All Episodes

Short Circuit: Deep Thoughts About Robots, Romance, and "Acceptable" Racism in 80s Movies

You’ve Got Mail: Deep Thoughts About Tom Hanks’ Charm, New York City’s Coziness, and the Merits of a Two-Hour RomCom / Commercial for AOL

The Full Monty: Deep Thoughts About Masculinity, Fatherhood, and Using Comedy to Make a Political Point

He-Man and the Masters of the Universe: Deep Thoughts About the Pop Culture Endurance of the Fantasy Barbarian Soldier from SPACE!

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial: Deep Thoughts About Impeccable Storytelling, the Power of Connection, and Reese's Pieces

The Sixth Sense: Deep Thoughts About Ghosts, Plot Twists, and Taking the Wrong Lesson from Pop Culture

Underworld: Deep Thoughts About Feminism, Leather-clad Women, and the Edges of Helpfulness in Analogies of Race

Highlander: Deep Thoughts About Bonkers Casting, Over-the-Top Cinematography, and Hiding Queer Subtext in Your Dad's Favorite Pop Culture

An American Tail: Deep Thoughts About Animated Mice, American Immigration in Pop Culture, and the Power of Storytelling

Night Court: Deep Thoughts About Likable Sleazeballs, Comedy with an Optimistic Heart, and Kooky 1980s Criminals in New York City

Mister Rogers' Neighborhood: Deep Thoughts About Making TV With Intention, Religious Compersion, and Nostalgia for America's 20th Century Saint

The Devil Wears Prada with Tanesha Myles: Deep Thoughts About Intimidating Women, Niceness in the Workplace, and Who Gets Coffee for Whom

Material Girl by Madonna: Deep Thoughts About Pink Cocktail Dresses, Authenticity, and Why Financially Independent Women Are Terrifying

Amélie: Deep Thoughts about French vs. American Culture, Helping vs. Meddling, and Delightful Romance vs. Problematic Programming

The Muppets Take Manhattan: Deep Thoughts About the Meaning of Art, Assumptions About Women in the 80s, and Business Frogs in Marketing

A League of Their Own: Deep Thoughts About Bittersweet Feminism, the Threat of Girl Athletes, and What's Wrong With Dottie and Kit's Rivalry

Pirates of the Caribbean: Deep Thoughts About Rum, Amusement Park Rides, and Jack Sparrow Rewriting Our Pop Culture Understanding of Pirates

Enemy Mine: Deep Thoughts About Subverting Sci Fi Tropes, Prescient Gender Discussions in 80s Pop Culture, and Brilliant Practical Effects

What Dreams May Come: Deep Thoughts About the Cosmology of a Painted Afterlife, Misogynistic Romance Tropes, and 90s Era Casual Racism

The Nanny with Zina Kumok: Deep Thoughts About Yiddish, Subverting Jewish Stereotypes in Pop Culture, and Elevated Mob Wife Fashion

The Road to Wellville: Deep Thoughts About Scatalogical Comedy, Health Crazes, and What Films You Should Never Watch With Your Dad

Say Anything: Deep Thoughts About Romance, Masculinity, and Gen X Nostalgia for Boom Boxes

Daria: Deep Thoughts About 90s Feminism, "Misery Chick" Animation, and Who Gets the Privilege of Being Cynical

Roxanne: Deep Thoughts About Big Noses, Smart Women, and the Delicious Comedy of 20 Perfectly Worded Insults

Dick Tracy: Deep Thoughts About the Comic Strip Villains, Overusing Montages, and What We Accepted As "Romance" in 80s and 90s Movies

Tim Burton's Batman: Deep Thoughts About Pop Culture Gatekeeping, Clown Mafia, and the Psychology of Billionaire Vigilantes Dressed as Bats

Brassed Off: Deep Thoughts About Collective Bargaining and Politics in Pop Culture

Grosse Pointe Blank: Deep Thoughts About Dark Comedy, Going Home Again, and If Killing the President of Paraguay with a Fork is Forgivable

