At the start of 2025, we made a list. A very confident list. A list full of pop culture hopes, expectations, and bold predictions about what the year had in store. Now that 2025 is officially in the rearview mirror, we’re back to see how that list actually held up… and spoiler alert: some takes aged better than others.

In this episode, we revisit what we were most excited for across movies, TV, and other corners of pop culture, break down what lived up to the hype (and what absolutely didn’t), and talk through how our opinions shifted once we actually sat down and watched everything. Along the way, we also call out a few surprises, disappointments, and pop culture moments that weren’t even on our radar when we first made that list.

Plus, because this is Pop Culture Roulette, we couldn’t resist adding in some things we completely missed the first time around and giving 2025 one last spin before moving on. Hit play, see what we got right, what we got wrong, and let us know how your pop culture expectations compared. Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and share the episode — and tell us what 2025 moments you’re still thinking about.

#PopCultureRoulette #Smashland #PCR #PopCulture #2025InReview #Movies #Television #ExpectationsVsReality #Podcast

It’s the most wonderful time of the year… and also the season when Christmas music becomes completely unavoidable. 🎄🎶

This week on Pop Culture Roulette, we take a deep dive into the wide (and often exhausting) world of holiday songs. We debate the Christmas tracks we flat-out can’t stand, call out the specific versions that somehow managed to make perfectly good songs worse, and talk through the tunes we don’t necessarily hate—but also wouldn’t care if we never heard again.

Of course, it’s not all negativity. We also make time for the Christmas songs we genuinely enjoy and highlight artists who went the extra mile by creating original holiday music instead of relying on endless covers and recycled classics. Because even in a season packed with overplayed hits, there are still festive songs that feel fresh, fun, or worth defending year after year.

From shopping-mall staples to radio staples that have long overstayed their welcome, we break down what makes certain Christmas songs wear out faster than others. Are some tracks simply victims of overexposure? Are certain covers truly unforgivable? And is there a difference between a holiday classic and a song that just won’t stop playing?

Whether you’re building the perfect holiday playlist or aggressively reaching for the skip button, this episode is for anyone with strong opinions about Christmas music. Listen now wherever you get your podcasts, and let us know which songs are holiday hits, which ones are misses, and which are full-on hard passes.

#PopCultureRoulette #Smashland #PCR #ChristmasMusic #HolidaySongs #HolidayDebates #SeasonalHotTakes #OriginalChristmasSongs #MusicDiscussion #ChristmasClassics

Ho ho hold on — because this week on Pop Culture Roulette, we’re tackling one of the biggest holiday questions of all time: who played Santa Claus the best in live-action film or television? And to be clear, we’re not talking about characters who put on the suit — we’re talking about actors who were Santa. The real deal. North Pole credentials required.

From warm and wholesome to sarcastic, intimidating, magical, or downright unhinged, Santa has taken many forms on screen. We dig into what actually makes a great Santa performance: is it heart, humor, screen presence, belief, intimidation factor, or pure Christmas magic? Along the way, we debate our favorites, defend controversial picks, and try (key word: try) to agree on who truly deserves the title of the One True Santa.

As always, the rules are loose, the opinions are strong, and the arguments are festive. Whether you’re here for nostalgia, laughs, or to yell at us about who we forgot, grab some milk and cookies and join the debate. Listen now, then let us know: who do you think is the definitive Santa?

#PopCultureRoulette #Smashland #PCR #SantaClaus #MovieSanta #TVSanta #KrisKringle #TimAllen #EdmundGwenn #RichardAttenborough #DavidHarbour #JKSimmonns #ChristmasMovies #HolidaySpecial #HolidayMovies

The holidays are officially in full swing, and we’re celebrating the season the only way we know how—by diving straight into the snowdrift of mayhem caused by pop culture’s most infamous Christmas villains. In this cheerful-but-chaotic episode, we unwrap every delightfully terrible holiday troublemaker who’s ever tried to ruin the season, derail the festivities, or steal the spotlight from Santa himself. From classics who’ve chilled generations to newer nuisances who’ve carved out their own place on the Naughty List, we break down what makes each villain memorable, menacing, and—let’s be honest—sometimes a little relatable.

As a group, we sort through these holiday troublemakers by debating who truly deserves the “most villainous” title and who we simply enjoy watching wreak havoc. Some characters earn their spot with sheer chaos, others with attitude alone, and a few slide onto the list because they’ve become beloved fixtures of Christmas pop culture. We compare favorites, argue over who counts as a real villain, and revel in the kind of festive nonsense that only this season can bring.

Join the fun and jump into the discussion—tell us who you think should sit atop the Naughty List, who got unfairly judged, and who absolutely deserved the holiday smackdown. And don’t forget to follow, subscribe, and share the episode with fellow lovers of Christmas movies, seasonal nostalgia, and over-the-top villainy.

