Read the Room: A Culture Club
Follow along with our podcast week after week as we ensure you can read any room you're in, by dissecting literature, media, and pop culture until we're blue in the face.
Episodes include -
Deep Dives: In-depth looks at books, movies, and culturally relevant research topics
READs: Our bi-monthly reports on what we read, endured, ate, and did
Minis: Informal chats about hyper-fixations and latest in pop culture
Series: Ongoing conversations about reoccurring themes in our analysis
Hosted by: Alexys, Kaylin, and Larsen
Listen on:
Episodes
Monday Apr 06, 2026
Monday Apr 06, 2026
How can one setting inspire hope, fear, whimsy, and scienitific discovery all at once? In this deep dive hosts Alexys, Kaylin, and Larsen explore the representation and trendification of space in literature, movies, and the general cultural landscape. We summarize the development of space as a science fiction symbol, break down the various works that have become interstellar classics, and float into the far reaches of space sub genres.The conversation orbits past the ecological, political, and social implications of space media. Our discourse proves that themes associated with space are as vast and infinite as the universe itself.
Please reach out to us at readtheroomacultureclub@gmail.com for feedback and topics suggestions. Follow us on instagram and tiktok @readtheroom_cultureclub for the most up to date podcast information.
Sources:
"Science Fiction", Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum
"The Pyschology of Space Films", Psychology Today
"From 1900 to 2013: The Evolution of Outer Space on the Big Screen", The Journal
"The Legacy of ‘The Jetsons’ Is about a Lot More than Dreams of Flying Cars", AEI
"John Milton the Space Poet: Early Traces of Science Fiction in Paradise Lost", Reactor
"The History of Science Fiction: Beginnings", Medium
"We Come in Pieces: The Alien as Metaphor", Clarkesworld
"Genre Breakdown: The Different Types of Sci-Fi Films", The Beat
"Sci-Fi Genre Movies", WeVideo
"Don't Get Lost in Space: A Guide to Science Fiction Subgenres", Pan MacMillan
"Science Fiction: Hard Versus Soft", Enclave
The War of the Worlds, H.G. Wells (1898)
The Martian Chronicles, Ray Bradbury (1950)
Thursday Apr 02, 2026
Thursday Apr 02, 2026
Welcome to our bi-monthly READs! In these mini episodes hosts Alexys, Kaylin, and Larsen will unpack what they recently read, endured, ate, and did. The defintion of each of these elements is up for some interpetation - whether we're eating a lot of tinned fish snack plates or eating up the most recent season of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. We might read a piece of dense classical literature or read the vibe of a recent pop culture debacle. Either way, we stay reading the room. How did we define our READs this week? You'll have to listen to find out.
Please reach out to us at readtheroomacultureclub@gmail.com for feedback and topics suggestions. Follow us on instagram and tiktok at readtheroom_cultureclub for the most up to date podcast information.
Monday Mar 30, 2026
Monday Mar 30, 2026
Why is god a man, when life is always created by a woman? In this episode, hosts Alexys, Kaylin, and Larsen introduce our first series topic: Feminist Rage. In this series we’ll look at reoccurring themes, across various pieces of media, related to both the feminine experience and the pervasiveness of patriarchy. For the first episode in the series we dive into Frankenstein, the genre-defining work of Mary Shelley, as well as the 2025 Guillermo Del Toro Frankenstein adaptation, and Maggie Gyllenhaal’s The Bride, a 2026 take on the 1935 Bride of Frankenstein. Our discussions touch on the unwarranted backlash to The Bride, male loneliness, and the feminist works of Shelley’s mother, Mary Wollstonecraft.
Please reach out to us at readtheroomacultureclub@gmail.com for feedback and topics suggestions. Follow us on instagram and tiktok at readtheroom_cultureclub for the most up to date podcast information.
Sources:
Frankenstein, Mary Shelly (1818) & Maria: Or, The Wrongs of Woman, Mary Wollstonecraft (1798)
Thursday Mar 26, 2026
Thursday Mar 26, 2026
Whats worth the watch, what nominations are out of left field, and what films scored a homerun? In this mini episode hosts Alexys, Kaylin, and Larsen dissect a wide array of 2026 Academy Award catagories, discussing both nominees and winners. Digressions include what constitutes costume design, what movies we wish we saw, and the critcal lens, or lack there of, of One Battle After Another. Our name pronunciation may miss from time to time, but our films critiques are spot on.
Please reach out to us at readtheroomacultureclub@gmail.com for feedback and topics suggestions. Follow us on instagram and tiktok at readtheroom_cultureclub for the most up to date podcast information.
Monday Mar 23, 2026
Monday Mar 23, 2026
Is Emily Bronte rolling in her grave? In this episode hosts Alexys, Kaylin, and Larsen dive into a piece of gothic literature hailed as one of the greatest romances ever told, all while asking "How romantic is Wuthering Heights, really?". In addition to analyzing the plot of the OG 1847 novel, we also discuss modern adaptations including the 2011 version, and Emerald Fennell's currently infamous 2026 remake. From the dangers of a life lived for revenge, to the damage done by inter-generational abuse, we explore the magnitude of Bronte's work and grapple with whether or not such a literary powerhouse is capable of being adequately adapted for the big screen.
Please reach out to us at readtheroomacultureclub@gmail.com for feedback and topics suggestions. Follow us on instagram and tiktok at readtheroom_cultureclub for the most up to date podcast information.