What We Talk About When We Talk About
166 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 4 years ago - ★★★★ - 73 ratingsA weekly podcast that's all about pop culture and the big pictures around it.
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Episodes
What We Talk About When We Talk About What We Talk About When We Talk About
August 05, 2019 14:30 - 47 minutes - 51.3 MBAll good things must come to an end. Which as I type that, it feels like a loaded statement. But I said it, I'm not taking it back. Listen along to our series finale as Alex, Emily, and Levi reflect on their experience of making this show for 3 years, and enjoy one last conversation around the mics.
Ask Us Anything!
July 29, 2019 15:32 - 27 minutes - 29.8 MBWe're nearly there! And seeing as we're nearly there we wanted to give you all another chance to ask us questions, which you did! Thank you so much to everyone who submitted questions, we could not do this show without you.
Trivia Potter and the Order of the Phoen-six
July 22, 2019 14:30 - 48 minutes - 52.1 MBGet ready to learn, nerds! This week Alex, Emily, and Levi take each other on in a comprehensive, six-season-spanning trivia show! Nothing is off limits, and most of it is obscure. We hope you enjoy AND that you learn something from our quick google searches for bits of trivia.
"What We Talk About When We Talk About Love"
July 15, 2019 14:30 - 21 minutes - 23 MBWe had joked about doing this as an episode, and as soon as one of you suggested it we decided we definitely needed to. So here is Alex, Emily, and Levi discussing the Raymond Carver short story (and our namesake), What We Talk About When We Talk About Love.
Series Finales
July 08, 2019 14:30 - 58 minutes - 63.1 MBSo it's come to this: a finale about finales. This week Alex, Emily, and Levi talk through some of TVs best and worst endings. What makes one good? Can it even be done? Is it just that someone is always bound to be unhappy with you? All this and more this week!
Swan Songs
July 01, 2019 17:02 - 42 minutes - 45.5 MBWe're nearing the end and thinking about that a lot, so what better way to process than by discussing the swan song. Final games, final performances, final movies. This episode has it all in its fully final glory. Listen along as Alex, Emily, and Levi discuss swan songs and all the bittersweet goodness that comes with them.
Miyazaki Films
June 24, 2019 14:28 - 39 minutes - 41.9 MBIt's no wonder why Miyazaki's films are so widely loved. They've got whimsical stories, loveable characters, and gorgeous animation. This famous Japanese animator has found international success, consistently pulls in amazing voice casts even for English dubs, and has defined countless childhoods. But even with all that, we still felt it necessary to discuss just what exactly is going on here. Enjoy!
Reality TV
June 17, 2019 14:29 - 49 minutes - 52.5 MBIt's time to stop being polite, and start getting real. And then putting it on TV. Reality TV. That's the topic. How did unscripted television become such a juggernaut in the media? What's the point? Who even watches it? Why? All this and more with Alex, Emily, and Levi.
Memes
June 10, 2019 14:30 - 37 minutes - 52.1 MBDid you ever think this day would come? Us neither. I can't speak for the team, actually. I'm just an episode description. This week Alex, Emily, and Levi discuss internet memes. How did they come about? Why do they persist? What even counts? All this and more this week!
Star Wars (the rest of it!)
June 03, 2019 14:30 - 52 minutes - 55.7 MBAwhile back we covered the Star Wars prequels, but we sorta forgot about the rest. UNTIL NOW. This week Alex, Emily, and Levi take some time to discuss a franchise near and dear to their hearts: Star Wars. Or at least the rest of the movies. The games get an honorable mention. We hope you enjoy it as much as we enjoy Star Wars.
True Crime
May 27, 2019 14:30 - 47 minutes - 49.6 MBYou kids wanna hear about a dead body? Or like, actually, yeah, pretty much just murder. This week we're talking about the pop culture phenomenon that is true crime. From old-timey murder pamphlets to the modern podcast, there is a well documented and long standing interest in true crime. But why? What's the draw? As always, Alex, Emily, and Levi are here to talk you through it. Enjoy!
Harry Potter (the character!)
May 20, 2019 14:30 - 48 minutes - 50.9 MBWe haven't talked about a single thing from the Harry Potter franchise this whole season, and it's time to change that! This time around we're talking about the Boy Who Lived! Harry Potter is, we think, a maybe overlooked aspect of his own franchise, but we like him just fine anyway. So how exactly is he seen? Why is he seen that way? What would a true crime podcast look like in the Harry Potter world? All this and more this week with Alex, Emily, and Levi.
