The Popaganda Podcast

The Popaganda Podcast is an official Cast & Crew Sponsor of the 15th Annual Capital City Film Fest.Join cohosts Shannon Perez-Darby and Tashmica Torok in an episode spotlighting the Midwest premiere and Closing Night Feature Firebreak, a deeply moving documentary screening. Firebreak follows Brandon and Royal, two formerly incarcerated firefighters who turned exploitation into transformation—and built a nonprofit, the Forestry and Fire Recruitment Program, to help others like them access careers in wildland firefighting. 💥 What We Talk About in This Episode:Prison labor, fire camps, and the myth of redemptive sufferingReentry, shame, and the trap of gratitude narrativesAncestral land connection and environmental justiceDaredevil, fiddle-faddle, and why background checks aren’t liberationThat gorgeous mural scene (bring tissues)Nonprofit hustle, funder fatigue, and the fight for sustainabilityJacket envy. Obviously.This Week’s Pop Culture HomeworkForestry and Fire Recruitment Program13th by Ava DuVernayFormer Lansing Firefighter wins discrimination suit against cityDaredevil: Born Again (Netflix)Book of Mormon (the musical, not the cult - yet)🎬 Attend the Midwest Firebreak screening + panel moderated by Tashmnica at CCFF 2025: 🗓 April 12 | 7:30 PM 📍 Central United Methodist Church, Lansing, MI 🎟 capitalcityfilmfest.comOther Fest Highlights: Symphonic Cinema → more info Distant Planet Project → more info Arab Narratives Project → link coming soon!Subscribe and listen everywhere you get your podcasts. Come for the pop culture. Stay for the abolition.To learn more, visit: www.popagandapod.com Leave a 5-star review for The Popaganda Podcast, and we might feature it in an upcoming episode! You can also send us love or suggest show topics by emailing us at: popagandapod@gmail.com.Sponsored in part by: The Accountable Communities ConsortiumAccess: Transcript now available on Apple PodcastsContent Warning: The Popaganda Podcast explores the intersections of transformative justice, prison abolition, and pop culture. In this episode, we discuss themes of trauma exploitation, survivorship, and systemic harm, including references to sexual violence and political violence. While we do not delve into graphic details, we invite you to make choices about what feels right for you.

What do Neil Gaiman, Scientology, and NDAs have in common? More than you'd think—and none of it is good.Join hosts Shannon Perez-Darby and Tashmica Torok as they break down the accounts of harm, the power imbalances, and the larger cultural problem with how we talk (or don’t talk) about consent. Listen in as they unpack why we need better ways to talk about sexual violence—because the binary of "totally consensual" or "definitely rape" just doesn’t cut it.They also get into:Why we struggle to ask for what we want in relationships.The difference between "sexy hitting" and just... hitting.Consent practices we can learn from BDSM.Neil Gaiman’s deep ties to Scientology (because of course).The weirdness of trying to buy your way out of accountability.If you've ever side-eyed a dude who says he's a feminist but also just happens to have a long history of dating barely legal women, or if you've ever wondered what happens when you mix cult-like obedience structures with unchecked power... well, this one's for you.This Week’s Pop Culture HomeworkThis episode of The Popaganda Podcast is inspired by the podcast Master: The Allegations Against Neil Gaiman. Subscribe and listen everywhere you get your podcasts. Come for the pop culture. Stay for the abolition.To learn more, visit: www.popagandapod.comLeave a 5-star review for The Popaganda Podcast, and we might feature it in an upcoming episode!You can also send us love or suggest show topics by emailing us at: popagandapod@gmail.com.Sponsored in part by: The Accountable Communities ConsortiumAccess: Transcript now available on Apple Podcasts

On this episode of The Popaganda Podcast, Tashmica and Shannon talk about the explosive new psychodrama series, Anatomy of Lies, which uncovers the jaw-dropping story of Elisabeth Finch, a Grey’s Anatomy writer who fabricated her life story, exploited the empathy of her colleagues, and used the trauma of others for personal gain. Stories like Finch’s weaponize trust and harm the very communities they pretend to support, creating ripple effects that extend far beyond Hollywood.But the conversation doesn’t stop there. Using Finch’s story as a starting point, we tackle a deeper, systemic issue: the persistent devaluation of survivor stories in our society. Survivors are the architects of the movements that fight sexual and domestic violence, yet their courage, labor, and wisdom are too often dismissed—whether in the workplace, the media, or at the ballot box. We confront the grief of watching a nation re-elect a known perpetrator of harm and discuss the hard truths about what that says about our collective values.Listen in as we uncover:The harm caused when stories like Finch’s co-opt the experiences of survivors.Why survivor stories are foundational to the movement against violence—and why they deserve our respect.How society’s dismissal of survivor voices contributes to larger systems of harm, including our political landscape.What it means to face hard truths, hold grief, and still fight for a better future.This episode is a heartfelt call to action: to honor survivors, to trust their stories, and to build a culture that values truth and justice over harm and exploitation.This Week’s Pop Culture Homework Watch Anatomy of Lies and reflect on its implications for how survivor stories are treated in media, workplaces, and our larger culture.Subscribe and listen everywhere you get your podcasts. Come for the pop culture. Stay for the abolition.To learn more, visit: www.popagandapod.com Leave a 5-star review for The Popaganda Podcast, and we might feature it in an upcoming episode! You can also send us love or suggest show topics by emailing us at: popagandapod@gmail.com.Sponsored in part by: The Accountable Communities ConsortiumAccess: Transcript now available on Apple PodcastsContent Warning:The Popaganda Podcast explores the intersections of transformative justice, prison abolition, and pop culture. In this episode, we discuss themes of trauma exploitation, survivorship, and systemic harm, including references to sexual violence and political violence. While we do not delve into graphic details, we invite you to make choices about what feels right for you.

