

Keep It!
Crooked Media
Wherever pop culture and politics collide, Emmy-nominated TV writer Louis Virtel examines the gorgeous wreckage from his uniquely queer perspective with a rotating cast of special guest co-hosts. Each week, our “Prince of Pop Culture” is joined by the likes of Michelle Yeoh, Cate Blanchett, Andrew Garfield, Connie Britton, and Sheryl Lee Ralph to unpack the latest controversies, laude character actress appreciation, and all the shade that’s fit to throw.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Sep 14, 2022 • 1h 20min
“Elizabethcountry” w. Edward Enninful
Ira and Louis discuss the death of Queen Elizabeth II and the reactions to it, the Emmys, Ben Savage’s political bid, the Obamas new portraits, and more. Plus, Edward Enninful joins to discuss his role as British Vogue’s editor-in-chief and his new memoir A Visible Man.Check out Sheryl Lee Ralph's recent Keep It Appearance here: https://crooked.com/podcast/we-dont-talk-about-favreau-w-sheryl-lee-ralph/.

Sep 7, 2022 • 1h 35min
"Darling, Don't Worry My Vibe" w. Betty Gilpin
Ira and Louis discuss the continuing Don't Worry Darling gossip that has unfolded at the Venice Film Festival, whether they care about The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Lea Michele's alleged illiteracy, and Louis' addiction to Pluto TV. Plus, Betty Gilpin returns to discuss her new book All the Women in My Brain, shared theatre traumas, and more.Check out Betty Gilpin's previous appearance on Keep It

Aug 31, 2022 • 1h 54min
“The Wilde Bunch” w. Jenifer Lewis
Ira and Louis discuss the drama surrounding Olivia Wilde’s upcoming film Don’t Worry Darling, the relevance of the VMAs, Sydney Sweeney’s online drama, Britney and Elton John’s new version of “Tiny Dancer,” the Kyle controversy on Big Brother, and more. Plus, legend and icon Jenifer Lewis joins to discuss her new book Walking In My Joy: In These Streets, the women who’ve supported her career since the beginning, and why activism is more important to her now than acting. Check out Olivia Wilde's appearance on Keep It here: https://crooked.com/podcast/the-royal-tea-with-olivia-wilde/

Aug 24, 2022 • 1h 23min
“Bringing Up Nepotism Baby” w. John Boyega
Ira and Louis discuss NYT critic Lena Wilson’s feud with Bodies Bodies Bodies star Amandla Stenberg, Idris Elba not casting his daughter in Beast, their favorite Hollywood nepotism babies, House of the Dragon’s premiere, Harry Styles as the new king of pop, and Ben Affleck’s plantation wedding. Plus, John Boyega joins to discuss his new film Breaking, memories of pilot season in LA, and more.

Aug 17, 2022 • 1h 47min
“I Know What You Rehearsed Last Summer” w. Connie Britton
Ira and Louis discuss Anne Heche’s legacy, Nathan Fielder’s new series The Rehearsal, Megan thee Stallion’s sophomore album Traumazine, Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin, Madonna as a businesswoman, and Marlo Hampton’s disappointing season on Real Housewives of Atlanta. Plus, Connie Britton joins to discuss The White Lotus, revisiting Spin City, and her Broadway aspirations.

Aug 10, 2022 • 1h 23min
"That Thing You Xanadu!" w. Nathalie Emmanuel
Ira and Louis discuss Olivia Newton-John's legacy, their favorite dance songs, HBO Max's disastrous rebrand, Ezra Miller's reign of terror, Kat McPhee's bad voting record, and more. Plus, Nathalie Emmanuel joins to discuss her latest film The Invitation and working on series with huge fanbases like Hollyoaks and Game of Thrones.

Aug 3, 2022 • 1h 45min
“Don’t Stop ‘Til You Renaissance” w. Neil Patrick Harris
Ira and Louis are joined by music critic Britt Julious to discuss Beyoncé’s massive new album Renaissance. Neil Patrick Harris joins to discuss his new series Uncoupled, his life as a gay man before publicly coming out, and more. Plus, a post-mortem on RuPaul’s Drag Race All-Stars 7.

Jul 27, 2022 • 1h 24min
“The Audacity of Nope”
While Ira is away, Louis is joined by Angelica Jade Bastién and Guy Branum to discuss Jordan Peele’s Nope, modern filmmakers’ obsession with Steven Spielberg, the current state of prestige TV, Brad Pitt’s skirt, Multiverses, the reaction to the new Jeopardy hosts, and more. Plus, Ethan Hawke’s new documentary series, The Last Movie Stars, gives them all the perfect excuse to dive into their favorite classic Hollywood icons.

Jul 20, 2022 • 1h 5min
"Bennifer Getting Married" w. Hayley Kiyoko
Ira, Louis, and guest host Bolu Babalola discuss Bennifer's wedding, Anne Hathway's celebrity rebrand, Love Island, The Gray Man, the monkeypox vaccine rollout, and more. Plus, Hayley Kiyoko joins to discuss her new album Panorama and what it takes to be vulnerable as a pop star.____You can find everything you need to fight back at votesaveamerica.com/roe, but here’s a few things you can do:The first, and most important thing we can do is minimize the harm that this ruling will inflict. One way to do that is to support our Immediate Impact Fund. All funds raised go directly to local abortion funds, independent clinics, and legal defense for patients: votesaveamerica.com/abortionfundsWe have a lot of work to do to fight back, and one place to start is with our Fight Back Fund, which supports grassroots organizing and power-building organizations in states where we can make a difference, as well as supporting ballot measure campaigns in four states. By contributing, you can help local activists defend abortion rights this year and build towards the future: votesaveamerica.com/fightbackGet to work supporting winnable races in 2022 where abortion is at stake—like the governor’s races in Pennsylvania, Michigan, or Arizona—by signing up for Midterm Madness: votesaveamerica.com/midtermsRSVP for our live virtual event on Tuesday 6/28: After Roe: Reproductive and Civil Rights Move to States, where our expert panel incl Erin Ryan and Leah Litman, moderated by Shaniqua will discuss what this means, what comes next, and how we can fight back: https://www.mobilize.us/crooked/event/464892/

Jul 13, 2022 • 1h 21min
"Isabelle, Je T'aime" w. Isabelle Huppert
Ira and Louis discuss Emmy noms, Jen Shah's guilty plea, Lea Michele in Funny Girl, Mickey Rourke versus Tom Cruise, Doja Cat DMing teenagers, and more. Plus, the absolutely iconic Isabelle Huppert joins to discuss her latest film Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris, and her love of the cinema.