Poppish

What do America’s first female mayor and Trisha Paytas have in common? Their commitment to the bit. This week, we discuss the prank that led to Susanna M. Salter's Mayoral election in Kansas and Trisha Paytas’ wonky Broadway debut. Tune in for a giggly episode filled with questions such as: has feminism gone too far (Moo Deng)? Can prohibitionists hang? How does one mid their way to the top?

GET THAT OUT OF YOUR MOUTH! Today, we take on the message DARE officers everywhere work their entire careers to get across: just because something looks cool does not mean you should participate! And also, corporations will kill us all if it makes them a dollar. Did they talk about THAT in DARE?

We also discuss all the TV that was hot in Q1 of 2025, how to pick a major that allows you to go to the doctor later in life, and which snake oils we are currently incorporating into our wellness routines.

When you are a very rich man, you can only buy so many properties before it just makes sense to set your sights on something bigger — something geographical. This week we’ll explore how this storied path of hubris played out for two men over two centuries: Henry Ford and Akon Thiam. Two very different men, but the desire to build cities named after themselves unites them. Will they manage to create something that finally feels like home? You’ll have to listen to find out. Diversions include a cultural study of Boca Raton, 9-year-old tooth fairy detectives, and Teddy Roosevelt, who nailed leaving a legacy.

“Accidentally became important at work and now I’m getting beheaded for it” - Lady Jane Grey, probably. In week 3, we explore the rise and fall of The Jeremy Renner app and Lady Jane Grey, the 9 day Queen of England. Listen to silly discussions of cutthroat volunteer opportunities, microwave installations gone awry, and the best place to get a lobotomy.

Have you ever felt compelled to drop what you’re doing and dance? So have we. We decided to study this phenomenon as it’s taken shape over 5 centuries by examining the Dancing Plague of 1518 and the 2010s Planking & Flash mob epidemic. Sometimes the world moves and you can’t help but move with it. Tune in for extremely late Super Bowl coverage, remembering the Alamo, and the answer to the age old question: do you even plank bro??

In episode one, we present two "famous feuds" with similar cultural and historical impact: James Charles vs. Tati Westbook and The Hatfields vs. The McCoys.

We also cover Bella Thorne, Tesla, and Johnny Appleseed (real or legend??). Tune in to an episode that will make you laugh and think about the seemingly invisible connection between a beauty influencer dispute and a decades-long family rivalry that left dozens dead.