Linda retakes her seat as the host (“a long national nightmare is finally over”) and begins the discussion of the 2010 Primetime Emmys. The panel praises host Jimmy Fallon’s cold open featuring various TV personalities singing and dancing to Bruce Springsteen’s “Born to Run.” They...
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Anonymous asked: Keep going! Don't stop! Love you for doing this! - a fan in Japan
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Episode 5 - Schmemmys, Rediscoveries, And Unusual...
Title: Schmemmys, Rediscoveries, And Unusual Justice (August 27, 2010)
The episode begins with the results of the the 2010 Creative Arts Emmys, also known as the Schmemmys, where they lump the categories deemed too boring or lowbrow for the Primetime Emmy broadcast. They discussed Neil Patrick Harris’ win for Outstanding Guest Actor (Comedy) (Youtube video) for Glee and Betty White for...
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Anonymous asked: I'm trying to figure out in which episode Trey (couldn't have been Glen, as it's not really his area of interest) talked about the quintet Prima Donna in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera. I'd really appreciate any help.
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“He swings big and he misses big. He’s like Babe Ruth pointing at the...”
– Succinct summation of M. Night Shyamalan’s directorial career by Trey Graham of NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Hour.
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Episode 4 - Scott Pilgrim And Our Great Big Blind...
Title: Pop Culture Happy Hour: Scott Pilgrim And Our Great Big Blind Spots (August 20, 2010)
A large chunk of the episode is devoted to Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, a movie directed by cult darling Edgar Wright (Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead) based on another cult darling, the Scott Pilgrim comic book series by Bryan Lee O’Malley. All of the PCHH panelists found Scott Pilgrim highly...
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Is James Franco Real? →
“It turns into a fine and considered piece that looks at [James] Franco from a bunch of different angles.”
New York Magazine profile of James Franco, making Trey Graham happy on Episode 3 of Pop Culture Happy Hour.
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NPR Monkey See Live-Blogging The 2012 Tony Awards →
A little late to the party, but PCHH’s own Linda Holmes and Trey Graham as well as one-time PCHH guest panelist Marc Hirsch just finished live-blogging the 2012 Tony Awards hosted by Neil Patrick Harris. Catch up on the hilarity and more by reading the transcripts!
(I thought of naming the tag ‘liveslogging’ in reference to another PCHH episode, but the Tonys are just too...
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Episode 3 - Press Tour, Donkeys, And The Brett...
Title: Press Tour, Donkeys, And The Brett Favre Mambo (August 13, 2010)
The week’s episode starts off with Linda Holmes talking about her adventures at the 2010 Television Critics Association Press Tour, where critics enjoy an extended period of detention as networks parade their lineup of new shows. The panel debates the relative merits of the Hawaii 5-0 remake, the not-so-dearly...
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Anonymous asked: Thank you for doing this! I have longed hoped this would become available!
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Hello
Welcome, fellow PCHH enthusiasts, and thank you for following this Tumblr! This hastily made introduction is just to explain a few pertinent things. I started keeping track of these links because I’ve been looping Pop Culture Happy Hour episodes non-stop while at work and I made a habit of taking notes of things to look up. Since the more recent PCHH posts on the Monkey See blog are now...
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WatchDora the Explorer starring in Incepción, as mentioned by Trey Graham on Episode 2 of Pop Culture Happy Hour. Parody by Take 180.
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Episode 2 - 'Inception,' Guns, Slices, And Wonder...
Title: ‘Inception,’ Guns, Slices, And Wonder Woman (July 23, 2010)
This episode begins with a discussion of Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster Inception. They acknowledge the punishing amount of gunplay in the story, the deft delineation of the three different dream worlds, and the cinematic tropes that Nolan alludes to throughout the movie. They also discuss the knee-jerk...
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