

Hot Mess-Terpiece Theatre
Jolenta Greenberg
Comedian & pop culture critic Jolenta Greenberg has a theory: reality TV isn’t ruining culture - it is culture. Join her and a cast of sharp, funny guests as they dig into the details behind the drama and unpack why we can’t get enough of those iconic scenes and unforgettable characters. This is the place for highbrow conversations about “lowbrow” TV.All seasons By the Book & How to Be Fine are also in this feed. To hear back episodes, just scroll down!
Episodes
Mentioned books

May 29, 2025 • 37min
BTB Authors Tell All: Celeste Headlee
While they’re between seasons, Jolenta and Kristen are thrilled to share a very special series that - up until now - was only available behind a paywall. It’s called By The Book Authors Tell All, and features authors whose books they lived by, as well as some authors they just happen to love. And for more great By The Book content, listen to Dean & Kristen Look Back, exclusively on Patreon! In each episode, Dean and Kristen revisit their time on By The Book, share behind-the-scenes secrets, and give updates on their lives. Patreon is also the home of our weekly advice column, our Patreon-only season of By The Book, nearly 200 minisodes, the written rules of every self-help book we’ve lived by, and more: patreon.com/listentobythebook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

May 22, 2025 • 32min
BTB Authors Tell All: Steve and Annette Economides
While they’re between seasons, Jolenta and Kristen are thrilled to share a very special series that - up until now - was only available behind a paywall. It’s called By The Book Authors Tell All, and features authors whose books they lived by, as well as some authors they just happen to love. And for more great By The Book content, listen to Dean & Kristen Look Back, exclusively on Patreon! In each episode, Dean and Kristen revisit their time on By The Book, share behind-the-scenes secrets, and give updates on their lives. Patreon is also the home of our weekly advice column, our Patreon-only season of By The Book, nearly 200 minisodes, the written rules of every self-help book we’ve lived by, and more: patreon.com/listentobythebook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

May 15, 2025 • 35min
BTB Authors Tell All: Gretchen Rubin
While they’re between seasons, Jolenta and Kristen are thrilled to share a very special series that - up until now - was only available behind a paywall. It’s called By The Book Authors Tell All, and features authors whose books they lived by, as well as some authors they just happen to love. And for more great By The Book content, listen to Dean & Kristen Look Back, exclusively on Patreon! In each episode, Dean and Kristen revisit their time on By The Book, share behind-the-scenes secrets, and give updates on their lives. Patreon is also the home of our weekly advice column, our Patreon-only season of By The Book, nearly 200 minisodes, the written rules of every self-help book we’ve lived by, and more: patreon.com/listentobythebook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

May 8, 2025 • 38min
Your Stories: Friend Jealousy, Friend Burnout, and Making Friends as an Adult
Jolenta and Kristen read some of the many stories you’ve shared about the topics we’ve recently covered on the show - including being jealous of friends, dealing with friend burnout, and making friends post college.
They also announce By The Book: Authors Tell All - a newly available series that will land right in this feed starting next week.
Reminder: There's lots more of us on Patreon - including our biweekly podcast series Dean & Kristen Look Back, where we do just that: Look back at our time on By The Book, episode by episode, sharing updates and behind the scenes secrets along the way. Patreon is also the home of our weekly advice column, our Patreon-only season of By The Book, nearly 200 minisodes, the written rules of every self-help book we’ve lived by, and more: patreon.com/listentobythebook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

