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Zen Pop

Todd and Cathy Adams

Zen POP is a podcast about understanding ourselves through the music, movies, and moments that shaped us. With a distinctly Gen X sensibility, we use pop culture as a mirror, reflecting our emotional patterns, relationships, blind spots, and where we’re still learning. Each episode starts with something we all know and love, then uses humor, memory, and shared reference points to go deeper into what we watch and listen to, what it reveals about us, and how those stories shape our relationships and our sense of self. We organize conversations into categories, themes, and “best of” lists because remembering together helps us understand ourselves more clearly. Listeners can also access Zen Parenting LIVE!, our premium podcast focused entirely on parenting and self-awareness, along with exclusive episodes and deeper connection with other Team Zen members. https://zenpopparenting.com/#team-zen

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27 episodes
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Avg 1 hr 13 min
English

Episodes 27

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S1 · E891
October 13 · 1 hr 34 min
Poltergeist Episode #891
We celebrate Halloween month on Zen Pop with the original Poltergeist from 1982. Cathy and Todd revisit the movie that made us afraid of television static, bedroom closets, and that terrifying clown doll, along with the behind-the-scenes stories that fueled its “curse” reputation. JoBeth Williams and Craig T. Nelson play Diane and Steve Freeling, whose suburban family life turns upside down when their youngest daughter, Carol Anne, played by Heather O’Rourke, starts talking to the “TV people.” We discuss childhood fears, how parents respond when their kids are scared, and what happens when the things we bury refuse to stay buried. Rewatch, reflect, and relate to what Poltergeist has to teach us.
S1 · E890
October 6 · 1 hr 34 min
The Dark Knight Episode #890
Cops and Robbers month continues with The Dark Knight. We rewatched Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight and know for sure that Heath Ledger earned that posthumous Best Supporting Actor Oscar, and that we got to see a lot of Chicago. Christian Bale plays Bruce Wayne/Batman, who teams up with Gary Oldman's Lt. Jim Gordon and Aaron Eckhart’s DA Harvey Dent to take down the mob, only to find that every move he makes invites a worse response. After the Joker pulls off a bank heist where his own crew kills each other off, he offers to rid the mob of Batman and starts a campaign to prove that anyone, even Gotham's White Knight, can be pushed into madness. Rewatch, reflect, and relate to what The Dark Knight has to teach us.
S1 · E889
September 29 · 1 hr 19 min
Heat Episode #889
It's Cops and Robbers month, and we rewatched Michael Mann's Heat and know for sure that it set the standard and that the Academy blew it by giving it zero Oscar nominations. Robert De Niro plays Neil McCauley, a professional thief who lives by one rule: never get attached to anything you can't walk away from in 30 seconds flat (emotional unavailability as a lifestyle!). Meanwhile, Al Pacino's LAPD detective Vincent Hanna is closing in while his third marriage falls apart because he's really married to the job (he's an obsessed workaholic!). When the two men finally sit down for coffee they realize they're mirror images of each other, men who made different choices in their need for control and in how they deal with their trauma. Rewatch, reflect, and relate to what Heat has to teach us.
S1 · E888
September 22 · 1 hr 25 min
The Town -Episode #888
Cops & Robbers Month- The Town We rewatched Ben Affleck's The Town and know for sure that Jeremy Renner earned that Best Supporting Actor nomination and that we got to see a lot of Boston. Affleck plays Doug MacRay, who runs a crew of bank and armored car robbers in a one-square-mile neighborhood where the family business isn't optional, it's inherited (generational trauma!). After a job goes sideways and the crew briefly takes a bank manager hostage, Doug starts trailing her and ends up dating her. Meanwhile, Jon Hamm's FBI agent is closing in and Doug's ex-girlfriend, played by Blake Lively, is feeling used and discarded. Rewatch, reflect, and relate to what The Town has to teach us.
S1 · E887
September 15 · 1 hr 22 min
Point Break -Episode #887
Cops & Robbers Month We rewatched and overanalyzed Point Break, and realized Bodhi was doing self-help before self-help was a thing, just with more bank robberies and extreme sports thrown in. An FBI agent goes undercover with a crew of surfers who rob banks in president masks to fund a life of chasing the perfect wave. But it's also a movie about a generation looking for meaning outside the usual institutions, and a new kind of masculinity starting to take shape. This week: Set the Scene, Remember When, Random Facts, WTF!, Hot Takes, Hidden Gems, and REEL Therapy. Rewatch. Overanalyze. Learn about yourself.
S1 · E886
September 8 · 1 hr 3 min
Summer School- Episode #886
Cathy and Todd close out their "Movies We Love (But Love to Make Fun Of)" series with 1987's Summer School, the comedy where Mark Harmon's laid-back gym teacher gets stuck teaching English after the assigned teacher wins the lottery and bails. It's full of '80s pop culture, and underneath all of it there's a genuinely sweet message about meeting struggling kids where they are.
