Zen Pop

Cathy and Todd discuss Best in Show to honor Catherine O’Hara and dive into America’s Mayflower Kennel Club Dog Show in Philadelphia, where nothing “big” happens and that is exactly the joke. They examine Christopher Guest’s mockumentary style, made without a traditional script, in which an ensemble performs identity inside a highly rule-bound world. They move through their typical categories and share plenty of their favorite clips as they explore how the film, released in 2000 before reality TV normalized confessionals, predicted The Office and Parks and Recreation. Cathy and Todd connect the movie to modern life, where we curate versions of ourselves at school, work, in parenting spaces, and on social media, and reflect on what this means for girls who are trained to perform likability, calm, and competence. Some Ways to Support Us Sign up for Cathy’s SubstackOrder Restoring our GirlsJoin Team Zen Links shared in this episode: For the full show notes, visit zenpopparenting.com. This week’s sponsor(s): Avid CoDavid Serrano- Certified Financial Planner- 815-370-3780MenLiving Todd Adams Life & Leadership Coaching for Guys Other Ways to Support Us InstagramYouTubeFacebookCathy’s Book Zen Parenting: Caring for Ourselves and Our Children in an Unpredictable WorldResources PageMenLiving Connect profile

Todd and Cathy discuss The Sure Thing (1985), Rob Reiner’s early, quietly subversive road-trip rom-com starring John Cusack as Gib Lloyd, a smart, restless college guy chasing a guaranteed hookup that slowly reveals itself to be hollow, alongside Daphne Zuniga’s Alison Bradbury, a sharp, principled counterpoint who refuses to play the “cool girl.” Set in a pre-internet, pre-cell-phone America, the film captures mid-80s college culture while exploring the tension between impulse and integrity, desire and discernment, with Anthony Edwards’ best friend serving as a cautionary caricature of male entitlement and Nicollette Sheridan’s “sure thing” functioning more as fantasy than human. They share why Reiner softened the original raunchy premise into something more meaningful and human, and how the movie quietly suggests that growth, conversation, and shared values are the real turn-ons. Todd and Cathy also dive into their regular categories, plus their five favorite John Cusack movies and their five favorite two-person road-trip films. Say Anything Some Ways to Support Us Sign up for Cathy’s SubstackOrder Restoring our GirlsJoin Team Zen Links shared in this episode: For the full show notes, visit zenpopparenting.com. This week’s sponsor(s): Avid CoDavid Serrano- Certified Financial Planner- 815-370-3780MenLiving Todd Adams Life & Leadership Coaching for Guys Other Ways to Support Us InstagramYouTubeFacebookCathy’s Book Zen Parenting: Caring for Ourselves and Our Children in an Unpredictable WorldResources PageMenLiving Connect profile

Cathy and Todd discuss Why Heated Rivalry Matters, digging into why this hockey romance has become such a cultural lightning rod and emotional touchstone. They talk about Rachel Reid’s novel and the TV adaptation, but mostly they focus on what’s really happening alongside the sex scenes: two very different expressions of masculinity learning how to coexist without hierarchy, punishment, or performance. The conversation moves from the slow-burn relationship between Shane and Ilya to why so many women, queer viewers, and romance fans trust this story and feel oddly comforted by it. They explore how the show models emotional safety, real repair, and power that doesn’t turn into harm, and why that feels rare right now. It’s a mix of pop culture, psychology, and cultural reckoning about intimacy, vulnerability, and what people are longing for in relationships today. Some Ways to Support Us Sign up for Cathy’s SubstackOrder Restoring our GirlsJoin Team Zen Links shared in this episode: For the full show notes, visit zenpopparenting.com. This week’s sponsor(s): Avid CoDavid Serrano- Certified Financial Planner- 815-370-3780MenLiving Todd Adams Life & Leadership Coaching for Guys Other Ways to Support Us InstagramYouTubeFacebookCathy’s Book Zen Parenting: Caring for Ourselves and Our Children in an Unpredictable WorldResources PageMenLiving Connect profile

Some Ways to Support Us Sign up for Cathy’s SubstackOrder Restoring our GirlsJoin Team Zen Links shared in this episode: For the full show notes, visit zenpopparenting.com. This week’s sponsor(s): Avid CoDavid Serrano- Certified Financial Planner- 815-370-3780MenLiving Todd Adams Life & Leadership Coaching for Guys Other Ways to Support Us InstagramYouTubeFacebookCathy’s Book Zen Parenting: Caring for Ourselves and Our Children in an Unpredictable WorldResources PageMenLiving Connect profile

