Critically Unserious

Critically Unserious

Critically Unserious is a weekly podcast where Jonathan Urbina and Cynthia Tafoya-Stone take a critical look at the happenings of pop culture and give purely unserious commentary. Consider this your safe space for making sense of that prestige film everyone is talking about or that album that keeps popping up on your playlist. Everything floating through the zeitgeist is up for a critically unserious discussion. criticallyunserious.substack.com

  1. 09/16/2025

    Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes

    What if we told you none of it was accidental? This week on the pod, we took a look at the HBO Max documentary, Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes, to make our predictions for the eponymous Track 2 on Taylor Swift’s upcoming album, The Life of a Showgirl, and the parallels are uncanny. These two masterminds have wielded immense fame, outsmarted the Hollywood boys’ club, and endured relentless scrutiny of their love lives. We also dig into Taylor’s Time Person of the Year interview to chat about how both stars learned to use persona as armor to survive the gauntlet of fame. We wrap up with our current obsessions: the musical stylings of Lisa Barlow and the art of touching grass. Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/criticallyunserious/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CriticallyUnserious TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@critically_unserious This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit criticallyunserious.substack.com

    Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes

  2. 09/09/2025

    Films to Heal Your Inner Showgirl

    What do you get when you cross an insatiable thirst for fame, homoerotic frenemies, and dirtbag male executives? Well, the blueprint for The Life of a Showgirl, of course! This week, we’re diving into the films we suspect have inspired Taylor Swift’s upcoming album: Black Swan, The Last Showgirl, and, of course, the camp classic, Showgirls. In all three films, our antiheroines long for the spotlight and show us just how much it takes to get there. Join us as we connect the dots to Taylor’s music and what we know about the album so far. At the top of the episode, we share our thoughts on Sabrina Carpenter’s new album, Man’s Best Friend, Cyn’s fascination with Katseye, and a Fifth Harmony reunion in the year 2025 (haven’t we been through enough?). We wrap up with our obsessions with Lena Dunham's highly anticipated memoir, Famesick, and Netflix’s new doc Unknown Number: The High School Catfish. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/criticallyunserious/ Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@critically_unserious YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CriticallyUnserious This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit criticallyunserious.substack.com

    Films to Heal Your Inner Showgirl

  3. 09/03/2025

    RANKED: Every Taylor Swift Album

    Our Life of a Showgirl prep month has begun! Join us this week as we rank all of Taylor Swift’s 12 albums. Using a proprietary mathematical formula (user jessee pinkman’s album sorter on http://Tumblr.com), we get equal parts nostalgic and brutally honest as we take you through our least to most favorite records. Plus, we share our unhinged and controversial thoughts on the proposal heard around the world. Are we living in the Bejeweled music video? There’s so much to say about our close personal friend, Taylor Swift, so strap in for our longest episode yet! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/criticallyunserious/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@critically_unserious YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CriticallyUnserious This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit criticallyunserious.substack.com

    RANKED: Every Taylor Swift Album

  4. 08/25/2025

    We're Not Swifties, We're Worse

    Calling all Swifties, Gaylors, Lovers, and chronically online friends! The day has finally come for us to reveal our undying adoration for an underground, unknown pop star by the name of Taylor Allison Swift (heard of her?). We share our reaction to her recently announced twelfth studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, and the implications of the showgirl visual era. Then we break down our thoughts on the album tracklist and get critical about that lengthy New Heights podcast interview (?) we were forced to watch. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/criticallyunserious/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CriticallyUnserious Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@critically_unserious This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit criticallyunserious.substack.com

    We're Not Swifties, We're Worse

  5. 08/15/2025

    The Sound of Crickets! (JLO, Chappell Roan, Sabrina Carpenter, Camp Rock, and Las Culteristas)

