Apres Culture

This week we’re swinging by the Lone Star State, with stops in Waco, to talk juggernaut home renovation show Fixer Upper, and Marfa, to talk 1950s Western epic Giant. Feel free to take a drink every time Sara Ann says “mythmaking”—or just once for every one of Liz Taylor’s husbands. Pull up a chair and let JoJo explain her vision for your $300,000—it’s time for Après Culture. Tipple of the Week Shiner Bock, proud product of the Texas German Hill Country Next Week Nothing! It’s the end of season five, right here. But fret not; we plan to return in Fall 2018 with more booze, more pop culture history, more books, more movies, more TV, more guests, more gossip, and probably at least one movie that Sara Ann really hates. Ta-ta! Resources A story on the launch of Fixer Upper, from its hometown newspaper: http://www.wacotrib.com/news/business/waco-based-hgtv-home-remodeling-series-begins/article_357b354f-128e-5d15-b911-0b6dec42a313.html http://www.wacotrib.com/news/business/neglected-north-waco-houses-transfor

This week we’re talking about the Windy City, with 80s comedy, um, classic? Adventures in Babysitting (1987), plus Life Itself (2014), a documentary about the life and death of iconic film critic Roger Ebert. It is the best of times, it is the worst of times, but don’t worry: Sara Ann’s and Kasey’s relationship will probably survive. Pull up a chair and and accept our sincere apologies for discussing Elisabeth Shue and not mentioning her 1996 Oscar nom for Leaving Las Vegas—it’s time for Après Culture. Tipple of the Week Malort (again, we’re so sorry) Next Week From Sara Ann’s home state of Texas, it’s HGTV juggernaut Fixer Upper (2013-2018) and the Western epic Giant (1956)—all over ice-cold Shiner Bock. Resources On Ebert’s Pulitzer: http://www.pulitzer.org/article/how-mad-helped-roger-ebert-win-pulitzer-prize The NYT’s review of Life Itself: https://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/04/movies/life-itself-reminiscences-of-roger-ebert.html Ebert’s review of Hoop Dreams: https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/hoop-dr

Episode 41: Roseanne and One Day at a Time over Cuba Libres This week old sitcoms are new again: we’re talking about the Netflix reboot of Norman Lear’s One Day at a Time, and everything that made the soon-to-be-rebooted Roseanne beloved. We’ve got killer comedic actors, eye-opening storylines, and yes, behind-the-scenes shenanigans—and some of the best TV ever made. Pull up a chair and pay the three-pretzel ante—it’s time for Après Culture. Tipple of the Week: Cuba Libre Squeeze the juice of an entire lime into a tall glass, drop in a little ice and one or two of the spent lime rinds, add 2 oz rum and top off with cola. Next Week It’s all about Kasey’s new hometown, Chicago, with Adventures in Babysitting (1987) and Life Itself (2014), plus Roger Ebert’s reviews of Adventures in Babysitting and, for a bonus, of Hoop Dreams. Oh and the tipple next week? That would be a shot of Malort. Try it with us, you will regret it. Resources A 2008 EW retrospective on the series: http://ew.com/article/2008/10/24/r

This week we’re toasting the Emerald Isle with a look at John Ford’s 1952 Maureen O’Hara/John Wayne romance, The Quiet Man, and Sharon Horgan and Rob Delaney’s ungilded look at married life, Catastrophe. It’s two very different American men falling for two very different Irish women in two very different eras—and we have thoughts. Pull up a chair and pray you can understand the waitress’s thick County Cork accent—it’s time for Après Culture. Tipple of the Week: Guinness We’re sure there’s a proper way to pour this stuff, and we encourage you to look up whatever article Esquire or GQ or The Boston Globe wrote about it. Next Week Sitcom reboots: the recent, critically acclaimed Norman Lear revival One Day at a Time, and the hotly anticipated (slash slightly dreaded?) Roseanne. Resources On The Quiet Man (scroll past the Rob Nixon nonsense down to the Deborah Looney article): http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/24069/The-Quiet-Man/articles.html https://film.avclub.com/john-wayne-goes-to-ireland-for-what-shou

