Midwest Besties
The pop culture podcast for the rest of us. TV, Books, Reality, Movies, Celeb Gossip, and More.
Episode 124 - The Beckhams are Fighting Again
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In this week’s pop culture potluck, the besties have a lot to discuss. First up: the explosive Vanity Fair article on Alex Cooper’s Unwell Network (spoiler alert: it’s not going well). Then, they dive into Olivia Rodrigo’s new album, You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love, and explain why they think it’s an absolute masterpiece. The conversation continues with the latest Beckham family drama (Team Brooklyn), the New York Knicks’ NBA Finals victory, and a roundup of all the TV shows currently consuming the besties’ lives.
FLYOVER DEEPDIVE - Summer House: The Aftermath
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It’s finally here: the end of the road for Summer House Season 10 (we mean it this time). The besties unpack The Aftermath sit-downs, including Lindsay giving Amanda every possible reason to run far, far away from West—only for Amanda to go to Italy with him anyway. We also cover Kyle and West’s conversation, which somehow lasted several minutes while providing exactly zero new information, and Ciara’s long-awaited chat with Meija. Sadly, the most baffling revelation of all is that Meija is apparently still talking to West. Ladies, stand up.
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Episode 123 - Love Island USA's Newest Fan
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We got our first heat wave of the season, besties—not just from these Midwestern temps, but from all the pop culture news, too.
On today’s episode, we share our concerns about how World Cup international teams will handle America’s humidity (it’s what’ll get ya), discuss how horror movies are bringing audiences back to theaters, and follow Lauren’s ascension into the Love Island fandom.
We also delicately discuss Ariana Grande’s shocking tour footage (Content Warning: Discussion of Disordered Eating), share the latest Taylor news, talk abo...
FLYOVER DEEPDIVE - Summer House Season 10 Reunion Part 3
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I’m tired of this reunion, Grandpa! Emily and Lauren are back to discuss the Summer House Season 10 Reunion Part 3. And wow! We hope you weren’t hungry because West and Amanda gave us nothing. And much like when your idiot coworkers don’t come to the meeting prepared, we now have to reschedule the drama for a later date, with Summer House: The Aftermath premiering next week. Bravo literally said, “That’s too damn bad, keep digging!” But we digress. In this episode, we discuss the revelations we did get, including West’s word-salad r...
The Boy Mom™ Essay that Broke the Internet
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In this week’s pop culture potluck, the besties talk about what is possibly the darkest of your for you page: Boy Moms™. Jenny Mollen’s weird Instagram post with her son and bizarre Substack essay left us with questions and concerns. We also chat about Taylor Swift’s original song for Toy Story and whether this will finally get her that coveted Oscar. We switch to TV to give our thoughts on the Hacks series finale and dive into the latest episode of Bravo’s In the City.
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FLYOVER DEEPDIVE - Summer House Season 10 Reunion Part 2
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In this fly over deep dive, your favorite besties get into the Summer House season 10 reunion (part two). The girlies discuss Amanda’s walk-off, West and Amanda giving us absolutely nothing, and Kyle trying to justify his bad behavior. They discuss Dara’s articulate read on West, a sweet moment between Carl and Lindsay, and so much more!
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Episode 121 - She's Definitely Not Our Wife
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The Summer House Season 10 Reunion Part 1 is officially here, and after weeks of us being absolutely rabid waiting for it, it did not disappoint. Who else is ready for the “She’s Your Wife. She’s Not My Wife” merch? WE ARE! Emily and Lauren dissect the intense episode from start to finish: Amanda’s cocktail of zoned out and coming in hot, Kyle barely keeping it together, Bailey giving us fabulous non-ScAmanda content, KJ’s vulnerability, and so much more. And hey, guess what? This isn’t (just) a Summer House podcast! We do...
