Great Pop Culture Debate

In 2006, NBC’s “30 Rock” debuted to mixed reviews and modest ratings. But within a few episodes, Tina Fey’s workplace comedy set behind the scenes of a television sketch show found its footing, and over the course of its seven-season run would blossom into one of the quirkiest, funniest, and most daring sitcoms on broadcast television. While “30 Rock” ended more than a decade ago, it remains one of the 21st Century’s most endearing and celebrated comedies. So listen up, 5s, a 10 is speaking, because the Great Pop Culture Debate wants to revisit the wild days of “TGS with Tracy Jordan” to determine the Best “30 Rock” Episode ever! We want to go to there… Become aPatreon supporterof the podcast for bonus content, merch, and other great perks. RELATED CONTENT Best "Golden Girls" Episode Best 2000s Sitcom Best "Saturday Night Live" Character Top 10: Fake Shows on "30 Rock" Round 1 Match-Ups: Match-Up 1: “The Bubble” (1) vs. "Believe In the Stars" (4) Match-Up 2: "Reaganing" (3) vs. "Black Tie" (2) Match-Up 3: "Reunion" (1) vs. "TGS Hates Women" (4) Match-Up 4: "Tracy Does Conan" (3) vs. "Queen of Jordan" (2) Match-Up 5: "Rosemary’s Baby" (1) vs. "Leap Day" (4) Match-Up 6: "Apollo Apollo" (3) vs. "Ludachristmas" (2) Match-Up 7: "MILF Island" (1) vs. "Dance Like Nobody’s Watching" (4) Match-Up 8: "The Head and the Hair" (3) vs. "Anna Howard Shaw Day" (2) And should you need it, here's the official “30 Rock” YouTube Channel, loaded with great videos. Want to play along at home? Download the listener brackethere and see if your picks match up with ours! Have a say in future episodes! Finally, if you want to have a say in what episodes we tackle next, vote in ourTopic Polls! And we would love to have you pick your faves in thepolls currently open for your votes! EPISODE CREDITS Host:Eric Rezsnyak Panel: Amma Marfo, Brendan Hay, Kevin Dillon Producer:Curtis Creekmore Editors: Eric Rezsnyak, Bob Erlenback #30rock #tinafey #nbc #sitcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Great Pop Culture Debate host Eric Rezsnyak gives you a quick rundown of how we came up with the 16 episodes we discuss in our Best "30 Rock" Episode episode. To listen to the warm-up, which includes the panelists' other picks that didn't make the bracket, become a Patreon supporter of the podcast today. Then come back Monday, April 22, when the full episode is released for everyone. Subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss any future episodes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As we publish this episode in 2024, it has been 30 YEARS since 1994. THIRTY. YEARS. How did that happen? That said, 1994 was a great year for music. In the days right before the inventions of Napster and the iPod, radio, MTV, VH1, record stores, and CD clubs still had an iron grip on what most Americans listened to. It was a diverse mix of genres and artists, with dance hits, grunge bands, rap, r'n'b, alternative rock, adult-contemporary ballads, and even some folk-pop indie darlings piercing through the noise and topping the charts. Now, continuing our series of looking back at songs from 20, 30, and 40 years ago, the Great Pop Culture Debate wants to determine: what WAS the best song of 1994? Join host Eric Rezsnyak and GPCD panelists Gary Jackson, Joelle Boedecker, and Kate Racculia they discuss 16 of the most iconic songs from 1994, narrowing them down until they make their final decision! To listen to Round 1, showing how we got to the Sweet 16 down from the Top 32,become a Patreon supporter of the podcasttoday to access the exclusive Part 1 episode. RELATED CONTENT Best Song of 2003 Best Song of 1999 Best Song of 1985 Best One-Hit Wonder of the 90s/00s The Round 2 Match-Ups: Match-Up 1: "Shoop" by Salt-N-Pepa (1) vs. "Black Hole Sun" by Soundgarden (4) Match-Up 2: "All I Wanna Do" by Sheryl Crow (3) vs. "Stay (I Missed You)" by Lisa Loeb (2) Match-Up 3: "Loser" by Beck (1) vs. "Come to My Window" by Melissa Etheridge (4) Match-Up 4: "I'd Do Anything for Love" by Meat Loaf (6) vs. "Only Wanna Be With You" by Hootie & the Blowfish (2) Match-Up 5: "Linger" by Cranberries (1) vs. "Crazy" by Aerosmith (4) Match-Up 6: "Basket Case" by Green Day (3) vs. "Whatta Man" by Salt-N-Pepa & En Vogue (2) Match-Up 7: "All That She Wants" by Ace of Base (1) vs. "Interstate Love Song" by Stone Temple Pilots (5) Match-Up 8: "Gin & Juice" by Snoop Doggy Dogg (3) vs. "The Sign" by Ace of Base (2) Want to play along at home? Download thelistener brackethereand see if your picks match up with ours! Have a say in future episodes! Finally, if you want to have a say in what episodes we tackle next, vote in ourTopic Polls! And we would love to have you pick your faves in thepolls currently open for your votes! EPISODE CREDITS Host:Eric Rezsnyak Panel: Gary Jackson, Joelle Boedecker, Kate Racculia Producer: Bob Erlenback Editor: Bob Erlenback #90smusic #songsof1994 #1994music #1990s #bestsongs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Great Pop Culture Debate host Eric Rezsnyak gives you a quick