Las Culturistas

These days, pop-culture podcasts are so ubiquitous that the format—two or three quippy hosts chewing on the entertainment news du jour—has started to feel stale. And yet this is never the case with “Las Culturistas,” in which the comedians Bowen Yang (of “Saturday Night Live”) and Matt Rogers (the host of HBO Max’s “Haute Dog”) dive gregariously into Hollywood headlines as if they were delicious guacamole. What distinguishes “Las Culturistas,” which débuted in 2016 (a grande dame in podcast years), from its peers is its incisive, inquisitive, and often world-weary tone and its novel setup—Yang and Rogers bring on a special guest to discuss their obsessions, and then rant against obscure annoyances, in a segment called “I Don't Think So, Honey!” Both comics have been in the business for a while; as such, they come at the topic of fame with a fellow-traveller’s empathy and a well-earned dose of cynicism. Their recent show breaking down the Britney Spears conservatorship battle is one of their best: they not only perfectly summarize the pop star’s troubles but also present a nuanced and philosophical case for her larger importance. The show manages to be both acidic and warm, like a steaming cup of Tang for the mind.