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 12, 2024 • 51min
Wicked Chats with Jemma Rix
It’s the story musical theatre nerds have been frothing over, everyone else, not so much. Which is why Em is here to rectify that ASAP ploise! Jemma Rix is one of Australia’s most loved leading ladies of musical theatre, having starred in the stage versions of ‘Frozen’, ‘Ghost’, ‘The Wizard of Oz’, and most famously as ‘Elphaba’ in ‘Wicked’. It’s no secret that ‘Wicked’ is Em’s emotional support musical, so when she heard that Jemma had stepped on stage to fill in as ‘Elphaba’ for one night last week, Em was pulling strings, calling in favours and making calls to get Jemma in to reveal the full heckers story. You see, Jemma hasn’t performed the role of ‘Elphaba’ for 9 years, but she somehow managed to rehearse and reacquaint herself with the role, then step on stage to perform the entire thing, with just 2 days notice! She only had a baby 9 months ago and suddenly she's centre stage with literally zero prep, HUZZAH!! It’s a Herculean effort and it’s a story that Em and Jemma will break down in so much detail, you’ll almost believe you were actually there with Jemma while she was going through it all. So strap yourself in for the full fascinating reveal of the ultimate musical theatre ‘Good For Her’ EVER!! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 5, 2024 • 39min
A Newsreader S3 Bombshell, Em’s Craft Market & J’Lo Cancels Tour
Welcome to Michael’s petty era, he’s come in raging over an article asserting that Season 3 of his hit TV series ‘The Newsreader. Rumours that the series is wrapping up because his cast don’t wanna do it anymore are false, and the truth is he never planned to go beyond a third season ever. Cut to Michael calling the article's creators to have it adjusted (something Em was never able to do when fake articles about her came out) and much discussion of who cares, who’s show gets better numbers, and assurances we won’t be cutting anything Michael says out (which we didn’t). Then it’s onto the biggest mistake in Em’s life, jumping in on a Craft Market stall with comedian Lizzy Hoo to sell a bunch of clothes and shoes. Em went in hard, we’re talking swings tags, paper bags, classy coat hangers, clothing racks, full outfit washes and Em’s mum Jenni stepping in to help organise and run the market stall too. It is a LOT and Em will never be doing it again. Finally there’s the shocking news that Jennifer Lopez emailed Em to tell her that she was cancelling her ‘This Is Me…Now Live’ tour, plus there’s the latest attempts to prove her and Ben Affleck are still very much in love and all is fine in Bennifer land to check in on too. Plus there’s much gushing when they both discuss the new doco based on the creator of The Muppets, Fraggle Rock, The Labyrinth and so much more, ‘Jim Henson Idea Man’. In our Sealed Section, on our premium service Emsolation Extra, Em and Michael ‘Okay, Stop!’ the viral TikTok of comedian Georgia Godworth vox popping the one and only Baz Luhrmann, whilst having zero idea she was chatting to someone so famous. Sign up now to start listening & watching the Sealed Section at emsolation.supercast.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
May 29, 2024 • 33min
Bike Beef, Chromatica With Covid & A Dodgy Duet
In this lively discussion, Em recounts a hilarious incident where her husband Scott's bike sparked a scissor-wielding moment. They then dive into the hot topic of Lady Gaga's Chromatica concert video, recorded while she had Covid, questioning her decision to perform sick. The duo shares their excitement about an upcoming live performance, rehearsing a fun rendition of Beyoncé’s 'Daddy Lessons,' with Michael strumming away. The chat blends humor, music, and pop culture, making for an entertaining listen!
May 22, 2024 • 38min
Are J’Lo & Ben Breaking Up? An Emsolation Investigation
After questioning the level of effort Michael applies to his outfit for recording the podcast, which seems to be not very much at all, we dive into Em’s review of ‘Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga’. There’s some standing ovation chat around the Cannes screening of ‘Furiosa’ and Demi Moore’s new movie getting an 11-minute standing ovation too. Then it’s onto episode 3 of Em’s new podcast ‘Anomalous with Em Rusciano’ which has cameos from Michael Lucas & Benjamin Wasley. There’s also a divine post from an Emsolator whose partner has been raving about how listening to the podcast has helped him navigate his own diagnosis. Plus, Em reveals how prep for her ‘Outgrown’ tour is going, including how she performed it to her husband Scott in their living room, even though he never asked. Finally, Em dons her investigative glasses and does a full analysis on the rumours that Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck are heading to the divorce courts. Em has all the receipts and will reveal all of her findings on if the J’Lo and Ben romance is really on the skids or not. Also in our Sealed Section, it’s all about playing ‘Okay, Stop!’ on that saucy carriage scene on the new season of ‘Bridgerton’, plus Em is mad keen to pull an all nighter at Michael’s Hip Hooray party. Sign up now to start listening & watching at emsolation.supercast.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
May 15, 2024 • 33min
Cowboy Carter Party Update, Andrew Scott’s Erotic Audio & Bridgerton S3
Planning for a disco cowboy party hits a snag when comfort meets fashion, leaving Michael in a comedic showdown over cowboy boots versus sneakers. The excitement takes a turn as Andrew Scott's upcoming erotic audio, 'The Queen's Guard,' sparks playful banter and imaginative interpretations from the hosts. They dive into the latest buzz around season three of 'Bridgerton,' fueled by insights from Em's daughter. Plus, a peek into Liz Hurley and her son’s film brings a mother-son collaboration into the spotlight!
