Pop Culture Debate Club with Ronald Young Jr.

Which children's cable TV channel is better: Disney Channel or Nickelodeon? Two comedians square off this week in this nostalgic battle, with Evan Mills taking the side of Disney Channel and Hoja Lopez here to fight for Nickelodeon. And Ronald Young Jr. will listen to what they each have to say and then declare a winner. On the one hand, Evan says Disney Channel produced a longer list of lasting stars, movies, and shows. On the other hand, Hoja argues that Nickelodeon’s alt-humor did a better job of embracing, as she calls it, “the chaotic nature of childhood.” Which argument will sway Ronald this week?   Follow Hoja @alohahoja on Instagram and X and Evan @awkvanmills on Instagram.   Keep up with Ronald Young Jr. @OhitsBIGRON on X and Instagram. And stay up to date with us @LemonadaMedia on X, Facebook, and Instagram.   For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors.   Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Which phone is superior: the iPhone or the Android? Taking the side of iPhones is actor and comedian Langston Kerman, while fellow actor and comedian Baron Vaughn is Team Android. And here to adjudicate is Ronald Young Jr. Langston says iPhones look better, are easier to use, and that the majority of Americans agree with him because iPhones are a majority of cell phones in the US. Baron says Androids offer customization that iPhones do not and don’t fall victim to “planned obsolescence” the way iPhones do. How will Ronald rule? And will his personal phone preference influence his choice?   Follow Langston @langstonkerman on Instagram and X and Baron @barvonblaq on Instagram.   Keep up with Ronald Young Jr. @OhitsBIGRON on X and Instagram. And stay up to date with us @LemonadaMedia on X, Facebook, and Instagram.   For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors.   Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Which political TV show is better: Veep or The West Wing? Two familiar voices square off this week, with former host Aminatou Sow returning to argue on behalf of Veep and previous guest Hrishikesh Hirway taking the side of The West Wing. This is not going to be an easy decision for new host Ronald Young Jr. to make! Aminatou says that recent political headlines prove that Veep is a realistic portrayal of American politics, warts and all, while The West Wing is a liberal fantasy. Hrishi contends that The West Wing wasn’t meant to be realistic and was rather an incredibly entertaining TV show, and that Veep’s satire became too biting to be enjoyable. Which show will Ronald cast his vote for?   Follow Aminatou @aminatou on Instagram and X and Hrishi @hrishihirway on X and Instagram.   Keep up with Ronald Young Jr. @OhitsBIGRON on X and Instagram. And stay up to date with us @LemonadaMedia on X, Facebook, and Instagram.   For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors.   Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Which Love Island franchise is the best: the original UK or the upstart USA? British podcast host Will Njobvu and American magazine editor Nikki Ogunnaike are here to represent their homelands and do their best to sway Aminatou Sow to pick their show. Will says Love Island UK is real, raw, and vintage reality TV and finds the American version “a bit corny.” Nikki says that Season 6 of Love Island USA overtook the original with a diverse cast of people who had popular culture around the world in a stranglehold this summer. Which franchise will Aminatou declare the winner? Stick around to find out, and also catch some news about the show!   Follow Will @will_njo on X and Instagram and Nikki @nikkiogun on X and Instagram.   Keep up with Aminatou Sow @aminatou on Instagram and X. And stay up to date with us @LemonadaMedia on X, Facebook, and Instagram.   For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors.   Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Who is the truest New Yorker on Sex and the City? The hosts of 2 Black Girls, 1 Rose are here to make Aminatou Sow choose between Carrie Bradshaw and Samantha Jones. Justine Kay is Team Samantha – a sex-obsessed PR executive who lives in the Meatpacking District and whose girlboss ways Justine argues scream New York. Natasha Scott-Reichel comes representing Team Carrie – a fashion-loving sex columnist living on the Upper East Side who Natasha says embodies a NYC "It Girl." Whom will Aminatou declare the truest New Yorker on Sex and the City?   Follow Nastasha and Justine @2blackgirls1rose on Instagram.   Keep up with Aminatou Sow @aminatou on Instagram and X. And stay up to date with us @LemonadaMedia on X, Facebook, and Instagram.   For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors.   Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Who is the worst fictional American abroad in pop culture? Two comedians square off this week and try to convince Aminatou Sow that their pick should be barred from international travel. Solomon Georgio wants to ban Indiana Jones from leaving America while David Gborie thinks it's Deuce Bigalow who needs to stay Stateside. Solomon says Indy steals antiquities and didn’t stop Nazis when he had multiple chances. David isn’t a fan of Deuce’s homophobic language and use of racial stereotypes. Ultimately, Aminatou Sow must revoke one passport and declare the worst fictional American abroad.    