    This week we’re bringing out another roundup of our favorite happenings in culture over the past week. We cover the upcoming Chappell Roan shows, and how Cynthia got scammed while buying a ticket, JLo dealing with crickets at her concerts (not the kind you’d expect), Sabrina Carpenter’s Lollapalooza set with a surprise appearance by Earth, Wind & Fire, and The Jonas Brothers & Demi Lovato fueling Camp Rock 4 rumors. Of course, we could not let this week pass without mentioning our close personal podcasting colleagues, Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers, and the streaming debut of their Las Culturistas Culture Awards on Peacock. We wrap up with a medley of obsessions: Jonathan is in his reading bag with The Martyr by Kaveh Akbar (support your local libraries!!) & Cynthia chats about body image, the woman on TikTok obsessed with her psychiatrist (and somehow AI is at the scene of the crime), and Ben Affleck’s The Accountant 2. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/criticallyunserious/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@critically_unserious YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CriticallyUnserious This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit criticallyunserious.substack.com

    The Sound of Crickets! (JLO, Chappell Roan, Sabrina Carpenter, Camp Rock, and Las Culteristas)

  6. 08/04/2025

    Politically Unserious (Sydney Sweeney, Chappel Roan's new single, and 'The Hunting Wives')

    This week on the pod, we rave about Chappell Roan’s new sapphic yearning anthem, 'The Subway', and the equally stunning music video. But first, we cover Sydney Sweeney’s American Eagle campaign, Justin Timberlake’s questionable moves on tour, and the breakup between Love Island’s JaNa Craig and Kenny Rodriguez. As always, we wrap up with our obsessions: Lindsay Lohan’s return to Hollywood/Jamie Lee Curtis’ diva (derogatory) behavior during the 'Freakier Friday' press run & Netflix’s new republican murder mystery fever dream, 'The Hunting Wives', starring Brittany Snow. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/criticallyunserious/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CriticallyUnserious TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@critically_unserious This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit criticallyunserious.substack.com

    Politically Unserious (Sydney Sweeney, Chappel Roan's new single, and 'The Hunting Wives')

  7. 07/28/2025

    Colbert, Charli XCX, The Devil Wears Prada, and Pam Anderson

    This week on the pod, we’re rounding up our favorite headlines over the past few weeks. We talk about everything from Late Night with Stephen Colbert, The Devil Wears Prada 2 sneak peeks, the Taylor Swift song playing during a big And Just Like That moment, and the blooming on-set romance between Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson (we’re predicting soulmates). Speaking of soulmates, we also cover Charli XCX’s marriage to The 1975’s George Daniel as well as Portia and Ellen’s move across the pond. We wrap up with our obsessions: Cyn’s perplexing crush on Gordon Ramsay, and Jonathan shines a light on talk show legend, Rosie O’Donnell. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/criticallyunserious/ Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@critically_unserious YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CriticallyUnserious This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit criticallyunserious.substack.com

    Colbert, Charli XCX, The Devil Wears Prada, and Pam Anderson

  8. 07/18/2025

    Never Too Much, Never Too Much

    It’s a Lena Dunham renaissance, baby, and we’re alive!! This week on the pod, we review Lena’s newest show, Too Much, on Netflix starring Megan Stalter. But first, we chat about Justin Bieber’s new album, Swag, wrap up our Love Island thoughts post-finale, and the latest news happening in the Vanderpump Rules cinematic universe. As always, we wrap up with our obsessions: Journalist Taylor Lorenz failing to read the room and Anne Hathaway’s upcoming Taylor Swift-inspired lesbian romance film, Mother Mary. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/criticallyunserious/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@critically_unserious YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CriticallyUnserious This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit criticallyunserious.substack.com

    Never Too Much, Never Too Much
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About

Critically Unserious is a weekly podcast where Jonathan Urbina and Cynthia Tafoya-Stone take a critical look at the happenings of pop culture and give purely unserious commentary. Consider this your safe space for making sense of that prestige film everyone is talking about or that album that keeps popping up on your playlist. Everything floating through the zeitgeist is up for a critically unserious discussion. criticallyunserious.substack.com

Information

  • Creator
    Critically Unserious
  • Years Active
    2025
  • Episodes
    29
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Critically Unserious
  • Show Website
    Critically Unserious