Lindsay Lohan and the Kombucha Industry (with Danielle Perez)
Release Date: 06/13/2024
Blake Lively vs Justin Baldoni: It Ends Here (For Now)
Pop Mystery Pod
Cameras wrap on “It Ends With Us.” Now, the real battle begins. After Blake Lively alleges that she’s been harassed while filming this movie, her attempts at wrestling back agency stall out. Ultimately, Lively is able to get back some power…but at what cost? And who is really making her pay? Tess has sifted through the many legal filings in this case. As this story’s concludes (for now) what does it have to tell us about media and how easily we can all be manipulated by it? Read the New York Times story by Megan Twohey, Mike McIntire, and Julie Tate. ...
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Blake Lively vs Justin Baldoni: The Beginning
Pop Mystery Pod
Betrayal. Gaslighting. Things not being what they seem. These are themes in the movie “It Ends With Us,” but they could also describe the dramatic and seemingly constantly escalating conflict between actor and fashionista Blake Lively and her co-star and director Justin Baldoni. Tess has sifted through the many wordy legal filings and blurry screen grabbed texts, and a narrative seems to emerge around what actually happened behind the scenes. It may not be the narrative you expect. Follow Pop Mystery Pod on , and @popmysterypod Pop Mystery Pod is written...
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The Beef That Made Billions: Taylor Swift, Kanye West, and Scooter Braun (With Amber Kenny)
Pop Mystery Pod
You don’t have to be a Swiftie to know there’s bad blood between Taylor Swift, Kanye West, and Scooter Braun. What exactly went down between these three powerful and strong personalities? Who was really in the wrong here, and how did Kanye taking the mic from Taylor at the VMAs lead to the re-recorded albums known as “Taylor’s Version?” Joining Tess to parse and explain this twisted and juicy tale is performance artist and Taylor Swift expert Amber Kenny. Read “” by Anna Sillman here. Watch “” on Max Watch “Miss...
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Diddy, Biggie, and Tupac (with Wynter Mitchell Rohrbaugh)
Pop Mystery Pod
Few murders have rocked the music world like the untimely deaths of Biggie Smalls and Tupac Shakur. Neither slain rapper has ever had their killer brought to justice. Recent allegations against Sean Diddy Combs, the producer who have Biggie Smalls his start, have forced questions about Diddy’s involvement in this dark and violent tale. Joining Tess to talk through Diddy’s role in the Tupac and Biggie murders is writer, podcaster, and digital strategist Wynter Mitchell Rohrbaugh . To learn more about this case check out the documentary “”, or read some of the...
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The Babe Vegetarians
Pop Mystery Pod
A sweet movie about a talking pig turned a whole new generation of children into vegetarians. Those children often remained vegetarians into adulthood, and played a role in transforming the plant-based food industry. How did “Babe” make such a lasting impact on kids, and why were so many of those ‘90s babes girls? Joining Tess to talk through this phenomenon are psychologist and author Dr. Carla Manly (); author of books including and “Pedaling Resistance,” Carol Adams (); and food scientist Dr. Jessica Ruiz Hallstrom . Follow Pop Mystery Pod on , and ...
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The Bromance of Dennis Rodman and Kim Jong Un (With Megan Koester)
Pop Mystery Pod
So this actually happened: one of the most unpredictable and eccentric NBA players of all time put the entire United States (and maybe the whole world) at risk when he found himself cozying up to one of the world’s most notorious dictators. Joining Tess to talk through this strange and hilarious story is writer, actor, and comedian Megan Koester (@). To learn more about this story, check out the documentary and Follow Pop Mystery Pod on , , and @popmysterypod Pop Mystery Pod is written and produced by Tess Barker . Produced by Tyler Hill. ...
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Minisode: Some Thoughts On Britney and the Biopic
Pop Mystery Pod
While we’re all lining up to see “Wicked,” Tess has some thoughts on a different upcoming Jon Chu movie musical – the Britney Spears biopic. Britney herself has said on Instagram that this movie, which was optioned from the book “A Woman in Me,” is not actually a biopic. So what is really going on here? Follow Pop Mystery Pod on , , and @popmysterypod Pop Mystery Pod is written and produced by Tess Barker . Produced by Tyler Hill. Theme song by Rick Wood . Support independent pop journalism and join us on Patreon at Pop Mystery Pod....
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Madonna and the Kabbalah Craze (with Rachel Fisher and Desi Jedeikin)
Pop Mystery Pod
There was a moment in history where it seemed like every celeb was dabbling in Kabbalah - the secretive spiritual practice that set up camp at the bottom of Beverly Hills. Madonna and her many famous friends were all wearing red bracelets and talking about awareness and balance, but for all the press Kabbalah got, Kabbalah’s darker side was pushed into the shadows. Joining Tess to talk through this very LA fad are Rachel Fisher () and Desi Jedeikin (@), hosts of the . For more reading on Kabbalah and the IRS inquiries into it, Follow Pop Mystery Pod on , ,...
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What Dan Aykroyd Knows About Aliens (With CJ Sullivan)
Pop Mystery Pod
Aliens: their existence seems kind of inevitable, right? So why are they such a fringe topic? They’re not, to legendary comedian Dan Aykroyd, who has spent his entire life studying alien encounters. This SNL founding member has a lot to say about extraterrestrials, and Tess brings on comedian CJ Sullivan (@) to sift through what Dan Aykroyd knows, and what the government is (and isn’t) telling us. Follow Pop Mystery Pod on , , and @popmysterypod Pop Mystery Pod is written and produced by Tess Barker . Produced by Tyler Hill. Theme song by Rick Wood ....
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The Crow
Pop Mystery Pod
Brandon Lee was supposed to have a long and successful film career. Instead, he died in a freak shooting accident on the set of his breakout film “The Crow.” He was shot by a blank. So how was that shot fatal? Tess talks with professional armorer about how and why this horrific tragedy occurred. Follow Pop Mystery Pod on , and @popmysterypod Pop Mystery Pod is written and produced by Tess Barker @tesstifybarker. Produced by Tyler Hill. Theme song by Rick Wood @Rickw00d. Support independent pop journalism and join us on Patreon at Pop Mystery Pod....
info_outlineJournalist, comic, and pop culture junkie Tess Barker invites Danielle Perez @divadelux (Curb Your Enthusiasm, Dicks! The Musical, Spiderverse) onto the show for chat through the surprising way Lindsay Lohan’s party girl phase changed the kombucha industry forever.
Follow Pop Mystery Pod on Twitter, Insstagram, and TikTok @popmysterypod
Pop Mystery Pod is written and produced by Tess Barker @tesstifybarker. Produced by Tyler Hill.
Theme song by Rick Wood @Rickw00d.
Support independent pop journalism and join us on Patreon at Pop Mystery Pod. Get access to ad free episodes, bonus content, and polls about upcoming topics. patreon.com/PopMysteryPod
Follow Tess’s other podcasts Lady to Lady and Toxic wherever you get your pods.
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