Gremlins: Deep Thoughts About Great Movies, Genre Mashups, and Where Gremlin Marauders Get Their Tiny Little Clothes

Love, Actually: Deep Thoughts About Christmas Movies We Hate to Love, Creepy Cue Card Romance, and Early 2000s Fat Shaming

The Land Before Time: Deep Thoughts About Grief, Animation, and How Much Scientific Verisimilitude We Require From Talking Dinosaur Cartoons

Strictly Ballroom: Deep Thoughts About the Comedy Inherent in Ridiculous Competition and the Dignity of Taking Art Seriously

Home for the Holidays: Deep Thoughts About Memory, Cringey Romance, and Why Tracie Can't Be Fooled Into Thinking BWI Looks Like O'Hare

Wall Street with Joe Saul-Sehy: Deep Thoughts About Mentorship, the Culture of Money, and Just How Many Yachts You Can Water Ski Behind

The Jerk: Deep Thoughts About Race, Comedy Genius, and the Unparalleled Thrill of Getting Your Name in the Phone Book

Scream: Deep Thoughts About Badass Final Girls, Self-Aware Pop Culture, and Why We Expect Morals from Horror but Not Comedy

Weekend at Bernie's: Deep Thoughts About Exceptional Physical Comedy, Dubious Personal Morality, and Pop Culture Touchstones

A Fish Called Wanda: Deep Thoughts About Comedy, Cultural Commentary, and Cartoonish Con Artists

Speed: Deep Thoughts About Dennis Hopper Chewing Scenery, Keanu Reeves Shooting Hostages, and Why Pop Culture Needs More Insurance Agents

The Log Driver's Waltz with Aaron Reynolds: Deep Thoughts About Canadian Masculinity, Quirky Comedy, and Keeping Animation Weird

Romancing the Stone: Deep Thoughts About White Feminism, Fiction Writers, and Forgivable Plot Holes You Can Drive a Bus Through

The Truman Show: Deep Thoughts About Narcissism, Product Placement, and Parasocial Pop Culture

Rain Man: Deep Thoughts About Buicks, Toothpicks, and Introducing Autism to Pop Culture

The Golden Girls: Deep Thoughts About Pop Culture's Favorite Foursome of Fearless Women Over Fifty

V for Vendetta: Deep Thoughts About Fascism, Feminism, and Pop Culture Revolution

The Sword in the Stone: Deep Thoughts About Animation, Squirrely Romance, and Merlin's Terrible Pedagogy

Hook with Jenn Book Haselswerdt: Deep Thoughts About Peter Pan's Perpetual Prepubescence in Pop Culture

The Shawshank Redemption: Deep Thoughts About Friendship, Slow Storytelling, and the Role of Prisons in American Pop Culture

The Beastmaster: Deep Thoughts About Storytelling Conventions, Covert Blood Libel, and Marc Singer's Glistening...Line Delivery

Titanic: Deep Thoughts About Pop Culture Feminism, Jack as a Trans Man, and the Relative Buoyancy of Wardrobe Doors

Mrs. Doubtfire: Deep Thoughts About Cringe Comedy, Feminist Backlash, and Hairy Leg Appreciation

Mannequin: Deep Thoughts About Hiding Seriously Subversive Messages in Deeply Unserious Movies

Weird Science: Deep Thoughts on Pygmalion, Women's Agency, and Why 1980s Movies Thought Computers Were Magic

Independence Day: Deep Thoughts About American Exceptionalism, Sci Fi Disaster Movies, and Jeff Goldblum in a Flight Suit

Encyclopedia Brown with Adam Gwon: Deep Thoughts About Potatoes, Problem Plays, and Pop Culture Expectations for Detective Stories

Rosemary's Baby with Ryan Cunningham: Deep Thoughts About Gaslighting, Monstrous Men, and Satanism in Pop Culture