This week we’re talking 50s comediennes both factual (the iconic Lucille Ball) and fictional (Amy Sherman-Palladino’s latest fast-talking heroine, Midge Maisel). We’d say they do everything the guys do but in high heels and corsets—but let’s be real, no man has ever reached quite the same iconic status as Lucy. Pull up a chair and send the band leader your song request—it’s time for Après Culture. Tipple of the Week The Mudslide (recipe credit: https://www.supercall.com/recipe/the-ultimate-vodka-mudslide-recipe) Next Week It’s Saint Patrick’s Day! And we’ve got you covered with the John Ford/John Wayne/Maureen O’Hara classic, The Quiet Man, and the modern Sharon Horgan/Rob Delaney romance, Catastrophe. There will be brogues. There will be swoons. There will be Guinness. See you then ;) Resources On My Favorite Husband, the Lucille Ball radio show that led to I Love Lucy: http://splitsider.com/2014/06/a-look-at-i-love-lucys-radio-roots/ An interesting article on the technical innovations I Love Lucy was r

This week we’re talking Oscars scandals throughout the years, from Dudley Nichols and the original writers’ strike, to George C. Scott and his opinions on awards shows, to Marlon Brando and Sacheen Littlefeather, to the McCarthy era and the infamous Hollywood blacklist, to Harvey Weinstein, his Oscar campaign tactics and all the rest of it. It’s a lot, guys, and it’s all fascinating. Pull up a chair and explain whose award you’re here to refuse and why—it’s time for Après Culture. Tipple of the Week Gina’s Red Carpet Cocktails, found here: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/patrick-and-gina-neely/ginas-red-carpet-cocktails-recipe-1949109 (or Sara Ann’s variant, with tart cherry juice instead of pomegranate—which she highly recommends) Sources and References On the history of the Writers Guild of America (nee the Screen Writers Guild): http://www.law.nyu.edu/sites/default/files/ECM_PRO_067662.pdf A more general history of unionization in America: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/posteverything/wp/2017/

This week we’re talking fanfiction, with our girl Rainbow Rowell’s two novels Fangirl and Carry On, plus a freewheeling discussion of how fanfiction has touched our lives and shaped our culture with special guests April Maguire and Lillian Diaz-Przybyl. Whether you’re a fanfic newby (Kasey), a ship wars veteran (April and Lilian), or somewhere in between (Sara Ann), we’ve got you covered. Pull up a chair and prepare to defend your ship—it’s time for Après Culture. Tipple of the Week Tequila Sunrise: Fill a highball (tall) glass with ice and pour in 1 ½ oz tequila and 4 oz orange juice. Float a dash of grenadine over the top (meaning, hold a spoon upside down over the glass so it touches the side, and drizzle the grenadine slowly onto the spoon and down the side of the glass; this gives you the beautiful ombre look from red to orange in the finished cocktail). Garnish with an orange slice and/or cherry as desired and enjoy. Link to the more adventurous rainbow cocktail Kasey tried here: https://tipsybartend

This week we’re talking the rich, the powerful and the deeply unhappy with Netflix’s fictionalized account of the life and times of England’s Queen Elizabeth II, The Crown, and Kevin Kwan’s soapy tales of families so rich you’ve never heard of them, Crazy Rich Asians. It’s everything you were pretty sure was true about the mega-rich and nothing you ever imagined. Pull up a chair and prepare to explain why you wrote lewd letters home about the royal consort’s shenanigans in Borneo—it’s time for Après Culture. Tipple of the Week: Black Velvets Pour 2 parts chilled champagne (or other bubbly) into a champagne flute and top with 1 part chilled Guinness. Enjoy. Next Week Rainbow Rowell’s Fangirl and Carry On, and the wide world of fan fiction

This week we’re talking romance, comedy, cross-dressing and romancing the parents, with the Billy Wilder classic Some Like It Hot (Marilyn Monroe, Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis) and 2017’s indie hit The Big Sick (Kumail Nanjiani, Zoe Kazan, Holly Hunter, Ray Romano). It’s rom-com goodness and a classic cocktail only one of us finished (we’ll let you guess who). Pull up a chair and crack a tasteful terrorism joke—it’s time for Après Culture. Tipple of the Week: Manhattans Fill a short glass ⅔ full with ice, then add 2 dashes angostura bitters, 1 oz sweet vermouth, and 2 ½ oz bourbon. Add a maraschino cherry, crush it against the side of the glass with a spoon, stir, and enjoy. Next Week Crazy Rich Asians and The Crown over Black Velvets

