The Pop Culture Pundit

Kate’s Greats are awards given to movies, TV shows, and music that the author has viewed and/or listened to over the past month. These awards may celebrate underrated, overlooked, or obscure moments of pop culture that may not otherwise get the attention they deserve. Other times, they will celebrate the buzziest pop culture–but will always have a fresh take. Award categories may include, but are not limited to, ‘Goofiest Thriller’ and ‘Tiniest Mustache’ (the latter of which Timothée Chalamet wins by a landslide). May the best, worst, boldest, and weirdest win. 

Most Multiverse-Breaking Product Placement: Tom Holland’s Bero in Spider-Man: Brand New Day 

The Marvel Cinematic Universe seems committed to breaking our brains with the multiverse of madness. Well, the multiverse has somehow become even more confusing in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. You thought having three Spider-Mans in No Way Home was a lot? Please, that’s child’s play! The latest installment sees Tom Holland’s Peter Parker walking around a convenience store where he stumbles upon a product named Bero. Little does Peter Parker know this is Holland’s real-life non-alcoholic beer brand. Or maybe he does know. If multiple multiverses do indeed exist, is there a Peter Parker that knows he is played by Tom Holland? Or are there two Tom Hollands, one that is an actor and the other that’s a drink manufacturer?? Marvel, tell me what you know!!! 

Funniest Running Gag: Larry David’s Passion for Talking About Buttons

In the pilot of Seinfeld, Jerry Seinfeld and George Costanza are talking about a misplaced button. In the series finale, the same conversation happens. Fast-forward thirty years later, and Seinfeld’s creator Larry David still loves the topic. In his latest show, Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness, Larry David compliments the buttons on a jacket of a George Washington statue, and begins talking about the buttons on his own shirt…to former US President Barack Obama, no less. It’s beautiful, it’s perfect, and it’s reminded me that I need to start a button jar ASAP of all my spares in case I ever misplace one. 

Best Reunion: Brooke and Lance from The Other Two on Best Medicine

The Other Two is one of my favorite TV shows EVER, chronicling the lives of Cary (Drew Tarver) and Brooke (Heléne Yorke), two siblings who get a taste of fame when their younger brother ChaseDreams (Case Walker) becomes a Justin Bieber-like Internet sensation over night. Yorke recently guest-starred on the delightful show Best Medicine, where she reunited with her former onscreen boyfriend, Lance (Josh Segarra), from The Other Two. It would be great if she made more guest appearances in the future–Best Medicine is ripe for plenty of guest castings after all, as the main plot follows Martin Best (Josh Charles) as the only doctor in a small, quirky town. Who knows, maybe Charles will even reunite with his former Good Wife co-star Julianna Margulies! 

Best Reunion, Part 2: Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson, Apple TV’s Brothers 

^{Apple TV via YouTube}

The trailer for McConaughey and Harrelson’s upcoming TV show, Brothers, dropped this past month, and it looks like a great time. The show follows the two as they realize they might actually be brothers (which actually may be true) and navigate their lives together. Though the two have been friends for a long time, this is their first major project together since True Detective in 2014. Hopefully it lives up to the hype! 

Best Music Festival: Olivia Rodrigo’s Daisy Chain Fields

Olivia Rodrigo is one of the greatest pop star champions for women’s rights today, and it showed with her music festival Daisy Chain Fields, which featured an all-female lineup including Chappell Roan, Doechii, and Stevie Knicks. The festival raised $10 million to donate to organizations including Planned Parenthood, National Women’s Law Center and Baby2Baby. Additionally, philanthropist Melinda Gates announced she was matching the donation, bringing the total raised up to $20 million. Fighting for a good cause and having fun making music? Sounds like a great time to me!