Poppish

Let’s examine two letters that exposed hidden truths, shifted alliances, and ultimately, started wars: the Zimmermann Telegram and the Jersey Shore Note. Secrets came to light in the harsh black and white of ink on paper, and it changed everything. We tried REALLY hard to understand what a telegram is for this one, but we just couldn’t get there.How did these letters make their way into the hands of the affected parties? What ensued after? Will the US finally stop twiddling its thumbs and enter World War I? And will Sammi Sweatheart dump Ron’s cheating ass? Let’s find out together.Plus: Updates from the Hulu “Get Real” event, a way to bring America together through shared reality programming, and ultimately, we accidentally invent religion.

A truce can be a beautiful thing, but it can also be fleeting. We explore two cases of short-lived truces: the WWI Christmas Truce in December of 1914, and Jelena’s brief rekindling in late 2017 before Justin’s engagement to Hailey Baldwin.How do we find peace in the midst of so much pain? And God dammit, why can’t we stick to it? All this and more on this week’s Poppish.Plus: Anneliese’s Brooklyn evolution continues as she joins a co-op, Ellie meets an angel, and we’re left out of the loop on Coachella AGAIN.

To celebrate one full year of absolute nonsense, we’re reflecting on the origins of the pod, taking listener questions, and reacting to some of your hot takes. It’s been such a fun year and we’re so grateful to everyone who’s come along for the ride! Here’s to another year of Poppish to come!

I think you guys might be doing unto others as you would have others do unto yourselves too much… This week we explore two codes by which you live one’s life: The Ten Commandments and Jemima Kirke’s Instagram Q&As. Both texts, handed down by God, give us a path to follow in an otherwise disordered and meaningless life.This episode contains spoilers for the Old Testament of the Bible. Listener discretion is advised.Plus: New York City dog discourse, rapture FOMO, and yoga class recognition.

Let’s look at two inventors who would go on to be tormented by their own creations: J. Robert Oppenheimer, father of the atomic bomb, and Dong Nguyen, creator of Flappy Bird. Both men achieved great success and recognition in their field, only to regret bringing their ideas into the world. This would lead to Oppenheimer being banned from President Truman’s office and Nguyen pulling Flappy Bird from the app store with 22 hours notice.What does it mean to achieve a dream? Why is everything computer now? And what’s next for Ciara Miller? We’ll unpack it all.

Put on your spelunking boots: we’re going underground. We’re telling two classic “trapped inside the bowels of the earth” stories: Baby Jessica and the Thai Cave Rescue. How did these children end up under the ground, and how the HELL are we gonna get them out?Everyone shows up in this one: the guy with no collarbones, the Thai navy seals, even Elon Musk. Did someone say dream blunt rotation??Plus: a review of Wicked on Broadway (bathroom access is key), checking in on the Mormon wives (info already out of date), and Ellie’s falling out with the IRS.

What does a girl have to do to get sent to an island around here?? We unpack two stories we’re deeply jealous of: prominent individuals who were sent away from society to heal/build and army. We’re learning all about the exiles of Napoleon (both of them!) and Pre-Reputation Taylor Swift.One moment you’re placing a glorious crown on your head/Grammy in your hand, the next no one even fucks with you at all. Life is full of these ups and downs.Plus: Falling for False Spring and spreading awareness for overfishing and bycatch.

What do Walt Disney and Tana Mongeau have in common? They both had a dream. One, to open a theme park that wasn’t gross and also had a fully functioning train, and the other, to introduce a competitor to VidCon with just weeks of planning and no frontal lobe. These projects varied in their success, but both experienced similarly chaotic first days. In the Anaheim heat, ticket holders showed up to massive crowds, food and water shortages, and programming breakdowns. We get into the nitty gritty of these chaotic events and their aftermath.Plus: Jim Carrey looks the same to us, and a good excuse to deprioritize self-actualization.

This one product can change your whole life and fix everything you don’t like about yourself? Huge if true. This week we talk Patent Medicines (AKA: snake oil) and Peptides, the wellness craze that has teens mixing and injecting miracle elixirs in their bedrooms. What are the claims behind these phenomena, and do any of them actually work? Plus: Poppish speaks on Punch the Monkey and we reflect upon our outdoor childhoods and all the moss and poison oak that came with them (sorry, iPad babies).