Poltergeist: Deep Thoughts About the Feminine Archetype in Pop Culture, Dubious Parenting Decisions, and Respect for the Dead

Firefly and Serenity: Deep Thoughts About Storytelling, Strawberries, and Sci Fi Cowboys

The Dark Crystal: Deep Thoughts About False Binaries, World Building, and What Emily Isn't Willing to Accept From Her Puppets

Splash: Deep Thoughts About Mermaids, Male Masturbatory Fantasies, and How Pop Culture Created the Name Madison

Stand By Me: Deep Thoughts About Nostalgia, Mental Health, and Cherry-Flavored Pez

Avalon: Deep Thoughts About Family, Money Psychology, and Waiting to Cut the Turkey

Pretty Woman: Deep Thoughts About Bodily Autonomy, Realism, and Who Gets to be Human

Galaxy Quest: Deep Thoughts About Fandom, Tropes, and Science Fiction Storytelling

Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure: Deep Thoughts About Destiny, Work, and How to Engage with History

Lilo & Stitch: Deep Thoughts About Animation, Found Family in Film, and...American Imperialism

In & Out: Deep Thoughts About Toxic Masculinity, Barbra Streisand, and Coming Out in the 1990s

Ladyhawke: Deep Thoughts About Romance, Gender, and Looking for Realism in a Film About a Cursed Bird

The Mummy: Deep Thoughts About Colonialism, Historical Fiction, and Bisexual Awakenings

SpongeBob Squarepants: Deep Thoughts About Absurdist Comedy, Capitalism in Pop Culture, and IMAGINATION

Silence of the Lambs: Deep Thoughts About Misogyny, Transphobia, and the Psychology of Fava Beans

Dead Again: Deep Thoughts About Noir Storytelling, the Romance of Reincarnation, and Why Women Choose the Bear

Chasing Amy: Deep Thoughts About Bi-Erasure, Neurodivergence, and Well-Meaning White Men in Pop Culture

Big: Deep Thoughts About Giant Pianos, Women Mothering Their Boyfriends, and Why Emily Thought Adulthood Would Involve More Body-Swapping

Groundhog Day: Deep Thoughts About Mental Health, Making Your Own Meaning, and Meteorological Rodents

Mr. Mom: Deep Thoughts About Women, Woobies, and Incompetent Dads in Pop Culture

Alien: Deep Thoughts About Space Feminism, Ash as an Allegory for the Anti-Abortion Movement, and Cats

Big Trouble in Little China: Deep Thoughts About Using Stereotypes to Subvert Storytelling Expectations

When Harry Met Sally: Deep Thoughts About RomCom Misogyny, Fake Orgasms, and the Myth of High Maintenance Women

The Muppet Christmas Carol with Erika Plank Hagan: Deep Thoughts About Musical Storytelling, Muppet Adaptations, and the Rudeness of Raw Turkey

The Toy: Deep Thoughts About the Lies Pop Culture Told Us About Human Rights, Redemption, and Piranhas

The Goonies: Deep Thoughts About GenX Storytelling, Found Family, and Pirates Named After Penises

Deep Thoughts about Office Space TEASER

Planes, Trains & Automobiles: Deep Thoughts About the Role of Pathos in Broad Comedy

Airplane!: Deep Thoughts About Comedy That Questions Everything--Except a Woman as a Prize

Men in Black: Deep Thoughts About Sci-Fi Comedy, Subversive Pop Culture, and Why Little Tiffany Had to Die

The Birdcage: Deep Thoughts About Joyous Queer Comedy, the Beauty of Middle-Age Romance, the Villainy of Val

The Nightmare Before Christmas: Deep Thoughts About Culturally Appropriating Yuletide Cheer and Why Badass Women Get Stuck as Romance Fodder

Jaws: Deep Thoughts About Shark Phobia in Pop Culture, Accidents Improving Spielberg's Storytelling, and Emily Swooning Over Oxygen Tanks

The Little Mermaid: Deep Thoughts About Animation, Ariel as a Trans Allegory, and the Psychology of Controlling Parents

