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PODCAST

pplpod

pplpod is a podcast about people, places and lots of other stuff. Each episode takes a deep dive into the lives, choices, and legacies of fascinating figures from history, culture, music, and beyond. From icons who shaped entire generations to hidden stories that deserve the spotlight, pplpod brings you closer to the people behind the headlines and the legends.Thoughtful, engaging, and story-driven, pplpod explores what makes these lives extraordinary—and what we can learn from them today.

history music history

All Episodes

27:14

Episode 166 Gale Anne Hurd: Producer of Blockbusters...

pplpod ·

2025/09/29

From executive assistant to one of the most powerful producers in Hollywood, this is the story of Gale Anne Hurd. Discover how a Stanford graduate in economics and communications got her start with legendary director Roger Corman and quickly rose through the ranks.This episode charts Hurd’s incredible journey, starting with the creation of her own production company in 1982 and the breakthrough success of a film she co-wrote and produced: The Terminator. This 1984 sci-fi classic not only launched

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31:14

Episode 165 - Sarah Jessica Parker: Life and Career

pplpod ·

2025/09/29

From a childhood of financial hardship in Ohio to becoming a global fashion icon and one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people, Sarah Jessica Parker's story is one of determination and artistic passion. This week, we explore the five-decade career of the award-winning actress and producer, tracing her journey from a young girl singing and dancing in free public theater to a Broadway stage and, ultimately, international stardom.We'll discuss her early life, where her mother immersed her

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22:49

Episode 164 - The Beastie Boys: From Punk Rock to...

pplpod ·

2025/09/29

From the hardcore punk scene of early 1980s New York City to global hip-hop superstardom, this is the story of the Beastie Boys. Join us as we explore the incredible journey of Michael "Mike D" Diamond, Adam "MCA" Yauch, and Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz—three friends who changed the face of music.We'll trace their origins from the experimental hardcore band The Young Aborigines to the formation of the Beastie Boys in 1981, a name suggested by original guitarist John Berry. Initially a punk act supporting

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22:41

Episode 163 - Daniel Kaluuya: Actor, Writer, Award...

pplpod ·

2025/09/29

From the writer's room of Skins to the Oscar stage, Daniel Kaluuya's career is a masterclass in creative evolution. This episode charts his remarkable journey from a London teenager writing plays at age nine to becoming one of the most influential and multifaceted creators in Hollywood.We explore the three distinct phases of his transformation. First, his early days as Posh Kenneth in Skins, where he was not just in front of the camera but was also a contributing and head writer for several

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17:44

Episode 162 - Robert Trujillo: Musician Biography and...

pplpod ·

2025/09/29

This podcast is dedicated to the American musician Robert Trujillo, primarily known as the current bassist for the band Metallica. The source extensively covers his life and musical career, beginning with his early life and detailing his history with groups such as Suicidal Tendencies, Infectious Grooves, and the Ozzy Osbourne backing band before joining Metallica in 2003. Additionally, the article outlines his technical approach to the bass, including his use of finger-style playing and slap

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27:32

Episode 161 - Dave Foley: Canadian Comedian and Actor...

pplpod ·

2025/09/29

This podcast details the life and career of Canadian comedian and actor Dave Foley. The source gives an overview of his biography, including his birth information, two marriages, and struggles with depression and alcoholism. A significant portion of the article is dedicated to his professional career, noting his role as a co-founder of the comedy group The Kids in the Hall and his main acting roles, such as Dave Nelson in NewsRadio. Furthermore, the source includes a comprehensive filmography and

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21:13

Episode 160 - Bobby Lee: Comedian, Actor, Podcaster...

pplpod ·

2025/09/29

This podcast is dedicated to the life and career of Robert Young Lee Jr. (aka Bobby Lee), an American comedian, actor, and podcaster. The source details his early life and education in San Diego, his extensive career highlights, including his time on MADtv and his work on the TigerBelly and Bad Friends podcasts, and his numerous film and television roles. Additionally, the article addresses aspects of his personal life, such as his struggles with substance abuse and a controversy involving a Tijuana

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9:51

Episode 159 - Ben Ratliff: Journalist and Music Critic

pplpod ·

2025/09/29

This podcast offers a comprehensive overview of the life and work of Ben Ratliff, an American journalist, music critic, and author. Specifically, the source is an excerpt from a Wikipedia article detailing his biography, professional career, and published works. The biography section highlights his 20-year tenure writing about pop and jazz music for The New York Times and lists his various journalistic contributions to publications like Rolling Stone and The New York Review of Books. Furthermore,

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36:16

Episode 158 - John Mellencamp: An American...

pplpod ·

2025/09/29

This podcast details the career of musician John Mellencamp and several of his most famous songs, detailing his career evolution, genre, and major achievements. The individual song entries for "Hurts So Good," "Jack & Diane," "R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.," and "Small Town" give specifics on their production, chart success, and cultural impact. The core biography of Mellencamp charts his name changes (from Johnny Cougar to John Cougar Mellencamp), his heartland rock style, and his political activism,

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26:20

Episode 157 - V: Playwright, Activist, and Author

pplpod ·

2025/09/29

The provided text is an excerpt from a Wikipedia article detailing the life and work of V, formerly known as Eve Ensler, an American playwright, performer, feminist, and activist. The article outlines her personal history, including her experiences with abuse and her name change to V to distance herself from her father. Major sections focus on her celebrated play, The Vagina Monologues, her subsequent professional works like memoirs and other plays, and her extensive activism, particularly the

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40:49

Episode 156 - Bill Maher: Career, Controversies, and...

