One of our generation’s greatest pop music critics, Ann Powers (NPR Music), sits down with Karen and Wynter to process the new Woodstock 99 doc, and music festivals in general, while exploring the cultural conditions that stoked this calamity.  This week, both hosts are up to going deep on Mike White’s latest HBO limited series, The White Lotus, and as promised, wrap up their take on the Fear Street trilogy by processing the 1666 edition. Plus, a homonymic nuo-lingo and songs of the week by powerful female artists working in *very* different styles. Find all things W2X at www.w2xpodcast.com

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Ep. 73: Woodstock 99 & Music Festivals with Ann Powers

Wynter tells Karen to suck it up for a ride down R.L. Stine’s Fear Street, especially with the release of the trilogy on Netflix and its deep GenX flex (from 1994 to 1978). SPOILERS ABOUND! Before we get to the scary parts, Karen insists we process this year’s Emmy nominations. Which categories does she deem a veritable “Sophie’s Choice”?  Meanwhile, Wynter makes some special requests of the team working on the new, Samantha-less SATC reboot. Plus, an update on all the nuo-lingo recently added to Dictionary.com, some of which our regular listeners already know, and a couple of 90s hits in keeping with our Fear Street moods. Find all things W2X at w2xpodcast.com

Ep. 72: Ridin’ Down Fear Street: 1994 and 1978

We go long this week to pore over all the shout horns, crotchy synth chords and late-80s affluence of what Mike Pace famously describes as Spago rock. Molly Lambert explains the Spago-adjacent music she and her brother have dubbed “Glass Bricks rock,” and the whole panel gets into what Wolfgang Puck and Spago as fantasy and reality meant to pop culture from the 1980s onward. Wynter and Karen kick off the show by processing the homosocial episode of Dave, and explain why Apple TV’s Physical is more than a glossy journey through 1980s aerobics culture.  Nuo-lingo reminds us we’re in a pandemic, and we leave you with a song in honor of the recently departed cultural critic, Lauren Berlant.   

Ep. 71: Soft, Yacht, and Spago Rock with Mike Pace and Molly Lambert

Wynter asks us all to think about the films and TV shows that changed the game, from those that captured the style and essence of their era (Clueless), to those that transformed the cultural conversation (Boyz N The Hood, and the early-80s trifecta of Victor/Victoria, Tootsie, and Yentl). Karen celebrates Pride month by getting into the FX docuseries, Pride alongside the series finale of Pose, while Wynter dishes about the cast shake-ups on RHOC. The two brace themselves as the state of California lifts all Coronavirus restrictions, and coin their own nuo-lingo, #unvaxxinista in the process, even as they explain another one. Plus there is a super soft rock vibe to this week that foreshadows what’s in store in the future. Find all things W2X at w2xpodcast.com

Ep. 70: Gamechangers: Film & TV Edition

Wynter and Karen hit all the angles of the HBO Max Friends reunion, from the true MVPs of the cast, to Irish uncle Joey, to its efforts to compensate for the show’s lack of diversity by highlighting its global legacy. The two get into a surprisingly deep conversation about tennis as Wynter tells everyone to leave Naomi Osaka in peace. Karen plots a return to Las Vegas to see Celine Dion early next year, and preps for it by watching Army of the Dead and Hacks. Nuo lingo gets literary, cinematic, and political, while our songs of the week are here to mellow you out. Find all things W2X at w2xpodcast.com

Ep. 69 - The One With the Friends Reunion

Their former girl group sister, Guy Branum told Karen and Wynter to watch the new Peacock series Girls 5Eva so they could all process it 3gether, which they do on this week’s ep. Karen is too busy cavorting in the gay woods with her vaxxed BFFs to absorb any new pop culture, though Guy does bring up one of their favorite old topics--lesbian representation on Top Chef--to keep things sapphically interesting. Wynter gets into the new CNN docuseries about The Story of Late Night, while peering into her crystal ball about what we might expect from the genre in years to come. Nuo-lingo gets “cheugy” with it, plus some music from the late 90s to Y2K. Y2K Playlist (Spotify)  Find all things W2X at w2xpodcast.com

Ep. 68: Girls 5 Eva, 3gether with Guy Branum

Dust off your dial-up, and join Wynter and Karen for a glimpse at social media through the ages, from the classic AOL Instant Messenger, to all the apps we rushed to download during the pandemmy like Marco Polo, HouseParty, and Clubhouse. Karen is all-in for HBO’s Mare of Easttown and all things Kate Winslet, while Wynter tells us about her adventures in cryptocurrency. The two also get into The Mitchells vs. The Machines, Sony Animation’s latest, featuring a queer lead. Plus, nuo-lingo and two fresh olde bops. Find all things W2X at www.w2xpodcast.com

Ep. 67: Our AIM is True - Social Media Through the Ages

What upcoming movie releases will inspire Karen and Wynter to leave the comfort and safety of their pandemic bunkers to go to an actual theater?!? This is an especially tall order since news broke of the Arclight & Cineramadome’s demise in Hollywood, RIP. Hint: (M)CU at the movies…  Meanwhile, the two continue on a docu-tear as Wynter reveals what Sasquatch on Hulu is really about. KT’s talk of a new true crime doc set in Riverside, CA--Netflix’s Why Did You Kill Me?--sends both hosts spinning out into memories of MySpace. WARNING: SPOILERS ABOUND FOR BOTH FILMS.  The two wrap up their recurring segment about The Real World: Homecoming wishing for more. Plus, a nuo-lingo that would get us in trouble in Japan and two classic songs of the week.