Shannon and Tashmica discuss It Ends With Us, a TikTok famous, bestselling romance novel written by Colleen Hoover now adapted into the recently released blockbuster drama.Based on the relationship between the author's mother and father, It Ends With Us follows the life and love of the fictional character Lily Bloom starting with her childhood experiences of domestic violence. Calling it "the hardest book I've ever written, Hoover delivers a harrowing and heartbreaking story about a future where the violence doesn't end but is carried forward into Lily's adult romantic relationship with the handsome and rich neurologist, Ryle Kincaid.The novel has sold over one million copies worldwide, has been translated into over twenty languages, and now the film is a box-office success grossing $350 million. It also made us both cry (big surprise). This kind of attention could give book lovers and film buffs alike clues about what community-based responses could be used to intervene on and end intimate partner violence for themselves and maybe even our loved ones. It ends with us? We sure hope so.Subscribe and listen everywhere you get your podcasts. Come for the pop culture. Stay for the abolition.This week's Pop Culture Homework is It Ends With Us and BEAM's Healing and Accountability Wheel.To learn more visit www.popagandapod.com.Leave a 5-star review for The Popaganda Podcast and we might feature it in an upcoming episode! You can also send us love or suggest show topics by emailing us at popagandapod@gmail.com.Sponsored in part by: The Accountable Communities Consortium and The Firecracker Foundation.Access: Transcript now available on Apple PodcastsContent Warning: The Popaganda Podcast explores the intersections of transformative justice, prison abolition, and pop culture. We will be talking in general about the existence of domestic violence, sexual violence, and state violence and our experiences with these forms of violence throughout the season. In this episode in particular, we will be talking about these themes and our own survivorship. We will not be talking in high levels of detail about specific experiences of violence. We invite everyone to use this information to make choices about what is right for you.

Dakota Adams and the Cost of Extremism.This episode unpacks King of the Apocalypse, a new documentary exposing Stuart Rhodes, founder of the Oath Keepers and key figure in the January 6th insurrection. But this isn’t his story—it’s about the people who survived him.Through the eyes of Dakota Adams, we explore how radicalization and abuse shaped the family Rhodes tormented, the years of planning that went into their escape, and the systemic failures that left them unprotected.Now, Stuart Rhodes is free. Pardoned. No parole. No restrictions. Back in public life, standing behind Trump at rallies. What does this mean for his family? For the rest of us?Join hosts Shannon Perez-Darby and Tashmica Torok as they examine the intersections of white supremacy, domestic violence, and rising authoritarianism. Listen in as they break down why militia movements thrive in unchecked power, what Dakota’s escape reveals about survivor resilience, and why we must take the growing far-right threat seriously.This Week’s Pop Culture HomeworkWatch King of the ApocalypseSupport Dakota Adam's campaignSubscribe and listen everywhere you get your podcasts. Come for the pop culture. Stay for the abolition.To learn more, visit: www.popagandapod.comLeave a 5-star review for The Popaganda Podcast, and we might feature it in an upcoming episode!You can also send us love or suggest show topics by emailing us at: popagandapod@gmail.com.Sponsored in part by: The Accountable Communities ConsortiumAccess: Transcript now available on Apple PodcastsContent Warning:The Popaganda Podcast explores the intersections of transformative justice, prison abolition, and pop culture. In this episode, we discuss themes of trauma exploitation, survivorship, and systemic harm, including references to sexual violence and political violence. While we do not delve into graphic details, we invite you to make choices about what feels right for you.

On this episode of The Popaganda Podcast, Tashmica guides Shannon through the American religious thriller film series, Left Behind. In what feels like an accelerated Vacation Bible School experience, they discuss how and why traditional Evangelical Christian teachings have been used to implement harmful legislation, institutional policies, and social practices that dishonor our relationship with ourselves, our children, and our loved ones. Tune in for a conversation about the rapture, bad theology, and what it means when Tashmica tells someone to "Get raptured, bitch!" Come for the pop culture. Stay for the abolition.

