You know how sometimes people say someone belongs on "the Mount Rushmore of music" or "the Mount Rushmore of comics" or "the Mount Rushmore of sports" or whatever? Maybe they mean that these are the people who will do a bunch of atrocities and yet get mythologized to the point that the country decides to steal some indigenous people's sacred land and deface it with a uncanny valley like carvings, but usually they're probably just talking about some very influential people in whatever that field is. But, what if you didn't want to stick to just do one specific genre or field of pop culture? What if you were trying to decide the Mt. Rushmore of ALL of pop culture. On this week's very special episode, Mav and Wayne are...
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e40. Favourite RoyalTV (and movies)
In an interesting and rare moment, two period dramas about European royalty, The Favourite and Mary Queen of Scots, are at the top of the US box office right now. Well, maybe not the top… they’re #12 and #14, but that’s still pretty damn good for historical fiction. They’re never going to be blockbusters. And yet, there’s been historical…
Call For Comments: Getting Bandersnatched…
From Mav: In the last couple of weeks I’ve seen a lot of people on the Internet raving about the Netflix show Black Mirror: Bandersnatch. I’ve also seen them raving about Bird Box but it was the former that got my attention because it is being billed as an innovative new thing – “Choose Your Own Adventure”…
e39. Media Addiction
Once any TV show is on the air for long enough, a curious thing happens. It amasses enough devoted fans that watch it every week that they begin to turn on it. They constantly rave about how they now hate the show… it’s not like it used to be… but they’re still watching it anyway.…
Call for Comments: Of Castles and Queens
From Hannah: A few weeks ago on our “cheesy” Christmas movie episode, we briefly discussed the subsection of the Lifetime/Hallmark/Netflix rom-com that is focused around royalty. I asked what is it about these types of films that attract audiences — particularly American audiences — and my sister Mary pointed out that these films capture a…
e38. 2019 Box Office Draft
Do you think we can review every movie coming out next year… before we’ve seen any of them… with no real knowledge…. in one hour? Well, just you wait! Welcome to the 2019 Box Office Draft Special! Back before we started this show, Mav decided that no matter what he wanted to steal the yearly…
Call For Comments: Inertia and Media Addiction
From Mav: There’s something I’ve noticed about fans of the TV show The Walking Dead. They hate it. Seriously… most people I know who watch the show pretty much acknowledge that they’re not really enjoying it anymore, they’re just watching it because… they do. They have been watching it and they continue to. I’m not a fan…
e36. Cheesey Christmas Movies
If you’re Hannah, Christmas means one thing… watching cheesy Christmas romantic movies. She’s not alone. Hallmark Channel, Lifetime, and now Netflix have carved out a niche for themselves producing dozens of new low budget Christmas movies every year. They’ve become insanely popular. But why? Mav and Hannah are joined by Hannah’s sister Mary and Mav’s…
Call For Comments: The 2019 Fantasy Box Office Game
From Mav: There are many reasons I wanted to start this podcast. Obviously I like talking about the topics that we cover here a lot… sure. And honestly, a lot of what we do on the show is me working out concepts that I am addressing in my own work (or one of the other…
e35. SPOILERS! (and Mystery Boxes)
Ever since the rise of the Internet we have all lived in constant fear of all of our favorite movies, books, TV shows and every other media being spoiled by some jerk who just wants to be the first to ruin everything for everyone else… or maybe he’s just an idiot. It doesn’t matter… once…