Ep. 66 At the Movies (Again!)

Wynter and Karen welcome longtime listener Nick Murphy, a fierce advocate and fan of the great Tina Turner, to chat about the new HBO doc revisiting her legacy. The three focus on what it means to truly pursue your dreams in your 40s. Wynter is deep in a doc dive, and gives us the skinny on Hulu’s We Work exposé as well as Q: Into the Storm. Karen eats her words about bad British Netflix shows, as she raves about the BBC series, The Serpent, a true crime drama about a French serial killer who preyed on hippies and backpackers in 1970s Thailand.  Becky-watch 2021 continues as the two continue their Real World: Homecoming processing sessions leading up to the finale. Plus, nuo-lingo and two new SOTWs. The Blessed Madonna’s set in Wynter's night club: https://open.spotify.com/user/fishy38/playlist/1aO3WQIKe1uiwX8hIpfIQK?si=FC2t9XHIRAyV1sHRFJvRGA Find all things W2X at www.w2xpodcast.com

Ep. 65 Better Be Good to TINA, with Nick Murphy

Karen and Wynter confront the surge in anti-AAPI hate and violence during Covid, while exploring how its longer histories are intertwined with pop culture. Karen shouts out some writers doing the hard work of responding to the Atlanta shootings in venues like Vanity Fair and GQ, and tells Wynter what she’s been watching--both good and bad--to ease her mind.  The two impromptu launch a recurring segment on The Real World: Homecoming and get into what’s the matter with Becky. Plus, WTF is an NFT? And why do we people think British accents on Netflix make shows better? (Spoiler alert: they don’t).

Ep. 64 It’s An Honor Just to Be Asian... #StopWhiteSupremacy

Wynter and Karen reveal the different reasons each of them cried when they watched The Real World: Homecoming, which reunites the cast of MTV’s first season of The Real World: New York (1992). Whose fashion and “smooth concave chest” do they miss most? And what are their impressions of the cast members both then and now? Plus, the two take a deep dive into THE event of the last week, Oprah’s exclusive interview with Meghan Markle and Prince Harry. Plus nuo-lingo, and songs of the week both old and new that slap.

Ep. 63 - Coming Home to The Real World

Wynter and Karen immerse themselves into WandaVision, as they explore how we use TV to work through our grief in myriad ways. Ever the completist, Karen re-watched all 23 films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in timeline order, and reports back to us after a month living through the Infinity Saga. Wynter gets into the deja vu vibes of Tiger Woods’ recent car accident just a year after Kobe’s death, and right before our collective paniniversary. Plus, the two process HBO’s Allen vs. Farrow, and the magic of MC Hammer’s Foucauldian forays on Twitter. Wynter's piece on WandaVision 

Ep. 62: The World of WandaVision

Writer, comedian, and Asian American cultural icon Jenny Yang joins us to process WTF Bling Empire is all about. Karen and Wynter call an audible, and devote their ‘sup segment to Framing Britney Spears, because it truly is the only thing that’s on everyone’s minds these days, as the pressure intensifies to #FreeBritney from her father’s conservatorship. Plus, nuo-lingo from this extended phase of the pandemic, and some Britney songs worth (re)listening to. Find all things Waiting to X-Hale at w2xpodcast.com

Ep. 61: #FreeBritney + Bling Empire w/ Jenny Yang

Karen and Wynter kick off season 4 and 2021--the year this millennium is finally old enough to drink--with reflections on when they each turned 21. For Wynter, it was 2001, and she recalls her days tearing up the San Francisco scene, while immersing herself in new tech & the internet as her primary form of entertainment. Karen throws us back to 1994, the year she turned 21 and took her first trip ever to NYC for Stonewall 25. It was the year that The Real World: San Francisco with Pedro Zamora shared the airwaves with Friends, and R&B artists like Boyz II Men and Toni Braxton ruled the pop charts alongside Ace of Base. Plus, Wynter checks into Discovery+’s Cecil Hotel and Karen locks all her doors & windows to The Night Stalker docu-series on Netflix. Find all our socials and merch at w2xpodcast.com!

Ep. 60: FOREVER 21

While the show is on a holiday hiatus, we wanted to share a podcast project Karen has been working on at USC that you might be into!  The Consortium for Gender, Sexuality, Race and Popular Culture is a start-up podcast network within the Department of Gender & Sexuality Studies, and working with both faculty and students to produce informative audio stories in multiple genres. Dance Hubs is one of the first series to premiere, and we put together a trailer to share on the feeds today. Dance Hubs is an audio series about spaces where dancers assemble, exchange, hang out, and pass through as they navigate the global intersections of their cultural practices. The inaugural story in this audio series features “the Loft,” a temporary residence for dancers from around the world.

Bonus Trailer: Dance Hubs

A Gen X-themed show with podcast veterans Wynter Mitchell-Rohrbaugh and Karen Tongson (Pop Rocket). W2X revisits the pop culture & social issues that defined Generation X from a (queer) woman-of-color perspective in a way that sheds new light on the pop culture from both then, and now.

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