Cats: Crime of the Century?

Cats: Crime of the Century?

Author: Tess Barker July 11, 2024 Duration: 38:56
“Cats” is a musical so ridiculous that it often drives people to anger. So why has this absurd show made so much money, and how does it keep taunting us all with its reemergence into culture? Jellicle journalist, comic, and pop culture junkie Tess Barker is on the case.    Featuring interviews with actor Sara Jean Ford (On Broadway:  “Phantom of the Opera; “Finian’s Rainbow;” “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying;”  “Cats:” ) and musicologist and dramaturg Dr. Lynda Paul (professor, Yale University; PhD music history/ethnomusicology/performance studies).    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.   Abigail Keel was a consulting producer on this episode.    Special thanks to voice actors Sean Green and Babs Gray.    Clearance Counsel is  Dale Nelson and Jacqueline Swett at Donaldson Callif Perez, LLP   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!  

Ever find yourself rewatching an old awards show clip or remembering a bizarre celebrity headline and wondering what really happened behind the scenes? That’s the territory explored in Pop Mystery Pod. Hosted by investigative journalist Tess Barker, this podcast applies a reporter’s rigor to the glittering, often baffling world of pop culture. Barker, whose own deep research and firsthand reporting were instrumental in the #FreeBritney movement, brings that same tenacious curiosity to each story. Rather than just rehashing gossip, she treats these cultural moments like unsolved cases, digging into the archives and seeking out context that was missing when the story first broke. You’ll hear episodes that dissect events everyone talked about but maybe never truly understood, or incidents that seemed to vanish from the headlines a little too quickly. It sits at a compelling intersection of documentary, history, and societal observation, all filtered through the lens of film, TV, and celebrity. The result is a series that feels both like a detective story and a time capsule, revealing how these mysteries shape our collective memory. Tune in for a thoughtful, thoroughly researched deep dive that changes how you see the stories we think we already know.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 86

Pop Mystery Pod
Podcast Episodes
Minisode: Some Thoughts On Britney and the Biopic [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 19:48
While we’re all lining up to see “Wicked,” Tess has some thoughts on a different upcoming Jon Chu movie musical – the Britney Spears biopic. Britney herself has said on Instagram that this movie, which was optioned from…
Madonna and the Kabbalah Craze (with Rachel Fisher and Desi Jedeikin) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:38:59
There was a moment in history where it seemed like every celeb was dabbling in Kabbalah - the secretive spiritual practice that set up camp at the bottom of Beverly Hills. Madonna and her many famous friends were all wea…
What Dan Aykroyd Knows About Aliens (With CJ Sullivan) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:59
Aliens: their existence seems kind of inevitable, right? So why are they such a fringe topic? They’re not, to legendary comedian Dan Aykroyd, who has spent his entire life studying alien encounters. This SNL founding mem…
The Crow [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:19
Brandon Lee was supposed to have a long and successful film career. Instead, he died in a freak shooting accident on the set of his breakout film “The Crow.” He was shot by a blank. So how was that shot fatal? Tess talks…
The Mobster in Home Alone 2 (Minisode) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:37
Happy Halloween! We don't talk much about the woman buried at Donald Trump's golf course, huh? This strange and alarming story has been on Tess' mind for a couple years, and the week ahead of election day seems as good a…
The Hitman Who Was Woody Harrelson's Dad (with River Butcher) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:51
Woody Harrelson is a huge movie star. His dad Charles Harrelson was a storied hit man with a fascinating life. The two Harrelsons shared a lot, including the spotlight in twisted various ways. Joining Tess to talk throug…
Free Winona [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:02
In 2001, Winona Ryder was arrested for shoplifting clothes at Saks 5th Avenue. This resulted in the creation of a wildly trendy garment - the Free Winona t-shirt. The iconic tee was designed by Billy T @yquetradingpost.…
We Are The World (with Lizzy Cooperman) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:50
In the ‘80s, a gaggle of pop stars pulled an all-nighter to record “We Are the World.” This fever dream of a supergroup hit changed the course of self-serious mega collaborations forever. Comic, writer, and actor Lizzy C…
Pop Mystery Pod Presents: Burn This Podcast [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:05
Special feed drop! Tess has a stand up album coming out! Brandie Posey, creator of Burn This Records and Tess’s “Lady to Lady” co-host is here with an episode of her podcast “Burn This Podcast” talking to Tess about her…
The Gerbil Up Richard Gere's Butt [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:42
How did leading man Richard Gere become the subject of one of the most enduring and absurd rumors of all time? Investigative journalist takes a deep and twisted dive into how and why this story spread before the internet…