Episode 120 - Everyone Needs to Get ON Off Campus
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The besties are back with a jam-packed episode. Emily and Lauren recap the Summer House season finale that lowkey felt like a series finale(yes, Lauren cried) and unpack the explosive reunion trailer. Lauren shares her newest TV obsession, Off Campus, while Emily gets into Widow’s Bay—romance and horror are SO BACK BABY. We also discuss why we know longer ride for Mary Beth Barone, the latest male loser on TV, Danny Booko from The Valley
FLYOVER DEEPDIVE - Famesick by Lena Dunham
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In this Flyover Deep Dive, the besties unpack Famesick by Lena Dunham. In her memoir, Lena gets into it all: skyrocketing to fame with Girls, her deeply dysfunctional friendship with Jenni Konner, Adam Driver (spoiler: apparently he really is just Adam IRL), and her six-year relationship with Jack Antonoff. Lena’s story is always set against the backdrop of her chronic illness–suffering from near-constant pain, endometriosis flares, surgeries, and her mental health. She gets into her complicated family dynamics, putting her work before her...
Episode 119: The Met Gala Sucks Now, But Girl, The LEWKS!
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Pop culture Potluck is BACK, and we have a smorgasbord! In this episode, we discuss our complicated feelings about the Met Gala and share our favorite and least favorite looks. Just because 90% of our closet is Old Navy doesn’t mean we don’t know fashion, hunty.
We also give the lowdown on the dark energy of Hulu’s new reality show lineups, including Vulture’s new Reality Masterclass, which features our arch-nemesis, N*** V****. We are not happy about it. What is making us happy is Middle...
FLYOVER DEEPDIVE - Yesteryear By Caro Clare Burke
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Besties, it’s Book Club Time! This week, Emily and Lauren take a break from discussing TV the internet can’t stop talking about to discuss the BOOK the internet can’t stop talking about. Yesteryear, by political and pop culture podcaster Caro Claire Burke, takes us inside the mind of the fictional tradwife social media influencer Natalie Heller Mills. The story is about what happens when Natalie wakes up to discover she is actually in the 1855 pioneer era. This book is a WILD RIDE, and the Besties talk about it all—influencer culture...
The Loose Tum in Jennifer Tilly's $40K Purse
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In this week’s pop culture potluck, we start off strong with the latest Summer House gossip. We chat about West and Amanda’s at the Yankees game, Ciara’s Glamour Cover, Mia’s WWHL interview, and recap S10 E12. We give our final thoughts on Real Housewives of Beverly Hills as the season finally wraps up, and get into Coachella Weekend Two. We chat Sabrina’s set, Olivia Rodrigo’s new single, and Kacey Musgraves’ last-minute show. We switch gears to TV, sharing what we’re watching now, including Big Mistakes<...
Episode 117: Alex vs Alix: The Hot White Girls Are Beefing
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What is up, Daddy Gang?! It’s us, your besties! And this week in our Pop Culture Potluck, we have quite the spread! First, we discuss the trailer for the new Summer House spin-off, In The City. Lauren talks about how Danielle has personally victimized her. We follow up on the Summer House Scamanda scandal and how we are low-key loving Amanda and West owning their pieces of SH*T era. We break down Sabrina Carpenter and Justin Bieber’s Coachella performances. Two artists living their truth, or the painful example of the...
Carl’s a Mess! The Aftermath of the Summer House Scandal
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Carl’s a mess, and so are we! In this week’s pop culture Pot Luck, the besties discuss the aftermath of the Summer House Scamanda (™). Emily explains the latest Lindy West memoir, Adult Braces, and the besties break down Belle Burden’s recently released book, Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage. In table scraps, we touch on Ina Garten and how Meghan Markle straight up copies her, the latest Sussex missteps, Real Housewives of Rhode Island, and The Valley premiere. Pull up a chair because this is a big ol’ meal!
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The Summer House Love Triangle Scandal Explained
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Have you checked on your Bravo fans lately, Besties? You should. They are not okay. In this very special episode, Lauren and Emily go FULL detective mode and take you through the Summer House scandal that has ROCKED the internet. If you've been in a coma for the past week, newly separated Amanda and newly redeemed f*** boy West are an ITEM. One small problem – West is the on-again, off-again love of Amanda’s best friend (and fellow Bed BugTM) Ciara. This story is developing so quickly that we got our first-ever brea...
Episode 114: Chappell Roan Hates Nepobabies
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Despite allergy season woes, your besties are locked in this week! In this pop culture potluck, we dig into Chappell Roan’s latest security drama, and do our best to delicately discuss Taylor Frankie Paul, The Bachelorette cancellation, and Secret Lives of Mormon Wives (trigger warning: domestic violence). We move into lighter territory to recap the latest Summer House episode, where we are yelling justice for Bailey and in awe of Ciara, Mia, and KJ’s vulnerability. We chat about TV we’re super excited about, including The Pitt, The Valley, and Hacks...
