“Olivia Rodrigo is one of the premier swearers in contemporary popular culture\u201d might not be the type of analysis expected from top poli-sci profs, but it\u2019s the flavor that \u00adUConn\u2019s Stephen Dyson and Jeffrey Dudas are dishing out regularly with their deep-dive podcast, \u201cThe Pop Culture Professors.\u201d<\/p>\n
Perhaps more expected, their thought-provoking discussions also tease out political or philosophical themes in everything from \u201cSinners\u201d to \u201cInterstellar,\u201d \u201cStar Wars: Andor\u201d to \u201cThe Last of Us,\u201d and Taylor Swift to last year\u2019s Oasis reunion tour.<\/p>\n
Since their August 2022 debut episode, \u201cThe Weird Politics of \u2018Star Wars,\u2019\u201d Dyson and Dudas have attracted 2,500-plus YouTube subscribers, plus thousands of listeners on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.<\/p>\n
The show\u2019s top four most-viewed YouTube episodes all discuss \u201cAndor,\u201d with the most popular at 25,000 views. Why? Dyson and Dudas note that not only was the show itself about a political revolution (plus a ratings smash), but the professors intentionally released their analyses the day after new installments dropped on Disney+.<\/p>\n
The quick turnaround of the medium allows them to participate in up-to-the-minute conversations on pop culture happenings, a stark contrast to the cadence of peer-reviewed publications or their forthcoming book analyzing pop culture, inspired by the podcast\u2019s success.<\/p>\n