Popularly Unpopular

About Popularly Unpopular

In a world where everyone agrees loudly and thinks quietly, Popularly Unpopular creates space for the opposite. Each week, we explore a well-reasoned unpopular opinion — from pop culture and celebrity hype to business, trends, and cultural moments — without fighting, trolling, or tearing anyone down. No rage-bait. No canceling. Just intelligent disagreement. Because sometimes the most interesting conversations begin where consensus ends.

Publisher

Ana Bolivar

Category

society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

27 Mar 2026

Latest episode

19 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

27 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   19 Oct 2026

   The Drugs We Refuse to Study

   What if some of the substances we've been taught to fear deserve a second look? For decades, cannabis, psychedelic mushrooms, and other mind-altering substances have been associated with recreational drug use, addiction, and social stigma. But today, researchers are investigating whether some of these substances could have therapeutic applications for conditions such as depression, PTSD, and other mental-health challenges. So, are we letting science guide our understanding of these treatments—or are decades of cultural conditioning, politics, and fear influencing what we're willing to explore? In this episode of Popularly Unpopular, I sit down with my stepbrother, Santiago, a therapist, Army veteran, and student of alternative therapeutic approaches, to challenge some deeply rooted assumptions about mental health, drugs, and medicine. We explore why older generations may be reluctant to seek therapy, how the stigma surrounding drugs shapes public perception, the difference between recreational use and clinically supervised treatment, and what emerging research actually tells us about cannabis and psychedelic-assisted therapies. We also discuss the risks, ethical questions, limitations of current research, and the danger of treating these substances as either inherently evil or miracle cures. Because questioning stigma doesn't mean ignoring science—and being open-minded doesn't mean abandoning skepticism.

2. 

   12 Oct 2026

   Your Fragrance Should Be Noticed, Not Announced

   Have you ever walked into a room and felt like you’d been hit by a wall of cologne? I have. And it got me thinking: when did smelling good become an excuse to make everyone around us smell us, too? In this solo episode of Popularly Unpopular, I’m challenging a familiar assumption: that if a fragrance smells good to you, everyone else should enjoy it, too. From nose blindness and signature scents to office etiquette and shared spaces, I explore the fine line between personal expression and imposing our preferences on others. Because yes, smelling good is wonderful. But should your perfume arrive before you do—and linger long after you've left?

3. 

   5 Oct 2026

   Has Tipping Culture Gone Too Far?

   We all know the moment. You order a coffee. The screen turns around. Suddenly you're staring at 20%, 25%, or 30%—and wondering whether choosing "No Tip" makes you a terrible person. But tipping wasn't always like this. In this episode of Popularly Unpopular, I'm joined by my friends Erica and Robert, and this conversation is personal: all three of us worked as waiters in New York City when we were in college. We depended on tips. We understand what it's like to work hard for them, and how much they can matter to someone trying to make ends meet. But today, we're on the other side of the transaction. Tipping has expanded far beyond restaurants. We're now asked to tip at coffee shops, takeout counters, food trucks, delivery services, and businesses where a tip historically wasn't expected. And with digital payment screens suggesting increasingly higher percentages, tipping can sometimes feel less like a reward for exceptional service and more like an obligation.

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

8 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

2 ratings

Contact Popularly Unpopular

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.