Shauna and Olivia welcome special guest Michael E. Cullen, award-winning filmmaker and host of the All2ReelToopodcast. Michael has directed films like the horror comedy Pi Day Die Day (available on Tubi!), the Christmas horror film Shelved, and co-hosts the podcast All 2 Reel Too, a look at the "wild and wacky realm of pop culture". Michael joins the Junkies to talk about the 1983 NBC miniseries V, about a large-scale invasion of seemingly friendly, seemingly humanoid aliens. Michael and the Junkies talk about the series' prescient parallels to the current political situation. Find it on Plex to follow along! Then Michael, Shauna and Olivia discuss their common love of Marvel and documentaries about scammers and other lowlifes.

Find Michael E. Cullen's work and more information at his website, Cullen Park Productions.
http://www.cullenpark.com/

Find the All2ReelToo podcast at https://all2reeltoo.com/

You can watch the Pop Culture Junkie Podcast 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 here: https://www.patreon.com/popculturejunkiepodcast/posts

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pop-culture-junkie/id1536737728

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7k2pUxzNDBXNCHzFM7EL8W

Website: www.popculturejunkie.com
Facebook: PopCultureJunkiePodcast
Instagram: @pop.culturejunkies
Threads: @pop.culturejunkies
Bluesky: @pop-culture-junkie.bsky.social 
Email: [email protected]

Shauna on Instagram: @shaunatrinidad 
Shauna on Threads: @shaunatrinidad

Olivia on Instagram: @livimariez
Olivia on TikTok: @livyolife420

Pulling an Uno Reverse from their last episode about celebrity feuds, Olivia and Shauna take on celebrity best buds, looking at famous people who genuinely like each other a lot. To figure out what makes a great friendship, the Junkies examine their own iconic pop culture friendship, and determine it's down to being annoying in the same way. Are celeb BFFs like Gayle and Oprah, Snoop and Martha, Cameron and Drew, Brad and George, Jennifer and Courteney, Ben and Matt, etc. also compatibly irritating? We don't know, but it's certainly possible. But it's more likely that fame and friendship works best when both parties understand what life in show business entails, and are each other's biggest fans...just like Shauna and Olivia are.

You can watch the Pop Culture Junkie Podcast 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 here: https://www.patreon.com/popculturejunkiepodcast/posts

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pop-culture-junkie/id1536737728

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7k2pUxzNDBXNCHzFM7EL8W

Website: www.popculturejunkie.com
Facebook: PopCultureJunkiePodcast
Instagram: @pop.culturejunkies
Threads: @pop.culturejunkies
Bluesky: @pop-culture-junkie.bsky.social 
Email: [email protected]

Shauna on Instagram: @shaunatrinidad 
Shauna on Threads: @shaunatrinidad

Olivia on Instagram: @livimariez
Olivia on TikTok: @livyolife420

Celebrities are not like us: when they bicker amongst themselves, it's all over the news, and maybe even the Super Bowl half-time show. Shauna and Olivia break down why celebrities feud publicly - and why we like it so much. Olivia thinks maybe it's a way to satisfy our deep-seated need for interpersonal conflict in ways we mere mortals can't achieve in our petty office spats, while Shauna thinks we just really enjoy laughing at the rich, famous, and ridiculous. And both agree, these beefs can be great publicity tools. Then the Junkies look at some of the more notable rivalries, going back to Debbie Reynolds and Elizabeth Taylor, and each lay out their favorite among the feuds. And who would they start beef with? The answers may surprise you. (Or not, if you have been listening to this podcast a while.)