This week, we trace two historic timeline shifts back to their inciting incidents. We unpack how the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand kicked off World War 1, and how the death of Harambe the Gorilla led to… whatever this is.We discuss the tragic demise of two dudes who were ultimately just doing their thing, and survey the events that played out in their aftermath.Plus: a New Orleans Mardi Gras recap, what we’ve heard about the Olympics, and a troubling way to enjoy a cupcake

This week we get into a little classic Hollywood drama, exploring the casting processes for both “Gone With the Wind” and “The Greatest Showman.” Learn how Vivien Leigh landed the role of Scarlett O’Hara and how Jeremy Jordan did NOT land the role of Philip Carlisle. Plus: A report on the TikTok vertical drama scene and how to spend a day drying your sheets. For two girls suffering from wifi issues and Wintertime Illness™️, it’s really not that bad of an episode.

This week on Poppish: two inspiring tales of humanity showing up for one another after disaster. We share the stories of RMS Carpathia, the ship that rescued survivors of Titanic, and the town of Gander, Newfoundland, which took in thousands of stranded passengers whose flights were grounded on 9/11.In times like these, it’s nice to look back on how people have shown up to help strangers in the past, and be reminded of our ability to do so now. Join us for these uplifting tales of compassion after tragedy. Plus: an orange is NOT a grab and go snack, the parm standard, and strategies for distributing 16 strips of paper for optimal social capital.

Reporting drunk from the great NYC snowstorm of 2026, it’s Ellie and Anneliese. We each mixed a Buzzball, Beatbox, and Cutwater and then we hit record. We are so sorry for what followed. We did our very best to explain and compare two revolutionary inventions: the Printing Press and the Glambot. We recited the facts we could, and we slur our way to the finish line. We also catch up on TikTok influencer drama, feminism, and Minnesota. If you can, please donate here to help the people of Minneapolis fight back against ICE’s occupation there: https://www.standwithminnesota.com/

POPPISH’S 6 STEP RECIPE FOR SUCCESS:Step 1: Change your name.Step 2: Take on a transatlantic accent.Step 3: Record “Ocean Eyes” in your brother’s bedroom.Step 4: Share your testimony.Step 5: Cut costs.Step 6: Maximize profits.Listen for more detail.

Are volcanoes pop culture? That question lies at the center of this week’s episode, wherein we unpack the terrifying eruptions of Mount Vesuvius (79 AD) and Whaakari (2019 AD). Two stories of volcanic disaster, one igniting tourism to Pompeii and one stopping tourism to White Island. If there’s one thing we learned, it’s that no matter how hard man tries to exert his control over nature, volcanoes gonna volcano. Plus: it happened again at the post office, the battel of living with your bad tattoo, and learning what “homeroom” actually means.

This week, EVERYONE comes into a little wealth. James Marshall finds gold at Sutter’s Mill, a mysterious figure named Satoshi Nakamoto founds Bitcoin, Ellie gets a diamond ring, and Anneliese goes on a date with the creator of a brand new meme coin.Before recounting the California Gold Rush from 4th grade memory (it doesn’t go as well as we hoped), Ellie tells the story of her recent engagement to fiancé-of-the-pod “Mike” (name has been unchanged to reject anonymity).Then, just to be mean, we made Anneliese explain cryptocurrency even though a beautiful girl should never even have to hear the word ethereum. You may learn something, and we’re so sorry for that.

It’s up to each generation of women to destigmatize a new piece of the female form. In the 1920s, it was the knee. In the 2010s, bathed in the glowing optimism of the Obama administration, we pushed all the way to the nipple. Whether or not the nipple has been truly freed is still up for debate. We unpack 1920s flapper fashion and the knee-painting fad that drew attention to shorter hemlines and discarded stockings, and the 2010s #FreeTheNipple movement that demanded equal rights for men’s and women’s chests to go barePlus: the stigma that surrounding the early days of ASMR, big light discourse, and the fake doctors we’ve seen lately.

