History

History Harpies: Pop Culture, Past and Present

by Lauren Rebecca Sklaroff and Christine Caldwell Ames

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Latest episodes

No, Sports Movies Are Never Actually About Sports (Ft. Ted Lasso, The Longest Yard, Bull Durham, and A League of Their Own)

October 6, 2026 · 1 hr 16 min

Lauren and Christine suit up, stretch out, and run excitedly out of the locker room as they ponder the American love of the sports movie (or tv show). Apparently, sports teaches us an awful lot about ourselves, and about America too. But…
Yes, Movies About Sex Used to Include Sex (Ft. One Night Only, It Follows, Porky's, and Bachelor Party)

September 10, 2026 · 1 hr 1 min

In their triumphant return for season two, Lauren and Christine stay up all night and wonder why Millenial and Gen Z films about sex are mostly about not having sex. And as mature Gen Xers, they agree that a donkey snorting coke will never…
Yes, He Is Eddie Murphy, Dammit! (Ft. Boomerang, Bowfinger, and Dolemite Is My Name)

April 25, 2026 · 40 min

In a fun-size episode, Lauren and Christine wear red leather suits and get out their diplomas from the Velvet Jones School of Technology while discussing the versatile career of genius Eddie Murphy.
Yes, Pop Culture Invented Friend Groups (Ft. Love is Blind, The Big Chill, and St Elmo’s Fire)

April 2, 2026 · 1 hr 12 min

Lauren and Christine honor “girl code,” map out love triangles and quadrangles, and book a big table for brunch as they consider the recent-ish popularity of friend groups in pop culture. And they marvel at the size of Rob Lowe’s saxophone.
No, Cathy and Heathcliff Aren’t Hollywood’s First Mad Lovers (Ft. Wuthering Heights, Body Heat, & 9 1/2 Weeks)

March 11, 2026 · 1 hr 10 min

Lauren and Christine sweat, sigh, and gasp as they consider passionate, obsessive, madly-in-love couples with unhappy endings. They make bad choices, but at least they look gorgeous!

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No, Rob Reiner Didn’t Invent Rom-Coms, But He Perfected Them (Ft. When Harry Met Sally, The Sure Thing, and It Happened One Night)

February 8, 2026 · 1 hr 9 min

Lauren and Christine take a road trip, sing show tunes, and bicker as they revisit two classic rom-coms directed by Rob Reiner, and the one directed by Frank Capra that started it all. And we’ll have what she’s having.
Yes, Rebels Are Always On the Run (Ft. One Battle After Another, North By Northwest, and Running on Empty)

January 14, 2026 · 1 hr 7 min

Lauren and Christine change their names, color their hair, and get fake IDs as they discuss Hollywood’s long love for mistaken identities, new identities, and criminals on the run. And they imagine the what-could-have-been of the…
Yes, Hollywood Has Always Turned the Camera on Itself (Ft. The Studio, Jay Kelly, and The Player)

December 8, 2025 · 1 hr 21 min

Lights, camera, and action as Lauren and Christine ask why Hollywood is so fascinated with making media about itself - a fascination that is as old as filmmaking. And what’s so terrible about twelve movies in an MK Ultra franchise…
Yes, Teachers and Students Are Always Complicated (Ft. After the Hunt, The Children’s Hour, & Tea and Sympathy)

November 17, 2025 · 1 hr 11 min

Lauren and Christine pour the tea, button their cardigans, and worry about getting tenure as they discuss three films about complicated relationships between teachers (and teachers’ spouses) and their students. Amid suspicions…
No, Don't Let That Dashingly Handsome Vampire Inside (Ft. Sinners, Dracula, and Interview With the Vampire)

October 29, 2025 · 1 hr 13 min

In this Halloween episode, Lauren and Christine hunt vampires from Europe in the 19th century to the American South in the 21st. If vampires are metaphors for a society’s fears, why do they always look so good? Book recommendations: John…
Yes, Nicole Kidman Has Always Been a Sexy Bold Queen (Ft. Dead Calm, To Die For, Eyes Wide Shut, and Babygirl)

October 14, 2025 · 1 hr 11 min

Lauren and Christine grab the harpoon guns and pour a cold glass of milk to discuss the diverse, sexy, bold choices of Oscar-winner Nicole Kidman. And they ask: When will Nicole date a nice 6’4” guy?
Yes, Mothers and Daughters Are Always Complicated (Ft. Mommie Dearest, Black Swan, and Unknown Number)

September 30, 2025 · 1 hr 29 min

Lauren and Christine get out the wire hangers, put on matching dresses, and gulp a vodka on the rocks as they consider mothers and daughters in pop culture.

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About the show

Two professors who love pop culture discuss why everything old (in movies, tv, music, and fashion) is new again. PhDs in History, advanced training in sass. Don’t forget to read your footnotes!