• Skip to content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Pretty Much Pop: A Culture Podcast

A philosopher, an actor, and a sci-fi writer talk about media and how we consume it.

  • About Pretty Much Pop
  • Episodes
  • Support
  • Contact

entertainment podcast

PMP#75: Our Great British Baking Show w/ Stephen Carlile

December 29, 2020 by Mark Leave a Comment

What explains the immense quarantine-time popularity in America of this quaint British reality cooking show? What do we get out of watching talented amateurs bake things? Stephen, who is famous for playing Scar in The Lion King on Broadway (and is VERY British himself), joins Erica, Brian, and Mark to consider the format, context, and appeal of the show. A few articles we … [Read more...] about PMP#75: Our Great British Baking Show w/ Stephen Carlile

PMP#70: RISKy Confessional Comedy w/ Kevin Allison

November 24, 2020 by Mark 3 Comments

Kevin was in the infamous sketch comedy group The State but has since channeled his energies into giving, curating, and coaching personal stories via his stage show and podcast RISK! He joins your hosts Mark, Erica, and Brian to discuss this idiosyncratic form: Do the stories have to be funny? Can you change things? What's the relation to autobiographical, humorous essays a la … [Read more...] about PMP#70: RISKy Confessional Comedy w/ Kevin Allison

PMP#58: “TAYLOR SWIFT RULES!” (Conversation with a Swiftie)

August 26, 2020 by Mark Leave a Comment

Prompted by the release of new album Folklore and the 2020 documentary Miss Americana, Mark, Erica, and Brian speak with guest Amber Padgett about her love of Taylor, ranking the albums/eras, Taylor as songwriter/puppetmaster, why the hate, weird levels of fan engagement, double standards in expectations for female artists, and more. Like all of our discussions, this one is … [Read more...] about PMP#58: “TAYLOR SWIFT RULES!” (Conversation with a Swiftie)

PMP#57: Back to the Damn Arena – The Hunger Games Prequel

August 18, 2020 by Mark Leave a Comment

Remember when The Hunger Games was everywhere? Its author Suzanne Collins has decided that young people could benefit from more exploration of Just War Theory through the world of Panem, and so has published The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, a prequel covering the early years of future president Coriolanus Snow during the 10th Hunger Games.  Mark, Erica, and Brian … [Read more...] about PMP#57: Back to the Damn Arena – The Hunger Games Prequel

PMP#47: Sitcom Premises: Genius, Bonkers and Otherwise

June 9, 2020 by Mark Leave a Comment

Sitcoms provide a form of escapism that doesn't take one to a magical world of possibility, but instead to a basically unchanging, cozy environment with relatable characters engaged in low-stakes conflicts. So what are the limits on the type of premise that can ground a sitcom? While most of the longest lasting sitcoms have simple set-ups involving friends or co-workers, … [Read more...] about PMP#47: Sitcom Premises: Genius, Bonkers and Otherwise

PMP#39: TV and Other Plans in Subjunctive Stasis

April 14, 2020 by Mark Leave a Comment

You've planned and planned for your big event, and WHAM, the plague hits and you're frittering away your day worrying and watching TV. Our plans for this episode were postponed when virus-related matters caused our intended academic guest to be occupied by the frantic creation of online coursework and so cancel on us. So we did as we so often do, talking about possibilities … [Read more...] about PMP#39: TV and Other Plans in Subjunctive Stasis

PMP#38: Costuming w/ Whitney Anne Adams

April 8, 2020 by Mark 2 Comments

How does clothing mesh with set design, cinematography, sound design, etc. to create the mood in a film? Whitney designed for and dressed leads and crowds on The Great Gatsby, the Happy Death Day films and several indie flicks. She joins Erica, Mark and Brian to discuss how clothes on screen relate to clothes in life, designing vs. curating, historic vs. modern vs. genre, when … [Read more...] about PMP#38: Costuming w/ Whitney Anne Adams

PMP#36: Criticism w/ Noah Berlatsky

March 25, 2020 by Mark 2 Comments

Do we need professional critics regulating our entertainment intake? Noah has written for numerous publications including The Washington Post, The Atlantic, NBC News, The Guardian, Slate, and Vox, and his work has come up for us in multiple past episodes. He was invited to join Mark, Erica, and Brian in spelling out the functions of criticism, the idea of criticism as art, and … [Read more...] about PMP#36: Criticism w/ Noah Berlatsky

PMP#35: Video Game Storytelling w/ Donald Marshall

March 17, 2020 by Mark 2 Comments

Do you play video games for the plot? Given that most people don't actually finish most games, it would be unexpected if storytelling were the most important element. Mark, Erica, and Brian are joined by former video game professional (current TV development exec) Donald E. Marshall to talk through types of plots (linear, "string-of-pearls," and branching), ways of weaving … [Read more...] about PMP#35: Video Game Storytelling w/ Donald Marshall

PMP#28: The Alpha Female Trope w/ Margaret Colin

January 22, 2020 by Mark Leave a Comment

What's the deal with images of powerful women in media? The trope of the tough-as-nails boss-lady who may or may not have a heart of gold has evolved a lot over the years, but it's difficult to portray such a character unobjectionably, probably due to those all-too-familiar double standards about wanting women in authority (or, say, running for office) to be assertive but not … [Read more...] about PMP#28: The Alpha Female Trope w/ Margaret Colin