Buckle your seatbelt and do NOT take it off until the pilot has turned off the seatbelt light, because we’re embarking on a Golden Age of Travel through two lumberjack tall tales. Whether you’re 63 axe handles tall or just regular height with a talent for speed climbing 90 feet in the air, you’ll find something to love in this rockin and choppin episode of Poppish as we tell you about obvious pairing Secretary of Transportation (and acting head of NASA) Sean Duffy and American (and Canadian) folk hero Paul Bunyan.Walk with us through the woods as we lumber through Sean Duffy’s complex and wandering past, the origins of Paul Bunyan (why is Babe the Ox blue?), and the oft-overlooked lumberjack arts. Prepare to yell timber, because it’s going down.Plus: Ellie’s trip to the Titanic VR experience (it ends the way you think), our favorite letters, and being changed for good.

For sale: Baby flipper, never worn. We explore the troubling world of child beauty pageants by examining 19th century Baby Shows and TLC’s Toddlers and Tiaras. Let’s cheer on these tots as they, against their will, vie for titles such as “Best Dressed Baby” and “Ultimate Grand Supreme.”If you are judged the most beautiful baby of them all, you’re entitled to prizes such as Princess Canopy Bed, fine housewares, cash money, and Mommy’s Approval. So chug that Tinker Tea and shake some ass, we’ve got a pageant to win!Plus: the cartoon characters we find most bangable (extended cut), our uniquely terrifying experiences with Spirited Away, and life insurance incentives: have they gone too far?

All aboard to Trinket Town! We’re exploring the history and lore behind two keychain phenomena: Labubus and Lucky Rabbits Feet. How did they become so beloved? What is their role in culture today?We are fascinated by how scared we are by these little plushie monsters and severed animal limbs. How can something so frightening be held so dear to so many? Is harnessing terror the whole point? Scarier still, are we Like Other Girls? We unpack.Plus: Anneliese gets her big break, Monopoly has been updating their pieces and no one noticed, and we issue a heartfelt goodbye to the penny.

Oh no! We discussed our thoughts on the ethics of sex work on a hot mic! We hope we got it right and are aligned with the current feminist views we always strive to possess. We love all women and you can quote us on that.We unpack two mutually beneficial romantic arrangements: the Dollar Princesses, Gilded Age American heiresses who married into European nobility, and Sugar Babies, who date old men so we don’t have to. Thank you, ladies!Plus: Coca Cola tries again, we bought shoes, and we have a little bit of 9/11 fomo and it’s time we can all be open about that.

This week we talk about BOYS! In particular, the ones in The Beatles and One Direction. They were young, funny, and British, and we couldn’t get enough. We explore audience reactions to their fame and even call in an expert to speak to the Directioner experience.This episode is dedicated to Liam Payne (1993-2024).Plus: Lying to children, appreciating the beauty of fall, and a trip to Conjunction Junction.

Everyone loves a good sex scandal! We cover two cases of infidelity that shaped America: The Clinton-Lewinsky Scandal and Scandoval. These men, or should we say sex perverts, shook the nation when their sneaky rendezvous came to light.We tell the stories so perfectly and eloquently that we gave our publicists the whole week off. We feel confident that many of the facts stated in this episode are true.Plus: the importance of Having That Shit On, the true victims of Wicked mania, and an excellent Traitors casting pitch.

Chef Gusteau says anyone can cook; we’re here to tell you anyone can fly. Whether in the cockpit performing a frankly unprecedented barrel roll or soaring through the air with 3 parachutes and $200K in cash, these men took to the skies with all the gusto of a Top Gun extra.We do NOT condone hijackings of any kind, but some of the things these guys got up to at 30,000 feet were lowkey funny and impressive and it would be lying if we didn’t admit that.Plus: one of us comes out as a Disney adult, the group photo trolley problem, and reflecting on the music careers of the Kardashians.

