Pop DNA

This episode's title comes from the 1626 play by English dramatist John Ford, because we are very smart. And turns out, it kinda fits for discussing SATC's apparent attitude toward Samantha Jones. We dive into Sam's key romantic relationships to explore how her attitude toward sex and dating was contrasted with that of the other three women, and what that says about how the show viewed women's sexuality.We also discuss different iterations of the fan theory that Samantha, Charlotte, and Miranda are all really aspects of Carrie's personality. Are they fictional aliases for the women Carrie wrote about in her column? Are they figments of her imagination? Or do each of Carrie's friends represent her id, ego, and superego? That's right, we're getting Freudian. Because we are very smart.

Is Sex and the City a feminist text?That's the question we sort of attempt to answer in this episode, but ultimately we find it more interesting to talk about Sabrina Carpenter's 2025 album Man's Best Friend and the 2009 romcom film He's Just Not That Into You starring Ginnifer Goodwin. Our rambles meander through discussions of how male characters are written on SATC, and how the show explores the assumed gender binary in general, before detouring through more current works of media that are often brought into feminist discourse, like the aforementioned Man's Best Friend, and the 2023 film Barbie.Can a work of fiction BE inherently feminist? Or can it merely propose ideas or messages that the viewer must consume critically and form their own conclusions?If you are still following us on Instagram, thank you for believing in us.

Heads' up that we had several forms of technical difficulties with recording this episode, so apologies in advance for any subpar sound quality!Are we ever ready to talk about Sex and the City? Unclear, but we're going to. In part 1 of our SATC series, we discuss some general thoughts on the HBO show, its origins, and its cultural impact. We also talk about our first experiences with the series before giving a preview of the topics we plan to discuss in more depth over the next four episodes.We're talking about:Gender, Sexuality, and the Male GazePop Feminism from SATC to our current Cultural Landscape (i.e. Barbie, Sabrina Carpenter, etc...)Samantha, Miranda, and Charlotte as different aspects of Carrie's personalitySATC and the genre of "Group of Single Women Takes on the World Together"The Pop Culture Afterlife of Sex and the City (The Carrie Diaries, He's Just Not that Into You, And Just Like That...)The lasting impact of "chick lit" screen adaptationsWe'll be back next episode for some deep-diving discussions!Follow us Instagram, I suppose.

Welcome to our slightly unhinged summer series, Millennial Falcon!This three-part series is all about the fandoms we've never felt like we were truly a part of until the past few years, our Millennial Falcons, if you will. For Rhonda, that's romance novels, and for Erin it's Star Wars.In our introductory episode, we discuss our histories with our respective Millennial Falcons, why we feel it took us so long to engage with them, and how we feel about those fandoms now. We also talk a little about what we are currently watching and reading.Next time we will talk more broadly about fandom and culture, and the psychology and sociology of popular fandoms. Follow us on Instagram!

In the finale of our The Office series and of our regular season, we look at the show's ties to popular media that came both before and after.Erin did a deep dive into the history of the mockumentary, and you won't believe what the first one was!We also discuss some well-known mockumentary films, like This is Spinal Tap and Best in Show, and works that use mockumentary elements, such as When Harry Met Sally and Arrested Development.Then we explore the stylistic impact of The Office on subsequent American comedy, touching on shows like Parks and Recreation, Superstore, Abbott Elementary, and, somehow, Game of Thrones.This episode also contains our final Finer Things Club meeting discussing Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt, plus what we are currently watching/reading/listening to. For Rhonda, it was lots of Hunger Games.Come back in May for a bonus episode and a couple rereleases of our Summer Theatre Program from 2021!Follow on Instagram, but don't expect too much. :/

In part four of our discussion of The Office, we dive in to the various romance storylines the show featured, and how we feel about them!From the classic sitcom "will-they-or-won't-they" tension between Jim and Pam, to Michael and Holly's second chance romance, to the hilariously toxic relationship between Kelly and Ryan, there's a little something for everyone. (Erin's personal favorite is, of course, Dwangela.)Our exploration veers into a series of hot takes on romance novel tropes like enemies to lovers, mutual pining, and love triangles, and you know how Rhonda feels about love triangles (she thinks they're good, actually).We also look at how the romances on The Office compare to love stories in other sitcoms, like New Girl, How I Met Your Mother, Abbott Elementary, and Friends. And this episode features our Finer Things Club discussion of the book Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden.Our next episode is our last planned installment of our Office discussion, so be sure not to miss it! Follow us on Instagram, but don't expect too much.

