Pop Mystery Pod
Investigative journalist and pop culture junkie Tess Barker, dives into the pop culture moments that have puzzled her for years. This addictive, informative and revelatory show dives features the deep research and first person reporting that helped her launch the #FreeBritney movement while co-hosting Britney's Gram. Each episode unpacks a moment in celebrity news that was misunderstood or intentionally covered up at the time. Part true crime, part comedy, part deconstructing pop culture trivia, the show shines light on the dark corners in the entertainment capital of the world.
Episodes
Pop history is full of notable independence days. If the red, white, and blue isn’t doing it for you, this year, here are some iconic moments of libration to celebrate instead.
Follow Pop Mystery Pod on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok @popmysterypod
Pop Mystery Pod is written and produced by Tess Barker @tesstifybarker. Produced by Tyler Hill.
Theme song by Rick Wood @Rickw00d.
The Titanic is one of the most famous and chilling disasters of all time. The movie “Titanic.” could have also been a lesson in hubris. It was helmed by James Cameron, whose reportedly maniacal behavior may have been the impetus for a bizarre and mysterious food poisoning. There is so much to say about this strange and unlikely megahit. Joining Tess to explore “Titanic’s” wreckage is Caitlin Dura...
You don’t have to be a sports fan to appreciate the wild and jaw dropping tale of a sports reporter and a head coach whose affair may have changed the direction of the entire football league. Joining Tess to talk VrabelGate is Megan Gaiiley @bettermegaingailey Sports Bitches, The Roasts of Tom Brady and Kevin Hart)
Follow Pop Mystery Pod on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok @popmysterypod
Nearly thirty years after the killing of Tupac Shakur, Duane Davis is set to face murder charges in a Nevada court. Additionally, Davis has been named in a civil complaint filed by Tupac’s step brother Mopreme Shakur. If Davis was contracted to kill Tupac Shakur, why is he the only guy facing trial?
Follow Pop Mystery Pod on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok @popmysterypod
When TMZ reports on a tragedy in Los Angeles, chances are, it’s true. How does this tabloid source its seedy confidential information, and why do TMZ and its founder Harvey Levin remain such powerful forces in the land of pop journalism? Joining Tess to talk TMZ sleaze is comic and journalist Lauren Vino @boxedvino (Playboy, GQ, Mel Magazine, Black Out Diaries)
After Tess learns about a shocking method of filling live studio audiences, she is sent on a long journey to get to the bottom of a clandestine and widespread practice.
In her search for the truth, Tess talks with comics Allen Strickland Williams (@allenstricklandwilliams) and Julia Hladkowicz (@juliacomedy).
Follow Pop Mystery Pod on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok @popmysterypod
Pop Mystery Pod is written and pro...
This is dark money hiding in plain sight. Tess revisits the twisted reality of those strange ads the in one of her favorite vault episodes.
There’s something unsettling about those “Pass It On” billboards that feature celebrities like Dolly Parton, Whoopi Goldberg, and William Shatner. These ads don’t seem to be selling anything except abstractly positive concepts like perseverance and resilience...
Few commercials were as ubiquitous in the early aughts as the ones for the video series “Girls Gone Wild.” The premise of these videos was so dumb it seemed funny: girls being treated as zoo animals as they flashed the camera. A deeply disturbing truth permeated this cultural phenomena, however. Joining Tess to talk through her own first hand experience with the franchise is comic, writer, and podcaster Courtney Kocak (...
Blake Lively’s case against Justin Baldoni has settled. Baldoni’s lawyer Bryan Freedman has been doing a media tour in an attempt to frame this as a “victory.” Yet, for all Freedman has been talking, he doesn’t seem to be giving us the full story.
Follow Pop Mystery Pod on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok @popmysterypod
Pop Mystery Pod is written and produced by Tess Barker @tesstifybarker. P...