Some Ways to Support Us Sign up for Cathy’s SubstackOrder Restoring our GirlsJoin Team Zen Links shared in this episode: For the full show notes, visit zenpopparenting.com. This week’s sponsor(s): Avid CoDavid Serrano- Certified Financial Planner- 815-370-3780MenLiving Todd Adams Life & Leadership Coaching for Guys Other Ways to Support Us InstagramYouTubeFacebookCathy’s Book Zen Parenting: Caring for Ourselves and Our Children in an Unpredictable WorldResources PageMenLiving Connect profile

We decided to re-run an old “Pop Culturing” Podcast in honor of the tragic death of Rob Reiner and his wife Michele. We will be creating 4 new Zen Pop Episodes based off of 4 other Rob Reiner films for the month of January. When Harry Met Sally… is a 1989 American romantic comedy film written by Nora Ephron and directed by Rob Reiner. It stars Billy Crystal as Harry and Meg Ryan as Sally. The story follows the title characters from the time they meet in Chicago just before sharing a cross-country drive, through twelve years of chance encounters in New York City. The film raises the question “Can men and women ever just be friends?” and advances many ideas about relationships that became household concepts, such as “high-maintenance” and the “transitional person”. Some Ways to Support Us Sign up for Cathy’s SubstackOrder Restoring our GirlsJoin Team Zen Links shared in this episode: For the full show notes, visit zenpopparenting.com. This week’s sponsor(s): Avid CoDavid Serrano- Certified Financial Planner- 815-370-3780MenLiving Todd Adams Life & Leadership Coaching for Guys Other Ways to Support Us InstagramYouTubeFacebookCathy’s Book Zen Parenting: Caring for Ourselves and Our Children in an Unpredictable WorldResources PageMenLiving Connect profile

Cathy and Todd discuss Love Actually as part of their “Christmas movies that might not actually be Christmas movies” month. Released in November 2003 and written and directed by Richard Curtis, the film uses its London-at-Christmas setting, stacked ensemble cast, and interwoven stories of romantic, familial, awkward, and heartbreaking love to reflect a long-held worldview: messy humans and basic decency still matter. Cathy and Todd go through their categories, debate the storylines, and unpack why its message that “love is all around” became an annual ritual for so many—and what lands differently when we watch it now.. Some Ways to Support Us Sign up for Cathy’s SubstackOrder Restoring our GirlsJoin Team Zen Links shared in this episode: For the full show notes, visit zenpopparenting.com. This week’s sponsor(s): Avid CoDavid Serrano- Certified Financial Planner- 815-370-3780MenLiving Todd Adams Life & Leadership Coaching for Guys Other Ways to Support Us InstagramYouTubeFacebookCathy’s Book Zen Parenting: Caring for Ourselves and Our Children in an Unpredictable WorldResources PageMenLiving Connect profile

Cathy and Todd talk about The Family Stone and why it works so well as “a Christmas movie that isn’t really a Christmas movie”. They explore how it’s a story about family systems, grief, belonging, and what happens when someone new steps into a familiar and often fragile emotional ecosystem. They get into the best family movies, the most uncomfortable scenes, each character’s role, birth order patterns, sibling energy, and the tension Meredith brings into the house. They also look at why this messy and tender story is still such a holiday staple twenty years later. Some Ways to Support Us Sign up for Cathy’s SubstackOrder Restoring our GirlsJoin Team Zen Links shared in this episode: For the full show notes, visit zenpopparenting.com. This week’s sponsor(s): Avid CoDavid Serrano- Certified Financial Planner- 815-370-3780MenLiving Todd Adams Life & Leadership Coaching for Guys Other Ways to Support Us InstagramYouTubeFacebookCathy’s Book Zen Parenting: Caring for Ourselves and Our Children in an Unpredictable WorldResources PageMenLiving Connect profile

Some Ways to Support Us Sign up for Cathy’s SubstackOrder Restoring our GirlsJoin Team Zen Links shared in this episode: For the full show notes, visit zenpopparenting.com. This week’s sponsor(s): Avid CoDavid Serrano- Certified Financial Planner- 815-370-3780MenLiving Todd Adams Life & Leadership Coaching for Guys Other Ways to Support Us InstagramYouTubeFacebookCathy’s Book Zen Parenting: Caring for Ourselves and Our Children in an Unpredictable WorldResources PageMenLiving Connect profile

Cathy and Todd discuss Die Hard, the 1988 action classic that redefined the genre, covering everything from its Christmas Eve plot and iconic Nakatomi Plaza setting to the film’s surprisingly heartfelt themes of family, reconciliation, and love. They discuss why so many (including Cathy) consider it a Christmas movie, break down the characters and casting surprises, highlight the film’s legacy and genre-shaping influence, and share the behind-the-scenes stories that made Bruce Willis’s hero an unexpected cultural icon. From Hans Gruber’s unforgettable villainy to the film’s “Die Hard in a ____” effect across decades of action films, it’s a nostalgic and big-hearted look at why this movie endures and why so many of us return to it every holiday season. Some Ways to Support Us Sign up for Cathy’s SubstackOrder Restoring our GirlsJoin Team Zen Links shared in this episode: For the full show notes, visit zenpopparenting.com. This week’s sponsor(s): Avid CoDavid Serrano- Certified Financial Planner- 815-370-3780MenLiving Todd Adams Life & Leadership Coaching for Guys Other Ways to Support Us InstagramYouTubeFacebookCathy’s Book Zen Parenting: Caring for Ourselves and Our Children in an Unpredictable WorldResources PageMenLiving Connect profile

