Emsolation
Em Rusciano
Join multi-media maven Em Rusciano—writer, singer, comedian, producer, podcast princess, and disability advocate—and her best friend of 30 years, award-winning screenwriter Michael Lucas (Offspring, Party Tricks, Rosehaven, The Newsreader), each week for an unpredictable mix of deeply personal anecdotes, obsessive pop culture dissections, and truly unhinged movie and TV reviews. If you’re after a show full of humour, heart, and hot takes, we’ve got good news for you!We should also warn you: Emsolation isn’t just a podcast—it’s a community. A place where listeners feel seen, heard, and thoroughly entertained.Welcome to the family! We’re so happy you’re here. You’re now an official Emsolator.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Jun 29, 2022 • 59min
Barbie & Yoda - A Love Story
Yeah things are about to get weird, so it’s pretty much situation normal here. This week we’ve got Michael offsite and on Zoom as he’s finally succumbed to Covid, but that won’t stop us from giving you everything you never knew you needed. We start with a check in on how lockdown is going, then there’s Em’s iron deficiency to cover off and her obsession with a brand new beauty routine to delve into. We also need to talk through the shocking news of the overturning of ‘Roe vs Wade’ in America. In much lighter and way more exciting news, there’s also a brand new live action Barbie movie filming right now starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling. Em and Michael are one hungie percent HERE. FOR. IT. (side note, this is where Yoda marries Barbie and Em also reveals which rather buff kids toy really awakened her sexual desires, you are NOT ready). Finally, we gotta reflect the shows we’ve been bingeing, including gay rom com ‘Fire Island’, the final season of the Umbrella Academy, and the hectic first episode of ‘Drag Race France’. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 22, 2022 • 51min
Not Just Here Shaking My Ass
Yeah, we’re shaking all of our parts in utter excitement that our very own Michael Lucas can now add Logie winner to his list of achievements. Naturally you’ll get the inside word on Em and Michael’s Logie winning efforts on the Gold Coast over the weekend. You’ll also get a full reaction to the news that a footy player is using their ADHD diagnosis as an explainer for his off field transgressions, Em isn’t a fan and she’s keen for someone to step up and educate the masses about it. Finally, Beyonce has dropped a brand new song called ‘Break My Soul’ and ushered in the Beyaissance, plus Em and Michael spent their downtime on the GC watching the J’Lo Netflix doco ‘Halftime’. Safe to say that they are totally here for both of those things and also can’t wait to give you their hot takes as well. So step into another episode and gorge yourself on all of their thoughts and feels ASAP. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 16, 2022 • 32min
MELISSA LEONG - THE BEYONCE OF MASTERCHEF
It’s no secret that Em and Michael are HUGE fans of everything Melissa Leong does, so ahead of the 2022 Logie Awards, we got our favourite Gold Logie nominee into the Emsolation studios. Expect a deep dive into all things Melissa Leong, with the requisite level of appreciation and gushing thrown in. Inside you’ll hear how she reacts to the suggestion she’s the Beyonce of Masterchef, how she achieved peak skills for on-camera eating, what she’s planning to wear, plus Em even offers to write her an acceptance speech. It’s everything you didn’t know you needed from two Logie nominees, in Melissa and Michael, and their equally proud emotional support human and all round hype woman, Em. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 15, 2022 • 45min
DIAMOND ENCRUSTED G-STRING
Over the last few days, we’ve all been gifted some of the greatest pop culture moments ever to be dropped into our social media feeds. Obviously the penultimate moment is Britney Spears getting married to Sketchy Sam. Any event that includes Em and Michael’s favourite Divas like Madonna, Paris Hilton, Donatella Versace, Drew Barrymore, Selena Gomez PLUS the one and only Britney is bound to inspire a level of hysteria worth tapping into. So expect a forensic breakdown of ALL the highlights from Britney’s nuptials, including the fact she rocked a diamond encrusted g-string, boy do we have a LOT of thoughts on that. We’ll also go through the backlash and response from Lizzo over her new single ‘Grrrls’ being called out for using ableist language and how the Sydney Morning Herald attempted to try and out Rebel Wilson. So standby because we’ve got all of the things to say and we are certainly gonna say them, huzzah! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 8, 2022 • 18min
PORTY D ELVIS
Yes we are still on break, but that won’t stop us from giving you treats in the form of downloadable delights like this one. Up first, a full update from Em on her holiday adventures with & without her family in Porty D, which is Em’s new suggested moniker for Port Douglas. Probs more chance than fetch we guess. Finally we take you to Michael straight after he attended the premiere of ’Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis’. You’ll get to hear his first thoughts on the movie he’s describing as “Baz on crack” with much Austin Butler gushing and other treats within as well. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 1, 2022 • 13min
A LITTLE TREAT
While Em takes a little holiday in the sun, she’s arranged a little surprise listening for your ears. This little audio something, something is probably best revealed by having a listen, after all, what’s better than hearing what your treat is, than to hear it revealed by Em herself, so press play and enjoy the ride. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
May 25, 2022 • 48min
DUN DUN DUUUUN!!!