Keanu Reeves
May 13, 2019 14:33 - 43 minutes - 46.1 MBIt's time to talk about the internet's favorite nice boy: Keanu Reeves. Bill & Ted, The Matrix, Speed, John Wick, Keanu's career is varied, fun, and loved by many. Not to mention all the rumors about his over the top, delightful kindness. But as always... why do we like him so much? Listen along as Alex, Emily, and Levi explore just that.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
May 06, 2019 14:30 - 39 minutes - 41.3 MBThey're New York's finest (and arguably foine-est). This week, Alex, Emily, and Levi spend some time with their favorite fictional police team, Brooklyn Nine-Nine. It's an endlessly endearing show with a cast you can't help but love and an incredibly self assured identity. It's pretty obvious why it works, but we wanted to talk about it anyway.
A Review of Avengers: Endgame
April 29, 2019 15:14 - 1 hour - 69.4 MBIf ever there was a time to do something different, this is it! If you haven't seen Endgame yet and do care about not having the movie ruined for you, definitely skip this one. IT'S GOT SPOILERS. LIKE A LOT. But also... spoiler for the episode: We all had a really great time watching that movie and were super excited to talk about it.
Pro Wrestling
April 22, 2019 14:30 - 39 minutes - 42 MBARE YOU READY?! Hope so. Because it's happening. From WCW to WWE, this week we're talking about that wildly popular, perpetually questioned, over the top performance art that is pro wrestling. For something so often looked down on, how does it thrive? Why do we like it? Alex, Emily, and Levi (but really, mostly Alex) talk all about it this week.
Riverdale
April 15, 2019 14:30 - 41 minutes - 43.6 MBThe gritty reboot no one asked for but (some) people love: Riverdale! It's got musical episodes, melodrama, murder, and drugs with silly names... so just about everything. It's not the Archie you know, but it's certainly something & Alex, Emily and Levi are determined to figure out just what that is.
Whether you're on it or not, you've heard of Facebook at the very least. With some peculiar but well documented origins at Harvard, this social media platform has evolved into something else entirely, a seemingly unstoppable influence in modern culture. But it's not without its share of controversy, so why are we still using it? That's what Alex, Emily, and Levi try to sort out this week.
Star Trek
April 01, 2019 14:30 - 54 minutes - 57.9 MBSpace, the final frontier. We are going THERE. Join Alex, Emily, and Levi as they venture through the stars, exploring space with Captains Kirk, Picard, Janeway, and more. This beloved, decades old franchise has had plenty of incarnations, with just as much depth and we want to talk about just what makes it so successful.
Rob Reiner
March 25, 2019 14:30 - 36 minutes - 39.9 MBYou might not know him, but you probably love his work. Rob Reiner has been directing for decades, with a particular hot streak in the 80s and 90s. His beloved movies are still watched and quoted to this day, but as far as genre he's a bit all over the place, so... how does that work? That's what Alex, Emily, and Levi want to find out this week.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
March 18, 2019 14:23 - 51 minutes - 55.6 MBWe've been talking about this episode for awhile now, and it's finally here! Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Listen along as Alex, Emily, and Levi (but really, mostly Emily) talk about this iconic series, the movie that spawned it, and the comics that followed it. What about Buffy do we love so much? Which love interest was the worst? Can a vampire turn its pet into a vampire and have a forever dog?
Board Games
March 12, 2019 00:00 - 47 minutes - 51 MBIt's time to roll the dice! This week Alex, Emily, and Levi talk about board games (well, games, really--anything that gets you around a table). We go over our favorites, talk about what we enjoy in games, and share plenty of stories all in this week's episode.
Batman
March 04, 2019 16:38 - 46 minutes - 49.9 MBHe's been in comics, cartoons, movies and more. You know him, you love him, the Dark Knight himself, Mr. Bruce Wayne! He's got gadgets and gizmos aplenty, villains out the wazoo, and an unwaivering commitment to not killing people. Listen along as Alex, Emily, and Levi talk about the caped crusader and just what it is that we like about him.
Disneyland
February 25, 2019 15:45 - 55 minutes - 61.3 MBIt's time to go to the happiest place on earth! Or at least talk about. This week Alex, Emily, and especially Levi share their thoughts on the magical place that is Disneyland. What is it that we love so much? The answer is... just about everything.
Dreamworks Animated Movies
February 18, 2019 17:00 - 31 minutes - 33.9 MBIt's hard to get noticed in the world of animated movies with Disney & Pixar being the heavyweights they are, but Dreamworks Animated has carved out a spot for itself with classics like The Prince of Egypt, Shrek, and the more recent How to Train Your Dragon. Listen along as Alex, Emily, and Levi discuss the offbeat film company, and Alex podcasts so hard he pukes.