“Do I need to be liked? Absolutely not. I like to be liked. I enjoy being liked. I have to be liked. But it's not like this compulsive need to be liked, like my need to be praised.” –Michael ScottLikeability plays a huge role in how characters on The Office relate to one another, and how we as the audience perceive them. Discuss!This episode also features our second Finer Things Club meeting, in which we talk about the novel The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende and Rhonda learns how effective her SEO was in her blog post about it.Further Reading:Isabel Allende's interview with the LA TimesThe science behind our need to be liked from American Psychological AssociationHow wanting to be liked gets you rejected from Psychology TodayRhonda's blog post about all the books mentioned on The Office

Despite its undercurrent of warmth and optimism, The Office (US) went to some pretty dystopian places in its explorations of the workplace--which were really just reflections of the boring dystopia of our reality.In this episode, we look at how The Office fits within the context of Workplace Dystopian media, works such as Superstore, Office Space, Sorry to Bother You, and Silicon Valley. We also place The Office head-to-head with the most popular workplace dystopia on TV right now, Severance. Our discussion delves into how corporate companies like Dunder Mifflin and Lumon, and those in other workplace dystopian media, use tactics like Diversity Day or "waffle parties" to present a veneer of benevolence to distract workers from how terrible their jobs actually are.But, you know, in a fun way.We also introduce our new segment for this series: The Finer Things Club! We discuss E. M. Forster's novel A Room with a View. It's very exclusive.Further Reading:Corporate Erin on TikTokDefining a Boring DystopiaComparing the workplaces in The Office and Severance

If you've ever listened to us trade The Office references on the pod and thought, "why don't they just talk about The Office already?" this new series is for you!In your orientation packet, you'll find an overview of our thoughts on the American series in comparison with the original British version, and a quiz to discover which characters we are. We also go over a preview of the topics we plan to discuss in the coming episodes, including, but not limited to:Race, gender, class, and the dystopia of capitalism in The Office, but, like, in a fun wayThe Office in the context of other workplace media such as Office Space, Superstore, and Sorry to Bother YouThe show's examination of success, achievement, and happiness as defined by individual charactersRomantic relationships over the course of The Office's nine seasons, and how they compare to romances in other sitcomsThe Office's afterlife in pop culture

Our yearly tradition of discussing our favorite movies and TV, plus a little music and books, is back! We had every intention of talking about Wickiator/Glicked, but there's really no story there. There's Wicked, which we talked about for far longer than we intended because we had so many thoughts, and then there's Gladiator, which... was a movie. We also talked about some common themes we noticed in the media we were drawn to in the past year, plus a few pieces that were just a little disappointing. Things we talked about: Wicked Part 1 Gladiator II The Substance The Watchers Laid Bad Sisters We Are Lady Parts My Old Ass Lisa Frankenstein Monkey Man Mr. and Mrs. Smith Mean Girls Pride and Prejudice in Space AfrAId St. Denis Medical Is She Really Going Out With Him? How to End a Love Story The Third Gilmore Girl The Bright Sword Things we loved but didn’t have time to talk about because we spent so long talking about Wicked: Thelma Your Monster Nightbitch Trap English Teacher My Lady Jane The Acolyte Nobody Wants This Fallout Agatha All Along Sense and Sensibility Dune Part 2 Next time we will finally wrap up our A Song of Ice and Fire series, and beginning in February we'll have a shiny new mystery topic to discuss! Follow us on Instagram! Read Rhonda's Lisa Frankenstein essay!