This week we’re talking the latest entry in the Star Wars franchise, Rian Johnson’s The Last Jedi, plus everything we’ve been watching and reading in the many long months we’ve been away, from YA novels to Lainey Gossip, the Aeneid (yes, the ancient Latin poem) to Oscar hopefuls—and why not, a dash of Stranger Things. Pull up a chair and prepare to defend your deeply held Reylo feelings — it’s time for Après Culture. Tipple of the Week: Champagne Chill. Pop. Pour. Enjoy. Next Week Valentine’s Day is barrelling toward us, so we turn our lovelorn gazes toward the big screen with rom-coms Some Like It Hot and The Big Sick, over Manhattans.

This week we’re filling those no-new-TV spaces in our lives with relentless marathoning, of new stuff like Stranger Things and The Crown, old stuff like Star Trek TNG, and, for one of us, a whole lot of Hallmark movies. I’ll let you guess which of us. Pull up a chair and put on your snuggie—it’s time for Après Culture. Tom Collins Combine 2 oz gin, 1 oz lemon juice and 1 tsp superfine sugar over ice in a tall glass, then top off with club soda or fizzy water. Garnish with a lemon slice.

This week we’re talking Gilmore Girls past and present, from the ecstasy of season 1 Dean (so dreamy!) to the agony of spending even one more minute with the Life and Death Brigade in 20-fricking-16 (you know every one of those guys was peddling subprime loans back in 2007). Pull up a chair and order your tenth coffee of the day—it’s time for Après Culture. Scotch Pour scotch in a glass. Taste it. Realize it tastes terrible. Go see if you have the ingredients for a Rob Roy or something...

Welcome back to Season 4 - Coast to Coast! Kasey has moved to Boston & Sara Ann is still beach-side in Malibu, but we don't let a little plane ride come between us. This week we’re getting our Halloween on with Tim Burton’s Sleepy Hollow and the short story "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" written by Washington Irving, plus two favorite episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, “Halloween” and “Hush.” Tipple of the Week: Dra-Kahlua http://www.nj.com/homegarden/entertaining/index.ssf/2008/10/abbar.html 1 1/2 parts Kahlua 1/2 part cognac (brandy) 1/2 part Triple Sec 1/4 part lemon juice 1/2 part simple syrup Blood orange wedge for garnish Shake ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Strain into a chilled, half sugar-rimmed martini glass and garnish with orange wedge. NEXT WEEK This season, we're doing things a little differently. While Sara Ann battles grad school and Kasey "works" on her own screenplays, we're going to check back in when we are SUPER stoked about upcoming pop culture events (think: Gilmor

This week we’re talking about the brilliance (OR IS IT) of Paul Feig, with cult classic TV show Freaks and Geeks, and 2016’s favorite political firestorm, Ghostbusters. SPOILER: Kasey and Sara Ann do not agree about the latter. Listen and find out who’s your real, true pop culture podcast friend. Pull up a chair and prepare to defend disco—it’s time for Après Culture. Slimers 1 ounce Peach Schnapps 1 ounce Midori (or any type of melon liqueur) 3 to 5 drop of an Irish cream liqueur such as Baileys Ice Pour the peach schnapps and melon liqueur into a cocktail shaker with ice and shake well. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and add the Irish cream drop by drop into the center of the drink, without mixing. Drink and...enjoy? NEXT WEEK Listen to old episodes if you miss us (or hit us up on Twitter @apresculture), ‘cause this is the end of Season 3, and we’re gone until October. Ttfn, you beautiful people!

