Does Pop Culture Make You Jealous?
Interview by Jennifer Cooper
Image by Philip Johnson
Julia Washington says pop culture makes her jealous. Or, at least, it used to. Why? Because, like a lot of people, she never saw herself or her family represented.
Washington explains, “Coming from a biracial home with conservative parents, who were adamant about church and religion, but still had a family film night and reruns of all kinds of epic 1970s television on, I realized I wanted that polished Hollywood presentation of life, (with) conflicts that could be buttoned up in 30 minutes or less, meet-cutes, the friend group that consisted of four girls/women who brunched went on trips, etc, a badass career, all the things pop culture tells us makes life great. I was jealous of all those fictional worlds.”
So much has changed since the 80s and 90s when it comes to representation across race, gender, and sexuality. Take a look at Euphoria, Insecure, Pose, and the sadly canceled reboot of One Day at a Time. I’m still hoping to see some more work in the age area, although there has been some advancement there too.
But while the age of representation is here, or at least the glimmer of it, we didn’t grow up in this era. What we watched was largely whitewashed and definitely heteronormative. For those who didn’t fit that mold, and even those of us who did, we got some pretty weird messages that we’re still working through.
That’s where Washington comes in. I recently spoke with her about her podcast, Pop Culture Makes Me Jealous, that explores pop culture through the lenses of race and gender while having a hell of a lot of fun.
Let’s start with the basics. How much TV did you watch growing up?
I would say, I watched way too much television. My parents instituted a system where we had to earn TV tickets worth 30 minutes of screen time. I suspect my massive amounts of TV consumption is likely why, but it didn't work. I found ways around the system. If I had to put a number to it, I would venture a guess of four hours a day on weekdays and maybe eight a day or so on the weekends. We also didn't have cable until my senior year of high school so there weren't a ton of options either!
How did it shape your understanding of yourself and your identity?
I've recently discovered that television played a large part in my beliefs; from the meaningful talks about what's right and wrong on shows from ABC's TGIF heyday, to larger topics like homosexuality, equality/equity for women's rights, and other social issues like housing. Watching television shows that posed these scenarios taught me how to see beyond myself and allowed me to experience someone else's life; it created empathy.
I can see that. I often wonder how much more expanded this generation will be growing up with a broader range of storytelling. Hopefully, they won’t feel so boxed in. At the time of this conversation, you’ve produced 3 seasons of the podcast. That must be exhausting.
There are a lot of little details that go in to producing a podcast like this one. Every episode topic is researched and we have a short script to help navigate the discussion. It's time-consuming, but I love it.
What’ve been your favorite conversations you’ve had on the podcast?
This is a tough question to answer because we have had some incredible conversations on the show. Still, if I had to choose, I actually have a few: Passing where we discussed the novel by Nella Larsen which was adapted for film on Netflix, Moxie (another book-to-screen adaptation from Netflix), and Normal People (a book-to-screen adaptation on Hulu).
What’s been one of the most surprising things to come out of the podcast?
The amount I have learned about myself. I didn't realize how much influence pop culture had on me and engaging in conversations with people who I have known for years, or only met because they pitched the show has me thinking a lot these days!
Okay, let’s get real for a minute. What’s your go-to show for guilty pleasure watching?
Oh my gosh, friend, I cannot admit this out loud!
All right, I’ll have to settle for that. Tell me offline. Can you share what TV shows you’re most excited about coming out?
A lot of the shows I am excited about this year have already dropped: Peaky Blinders Season 6, Conversations with Friends, Russian Doll Season 2. Things still to come, A League of Their Own, Ted Lasso Season 3, and The Crown Season 5.
What’s something you wished more people asked you?
This is tough, people have always felt they can ask me anything (even wildly deeply inappropriate questions). Upon deeper consideration though, I do wish more people asked what I want and then truly listened to and respected the answer.
That’s a good one! So… what do you want?
Freedom. I wish to no longer be beholden to a system that has zero respect for my knowledge and expertise.
You can catch all of the episodes on the Pop Culture Makes Me Jealous site and subscribe to it on iTunes. And best of all, you can support the work through Patreon. You’ll get ad-free episodes, bonus content, and other perks.
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