Rephonic
Artwork for Pop Culture Happy Hour

Pop Culture Happy Hour

NPR
Netflix
NPR
Grief
Video Games
One Battle After Another
Family Dynamics
Ethan Hawke
The Pit
The Bear
Horror Movies
Caught Stealing
Kiss Of the Spider Woman
Bad Bunny
Bring It On
Kirsten Dunst
Weapons
Brokeback Mountain
Blue Moon
Sentimental Value
Alien Earth

Trying to keep up with the latest in pop culture? We’ve got you covered. The Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast helps you find the best new binge-worthy tv shows, movies, music, and videogames.Join hosts Linda Holmes, Aisha Harris, Stephen Thompson, and Glen Weldon four episodes a week - plus a rotating cast of guest pop culture enthusiasts. It’s your fix for reviews, recommendations, and recaps of th... more

PublishesDailyEpisodes1078Founded18 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Film ReviewsTV & FilmAfter Shows

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for Pop Culture Happy Hour

Latest Episodes

Everywhere you look, movies and TV shows are teaming up with all kinds of companies to make odd product tie-ins. Green Shrek ketchup. The Handmaid’s Tale wine. Grogu serving boards. Today on the show, we’re playing a game about some very strange bran... more

Minions & Monsters is the newest addition to the Despicable Me franchise, but this prequel set the minions loose in 1920s Hollywood. They naturally become superstars in the age of silent film. But, as talkies take over, they struggle to stay relevant... more

Did the final season of FX’s The Bear serve up the perfect last bite or are diners and viewers alike left wishing for more? Carmy (Jeremy Allen White), Syd (Ayo Edebiri), and the rest of the kitchen staff are back in action as they face down their fi... more

America turns 250 this year. So for this special birthday, we discuss our picks for what pieces of pop culture best depict the American dream, including The Wire, Apollo 13, Grey Gardens, and the spiritual successor to Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car.”

If... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Accepts Sponsors
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

Recent Guests

Danielle Kurtzleben
NPR White House correspondent
NPR
Episode: Widow’s Bay
Kristen Mincer
Culture Critic
Episode: Power Ballad
Eric Deggans
Critic at large at NPR and night chair of journalism and media ethics at Washington and Lee University
NPR / Washington and Lee University
Episode: Stephen Colbert and late night
Saraya Nadya McDonald
Culture critic, journalist, senior criticism editor for The Rumpus
The Rumpus
Episode: Is God Is
Serena Tauros
Freelance culture critic and reporter
Independent
Episode: Shrek
Neda Ulubi
NPR Culture Desk correspondent
NPR
Episode: Lord of the Flies
Mark Rivers
NPR producer
NPR
Episode: Mother Mary
Gene Denby
Host of NPR's Code Switch podcast
NPR Code Switch
Episode: Beef
Chris Klimek
Writer
NPR / Pop Culture Happy Hour
Episode: Normal and What’s Making Us Happy

Hosts

Linda Holmes
Host of Pop Culture Happy Hour; NPR editor/critic with a focus on TV and culture; frequent co-host and panelist.
Aisha Harris
Co-host with a background in culture journalism; brings analysis on representation and media trends.
Stephen Thompson
Host with a focus on music and culture; contributes broad pop culture critique and production context.
Glen Weldon
Longtime panelist with deep knowledge of pop culture history and criticism.

Reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars from 15.9k ratings
  • My favorite pop culture podcast

    I love this podcast! It is my go-to when I want to feel like friends are chatting in the background, but it is some kind of good discussion about something and not just random chatter. I also love that I get recs from this podcast — I have read or watched things I probably wouldn’t have heard about, and even if it wasn’t for me, I’m glad I at least tried so things don’t pass me by. It’s nice to have recommendations from real human beings who might suggest something outside of my usual zone, rath... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    PMC52126
    United Statesa month ago
  • Michael episode

    There’s simply no place in serious journalism for giving Michael extortionists any credibility. Do your homework, NPR.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    DJDane
    United States2 months ago
  • Devil Wears Prada t

    Linda was amazing and insightful as always. Those two children with her weren’t. They stated they enjoyed Prada2 until they saw Ms Holmes didn’t and they quickly reversed. Not compelling. They could have tried to defend their position for the sake of the listeners. Who are these rando critics?? Improvement needed.

