Great Pop Culture Debate podcast

50:49

Hollywood stars: they don't make ‘em like they used to. While there are still many fine actors and actresses working in film and television today, very few have the megawatt star power that used to bring audiences to the theaters from the mid- to late 20th Century. And as we move further and further away from the Golden and Silver ages of Tinseltown, the Great Pop Culture Debate podcast wants to determine: who WAS the Best Classic Hollywood Movie Star? We consider 16 film actors and actresses who made their big breaks prior to 1969, including: Cary Grant, Paul Newman, Judy Garland, Ingrid Bergman, Humphrey Bogart, Fred Astaire, Joan Crawford, Katharine Hepburn, Jimmy Stewart, Elizabeth Taylor, Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, Bette Davis, Gene Kelly, Gregory Peck, and Barbara Stanwyck. Join host Eric Rezsnyak and GPCD panelists Derek Mekita, Jonny Minogue, and Karissa Kloss as they discuss 16 of the biggest Hollywood legends who made their big breaks prior to 1969. Play along at home by finding the listener bracket here . Make a copy for yourself, fill it out, and see if your picks match up with ours! For more exclusive content, including the warm-up in which we discuss even more iconic Hollywood legends that didn’t make the bracket, become a Patreon supporter of the podcast today. Looking for more reasons to become a Patreon supporter? Check out our Top 10 Patreon Perks. Want to play along at home? Download the Listener Bracket and see if your picks match up with ours! Sign up for our weekly newsletter! Subscribe to find out what’s new in pop culture each week right in your inbox! Vote in more pop culture polls! Check out our Open Polls . Your votes determine our future debates! Then, vote in our Future Topic Polls to have a say in what episodes we tackle next. Episode Credits Host: Eric Rezsnyak Panelists: Derek Mekita , Jonny Minogue , Karissa Kloss Producer: Bob Erlenback Editor: Bob Erlenback Theme Music: “Dance to My Tune” by Marc Torch #classicfilm #classicmovies #hollywood #moviestar #goldenage #oscars #elizabethtaylor #katharinehepburn #paulnewman #carygrant #audreyhepburn #marilynmonroe #humphreybogart #ingridbergman #judygarland #jimmystewart #bettedavis #joancrawford Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

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BONUS: Best Classic Hollywood Movie Star PREVIEW 4:01

for 10 dage siden4:01

4:01

Great Pop Culture Debate host Eric Rezsnyak explains how we created the bracket for our episode devoted to the best old-school movie stars -- actors and actresses who broke into Hollywood prior to 1969 -- and walks you through the Round 1 match-ups. The main episode will release on Tuesday, February 25, wherever you listen to podcasts. Make sure to subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss any upcoming episodes: https://www.greatpopculturedebate.com/subscribe And if you love pop culture, sign up for our weekly newsletter to keep up on all the new movies, music, and TV shows dropping every week! CREDITS: Intro/outro music: "Dance to My Tune" by Marc Torch Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

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Best Disney Channel Original Movie (DCOM) 59:17

for 16 dage siden59:17

59:17

Since the basic cable debut of The Disney Channel in April 1983, the House of Mouse has used its family-oriented network to feature its best movie ideas that weren’t quite ready for the silver screen. At first the films were released under the name “Disney Channel Premiere Films,” but since 1997, they have been released under the banner Disney Channel Original Movie – or DCOM – up until 2022, when Disney+ took up the mantle. Regardless of the term you use to describe these feature-length gems, they bring to the fore a feeling of intense nostalgia. Generations are defined by the DCOM movies of someone’s particular childhood! As always, this led the Great Pop Culture Debate team to wonder...what is the Best Disney Channel Original Movie? Movies discussed: High School Musical, The Thirteenth Year, Twitches, Smart House, Zenon: Girl of the Future, Tru Confessions, Quints, Descendants, Cadet Kelly, Brink!, Teen Beach Movie, Halloweentown, The Cheetah Girls, Get a Clue, Zombies, Camp Rock . Join host Eric Rezsnyak and GPCD panelists Amma Marfo, Bob Erlenback, Joelle Boedecker, and Trey Radu-Blackburn as they discuss 16 of the most-popular Disney Channel Original Movies. Play along at home by finding the listener bracket here . Make a copy for yourself, fill it out, and see if your picks match up with ours! For more exclusive content, including the warm-up in which we discuss even more DCOMs that didn’t make the bracket, become a Patreon supporter of the podcast today. Looking for more reasons to become a Patreon supporter? Check out our Top 10 Patreon Perks. Want to play along at home? Download the Listener Bracket and see if your picks match up with ours! Sign up for our weekly newsletter! Subscribe to find out what’s new in pop culture each week right in your inbox! Vote in more pop culture polls! Check out our Open Polls . Your votes determine our future debates! Then, vote in our Future Topic Polls to have a say in what episodes we tackle next. Episode Credits Host: Eric Rezsnyak Panelists: Amma Marfo , Bob Erlenback , Joelle Boedecker , Trey Radu-Blackburn Producer: Curtis Creekmore Editor: Bob Erlenback Theme Music: “Dance to My Tune” by Marc Torch #disney #dcom #disneychannel #disneychanneloriginalmovie #highschoolmusical #zenon #camprock #twitches #smarthouse #descendants #descendantsdisney #disneyzombies #cadetkelly #podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

