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To celebrate Heistmas — and Pop Heist's first anniversary — we're offering 20% off a new annual or monthly subscription!
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Pop Heist is a worker-owned, reader-funded pop culture news and journalism website, and we're here to rock your world.

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Pop Heist

Ethan Kaye (he/him) is a writer/editor/book hoarder. He is scared of the Loch Ness Monster.

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Ethan Kaye

advent calendar MST3k

The 2025 Heistmas Advent Calendar Day 16: MST3K Takes on ‘Santa Claus’

Matthew Jackson (he/him) is a writer, critic, podcaster, and nerd-for-hire who&#8217;s been writing about pop culture for more than 15 years. He lives in Austin, Texas, and when he&#8217;s not writing he&#8217;s usually counting the days until Christmas.

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Matthew Jackson

HANNIBAL – 11

‘Hannibal’ 1×11 Recap: A Thicket of Antlers

Brett White (he/him) is a pop culture journalist and editor-in-chief of Pop Heist. Prior to this, he was a senior reporter/producer for Decider for seven years. Prior to joining Decider, he covered pop culture for Comic Book Resources, Marvel.com, and MTV News. His areas of expertise include Marvel Comics, Star Wars, Drag Race, classic sitcoms, Sam Neill, unexpected thirst traps, and unlikely menswear icons.
In his spare time, he cohosts the podcast Must Have Seen TV and is writing his first book: a biography of <a href="https://www.haydenrorke.com/">Hayden Rorke</a>.
He also lives out his feminine fantasy as <a href="https://www.barbhardly.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Barb Hardly</a>, his drag queen alter ego.
His hobbies include spending way too much money on action figures, swimsuits, and fashion accessories. He currently lives in Queens with his handsome husband and two large, orange cats.

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Brett White

INTERVIEW – 11

Hasbro’s Lenny Panzica on Bringing Cobra-La to G.I. Joe Classified: “Snake People, Crab Armor, Let’s Go”

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MAS – 1

A Festive and Totally Reasonable Analysis of a Christmas Song That’s Slowly Driving Me Insane

Grace Leeder (she/they) has spent years cultivating her passion for storytelling, from TV shows to movies. Since entering the podcasting world in 2020, Grace has established herself as a trusted voice in pop culture, offering in-depth insights and recommendations that resonate with audiences. She began podcasting in 2020 on the award-winning Rob Has A Podcast, sharing her love for various TV series and films with listeners.
In the spring of 2024, Grace began co-hosting The Tastemakers, a podcast designed to provide curated reviews and recommendations. Throughout her podcasting journey, Grace has covered acclaimed series like Succession, The Last of Us, House of the Dragon, and many more. She has also expanded her scope to conduct engaging interviews with a diverse range of industry professionals, including actors, writers, directors, and costume designers, delivering an inside look at what goes into making some of the most popular shows and movies.

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Grace Leeder

MAS – 4

The 2025 Heistmas Advent Calendar Day 15: Santa Got Run Over by a Wrestler

Sean T. Collins is a freelance TV critic for the New York Times, Vulture, Decider, and elsewhere. He is the author of Pain Don&#8217;t Hurt: Meditations on Road House, available at <a href="https://www.mutualskies.com/">mutualskies.com</a>. He and his wife, the cartoonist Julia Gfrörer, live with their children on Long Island.

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Sean T. Collins

TWIN PEAKS – 6

‘Twin Peaks’ 1×06 Recap: The Cabin in the Woods

Advent Day 14

The 2025 Heistmas Advent Calendar Day 14: Van Halen Saves Christmas in Dallas

Horror Secret Handshakes: ‘Silent Night, Deadly Night 4: Initiation’

Sebastian Deken (he/him) is a writer and musician originally from St. Louis, Missouri. He is the author of <a href="https://bossfightbooks.com/products/final-fantasy-vi-by-sebastian-deken">Final Fantasy VI</a> (Boss Fight Books, 2021), a critical exploration of the music from the 1994 game of the same name. He received his BA in music and French language and literature at Washington University in St. Louis and his MFA in creative nonfiction writing from Columbia University. He currently lives in Queens, New York, with his husband and two cats.

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Sebastian Deken

The 2025 Heistmas Advent Calendar Day 13: I’ll Be Home for Quismoiss

Melody Esme is a music, film, and TV writer, based in Portland, OR. In addition to her writing about art and pop culture, she has also published a novel and released riot grrrl music.

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Melody Esme

FREAKS & GEEKS – 18

‘Freaks and Geeks’ Finale Recap: I Will Survive