Every once in a while an adaptation property really surprises us by capturing the cultural zeitgeist far more than its source material would imply that it should. That seems to be the case with the TV show Lanterns. For comic book fans, this always looked interesting — an unlikely buddy cop period drama in the…
Author: Nicole Freim
e432. The Odyssey and Greek Myth: The Enduring Legacy of Ancient Classics
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you probably know that the biggest movie in the world for the last week has been Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey. Despite a concerted right-wing campaign to pretend that no one is interested in the film, it appears to be wildly successful. This is hardly a surprise; Nolan is…
e418. PCA Roundtable: Enjoying the Art of Immoral Artists: An Ethical and Aesthetic Dilemma
It’s that time of year again! If you’re a long time listener to the show then you probably know about PCA already. PCA is acronym for both the Popular Culture Association and their annual convention that in many ways is part of the genesis of the show. Last year all of the cohosts attended, but…
GroundPod Day 2026! Happy Groundhog Day!
Okay, campers, rise and shine, and don’t forget your booties ’cause it’s cooooold out there today! It’s Groundhog Day, and you know what that means! It’s the return of your favorite annual podcast, GroundPod Day! Just like every year, Joe, Andrew, Nicole and Mav return to do a deep dive analysis of a fan favorite…
e399. The Show Must Go On! Navigating Main Character Exits and Recasts
There’s this funny thing that happens with TV shows. Because of the nature of human actors, TV shows are the one type of serialized media where a natural change to the series might be FORCED to occur because forces outside of the narrative require the change of the narrative. That is to say that in…
e374. The Accuracy Dilemma: Balancing Fact and Fiction in Pop Culture
The nice thing about having your own podcast is that sometimes you can just turn a casual conversation into content that you discuss with the whole wide world. That’s what happened for Mav this weekend when he walked in while his wife, returning guest Stephanie Siler, was watching a psychology YouTube podcast discussing the concept…
GroundPod Day 2025! Happy Groundhog Day!
Okay, campers, rise and shine, and don’t forget your booties ’cause it’s cooooold out there today! It’s Groundhog Day, and you know what that means! It’s the return of your favorite annual podcast, GroundPod Day! Just like every year, Joe, Andrew, Nicole and Mav return to do a deep dive analysis of a fan favorite…
e336. So, Why Pop Culture?
In all the years we’ve been doing this show we’ve worked under a very basic assumption: Everyone involved as a host, guest, or listener presumes that the pseudo academic discussion of popular culture (with drinking and swearing) is an important activity. We certainly feel that way, and chances are if you’re a regular listener you…
e327. Decoding Literary Criticism: From BookTok to Shakespeare
Recently an 18year old college student who calls herself alisha not alihsha posted a vlog where she argues in favor of what she calls “being a hater” in her video essay “Booktok, brainrot, and why it’s okay to be a hater” Somehow she went viral and became the topic of conversation for a bit on…
e315. Revisiting Classics: The Delicate Art of Remakes and Adaptations
So did you know there was a new remake of The Crow coming out? If you did then chances are, at least according to the internet, that you’re probably outraged by it for… some reason. The new Crow doesn’t look like the one from 30 years ago. Shocker?!? Also, did you know there was a…