You can watch the Pop Culture Junkie Podcast 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 here: https://www.patreon.com/popculturejunkiepodcast/posts

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pop-culture-junkie/id1536737728

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7k2pUxzNDBXNCHzFM7EL8W

Website: www.popculturejunkie.com
Facebook: PopCultureJunkiePodcast
Instagram: @pop.culturejunkies
Threads: @pop.culturejunkies
Bluesky: @pop-culture-junkie.bsky.social 
Email: [email protected]

Shauna on Instagram: @shaunatrinidad 
Shauna on Threads: @shaunatrinidad

Olivia on Instagram: @livimariez
Olivia on TikTok: @livyolife420

Olivia and Shauna are working on their long-distance relationship, but they're always together in spirit, especially when it comes to talking about pop culture. 2025 is going to be a monumental year, for better or worse, and in order to have something to look forward to, The Junkies discuss the pop culture they most want to put in their veins this year. Olivia tries to convince Shauna to keep watching White Lotus, and Shauna makes Olivia promise to go see the new Fantastic Four movie with her. Between new Lady Gaga (and maybe Taylor Swift) music and more Dexter and a Freakier Friday on the horizon, this could very well be a great year. And if not, Shauna has a great drinking game for you.

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 here: https://www.patreon.com/popculturejunkiepodcast/posts

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pop-culture-junkie/id1536737728Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7k2pUxzNDBXNCHzFM7EL8W

Website: www.popculturejunkie.com
Facebook: PopCultureJunkiePodcast
Instagram: @pop.culturejunkies
Threads: @pop.culturejunkies
Bluesky: @pop-culture-junkie.bsky.social 
Email: [email protected]

Shauna on Instagram: @shaunatrinidad 
Shauna on Threads: @shaunatrinidad

Olivia on Instagram: @livimariez
Olivia on TikTok: @livyolife420

Olivia and Shauna find themselves on the Naughty List (again) this holiday season, so this episode is all about those holiday romance movies - the kind where big-city girls visit their hometowns and fall for a hunky carpenter/baker/farmer (or whatever) and learn the true meaning of Christmas. These movies are often associated with the Hallmark Channel, but can be seen everywhere, really. Netflix in particular, is doing their best to put their own stamp on the genre, peopling the films with male strippers and sexy sentient snowmen and such. Then the Junkies talk about the holiday season's biggest movie, and whether or not it 'defies gravity'.

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 here: https://www.patreon.com/popculturejunkiepodcast/posts

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pop-culture-junkie/id1536737728

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7k2pUxzNDBXNCHzFM7EL8W

Website: www.popculturejunkie.com
Facebook: PopCultureJunkiePodcast
Instagram: @pop.culturejunkies
Threads: @pop.culturejunkies
Email: [email protected]

Shauna on Instagram: @shaunatrinidad 
Shauna on TikTok: @shaunatrinidad
Shauna on Threads: @shaunatrinidad

Olivia on Instagram: @livimariez
Olivia on TikTok: @livyolife420

This week, Olivia and Shauna give their book reports - how many books they've read this year above and beyond their goal, and not to brag, but we know two people who'll get coupons for a personal pan pizza this year. In other news, it's the holiday season, and for a lot of us, that means traveling, whether to get to or get away from family. And the perfect marriage of pop culture and traveling is the road trip movie. The Junkies talk about what makes a great road trip movie, and name some of the best road trip movies in every genre: comedy, drama, horror, comedy...well, they're mostly comedies because traveling is so much fun! Then, Olivia and Shauna plot out the perfect snack regimen for their upcoming trip to Frisco, and you won't believe what they plan to do with the Bugles. 

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 here: https://www.patreon.com/popculturejunkiepodcast/posts

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pop-culture-junkie/id1536737728

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7k2pUxzNDBXNCHzFM7EL8W

Website: www.popculturejunkie.com
Facebook: PopCultureJunkiePodcast
Instagram: @pop.culturejunkies
Threads: @pop.culturejunkies
Email: [email protected]

Shauna on Instagram: @shaunatrinidad 
Shauna on TikTok: @shaunatrinidad
Shauna on Threads: @shaunatrinidad

Olivia on Instagram: @livimariez
Olivia on TikTok: @livyolife420

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 the suffrage movement, flappers and the first "It Girl", straight through to where we are today, when we had a female president for the first time (if only for 40 minutes). Then Shauna and Olivia talk about their favorite feminist media, and look at how far we have yet to go for everyone to be able to see themselves represented in their favorite media. 