May 8, 2024 • 38min
Michael’s Hip Replacement Party, The Idea of You & Madonna in Rio
Get ready for a wild time as a hip replacement party takes center stage with a vibrant 'Disco Cowboy' theme. The duo shares their hilarious costume adventures while lamenting the letdown of the new Anne Hathaway film 'The Idea of You.' Their laughter continues as they reflect on Madonna's epic world tour in Rio, dissecting the unforgettable performances and behind-the-scenes antics. With a mix of humor and insightful commentary, they explore the joy of self-expression and the quirks of modern pop culture.
May 1, 2024 • 45min
Baby Reindeer, Sullivan’s Crossing & Gilmore Girls
Marchella, Em's eldest daughter, dives into family dynamics and humorously disowns her father's last name. They discuss the controversial series 'Baby Reindeer,' which Em watched despite warnings—spoilers included! The conversation shifts to their guilty pleasure, 'Sullivan’s Crossing,' dissecting its absurdities while reflecting on nostalgia tied to 'Gilmore Girls' and a charming cameo from Scott Patterson. Em also shares her newfound obsession with a Fleetwood Mac song and dishes on Disney's upcoming Mufasa origin story. It's a blend of laughs and heartfelt moments!
Apr 24, 2024 • 46min
Rebel’s Royal Orgy, Baby Reindeer & Taylor’s Tortured Poets Department
Your commitment to a theme dress for Em’s ‘Outgrown’ tour, and a round of singing old school TV themes gets us underway this week. Then there’s Royal orgy news from Rebel Wilson, which gets interrupted with side-quests into Em’s mum Jenni and her latest spending spree involving a giant tree, a crane and her iPad, plus bat tennis and an ‘It’s A Knockout’ rejection, before Em loses interest. We then delve into the TV series everyone is telling Em to watch, but she also probably needs to avoid, called ‘Baby Reindeer’. Michael and Chella have thoughts but will Em ever really commit to even watching the show. After that we need to move onto the fact that Taylor Swift dropped ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ last Friday, surprising everyone with a double album drop. Will Michael drop some truth bombs, is Em willing to say what she really thinks, and will we have enough time to side-quest into David Beckham doing the utmost to serve us quality content from Victoria’s 50th birthday? The answer to all of that is a resounding YES! Also in our Sealed Section, we’ll get our inhouse Swiftie and cameraman James to share his thoughts, plus professional Swiftie and Emsolator Kassy joins us on the phone and we’ve collected reactions from other Emsolation Swifties too. Sign up now to start listening at emsolation.supercast.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Apr 17, 2024 • 45min
Em’s New Show, Taylor & Travis At Coachella & Jenni’s Jury Duty Update
We begin by revisiting Em and Michael’s teenage hotmail addresses, their lack of flirting skills and how much they were actual virgins in their early days. We even get a bonus retelling of Em’s fave story about Michael’s most tragic love rejection. Then Em gets Michael to give us an update on his Mum’s journey into herbal remedies, which turns out to be a little bit of a letdown. We also get a full rundown of Em’s upcoming tour ‘Outgrown’, once Michael works out the most flawless way to introduce it. That’s followed by the news that the first weekend of Coachella has happened and there’s much to reflect, from Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift cutting a rug while surrounded by security, to Doja Cat’s mind blowing stage performance with all the extra hair. Finally we get Em’s mum on the phone so that Jenni can give us a full rundown of her failed attempt to be added to someone’s jury and dish out some just punishment that doesn’t involve spell books and office bin fires, bless. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Apr 10, 2024 • 45min
Leave JoJo Siwa Alone!
To get things happening this week, Michael gets the intro right, then there’s updates from Mum land, with news that Em’s Mum could end up being a juror on a court case and Michael’s Mum is ready to start her journey into the wonderful world of medicinal herbal drops for the aches and pains in her skeleton. After that Em is campaigning for everyone to leave JoJo Siwa alone, first though she’ll have to introduce JoJo to Michael, and anyone else who’s not across her background and history. Once we’re all onboard with that info, then Em and Michael will play ‘Okay, Stop!’ with the video for her new song ‘Karma’ that’s launching her adult pop music career. Finally, we got a letter via Emsolation Extra’s Ask Me Anything during the week from Emsolator Bianca, it was FULL of red flags. So, Em is giving up her seat so her eldest daughter Marchella can be on camera while Em reads the letter to her and Michael, so you’ll get ALL of their facial expressions throughout. To hear what they actually think though, you’ll need to listen to our Sealed Section on our premium service Emsolation Extra, where they’ll also talk about the upcoming John Peter Farnham memoir and Em’s discovery of a Beyoncé tribute magazine at the supermarket. Sign up now to start listening at emsolation.supercast.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices