Back Issue
Back Issue is a podcast that revisits pop culture moments from the past that have shaped the present. Host Josh Gwynn, along with guest co-hosts, explores topics like the gendered politics of hairstyles, iconic award speeches, and the psychology of gossip. The show also delves into the backstories of shows like Degrassi and Cheetah Girls, and debates whether Josh should become an expat. Each episode combines personal reflection, interviews, and humor.
Episodes
Music of My Mind, from The Wonder of Stevie
Hey Back Issue listeners! Here’s a preview of a new podcast called The Wonder of Stevie, produced by our very own Josh Gwynn. You might think you know Stevie Wonder. You might think you know his music. But you’ve never heard it like this.
Host Wesley Morris is taking you on a deep-dive through Stevie's Classic Period: five legendary albums back-to-back in less than five years. Hear about the recor
In Our Singer/Songwriter Era
In our season finale, Josh partners with coaches to put together a song to pump himself up when the world seems like too much.
This episode is brought to you by our partner, Dove hair. Go to https://www.walmart.com/search?q=dove%20crown%20collection&typeahead=dove%20crown&cat_id=1085666 for more information and products.
To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https:/
In Our Triple Threat Era
Multi-hyphenates raise your hands? Now put them down because we know you can't be talented in everything you think you are. In this episode, Josh and special guest Ashley C. Ford are talking about their favorite multi-hyphenates, what makes them great, whether or not they're underrated, and what it means to be good at everything, or maybe not.
This episode is brought to you by our partner, Dove h
In Our 'Search for Home' Era
On today’s episode, @RegardingJosh examines our cultural understanding of home, talks to a citizen of the WORLD to see where he should be looking for home and looks at current landscape of the housing market to see how possible it is to even find a "home."
Thank you to our incredible guests -- @mayasymonecade, creator and curator of @TheBlackFilmArchive and @libraryofconress scholar in residence;
In Our Theater Kid Era
On a very special episode of Back Issue, our beloved host Josh Gwynn comes down with a mysterious illness. He cannot stop breaking out into song! Alongside guest host and Real Doctor, Matt Bellassai, Josh takes a journey through the world of musical theater. When did it become so central to the zeitgeist? Why do we inevitably cry at the song before intermission? Can Lea Michele read? And along the
In Our Hot Takes Era
Do you have pop culture feelings you keep to yourself 'cause the world isn't ready for them? So do guests Hunter Harris, BA Parker, and Sam Sanders! On today's episode, they're bravely serving up their spiciest opinions in front of Judge Josh and making a case for their hottest takes in Josh's Court.
This episode is brought to you by our partner, Dove hair. Go to https://www.walmart.com/search?q=
In Our Gossip, Girl Era
Why is gossiping sooo fun? And how has the world of celebrity gossip changed over the years? To answer these questions and learn the A to Zs of celebrities (from Ava Max to Zendaya), Josh and guest host Rachelle Hampton take a field trip inside the human brain, go back in time with a PhD gossip expert, Andrea McDonnell, and chat with Who? Weekly's Bobby Finger and Lindsey Weber.
This episode is b
In Our Degrassi Era
Do you remember the teen show that made you fall in love with teen shows? For Josh and special guest-host Amil Niazi, that show was Canadian soap, "Degrassi: The Next Generation." And let’s just say, this episode GOES THERE. Why’d they do JT like that? Where is the Grammy for Paige Michalchuk and the Sex Kittens? How did playing Jimmy launch Drake to superstardom? Whatever it takes, Josh and Amil
In Our 'Thanking the Academy' Era
Who amongst us hasn’t pretended our bottle of shampoo was an Oscar and thanked the Academy? Today on Back Issue, we talk through the most memorable acceptance speeches, from Sally Field’s often misquoted “You really like me!” speech to Halle Berry’s historic win to Sheryl Lee Ralph’s musical twist. With help from Aisha Harris and Wesley Morris, Josh unpacks the impact of acceptance speeches and wh
In Our Cheetah-licious Era
We're Cheetah Girls, Cheetah Sisters and don't you EVER forget it! This week Josh and special guest-host Jazmine Hughes take a trip down a cheetah-spotted memory lane into the Cheetah Girls franchise. Most know the cheetah-licious girl group from their Disney Channel movies, but did you know this all stemmed from a children's book series? Or that two of the members were from the girl group 3LW? To
In Our Silk Press Era
In the first episode of Season 3, Josh and Tracy are talking about hair HAIR, but this isn't just any old hair talk. No discoveries on how to get a magical texture by slapping on ointments and berry juices. Today we're discussing the timeline textures, getting into the stigmas around certain styles, and talking about the gendered and queered politics of hair with special guest Carvell Wallace. Wha
In Our SZN 3 Era
Back Issue is BACK, y’all! 🥳 We’re in our SZN 3 era, and once again, we’re taking you back to some of your favorite, formative pop culture moments. This time, we’re paying homage to sacred texts that taught us how to live, such as 'The Cheetah Girls' and 'Degrassi'. We’re having conversations that need to be had about Hair, Gossip, and Award Show Speeches. And Josh slips on a robe to take on a des
That Time We Celebrated Surviving 2021
We did it, Joe! We made it to the end of year and not going to lie, 2021 had us in the first half…and maybe the second half, too. But, ’tis the season to reflect on all its ups and downs, and we’re coming at you with a once-in-a-2021 worldwide event—a special Back Issue bonus episode. Tracy and Josh look back at 2021 with their latest game “Was that This Year?,” and really put their pop culture kn
That Time We Told Y'all To Check Out 'Okay, Now Listen'
This week, we're popping back into your feeds to share an extra special episode from one of our favorite pop culture rewind podcasts: ''Okay Now Listen,' hosted by Scottie Beam and Sylvia Obell!
On this episode, Scottie and Sylvia share the excitement of their new series 'Get You A Me," their brand new series on Netflix's 'Still Watching Netflix' YouTube channel. Then, they dive into all the baby
That Time We Literally Looked Back At It 🍑 (feat. ✊🏾 Nikki Giovanni, Nichole Perkins, and Savala Nolan)
In our final episode of Season Two, we had to “end” it just right, by doing what we do best— looking back at it (aye!) — so we’re backing thangs up with a conversation on booty. That’s right: Tracy and Josh are investigating the history and trends around round, plump posteriors, butts, dumps and humps. They invite writer and podcaster Nichole Perkins to help define terminology around Black women a
That Time We Read U, Wrote U
Racers, start your engines ‘cause this week’s maxi challenge is gonna leave you gagging (don’t worry; that’s a good thing). Josh and Tracy tackle the good, the bad, and the ooooh girl of RuPaul’s Drag Race, from favorite moments like Valentina’s prophetic mask and Trinity K. Bonet’s un-bey-lievable comeback, to concerning trends like how access to money and designers have become more important tha
That Time We Needed To 🗣GO LAY DOWN
This week, we’re taking a moment to breathe, shoop shoop, and exhale. Tracy and Josh explore mental health with our favorite therapist, Dr. Joy Harden Bradford of the Therapy for Black Girls podcast! With Dr. Joy’s guidance, our hosts tackle huge questions like: How do we take care of ourselves when it feels like The End Times™️? How do we bounce back from burnout? And how do we stop thinking of r
That Time Y’all Played Too Much
It’s game night, so get your "Draw 4" cards ready 'cause it's about to go down! Josh and Tracy invite the very special and highly competitive hosts of the For Colored Nerds podcast, Brittany Luse and Eric Eddings, to share their favorite game night memories, some game night horror stories, and play an original game Tracy invented called Aight Bet! Will they still be friends afterward? Gotta listen
That Time Music Videos Made Us Want to Emote in the Rain
Welcome to the Fifty-Eleventh Back Issue Video Music Awards! Join Josh and Tracy as they honor their favorite music videos of the ‘90s and 2000s in categories you might expect (Most Iconic Look in a Music Video) and some you absolutely won’t (Best Use of Water in a Music Video & Best Music Video Sponsored by Old Navy). Spoiler alert: our Blifetime (nope, that’s not a typo) Award goes to THEE Direc
That Time The Clownery Came Back To Bite 🤡
Reality TV dating shows are a subgenre of “reality” that seem to get weirder by the year. Josh and Tracy have watched their fair share of trash reality TV but could never get into nor get the appeal of the most popular reality dating hell show franchise of all: The Bachelor and The Bachelorette. Why do shows like this exist and what keeps people coming back for 25 seasons straight? We’ll hear from
That Time Aretha Asked Celine If She Knew Jesus
Glamour. Sass. Unadulterated talent. What makes a diva? Podcast divas of the universe Tracy and Josh go deep in their diva bags and unpack the origins and evolution of divas as well as the politics around diva-dom. They invite Wayne Isaak, former Executive Vice President of Music Programming and Talent for VH1 and Co-Producer of VH1’s Divas Live ’98 and ’99 to explain all things diva, and he gives
That Time We Sat There And Ate Our Food
Grab your sporks and your doggy bags! This week, Josh and Tracy dig in and dig deep about their mutual love of food and its way of connecting people, places, and stories. Joining them is founder of Herb ‘N’ Cooking and Food Network's "Chopped" finalist Chef Mustapha Abdul-Rahiim. He breaks down food’s ability to socialize us and its inherent connection to memory.
To learn more about listener dat
That Time We Did It For the '99s and '00s
Music has a way of scoring life’s big and small moments, and this week, Josh and Tracy team up to create the ultimate mixtape that ushers in all the feels. They discuss their musical influences, test their knowledge on R&B and pop groups we thought we remembered, and maybe—just maybe, reveal that one of them is secretly a recording artist. Together, we are reminded why music makes us lose control,
That Time The Internet Wasn’t A Hellscape
Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to pay tribute to this thing called Beyoncé’s internet. No, not today’s digital hellscape, but the one we first fell in love with way back in ye olde days of AOL, Napster, and LiveJournal. *dial up bings and gurgles* This week, Josh and Tracy reminisce on how being online once had the potential to affirm us. How did we go from that to *gestures at the ent
That Time It Wasn’t Right Or OK
This week, Josh and Tracy put together a mixtape of love to unpack Whitney Houston’s career and legacy -- from her gospel beginnings and becoming America’s princess, to that infamous Wendy Williams interview and Being Bobby Brown. What can Whitney’s life teach us about the tension between mental health and success? And how can we learn from what she went through to do better? P.S. If any of your r
That Time We Gave You Five
Now that the world is opening and closing...and opening, we’ve been thinking a lot about touch. This week, Tracy and Josh explore all the ways we greet each other – high fives! low fives! secret handshakes! – and what they say about us. They also get into a battle over whose hometown invented the high five. 🍿 And Barry White Jr. – no, not the crooner, but the teacher who went viral for memorizing
Back Issue Season 2: Back In The Habit
Your summer just got a lot hotter, 'cause Back Issue is back in the habit! 🔥Season 2 is about to serve even more joy and pop culture nostalgia than before. We’re honoring Whitney THEE Houston, giving the folks who *actually* invented the internet their flowers, and fighting over whose hometown dreamt up the high five. All along the way, we continue to take the advice of our patron saint Tyra “Move
Remember When We Found Ourselves? (Feat. Jill Scott and Perry Fair)
Before We Bid Season 1 Adieu, Did You Know Tracy Almost Got An Ankh Tattoo?
This week, Josh and Tracy close out Back Issue's first season with one last trip, all the way back to the heyday of Neo Soul, from how the genre shaped them to their faves. They talk to Perry Fair, one of the creatives behind Coke’s iconic Nu Classic Soul ad. Then, they sit down with THEE Jill Scott (AHHHH!!!) to talk abou
Remember Backing That Azz Up? (Feat. Dr. Joy Harden Bradford and Mariah Moore)
Without A Doubt, I Miss The Cookout
This week, take a break from your solitary quarantine as Josh and Tracy take you waaay back to some of the baddest, Blackest functions of all time, like ATL's Freaknik and the Kentucky Derby. Then, travel back in time with Josh and organizer Mariah Moore (of The Transgender Law Center, House of Tulip) to the celebration of life and death that was Aretha Frankli
Remember When We Caught The Spirit? (feat. Pastor Shirley Caesar and Ashon Crawley)
Can You Hear It? I Know You Caught The Spirit
This week, Josh and Tracy are taking you to church. First, they talk about their time in the pews, from the ways they've had to reconcile their faiths and identities to the music that has stuck with them. They hear about the deep, poetic roots of Gospel in Black identity from writer and professor Ashon Crawley. And they sit down with pastor and legend
Remember What Beef Is? (Feat. Jean Grae)
Day or Night, It's About To Be A What? Girl Fight!
This week, Josh and Tracy give you all things beefs, feuds, and squabbles. They explore one of the most formative feuds of their youth — Brandy vs. Monica — and get into where they were when one of the most shocking diss tracks of our time dropped (hint: it involves a pink diamond chicken wing chain). Then, rapper and talented multi-hyphenate Jea
Remember The Audacity of Daytime Talk Shows? (Feat. Sherri Shepherd)
Give Me A Break, You Ain't No Ricki Lake
This week, Josh and Tracy take you through the world of daytime talk shows and unpack the fun, the messy, and the hard-to-reconcile parts of shows like Ricki Lake, Oprah, Jerry Springer, and Jenny Jones. Then, they sit down with Sherri Shepherd, Emmy-winning former host of ‘The View,’ to discuss why being on that show was the best and most painful experienc
Remember When MTV Was That Girl? (Feat. Erika Clarke)
Young And Free, I Want My MTV!