Follow Solomon @solomongeorgio and David @coolguyjokes87on Instagram.   Keep up with Aminatou Sow @aminatou on Instagram and X. And stay up to date with us @LemonadaMedia on X, Facebook, and Instagram.   For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors.   Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week we wanted to share another great podcast from the BBC that you might enjoy – Lady Killers with Lucy Worsley. Lucy travels back in time to revisit the unthinkable crimes of 19th century murderesses from the UK, Australia and North America.    In this episode Lucy is joined by Evy Poumpouras, former special agent with the Secret Service, where she protected five US presidents as part of the Presidential Protective Division.   Lucy and Evy investigate the case of Mary Surratt, a 42 year-old widow, mother and pious Catholic who was arrested in April 1865 for conspiring to assassinate President Abraham Lincoln. He had been shot by former actor John Wilkes Booth while watching a play at Ford’s Theatre in Washington DC. One of the most sensational trials in US history followed, with prosecutors pushing for death sentences for everyone involved in the murder.    Lucy and Evy want to find out why the authorities were so sure that Surratt was involved in the assassination. They want to know what her story tells us about the lives of women at the close of the American Civil War. And they ask what happens when women step outside the domestic sphere and dare to get involved in protest and politics?    To find out more about the background to the Civil War and Lincoln’s assassination, Lucy asks Dr Nikki M Taylor, Professor of History at Howard University Washington DC, to go to Ford’s Theatre and to the Surratt House Museum, formerly Mary’s Surratt’s tavern in Maryland. Mary Surratt, she discovers, was a slave-holder and, like John Wilkes Booth, was horrified by Lincoln’s intention to end slavery and enfranchise African Americans.    Mary Surratt is an elusive and divisive woman. Lucy wants to know if she was a devoted mother attempting to make her way in the world – or a hard-hearted conspirator, a slave-holder and fanatical Confederate trying to reignite the civil war. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Which is the better franchise: the original Bachelor/Bachelorette or the spin-off, Bachelor in Paradise? Podcast host Traci Thomas loves the original franchise while radio host Mariah Smith prefers the spin-off, and they're both here today to convince Aminatou Sow that their pick should win. Traci loves the drama and romance of the Bachelor/Bachelorette and thinks that Bachelor in Paradise always fizzles toward the end of the season. Mariah argues that Bachelor in Paradise has had more successful couples come from it and says people only go on The Bachelor/Bachelorette to end up on Paradise anyway. Ultimately, Aminatou must decide which show will receive her final rose. Follow Traci @biTRACIal on X and Mariah @mRiah on X and @mariahmariahmariah on Instagram. Keep up with Aminatou Sow @aminatou on Instagram and X. And stay up to date with us @LemonadaMedia on X, Facebook, and Instagram. For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors. Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s our first literary – and marital – debate! Which is the best way to consume books: audiobooks or paper books? Essayist and critic Maris Kreizman prefers to listen to her books while comedian Josh Gondelman wants to physically hold what he’s reading. And their job today is to convince Aminatou Sow to pick their preferred format. Maris loves that audiobooks allow her to multitask and thinks the reading experience can be enhanced when an author reads their own work aloud. Josh loves being forced to only focus on the words when he’s reading a book and wants to interpret the works for himself without someone else’s performance influencing him. Aminatou must consider the arguments on both sides and declare a winner in the battle between audiobooks and paper books.   Follow Maris @mariskreizman on X and Instagram and Josh @joshgondelman on X and Instagram.   Keep up with Aminatou Sow @aminatou on Instagram and X. And stay up to date with us @LemonadaMedia on X, Facebook, and Instagram.   For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors.   Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Who is the worst lawyer on TV? Author and TV writer Samantha Irby says it’s Will Gardner from The Good Wife and writer and podcast host Josie Duffy Rice picks Rusty Sabich from Presumed Innocent. One’s a prosecutor, the other a defense attorney. One’s accused of murder, the other bribing a judge. And they both make questionable romantic decisions. Aminatou Sow must render her verdict and declare which of the two is the worst lawyer on television.   Follow Sam @bitchesgottaeat on Instagram and Josie @jduffyrice on X and Instagram.   Keep up with Aminatou Sow @aminatou on Instagram and X. And stay up to date with us @LemonadaMedia on X, Facebook, and Instagram.   For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors.   Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is the best on-screen depiction of motherhood? Parenting columnist Amil Niazi picks the TV show Better Things and journalist Jane Marie chooses the 1958 movie Auntie Mame, leaving Aminatou Sow with the unenviable task of selecting a winner. Which of the two better captures the highs and lows of motherhood? How do you compare someone who chose to be a mom with someone who had motherhood thrust upon them? And how will Amil’s baby attending the recording affect Aminatou’s choice? As ever, it’s up to her to decide as she determines which TV show or movie best portrays motherhood.   Follow Amil @amil on X and Jane @SeeJaneMarie on X and Instagram.   Keep up with Aminatou Sow @aminatou on Instagram and X. And stay up to date with us @LemonadaMedia on X, Facebook, and Instagram.   For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors.   Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Which made-for-TV movie on the Lifetime Network is the best of all time? The co-hosts of The Deep Dive take sides, with Jessica St. Clair choosing Jackie’s Back! (1999) and June Diane Raphael picking the 2016 remake of Mother, May I Sleep with Danger? But, how do you compare a shockingly star-studded mockumentary with a sexy vampire thriller? That’s Aminatou Sow’s challenge this week! She does her best to weigh the pros and cons of each pick and also puts June and Jess’s love of Lifetime movies to the test in a lightning round where they have to suss out real movie plots from made-up ones – all in order to decide which Lifetime original movie is the best ever.   Follow June @MsJuneDiane on X and @junediane Instagram and Jess @Jessica_StClair on X and @stclairjessica on Instagram.   Keep up with Aminatou Sow @aminatou on Instagram and X. And stay up to date with us @LemonadaMedia on X, Facebook, and Instagram.   For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors.   Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Which Real Housewives franchise is the best of all time: New York or Beverly Hills? The Watch What Crappens podcast co-hosts square off – Ben Mandelker is team RHONY while Ronnie Karam is repping Beverly Hills – to try and get Aminatou Sow to select their respective installment as the winner. Who’s the bigger villain, Ramona Singer or Camille Grammer? How does Yolanda Foster’s “almond mom” moment compare to Bethenny Frankel’s Skinnygirl empire? And what do we even do with the RHONY reboot? Aminatou considers all of these questions and more on her way to declaring the best Real Housewives franchise ever.   Follow Ben @benmandelker on X and Instagram and Ronnie @ronniekaram on X and Instagram.   Keep up with Aminatou Sow @aminatou on Instagram and X. And stay up to date with us @LemonadaMedia on X, Facebook, and Instagram.   For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors.   Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Which feast from a film would you most want to eat? Podcaster Hrishikesh Hirway would like to slurp up the noodles from In the Mood for Love (2000) while podcaster and cookbook author Dan Pashman craves the cheeseburger from The Menu (2022). And their task in today’s episode is to do their best to convince Aminatou Sow that their dish should reign supreme. Which is more compelling, the comfort of the noodles or the creative spark of the cheeseburger? Which food plays a more pivotal role in its respective movie? And perhaps a surprising consideration, which dish is accompanied by the better music? Aminatou weighs these factors and more when deciding which movie feast she’d order for herself.   Follow Hrishikesh @hrishihirway on X and Instagram and Dan @thesporkful on X and Instagram.   Keep up with Aminatou Sow @aminatou on Instagram and X. And stay up to date with us @LemonadaMedia on X, Facebook, and Instagram.   For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors.   Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is the most important hip hop movie of all time? Journalist Bomani Jones says it’s House Party (1990), while rapper Fat Tony picks CB4 (1993). After hearing from both sides, Aminatou Sow must choose one as the winner, and it’s not an easy pick! How does CB4’s look at the fetishization of gangsta rappers by the music industry compare to House Party’s subtle examination of class and Blackness in American society? Which is more damning, the early-90s-era homophobia in CB4 or the old actors playing high school kids in House Party? And since we’re talking about hip hop, which movie has the better music? There’s so much for Aminatou to think about before crowning the most important hip hop film of all time.   Follow Bomani Jones @bomani_jones on X and Instagram and Fat Tony @fattonyrap on X and Instagram.   Keep up with Aminatou Sow @aminatou on Instagram and X. And stay up to date with us @LemonadaMedia on X, Facebook, and Instagram.   For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors.   Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.