Midwest Besties
The pop culture podcast for the rest of us.
TV, Books, Reality, Movies, Celeb Gossip, and More.
Episodes
43 episodes
FLYOVER DEEPDIVE - Taylor Swift’s Showgirl Encore
In this week’s Deep Dive, the besties have MANY opinions on Taylor Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl: Encore. We’re breaking down what we like, what we don’t, and what really isn’t doing it for us.
Charles vs. Charles: Princess Diana’s Baby Bro Goes Scorched Earth
Anyone ever wake up to find they’ve been gaslit by a king? Charles Spencer, apparently. Princess Diana’s younger brother has released Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, and his press tour is putting King Charles in quite a tizzy. The Besties...
Widow’s Bay Dominated The Emmys
This week on Midwest Besties, we’re doing a major recap of the Emmys, and talk Sydney Sweeney’s horrifying sports ad. We discuss how Amanda Hirsch will do anything for a paycheck, including a Polymarket ad about the Lindsay Clancy trial. We als...
We Are The Daughters of Ina Garten
Listening to a podcast episode about two white ladies’ love of Ina Garten? How easy is THAT?!On this week’s Popculture Potluck, Lauren and Emily take a deep dive into their mutual love, respect, and adoration for television cook...
Calloway Shot a Double Bogey
In this week’s episode, the besties pour one out for Dolly and unpack Meghan and Harry’s messy move back to Britain. We get into TV news, including Hulu canceling Not Suitable for Work and the Gilded Age Season 4 trailer. Laur...
What We Should Be Talking About With The Lindsay Clancy Trial
Content Warning: Child loss, violence, suicide, drug use, and postpartum mental illness. Please listen with care.This week, the Besties are discussing some much darker subjects than usual—but don’t worry, we stil...
Team Green? Team Black? We are Team Rhaenyra’s New Glam
This week, we’re catching up on all the pop culture that matters! We’re talking Reece starring in Chicago, breaking down the House of the Dragon finale (and, more importantly, Rhaenyra’s smoky eye), and unpacking Nara Smith’s ...
FLYOVER DEEPDIVE - Our Perfect Storm By Carly Fortune
In 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-lo...
There Once Were No Influencers From Nantucket
No, 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 p...
The Besties Talk Emmys
The 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 ...
We Are NoT&T Feeling Taylor’s Wedding
Our 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?!?
FLYOVER DEEPDIVE - Strangers By Belle Burden
You'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 ...
Episode 124 - The Beckhams are Fighting Again
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, <...
FLYOVER DEEPDIVE - Summer House: The Aftermath
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 fo...
Episode 123 - Love Island USA's Newest Fan
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 humidi...
FLYOVER DEEPDIVE - Summer House Season 10 Reunion Part 3
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 ...
The Boy Mom™ Essay that Broke the Internet
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...
FLYOVER DEEPDIVE - Summer House Season 10 Reunion Part 2
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 ...
Episode 121 - She's Definitely Not Our Wife
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 ...
Episode 120 - Everyone Needs to Get ON Off Campus
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...
FLYOVER DEEPDIVE - Famesick by Lena Dunham
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...
Episode 119: The Met Gala Sucks Now, But Girl, The LEWKS!
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...
FLYOVER DEEPDIVE - Yesteryear By Caro Clare Burke
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 podcast...
The Loose Tum in Jennifer Tilly's $40K Purse
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 R...
Episode 117: Alex vs Alix: The Hot White Girls Are Beefing
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 ...