Intelligentsia

It’s our season finale, and what better way to go out than with a big wedding episode, just like all our favorite tv shows? Joey’s wedding is on the horizon, Tara’s officiating, Ryan, father, is here to dish on his experience from his own big day. We’re talking about our favorite wedding scenes in movies and TV, royal weddings, the outrageous costs, and ugh, the societal expectations of it all. Plus: a little Chappell Roan, a littl...

It’s September which can only mean one thing: back to school! This week, Intelligentsia heads back to high school. Joey and Tara swap stories about their very different high school experiences from underage clubbing to house parties, before diving into pop culture’s greatest takes on teen life—from Mean Girls and its cafeteria cliques to the cult classic Freaks and Geeks and the drama of Gossip Girl. We’re talking high school athle...

Okay hear us out, this one may sound a bit self-indulgent, but this week Intelligentsia is talking friendship - theirs, yours, and everything in between. Joey and Tara break down their top 3 must-haves in a friend, swap stories about their own friendship history, and dig into how television and music have shaped the way we see our closest bonds. From Broad City to Golden Girls, “Wannabe” to “You’ve Got a Friend,” and famous friend ...

We could lie and say this episode is your comprehensive guide to the history and lore of the Emmys—but really, it’s just an excuse for Joey and Tara to gush about their favorite big noms this year - which are, spoiler alert, Hacks and The Studio. Along the way, we drop some Emmy trivia, dish on record-breakers like Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Lorne Michaels, and debate the biggest snubs and play a round of love-or-hate: winners. Plus, ...

From Tiger Beat to full-blown college heartaches and work crush chaos, this week we’re talking crushes. Tara spills on her early Rider Strong obsession, Joey weighs in on growing up gay without a “traditional” crush culture, and together we revisit the heartthrobs of the 90s (Leo, Hanson, Freddie Prinze Jr., and the eternal JTT vs. CMM debate). We swap top celeb crushes, gush over favorite crush songs including our top 5 Taylor Swi...

Back and refreshed from our week off, Intelligentsia takes on the American presidency—from Tara’s history obsession and Joey’s childhood memorabilia to the bizarre history of presidential street names and fun facts (spoiler: Harvard really knows how to crank ‘em out). We dive into pop culture’s take on the Oval Office (we’re talking Veep, The West Wing, Air Force One and more), presidential dynasties, and the chaos of impeachment. ...

This week, on Intelligentsia we’re talking all things pets—from our childhood companions, Tara’s “brother” Tiger the hamster, Joey’s dog Diver, and Ryan’s whole menagerie, to Joey and Tara’s current furry friends and most perfect angels, Archie and Stevie. We’ll reminisce about presidential pets, iconic pets in pop culture, debate the merits of various TV and movie animal sidekicks, and discover Joey’s shocking lack of Air Bud know...

This week, the Intelligentsia go to a concert! We’re spilling everything from our first concerts, to Tara’s definitive take on the age-old question: does John Mayer wear boxers, briefs, or boxer-briefs? Joey shares his traumatic turn as a Spice Girl boyfriend, and we relive our favorite shows, not to mention counting down the top 5 sickest moments from our night at the Eras Tour. We unpack iconic concerts we missed (rude), the best...

Pack your bags—this week we’re talking travel (and seeing how many times you can tolerate Joey and Tara singing the Go-Go’s “Vacation”). From childhood trips to Disney, Myrtle Beach, and Maine to more recent—and occasionally regrettable—adventures, we cover it all: cruises (never again), the highs and lows of all-inclusives, and pop culture detours like vacation-movie trivia and a spoiler-filled deep dive into White Lotus. We wrap ...

This week, we’re serving up a three-course episode all about our relationship with restaurants—from childhood Olive Garden outings to navigating New York’s white-hot (and absurd) reservation scene. We share our fast food favorites (we see you Crunchwrap Supreme), and the origin story of our Dinner Club - NOT Supper Club! Finally, it wouldn’t be Intelligentsia if we didn’t get into the pop-culture of it all. We dive into iconic tele...

It’s our birthdays (literally) and whoa, also America's! And wait, also our podcast's?!  This week in Episode Two, our nascent pod goes in on all things 4th of July. In this festive episode, we reflect on our childhood Fourths, the strange foods you may or may not find at Midwestern backyard BBQ's, and some really real feelings on fireworks. Plus, we dive into patriotic songs, and what Independence Day discussion wou...

Welcome to Intelligentsia! In this inaugural episode, Tara and Joey go deep into their lifelong love of television—where it all began, what they're watching now, and why certain shows have stuck around. They share their top five dramas, debate the power of ensembles in comedy, and discuss what makes a show truly revolutionary. From The Sopranos to The Bear, they cover the shows that shaped culture and changed TV forever, and t...