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    Gregory San Francisco
    United States2 months ago
  • Diverse perspectives on diverse pop culture

    The addition of Aisha Harris to the regular team of hosts made an already great podcast truly excellent. The surprising overlaps and differences between and among the main host team makes each episode engaging. All hosts bring their very well established expertise as well as a desire to have fun to each task.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    feministlistener
    United States2 months ago
  • Depends

    Glen is great. Often the other hosts should be required to listen to their own episodes with a “like” counter clicker. Not sure if clickers go to 4 digits

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    theMealticket
    United States3 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Some listeners want more consistent coverage of certain genres or topics.
Listeners appreciate the rotating cast and range of expertise.
The critique blends rigor with warmth and humor.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Great movies we missed
Q: Bob, what makes She's the He a standout within Pride-linked cinema for you?
Bob discusses the film's ensemble, its inclusive casting, and its blend of humor with a sharp commentary on gender and identity, highlighting how it treats its characters with warmth and complexity.
Great movies we missed
Q: Linda, can you tell us a bit about the first title you chose and why it stood out for you?
Aisha introduces Tuner and Linda explains how the film blends a caper with a deeply observed relationship, praising the score and the way the heist elements serve the drama rather than overwhelm it.
Supergirl and What’s Making Us Happy
Q: What did you think about this movie?
Glen expresses that it's a solid addition to the DC canon but not a game changer, praising Milly Alcock's performance while criticizing the villain as one-dimensional and the overall heaviness of some scenes.
Power Ballad
Q: What did you think of the movie?
The hosts share a consensus that Power Ballad is a warmly entertaining film with strong performances, especially from Nick Jonas and Paul Rudd, and that it thoughtfully weighs artistic credit, collaboration, and the personal stakes of making music.
Is God Is
Q: Now Parker, I'm going to start with you. I know you've not seen the play, but you've read the play. How do we feel about this adaptation?
I loved it and compared it to The Color Purple and Thelma & Louise, while noting the film's clever translation of stage elements into cinematic language.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Pop Culture Happy Hour

What is Pop Culture Happy Hour about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A witty, wide-ranging roundtable that reviews and argues about recent pop culture across film, TV, and beyond. Episodes blend deep dives on specific works with broader industry context, from adaptation and representation to production design and streaming economics. A recurring strength is the panel's mix of scholarly critique and accessible, joyful commentary, with occasional guests offering specialized takes. The show often threads cultural analysis with practical recommendations, making it useful for listeners who want thoughtful perspectives plus entertainment suggestions.

Where can I find podcast stats for Pop Culture Happy Hour?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Pop Culture Happy Hour. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Pop Culture Happy Hour and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Pop Culture Happy Hour get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Pop Culture Happy Hour, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for Pop Culture Happy Hour?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Pop Culture Happy Hour, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does Pop Culture Happy Hour have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Pop Culture Happy Hour has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Pop Culture Happy Hour?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Pop Culture Happy Hour:

1. It's Been a Minute
2. Fresh Air
3. The Sam Sanders Show
4. Culture Gabfest
5. Little Gold Men by Vanity Fair

How many episodes of Pop Culture Happy Hour are there?

Pop Culture Happy Hour launched 18 years ago and published 1078 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Pop Culture Happy Hour?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Pop Culture Happy Hour?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Pop Culture Happy Hour from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Pop Culture Happy Hour?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Pop Culture Happy Hour. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on Pop Culture Happy Hour?

Recent guests on Pop Culture Happy Hour include:

1. Danielle Kurtzleben
2. Kristen Mincer
3. Eric Deggans
4. Saraya Nadya McDonald
5. Serena Tauros
6. Neda Ulubi
7. Mark Rivers
8. Gene Denby

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days