The Cooler
The Cooler is a weekly podcast from KQED Pop that tackles popular culture in a smart, fun and personal way.
Episodes
February 1, 2020 • 57 mins
After a five-year stint, The Cooler says goodbye with a finale jam-packed with the voices of its beloved listeners.
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January 1, 2020 • 57 mins
This month, we resolve to upgrade ourselves in 2020, go down a retcon K hole, discover what taint tanning is all about and make a pilgrimage to visit one of Jennifer Aniston's exes.
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December 1, 2019 • 61 mins
This month, we're analyzing why Instagram is taking away likes, telling the stories of three runaway princesses, unpacking what emotional labor means in 2019 and sharing our peaks and pits of the decade.
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November 1, 2019 • 4 mins
This month, we fight over Coldplay, listen to the best and worst tracks from the past decade, learn all about WAGs and summarize the entire Star Wars mythology in just a few disrespectful minutes.
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October 1, 2019 • 49 mins
The Cooler is back (!!!) and weighing in on the chicken sandwich wars of 2019, the return of Jennifer Aniston's ex, impeachment drama from the 1860s and Lindsay Lohan's new prescription drug anthem (yep, you read that right).
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July 11, 2019 • 60 mins
A special bonus episode featuring Tan France chatting about what it was like growing up gay in a traditional Muslim family, how 9/11 still affects his life to this day, how he ended up partying with Victoria Beckham, why he hates Olive Garden and whether he loves *NSYNC or the Backstreet Boys more.
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June 27, 2019 • 8 mins
This week, we’re handing over control of our finale to you, the listeners! We’re handing out advice about dating coworkers, sharing our Real Housewives taglines, shagging marrying and killing our way through Disney princesses, and so much more!
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June 20, 2019 • 29 mins
Is San Francisco rotten or still full of soul? We discuss the ways the city has won our hearts and broken them. We're also shaking our heads over John Cusack's anti-Semitism and sharing some ~*personal news*~ about the future of the podcast.
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June 13, 2019 • 42 mins
This week, we’ll be listening to a few Song of the Summer contenders (that aren't "Old Town Road") and deciding which summer anthem gets The Cooler’s official seal of approval. Also, inspired by Justin Bieber challenging Tom Cruise to a fight, we're handing out tips on how to host a duel of your own.
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June 6, 2019 • 39 mins
We're wondering why Moby lied about dating Natalie Portman, handing out tips on how to survive burnout and sharing more than a few words for the dudes who want to make a Straight Pride Parade happen (*Regina George voice* "It's not going to happen!").
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May 30, 2019 • 30 mins
We're going black to the future with a crash course in Afrofuturism, handing out financial tips and explaining the strange connection between dinosaur eggs and ball sacks (yes, you read that correctly).
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May 23, 2019 • 39 mins
Did 'Game of Thrones' stick the landing or break both of its legs, fall on its ass and require medical attention? We’ve got opinions! Also, we hand out some tips based on the life of Grace Jones, first of her name, breaker of the gender binary.
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May 16, 2019 • 36 mins
What can Constance Wu's Twitter tantrum teach us about humility? What can Ayesha Curry teach us about breaking archaic relationship rules? And what can Joe Biden learn from Bill Nye about talking to Millennials? Also, we take sides in the Aperol Spritz Wars and decide to stan Kacey Musgraves.
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May 9, 2019 • 38 mins
We're giving a crash course in Eurovision, the wildly popular international music competition, and ranking the 2019 entries, including Icelandic BDSM anti-capitalist scream rock and an Italian song that’ll make your booty bounce. Also, we share our feelings on spoiler culture and Meghan Markle's new baby.
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May 2, 2019 • 39 mins
We tell the story of a bearded female Egyptian Pharaoh some salty dudes didn't want us to know about. We'll also be unpacking the recent wave of stars hating on critics (et tu, Lizzo?) and celebrating a burkini-wearing model in Sports Illustrated and the career of John Singleton.
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April 11, 2019 • 21 mins
The Cooler RSVPs “Hell yes!” to seeing 'Hamilton' with thousands of Bay Area teens.
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April 4, 2019 • 39 mins
If Beyonce is not safe from unwanted physical attention, then who among us is? We also dig into the 'Game of Thrones' pilot that was so bad the show almost didn't get made at all. And we share our thoughts on Elon Musk's rap single about Harambe, Florida men up to no good and Gen Z darling Billie Eilish.
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March 28, 2019 • 38 mins
We trace okurrr's complicated history, scratch our heads over the weirdest things celebs have tried to trademark, reveal why hot tea might kill us all, and share our feelings on the new Bill and Ted movie and Lizzo.
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March 21, 2019 • 38 mins
What are the most banned wedding songs? What can a 30-year-old Maya Angelou clip teach us about intergenerational respect? And how in love are we with #EggBoy? All will be revealed!
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March 14, 2019 • 38 mins
Newsflash: brunettes don't count as diversity and period pieces need to do better. Also, we chat with 'Orange Is The New Black' star Lauren Lapkus, dig into the college admission scam and try to make sense of the Britney Spears musical.
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