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 here: https://www.patreon.com/popculturejunkiepodcast/posts

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pop-culture-junkie/id1536737728

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7k2pUxzNDBXNCHzFM7EL8W

Website: www.popculturejunkie.com
Facebook: PopCultureJunkiePodcast
Instagram: @pop.culturejunkies
Threads: @pop.culturejunkies
Email: [email protected]

Shauna on Instagram: @shaunatrinidad 
Shauna on TikTok: @shaunatrinidad
Shauna on Threads: @shaunatrinidad

Olivia on Instagram: @livimariez
Olivia on TikTok: @livyolife420

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 culture and politics. They discuss the best television shows set in the West Wing, and look at politics on the big screen, and how two movies predicted the times we are currently living in. The Junkies also show two very different movies presented the Watergate scandal. Will there be Dick jokes in this episode? You don't have to be Deep Throat to know the answer to that question. And finally, Shauna and Olivia discuss the way the media as a whole is dividing us when we really need to be united. We encourage you to vote yes on this politically-charged episode!

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 here: https://www.patreon.com/popculturejunkiepodcast/posts

 Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pop-culture-junkie/id1536737728

 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7k2pUxzNDBXNCHzFM7EL8W

Website: www.popculturejunkie.com
Facebook: PopCultureJunkiePodcast
Instagram: @pop.culturejunkies
Threads: @pop.culturejunkies
Email: [email protected]

Shauna on Instagram: @shaunatrinidad 
Shauna on TikTok: @shaunatrinidad
Shauna on Threads: @shaunatrinidad

Olivia on Instagram: @livimariez
Olivia on TikTok: @livyolife420

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 is so versatile that depending on the movie, you'll swoon, laugh, shudder or even throw up. (Looking at you, Terrifier 3.) Olivia and Shauna picked one specific movie to discuss for this episode, so be warned there are slight spoilers for The Descent, possibly the scariest movie ever made. (Or is it?) And finally, both Junkies have Halloween Pop or Drop recommendations for you.

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 here: https://www.patreon.com/popculturejunkiepodcast/posts

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pop-culture-junkie/id1536737728

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7k2pUxzNDBXNCHzFM7EL8W

Website: www.popculturejunkie.com 
Facebook: PopCultureJunkiePodcast 
Instagram: @pop.culturejunkies 
Threads: @pop.culturejunkies  
Email: [email protected] 

Shauna on Instagram: @shaunatrinidad 
Shauna on TikTok: @shaunatrinidad 
Shauna on Threads: @shaunatrinidad

Olivia on Instagram: @livimariez
Olivia on TikTok: @livyolife420

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 is nearly but not quite human. Who discovered it? What's the science behind it? And what did our collective ancestors experience that led us to be so afraid of anything pretending to be human? (Hint: it's not NOT aliens.) Olivia and Shauna list their favorite (least favorite, actually) examples of the Uncanny Valley in pop culture, discuss how plastic surgery, filters and AI are turning humans into uncanny versions of themselves, and try to figure out why Olivia is so freaked out by...claymation?

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 here: https://www.patreon.com/popculturejunkiepodcast/posts

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pop-culture-junkie/id1536737728Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7k2pUxzNDBXNCHzFM7EL8W

Website: www.popculturejunkie.com 
Facebook: PopCultureJunkiePodcast 
Instagram: @pop.culturejunkies 
Threads: @pop.culturejunkies 
Email: [email protected]

Shauna on Instagram: @shaunatrinidad 
Shauna on TikTok: @shaunatrinidad 
Shauna on Threads: @shaunatrinidad 

Olivia on Instagram: @livimariez 
Olivia on TikTok: @livyolife420