Every time a 20 year old woman gets “preventative Botox,” Sylvester McMonkey McBean gets a boner. On this week’s episode, we unpack body trends, cosmetic surgery, and filler using the guiding framework of Dr. Seuss’s “The Sneetches.”If you feel like everyone has the same face now, you’re not crazy — we do! And we think it’s weird and embarrassing that you don’t. Do you have $5000 so we can work on that?Plus: how Ellie found herself in possession of some good weed, reflecting on the economic systems we practiced as children, and we remember the embarrassing thing you posted in 2018.

Has anyone here ever met or heard of another person, living or dead? Okay, they’re stepping forward and they want you to know: it’s going to be okay. Or it’s not, whichever resonates more.We explore two cases of the spooky, the scary, the macabre hitting the mainstream for entertainment value: Mummy Unwrapping Parties and TV Psychics. We learn about the many practical uses for mummies and Ellie performs a medium reading on Anneliese and honestly nails it.Plus: our own experiences with psychics, and a peek inside our cabinet of curiosities, and our first ever guest host!

Would you follow a pig you didn’t know? We answer this question and more in this week’s discussion of two animal heroes: Lulu the Pig and Cher Ami the Pigeon. They went above and beyond the call of duty when it mattered most, saving countless (195) lives.Whether you’re in your Lake Eerie mobile home or the trenches of World War (let’s hope this never happens again!) it helps to have a determined furry friend on your side.Plus: Getting invited to breakfast (just kill me with a gun), shoespiracy, and what it’s like to be the oldest person volunteering at the horse ranch.

Looking to get out of your small town and find adventure? Can you carry a tray? Perfect.We explore two traditions of women leaving it all behind for opportunity out west by way of waiting tables: The Harvey Girls and the Vanderpump Rules SURvers.In these stories, the restaurant industry serves as a gateway to a new, exciting, independent life for a generation of young women. And as a bonus? Many found love.Plus: the postal worker to police officer pipeline, the missing persons case of TikToker Becca Moore, and the banana sangria debacle.

EVERYBODY STOP LIVING VICARIOUSLY THROUGH YOUR DAUGHTERS RIGHT NOW!We explore the (at times)(often times)(most of the time) tragic stories of Shirley Temple and Piper Rockelle, two child stars who rose to fame and fortune at the cost of their childhoods. We learn how it turned out for Shirley, and pray for Comrade Piper as she enters adulthood.Plus: adventures in babysitting, fake news in Seventeen magazine, and Ellie’s review of Cincinnati, Ohio.

Picture this: you’re completely isolated from the outside world, sleep deprived, hungry, fighting a yeast infection, and disgraced social psychologist Philip Zimbardo is hitting on his TA the whole time.We tackle two social experiments that push young hot singles to their limits: Love Island and the Stanford Prison Experiment. How do stressful, isolated conditions drive ordinary people to such extremes as physical torture and hooking up in Soul Ties?Would the SPE participants have been better behaved if their experience had been live-streamed to the world? Would the islanders fall into prisoner-guard dynamics if we cut the cameras? We unpack it all.Plus: we spend an unfair amount of time (to ourselves, to the listeners, to Jenny Han) analyzing The Summer I Turned Pretty, and we hate Jax Taylor.

Not bad for a girl with no talent! This week we explore the singing careers of two artists who defied the odds and gained popularity despite critical disfavor: Florence Foster Jenkins and Sanjaya Malakar. These icons remind us not to listen to the haters, either by choice or by syphilis, and to chase our dreams. Plus, hear about how Ellie became a mother, Coachella being back, and how the Presidential Medal of Freedom REALLY came to be.

Ladies, step right up and tell us why we should accept you into our special little society. We’re unpacking two traditions in which young women make their debut in a new chapter of their lives and work to prove their worth on this new stage: Bama Rush and Debutante Balls.From the Bridgertons to the Darnells, women across the centuries have endured these elaborate hazing rituals, hoping to bag either a duke or a Phi Mu bid. How did these traditions come to be? How do they exist today? Is there any chance they are problematic?Plus: We prove that we are good people, Anneliese gives an ankle recovery update, and Ellie shares how an armpit fetishist drove her to quit ballroom dance.

