Kristen Meinzer

Kristen Meinzer co-hosts the Movie Date Podcast. (Alex Johnson)

Kristen Meinzer is culture producer for The Takeaway and co-host of The Takeaway's Movie Date podcast.

For The Takeaway, Kristen produces stories on contemporary social issues, history, health, science, arts, and entertainment. She's also produced several stand-alone hour specials for The Takeaway, including one on time travel and another on the mysteries of the human brain. The Takeaway reaches an audience of over 2 million listeners nationwide and is a recipient of the Radio Television Digital News Association's Edward R. Murrow Award.

As one half of the Movie Date team, Kristen hosts and produces the weekly Movie Date podcast and appears every week on The Takeaway. Movie Date has twice been selected as the iTunes Podcast of the Day and has been ranked as one of Stitcher's top movie podcasts.

In addition to her regular duties with The Takeaway and Movie Date, Kristen is a regular commentator on Soundcheck, BK Live, the New York broadcast of All Things Considered, the Brian Lehrer Show, and the New York broadcast of Morning Edition. She also produces cultural and scientific live events for the Jerome L. Greene Space; has contributed to WQXR.com; and she served as the launch producer for the James Beard Award-nominated food podcast The Sporkful.

Prior to working with WNYC, Kristen was a development producer for CBS News Productions; an associate research scholar with the Center for Media, Culture and History; and a freelance producer, editor, and writer for VH1's The Fabulous Life, The Discovery Channel's Anatomy of a Pandemic, The Brooklyn Review, and The Minnesota Daily.

Kristen holds a BA in cultural studies from the University of Minnesota, an MA in public history and consumer culture from New York University, and an MFA in fiction writing from Brooklyn College.

Kristen Meinzer appears in the following:

What's Making Us Happy: A guide to your weekend viewing and listening

Friday, November 03, 2023

By Aisha Harris / Stephen Thompson / / Kristen Meinzer

Each week, guests and hosts on NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour share what's bringing them joy. This week: The Gilded Age podcast, food influencer Keith Lee, the show Bargain, and Madi Diaz's new album.

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What's Making Us Happy: A guide to your weekend viewing, reading and listening

Friday, September 01, 2023

By / Kristen Meinzer / Linda Holmes

Each week, guests and hosts on NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour share what's bringing them joy. This week: the Telemarketers docuseries, Celebrity Book Club and the novel Once More with Feeling.

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What's Making Us Happy: A guide to your weekend viewing and listening

Friday, July 07, 2023

By Linda Holmes / Kristen Meinzer / Mallory Yu /

Each week, guests and hosts on NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour share what's bringing them joy. This week: the Mystery Menu series, The Alarmist podcast, Every Body and Two Can Play That Game.

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What's Making Us Happy: A guide to your weekend viewing and listening

Saturday, July 01, 2023

By Kristen Meinzer / Chris Klimek / Glen Weldon /

Each week, guests and hosts on NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour share what's bringing them joy. This week: Lady Audaci-Tea, a summer of good movies and Hair Plugs & Heartache.

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What's Making Us Happy: A guide to your weekend viewing and listening

Friday, June 09, 2023

By / / Kristen Meinzer / Aisha Harris / Glen Weldon /

Each week, guests and hosts on NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour share what's bringing them joy. This week: Shiny Happy People, Doctor Who's 60th anniversary, Jessie Ware's new album, and more.

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The Legacy of Queen Elizabeth II, Britain's Longest Reigning Monarch

Friday, September 09, 2022

We take your calls on the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

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What's making us happy: A guide to your weekend listening and viewing

Friday, August 12, 2022

By Stephen Thompson / / / Kristen Meinzer /

Each week, the guests and hosts on NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour share what's bringing them joy. This week: The Voyeurs, FBoy Island, and more.

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What's making us happy: A guide to your weekend reading and viewing

Friday, April 15, 2022

By Kristen Meinzer / / / Glen Weldon / / Linda Holmes

Each week, the guests and hosts on NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour share what's bringing them joy. This week: Everything Everywhere All At Once, Jerrod Carmichael's standup special, and more.

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What's Making Us Happy: A Guide For Your Weekend Watching, Listening And Reading

Friday, July 30, 2021

By Linda Holmes / Aisha Harris / Kristen Meinzer / Vincent Schilling

Each week, the guests and hosts on Pop Culture Happy Hour share what's bringing them joy. Today it's Schmigadoon!, Sean Bankhead's choreography, and the name change for the Cleveland baseball team.

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By the Book on the Advice to Keep and the Advice to Ditch for the New Year

Thursday, December 27, 2018

Kristen and Jolenta share the advice that's stuck with them, and the advice they've ignored over the past year.

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A Rare Glimpse Behind of the Crown

Friday, January 19, 2018

The BBC spent 22 years negotiating with Buckingham Palace for an interview with Queen Elizabeth II. And they finally got it.

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The New York Times Podcast Club, IRL: 'By the Book'

Monday, December 18, 2017

Do French women really not get fat? Join By the Book's Jolenta Greenberg and Kristen Meinzer for a look inside their episode in which they lived by Mireille Guiliano’s self-help book.

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Hockenberry's Harassment: A Former Takeaway Producer Speaks Out

Wednesday, December 06, 2017

Kristen Meinzer, a former producer for The Takeaway, is one of the women who spoke out with allegations against John Hockenberry, the show's former host. She shares her story here.

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The Pioneering Life of Mary Tyler Moore

Thursday, January 26, 2017

Following the death of Mary Tyler Moore on Wednesday, a look at how Moore changed the entertainment industry since her first acting job at 17.

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Thanksgiving Is For Eaters (with Amy Sedaris)

Friday, November 18, 2016

Amy Sedaris and Mo Rocca offer advice on dealing with family, Radiolab's Robert Krulwich tells of a lovesick turkey, and we call Butterball’s hotline for life advice.

Mo Rocca's Ravioli Free Association

Monday, September 19, 2016

The humorist and Cooking Channel host gets deep on ravioli – from Chef Boyardee to his grandma's recipe to what he calls "the Kenny G of ravioli."

Meet A Southern Baptist Matzoh Expert

Monday, April 18, 2016

The man who runs one of the biggest matzoh factories in the world schools us on the science behind these excellent crackers. Then Dan debates kosher law with a rabbi.