Episodes

  • Shen Yun (with Jenny Yang)
    Mar 26 2026

    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 About? with Jenny Yang”

    Read Jia Tolentino: Stepping Into the Uncanny Wold of Shen Yun

    Read Falun Gong: Spiritual Warfare and Martyrdom by James R. Lewis

    Watch Elijah Lemard: “I Infiltrated Shen Yun”

    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.

    Support independent pop journalism and join us on Patreon at Pop Mystery Pod. Get access to ad free episodes, bonus content, and polls about upcoming topics. patreon.com/PopMysteryPod

    Follow Tess’s other podcasts Lady to Lady and Toxic: The Britney Spears Story wherever you get your pods.

    Make sure to leave us a review! And tell a friend about the show!


    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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    1 hr and 13 mins
  • The Screenwriter Who Faded to Black (with Christian Duguay)
    Mar 19 2026

    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.”

    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.

    Support independent pop journalism and join us on Patreon at Pop Mystery Pod. Get access to ad free episodes, bonus content, and polls about upcoming topics. patreon.com/PopMysteryPod

    Follow Tess’s other podcasts Lady to Lady and Toxic: The Britney Spears Story wherever you get your pods.

    Make sure to leave us a review! And tell a friend about the show!


    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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    1 hr and 9 mins
  • Free Britney Was Right.
    Mar 12 2026

    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.

    Theme song by Rick Wood @Rickw00d.

    Support independent pop journalism and join us on Patreon at Pop Mystery Pod. Get access to ad free episodes, bonus content, and polls about upcoming topics. patreon.com/PopMysteryPod

    Follow Tess’s other podcasts Lady to Lady and Toxic: The Britney Spears Story wherever you get your pods.

    Make sure to leave us a review! And tell a friend about the show!


    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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    17 mins
  • The People You Meet at Groundhog Day
    Mar 6 2026

    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.

    Watch Greg Sadler’s lectures on “The Myth of Sisyphus” here.

    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.

    Support independent pop journalism and join us on Patreon at Pop Mystery Pod. Get access to ad free episodes, bonus content, and polls about upcoming topics. patreon.com/PopMysteryPod

    Follow Tess’s other podcasts Lady to Lady and Toxic wherever you get your pods.

    Make sure to leave us a review! And tell a friend about the show!

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    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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    56 mins
  • Britney Spears Sells Britney Spears: A Britney’s Gram Reunion! (with Babs Gray)
    Feb 26 2026

    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-host of Britney’s Gram (@BritneysGram)!

    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.

    Support independent pop journalism and join us on Patreon at Pop Mystery Pod. Get access to ad free episodes, bonus content, and polls about upcoming topics. patreon.com/PopMysteryPod

    Follow Tess’s other podcasts Lady to Lady and Toxic: The Britney Spears Story wherever you get your pods.

    Make sure to leave us a review! And tell a friend about the show!


    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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    1 hr and 2 mins
  • Angelyne (with Chris Farah)
    Feb 19 2026

    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 Chris Farah (@chrislfarah) host of the “Vanity Farah” podcast.


    Read “Angelyne’s True Identity is Finally Solved,” by Gary Baum

    Watch “Angelyne” on Peacock


    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.


    Support independent pop journalism and join us on Patreon at Pop Mystery Pod. Get access to ad free episodes, bonus content, and polls about upcoming topics. patreon.com/PopMysteryPod


    Follow Tess’s other podcasts Lady to Lady and Toxic: The Britney Spears Story wherever you get your pods.


    Make sure to leave us a review! And tell a friend about the show!



    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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    1 hr and 35 mins
  • Babes in Hollyweirdland: Can We Keep Young Performers Safe? (with Stacy Keanan and Christine Lakin)
    Feb 12 2026

    Clearly, there will always be a demand for young people on screen. Shows geared toward young audiences have a huge appeal, and they usually feature kids as principal performers. Recent revelations about the conditions on kids shows like “All That” have led to serious concerns by some people over whether it’s ethical to have kids on set at all. Joining Tess to share their own experiences as child stars are Stacy Keanan and Christine Lakin lead actors on the sitcom “Step by Step.”Stacy and Christine are also hosts of the podcast “Keanan and Lakin Give You Deja Vu.” (@keananandlakin)

    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.


    Support independent pop journalism and join us on Patreon at Pop Mystery Pod. Get access to ad free episodes, bonus content, and polls about upcoming topics. patreon.com/PopMysteryPod


    Follow Tess’s other podcasts Lady to Lady and Toxic: The Britney Spears Story wherever you get your pods.


    Make sure to leave us a review! And tell a friend about the show!



    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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    1 hr and 17 mins
  • The Music Universal Studios Lost Forever (with Steven Ray Morris)
    Feb 5 2026

    When a fire tore through the backlot of Universal Studios in 2008, it took with it countless priceless music archives. Recordings from a staggering number of artists, from Nirvana to Aretha Franklin were incinerated, never to be heard by anyone again. For its part, Universal Music Group has appeared to be transparent with neither the impacted artist nor the general public, in terms of assessing the scale of the damage done that day. Joining Tess to talk through this sad and fascinating story is Steven Ray Morris @stevenraymorris, host of “See Jurassic Right,” who has produced shows like “My Favorite Murder” and “Jordan Jesse Go.”


    Read “The Day the Music Burned” by Jody Rosen


    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.


    Support independent pop journalism and join us on Patreon at Pop Mystery Pod. Get access to ad free episodes, bonus content, and polls about upcoming topics. patreon.com/PopMysteryPod


    Follow Tess’s other podcasts Lady to Lady and Toxic: The Britney Spears Story wherever you get your pods.


    Make sure to leave us a review! And tell a friend about the show!


    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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    1 hr and 20 mins