King Trivia the Fifth
February 11, 2019 15:45 - 34 minutes - 36.8 MBWe've got questions! We've got answers! Sometimes they even go together. Alex, Emily, and Levi are kicking off a brand new season with a round of trivia about last season's topics. Listen along, see what you know, and see what we don't.
Breakfast Cereals
February 04, 2019 15:45 - 25 minutes - 27 MBIt's the final episode of our off-season! It's not pop culture specific, but we really love cereal. So this episode is all about sugary breakfasts and just how to go about eating them.
Beast Wars: Transformers
January 28, 2019 18:31 - 21 minutes - 22.2 MBIn our fifth installment of the off season, Alex takes Emily and Levi on a ride through the 3D animated Transformers series, Beast Wars. Optimus is a monkey, Megatron is a T-rex, and the toys are the coolest. Listen along and tell us what your favorite was on twitter @WWTAcast.
Our First CDs
January 21, 2019 15:30 - 22 minutes - 23.6 MBAdding a little variety to our Back in the Day series this week Alex, Emily, and Levi share and reminisce about their first CDs (and concerts and more). From pop to alternative to Pokemon, this episode has a little bit of everything.
The Disney Afternoon
January 14, 2019 16:45 - 18 minutes - 20.7 MBLots of animals, mostly ducks. The Disney Afternoon was a magical block of programming for kids full of over the top animated shows we all know and love. From the catchy theme songs to the endearing characters, these shows are burned into our collective brain. Listen along as Levi leads Emily and Alex in reminiscing and reviewing the Disney Afternoon.
Animorphs
January 07, 2019 17:08 - 39 minutes - 41.5 MBWhat if teens got the ability to morph into animals? What if they had to use it to fight a covert invasion of earth by mind-controlling space slugs? What if their only ally is a commercial obsessed, furry, blue, centaur with a scorpion tail? That's Animorphs. This week Alex, Emily, and Levi revisit this treasured piece of media from back in the day (except Levi, he's a little older than us).
Troubling a Star
December 31, 2018 16:00 - 25 minutes - 26.2 MBWe're taking things easy for a few weeks by reviewing things we loved as children. First up is Emily leading a discussion of Madeleine L'engle's "Troubling a Star." This YA suspense thriller has nuclear waste, a man in a penguin suit, a young poet, and a prince! How could you not love it?
What We're Looking Forward to in 2019
December 24, 2018 16:00 - 33 minutes - 35.8 MBWith the podcast season and the year coming to an end, we thought it'd be nice to look forward to what's coming. Alex, Emily, and Levi come to the table with some of their most anticipated bits of pop culture for 2019.
Love Actually
December 17, 2018 16:10 - 38 minutes - 41.3 MBAll across Britain people are falling in and out of love in this early 2000s holiday classic. From school yard crushes to crushing infidelity and everything in between, this movie has it all. It's even got a naked Bill Nighy singing a kitschy Christmas parody. So why do we like it? Aside from the obvious and aforementioned reasons, of course. Listen along and find out this week as Alex, Emily, and Levi talk through one of their favorite Christmas movies.
Christmas Movies
December 10, 2018 17:09 - 45 minutes - 47.6 MBTis the season for seasonal episodes! This week is all about Christmas movies. From the classic-classics like It's a Wonderful Life to the new classics like Elf to the deluge of Hallmark films, Alex, Emily, and Levi are here for all of it. Cozy up with some cocoa and listen along as we try to figure out what we're really talking about when we talk about Christmas movies.
The Harry Potter Movies
December 03, 2018 15:30 - 57 minutes - 61.5 MBWe make it a point every season to discuss Harry Potter for one episode and this is that episode! We're cutting out ALL the reading and focusing in on just the cinematic adventures of Harry Potter. Listen as Alex, Emily, and Levi explore their feelings on the casting, directors, and future of the franchise.
Biopics
November 26, 2018 17:26 - 37 minutes - 40.5 MBAmazing performances & untold stories. Biopics are the superhero origin stories of our world, the dramatic and (mostly) true stories of the famous and notorious. But what makes a good one? Why do they sometimes stray from the truth? And as always, why do we like them? All this and more with your regular hosts: Alex, Emily, and Levi.
Pokemon
November 19, 2018 17:30 - 42 minutes - 44.9 MBFrom kanto to Alola, the Game Boy to the Switch, Pokemon has captured the attention of children for decades. And with good reason. These little pocket monsters are engaging, adorable, and just the right kind of weird. But what's the bigger picture here? Why does it work so well when the games tend to recycle a formula? Why didn't Ash age in the cartoon?! (We don't actually get into that one.) All this and more this week.