This week we’re diving into the wide, wonderful world of graphic novels with Art Spiegelman’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Holocaust memoir Maus: A Survivor’s Tale, and Kelly Sue DeConnick and Valentine De Landro’s exploitation-style feminist face-punch Bitch Planet. Pull up a chair—it’s time for Après Culture. Tipple of the Week: The Redheaded Slut: In a cocktail shaker, combine 1.5 oz Jagermeister, 1.5 oz peach schnapps, 3 oz cranberry juice and ice. Shake until frosted and serve in shot glasses. NEXT WEEK Ghostbusters and Freaks and Geeks

***DISCLAIMER*** We apologize, we've been encountering some sound technical difficulties this week in particular. The beginning of the episode will sound a bit "echo-y" however, as the podcast continues you will notice it evens out. We are working on creating a better sound experience in the future. Thank you for bearing with us! This week we’re talking Nora Ephron, with HBO bio-doc Everything Is Copy, directed by her son Jacob Bernstein as a search for why veteran personal essayist Ephron kept her terminal diagnosis secret until the very end, and then a look at Ephron’s most enduring work, seminal rom-com When Harry Met Sally… We have thoughts, we have feelings, we have another season 3 connection to Carrie Fisher (never bad). Pull up a chair and order what she’s having—it’s time for Après Culture. Apple Pie a la Mode Cocktail Adapted from Aimee Broussard’s recipe Blend together 3 cups ice-cream, ¼ cup Fireball whiskey, ¼ cup Jim Beam Apple Whiskey, ¼ cup Apple Jack, 1 ½ cup Apple Cider, teaspoon of Cinn

This week we’re celebrating the Fourth of July with two movies about American childhoods: baseball and friendship tale The Sandlot, and magical realism and revenge tale Rhymes for Young Ghouls. We’ve got nostalgia! And history! And Canadian accents, but don’t concentrate too hard on that! It’s all about America this week. Pull up a chair and try to figure out how to express to Smalls how much he’s frustrating you—it’s time for Après Culture. Long Island Iced Tea We followed this Chowhound recipe (complete with handy history!). NEXT WEEK: Nora Ephron, wooo! When Harry Met Sally (1989) Everything Is Copy (HBO, 2015) TIPPLE OF THE WEEK: Apple Pie (à la Mode) Milkshakes

This week we’re talking animation with friend of the show Daniel Barcroft, starting with Finding Dory, Pixar’s beautiful, funny ode to the abilities of the differently abled. Then we check in on our complicated feelings about Disney’s princess empire, from how Disney has tried to adapt its model to match the times, to how toy companies’ marketing models can actually determine the entertainment girls are allowed to watch. Pull up a chair and prepare to think heavy thoughts about kids’ cartoons—it’s time for Après Culture. Arnold Palmer Mix equal parts lemonade and iced tea (sweetened or not, to your taste) over ice. For a John Daly, add a shot of citron vodka. NEXT WEEK The Sandlot (1993) Rhymes for Young Ghouls (2013)

This week we’re lobbing y’all a short bonus episode in the form of a chat with Sara Ann’s Chinese friends about pop culture in the People’s Republic. Movies? TV? Piracy? Kung Fu Panda? We’ve got it all, plus the best explanation of the Cultural Revolution and its impact you’ll hear on any pop culture podcast this year (guaranteed). Pull up a chair and prepare to ganbei—it’s time for Après Culture. Chivas and Green Tea 1 ½ oz Chivas Regal 5 oz bottled green tea Sugar to taste Ice Combine in a tumbler and enjoy. Movies To Live (1994, dir. Zhang Yimou) Raise the Red Lantern (1991, dir. Zhang Yimou) Farewell My Concubine (1993, dir. Chen Kaige) Blue Kite (1994, dir. Tian Zhuangzhuang) TV The Empress of China (2014)

This week we’re putting our snooty pants on and talking a pair of literary classics (or alternately, a romance novel and the fanfic it spawned): Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë, and Wide Sargasso Sea, by Jean Rhys. We’ve got spooky atmospherics, questionable love interests, Jamaican history, and sisters getting theirs. It’s the literary canon at both its smartest and dishiest. Pull up a chair and be ready to explain those funny noises coming from the attic—it’s time for Après Culture. Rum Punch Adapted from this Bobby Flay recipe: ½ c lime juice 1 c grenadine 1 c Jamaican white rum ½ c light rum 1 c pineapple juice 1 c orange juice Pinch nutmeg Orange slices Combine in a pitcher and chill 1 hour before serving. NEXT WEEK Finding Dory (2016) Disney princess movies TIPPLE OF THE WEEK Arnold Palmers or John Dalys (dirty Arnold Palmers)