FLYOVER DEEPDIVE - Episode 113.1 - Summer House Sn 10 Eps 5 & 6
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These are your captains speaking! We have a new Flyover Deepdive, which is what we call our special TV episode recap episodes! (Aren’t we cute?). In this Deepdive, we break down Summer House Season 10, Episode 5: “Summer Knights” and Season 10, Episode 6: "The Joke's on You." We discuss Jesse’s apology to Ciara for once again treating her like an object, Kyle’s advisory board position at Soft Bar, Carl’s cattiness, Ben and Bailey’s awkward blow-up, and we rag on Kias for a little bit (nat...
Episode 113: YEEHAW! Kacey Musgraves Is Back… But Did She Ever Actually Leave?
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And we’re back! After some technical difficulties, we have a potluck episode coming for you tomorrow! On this week’s episode, we talk about Kacey and Harry’s new music, Timothée Chalamet being an artist who shits on other artists, being Michael B. Jordan stans, Love Story, and so much more!
If you are looking for a Summer House recap, stay tuned! We have our “Flyover Deep Dive” (what we call our TV recap episodes because we are whimsical) coming for you on Tuesday.
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Episode 112: Carolyn Bessette Kennedy Would Hate You
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In this week's Pop Culture Potluck on Midwest Besties, we break down The Traitors finale and reunion, recap the latest Summer House drama, including the apology dune and Jesse Solomon being CRINGE. We dive into the back half of Bridgerton S4 (spoiler alert: we LOVE Benephie). In Table Scraps, we discuss Craig Conover giving sweaty loser energy, Lisa Rinna’s new memoir, and a very specific love story where Carolyn Bessette Kennedy would actually hate you. Plus: Batman casting what-ifs, Ballerina Farm announcing baby #9, and why some people think Love Is Blind ha...
Episode 111: Discourse About the Wuthering Heights Discourse
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Happy Three-Month Anniversary, Besties! Our podcast has officially lasted a Sales Quarter! On this week’s episode Lauren and Emily give their heavily researched review of Wuthering Heights. Just kidding — we didn’t watch the movie or read the book, but we do have a lot of opinions (hint: the skin room is gross).
Meanwhile, we recap the second episode of Summer House Season 10. Summer is NOT looking fun for Kyle Cooke, and if he keeps fighting randos in the commen...
Episode 110: Bad Bunny’s Halftime Show: We Laughed, We Cried, We Learned
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Love is in the air, Besties! Love for talking sh*t on celebrities, that is! On this week’s episode of the Popculture Potluck, we talk about the AMAZING Benito Bowl. I know y’all are just dying to hear what two lame liberal white ladies from the Midwest thought of Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Halftime Show, and you are IN LUCK because the besties don’t shut up about it for approximately 20 minutes.
Also in this episode, the besties defend Chappell Roan, check in...
Episode 109: Luther Grandross’ Grammys Win
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We might be living in hell, but at least TV is HOT. 🔥
This week's Popculture Potluck, the besties break down the best (Bad Bunny!) and worst (Somebody come get Meemaw Cher) of the Grammys—including Jack Antonoff’s cancellable 404 error on the red carpet, questionable wardrobe choices, and more.
Bridgerton is BACK and better than ever, serving a hot lack of glow-ups. And maybe we are a Peacock podcast now as we recap the season...
Episode 108: It Ends With Us Drama is Never-ending
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In this week’s pop culture potluck, the besties discuss Brooklyn Beckham putting his entire family on blast through his ig stories, and spoiler alert, we are Team Brooklyn. We catch you up on the It Ends With Us drama (which is never-ending), and dive into the texts between Taylor and Blake. In reality TV news, Kyle and Amanda have confirmed they’re calling it quits, Michael Rapaport was banished from Traitors, and RHOBH continues to be a snooze.
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Episode 107: And the Golden Globe Goes To…Plastic Surgeons!