Check your Christmas ornaments, there might be important documents inside! Please enjoy this regifted episode from 2019 about the Netflix Christmas Cinematic Universe, specifically A Christmas Prince. ORIGINAL DESCRIPTION: Honestly, this episode was a long time coming. A Christmas Prince is rich in cultural influences, from the lives and loves of historical real-life royals, to classic fairy tales, to... investigative journalism, I guess? We also discuss other vitally important topics, like the dystopian alternate universe in which the movies take place and the cultural relevance of Volvos. (Volvo is not a sponsor of Pop DNA.) Our commentary for Netflix's The Knight Before Christmas is free on our Patreon page! Patreon.com/popdna Happy Holidays!

We have another regifted episode for you this week! We couldn't choose between our two Narnia episodes, so we're regifting both! This episode from December of 2022 touches on gender and violence, and how children experience fear and danger in fantasy worlds, all themes we explored in our A Song of Ice and Fire discussions. This one is perfect for if you want to dive a little deeper into another perspective on those ideas. We have one more regifted episode for you, so look for that on Christmas Day! (Or listen to it the day after, we don't care.) And join us in January for our Best of 2024 Bonus! Follow on Instagram for very infrequent supplementary content, memes and cat pics. ORIGINAL DESCRIPTION: As we wrap up our final Narnia episode we're asking the big questions: Was C. S. Lewis sexist? Or can we draw any feminist or female-empowerment messages from his work? What does feminism even look like in the context of a fantasy world where children go into battle with talking animals? We also look specifically at The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe as a World War 2 story, exploring the story an as allegory for what was happening in the "real" world at the time it takes place. And of course we took a quiz to find out which Pevensie kids we are, and you can take it ⁠here⁠. Check out ⁠The Feminine Ethos in C.S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia⁠ by Monika Hilder.

Happy December! We are taking a much-needed break to enjoy the holiday season, but thought we'd take the opportunity to revisit some of our previous episodes this month. It's Regifting Time! This episode from our Chronicles of Narnia series in December of 2022 explores the topics of magic, magic systems, and prophecy in fantasy fiction and Narnia's relationship with other fantasy classics. It's a perfect coda for some of our A Song of Ice and Fire discussions. Join us the rest of December for more regifted episodes, and come back in January for our Best of 2024 Bonus! Find us on Instagram for memes and sporadic updates. ORIGINAL DESCRIPTION: This week on our Narnia journey we are diving in to all things magic. We discuss the differences between hard and soft magic systems, how magic is expressed in the world of Narnia, and how it compares to the magic in other fictional worlds. We also look at Narnia as a touchstone of fantasy fiction, its relationship with Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, and its influence on modern fantasy works like Star Wars and Lev Grossman's book series The Magicians.

Why do so many fantasy stories center on the protagonist fulfilling a "Chosen One" prophecy? We don't really answer that this week, but we do talk about the undercurrent of prophecy in Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon, the "Song of Ice and Fire" that this universe is named for. We also look briefly at how specifically Chosen One prophecies are present in many of our favorite fantasy works, and how prophecy is often tied to religion, and we explore some of the major religions of Westeros. We also open with our favorite segment, Wig Watch! Go to our Instagram to see the wigs we talk about. Further Reading: Major Religions explained George R. R. Martin interview Context for the prophecy in House of the Dragon

