When They Popped - A Y2K Pop Culture Podcast · Kelsey and Mary

The Pussycat Dolls’ Carmit Bachar Dishes On Dancing, Dolls, & More

·51 min·5 clips

Kelsey and Mary kick things off with a very loud welcome for Karmie Behar. She shows up as one of the founding members of the Pussycat Dolls. They move through her background in rhythmic gymnastics. She placed fifth in the U.S. Olympic trials. Before the Dolls, she was already a sought-after dancer. Her credits included Michael Jackson, Beyonce, J.Lo, and Aaliyah. She joined the original Pussycat Dolls burlesque troupe in 1995. The hosts treat that timeline like pop-culture treasure, because it is. Karmie talks about the group’s early era and how different it was from the later pop version. The original act lived in a much more off-the-beaten-path space. She says it was fun, even if it may not have been the easiest fit for everyone’s career plans. The conversation then shifts to how the show’s world crossed into the music industry. A friend from her tour life came to see the act first. That friend was Gwen Stefani. Gwen brought along Interscope names like Ron Fair and Jimmy Iovine. Once they saw the performance, they saw the potential for a girl group. The label reaction was not instant consensus. Karmie describes Jimmy’s idea as the kind of move people first thought was crazy. Still, he pushed the concept forward. The group grew through a long process of auditions and reshaping. At first there were about twelve women in the mix. Some were from the original group. Others were newer additions. Nicole and Melody eventually came in through auditions. After that, the lineup narrowed to six members. Karmie says it took about a year and a half to figure out the final version. She stands out as the thread that carried over from the original troupe. The hosts keep circling back to how iconic that feels now. The episode also leans into the nostalgia of the whole thing. Karmie jokes about how much her daughter says "Y2K" now. The hosts laugh about holiday decorations and retro-era energy, which fits the show’s whole vibe. The result is part interview, part memory lane, and part reminder that pop history is often built from a lot of dancing, a lot of timing, and a little bit of chaos.

As heard by us

A clear look at Karmie Behar's role in the Pussycat Dolls, from early dance work to the group's shift from burlesque to pop.

The piece treats Karmie Behar as a founding Pussycat Dolls figure and keeps the focus on the path that got her there. It moves cleanly from her background as a competitive rhythmic gymnast who placed fifth in the U.S.

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Why you'd press play

You want the Pussycat Dolls origin story from someone who was there when the burlesque troupe became a global pop phenomenon.

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