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This week’s Pop Culture Potluck has it all! (Literally, because we didn’t do a deep dive like we said we would 💁♀️) We dish on the Golden Globes. We didn’t know a lot of the shows, movies, or actors nominated, but we sure did clock all the plastic surgery! Once again, we discuss the chokehold the Heated Rivalry Boys currently have on us (“Hey, Moms!”) and the dawn of the Mary Beth Barone era, and more! Podcast hosts had a MESSY week last week, and we have opinions. We talk about Matt Rogers and his...
Episode 106: We’re Never Leaving the Cottage
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The besties are BACK with their first episode of 2026 with no shortage of pop culture to discuss! Starting with whether Ashley Tisdale is the toxic friend, Alix Earle’s breakup and New Year’s Eve with Tom Brady, Kelsea Ballerini and Chase Stokes embarrassing Instagram messiness, and Zach Bryan’s marriage. Then it’s time to serve the girls and the gays with a Heated Rivalry deep dive, process the Stranger Things finale, hate-watch Emily in Paris, and manifest January TV as a mental health intervention.
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Episode 105: We Ride for Fandango at Home Previously VUDU
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This week, the Besties chat about rewatching Mad Men and why Don Draper is actually the worst, Tim Robinson’s ability to hilariously dunk on white men, and unpack the first two episodes of Taylor Swift’s The End of an Era docuseries and our complicated relationship with Taylor. Emily and Lauren cringe their way through Amy Schumer’s “cool girl” divorce announcement, recap yet another Bravo breakup with Todd and Bronwyn, and catch up on RHOSLC’s Greek Freak Show, and a RHOBH recap, reaffirming one universal truth: in Jennifer Tilly we trust.
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Episode 104: The Summer House Trailer Gave Us a Reason To Live
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The Besties brought several delicious dishes to this week’s Pop Culture Potluck. Emily and Lauren dive into THAT Summer House Season 10 trailer—new cast members, the ongoing diversity issues (aka the “Cloud Dancer” problem), Ciara and West, Kyle and Amanda, and everything in between. We chat about Pantone’s… interesting Color of the Year (yikes), and Sydney Sweeney’s even more interesting non-apology (bigger yikes). Emily also discovers she is, in fact, a horror stan thanks to Weapons snagging a Golden Globe nomination. We ruin award shows for everyone, and unpack Netflix’s wild move to b...
Episode 103: The Name on Everybody's Lips Is Gonna be BESTIE
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This week, the Besties are coming at you with a piping-hot potluck of pop culture. Emily and Lauren tackle everything happening with Whitney Leavitt, from her Alex Cooper interview to her Chicago Broadway debut, and why N*ck V*all should keep her name out of his mouth. They explain “Fruity Pebbles,” unpack Lady Gaga’s new Rolling Stone interview, and break down Jennifer Lawrence’s uncomfy NYT profile. The Besties also discuss celebrities gaslighting their own fans for being “too parasocial,” Stranger Things Season 5, and the latest on Southern Charm.
FLYOVER DEEPDIVE - Episode 102.1 - RHOSLC S6 E10
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In the inaugural Flyover Deep Dive, Emily and Lauren recap the Real Housewives of Salt Lake City episode, The Higher the Hair, the Closer to God, from the high body-count hair potluck to whether Lisa and John are actually on the rocks. They break down J*red’s expert-level gaslighting, the wildly uncomfortable Bronwyn–Todd conversation, and Mary’s unforgettable church service.
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Episode 102: We’re Not a Peacock Podcast
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Join Emily and Lauren for their weekly Pop Culture Potlock™. The besties unpack all things Wicked For Good, Jonathan Bailey supremacy, and the emotional press tour. They chat about Meghan’s new Bazaar cover, and Camilla shamelessly wearing Eugenie’s wedding tiara. Plus: Hilary Duff’s music comeback (a millennial triumph), St. Denis Medical, and whether All Her Fault is really good or we just aren’t that smart.
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Honey, We Made a Podcast!
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Emily and Lauren kick off their brand-new pop culture pod the world didn’t know it needed. Broadcasting straight from the heartland with their cornfed commentary and Midwestern POV, they dive into all things BravoCon 2025, discuss Vicki finally getting her orange back, the Real Housewives of Rhode Island, Shep’s embarrassing casino meltdown, break down the chaos in Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, chat Whitney Leavitt and Selling Sunset drama, and cover so much more.
Every girl needs a bestie, and we’re gonna be yours!
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