The Couch Podcast
Conversations about pop culture and why it matters
The Couch Podcast :: Looking Back to 1994 with Jenny Rapson (S2E18)
Not only is 2019 the 25th anniversary of Friends, our loss of Kurt Cobain, and the original (and only good) Lion King, but it’s also the 25th anniversary of my first date with my husband. So 1994 is deeply embedded in my heart and my memory, including all the pop culture that came with it. Luckily, my friend Jenny was also a hormonal, impressionable, and likely melodramatic teen in 94, and she agreed to sit down with me and reminisce.
BONUS EPISODE :: The Christmas Couch, episode 1
Welcome to The Christmas Couch, a series of bonus podcast episodes devoted to holiday movies. Each week during the holiday season, Anna Rendell and I are going to share our favorite new movies from the weekend before and then make sure you know when they’re playing again in case they aren’t all saved on your DVR. (And some weeks, LIKE THIS ONE, we’ll tell you which movie should be avoided at all costs.)
The Couch Podcast :: Halloween in Pop Culture with Amy Clark (S2E17)
In this episode my friend Amy and I are talking Halloween in pop culture, starting with our favorite costumes and ending with the scary movies Amy thinks I might be able to handle (despite my tendency to be a great big scaredy cat baby). I have little kids and a low tolerance for spookiness, while she has older kids and loves to be scared. So we have a great mix of Halloween fun in books, movies, and TV shows for you.
The Couch Podcast :: Hallmark Christmas Movie Preview with Anna Rendell (S2E16)
It’s that time of year! We are fully into fall now, friends, so it must be time to talk about holiday movies, right?! I know, I know, Christmas is so many weeks away. But take it up with Hallmark! Because the onslaught of holiday movies coming your way starts in just a few days. Once again, Anna Rendell and I are honored to be your guides through this holiday movie season, and we help you get started in this episode by picking the new Hallmark movies we think you might want to watch this year.
The Couch Podcast :: Treat Yourself with Amber Salhus (S2E15)
Today’s episode is all about treating yourself. Or, as Donna and Tom say on Parks and Rec, TREAT YO SELF! But we’re not just talking mimosas or fine leather goods. Nope. My friend Amber and I are talking about the whole gamut of self-care, from good health practices to genuine indulgence. I mean. Within parameters. Nobody here has a money tree or days on end to spare. So each one of us shares ideas for treating yourself with care, from the small things to the really crucial. Also, zebras might be involved.
The Couch Podcast :: Babies & Births in Pop Culture with Alana Dawson (S2E14)
This week, I had the best time talking with my friend Alana about babies and births in pop culture. Today is my oldest daughter’s birthday, and since her birth was a bit, shall we say, dramatic, I thought it would be appropriate to mark this occasion with a look at...
The Couch Podcast :: Ask the Couch, vol. 1 (S2E13)
I had a little scheduling mix-up this week, so I didn’t have a guest for this episode. Instead, I went solo and answered your burning pop culture questions. As it turns out, surprising to no one, I have both opinions and answers to share. I also have, surprising to me, the bad habit of overusing the word, “whatever.” So listen for that and enjoy!
The Couch Podcast :: Fall Movie Preview with Dawn Camp (S2E12)
My friend Dawn Camp, the biggest movie-goer I know, and I sat down and talked through all the movies coming out this fall. Just for you, we watched every single trailer we could find and then picked the movies we think we’ll go see and the movies you might like, too. We also take a quick look back at our summer movie picks to see what we got right and what we did not.
The Couch Podcast :: TV Shows for Tweens with Amanda White (S2E11)
Have you ever wondered, “What TV shows would my tween like?” and what you really meant was, “What shows would my tween like that I wouldn’t hate with the passion of a thousand burning suns?” or maybe, “What shows can I let my tween watch that are interesting and clever but not obnoxious or focused on romance, that tell great stories and maybe offer some gentle lessons but don’t hit them over the head with it because nobody really likes that?” Well, then, have we got a show for you.
The Couch Podcast :: Friends & Fall TV with Kayse Pratt (S2E10)
In honor of the show’s 25th anniversary (which is ridiculous because 1994 was just a couple years ago), I invited my friend and proven Friends expert, Kayse, to chat with me. Actually, I asked her to please give us a primer or refresher on Friends with the best episodes and guest stars and quotes. Boy, did she deliver. Kayse knows and loves her Friends!
The Couch Podcast :: Workplace Comedies We Love with Grace P. Cho
This week’s episode is about workplace comedies. As we chat, you’ll hear me try to convince Grace to branch out to other workplace comedies. And we’ll debate what defines a workplace comedy in the first place. What IS Brooklyn Nine-Nine? Is it a workplace comedy? A cop show? Who knows? Well, maybe we do. You’ll have to listen to find out.
The Couch Podcast :: Dishing About Downton Abbey with Niki Hardy (S2E8)
Listen for the recap of Downton Abbey the show, listen for the musing about the upcoming Downton Abbey movie, or listen for the way I’m repeatedly awkward. So very awkward.