FAQs
What exactly do you do?
I watch a lot of TV. Ha! But also, I host podcasts that take a close, critical look at pop culture, like By The Book and Movie Therapy with Rafer & Kristen. I share my opinions on blockbusters, the British Royals, the self-help industry, and more - on TV, in print, and on other podcasts. And I write award-winning books, like So You Want To Start A Podcast and How To Be Fine.
Where can I find your work?
A lot of it - including my podcasts and recent guest appearances - can be found right here on this website. I'm on NPR with some regularity, so don't be surprised if you stumble across me talking about pop culture there. Every time something notable happens with the British Royals, I'll be on so many networks you'll grow tired of me. Indirectly, you can find the fruits of my labor at the event space Sixth & I in Washington DC - I sit on their creative council. And you can also listen to some of the podcasts I produced in the past - including The Sporkful, Happier with Gretchen Rubin, Food52's Burnt Toast, Happier in Hollywood, The Real Simple podcasts, and dozens more - on your favorite podcast app.
Do you love pop culture or hate it?
I love it! And I hate it! And I know it can do and be better. By this, I mean that we can tell more diverse stories. We can have more diverse writers rooms. We can stop using people of color, fat people, queer people, and people with disabilities as punchlines. We can punch up instead of punching down. We can acknowledge that classism and generational wealth are real. And for the love of Pete, we can stop handing 71% of all the speaking roles in films to men (thank you, University of Southern California - Annenberg for this depressing stat).
What are you doing to make pop culture better?
I'm here as a woman of color in a landscape that's predominately white and male (according to a 2020 study by San Diego State University, 83% of film critics are men and over 70% are white). I speak to classrooms and at conferences, teaching storytelling to first-generation college students, women, and other underrepresented voices. I've served as a mentor with the Spotify Soundup program, the PRX Google Podcasts Creator Program, and other programs that seek to elevate the voices of marginalized storytellers. I've served as an appointee in the U.S. Speaker's Program, working with South African storytellers shining a light on gender-based violence. And I regularly consult with networks and shows aiming to book more diverse guests and tell more equitable stories.
Who are you outside of work?
I'm a Minnesota transplant living in Brooklyn, New York. I'm a Golden Girl and Dolly lover and Christmas enthusiast. My late Nanna was my hero and best friend. I look at birds and talk to plants. I go on lots of long, meandering walks and spend loads of time with my dear friends and neighbors. I eat all the foods. Other than snowpants, I only wear skirts and dresses. And I love my sweet, brilliant, New Zealand husband to pieces.
Do you have an "official" biography?
Kristen Meinzer is an award-winning podcaster, culture critic, royal watcher, and author. Her podcasts, which include By The Book, Movie Therapy with Rafer & Kristen, When Meghan Met Harry, and others, have been named to best-of lists by Time, O The Oprah Magazine, Vulture, Indiewire, and more. As a culture critic and royal watcher, Kristen regularly appears on the BBC, CBC, NPR, CNN, Vox, and other outlets. As an advocate for women and people of color in the podcasting space, Kristen has served as mentor in the Spotify Soundup program, a keynote with She Podcasts, and a 2021 appointee in the U.S. Speaker's Program, working with South African storytellers shining a light on gender-based violence. Her book, So You Want to Start a Podcast, won the Audie Award for best business/personal development audiobook of 2020, and How to Be Fine, which she co-wrote with Jolenta Greenberg, was an Audible #1 Bestseller in 2021. Kristen was named a 2020 Woman of the Year by The Women's Center in Washington DC and one of the 50 Most Influential Women in Podcasting by Quill in 2021.