In Westeros, when you're here, you're family. Oh, wait, that's The Olive Garden. But we're talking about families this week, and, like most things in Westeros, being part of a family is generally not a great time for anyone in this world. Certainly not as fun as having dinner at The Olive Garden. We look specifically at the Targaryen family and some possible historical inspirations for this mythical dynasty. The blonde dragon people share some interesting similarities with the Egyptian Pharoahs and the Ptolemeic dynasty, as well as the infamously inbred Habsburgs. Just how inbred were the Habsburgs? Surprisingly, not as much as the Targaryens, and we have a geneticist's Tweet to prove it. Then we look at families on more of relational level, discussing the psychology concept of attachment theory as it relates to our favorite Westerosi families. Does anyone in this world have a secure attachment style? You are probably not surprised to hear that the answer is no. We also of course have another installment of Wig Watch for you (see the wigs discussed on our Instagram), and we've got some recommendations in What Are We Watchin'. Join us next time to talk about politics and religion, yay! Further Reading: Historical connections to the Targaryens Real royal families and House of the Dragon How inbred is Daenerys Targaryen? Attachment Theory explained Remember that sweet 85-year-old food critic in North Dakota who wrote a positive review of the new The Olive Garden in her town?

He's just Jon and he's enough! (Jonough?) This week we're talking about men in Westeros, exploring how masculinity is constructed in the world of Game of Thrones. Questions we discuss include: How do medieval European ideals of masculinity inform this world's gender expectations? What is the relationship between violence and masculinity, or perceived masculinity? How do family systems and relationships perpetuate masculine ideals in Game of Thrones? Why is Daemon Targaryen Just Ken? We also have two more wigs to discuss in our favorite new segment, Wig Watch! See photos of the wigs on our Instagram. Further Reading: Violence and Masculinity in Medieval France paper Masculinity and Disability in Game of Thrones paper Targaryen men perform "I'm Just Ken" HotD season 2 finale recap #gameofthrones #asongoficeandfire #imjustken

In part two of our series discussing Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon, we look at how women navigate the world of Westeros. Questions we explore include: How do women gain, lose, and use power in this world? How does power relate to femininity? How are the expected gender roles of Westerosi society shaped by the realities of the world? Characters we discuss include Cersei Lannister, Daenerys Targaryen, Catelyn Stark, Sansa Stark, Rhaenyra Targaryen, Alicent Hightower, and Rhaenys Targaryen. We also introduce a new segment for this series: Wig Watch! Join us on Instagram to see the wigs we discuss, and maybe some other things. Further Reading: The Dangers of Growing Up on Westeros House of the Dragon and GirlBoss Feminism We'll be back in two weeks to talk about the relationship between violence and masculinity in A Song of Ice and Fire, and how Daemon Targaryen is Just Ken.

Welcome back! We're riding our dragons to King's Landing for a six-part series on A Song of Ice and Fire and all its connected works, including the TV series Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon. This week, we're just getting our feet wet with a look at our first introductions to George R. R. Martin's work, our thoughts on the main ideas of the series, and an overview of Martin's cited influences, including the English Wars of the Roses and the Accursed Kings series of historical novels. Plus we take quizzes to find out which Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon characters we are, which you can take here and here. With this episode we launch not just a new series and new season, but a brand new format for the show. Episodes will now come out every other week, and we're spending three months in this world, so get comfy!

We wrap up our summer book-to-screen club series with the science fiction classic that inadvertently sparked a thousand sandworm popcorn bucket memes. Our discussion topics include Dune's influence on and connections to other staples of the science fiction and fantasy genres such as Star Wars, Wheel of Time, and A Song of Ice and Fire; how the recent Villeneuve films interpret certain aspects of the story and characters; and how the book explores girlhood (because it actually kinda does). ALSO: Rhonda goes on a rant about the stupidity of spoiler culture, and Erin makes a convincing case for Castaway as a comfort movie. And we probably spend a little too much time talking about Katy Perry, but seriously, what is she doing??? We will be back in September with a new format for a new season! Follow on Instagram for memes and infrequent announcements pertinent to listeners of this podcast.

Continuing our discussions of classic American novels, this week we read Alice Walker's The Color Purple! We talk about how the novel explores girlhood and relationships between women, the Black experience in the early 20th century, and finding the joy in life even through darkness. We also look at the 1985 and 2023 films and the stage musical, and how these adaptations interpreted the themes and characters from the book. Segments also include our pop music recommendations and What Are We Watchin' Join us next time for a discussion of Frank Herbert's Dune! Follow on Instagram too if you want.