All of the dramatic music stabs you didn’t know you needed are stuffed in this episode, so prepare to be shook by their dramatic inclusion, plus a bunch of other favourite random audio grabs as well…fuggin hell. Obviously Em and Michael are totes keen to let their political nerd flags fly and talk through their version of the AFL Grand Final, the 2022 Federal Election. Em and Michael spent Election night together consuming all of the coverage, on all of the channels, and they’ve got all of the things to say, plus a few delightful mental side quests too. Then we need to work through the collective frenzy of Em’s audience at her ‘Live and Unleashed’ show at Luna Park in Sydney last week. It was hectic and involved a heady mix of tidy (and not so tidy) voms, broken bones and even 2 ambulances! Apparently Em’s Sydney audience like to get a little rowdy when they get a night out and a few adult cordials under their belts. Naturally all that hecticness inspired Em and Michael to try and remember the moment they got equally hectic together. They remember what that moment is at the exact same time and then give us a selection of highlights from Em’s 30th birthday celebrations in Perth. Fingers crossed we’ll hear way more highlights from that night in a future episode. We promise you’ll get enough of a sampler to wanna hear way more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
May 18, 2022 • 1h 3min
Topless in the Top End
Sadly the topless effort from the Top End involves Barnaby Joyce, so let’s forget about freeing the nipple and try and wipe that mental image from our minds as we dive into another episode of Emsolation. This week Michael comes in early and joins Em for the introduction, which weirdly throws Em off, speaking of throwing peeps off, Em now has access to a soundboard, so expect an abundance of random audio grabs when you least expect them throughout. We start with the news Michael’s TV series ‘The Newsreader’ has secured 6 Logie nominations, you will be required to vote, there’s a rundown of Em’s live show in Brisbane and a clapback for peeps who try to silence Mum’s for airing their anger. Once all that’s done we get you primed for the Election with special guest Justine Landis-Hanley, she’s one half of the Spotify exclusive political podcast ‘Left Right Out’ and she joins us to answer your questions and give us more details before we go to the polls this weekend. So get ready to be more politically savvy and get some final predictions on the outcome of Election 2022 with maximum giggles and random audio grabs thrown in, bless. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
May 11, 2022 • 50min
Mother’s Day, Madge and Maverick
How do we follow up last week’s hugely successful wang filled edition of the podcast? Simple really, we start by talking Madonna’s latest endeavour, she’s moving into NFTs! Yeah we don’t really get it either, but that won’t stop Em and Michael from pretending they know all about it and giving us a rendition of ‘Vogue’ too. Then we move onto Maverick, as in Tom Cruise revisiting his character Maverick in the follow up to the homo-erotic extravaganze that was his 80’s movie ‘Top Gun’. We follow that with the epic true story of Em’s worst Mother's Day ever, it’s an exhausting ride full of disappointments, gentle sobbing and a heap of sass. To close things out we’ve got a bunch of election chat. The Unicorn of Death has a bit of a reality check for the Seahorse of Hope, plus both of them are excited and full of anticipation for an upcoming debate, you’ll get all the details within. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
May 4, 2022 • 60min
I’m Not Wearing Panties
Despite the title, underwear is a topic of this week’s episode, and naturally if underwear is a topic of conversation, then so too is wang. Yes, once again we are all about the letter D and in abundance as well. This time around Em and Michael sit down to talk Em’s favourite news story of the week, the man with a penis attached to his arm. Before we get there though, Em get’s triggered by Michael’s empty inbox. Then we have the cock up of our Prime Minister’s latest curry cooking efforts to reflect on. Finally that troubled mafia boss who kidnaps his love interest and gives her 365 days to fall in love with him is back. Yes the sequel to 365 DNI is here, chock a block full of bizarre montages, hectic dialogue, evil twins, and even more annoying vibrator scenes. It’s the follow up you didn’t know you’ve been waiting for, naturally this episode is the perfect companion to our most listened to episode ‘Are You Lost Baby Girl’, so perhaps revisit that if you don’t have the full backstory…trust us, it’s worth it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