Todd and Cathy share the upcoming changes to their podcast, Zen Parenting Radio, which will be renamed Zen POP Parenting starting June 1st! They also discuss the normal shifts in kids’ friendships, highlighting the importance of loyalty, boundaries, and the reality that friendships evolve. As parents, we can feel more overwhelmed than our kids when these changes happen, but it’s important to normalize the ups and downs of friendships and offer support without letting our own fear or discomfort take over.

Todd and Cathy share the upcoming changes to their podcast, Zen Parenting Radio, which will be renamed Zen POP Parenting starting June 1st! They also discuss the normal shifts in kids’ friendships, highlighting the importance of loyalty, boundaries, and the reality that friendships evolve. As parents, we can feel more overwhelmed than our kids when these changes happen, but it’s important to normalize the ups and downs of friendships and offer support without letting our own fear or discomfort take over.

Todd and Cathy share the upcoming changes to their podcast, Zen Parenting Radio, which will be renamed Zen POP Parenting starting June 1st! They also discuss the normal shifts in kids’ friendships, highlighting the importance of loyalty, boundaries, and the reality that friendships evolve. As parents, we can feel more overwhelmed than our kids when these changes happen, but it’s important to normalize the ups and downs of friendships and offer support without letting our own fear or discomfort take over.

Todd and Cathy share the upcoming changes to their podcast, Zen Parenting Radio, which will be renamed Zen POP Parenting starting June 1st! They also discuss the normal shifts in kids’ friendships, highlighting the importance of loyalty, boundaries, and the reality that friendships evolve. As parents, we can feel more overwhelmed than our kids when these changes happen, but it’s important to normalize the ups and downs of friendships and offer support without letting our own fear or discomfort take over.

Todd and Cathy share the upcoming changes to their podcast, Zen Parenting Radio, which will be renamed Zen POP Parenting starting June 1st! They also discuss the normal shifts in kids’ friendships, highlighting the importance of loyalty, boundaries, and the reality that friendships evolve. As parents, we can feel more overwhelmed than our kids when these changes happen, but it’s important to normalize the ups and downs of friendships and offer support without letting our own fear or discomfort take over.

Todd and Cathy share the upcoming changes to their podcast, Zen Parenting Radio, which will be renamed Zen POP Parenting starting June 1st! They also discuss the normal shifts in kids’ friendships, highlighting the importance of loyalty, boundaries, and the reality that friendships evolve. As parents, we can feel more overwhelmed than our kids when these changes happen, but it’s important to normalize the ups and downs of friendships and offer support without letting our own fear or discomfort take over.

Todd and Cathy share the upcoming changes to their podcast, Zen Parenting Radio, which will be renamed Zen POP Parenting starting June 1st! They also discuss the normal shifts in kids’ friendships, highlighting the importance of loyalty, boundaries, and the reality that friendships evolve. As parents, we can feel more overwhelmed than our kids when these changes happen, but it’s important to normalize the ups and downs of friendships and offer support without letting our own fear or discomfort take over.

Todd and Cathy share the upcoming changes to their podcast, Zen Parenting Radio, which will be renamed Zen POP Parenting starting June 1st! They also discuss the normal shifts in kids’ friendships, highlighting the importance of loyalty, boundaries, and the reality that friendships evolve. As parents, we can feel more overwhelmed than our kids when these changes happen, but it’s important to normalize the ups and downs of friendships and offer support without letting our own fear or discomfort take over.

Todd and Cathy share the upcoming changes to their podcast, Zen Parenting Radio, which will be renamed Zen POP Parenting starting June 1st! They also discuss the normal shifts in kids’ friendships, highlighting the importance of loyalty, boundaries, and the reality that friendships evolve. As parents, we can feel more overwhelmed than our kids when these changes happen, but it’s important to normalize the ups and downs of friendships and offer support without letting our own fear or discomfort take over.

Todd and Cathy share the upcoming changes to their podcast, Zen Parenting Radio, which will be renamed Zen POP Parenting starting June 1st! They also discuss the normal shifts in kids’ friendships, highlighting the importance of loyalty, boundaries, and the reality that friendships evolve. As parents, we can feel more overwhelmed than our kids when these changes happen, but it’s important to normalize the ups and downs of friendships and offer support without letting our own fear or discomfort take over.