Pop Mystery Pod

Afleveringen

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  Grimes, Mother of X Æ A-12 (with Steven Ray Morris) 13.08.2026 1u 28min

  Since hard launching with Elon Musk at the Met Gala in 2018, recording artist Grimes has been a mysterious and divisive figure. Who is Grimes as an artist, and what could she have been had Musk not interceeded in her strange little indie career?
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  The Cult That Jared Leto Runs (with Shannon McNamara) 06.08.2026 1u 22min

  Jared Leto started his career as a 23 year old teen heartthrob on “My So Called Life.” He then went on to achieve the nearly impossible: dual careers as both a rock star and a critically acclaimed actor. Recent bombshell reporting from the BBC has revealed that over decades, as he’s enjoyed wild success, Leto has allegedly assaulted a staggering number of teenaged girls. Oh, and also he appears to have started a cult.
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  Tyra Banks Cuts Models (with Jackie Johnson) 30.07.2026 1u 23min

  America’s Next Top Model” is a stunning piece of television. For over a decade, svelte contestants ostensibly vied for a chance at modeling success. What they were also seemingly fighting for, however, is their mental well-being. What actually went down behind the scenes of this singular juggernaut of a show? Is the recent backlash against Tyra warranted? What exactly is she claiming in her lawsuit against Netflix? Perhaps most importantly wtf is hit ice cream? Joining Tess to walk the runway is comic, actor, and writer Jackie Johnson
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  The Ice Cream Blonde Cold Case (with Babs Gray) 23.07.2026 1u 20min

  Thelma Todd seemed to be living the life of classic Hollywood dreams. She had a busy career, an active social life, and she owned a restaurant at arguably the most beautiful corner of southern California coastline.
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  Jerry Springer Fakes It (Throwback) 16.07.2026 44min

  This week, we revisit a classic American story. For better or worse, “The Jerry Springer Show” changed television as we know it. Were the guests on this trainwreck real? Or fakers?
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  The Secret Life of Canned Laughter (with Holly Brown) 09.07.2026 1u 16min

  One of the most divisive figures in television history is not a person, but a box. One that was kept under lock and key for most of its owner’s life: The Laff Box.
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  The Top Pop Independence Days 02.07.2026 9min

  Pop history is full of notable independence days. If the red, white, and blue isn’t doing it for you, this year, here are some iconic moments of libration to celebrate instead.
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  James Cameron’s Quest to Pester Ghosts (with Caitlin Durante) 25.06.2026 1u 33min

  The Titanic is one of the most famous and chilling disasters of all time. The movie “Titanic.”  could have also been a lesson in hubris. It was helmed by James Cameron, whose reportedly maniacal behavior may have been the impetus for a bizarre and mysterious food poisoning.
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  The NFL is Bravo (with Megan Gailey) 18.06.2026 1u 8min

  You don’t have to be a sports fan to appreciate the wild and jaw dropping tale of a sports reporter and a head coach whose affair may have changed the direction of the entire football league.
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  An Alleged Tupac Assassin Stands Trial. Who Hired Him? 11.06.2026 11min

  Nearly thirty years after the killing of Tupac Shakur, Duane Davis is set to face murder charges in a Nevada court.
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  The TMZ Secret Sauce (with Lauren Vino) 04.06.2026 1u 32min

  When TMZ reports on a tragedy in Los Angeles, chances are, it’s true. How does this tabloid source its seedy confidential information, and why do TMZ and its founder Harvey Levin remain such powerful forces in the land of pop journalism?
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  A Literal Captive Audience 28.05.2026 41min

  After Tess learns about a shocking method of filling live studio audiences, she is sent on a long journey to get to the bottom of a clandestine and widespread practice.
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  The Terrifying Face Behind Those Pass It On Billboards (from the vault) 21.05.2026 43min

  This is dark money hiding in plain sight. Tess revisits the twisted reality of those strange ads  the in one of her favorite vault episodes.
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  Exposing “Girls Gone Wild” (with Courtney Kocak) 14.05.2026 1u 14min

  Few commercials were as ubiquitous in the early aughts as the ones for the video series “Girls Gone Wild.” The premise of these videos was so dumb it seemed funny: girls being treated as zoo animals as they flashed the camera. A deeply disturbing truth permeated this cultural phenomena, however. Joining Tess to talk through her own first hand experience with the franchise is comic, writer, and podcaster Courtney Kocak (Private Parts Unown). 
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  The Settlement: What Justin Baldoni’s Lawyer Doesn’t Want Us to Know 07.05.2026 23min

  Blake Lively’s case against Justin Baldoni has settled. Baldoni’s lawyer Bryan Freedman has been doing a media tour in an attempt to frame this as a “victory.” Yet, for all Freedman has been talking, he doesn’t seem to be giving us the full story.
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  Banksy Gets His Mask Ripped Off (with Chris Fairbanks) 30.04.2026 1u 4min

  For decades, the street artist Banksy was one of the most famous anonymous people in the world. Like most street artists, Banksy used anonymity for cover, but also as a means of generating mystique. A recent expose in Reuters, however, seems to have gotten to the bottom of this icon’s identity. But did they truly blow up Banksy’s spot? Joining Tess to talk all things Banksy is comic and podcaster Chris Fairbanks @chris_fairbanks (Do You Need a Ride?)
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  Nevertheless, Blake Lively Persists (with MJ Morley) 23.04.2026 1u 6min

  Blake Lively’s civil case is scheduled to head to trial. As the actor is set to claim retaliation against Justin Baldoni, many of her harassment claims have been tossed out on a technicality. Why were some of Lively’s claims actually tossed out? What is at stake in this trial, and what do we expect each side to claim? Joining Tess for a legal analysis of where this case stands today is attorney and writer MJ Morley (@morewithMJ)
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  The Tom Cruise Wife Casting Couch (with Claire Lim) 16.04.2026 1u 42min

  When Tom Cruise jumped on Oprah’s couch and declared “I’m in love!” he may as well have been playing one of the high octane characters that has made him a super star since the ‘80s. Was the Church of Scientology a driving force in Cruise’s marriage to Holmes? Was it part of why he divorced Nicole Kidman? Joining Tess on an illicit trip to the Celebrity Centre is Calie Lim (@weeclairehere)
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  Bluntly, Afroman Prevails (with Paul Danke) 09.04.2026 59min

  Finally, some good news. After being sued for making music videos based on a break in of his own home, Afroman scores a big win for free speech, and, honestly, millennial stoners at large. Joining Tess to parse through the legal specifics of this case is comic and actor Paul Danke (@pauldanke).
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  Is Spencer Pratt a Villain in Reality? (with Rachel Brodsky) 02.04.2026 1u 13min

  Spencer Pratt is one of reality television’s iconic bad guys…but is he really a bad guy? What is it about this former “Hills,” cast member that has led to his surprising endurance as a public figure? The truth about who Spencer Pratt really is is more complex than may seem at first glance. Joining Tess to talk about her recent LA Times profile of Spencer Pratt is journalist Rachel Brodsky (@rebrods), writer for LA Times, Rolling Stone, and Time magazine.