On this episode of The Popaganda Podcast, Shannon and Tashmica talk with Mathilda Zeller, author of "Kushtuka”, one of the 29 spine-tingling horror stories included in Never Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology. She also got in trouble with Tashmica at a tamalada for talking about transformative justice when they were supposed to be making tamales. Happens to the best of us!Mathilda shares why she chooses to write horror and spills the tea on white women authors acting badly on the internet. Tune in for a conversation about how the monsters under our beds exist in more than just our spooky stories and how we can get brave enough to face them.Come for the pop culture. Stay for the abolition.For this week’s pop culture homework visit www.popagandapod.com.Leave a 5-star review for The Popaganda Podcast and we might feature it in an upcoming episode! You can also send us love or suggest show topics by emailing us at popagandapod@gmail.com.Sponsored in part by: The Accountable Communities Consortium and The Firecracker Foundation.Access: Transcript now available on Apple PodcastsContent Warning: The Popaganda Podcast explores the intersections of transformative justice, prison abolition, and pop culture. We will be talking in general about the existence of domestic violence, sexual violence, and state violence and our experiences with these forms of violence throughout the season. In this episode in particular, we will be talking about these themes and our own survivorship. We will not be talking in high levels of detail about specific experiences of violence. We invite everyone to use this information to make choices about what is right for you.

On this episode of The Popaganda Podcast Shannon and Tashmica discuss how we failed Amber Heard. Despite decades of work to disrupt the stigma and myths surrounding domestic violence, the Depp v. Heard trial gave us all a look at how the court of public opinion continues to demonize survivors seeking justice. Tune in for a conversation about what went wrong and what you need to know to support loved ones experiencing violence within their most intimate relationships. Come for the pop culture. Stay for the abolition. For this week’s pop culture homework visit www.popagandapod.com.

On this episode of The Popaganda Podcast Shannon and Tashmica are joined by special guest, Hoai An Pham, an abolitionist organizer, graphic designer, animator, public health student, and avid lover of Grey's Anatomy. Together they discuss the radical storytelling that pops up in the halls and on-call rooms of Seattle's Grey-Sloan Memorial Hospital and @Grey'sAbolition, a new Instagram account that continually reminds us to pick abolition, choose abolition, and love abolition. Come for the pop culture. Stay for the abolition. For this week’s pop culture homework visit www.popagandapod.com.

Our guest zara raven (zara/z), taught us a lot about conservatorship through their love of Britney Spears. Turns out, we were only scratching the surface of this important Disability Justice issue. Find out more on this week's episode of Lingo Plinko.Find the full show notes and links at www.popagandapod.com

True Detective Night Country was a massive success with not-so-great reviews. Led by Kali Reis, the first Indigenous lead of an HBO series, Hollywood legend Jodie Foster, and Issa Lopez, the Mexican Filmmaker who created, wrote, and directed this powerful supernatural thriller, this season had us - and a record-breaking 3.2 million viewers - on the edge of our seats for the season finale.So then why are people being such haters?Kali ‘Meuquinonoag’ Reis is an Afro-Indigenous storyteller that is raising the visibility of Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women (MMIW) through her portrayal of Alaskan Native trooper Evangeline Navarro and her own intersectional visibility and activism. She also happens to be the first Indigenous Boxing World Champion. Weaving a story that explores conversations with ancestors beyond the veil, environmental justice, and what Liz Danvers represents to us, this show gave us a lot to talk about.Join Shannon and Tashmica as they discuss how American viewers didn't get the answers they wanted from HBO Max's True Detective Night Country, but they definitely got the answers they deserved.Come for the pop culture. Stay for the abolition.For this week’s pop culture homework, visit www.popagandapod.com.Leave a 5-star review for The Popaganda Podcast and we might feature it in an upcoming episode! You can also send us love or suggest show topics by emailing us at popagandapod@gmail.com. Follow us on Social media!TikTok - @Popaganda_Pod YouTube - The Popaganda PodcastInstagram - @popagandapod Sponsored in part by: Accountable Communities Consortium and The Firecracker Foundation.Access: Transcript now available on Apple Podcasts!Content Warning: The Popaganda Podcast explores the intersections of transformative justice, prison abolition, and pop culture. We will be talking in general about the existence of domestic violence, sexual violence, and state violence and our experiences with these forms of violence throughout the season. In this episode in particular, we will be talking about these themes and our own survivorship. We will not be talking in high levels of detail about specific experiences of violence. We invite everyone to use this information to make choices about what is right for you.Credits:Executive Producers: Shannon Perez-Darby and Tashmica TorokAudio Production: Shannon Perez-DarbyShow Notes + Art: Tashmica Torok

