What do famous people tell us about ourselves? What can we learn from the lives of great entertainers and artists? Did those celebrities actually like themselves?

Just some of the questions at the heart of Famous and Gravy, a podcast that goes beyond the obituaries to discuss the impacts, flaws and legacy of some of the most famous people to have died this century.

Host Michael Osborne shares with us:- why celebrities are a mirror on society- which celebrity was the best at being a celebrity- the links between fame and addiction

Famous and Gravy:

- homepage: https://www.famousandgravy.com/all-episodes- on any podcast app: https://pod.link/1601060826

- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@famousandgravy

- on Pick of the Pods: https://pickofthepods.substack.com/p/dead-famous-what-we-all-can-learn

Episodes of Famous and Gravy featured on this episode:

Synapse Sparkler (Robin Williams): https://www.famousandgravy.com/robin-williams

Intuitive Dreamcatcher (David Lynch): https://www.famousandgravy.com/david-lynch

National Treasure (Dolly Parton): https://www.famousandgravy.com/dolly-parton

Michael's Pod Picks:

Plain English With Derek Thompson: https://www.theringer.com/podcasts/plain-english-with-derek-thompson

The Rewatchables: https://www.theringer.com/podcasts/the-rewatchables

Michael’s fantasy episode:

An interview with Chuck Klosterman (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuck_Klosterman)

Other podcasts mentioned in this episode:

Dolly Parton’s America: https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/dolly-partons-america

You’re Dead to Me: https://www.gregjenner.com/podcasts-radio/bbc-youre-dead-to-me-podcast/

POP-The Podcast:

Home: https://pickofthepods.substack.com/podcast

Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQu6D1uClH0i-nR9YppCSgzhElMbfPcv7

Listen on any podcast app: https://pod.link/1891273310

Music by fAR

Produced by Spinney Hill Podcasts, all rights reserved

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction: Famous and Gravy

01:08 What can dead celebrities teach us about ourselves?

02:06 The art of the New York Times obituary

04:07 Why Famous and Gravy grades obituaries

06:27 What makes a great obituary opening line?

09:09 The secret world of obituary enthusiasts

10:28 Dolly Parton and how celebrity legacies change

12:30 How Michael Osborne chooses his dead celebrities

14:07 Robin Williams: creativity, fear and spirituality

19:38 Why is the podcast called Famous and Gravy?

22:15 Dolly Parton: the perfect celebrity?

27:10 Jerry Springer, James Brown and David Bowie: flawed icons

31:08 Fame, addiction and the need for validation

34:57 David Lynch and the artist's life

38:28 The opening quiz: getting listeners involved

42:35 Why Dolly Parton deserved a special episode

44:15 Dolly Parton's America and her unifying power

48:43 Why celebrity stories matter

51:59 Extra Gravy, Greg Jenner and the power of pop culture

54:23 From climate science to podcasting

57:33 Telling better stories about climate change

1:00:29 Robin's podcast recommendations

1:02:09 Michael's picks: Plain English and The Rewatchables

1:04:01 Michael's dream podcast guest

1:06:48 Where to find Michael Osborne and Famous and Gravy

1:07:54 Closing credits