#HoHoNo #HolidayChaos #ChristmasMovies #ChristmasVillains #NaughtyListShowdown #FestiveDebate #SeasonalFavorites #PopCulture #PopCultureRoulette #Smashland #PCR

Happy Thanksgiving from the Pop Culture Roulette crew — and yes, welcome to our very special Thanksgiving episode, the kind networks used to hype with dramatic promos even though the biggest twist was usually someone learning the meaning of gratitude. We may not have a heartwarming lesson, but we do have chaos: this week, we turned the entire Thanksgiving meal into a full-on elimination bracket.

We built what we consider a classic holiday spread — turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, rolls, all the casseroles your relatives insist you like, cranberry sauce (for the three people who actually do), and a parade of pies — and forced them to fight for the title of Best Thanksgiving Dish. Things got heated fast. Opinions were strong, loyalties were questionable, and a few foods were defended like family. We questioned long-held traditions, sparked accidental gravy-based arguments, and absolutely made choices someone out there will consider a personal attack.

Did your favorite dish cruise to victory, or did we create a Thanksgiving controversy you’ll be ranting about until New Year’s? Pull up a chair, loosen that waistband, and enjoy the feast. And if you’re having fun with us, make sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share the episode with your fellow holiday diners — it helps keep the roulette wheel spinning!

#PopCultureRoulette #Smashland #PCR #ThanksgivingSpecial #FoodBracket #HolidayEpisode #FeastFight #TurkeyTime #StuffingShowdown #Cranberry

After a few weeks away due to totally real and definitely not embarrassing technical difficulties (we blame the prequel to our soundboard), Pop Culture Roulette is back! And fittingly, we’re going back in time ourselves with a deep dive into the strange, storied, and sometimes spectacular world of prequels.

This episode unpacks the full history of the prequel—where it started, how it became a modern Hollywood staple, and why creators keep trying to fill in every blank space of our favorite stories. We dig into the narrative mechanics that make a prequel sing, from clever foreshadowing to thoughtful character foundations, and we explore the pitfalls that sink so many others: over-explaining mysteries, flattening iconic characters, or rewriting canon just because they can.

We look at early examples that shaped the blueprint, the big-budget blockbusters that redefined what a prequel could be, and the ones that taught studios some very painful lessons. We bring our favorite prequels to the table—including the surprising ones that actually elevate the original story—and we definitely call out the prequels we wish we could go back in time to prevent entirely.

Whether you love detailed backstories or think some characters are better left unexplained, this is a trip to the past worth taking. Hit play, subscribe, and share the episode to keep the conversation rolling—your support helps us keep spinning the wheel each week!

#PopCultureRoulette #PCR #Smashland #Movies #TV #FilmDiscussion #Prequels #NerdCulture #PopCulture #GeekTalk

Hollywood might be the land of dreams, but behind the glitz and glamor lurk some seriously creepy stories. This week on Pop Culture Roulette, we’re peeling back the red curtain and stepping into the shadows to explore the most enduring—and chilling—urban legends that have haunted Tinseltown for decades. From cursed productions and haunted props to rumors that refuse to die, we’re putting the spotlight on Hollywood’s darker side.

The crew dives deep into some of the biggest and weirdest tales out there: the supposed curse of James Dean’s car, the eerie tragedies surrounding Poltergeist and The Omen, the ghostly presence said to wander near the Hollywood sign, and even some of the stranger celebrity myths that made tabloids go wild. We separate fact from fiction, laugh at the ridiculous ones, and get genuinely unsettled by the ones that feel just a little too real.

So grab your popcorn—just maybe don’t turn off the lights. Because this week, it’s all Lights, Camera… Fear?

#PopCultureRoulette #Smashland #PCR #Hollywood #UrbanLegends #Tinseltown #PopCulture #MovieMyths #CursedFilms #HollywoodMysteries #HauntedHollywood #FilmLegends #SpookySeason

Even the King of Horror has a few skeletons in his cinematic closet. This week on Pop Culture Roulette, the crew dives headfirst into the Stephen King adaptations that didn’t quite earn their crown. Some started with great ideas but stumbled on their way to the screen, while others left us wondering how they got made in the first place. We’ll break down what went wrong — from baffling creative choices and questionable effects to stories that completely missed the haunting heart of the source material.

But it’s not all doom and gloom! We’ll also talk about those rare flops that became cult favorites, the “so bad it’s good” guilty pleasures, and the few that might deserve a modern remake. Whether you’re a diehard King fan or just love dissecting cinematic disasters, this episode is packed with laughs, debates, and more than a few hot takes.

So grab your popcorn and brace yourself — not every adaptation can be a masterpiece, and we’re here to sift through the spooky rubble to find out which of these King-Sized Disasters truly reign supreme in the realm of the ridiculous.

#PopCultureRoulette #Smashland #PCR #StephenKing #KingOfHorror #MovieTalk #CultClassics #FilmFlops #HorrorFans #PopCulturePodcast #CinemaFails #PodcastCommunity #GeekCulture #HorrorTalk