In today’s episode of The Popaganda Podcast, Tashmica introduces Shannon to the Satanic Panic of the 1980s through the award-winning documentary, Satan Wants You. To scare people back into a Sunday pew, the Catholic Church funded the publication of a book based on the account of a woman who claimed to have survived satanic ritualistic child abuse. Michelle Remembers was a bestseller and the survivor Michelle Smith and Dr. Larry Pazder, her therapist, coauthor, and eventually her husband, spent their time promoting the book on talk shows or training law enforcement to spot this new crime spree targeting children across the country. Cops started training therapists and suddenly, more than 200 people across the country had been criminalized without a single shred of evidence.It was all based on a convenient lie. Does any of this sound familiar? Pun intended. This is a Tim Ballard and the Sound of Freedom origin story. Check out our last episode for context!Join Tashmica and Shannon as they fall down a rabbit hole where they discover that when it comes to resistance, bodily autonomy, and knowing who the real enemies of children are, the Church of Satan may be the church for a time such as this. Come for the pop culture. Stay for the abolition.For this week’s pop culture homework, visit www.popagandapod.com.Leave a 5-star review for The Popaganda Podcast and we might feature it in an upcoming episode! You can also send us love or suggest show topics by emailing us at popagandapod@gmail.com. Follow us on Social media!TikTok - @Popaganda_Pod YouTube - The Popaganda PodcastInstagram - @popagandapod Sponsored in part by: Accountable Communities Consortium and The Firecracker Foundation.Access: Transcript now available on Apple Podcasts!Content Warning: The Popaganda Podcast explores the intersections of transformative justice, prison abolition, and pop culture. We will be talking in general about the existence of domestic violence, sexual violence, and state violence and our experiences with these forms of violence throughout the season. In this episode in particular, we will be talking about these themes and our own survivorship. We will not be talking in high levels of detail about specific experiences of violence. We invite everyone to use this information to make choices about what is right for you.Credits:Executive Producers: Shannon Perez-Darby and Tashmica TorokAudio Production: Shannon Perez-DarbyShow Notes + Art: Tashmica Torok

Shannon Perez-Darby and Tashmica Torok discuss Brittany Spears, the nuances of conservatorship, mad liberation, and the liberatory possibilities of dancing on the internet with our first guest ever - mad queer mama, Zara Raven. Zara Raven is building a world without prisons + policing, starting at home. They are the coordinator for Queenies Crew, an initiative that engages children in learning about building communities of care without prisons or policing, the former director of Collective Action for Safe Spaces in D.C., a grassroots, trans and queer-led organization that focuses on creating safe republic spaces, and a cocreator of 8 to Abolition. For more information about Zara, visit https://linktr.ee/bubblybutfierce. Come for the pop culture. Stay for the abolition.

Tim Ballard is a lying, McLiar face (allegedly) but that doesn’t mean that he hasn’t had an indelible impact on how everyday Americans understand or misunderstand the sexual exploitation of children around the globe. But how did this qanon-tinged thriller become the 10th biggest domestic film of the year? Join Shannon and Tashmica for a conversation about Operation Underground Railroad, the scam behind the ‘new’ Anti-Trafficking Movement, and why the mythology created by Ballard is a threat to your reproductive rights. We watched The Sound of Freedom so you don’t have to. Please don’t watch it. We beg you. Listen + subscribe everywhere you get your podcasts. For more information, visit www.popagandapod.com. Come for the pop culture. Stay for the abolition.

Why do Shannon and Tashmica say the criminal legal system instead of the criminal justice system? Tashmica breaks it down with a little help from the Bureau of Justice and the Vera Institute for Justice.Functions of Criminal JusticeWhy we say "criminal legal system," Not "criminal justice system"Season 2 of The Popaganda Podcast launched on Monday, April 22nd. Did you know that a 9-minute video called “Tom Cruise on Tom Cruise, Scientologist” was leaked to the media in 2008? In a bizarrely intense interview, Cruise claimed that Scientologists are the only people on the planet equipped to handle addictions, car accidents, and natural disasters.If this made you stop and say, “What now?” You might be one of our pop culture besties.Click here to listen + subscribe everywhere you get your podcasts. You can also join our Pop Culture Besties! Instagram Broadcast Channel for a behind-the-scenes look at what we’re watching, our pop culture emergencies (that are never real emergencies), and special announcements. If you love the project, your engagement will help it grow so thank you in advance for supporting this one-of-a-kind show.Come for the pop culture. Stay for the abolition. Leave a 5-star review for The Popaganda Podcast and we might feature it in an upcoming episode! You can also send us love or suggest show topics by emailing us at popagandapod@gmail.com. Follow us on Social media!TikTok - @Popaganda_Pod YouTube - The Popaganda PodcastInstagram - @popagandapod