Episode 368 - Lisa Edelstein talks Long Story Short plus Billy Joel: And So it Goes & The Hunting Wives.

·1 hr 5 min·4 clips

Billy Joel wrote “Piano Man” so early, before he had really broken out big.

1. Culture Pop Podcast Episode 368 moves from Billy Joel and Ed Sullivan to Lisa Edelstein and Long Story Short. 2. Steve Mason hosts with Sue Kalinske, and Lisa Edelstein joins as the guest because she stars in Netflix’s animated series Long Story Short. 3. The episode asks what Billy Joel, Ed Sullivan, The Naked Gun, The Hunting Wives, and Long Story Short reveal about pop culture right now. 4. Steve and Sue start with Billy Joel’s two-part documentary And So It Goes on HBO, which they call educational and full of details they did not know. 5. Sue says the biggest surprise was Billy Joel’s father, a classical pianist he barely knew, plus the stepbrother and conductor connection. 6. Steve notes Joel’s emotional struggles and says the documentary mentions two suicide attempts, including one involving liquid Pledge. 7. They discuss how long Billy Joel stayed relevant, comparing him with Neil Diamond and Bruce Springsteen. 8. Sue credits ex-wife and manager Elizabeth West for pushing “Just the Way You Are” when the label did not want to release it. 9. Steve and Sue also focus on Joel’s reputation as a songwriter, pianist, and performer, and Sue chooses “Piano Man” as his best song. 10. They move to Sunday Best, a documentary about Ed Sullivan and his role in presenting Black artists to national TV audiences. 11. Steve names Jackie Wilson, Nina Simone, Oprah Winfrey, Stevie Wonder, James Brown, the Supremes, the Jackson 5, and Harry Belafonte as part of that story. 12. Sue says she grew up watching The Ed Sullivan Show on Sunday nights with her family and had no idea how much Sullivan did for Black performers. 13. Steve recalls Sullivan as the “great stone face,” a presenter whose job was to let the stars shine. 14. They say Sullivan grew up in Harlem with liberal parents, and that background shaped his willingness to stand up to network resistance. 15. The Naked Gun becomes a conversation about Liam Neeson, Pamela Anderson, and whether a straight comedy can still work in theaters. 16. Steve says he chuckled at the reboot, liked the banter, and thinks the film could prompt studios to make more comedies. 17. Sue and Steve say Pamela Anderson fits the role and note that her offscreen relationship with Liam Neeson mirrors the movie’s widower setup. 18. The conversation turns to The Hunting Wives on Netflix, which they describe as campy, sexy, and set in Maplebrook, Texas. 19. Lisa Edelstein’s segment is energetic and personal, with Lisa and Steve trading memories about Jewish family rhythms, voice acting, and Aaron Sorkin projects. 20. Anyone who likes TV nostalgia, music documentaries, and Lisa Edelstein should listen; viewers avoiding chatty pop-culture banter probably can skip it.

As heard by us

A warm pop-culture hang built around Lisa Edelstein and a campy The Hunting Wives chat.

The episode centers on Lisa Edelstein, with the hosts touching on House, The Kaminsky Method, and her new Netflix animated series Long Story Short.

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Why you'd press play

For a conversational pop-culture hang with Lisa Edelstein and The Hunting Wives.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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