rundown of the Round 1 match-ups for our Best Song of 1994 episode. To listen to the debates, become a Patreon supporter of the podcast today. Then come back Monday, April 15, when Part 2 is released for everyone. Click here for a playlist of all 32 tracks discussed in the Best Song of 1994 episode, as well as some additional picks by our panelists. Subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss any future episodes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Girl Scout Cookies have been spreading sugary joy, teaching millions of children entrepreneurial skills, AND raising funds for a terrific organization for more than 100 years. Girl Scout Cookies are an American institution! And for this special mini-minisode, the Great Pop Culture Debate podcast wants to determine the Best Girl Scout Cookie! Want to learn more about the Girl Scout Cookie Program, or order cookies for yourself? Click here! Join Host Eric Rezsnyak; GPCD panelists Amy Pilott, Curtis Creekmore, and Joelle Boedecker; and special guest Girl Scout Allie Pilott as they discuss 8 of the most-popular currently available Girl Scout cookies, and name the BEST of all time! Want to actually WATCH the debate? Check out the video on our YouTube channel! Make sure you subscribe for more YouTube-exclusive content in the future! RELATED CONTENT Best Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream Flavor Best "Great British Baking Show" Bake Best Halloween Candy Best Breakfast Cereal Round 1 Match-Ups: Match-Up 1: Peanut-Butter Patties/Tagalongs vs. Adventurefuls Match-Up 2: Caramel DeLites/Samoas vs. Peanut-Butter Sandwiches/Do-Si-Dos Match-Up 3: Thin Mints vs. Lemonades/Lemon-Ups Match-Up 4: Trefoils vs. S'mores Want to play along at home? Download thelistener brackethere-- or find the PDF version below -- and see if your picks match up with ours! Have a say in future episodes! Finally, if you want to have a say in what episodes we tackle next, vote in ourTopic Polls! And we would love to have you pick your faves in thepolls currently open for your votes! #girlscoutcookies #girlscouts #cookies #tastetest Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Families have been central to TV shows almost since the invention of the medium. Whether we're talking about the Rockwellian families from classic sitcoms, sprawling soap-opera dynasties, dysfunctional reality TV clans, or the blended families of the 21st century, TV shows have featured just about every permutation of family you can think of. Now, in a special Patreon-sponsored episode, the Great Pop Culture Debate wants to look back at TV families past and present to determine the best TV family of all time. Join Host Eric Rezsnyak, GPCD panelists Amma Marfo and Amy Pilott, and Patreon sponsor Steve Nikoloff as they discuss and debate 16 of the most important families in television history. To listen to Round 1, showing how we got to the Sweet 16 down from the Top 32,become a Patreon supporter of the podcasttoday to access the exclusive Part 1 episode. RELATED CONTENT Best TV Mom Hottest TV Dad Best 90s Sitcom Best 00s Sitcom Want to play along at home? Download the listener brackethereand see if your picks match up with ours! Have a say in future episodes! Finally, if you want to have a say in what episodes we tackle next, vote in ourTopic Polls! And we would love to have you pick your faves in thepolls currently open for your votes! EPISODE CREDITS Host:Eric Rezsnyak Panel:Amma Marfo, Amy Pilott Patreon Sponsor:Steve Nikoloff Editor: Eric Rezsnyak #television #tv #tvhistory Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Les Miserables – in lay terms “Les Mis” – is one of the most awarded and impactful musicals of the late 20th Century. Based on the 1862 novel by Victor Hugo, which was turned into a French concept album, and then translated into English and expanded upon for its London West End debut in 1985, the show opened on Broadway in 1987, and became an instant classic as audiences were captivated by the heart-wrenching dramas of the poor during the French Revolution, and especially by the bombastic, melodically haunting songs. Now, nearly 40 years after its debut, the Great Pop Culture Debate wants to determine the Best Les Miserables Song! Join host Eric Rezsnyak, panelists Curtis Creekmore and Joelle Boedecker, and Patreon sponsor Bob Erlenback as they explore the most memorable songs from one of the 20th Century's most enduring musicals. Become aPatreon supporterof the podcast for bonus content, merch, and other great perks. RELATED CONTENT: Best 2000s Broadway Musical Best Tony Winner for Best Musical Best Movie Musical And make sure to check out Bob Erlenback's Top 10 List of the Most Miserable Characters in "Les Miserables." Want to play along at home? Download the listener bracketand see if your picks match up with ours! Have a say in future episodes! Finally, if you want to have a say in what episodes we tackle next, vote in ourTopic Polls! And we would love to have you pick your faves in thepolls currently open for your votes! EPISODE