# Episode 378 - Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story (1987)

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Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/they-called-this-a-movie-11991/episode-378-superstar-the-karen-carpenter-story-1987.md
Podcast: [They Called This a Movie](https://stenobird.com/podcast/they-called-this-a-movie-11991)
Published: 2026-07-10T12:20:47+00:00
Episode link: https://www.spreaker.com/episode/episode-378-superstar-the-karen-carpenter-story-1987--72913395
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Duration seconds: 3649

## Resource

We dip into the world of student films this week, with perhaps one of the most infamous. Nearly lost due to copyright lawsuits, we watched Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story, made by director Todd Haynes when he was a film student. Join us as we discuss the use of Barbies to tell the story, the low quality transfers, and how the film tackles the subject matter. Find us on Bluesky, Instagram, and Threads @TCTAMPod and on TikTok @theycalledthisamovie. Our theme music was written and performed by Dave Katusa. He can be found on Instagram @dkat_productions.

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## Transcript

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