May 1, 2025 • 37min
K&J Grapple with Friend Jealousy
Jolenta and Kristen try on a tip from David Klein, record audio diaries, report back. We want to hear from you! Share your own experiences with friendship and loneliness on our private facebook community: facebook.com/groups/kristenandjolenta or write to us at kristenandjolenta@gmail.com And join our Patreon Community to get biweekly episodes of our new show: Dean & Kristen Look Back! In each episode, Dean and Kristen revisit their time on By The Book, share behind-the-scenes secrets, and give updates on their lives. Patreon is also the home of our weekly advice column, our Patreon-only season of By The Book, nearly 200 minisodes, the written rules of every self-help book we’ve lived by, and more: patreon.com/listentobythebook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Apr 24, 2025 • 27min
Can This Friendship Survive Success?
Sometimes - as much as we hate to admit it - we feel insecure around certain friends - or even jealous of them. What’s the best way to cope with these feelings? David Klein, close friend and cousin of Winona Ryder, and author of “The Plus One,” shares his thoughts. We want to hear from you! Share your own experiences with friendship and loneliness on our private facebook community: facebook.com/groups/kristenandjolenta or write to us at kristenandjolenta@gmail.com And join our Patreon Community to get biweekly episodes of our new show: Dean & Kristen Look Back! In each episode, Dean and Kristen revisit their time on By The Book, share behind-the-scenes secrets, and give updates on their lives. Patreon is also the home of our weekly advice column, our Patreon-only season of By The Book, nearly 200 minisodes, the written rules of every self-help book we’ve lived by, and more: patreon.com/listentobythebook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Apr 17, 2025 • 40min
K&J Make Friends Post College
Jolenta and Kristen try on Hope Kelaher’s tips for making friends post-college.We want to hear from you! Share your own experiences with friendship and loneliness on our private facebook community: facebook.com/groups/kristenandjolenta or write to us at kristenandjolenta@gmail.com And join our Patreon Community to get biweekly episodes of our new show: Dean & Kristen Look Back! In each episode, Dean and Kristen revisit their time on By The Book, share behind-the-scenes secrets, and give updates on their lives. Patreon is also the home of our weekly advice column, our Patreon-only season of By The Book, nearly 200 minisodes, the written rules of every self-help book we’ve lived by, and more: patreon.com/listentobythebook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Apr 10, 2025 • 35min
How to Make Friends Post College
Why does it seem so much easier to make friends when we’re younger? And how can we make friends more easily as we become adults? Hope Kelaher, author of Here to Make Friends: How To Make Friends as an Adult, shares her wisdom.We want to hear from you! Share your own experiences with friendship and loneliness on our private facebook community: facebook.com/groups/kristenandjolenta or write to us at kristenandjolenta@gmail.com And join our Patreon Community to get biweekly episodes of our new show: Dean & Kristen Look Back! In each episode, Dean and Kristen revisit their time on By The Book, share behind-the-scenes secrets, and give updates on their lives. Patreon is also the home of our weekly advice column, our Patreon-only season of By The Book, nearly 200 minisodes, the written rules of every self-help book we’ve lived by, and more: patreon.com/listentobythebook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Apr 3, 2025 • 43min
K&J Tackle Friend Burnout
Jolenta and Kristen try on a tip from Amy Wilson, record audio diaries, report back. We want to hear from you! Share your own experiences with friendship and loneliness on our private facebook community: facebook.com/groups/kristenandjolenta or write to us at kristenandjolenta@gmail.com And join our Patreon Community to get biweekly episodes of our new show: Dean & Kristen Look Back! In each episode, Dean and Kristen revisit their time on By The Book, share behind-the-scenes secrets, and give updates on their lives. Patreon is also the home of our weekly advice column, our Patreon-only season of By The Book, nearly 200 minisodes, the written rules of every self-help book we’ve lived by, and more: patreon.com/listentobythebook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mar 27, 2025 • 34min
Friend Burnout
Friends are great. But they can also be exhausting. What’s the best way to strike the balance between being there and burning out? Amy Wilson, author of Happy To Help: Adventures of a People Pleaser, and cohost of What Fresh Hell, shares her thoughts. We want to hear from you! Share your own experiences with friendship and loneliness on our private facebook community: facebook.com/groups/kristenandjolenta or write to us at kristenandjolenta@gmail.com And join our Patreon Community to get biweekly episodes of our new show: Dean & Kristen Look Back! In each episode, Dean and Kristen revisit their time on By The Book, share behind-the-scenes secrets, and give updates on their lives. Patreon is also the home of our weekly advice column, our Patreon-only season of By The Book, nearly 200 minisodes, the written rules of every self-help book we’ve lived by, and more: patreon.com/listentobythebook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices