Pop Cultured with theSkimm

By theSkimm

Society & Culture

What's Pop Cultured with theSkimm about?

TV, movies, music, sports, culture — so much to know, so little time. That’s where we come in. Every week, Pop Cultured with theSkimm dives into the stories you can’t stop thinking about. Coming October 12, with new episodes every Tuesday.

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LAST EPISODE

A Last Love Letter to Pop C...

09.27.2022

Sadly, we’re saying goodbye to Pop Cultured. In the last year, we’ve done some memorable pop culture deep dives (think: Queen Bey’s “Renaissance” and the history of house music) and broken down some of the biggest stories in the news ...

Pop Cultured with theSkimm episodes:

09.27.2022 A Last Love Letter to Pop Culture Sadly, we’re saying goodbye to Pop Cultured. In the last year, we’ve done some memorable pop culture deep dives (think: Queen Bey’s “Renaissance” and the history of house music) and broken down some of the biggest stories in the news ...
08.30.2022 Lizzo Calls Out the Haters and Hollywood's Love Affair with Space Don’t know about you, but we’re still processing everything that went down at the VMAs — from that totally weird Johnny Depp appearance (can we call it that?) to Lizzo responding to haters. Again. We’re also going to break down ...
08.24.2022 Indian Matchmaking and the Rebirth of the Music Video We’re kicking it off this week with a rundown of a big win for HBO Max (House of the Dragon, we’re looking at you) and a whole lot of cringe. A plantation wedding, Bennifer? Really? Then, it’s a conversation with ...
08.16.2022 Jennette McCurdy Speaks, Serena Retires As the GOAT First, it’s the Pop Five: Megan Thee Stallion’s new album “Traumazine” is just what the hot girls need as we transition into fall. Rihanna’s boo A$AP Rocky might be in big trouble, and Real Housewife Kathy Hilton is facing backlash ...
08.09.2022 Tired of Swiping? You May Have Dating App Fatigue First up, say goodbye to #Kete, folks. Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson called it quits after just nine months of dating. Get the rundown on the biggest breakup of the summer and Kanye’s reaction. Plus, find out why Megan Thee ...
08.02.2022 Why Are We So Obsessed with Astrology? All hail Queen Bey! The “Renaissance” is here, and the house listening party started last weekend along with the drama. But this act one wasn’t the only thing dominating pop culture news. Did you hear that Taylor Swift’s is also ...
07.26.2022 TV, Fashion, and 2000s Trends with Our Fave Celebs From Kid Cudi walking off the stage at Rolling Loud to a weepy Bennifer in Paris, a lot has been going on in pop culture news. So we’re starting off by breaking down our Pop Five — the top five ...
07.19.2022 BBLs Are Dangerous. Why Are They So Popular? Having a big butt hasn’t always been popular. But now, it seems like everyone wants to be a member of the big booty club. Kim Kardashian, Nicki Minaj, and even Madonna have all been suspected of having work done to ...
07.12.2022 Our Ultimate Summer 2022 TV and Movie Guide We’ve finally settled into the summer season — meaning warmer days, more three-day weekends, and sneaking in some beach time before Labor Day. But if you’re trying to stay cool inside or you have some time to kill (thanks, flight ...
07.05.2022 Why is Brittney Griner Still in Russia? Last week, the trial for WNBA All-Star Brittney Griner began in Russia. Griner was taken into custody on drug charges back in February, and her detention has been extended four times. Unfortunately, things aren’t looking good for the Phoenix Mercury ...
06.28.2022 Beyoncé, Drake, and the Evolution of House Music From the trailer for “Hocus Pocus 2” giving us major nostalgia to the backlash surrounding the chart topping “Elvis” biopic, there’s a lot going on in pop culture this week. So we’re breaking down the top five moments we can’t ...
06.21.2022 ‘Fire Island’ and a New Era of Queer Representation Do you remember when the only queer characters on TV seemed to be sassy, gay best friends? Queer representation in pop culture is changing. With shows and movies like “The Bold Type,” Tom Swift,” “P-Valley,” and “Fire Island,” we’re seeing ...
06.14.2022 Why Lizzo, the Beyhive, and Lil Nas X Are All Upset First up, we’ve got questions: Who’s the new addition to the list of EGOT legends? Which ex-husband tried to crash Brittney’s wedding? Who thought “Squid Game” should be a reality show? Why is the Beyhive upset with Saucy Santana, Twitter ...
06.07.2022 Heard vs. Depp and a Conversation with Angelica Ross First up, we break down the latest in pop culture news from the weekend’s most-talked about breakup — ahem, Lori Harvey and Michael B. Jordan — to the Depp vs. Heard verdict. Then, we kick off Pride Month with a ...
05.31.2022 Another Look at Rap Lyrics on Trial A few weeks ago, rappers Young Thug, Gunna, and 26 of their YSL crew members were charged in a Georgia RICO case. And prosecutors are arguing that YSL is actually a criminal gang instead of a record label. One of ...
05.24.2022 Is Diet Culture Making Us Sick? When model Lori Harvey took to TikTok earlier this month to detail her weight-loss diet, the backlash was swift. That’s because, as plenty of dietitians pointed out, the 1,200 calorie-per-day plan she shared was just not enough food for most ...
05.17.2022 ‘Percy Jackson’ and ‘Doctor Who’ Fans Are Mad — But Why? It’s a huge week for music and TV. We have questions — and answers. First up: Kendrick Lamar’s new album dropped, but does it live up to the hype? Next: Who won Eurovision, and who tried to cheat by hacking ...
05.10.2022 Is Netflix Losing the Streaming Wars? So much is trending in pop culture news. We have questions — and answers. First up: Rapper Young Thug was indicted with 27 other members of his crew for gang related charges. Then: What’s the latest in the Johnny Depp. ...
05.03.2022 A Brief History of AAPI Characters on Screen From “Everything Everywhere All At Once” to “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” and “Crazy Rich Asians,” more Asian American stories have made it to the mainstream in the last few years. But it isn’t just the big ...
04.26.2022 Johnny Depp, Amber Heard, Cardi B and Celeb Defamation Suits It seems like celebs can’t stay out of court these days. Former Real Housewives of Atlanta star Nene Leakes is suing Bravo for what she says was a racist work environment. Megan The Stallion has an ongoing felony assault case ...
04.19.2022 Bad Jokes, Classic Sitcoms, and Convos We’re Still Thinking About Each week, we have incredible conversations with smart culture critics and experts about the biggest pop culture stories, but we don’t get to include every moment. Today, we’re going back to interviews that stuck with us — and sharing moments ...
04.12.2022 Shein, Zara, and the Fast Fashion Trap It seems like everyone is obsessed with fast fashion, and social media has been huge in helping brands like SHEIN, Zara and other online retailers show up in your Instagram, Facebook and TikTok feeds. Love ’em or hate ’em, you ...
04.05.2022 Comedy, Cancel Culture, and the Joke Behind the Slap When one of the most successful Black actors in Hollywood slaps one of the most famous Black comedians on international television, it's bound to spark conversations. One debate that keeps coming up is whether or not Chris Rock should have ...
03.29.2022 Will Smith's Oscars Slap and What to Expect at the Grammys Everything that happened at the Academy Awards still has us reeling — especially the moment that stole the show, when Will Smith walked onstage and slapped Chris Rock after the comedian made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s shaved head. ...
03.22.2022 What You Need to Know About the 2022 Oscars This Sunday, the 2022 Academy Awards air on ABC. But before you can gaze at the Oscars red carpet and settle in front of the TV with hosts Regina Hall, Amy Schumer and Wanda Sykes, you probably need to get ...
03.15.2022 Why was Brittney Griner Playing in Russia? Better Pay Last month, WNBA All-Star Brittney Griner was detained in Russia on alleged drug charges. And if you’re wondering what she was doing over there — simply put, better pay. The Phoenix Mercury star plays with the EuroLeague team UMMC Ekaterinburg, ...
03.08.2022 Memeing Through the War in Ukraine People all over the world have watched in horror as Russia continues to invade Ukraine. But the war isn’t just being fought on the ground. It’s also being waged across social media. For the past few weeks, our timelines have ...
03.01.2022 What ‘Euphoria’ Gets Right and Wrong About Addiction On Sunday, “Euphoria” finally lowered the curtain on its drama-filled sophomore season, and fans and critics have a lot to say — and not just about Fexi, the Maddy-Cassie showdown or the HBO Max outage that almost caused a Twitter ...
02.22.2022 Should We Be Talking About Kanye? Since the breakup of Kimye, it seems like we’ve been keeping up with the Kardashians more than ever. We’re watching made-for-TV type drama unfold IRL, and you can’t go on social media without seeing the rapper going viral. But not ...
02.15.2022 How Influencers Changed the Dating Game Dating is hard. It’s even harder now that dating apps and social media have entered the chat — or rather, our relationships. And everywhere you turn, there are new standards on what it means to be Facebook or IG official. ...
02.08.2022 We Need to Talk About Bravo’s “Real Housewives” Even if you don’t watch Bravo’s “Real Housewives,” you know about the franchise built around ridiculously rich women and over-the-top drama. Recently, fans uncovered six months’ worth of racist social media posts from “Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” star ...
02.02.2022 Why is Rap Music Still on Trial? When Carrie Underwood sings about taking a Louisville slugger to the headlights of a cheating ex’s car, does anybody assume she actually did it? What about when Johnny Cash said he shot a man in Reno? Violent lyrics show up ...
01.25.2022 "Buffy," "Angel" and the Unraveling of Joss Whedon We’re all a little obsessed with “Buffy.” The demon-hunting, vampire-slaying heroine captured our attention in the late 90s — along with the man behind the series, Joss Whedon. His Whedonverse of hits includes everything from “Angel,” “Firefly” and “Dollhouse” to ...
01.18.2022 “Euphoria” is Our Latest Teen TV Show Obsession Season two of “Euphoria” is here, and episode one broke HBO records with 2.4 million viewers tuning in to watch. So, yeah — we’re obsessed with the high school drama, which stars actress and Disney alum Zendaya as teen addict ...
01.11.2022 A Brief History of Drag with Shangela Last week, a new season of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” kicked off. The show has opened doors for many drag performers to sashay their way into mainstream culture and educate us on the art of drag. One of the most famous ...
01.04.2022 Cynthia Erivo Guesses our 2022 Workout Playlist We're kicking off 2022 right with a mini episode! We chatted with the one and only Cynthia Erivo. You know her as an award-winning actress and singer, but one thing you may not know is that she’s super serious about ...
12.28.2021 The Pop Culture Moments that Made 2021 It’s hard to believe that 2021 is almost over. But before we ring in the new year, let’s take a look back at all of the stories that entertained us — the things we watched, the celeb moments we couldn’t ...
12.21.2021 How Issa Rae and "Insecure" Changed TV “Insecure” made us laugh, cry, yell and argue with strangers on Twitter for five years, but now it's time to say goodbye. Issa Rae’s award-winning series broke the mold and portrayed young Black people as more than stereotypes — signaling ...
12.14.2021 Reality Dating Shows Are Bad. Why Do We Love Them? "The Bachelorette’s" Michelle Young is making "Bachelor" nation history. For the first time since the franchise premiered in 2002, the man who'll soon be handed that final rose is guaranteed to be a man of color. It may seem like ...
12.07.2021 Meghan Markle's Tabloid Victory and Remembering Virgil Abloh Meghan Markle won the latest battle in her privacy lawsuit with British tabloid The Mail on Sunday over its printing a private letter written to her father back in 2019. And the Duchess of Sussex is calling for changes to ...
11.30.2021 Sports, Racism, and the Colin Kaepernick Series The Colin Kaepernick Netflix series "Colin in Black & White" opened with a controversial scene comparing NFL tryouts to chattel slavery. It upset some people. For others, it sparked a conversation about systemic racism within the NFL. But the Kaepernick ...
11.23.2021 Shein, Zara, and the Fast Fashion Trap From Black Friday deals and Cyber Monday to after-Christmas sales, more and more brands are selling fast fashion. And social media has been huge in helping brands like SHEIN, Zara and other online retailers show up in your Instagram, Facebook ...
11.16.2021 Is Travis Scott to Blame for the Astroworld Tragedy? What was supposed to be a celebration of music and the city of Houston turned deadly at Travis Scott’s Astroworld festival earlier this month. Ten people died after a crowd surge, and hundreds more were injured. Inevitably, people are looking ...
11.09.2021 Will Britney Spears Finally Be Free? For years, the #FreeBritney movement has put a spotlight on the conservatorship pop princess Britney Spears has been living under for more than a decade. In a scathing testimony earlier this year, Spears made it clear that she wants out ...
11.02.2021 What J Balvín’s "Perra" Tells Us About Racism in Reggaeton Reggaeton superstar J Balvín is in hot water over the video for his song "Perra." Critics say its portrayal of Afro-Latino people as dogs is racist and demeaning. J Balvín apologized and removed the video, but the controversy is stirring ...
10.26.2021 What’s Going On at Netflix There’s a lot happening at Netflix. Its South Korean show “Squid Game” became a surprise hit, and then it sparked controversy with a Dave Chappelle special many of its own employees called out as transphobic. “The Closer” and “Squid Game” ...
10.19.2021 Why We're Still Obsessed with Space Our obsession with space travel has always gone hand in hand with pop culture. And now that space is more accessible than ever, Hollywood has its sights set on a new, way more expansive studio. You’ll hear from: Dr. Teasel ...
10.12.2021 The Unravelling of Nicki Minaj Nicki Minaj still has the kind of starpower that can hijack a news cycle with a few tweets. Has she been using it to silence the voice of a woman her husband was arrested for assaulting? You’ll hear from: Dr. ...
09.08.2021 Coming soon: Pop Cultured with theSkimm A PSA for the pop-culture obsessed: If you’re wading into this sea of TikTok videos, internet outrage, and celebrity news, you’re gonna want to bring us along. Welcome to Pop Cultured with theSkimm — the show that breaks down the ...