For decades, the street artist Banksy was one of the most famous anonymous people in the world. Like most street artists, Banksy used anonymity for cover, but also as a means of generating mystique. A recent expose in Reuters, however, seems to have gotten to the bottom of this icon’s identity. But did they truly blow up Banksy’s spot? Joining Tess to talk all things Banksy is comic and podcaster Chris Fairbanks @chris_...
Blake Lively’s civil case is scheduled to head to trial. As the actor is set to claim retaliation against Justin Baldoni, many of her harassment claims have been tossed out on a technicality. Why were some of Lively’s claims actually tossed out? What is at stake in this trial, and what do we expect each side to claim? Joining Tess for a legal analysis of where this case stands today is attorney and writer MJ Morley (@mo...
When Tom Cruise jumped on Oprah’s couch and declared “I’m in love!” he may as well have been playing one of the high octane characters that has made him a super star since the ‘80s. Was the Church of Scientology a driving force in Cruise’s marriage to Holmes? Was it part of why he divorced Nicole Kidman? Joining Tess on an illicit trip to the Celebrity Centre is Calie Lim (@weeclairehere)
Finally, some good news. After being sued for making music videos based on a break in of his own home, Afroman scores a big win for free speech, and, honestly, millennial stoners at large. Joining Tess to parse through the legal specifics of this case is comic and actor Paul Danke (@pauldanke).
Buy some Afroman merch here!
Follow Pop Mystery Pod on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok @popmysterypod
Spencer Pratt is one of reality television’s iconic bad guys…but is he really a bad guy? What is it about this former “Hills,” cast member that has led to his surprising endurance as a public figure? The truth about who Spencer Pratt really is is more complex than may seem at first glance. Joining Tess to talk about her recent LA Times profile of Spencer Pratt is journalist Rachel Brodsky (@rebrods), writer...
What actually is the mysterious dance show Shen Yun, whose advertisements are seemingly everywhere, always? The answer is weirder and more profound than you may imagine. Joining Tess to talk through this fascinating performing arts phenomenon is comic, writer, and actor Jenny Yang (@JennyYangTV) of “The Brothers Sun,” “The Great North,” “Gordita Chronicles,” and host of “What Should We Talk...
In the 1990s, action screenwriter Gary Devore had the career many people dream of. Late one night after finishing a draft, though, he disappeared seemingly without a trace. Was Gary abducted because he researched his movies a little too well? Joining Tess to talk through this creepy tale is actor, writer and podcaster Christian Duguay (@csduguay) of “Valley Heat.”
Seriously, listen to “Valley Heat.&rdq...
After a reading a slough of bad takes on recent Britney news, Tess has some thoughts on the enduring legacy of the Free Britney movement, and why attention still needs to be turned, not to Britney, but to the people who victimized her for years.
Follow Pop Mystery Pod on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok @popmysterypod
Pop Mystery Pod is written and produced by Tess Barker @tesstifybarker. Produced by Tyler Hill.
Tess reports from the field in Punxsutawney, PA on Groundhog Day. This is more than just a fake holiday. It’s a singular, surreal experience. Tess gets to the bottom of this absurd celebration and learns why people travel far and wide to celebrate it. She delves into the philosophy of the movie, and how the film’s themes relate to the real-life events that transpire every year on Gobbler’s Knob.
Britney Spears has sold the rights to her huge music catalogue for a reported 200 million dollars. What might the sale of Britney’s music mean for Britney herself, and what was the financial condition in which her estate was handed back to her after 14 years of being usurped by other people? Joining Tess to talk through Britney’s catalogue sale, and to reflect on the Free Britney movement is Babs Gray (@babsdgray) co-ho...
If Los Angeles has a mascot, it is the beautiful, busty figure who’s been flitting about our freeways for decades: Angelyne. Basically, Angelyne invented being “famous for no reason.” This enchanting icon has also long been a figure of mystique and intrigue for Angelinos. Who is Angelyne, really? And how was she able to engineer her own super stardom? Joining Tess to talk about the queen of the City of Angels is C...
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