The Irishification of Pop Culture

This all started with my desire to do a Paul Mescal episode. A listener suggested we ask Caroline O’Donoghue — author of The Rachel Incident, host of Sentimental Garbage, noted Irish person — to be co-host. We reached out, and (gasp!) she responded that she didn’t actually know that much about Paul… but would be more than happy to do an episode about the “Irishification of pop culture.” Since my interest in Irish men (and movies, books, music, television, poetry) by no means starts with Paul Mescal, I was thrilled.

And let me tell you: this episode is fascinating. Hilarious, expansive, weird — and I promise you it will make you see Irish Pop Culturification in a different way (and perhaps appreciate Paul Mescal even more). It will certainly make you appreciate Caroline O’Donoghue, who made me laugh on mic more than any previous co-host. She’s brilliant, and this episode is so weird and good (one of those ones where we finished recording and Melody and I immediately texted each other: AMAZING). As always, I can’t wait for your thoughts — come join the conversation in the comments!

Show Notes:

• Buy The Rachel Incident! I cannot stop shouting about this book; I foist it on every millennial I know.

• Follow Caroline on Instagram

• Listen to Caroline’s fantastic podcast, Sentimental Garbage

• We reference this Vulture piece: How the Irish Came to Rule Pop Culture

• My 2015 profile on Enya for Buzzfeed

• RIP HOUSE FROM BAD SISTERS

• Paul’s Meaty Clackers:

• PEAK IRISH POP CULTURE, “Falling Slowly” from Once:

• Sorry one more Paul (this time with Normal People co-star Daisy Edgar-Jones)

We’re currently looking for your questions for future

• With Love, Meghan — the new Netflix show with Meghan Markle — through the lens of cooking/lifestyle television

• MEN’S EVERYDAY FASHION. Not high fashion. The stuff that dudes wear everyday. Like will the fleece/puffy vest ever die? Where actually is a man’s waist? (with Jason Diamond)

• The governmental push for backyard chickens/homesteading (with Tove Danovitch)

• Contemporary Plastic Surgery Culture (with Arabella Sicardi)

• Whatever questions you have for Josh Gondelman

• Dark Academia

• Cleaning Culture especially “cleanliness as moral”

• Anything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segment — WE REALLY NEED MORE!! You can ask about anything, it’s literally the name of the segment!

• You can submit them (and ideas for future eps) here

For today’s discussion: What’s your favorite Irish Pop Culture artifact? And what’s behind your love/the societal love?

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