Podcast
Midwest Besties
Hosted by Lauren & Emily · EN
The pop culture podcast for the rest of us.
TV, Books, Reality, Movies, Celeb Gossip, and More.
27episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
FLYOVER DEEPDIVE - Our Perfect Storm By Carly Fortune
4d ago00:27:19Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailIn the latest edition of Besties Read Books™, Emily and Lauren dive into the romance queen of Canada’s latest summer must-read, Our Perfect Storm.We rank it against Carly Fortune’s other books, dive into the friends-to-lovers trope, our own love stories (Lauren’s a Mastermind), and admit that even though we love to dog on the romance genre, we’re also some of its biggest fans. Support the show
Transcribe →There Once Were No Influencers From Nantucket
2w ago00:44:49Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailNo, this isn’t the beginning of a dirty limerick—it’s the latest petty gossip the besties are LOVING. In our most random Pop Culture Potluck yet, we unpack influencer Paige Lorenze’s beef with a Nantucket antiques store owner and his possibly sexist new store policy.Also in this episode: Summer House’s Kyle Cooke and Southern Charm’s Salley Carson’s new romance; the In the City reunion that not even Andy Cohen cares about; and Whitney most definitely coming off as a mom-hater.In more influencer news, we discuss Jen Hamilton’s messy divorce and very Mrs. Robinson-esque cheating scandal—plus Meghan and Harry actually slaying FOR ONCE. We break down the latest episode of House of the Dragon (Gwayne is our Twink of the Month(™) ) and end with, obviously, a 12-minute discussion of Emily’s recent trip to Michaels and its EXTENSIVE Halloween décor.Support the show
Transcribe →The Besties Talk Emmys
3w ago01:11:12Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailThe besties break down the Emmy nominations, biggest snubs, surprise picks, and their predictions. Then they dive into DCC: America's Sweethearts Season 3 to debate if Kelli and Judy are simply complicated divas...or are they actually evil? (Maybe both.)Next, they unpack the latest Sussexes news, including Meghan's surprising decision to return to the UK. Finally, they wrap up the episode by sharing everything they've been watching lately, including House of the Dragon, Love Island, Widow's Bay, The Five-Star Weekend, and The Four Seasons.Support the show
Transcribe →We Are NoT&T Feeling Taylor’s Wedding
Jul 900:52:52Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailOur favorite artist, Taylor Alison Swift, is married! And while our hearts are full, the nuptials have left us majorly scratching our heads. Madison Square Garden? Stadium seat chair covers? Adam Sandler officiating? Chanel bag raffles?!?Take us to the lakes where all the poets went to die, because this wedding was so tacky it's killing us.Also in this podcast, we discuss Lizzo's flop era and how (much like our skin) we want to see her bounce back and glow like she did in 2018. Because this is NOT a Peacock Podcast™, Lauren gives us her latest Love Island update (Team Brinity), and Emily started running with a fabulous circle of people (she started a vintage RHONY watch).We round up the episode with table scraps on Joe Alwyn dipping his toe back into the PR relationship waters (get 'em banned), why we're excited to see Patrick Schwarzenegger cast in one of our favorite romance novel adaptations (come for us, internet!), the latest royal drama, Supergirl flopping, and a death in the Midwest Besties family. #RIPFandangoAtHomePreviouslyVuduSupport the show
Transcribe →FLYOVER DEEPDIVE - Strangers By Belle Burden
Jul 100:15:06Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailYou've asked for more deep dives into the books we're reading, and we listened! Originally recorded back in May as part of our Pop-Culture Potluck, we're releasing this Flyover Deep Dive as a standalone episode dedicated to one of the summer's most talked-about books: Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage by Belle Burden.This haunting work of nonfiction tells the story of Burden's separation and divorce from her hedge-fund husband during the early days of the pandemic. It's filled with the glittering world of New York high society, but it's also an important cautionary tale about why married women need to understand their finances.The besties discuss how much sympathy a member of the 1% really deserves, what the book teaches us, her doofer ex, and how we'd handle the same situation. (Spoiler: It would not be with Burden's quiet dignity. Bestie Husbands, you've been warned.)Support the show
Transcribe →Episode 124 - The Beckhams are Fighting Again
Jun 2000:57:56Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailIn 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. Support the show
Transcribe →FLYOVER DEEPDIVE - Summer House: The Aftermath
Jun 1900:33:36Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailIt’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. Support the show
Transcribe →Episode 123 - Love Island USA's Newest Fan
Jun 1200:49:18Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailWe 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 about what we’re reading, and more.So grab your headphones and crank up the AC, because this episode is a scorcher.Support the show
Transcribe →FLYOVER DEEPDIVE - Summer House Season 10 Reunion Part 3
Jun 1200:29:16Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailI’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 relationship with Meija, Jesse’s feelings of betrayal, the fact that West and Amanda are now, indeed, “exclusive,” and whether their actions at this reunion constitute a fireable offense. Support the show
Transcribe →The Boy Mom™ Essay that Broke the Internet
Jun 500:49:45Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailIn 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. Support the show
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