What does it mean to be a fan of a character? There have been millions of different interpretations of Batman and the character of Wolverine as he appears in Marvel comics films bears surprisingly little in common with his original comic book impetus. In this episode, Mav and Wayne Wise are joined by guests recent…
Tag: podcasts
e337. Umm… So, is this like a Reboot?!? Or Something?
A couple weeks ago, Mav was watching a football game and he saw a commercial for a new TV show, Rescue: HI-Surf. It appeared to be an action procedural about lifeguards. As he watched it, he was entranced, but couldn’t help thinking to himself “isn’t this just Baywatch?” But alas, the show seemed to want…
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…
e335. Prequels Unraveled: Stitching Gaps or Snagging Cash?
In today’s nostalgia driven, franchise driven, pop culture world sequels are obviously big business. But what do we do when sequels become too boring (and we can’t get the original cast of a film back)? Prequels are obviously the answer. But why? Is there any value to prequels or are they nothing more than shameless…
e334. From DNC to SDCC: Comparing the Convention Experience
In the last couple of weeks in America we’ve seen both San Diego Comic Con (SDCC) and the Democratic National Convention (DNC). These are quite possibly two of the nerdiest gatherings that one can imagine but for different groups. Of course Mav is enough of a pop culture and politics addict that he watched them…
e333. Twisters, Titanics, & Terror: Deconstructing Disaster Narratives
If one of the the primary functions of books and movies is to help us escape from the adversity of day to day life, then why do we have so many of them that are basically about what if our modern problems became not only inescapable, but became the absolute worst case scenario of themselves…
e331. Understanding the Syllabus: Learning Frameworks and Inclusive Practices
We’re quickly running out of summer and as we do the new school year is even more quickly approaching. That means, for those of us who teach classes… or who take classes, we’re starting to get busy with preparations, hoping to get them all done before the last minute. If you’re a professor, like Mav,…
e329. Biographies, Blockbusters, And Biden! What a Week!
It’s been a hell of a week. Ok, let’s face it… it’s been a hell of a summer. This is a pop culture show and so we try to stay current on what’s happening, but the world has been moving so fast that we have been trouble keeping up, so on this week’s show, Mav…
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…