pplpod ·

2025/09/29

This podcast offers a comprehensive biographical overview of American comedian and television host Bill Maher. The article covers his early life and education, details his extensive career in stand-up comedy, film, and television, notably hosting Politically Incorrect and Real Time with Bill Maher, and highlights his Emmy Award history. Furthermore, the entry thoroughly documents his varied and often controversial political views and other positions on topics such as religion, health care, gender,

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21:54

Episode 155 - Jimmy Shubert: Comedian and Actor...

pplpod ·

2025/09/29

This podcast details the life and career of Jimmy Shubert, an American stand-up comedian and actor. This source outlines Shubert's origins in Philadelphia, his early life studying drama, and his professional start as a magician before becoming a comedian in his late teens. The article highlights his association with Sam Kinison's "Outlaws of Comedy" and his appearance as a finalist on Last Comic Standing in 2014. Furthermore, the entry includes sections for his selected filmography, listing roles in

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25:28

Episode 154 - David Feldman: Legal Scholar and Jurist

pplpod ·

2025/09/29

This podcast details the life and professional trajectory of David Feldman, a prominent British legal academic and former judge. This episode outlines his early life and extensive education at Oxford, followed by a distinguished academic career at institutions like the University of Bristol and the University of Cambridge, where he became the Emeritus Rouse Ball Professor of English Law. Additionally, the source covers his judicial career, notably serving as an international judge for the

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32:41

Episode 153 — Wayne Coyne: Confetti, Cosmos & The...

pplpod ·

2025/09/23

pplpod Episode 153 drifts (and explodes) through Wayne Coyne’s wild arc—from Oklahoma City fry cook with a near-death epiphany to ringmaster of The Flaming Lips, a band that turned psychedelic pop into a communal ritual. We trace the noisy origins and college-radio breakthrough (“She Don’t Use Jelly”), the masterpiece twin peaks of The Soft Bulletin and Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, and later evolutions from At War with the Mystics and Embryonic to the haunted glow of American Head. Inside the

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26:43

Episode 152 — Bill Pullman: Everyman, Outlier, and...

pplpod ·

2025/09/23

pplpod Episode 152 maps Bill Pullman’s quiet-star trajectory—from theater-trained character actor to a leading man who could anchor romances, bend genre, and slip into the uncanny. We trace the early big-screen breaks and tonal range: off-kilter comedy in Ruthless People and Spaceballs; a tender rom-com turn in Sleepless in Seattle and While You Were Sleeping; and a grounded center in Casper, Newsies, and the culture-quake of Independence Day (yes, that Oval Office pep talk). Then the left turns:

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21:57

Episode 151 — Anthony Jeselnik: Ice-Cold One-Liners,...

pplpod ·

2025/09/23

pplpod Episode 151 maps Anthony Jeselnik’s precision machine—from Pittsburgh open mics to late-night sniper to the most reliable gasp-laugh in modern stand-up. We trace the Comedy Central Roast assassin years, the controlled-chaos experiment of The Jeselnik Offensive, and a special run that sharpened the blade: Caligula, Thoughts and Prayers, and Fire in the Maternity Ward. Inside the craft: airtight misdirection, Biblical calm, and a persona that treats formality like a weapon—every pause loaded,

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22:03

Episode 150 — Carrot Top: Trunks, Timing & the Vegas...

pplpod ·

2025/09/22

pplpod Episode 150 unpacks Carrot Top’s unlikely empire—how a red-haired prop slinger from Florida turned quick-hit gadget gags into one of comedy’s longest runs. We trace the campus-tour explosion of the ’90s, the ad-world ubiquity (yes, “dial down the middle”), and the leap from late-night couches to a top-billing Las Vegas residency at the Luxor built on relentless joke density and industrial-strength showmanship. Inside the craft: engineering sight gags that land in three seconds, a rolling

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19:39

Episode 149 — Rich Vos: Club Killer, Crowd-Work...

pplpod ·

2025/09/22

pplpod Episode 149 tracks Rich Vos’s lifer arc—from Jersey rooms and VFW gigs to one of the most durable, joke-dense voices in American stand-up. We trace the early grind and Comedy Central Presents, a national breakout via Last Comic Standing (seasons 1 and 3), and the era when Tough Crowd regulars and Opie & Anthony diehards treated him like a beloved sparring partner. Inside the craft: economy of words, acid-clean tags, and crowd work that’s surgical without losing the hang. We dig into the

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45:24

Episode 148 — Buddy Hackett: Catskills Timing, Vegas...

pplpod ·

2025/09/22

pplpod Episode 148 traces Buddy Hackett’s rise from Brooklyn kid with a cannonball laugh to one of the most reliable laugh engines of mid-century American comedy. We track the Catskills training ground and Manhattan club years, the TV ubiquity (late-night couches, The Ed Sullivan Show, The Tonight Show), and the film run that cemented his face and voice in pop memory—The Music Man, It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, Disney turns like The Love Bug and the voice of Scuttle in The Little Mermaid. Inside

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45:53

Episode 147 — Phil Elverum: Tape Hiss, Tall...

pplpod ·

2025/09/22

pplpod Episode 147 traces Phil Elverum’s singular path—from Anacortes basements and K Records tape decks to a body of work that turned lo-fi into a philosophy. We follow the Microphones’ early experiments through the earth-moving The Glow Pt. 2 and the mythic turn of Mount Eerie, then the re-naming that became a vow: Mount Eerie as a living project of weather, memory, and scale. Inside the craft: room mics and shoreline field recordings, drums like shifting timber, analog tape as an instrument, and

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7,536 results

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