Pretty Much Pop is a culture podcast. We talk about TV, movies, music, games, podcasts, novels, comedy, theater, etc., exploring why and how we consume these things.
How does pop culture even work in a world that is so fragmented and connected? Where’s the line between trash and treasure? As a wit once put it: “If so-and-so is so famous, why have I never heard of them?” (Or as another wit once asked: “What the deal with [insert the thing you don’t get here]?”) We’ll take a crack at questions like these.
Our guests have included actors, comedians, professors, journalists, other podcasters, and various insightful friends. Feel free to reach out if you might want to join us on the show some time.
Meet your host and some of your co-hosts for Pretty Much Pop:
Mark Linsenmayer is a writer/musician living in Madison, WI who’s the aeons-long host of the Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast, and also the Nakedly Examined Music Podcast and Philosophy vs. Improv. Listen to his tunes at marklint.bandcamp.com. Follow: @MarkLinsenmayer
Lawrence Ware teaches philosophy at Oklahoma State University and is the director of its Africana Studies Program. He’s written for Slate, the New York Times and The Root, and has been a commentator for the Huffington Post Live, NPR, and TV One. See Lawrence-ware.com. Follow: @law_writes, @law.writes.
Sarahlyn Bruck is a writing professor and novelist. Her third book will be published in Jan. 2024 by Lake Union Publishing. She lives in Philadelphia with her family. See sarahlynbruck.com. Follow: @sarahlynbruck, @sarahlynbruck.
Al Baker is a UK-based fact checker, writer, ex-academic, ex-musician, and dungeon master. Follow: @ixisnox.
The first two years of the podcast featured Brian Hirt, a science-fiction writer with linguistics training who’s know Mark since middle school.
Our first two years also featured Erica Spyres, an actor/musician who’s appeared on Broadway and plays classical and bluegrass violin. See ericaspyres.com.