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BONUS: Best Disney Channel Original Movie PREVIEW 4:01

for 17 dage siden4:01

4:01

Great Pop Culture Debate host Eric Rezsnyak explains how we created the bracket for our episode devoted to the best made-for-TV films released under the Disney Channel Original Movie banner, as well as walks you through the Round 1 match-ups. The main episode will release on Tuesday, February 18, wherever you listen to podcasts. Make sure to subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss any upcoming episodes: https://www.greatpopculturedebate.com/subscribe And if you love pop culture, sign up for our weekly newsletter to keep up on all the new movies, music, and TV shows dropping every week! CREDITS: Intro/outro music: "Dance to My Tune" by Marc Torch Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

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Best "Hamilton" Song 1:00:18

for 23 dage siden1:00:18

1:00:18

When Hamilton premiered off-Broadway on February 17, 2015, it created an instant sensation, making American history genuinely exciting for modern audiences, and transforming Broadway with his color-blind casting. Creator Lin-Manuel Miranda built on the blending of hip-hop and traditional Broadway musical styles that he brought to bear on In the Heights to tell the story of American founding father Alexander Hamilton and the birth of our nation. The show was nominated for 16 Tony Awards, winning 11 of them including Best Musical, and won the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Drama; its original Broadway cast recording peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, and reached No. 1 on the Billboard rap albums chart. Now, 10 years after its debut, the Great Pop Culture Debate wants to back to the room where it happened as we determine the Best Hamilton Song. Songs discussed include: “Satisfied,” “It’s Quiet Uptown,” “Dear Theodosia,” “Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story,” “Alexander Hamilton,” “Wait For It,” “What’d I Miss?” “You’ll Be Back,” “Burn,” “Non Stop,” “Yorktown (The World Turned Upside Down),” “Helpless,” “The Schuyler Sisters,” “One Last Time,” “The Room Where It Happened,” “My Shot.” Join host Eric Rezsnyak, GPCD panelists Gary Jackson and Joelle Boedecker, and Patreon sponsor Kathy Kingsley as they discuss 16 of the most beloved songs from Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton . Play along at home by finding the listener bracket here . Make a copy for yourself, fill it out, and see if your picks match up with ours! For more exclusive content, including the warm-up in which we discuss even more Hamilton songs that didn’t make the bracket, become a Patreon supporter of the podcast today. Looking for more reasons to become a Patreon supporter? Check out our Top 10 Patreon Perks. Want to play along at home? Download the Listener Bracket and see if your picks match up with ours! Sign up for our weekly newsletter! Subscribe to find out what’s new in pop culture each week right in your inbox! Vote in more pop culture polls! Check out our Open Polls . Your votes determine our future debates! Then, vote in our Future Topic Polls to have a say in what episodes we tackle next. Episode Credits Host: Eric Rezsnyak Patreon Sponsor: Kathy Kingsley Panelists: Gary Jackson , Joelle Boedecker Producer: Curtis Creekmore Editor: Bob Erlenback Theme Music: “Dance to My Tune” by Marc Torch Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