Today we get into STATUS SYMBOLS! Two products that are so luxurious and so limited, people lose their minds over them a little bit. We’re unpacking the phenomenons of the Hermes Birkin and the Faberge Eggs.How did these pieces come to be? Who gets to have one? Can I have one if I go to the store and act cool and mysterious?Join Ellie, in her apartment, and Anneliese, recovering in the country, to get to the bottom of it.

You remember being a teenage girl: the makeup, the magazines, the urge to kill. Many of us failed to commit to the bit, but these ladies pulled it off: Gypsy Rose Blanchard and Lizzie Borden (32-year-old-teenager). What drove them to kill? And did they even do it? How should they be remembered? Join us on our journey to eventually land on Lizzie Borden’s side of the whole axe murder thing. Plus: workshopping the Poppish theme song, where we’d take historical figures to eat, and Ghost Mouse.

PSA if you are invited to an island DO YOUR RESEARCH! This week on Poppish: the tales of two island destinations that proved extraordinarily disappointing: The Lost Colony of Roanoke and Fyre Festival. What was the plan? Where did all the people/money go? How is Ja Rule involved? We unpack it all. Plus: Ellie’s perfect pee, more insurance mysteries, and the mobile trash can.

You know how getting a little honey on your finger can ruin your whole day? Our stories this week crank that feeling up to 11, as we delve into two TRULY sticky situations: The Boston Molasses Flood and The Great Canadian Maple Syrup Heist. These syrupy events caused a SYRUP-lus of issues for all involved. Plus: musings on Love Island, a cultural examination of the communal fitting room, and which dips we’d dig into Pooh Bear-style.

Choose 5 words to change history: “The regulars are coming out” OR “That’s not the truth Ellen.”We delve into two cases of powerful, outspoken whistleblowers who changed the world: Paul Revere and Dakota Johnson. They used their voices when it mattered most and warned the world of changes to come. Plus: unpacking the similarities between the Lincoln and Kennedy assassinations (ultimately: okay, and?), our platforms as Principle For A Day, and what it would take to get us out of our seats and dancing in homeroom.

We’ll see you in court to discuss two infamous, high profile celebrity civil trials: the 1934 Gloria Vanderbilt Custody Trial and the 2023 Gwyneth Paltrow Ski Crash Trial.We learn about two women who overcame the farkakte justice system and media scrutiny and went on to live their dreams, from selling dark wash, tight fitting jeans to being Goop. Hear about the juicy trial details, media circus frenzies, and legal gotcha moments (flop or not).Plus: an inside look at Ellie’s treat lockbox, a road trip with a spaghetti squash, and alternate names for the Catastrophic insurance plan.

Get taped in for an episode on working conditions, baby! We unpack similarities between the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire and the Shein Influencer Brand Trip controversy. What lessons can we take from past tragedies? Are women people? Globalization good or bad?Plus: the fate of the penny, being a tween on the internet, and a reminder that we DO NOT fuck with The Flinstones.

Can animals understand language? And if so, should we subject them to it? After all, it’s the devil behind fanfic-to-film atrocities like “The Idea of You” and “After.”We explore two cases of animals who seem to have developed a grasp of human language: Koko the Gorilla and Bunny the Dog. But are these creatures truly comprehending, or are they clout-chasing fame whores who don’t speak a lick of English at all? We unpack.Plus: middle school romance trauma, attorney client privilege, and the great butter-on-counter debate.

Boys trip! This week we cover two major jewel robberies: the 2016 robbery of Kim Kardashian at Paris Fashion Week, and the 1964 robbery of the American Museum of Natural History by The Beach Boys (not those ones).Both heists gained massive media attention, and fun nicknames get involved. We discuss the legal advantages of being either really hot or really old. We sympathize with a Kardashian.Seventeen Magazine readers will love this episode. CosmoGirl fans… don’t you have a doctor’s appointment to get to?

Not bad for a girl with no talent! This week we explore the singing careers of two artists who defied the odds and gained popularity despite critical disfavor: Florence Foster Jenkins and Sanjaya Malakar. These icons remind us not to listen to the haters, either by choice or by syphilis, and to chase our dreams. Plus, hear about how Ellie became a mother, Coachella being back, and how the Presidential Medal of Freedom REALLY came to be.

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.