Beetlejuice: Deep Thoughts About Bananas, Incomprehensible Guidebooks, and Funny Villains in Pop Culture

Blade Runner: Deep Thoughts About Replicants, Women, and Why Neither Get to Be Human

City Slickers: Deep Thoughts About Mental Health, Aging, and Redefining Masculinity

Field of Dreams: Deep Thoughts About Whitewashed Boomer Nostalgia and the Psychology of Grief

Nightmare on Elm Street: Deep Thoughts About Badass Final Girl Feminism

Dune with Jake Cohen: Deep Thoughts About Recreating Social Hierarchies and Biases in Sci Fi Worldbuilding

Deep Thoughts About Shrek TEASER

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off: Deep Thoughts About Real Consequences When Pop Culture Golden Boys Get Away with Murder

The Matrix: Deep Thoughts About Reality, Social Constructs, and How the Wachowskis Created a Pop Culture Trans Allegory

The Ren & Stimpy Show: Deep Thoughts About Taking Animation Seriously and the Complicated Legacy of Genius

Revenge of the Nerds: Deep Thoughts About Toxic Masculinity, Dehumanizing Women, and Recreating Harmful Hierarchies

Dead Poets Society: Deep Thoughts About the Dubious Psychology of Standing on Desks

Jurassic Park: Deep Thoughts About the Unexpected Feminism of Dinosaurs

The Last Unicorn: Deep Thoughts About Traumatizing Animation from the 1980s

Four Weddings and a Funeral: Deep Thoughts About Poetry, Romance, and Hugh Grant's Floppy Hair

King Kong with William Patrick Day: Deep Thoughts About Our Pop Culture Obsession with the Giant Ape

Deep Thoughts about Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

Deep Thoughts about Dirty Dancing (Patron Exclusive) TEASER

Deep Thoughts About Event Horizon with Scott Kenemore

Deep Thoughts about the Addams Family

Deep Thoughts about the Spice Girls

Deep Thoughts about Pee-Wee's Playhouse with Mallory Henson

Deep Thoughts about Wayne's World

Deep Thoughts about Superman: The Movie

Deep Thoughts about The Shining

Deep Thoughts about The Electric Company

Deep Thoughts about Veronica Mars with Joanna Church

Deep Thoughts about Trading Places

Deep Thoughts about Michael Jackson's Thriller

Deep Thoughts about The Fifth Element

Deep Thoughts about Journalism in Pop Culture with Jon Shorr

Deep Thoughts about Monty Python and the Holy Grail

Deep Thoughts About Back to the Future TEASER

Deep Thoughts about Reality Bites

Deep Thoughts about Rocky Horror Picture Show

Deep Thoughts about The Breakfast Club

Deep Thoughts about Clueless

Deep Thoughts about Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark

Deep Thoughts about Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

Deep Thoughts about Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern TEASER

Deep Thoughts about Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Deep Thoughts about So I Married an Axe Murderer

Deep Thoughts about A Christmas Story

Deep Thoughts about Labyrinth

Deep Thoughts about Battlestar Galactica

Deep Thoughts about The NeverEnding Story

Deep Thoughts about Lucifer

Deep Thoughts about Fraggle Rock

Deep Thoughts about Anime with Lynette Davis

Deep Thoughts about The Monster at the End of This Book

Deep Thoughts about The X-Files

Deep Thoughts about Disney's Robin Hood

Deep Thoughts about Clue

Deep Thoughts on Wonder Woman

Deep Thoughts about Gender in Pop Culture: Tools for Feminist Analysis (BONUS)

Deep Thoughts about Disney's Beauty & the Beast

Deep Thoughts about Harry Potter with Dr. Julian Wamble

Deep Thoughts about Ghostbusters

Deep Thoughts about the Princess Bride

Deep Thoughts about Muppets from Space

Deep Thoughts about the Twilight Saga

Teaser: Our Favorite Pop Culture Shapes Our World