CREDITS Host:Eric Rezsnyak Panel:Curtis Creekmore, Joelle Boedecker Patreon Sponsor:Bob Erlenback Editor: Bob Erlenback #lesmiserables #lesmiz #broadwaymusicals Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over its five-decade history -- and multiple generations of gaming systems -- Nintendo has been home to some of the most notable bad guys in video-game history. Some are original creations who only torment the heroes on Nintendo-owned titles. Some are third-party nemeses who have also appeared on other systems. And some are video-game adaptions of bad guys from other existing IPs. What they all have in common is that they are all so good at being so bad. And now the Great Pop Culture Debate wants to determine the best Best Nintendo Villain of all time. Join Host Eric Rezsnyak, Patreon sponsor Dr. Chad Rezsnyak, and special guests Harry Loizides as they discuss 16 of the most iconic bad guys from Nintendo's history. Did your favorite not make the bracket? Become aPatreon supporterof the podcast and see if we discussed it in our warm-up devoted to our favorite bad guys that just missed out on the competition. RELATED CONTENT: Best "Final Fantasy" Game Best Gen 1 Pokemon Best Marvel Villain Best "Animal Crossing" Character Want to play along at home? Download the listener bracketand see if your picks match up with ours! Have a say in future episodes! Finally, if you want to have a say in what episodes we tackle next, vote in ourTopic Polls! And we would love to have you pick your faves in thepolls currently open for your votes! EPISODE CREDITS Host:Eric Rezsnyak Patreon Sponsor: Dr. Chad Rezsnyak Special Guests: Dr. Ryan Androsiglio, Harry Loizides Producer:Bob Erlenback Editor: Eric Rezsnyak #nintendo #videogames #nintendovillain Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Since “RuPaul’s Drag Race” debuted in 2009, its runway has become home to some of the most jaw-dropping looks on television. Those blockbuster fashion moments only became more common as the show progressed, and in recent years the show has caught the attention of fashion designers, supermodels, and cultural tastemakers due to the incredible outfits worn by its most stylish and creative contestants. In this special Patreon-sponsored episode, the Great Pop Culture Debate is starting its engines as it aims to declare the Best Runway Look from seasons 7 through 12 of RuPaul’s Drag Race. Join Host Eric Rezsnyak, panelists Curtis Creekmore and Karissa Kloss, and Patreon sponsor Kathy Kingsley as they debate 16 of the most notable runways from some of the most fashionable seasons of "RuPaul's Drag Race." Why are you all gagging? They bring it to you every ball! Did your favorite not make the bracket? Become aPatreon supporterof the podcast and see if we discussed it in our warm-up devoted to our favorite runway looks that just missed out on the competition. RELATED CONTENT: Best "RuPaul's Drag Race" Runway Looks S1-S6 Best "RuPaul's Drag Race" Snatch Game Performances Best "Project Runway" Design "Drag Race" Recaps Want to play along at home? Download the listener bracketand see if your picks match up with ours! Have a say in future episodes! Finally, if you want to have a say in what episodes we tackle next, vote in ourTopic Polls! And we would love to have you pick your faves in thepolls currently open for your votes! EPISODE CREDITS Host:Eric Rezsnyak Panel: Curtis Creekmore,Karissa Kloss Patreon Sponsor: Kathy Kingsley Producer:Bob Erlenback Editor: Eric Rezsnyak #rupaulsdragrace #dragrace #dragracerunway Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Technological advancements, European influences, and a deep societal need to shake that ass created the perfect breeding ground for the explosion of dance music in the 1990s. From dance club floors to wedding receptions, dance music was everywhere at the end of the 20th Century, with some of the biggest hits even crossing over into mainstream radio. Now, 30-plus years later, the Great Pop Culture Debate wants to put its hands up and determine the Best 90s Dance Hit of all time. Join host Eric Rezsnyak, Patreon sponsor Derek Mekita, and special guests Dr. Ryan Androsiglio and Sandie Cianflone as they discuss 16 of the funkiest jams from the end of the 20th Century. To listen to all the songs, as well as some deeper-cut suggestions by our panelists, check out our playlist for this episode. Want to play along at home? Download the listener bracketand see if your picks match up with ours! Have a say in future episodes! Finally, if you want to have a say in what episodes we tackle next, vote in ourTopic Polls! And we would love to have you pick your faves in thepolls currently open for your votes! Do you love pop culture? Click here to sign up for GPCD's weekly newsletter, letting you know what's new in music, movies, TV & more! EPISODE CREDITS Host:Eric Rezsnyak Patreon Sponsor: Derek Mekita Special Guests: Dr. Ryan Androsiglio, Sandie Cianflone Producer: Curtis Creekmore Editor: Eric Rezsnyak Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices