From Mav: So a few weeks ago I made a random observation on Facebook about the upcoming Crow movie. Basically, I argued that if you were really and truly upset with the redesign of Eric Draven then you were being old and out of touch. Because the weird androgynous goth mime that barely made sense 35 years ago would be non-sensical as a character design if this were a new character today. The Crow is a counterculture superhero. And if he really had his origins in 2024, then he SHOULD look more like Twenty One Pilots than Nine Inch Nails. You don't have to like it... but that's how it is. Just like in 1995, we were updating the look of the X-men from what they looked like in the...
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Call for Comments: Breaking Down The Romance Genre
From Hannah: Way back on Episode 24, we talked about the concept of genre in general: Why is genre occasionally a dirty word? What are the rules a piece of fiction has to follow to be considered a member of a particular genre? How useful is this concept in understanding a work? So I want…
e198. STEM vs Humanities: the Clatter in the Classroom
If you’ve been or known any kid who has gone to an American school in the last 50 years or so you’ve probably heard the advice to “get into STEM” because that’s where the future is. It’s an odd bit of advice really, because essentially all it means is “Hey kids! Pay attention in school…
Call for Comments: How did Nancy Drew get good?!?
From Mav: Long time listeners will know that I frequently say that Riverdale is the best show on television. I do love the show. But the honest truth is, Riverdale fulfills a very specific niche of absurdist, hyperrealistic, postmodern, storytelling. And as I’ve mentioned on recent episodes, I think it’s the pinnacle of what it…
e197. Serialization II: Electric Boogaloo (or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Franchise)
Way back on episode 170 we did a show talking about Serialization. As is often the case on our show… we resolved nothing. But we did note that there was so much to talk about that the conversation needed to be continued on a future show. Well this is that show. It’s time for Serialization…
Call for Comments: Humanities vs. STEM — Dawn of Nerdom
From Katya: There’s a generic assumption in academic circles that the humanities are embattled — for funding, for prestige, for influence within the university, etc. — against the BBEG of STEM. STEM is stealing our students. STEM is stealing our funding. STEM is gnawing our legs off (for science!) As you might guess, I don’t…
e196. The 2022 Box Office Draft!
It’s that time of year again. Every year the hosts of Voxpopcast play a fantasy box office game! Even though it’s only the second week of the year, we are going to review every movie expected to come out in 2022. Then each host will draft 15 movies and compete to see who can have…
Call for Comments: The Return of Serialization II: Electric Boogaloo
From Hannah: On our 170th show back in July of 2021, we (finally) took a deep-dive into the concept of serialization. We discussed everything from (some) of the history of serialization, the economics, the question of “wholeness,” serialization and the Internet … but we also left a lot of questions unanswered. Which, to be fair,…
e195. 34 Great Things You Missed in 2021!
2021 is over! It’s hard to believe that because in a lot of ways it still feels like it’s 2020. But somehow, a whole year went by nonetheless. And, since the year is done, it’s time that we do what every podcast does… a year in review! But, if you’ve been listening the last couple…
Call for Comments: Box Office Game 2022
From Hannah: Well, to borrow Mav’s words from this year, this year will continue to be … weird. It’s the end of the year, so it’s once again time for us to do our movie picks for the annual fantasy box office episode. If you’re new to our show, every year we play a game…
Call for Comments: What is Luxury Fashion, Really?
January 27, 2022
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zw4zlvTlaI0 From Monica: What do Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, Moet, Hennessy, Fendi, Givenchy, Marc Jacobs, Loewe, Celine, Bulgari, Tiffany and Co., and Sephora all have in common? They’re all owned by LVMH, the world’s largest corporate conglomerate specializing in luxury goods. What about Balenciaga, Bottega Veneta, Gucci, Alexander McQueen and Yves Saint Laurent? They’re all…