Romcoms
November 12, 2018 16:25 - 38 minutes - 40.7 MBGrand gestures. Discussing life over pickup basketball. Best friends. Misunderstandings. Tropes and formulas abound in the romantic comedy genre, and yet it just keeps going. So what makes it tick and why do we like it so much? Listen along as Alex, Emily, and Levi work through their feelings on romcoms.
Myspace
November 05, 2018 16:27 - 39 minutes - 42.2 MBThis episode is a bit of a blast from the past as we reminisce over the social networking king of the mid 200s, MySpace. We had profile songs, custom HTML, bulletins, and top 8s. It was the forerunner to modern social platforms, but why did it succeed and why did it die? Listen along as Alex, Emily, and Levi agonize over ranking their friends, finding the perfect song, and customizing their pages with themes to be *just* right.
Monster Movies
October 29, 2018 15:32 - 34 minutes - 36.6 MBWe did the dang thing! The Monster Mash! Kinda. It's an episode about monsters, specifically in movies. From the early days of the Universal Monsters to 2017's "The Monster" these otherly creatures have haunted our minds. So what makes a good monster? Do the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park count? What about aliens? Zombies? All this and more as Alex, Emily, and Levi explore just what's going bump in the night.
Stranger Things
October 22, 2018 14:25 - 44 minutes - 47.4 MBSome things are stranger, others are stranger. This episode has been a long time coming and we couldn't be happier to finally record it. Stranger Things took everyone by surprise when its first season debuted, and it has only built momentum since. We all like it a *lot* but we have to ask ourselves why? Is it the cast? The 80s vibes? The killer soundtrack? Listen along and find out.
Urban Legends
October 15, 2018 15:56 - 36 minutes - 38.5 MBThis episode has EVERYTHING. Hooks for hands, spider bites that are actually full of eggs and explode with baby spiders, dogs that lick your hand. EVERYTHING. Alex, Emily, and Levi are continuing the spooky season talking about those stories we all know from our best friend's dad's cousin's mom's hair stylist's grandson's half-brother. You know, urban legends.
Stephen King
October 08, 2018 13:49 - 46 minutes - 48.9 MBContinuing in our spooky October series, this week we are talking all about Stephen King. From page to screen and everything in between, Alex, Emily, and Levi are walking through the deep and wide canon of Mr. King. Is he the master of horror? How is he so successful? Are the adaptations good? All this and more this week.
Ghosts
October 01, 2018 14:47 - 38 minutes - 41.3 MBIt's finally October and you know what that means! Spooky episodes! Alex, Emily, and Levi are kicking things off by taking a minute to talk about ghosts. How do you become one? What do you do once you are one? Is it worth it to haunt a Blockbuster Video? The missing intro is because, we believe, a ghost took it.
Movie Trailers
September 24, 2018 13:20 - 44 minutes - 46.9 MBYou like watching ads but feeling like it's entertainment? Boy, have we got the perfect thing for you! Movie trailers. Previews. Teasers. First trailers, second trailers, international trailers, second international trailers. They're good, they're bad, they give everything away at times. Listen along this week as Alex, Emily, and Levi discuss movie trailers.
This is Us
September 17, 2018 15:32 - 41 minutes - 44.1 MBSeason 3 of This is Us premieres in one week, so what better time to talk about it? This week Alex, Emily, and Levi work through Dan Fogleman's awarding winning, feels inducing TV drama and ask the very important question "is this us?"
Spider-Man
September 10, 2018 14:45 - 50 minutes - 53.3 MBLet's crawl some walls and sling some webs! This week Alex, Emily, and Levi are discussing Peter Parker AKA Spider-Man. How did he come to be? Why do we like him? What is it that comes with great power again? What's the Parker Luck? All this and more this week.
Podcasts
September 03, 2018 13:45 - 48 minutes - 52.3 MBIt's about to get meta. This week Alex, Emily, and Levi try explain the popularity, purpose, and niches of podcasts. From true crime to comedy to history to design, there's a podcast for just about everything but we want to know how that happened and why it keeps going.
The Beatles
August 27, 2018 15:29 - 37 minutes - 41.4 MBJohn, Paul, George and Ringo--the fab four truly needs no introduction. Their career together lasted less than a decade, but their influence has been so much more. Listen along as Alex, Emily, and Levi dig into the music and impact of the Beatles, and what they mean for us and for culture at large.