PMP#26: We Watch “Watchmen” w/ David Pizarro

January 8, 2020 by Mark 3 Comments

Perhaps the most lauded graphic novel has been sequelized for HBO, and amazingly, it turned out pretty darn well (with a 96% Rotten Tomatoes rating!).  Mark, Erica, and Brian are joined by the Cornell psych prof who hosts the Very Bad Wizards podcast. We consider Alan Moore's 1986 graphic novel, the 2009 Zack Snyder film, and of course mostly the recently completed (we … [Read more...] about PMP#26: We Watch “Watchmen” w/ David Pizarro

PMP#23: The Singer Not the Song w/ Ken Stringfellow

December 17, 2019 by Mark 2 Comments

What's your relationship to music? Do you just embrace the pure sound, or do you care about who made that sound? One way of seeing where you fall on this issue is whether you care more for singles or to whole albums or careers by artists. Ken Stringfellow, who co-fronts The Posies and was a member of R.E.M. and Big Star, joins Mark, Erica, and Brian to talk about what … [Read more...] about PMP#23: The Singer Not the Song w/ Ken Stringfellow

PMP#22: Untangling Time Travel

December 10, 2019 by Mark 3 Comments

Time-travel rules in The Terminator franchise are notoriously inconsistent. Is it possible for someone from the future to travel backwards to change events, given the paradox that with a changed future, the traveler wouldn't then have had the problem to try to come back and fix? Neither the closed-loop series of events in the first film nor the changed (postponed) future in the … [Read more...] about PMP#22: Untangling Time Travel

PMP#21: Role-Playing Video Games

December 3, 2019 by Mark 1 Comment

What constitutes a video RPG? Is there any actual role-playing involved?  Our editor Tyler Hislop rejoins Mark, Erica, and Brian to discuss those video games that are supposed to make you feel like you're contributing to the story, that your choices matter, in which you can maybe, you know, choose to wear a funny hat or just craft potions all day instead of advancing … [Read more...] about PMP#21: Role-Playing Video Games

PMP#20: Improv Comedy w/ Tim Sniffen

November 19, 2019 by Mark Leave a Comment

What role does improv comedy play in popular culture? It shows up in the work of certain film directors (like Christopher Guest, Adam McKay, and Robert Altman) and has surfaced in some of the TV work of Larry David, Robin Williams, et al. But only in the rare case of a show like Whose Line Is It Anyway? is the presence of improvisation obvious. So is this art form doomed to … [Read more...] about PMP#20: Improv Comedy w/ Tim Sniffen

PMP#19: Race and the Target Audience w/ Rodney Ramsey

November 13, 2019 by Mark Leave a Comment

We've all felt at various points (maybe at most points) that some media creation has reached us by mistake, that we are not the target audience. 20th century American TV was aimed largely at a white majority, with a parallel, underfunded channel of content aimed at people of color. So how have things changed? There still seem to be "black shows,"  but how do they fit in … [Read more...] about PMP#19: Race and the Target Audience w/ Rodney Ramsey

PMP#18: Stephen King’s Media Empire

November 5, 2019 by Mark 2 Comments

Is the most popular writer of our time actually a good writer? Or maybe he used to be good but has long since run out of inspiration? What are the most effective ways to adapt these very readable short stories and novels? Does showing us the evil in a film lessen its impact? While you've been thinking about those questions, King already wrote another book, so ha! Mark, … [Read more...] about PMP#18: Stephen King’s Media Empire

PMP#16: 25 Years After FRIENDS

October 22, 2019 by Mark 4 Comments

Mark, Erica, and Brian examine the conventions, techniques, and staying power of the beloved '90s sitcom. Are we supposed to identify with, or idolize, or merely like these people? What makes the formula work, did it sustain itself over its 10-year run, was it successfully replicated (like by How I Met Your Mother or by Chuck Lorre?), and what parts haven't aged well? We … [Read more...] about PMP#16: 25 Years After FRIENDS

PMP#15: Opera As Pop

October 15, 2019 by Mark 3 Comments

Opera used to be a central part of European pop culture, Pavarotti was as big a pop star as they come. But still, it's now the quintessential art-form of the wealthy and snobbish. What gives? Guest Sean Spyres from Springfield Regional Opera joins his sister Erica along with Mark and Brian to discuss opera's place in culture (including its film appearances), how it's … [Read more...] about PMP#15: Opera As Pop

PMP#14: UFOs on TV with Investigative Journalist Paul Beban

October 8, 2019 by Mark 2 Comments

TV news reporter Paul Beban (ABC, Al Jazeera, Yahoo, and now featured on the Discovery Network's Contact) joins Mark, Erica, and Brian to discuss the appeal of UFO narratives, both at the peak of their popularity in the 50s and in the current resurgence. Why do they make for good TV? Do you have to believe to be entertained? Is belief in UFOs related to religious belief? To … [Read more...] about PMP#14: UFOs on TV with Investigative Journalist Paul Beban

Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

What is Pretty Much Pop?

On Pretty Much Pop, a philosopher, an actor, and a sci-fi writer (often with entertainment industry guests) talk about media and how we consume it: TV, film, music, novels, games, comics, comedy, theater, podcasts, and more. Most of what (other) people like is pretty weird when you think about it, so thinking about it is what we do.

Rate and Review

PEL Network

© 2021 · Pretty Much Pop