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BONUS: Best "Hamilton" Song PREVIEW 3:40

for 24 dage siden3:40

3:40

Great Pop Culture Debate host Eric Rezsnyak explains how we created the bracket for our Patreon-sponsored episode devoted to the best song from Lin-Manuel Miranda's Broadway music, "Hamilton," as well as walks you through the Round 1 match-ups. The main episode will release on Tuesday, February 11, wherever you listen to podcasts. Make sure to subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss any upcoming episodes: https://www.greatpopculturedebate.com/subscribe And if you love pop culture, sign up for our weekly newsletter to keep up on all the new movies, music, and TV shows dropping every week! CREDITS: Intro/outro music: "Dance to My Tune" by Marc Torch Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

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Best Comic-Book Couple 1:04:04

for 4 weeks siden1:04:04

1:04:04

While mainstream comic books largely focus on exciting stories of good versus evil, over the decades comics have also given us a host of truly iconic romantic couples. From the pulps of the 1920s to the manga of today, comic books have featured inspiring – and sometimes tragic – tales of heroes – and even villains – in love. So for our 2025 Valentine’s Day special, the Great Pop Culture Debate is pulling out the longboxes and diving into comic-book history as we discuss the Best Comic-Book Couples of all time. Couples discussed: Gambit & Rogue, The Flash (Barry Allen) & Iris West, Cyclops & Emma Frost, Cyclops & Jean Grey, Scarlet Witch & Vision, Hulkling & Wiccan, Black Bolt & Medusa, Batgirl & Nightwing, Batman & Catwoman, Spider-Man (Peter Parker) & Mary Jane Watson, Superman & Lois Lane, Green Arrow & Black Canary, Harley Quinn & Poison Ivy, Invisible Woman & Mr. Fantastic, Alana & Marko, Apollo & Midnighter. Join host Eric Rezsnyak, GPCD panelist Brendan Hay, and special guest panelists Brad Gullickson and Lisa Gullickson from the Comic Book Couples Counseling podcast as they discuss 16 of the most legendary lovers in comics. For more exclusive content, including the warm-up in which we discuss additional comic-book couples who didn’t make the bracket, become a Patreon supporter of the podcast today. Looking for more reasons to become a Patreon supporter? Check out our Top 10 Patreon Perks. Want to play along at home? Download the Listener Bracket and see if your picks match up with ours! Sign up for our weekly newsletter! Subscribe to find out what’s new in pop culture each week right in your inbox! Vote in more pop culture polls! Check out our Open Polls . Your votes determine our future debates! Then, vote in our Future Topic Polls to have a say in what episodes we tackle next. Episode Credits Host: Eric Rezsnyak Panelist: Brendan Hay Special Guests: Brad Gullickson, Lisa Gullickson of Comic Book Couples Counseling Producer: Bob Erlenback Editor: Bob Erlenback Theme Music: “Dance to My Tune” by Marc Torch #comicbooks #comics #xmen #batman #superman #spiderman #marvelcomics #dccomics #imagecomics #lgbtq #gambit #rogue #fantasticfour #avengers #scarletwitch #vision #wiccan #harleyquinn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

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BONUS: Best Comic-Book Couple PREVIEW 4:15

for 4 weeks siden4:15

4:15

Great Pop Culture Debate host Eric Rezsnyak explains how we created the bracket for our Valentine's Day special devoted to the Best Comic-Book Couple, as well as walks you through the Round 1 match-ups. The main episode will release on Tuesday, February 4, wherever you listen to podcasts. Make sure to subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss any upcoming episodes: https://www.greatpopculturedebate.com/subscribe And if you love pop culture, sign up for our weekly newsletter to keep up on all the new movies, music, and TV shows dropping every week! CREDITS: Intro/outro music: "Dance to My Tune" by Marc Torch Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

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Best WWE Champion (1990-Present) 1:04:22

for 5 weeks siden1:04:22

1:04:22

The WWE – formerly known as World Wrestling Entertainment, and before that, the World Wrestling Federation – is the largest professional wrestling promotion in the United States. Since its founding in the the 1950s, the WWE has been home to hundreds of performers, and launched the careers of more than a few bona fide Hollywood superstars. It’s also big business; via its Smackdown, Raw, and NXT shingles, as well as merch, video games, etc., the company grosses more than $1 billion annually, drawing more than 1 million spectators per year to its various live events. While the company is currently in a moment of transition, for this Patreon-sponsored episode of the Great Pop Culture Debate we look back at these kings of the rings, these studs of the squared circle, as we aim to name the Best WWE Champion of all time. Wrestlers discussed: “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Goldberg, Triple H, The Rock, The Undertaker, Bret “Hitman” Hart, Kurt Angle, Randy Orton, Shawn Michaels, CM Punk, Edge, John Cena, Randy Savage, Brock Lesnar, Eddie Guerrero, Hulk Hogan. Join host Eric Rezsnyak, Patreon sponsor Dr. Chad Rezsnyak, and tag-team guest panelists Brian Rezsnyak and Brayden Rezsnyak as they discuss 16 of the biggest superstars from the WWE. Play along at home by finding the listener bracket here . Make a copy for yourself, fill it out, and see if your picks match up with ours! For more exclusive content, including the warm-up in which we discuss additional WWE champions who didn’t make the bracket, become a Patreon supporter of the podcast today. Looking for more reasons to become a Patreon supporter? Check out our Top 10 Patreon Perks. Sign up for our weekly newsletter! Subscribe to find out what’s new in pop culture each week right in your inbox! Vote in more pop culture polls! Check out our Open Polls . Your votes determine our future debates! Then, vote in our Future Topic Polls to have a say in what episodes we tackle next. Episode Credits Host: Eric Rezsnyak Patreon Sponsor: Dr. Chad Rezsnyak Special Guests: Brian Rezsnyak, Brayden Rezsnyak Producer: Bob Erlenback Editor: Eric Rezsnyak Theme Music: “Dance to My Tune” by Marc Torch #wwe #wrestling #wwepodcast #wrestlingpodcast #prowrestling #stonecoldsteveaustin #therock #johncena #hulkhogan #randysavage #shawnmichaels #undertaker #cmpunk #kurtangle Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

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BONUS: Best WWE Champion (1990-Present) PREVIEW 3:46

for 5 weeks siden3:46

3:46

Great Pop Culture Debate host Eric Rezsnyak explains how we created the bracket for our Patreon-sponsored episode devoted to the Best WWE Champion (1990-Present), as well as walks you through the Round 1 match-ups. The main episode will release on Tuesday, January 28, wherever you listen to podcasts. Make sure to subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss any upcoming episodes: https://www.greatpopculturedebate.com/subscribe And if you love pop culture, sign up for our weekly newsletter to keep up on all the new movies, music, and TV shows dropping every week! CREDITS: Intro/outro music: "Dance to My Tune" by Marc Torch Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

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Best "Melrose Place" Character 1:00:41

for 6 weeks siden1:00:41

1:00:41

Fox’s Melrose Place was intended to be an introspective drama about young adult life in 1990s L.A. But by Season 2, the show leaned into its soapy elements, with ever-shifting love triangles, backstabbing office rivalries, and more than a few iconic villains stealing babies, faking pregnancies, and even blowing up the apartment complex. At its height, the show reached nearly 15 million viewers, and its young and restless stars were EVERYWHERE. The show ended on a whimper in 1999, and had a mediocre CW revival in 2009. But for this Patreon-sponsored episode, we’re going to back Melrose, as the Great Pop Culture Debate seeks to determine the Best Melrose Place Character. Characters discussed: Sydney Andrews, Lexi Sterling, Jane Mancini, Jo Reynolds, Dr. Michael Mancini, Billy Campbell, Megan Lewis, Taylor McBride, Amanda Woodward, Jennifer Mancini, Brooke Armstrong, Jake Taylor, Dr. Kimberly Shaw, Dr. Peter Burns, Matt Fielding, Alison Parker. Join host Eric Rezsnyak, Patreon sponsor Bob Erlenback, and Special Guest Stars Courtney Fay and Todd Rezsnyak as they discuss 16 of the most notorious residents of 4616 Melrose Place. For more exclusive content, including the warm-up in which we discuss the other Melrose Place lead cast members that didn’t make the bracket, become a Patreon supporter of the podcast today. For more reasons why you should become a Patreon supporter, check out this Top 10 . Sign up for our weekly newsletter! Subscribe to find out what’s new in pop culture each week right in your inbox! Vote in more pop culture polls! Check out our Open Polls . Your votes determine our future debates! Then, vote in our Future Topic Polls to have a say in what episodes we tackle next. Episode Credits Host: Eric Rezsnyak Patreon Sponsor: Bob Erlenback Special Guests: Courtney Fay, Todd Rezsnyak Producer: Curtis Creekmore Editor: Bob Erlenback Theme Music: “Dance to My Tune” by Marc Torch #melroseplace #soapopera #90stvshows #aaronspelling #1990s #90s #2000stv #2000sthrowbacks #heatherlocklear #90ssoaps #primetimesoaps #grantshow #courtneythornesmith #marciacross #lisarinna Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

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BONUS: Best "Melrose Place" Character PREVIEW 4:19

for 6 weeks siden4:19

4:19

Great Pop Culture Debate host Eric Rezsnyak explains how we created the bracket for our Patreon-sponsored episode devoted to the Best "Melrose Place" Character, as well as walks you through the Round 1 match-ups. The main episode will release on Tuesday, January 21, wherever you listen to podcasts. Make sure to subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss any upcoming episodes: https://www.greatpopculturedebate.com/subscribe And if you love pop culture, sign up for our weekly newsletter to keep up on all the new movies, music, and TV shows dropping every week! CREDITS: Intro/outro music: "Dance to My Tune" by Marc Torch Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

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Best Oscar Winner for Best Actor 1:04:24

for 7 weeks siden1:04:24

1:04:24

Since 1927, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has awarded the Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role 97 times, to 86 actors – as of 2024, when we are recording this. The collective winners of the Best Actor Oscar are a Who’s Who of Hollywood, legendary performers who have defined what acting and arguably even manhood look like on screen. After debating the Best Film and Best Actress Oscar winners in previous episodes, for this Patreon-sponsored episode, the Great Pop Culture Debate now turns its attention to where the boys are, as we debate the Best Oscar Winners for Best Actor. Performances discussed: Anthony Hopkins in Silence of the Lambs , Dustin Hoffman in Rain Man , Daniel Day-Lewis in There Will Be Blood , Marlon Brando in The Godfather , Gregory Peck in To Kill a Mockingbird , Sean Penn in Milk , Tom Hanks in Forrest Gump , Cillian Murphy in Oppenheimer , Tom Hanks in Philadelphia , F. Murray Abraham in Amadeus , Daniel Day-Lewis in Lincoln , James Stewart in The Philadelphia Story , Philip Seymour Hoffman in Capote , Robert De Niro in Raging Bull , Sidney Poitier in Lilies of the Field , Jack Nicholson in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest . Join host Eric Rezsnyak, Patreon sponsor Stephan Nikoloff, and GPCD panelists Karissa Kloss and Kevin Dillon as they discuss 16 of the most incredible performances in Oscars history. Play along at home by finding the listener bracket here . Make a copy for yourself, fill it out, and see if your picks match up with ours! For more exclusive content, including the warm-up in which we discuss additional Oscar-winning performances we were bummed didn’t make the bracket, and an extended version of the episode with 20+ more minutes of film conversation, become a Patreon supporter of the podcast today. Sign up for our weekly newsletter! Subscribe to find out what’s new in pop culture each week right in your inbox! Vote in more pop culture polls! Check out our Open Polls . Your votes determine our future debates! Then, vote in our Future Topic Polls to have a say in what episodes we tackle next. Episode Credits Host: Eric Rezsnyak Panel: Karissa Kloss , Kevin Dillon Patreon Sponsor: Stephan Nikoloff Editor: Eric Rezsnyak Theme Music: “Dance to My Tune” by Marc Torch Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

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BONUS: Best Oscar Winner for Best Actor PREVIEW 4:01

for 7 weeks siden4:01

4:01

Great Pop Culture Debate host Eric Rezsnyak explains how we created the bracket for our Patreon-sponsored episode devoted to the Best Oscar Winner for Best Actor, as well as walks you through the Round 1 match-ups. The main episode will release on Tuesday, January 14, wherever you listen to podcasts. Make sure to subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss any upcoming episodes: https://www.greatpopculturedebate.com/subscribe And if you love pop culture, sign up for our weekly newsletter to keep up on all the new movies, music, and TV shows dropping every week! CREDITS: Intro/outro music: "Dance to My Tune" by Marc Torch Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

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Best Song of 1978 55:54

for 8 weeks siden55:54