Pop Cultured

Ben Pearson
  • 4.8 (21)
  • TV & FILM
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

Welcome to Pop Cultured, a podcast about film, TV, books, theme parks, and more. Join the rotating panel of entertainment journalists, film critics, and pop culture enthusiasts Ben Pearson, Hoai-Tran Bui, Brad Oman, Chris Evangelista, Peter Sciretta, Jacob Hall, BJ Colangelo, and Ryan Scott as they talk about the best and worst things they've been watching, reading, playing, and more. They've been writing, podcasting, and/or making videos about movies, TV, books, games, and theme parks for a combined total of 121 years, and they're excited to have you along for the ride.

  1. FEB 10

    Brick, I'm Chevy Chase And You're Not, Ponies, Starfleet Academy, and More

    Thanks for listening! Be sure to subscribe at patreon.com/popcultured for exclusive, ad-free episodes you won't hear in this feed or anywhere else. What we've been Doing: BJ went to Pixar! What we've been Reading: BJ read "1999: The Year Low Culture Conquered America and Kickstarted Our Bizarre Times" Jacob is on the third book in the Dungeon Crawler Carl series, and he's reading Lorne by Susan Morrison. What we've been Watching: Ben watched Gore Verbinski's Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die. BJ watched Brick (for the first time since high school), Ponies on Peacock, and Hoppers Brad watched I'm Chevy Chase and You're Not, Zootopia 2, and Father Mother Sister Brother Jacob watched Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. What we've been Eating: Ben has been eating jamón serrano. Brad tried the new Welch's Ghost Grape-Cran energy drink, LifeSavers Sparkling Ice Green Apple, AlaniNu's Cherry Bomb energy drink, and Confetti Cheerios What we've been Playing:  BJ played the new Animal Crossing Update Jacob is learning two new RPGs (and re-learning a fourth one).

    54 min

  2. JAN 27

    What is the Peak of Cinema? Plus The Bone Temple, Tears For The Black Tiger, Dungeon Crawler Carl, and The West Wing

    Thanks for listening! But this is only part of the experience. To hear the conclusion of our 50 best movie moments of 2025, plus episodes like our favorite Edgar Wright movie moments, Rian Johnson movie characters, our favorite horror movie masks, our Simpsons rewatch podcast, and weekly box office episodes (all ad-free!), join us at patreon.com/popcultured. You can reach us at popculturedfeedback@gmail.com. What we've been Doing: Ben went to NYC and met HT for the first time! Jacob got another tattoo.  BJ went to the Anaheim Ducks v. Minnesota Wild Pride Party hockey game What we've been Reading: Ben read Project Hail Mary. Jacob read The Handyman Method and The Fireman. He's halfway through Dungeon Crawler Carl.  HT read Bel Canto, If Cats Disappeared From the World, and finally finished Elena Ferrante's Neapolitan novels. What we've been Watching: Ben has a question for the group. Jacob watched Marty Supreme, No Other Choice, Physical: Asia, Heated Rivalry, and wants to talk Doctor Who for a quick moment.  Brad watched Kumail Nanjiani's Night Thoughts, some of The Pitt season 2, all of Primal season 3, and started The West Wing for the first time. BJ watched Tears for the Black Tiger, The Trotsky, The Elephant HT watched The Testament of Ann Lee, Is This Thing On, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, and watched That Touch of Mink and part of Indiscreet (Pluto TV Cary Grant marathon of course). What we've been Eating: Ben recommends Milk Bar's chocolate chip cookies. Brad tried Up & Apple Uncrustables, Peppermint White Russian Cutwater, Cereal Killer C4 Energy, and celebrated the return of the Quesarito at Taco Bell. BJ is upset that everyone was right about drinking enough water now that she's actually drinking enough water. What we've been Playing:  Brad stopped playing Marvel Snap and has sworn off phone games

    1h 3m

  3. JAN 13

    The Top 50 Movie Moments of 2025 (Part 1)

    So it begins. Ben, HT, BJ, and Brad kick off a multi-part series of episodes attempting to narrow down their top 50 movie moments of 2025. To hear the continuation and subsequent conclusion of this conversation, which will be coming out soon, become a paid subscriber at patreon.com/popcultured. If you want to respond to anything we've said, offer any feedback, suggest topics of conversation, or just say hello, you can reach us at popculturedfeedback@gmail.com. Thanks for listening!

    45 min

  4. 12/30/2025

    Stranger Things 5, Disney Destiny Cruise, Resurrection, Sarah Squirm, and More

    We'd love to have you join us at patreon.com/popcultured for ad-free and exclusive episodes, including weekly box office conversations, a brand new Simpsons rewatch podcast, and our favorite Rian Johnson movie characters, the best Edgar Wright movie moments, films that broadened our cinematic horizons, and many more. Hope to see you there! What we've been Doing: Peter went on the Disney Destiny cruise ship. BJ has successfully grown out her undercut (please clap) What we've been Reading: BJ read the entirety of Rachel Reid's Game Changer/Heated Rivalry series of novels. What we've been Watching: Peter saw The Matrix at the Cosm and he isn't into the first part of Stranger Things 5. Ben watched Arco and would not recommend a double feature of The Voice of Hind Rajab and Sirat. HT saw Resurrection and is obsessed with Slow Horses. BJ saw Sarah Squirm: Live + In the Flesh and Influencers What we've been Eating: BJ wants to know if anyone else has tried hot honey drizzle in place of salad dressing.