S1 · E885
September 1 · 1 hr 13 min
Teen Wolf- Episode #885
Cathy and Todd discuss Teen Wolf for Movies We Love and Love to Make Fun Of month, the 1985 werewolf-basketball classic that turned a barely-known Michael J. Fox into a star just months after Back to the Future changed his life. They discuss the movie's best and strangest moments from Stiles's party-hosting mastery to Boof simply refusing to take no for an answer, and get into what the wolf actually represents: a metaphor for suddenly gaining power and having to learn how to handle it responsibly. They count down their 10 best Gen X high school party scenes in movie history and break down the infamous end-credits clip that wasn't even supposed to make it into the film.
S1 · E884
August 25 · 1 hr 33 min
St. Elmo’s Fire- Episode #884
Cathy and Todd discuss St. Elmo's Fire for Movies We LOVE and LOVE to Make Fun Of month, the 1985 classic that made $37.8 million on a $10 million budget despite critics disliking it. They get into the David Blum "Hollywood's Brat Pack" article that changed everyone's careers overnight, Andrew McCarthy's book and documentary about being labeled a Brat, and then go over the movie's genuinely alarming WTF moments like Kirby's rewarded stalking arc, Billy pushing past Jules's "no," and his "there was no St. Elmo's Fire, you're making it up" non-help speech — before landing on their red flags list for the movie's worst behavior and the quotes they still can't stop repeating ("Wasted Love!").
S1 · E883
August 18 · 1 hr 37 min
Cocktail – Episode #883
Cathy and Todd discuss Cocktail for Movies We Love and Love to Make Fun of Month. They revisit the 1988 Tom Cruise classic with its flair bartending, strange plot turns, and very serious ideas about money, masculinity, friendship, and success. They share their memories of seeing it when they were younger, explore the darker story hidden beneath the story, unpack Doug’s Coughlin’s Laws and Kerry’s missing backstory, and ask the important questions: Why does everyone make life-changing decisions based on barroom bets? And how did a critically despised Razzie winner become a movie we all still quote, rewatch, and love to make fun of? Subscribe to Cathy’s weekly Zen Moment and upgrade to hear a weekly Zen Moment podcast hosted by Cathy and Todd! Some Ways to Support Us Sign up for Cathy’s Substack Order Restoring our Girls Links shared in this episode: For the full show notes, visit zenpopparenting.com. This week’s sponsor(s): Avid Co DuPage County Area Decorating, Painting, Remodeling by Avid Co includes kitchens, basements, bathrooms, flooring, tiling, fire and flood restoration. MenLiving – A virtual and in-person community of guys connecting deeply and living fully. No requirements, no creeds, no gurus, no judgements Todd Adams Life & Leadership Coaching for Guys Other Ways to Support Us Follow us on social media Instagram YouTube Facebook Buy and leave a review for Cathy’s Book Zen Parenting: Caring for Ourselves and Our Children in an Unpredictable World
S1 · E881
August 11 · 1 hr 18 min
Top Gun Maverick- Episode #882
Cathy and Todd discuss Top Gun: Maverick to complete their summer blockbuster series, the 2022 legacy sequel that brought Tom Cruise back to the role that made him famous, three decades (and a pandemic delay) later. They talk about Val Kilmer’s real battle with throat cancer and how it shaped his return as Iceman, discuss the film’s themes of grief, legacy, and mentorship, debate why Jon Hamm’s character is such a dick, and share Cathy’s deeply conflicted feelings about Tom Cruise, who happens to look a lot like Todd. They also discussed the original Top Gun (1986) earlier in the summer, click here to listen: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/top-gun-episode-871/id414414318?i=1000770790944 Subscribe to Cathy’s weekly Zen Moment and upgrade to hear a weekly Zen Moment podcast hosted by Cathy and Todd! Some Ways to Support Us Sign up for Cathy’s Substack Order Restoring our Girls Links shared in this episode: For the full show notes, visit zenpopparenting.com. This week’s sponsor(s): Avid Co DuPage County Area Decorating, Painting, Remodeling by Avid Co includes kitchens, basements, bathrooms, flooring, tiling, fire and flood restoration. MenLiving – A virtual and in-person community of guys connecting deeply and living fully. No requirements, no creeds, no gurus, no judgements Todd Adams Life & Leadership Coaching for Guys Other Ways to Support Us Follow us on social media Instagram YouTube Facebook Buy and leave a review for Cathy’s Book Zen Parenting: Caring for Ourselves and Our Children in an Unpredictable World
S1 · E881
August 4 · 1 hr 5 min
Wedding Crashers- Episode #881
Cathy and Todd continue their summer blockbuster series and discuss Wedding Crashers, the 2005 comedy starring Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson that grossed $288.5 million on a $40 million budget. They cover the cast including Rachel McAdams, Isla Fisher, Christopher Walken, Bradley Cooper, and Jane Seymour, plus behind-the-scenes trivia like the almost-cast Justin Long, the scrapped Daniel Craig sequel, and Owen Wilson's improvised "Rules" of wedding crashing. They count down the movie's best quotes and talk through the film's male friendship theme.
S1 · E880
July 28 · 1 hr 13 min
The Odyssey- Episode #880