This week, Josh and Tracy are talking all things MTV. From ‘The Real World’ cinematic universe to the boom boom kacks of ‘Making The Band,’ they take you through the channel’s best (and messiest) moments. Then, they get a sense of what it was like to work there from Erika Clarke, a former MTV producer who spent 10 years working on iconic shows like ‘Cribs’ and ‘Diar
Remember What We Thought Love Was? (feat. Darnell Moore)
No Mary J., We're Searching For Real Love Today
This week, Josh and Tracy are talking about love (*cue studio audience* oooooh). First, they unpack their conceptions of the term, from their overzealous prom expectations to some absolutely trash relationship models they found in media. Then, they sit down with Darnell L. Moore, writer, activist, and Director of Inclusion Strategy for Marketing and
Remember All That Teen Angst? (feat. Fefe Dobson and Hannah Giorgis)
Sugar We're Going Down, Gotta Get Outta This Town
This week, Josh and Tracy take you back to days of dark eyeliner and teen angst to give you all things Black and Alternative. First, they unpack the meaning and history of Alternative Music with help from cultural critic Hannah Giorgis. Then, they sit down with living rock legend Fefe Dobson to talk about her music, defying categorization, and fo
Remember K-Ci and Jojo's 'Ooh-Yeah?' (Feat. Cori Murray and Charli Penn of 'Yes, Girl')
Red Rover Red Rover, Bring 'Yes, Girl' Right Over
This week, Josh and Tracy host a very special crossover episode. First, they talk all things Essence. From its legacy as a record of black existence to the recent round of layoffs, we're celebrating the work of black creatives, and pouring one out for the Yes, Girl pod. Then, they chop it up with Cori Murray and Charli Penn of 'Yes, Girl', talking
Remember How Glorious Black TV Was in the '90s? (Featuring TC Carson)
Bring It Back, TV Used To Be Hella Black
This week, in the first annual Blemmy Awards, Josh and Tracy look back on the Golden Age of Black TV and honor the best of the best, from the 'Amen' theme song to all of Khadijah’s boyfriends (*studio audience goes oooOooOoOOOOoo*). Then, Tracy sits down with TC Carson, the singer and actor known for playing Kyle on 'Living Single,' to discuss the show, tha
Remember When Girl Groups Were Everywhere? (Feat. Cindy Herron-Braggs)
Turn the Radio On, Where Have All The Girl Groups Gone?
This week, Tracy and Josh talk all things girl groups. From the diva-era of Motown to the holy trinities of the early aughts, they debate the biggest and baddest girl groups of all time, and discuss what they have meant for the culture. Then Cindy Herron-Braggs, founding member of En Vogue, joins to discuss their era-defining legacy, and the
Remember How They Tried Mariah Carey and Glitter? (feat. Ira Madison III)
It Should Have Been Bigger, #JusticeforGlitter
This week...CATEGORY IS: opinions you're scared to tell your friends. Josh bravely confesses his love of Mariah Carey’s Glitter and tries to convert Tracy. They travel back to 2001 to figure out what was going through Mariah’s head at the time, why the movie was so universally panned by critics, and how history ended up shaping the film’s reception. T
Remember When Yt People Started Dipping Their Toes in Soul Music? (feat. Ashley C. Ford)
Face Crack! I Thought You Were Black!
This week, Josh and Tracy revisit musical white folks who somehow scored an invitation to the cookout. Elvis, Bobby Caldwell, Teena Marie, Kenny Loggins, Joss Stone, Amy Winehouse, and Justin Timberlake have all made careers in music steeped in the sounds of blackness. Is there a proper way for a white artist to exist in a genre that Black artists originated,
Remember Everything Beyoncé Has Given Us? (feat. Crissle and Matt Bellassai)
This week, Tracy and Josh celebrate the Queen, the legend, Ms. Texas Trill Herself: Beyoncé. They're joined by Crissle, co-host of The Read, who tells the story of how ‘Yoncé changed her life, and listeners share what Giselle means to them. Then, they a play game of song association with Matt Bellassai of Unhappy Hour, to find out who’s really hive.
Additional Material By: Columbia Records, Lisa G
Remember How 'In Living Color' Changed Culture Forever? (feat. Tommy Davidson)
The Show That Made You Wanna Holler; This Week, We Talk 'In Living Color
This week, Tracy and Josh revisit the world of Fire Marshall Bill, Oswald Bates, and Benita Butrell (but you ain't heard that from us!) to find out the truth behind the cultural institution that was 'In Living Color.'
Plus, they're joined by former cast member, Oscar Proud himself, Tommy Davidson. He gives them a behind the s
Remember How Messy Top Model Was? (feat. Jay Manuel)
In Case You Forgot, We Let Tyra Get Away With A LOT.
This week, Josh and Tracy revisit moments from one of the most influential supermodels of all time: Tyra Banks. She has modeled, smized, booty-tooched, acted, and created businesses and brands. But throughout her career, there have been some messy moments. And we’re not just talking about ANTM contestant Dani’s tooth gap (RIP).
We talk to Jay Ma
Coming Soon: Back Issue
Remember when Monica allegedly punched Brandy right before they performed live at the MTV Video Music Awards? When Freaknik took over Atlanta, and changed the game for parties everywhere? When tasteless critics panned Mariah Carey’s Glitter? (#JusticeforGlitter!) We do!
Back Issue tells the stories behind formative moments in pop culture. In each episode, we look back at some of the moments that s
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