    1h 2m

  5. 12/16/2025

    Avatar: Fire and Ash, Heated Rivalry, The Secret Agent, and More

    For ad-free and exclusive episodes, including our brand new Simpsons rewatch podcast and rankings of Rian Johnson movie characters, Edgar Wright movie moments, and a special upcoming Christmas movie-themed episode, subscribe at patreon.com/popcultured. Hope to see you there! What we've been Doing: Jacob ran his third half marathon.  Brad has discovered the magic of custom shirts on Amazon HT discovered Las Vegas wasn't for her BJ went to Disneyland & saw Antarctigo Vespucci live What we've been Reading: Jacob read Nona the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir and The Queen by Nick Cutter.  What we've been Watching: Jacob watched Wake Up Dead Man. Brad watched The Testament of Ann Lee, Song Sung Blue, Now You See Me: Now You Don't, and Avatar: Fire & Ash HT saw The Housemaid, and Avatar: Fire & Ash Ben watched The Secret Agent. BJ is possessed by Heated Rivalry and rewatched Battle Royale What we've been Eating: Brad has come around on Chipotle If you want to respond to anything we've said, offer any feedback, suggest topics of conversation, or just say hello, you can reach us at popculturedfeedback@gmail.com.

    51 min

  6. 12/02/2025

    Hamnet, Death By Lightning, Later, Viewfinder, Train Dreams, and More

    There's a better way to listen to this podcast! Visit patreon.com/popcultured, where you can subscribe to hear ad-free episodes you won't hear on this feed. If you'd like to get in touch, you can reach us at popculturedfeedback@gmail.com What we've been Doing: Jacob got a vasectomy, and yes, he's going to talk about it.  BJ has been doing JUNKETSSSS What we've been Reading: Jacob read the fourth Murderbot novella and Stephen King's Later.  What we've been Watching: Ben watched Death By Lightning and Richard Linklater's two 2025 movies, Blue Moon and Nouvelle Vague. Brad watched Jay Kelly, Wake Up Dead Man, and Fackham Hall, Marty Supreme. HT watched Wicked for Good, Rental Family, Hamnet, Train Dreams, Dust Bunny, a few episodes of Fallout Season 2. BJ watched Female Prisoner Scorpion 1-3, Hamnet, and Kneecap (again) and I'm starting a full series rewatch of The Brady Bunch lol  What we've been Eating: Ben tried Bodyarmor and Nerds Candy Corn. Brad tried Snickerdoodle and Cafe Moka Hershey's Kisses, Dunkin's New Cookie Butter Santa Claus, Salted Caramel Lay's Chips, Peppermint Stick KitKat, and is loving the return of Sugar Cookie Toast Crunch. BJ is eating everything cranberry at Trader Joe's What we've been Playing:  Brad played the video game Viewfinder

    1h 4m

  7. 11/18/2025

    Wake Up Dead Man, Charlie's Angels, St. Denis Medical, Peacemaker Season 2, and More

    Hey! You can subscribe at patreon.com/popcultured to hear ad-free, exclusive episodes. We recently ranked our top 5 favorite Edgar Wright movie moments, did a Halloween Horror Swap, talked about our favorite "please take me seriously" performances in movie history, plus we have weekly box office discussions and we're about to launch a whole new podcast as well. Join us over there! It's a much better experience! What we've been Reading: Jacob finally finished all 41 Discworld novels, and is in the final stretch of the George Washington biography.  HT read The Running Man  What we've been Watching: Ben saw Fire and Water: Making the Avatar Films and watched Charlie's Angels for the first time. Brad watched Is This Thing On? and started watching St. Denis Medical. Jacob watched Peacemaker season 2 and Frankenstein.  HT watched Wake Up Dead Man, Predator: Badlands, The Running Man, Eternity, Die My Love, and Pluto's Halloween programming turned her onto Carnival of Souls (also a Twilight Zone marathon) What we've been Eating: Brad tried the Mountain Dew Baja Blast Pie, Cookie Butter Chewy Chips Ahoy, Monster Ultra Wild Passion, and the return of Mr. Pibb. Jacob wants to briefly sing the praises of Golden Chick. What we've been Playing:  Ben wants to shout out Tears for Fears' Songs from the Big Chair.

    1h 7m

  8. 11/04/2025

    George Washington, Possession, Bugonia, The Voice of Hind Rajab, and More

    If you're not subscribed at Patreon.com/popcultured, you're missing out on ad-free and exclusive episodes you won't hear anywhere else! Come on over, we'd love to have you. What we've been Doing: Jacob wants to complain about Las Vegas.  Brad went to the Pinball Expo in Chicago HT fangirled to Guillermo del Toro and got a viral moment from Emma Stone What we've been Reading: Jacob has been reading George Washington by Ron Chernow.  What we've been Watching: Ben watched Magnificent Warriors, The History of Sound, Possession, and Something Wicked This Way Comes. Brad watched Bugonia, Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein, and Downey Wrote That HT watched The Voice of Hind Rajab, Little Amelie or the Character of Rain, and Pluribus.  What we've been Eating: Jacob thinks Bodyarmor can kill Gatorade.  Brad tried Nerds Juicy Gummy Clusters, Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cake Coffee Creamer, Prime Peso Pluma Energy Drink, also just more as a PSA than anything, Cup O' Noodles has Pumpkin Pie and Turkey Dinner flavors.

    57 min
See All (17)

4.8
out of 5
21 Ratings

About

Welcome to Pop Cultured, a podcast about film, TV, books, theme parks, and more. Join the rotating panel of entertainment journalists, film critics, and pop culture enthusiasts Ben Pearson, Hoai-Tran Bui, Brad Oman, Chris Evangelista, Peter Sciretta, Jacob Hall, BJ Colangelo, and Ryan Scott as they talk about the best and worst things they've been watching, reading, playing, and more. They've been writing, podcasting, and/or making videos about movies, TV, books, games, and theme parks for a combined total of 121 years, and they're excited to have you along for the ride.

Information

  • Creator
    Ben Pearson
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    17
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025
  • Show Website
    Pop Cultured

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