Cathy and Todd discuss the most recent summer blockbuster, The Odyssey, Christopher Nolan's take on Homer's epic and why a 2,700-year-old story about identity, home, and longing still hits just as hard today. From the Cyclops to the Sirens to Circe, they trace the myths and monsters and what those stories still reveal about who we are, and why the humanities matter to a thriving culture. It's also a conversation about disguise and belonging, and why it's so hard to come home when the choices of war change the world and leave shame behind.
S1 · E879
July 21 · 1 hr 9 min
Animal House- Episode #879
Cathy and Todd continue their summer blockbusters series with National Lampoon's Animal House (1978), John Landis's frat-house classic that launched the college-comedy genre. They discuss the cast, behind-the-scenes trivia, the film's most WTF scenes, and their own experiences in the Greek system. They also list the top 15 fraternity party songs of the early '90s, plus the top ten things Animal House gave us that are still discussed, used, or homaged today.
S1 · E878
July 14 · 1 hr 14 min
Back to the Future- Episode #878
Cathy and Todd discuss Back to the Future for their summer blockbuster series, Robert Zemeckis's 1985 time-travel classic that took nearly 40 rejections to get made before Steven Spielberg got involved. They discuss how Eric Stoltz was originally cast as Marty McFly and shot for five weeks before being replaced by Michael J. Fox, who then secretly filmed the movie at night while shooting Family Ties by day. On a $19 million budget, the film grossed nearly $400 million and became a cultural touchstone, complete with an uncredited Huey Lewis cameo and a Crispin Glover lawsuit that changed how Hollywood handles an actor's likeness. They dig into why it still resonates including the butterfly-effect plot, the idea of meeting your parents as flawed kids just like you, and Doc's closing line — "your future hasn't been written yet" — as the real heart of the film.
S1 · E877
July 7 · 57 min
Widows Bay Episode #877
Cathy and Todd discuss Apple TV's Widow's Bay, the 10-episode horror-comedy that has a 98% on Rotten Tomatoes and an early season two renewal. They discuss its "Parks and Rec meets Stephen King" premise and its numerous horror movie homages including Carrie, The Wicker Man, The Shining, Jaws, Halloween, and more. It's small-town bureaucracy, ancient sea-gods, a resurrected Boogeyman, and sunset cocktails all in one, and they knew they needed to discuss this one-of-a-kind show.
S1 · E876
July 1 · 1 hr 15 min
Family Movie Draft Part 2- Episode #876
Cathy, Todd, Jacey, Camryn, and Skylar draft their way through 10 movie categories: horror/thriller, rom-com, animated, 80s, since 2020, based on a book, sports, most rewatched, holiday, and honorable mention. Snake draft order, 10 rounds, everyone answers every category exactly once.
S1 · E875
June 30 · 1 hr 16 min
Family Movie Draft Part 1- Episode #875
Cathy, Todd, Jacey, Camryn, and Skylar draft their way through 10 movie categories: horror/thriller, rom-com, animated, 80s, since 2020, based on a book, sports, most rewatched, holiday, and honorable mention. Snake draft order, 10 rounds, everyone answers every category exactly once.
S1 · E874
June 23 · 1 hr 16 min
Terminator 2- Episode #874
Cathy and Todd continue their summer blockbusters series with Terminator 2: Judgment Day, James Cameron's 1991 sci-fi action landmark that grossed $519 million on a then-record $102 million budget and won four Academy Awards. They cover the best behind-the-scenes stories, including how Billy Idol was originally cast as the T-1000 before a motorcycle accident took him out, how Edward Furlong was discovered at a Pasadena Boys and Girls Club with zero acting experience, and why Robert Patrick trained so relentlessly that he outran the insert car on the very first take of the mall chase scene.
S1 · E873
June 16 · 1 hr 21 min
Gladiator Episode #873
Cathy and Todd discuss Gladiator, released in 2000 and directed by Ridley Scott, it stars Russell Crowe as Maximus, a Roman general betrayed by the Emperor's son Commodus, who murders his own father Marcus Aurelius to seize power, then orders the execution of Maximus and his entire family. Sold into slavery and forced into the arena, Maximus fights his way back to Rome for one purpose: vengeance. With a box office of $466 million, five Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Actor for Crowe, and a Hans Zimmer score that became one of the bestselling soundtracks of all time, the film didn't just succeed, it reinvented an entire genre and inspired everything from HBO's Rome to The Hunger Games. It's filled with unforgettable lines like, "What we do in life echoes in eternity" and "Are you not entertained?”, and it happens to be one of Cathy's all-time favorite movies.
S1 · E872
June 9 · 1 hr 7 min
Raiders of the Lost Ark- Episode # 872
Cathy and Todd continue their summer blockbusters series with Raiders of the Lost Ark, the George Lucas and Steven Spielberg collaboration born from a beach conversation in Hawaii, diving into the film's origins, iconic casting (Tom Selleck almost got the role), and the chaotic Tunisia shoot where nearly the entire cast and crew got food poisoning. They rank history's oddest movie titles, wrestle with the film's deeply uncomfortable Marion subplot, and close out with why Raiders still holds up as a masterclass in humble heroism and why Indy wins in the end by simply closing his eyes.

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