Yes, we have another Dune film, and this time Warner Bros. is serious about a franchise, with at least one sequel planned and a prequel TV series in the works. With thousands of years worth of world building, the books by Frank Herbert and the world now being fleshed out by his son Brian Herbert with Kevin J. Anderson offer more source material than Star Wars for potential … [Read more...] about PMP#110: The Dune Franchise Tries Again
pop culture podcast
PMP#109: Dueling in Film
In light of the release of The Last Duel (which you needn't have watched), we talk about the trope of the honor-resolving duel in movies and TV. Mark and guest co-host Dylan Casey of The Partially Examined Life are joined by Clif Mark, host of the Good in Theory podcast who wrote his political thesis and a 2018 Aeon article on the history and logic of … [Read more...] about PMP#109: Dueling in Film
PMP#108: Board Game Ideology
As board games are becoming increasingly popular with adults, we ask: What's the relationship between a board game's mechanics and its narrative? Does the "message" of a board game matter? Mark is joined by game designer Tommy Maranges, educator Michelle Parrinello-Cason, and ex-philosopher Al Baker to talk about re-skinning games, designing player experiences, play styles, … [Read more...] about PMP#108: Board Game Ideology
PMP#107: Cult Bands and Cultish Fans
What makes for a "cult band"? Not just a small audience, because Grateful Dead fans are an archetypical cult. Not just a devoted, emotionally invested audience; no volume of Swifties make Taylor Swift qualify as a cult act. Does the music have to be somehow inaccessible, or the fans snobby? Your host Mark Linsenmayer and three other musicians try to figure it … [Read more...] about PMP#107: Cult Bands and Cultish Fans
PMP#106: Stand-Up Comedy in the Internet Age
Mark discusses how Internet culture has changed stand-up with three comedians: past guests Rodney Ramsey (who co-owns the Unknown Comedy Club) and Daniel Lobell (host of Modern Day Philosophers and author of the Fair Enough comic), plus Dena Jackson (also a speaker on yoga and mindfulness and host of The Ego Podcast). How does the existence of YouTube, social media, and … [Read more...] about PMP#106: Stand-Up Comedy in the Internet Age
PMP#105: The Death of Soap Operas (Is Greatly Exaggerated)
Writers Sarahlyn Bruck and Kayla Dreysse join Mark to discuss how this once very popular TV show type has simultaneously become niche yet has had a tremendous influence on current prestige TV as well as reality shows. We talk about soaps' story and structure conventions, the demands on soap actors and writers, and how changing market forces and technology have affected the … [Read more...] about PMP#105: The Death of Soap Operas (Is Greatly Exaggerated)
PMP#104: King Arthur Reigns O’er Pop Culture
With the recent theatrical release of The Green Knight, Mark and Brian along with Den of Geek's David Crow and the very British Al Baker consider the range of cinematic Arthuriana, including Excalibur (1981), Camelot (1967), King Arthur (2004), King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017), First Knight (1995), Sword of the Valiant (1983), Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (1973), and … [Read more...] about PMP#104: King Arthur Reigns O’er Pop Culture
PMP#103: Queering Video Games w/ Naomi Clark
While LGBTQ+ representation in video games has been improving (as with other media), Naomi Clark (who designed games for LEGO, Gamelab, Fresh Planet, Rebel Monkey, et al) has something more disruptive in mind when arguing for game "queerification." The prototypical video game includes a more-or-less linear progression through a pre-defined story to a defined win condition, and … [Read more...] about PMP#103: Queering Video Games w/ Naomi Clark
PMP#102: What the Pop!? Season 1 Wrap-Up
It's a very special Pretty Much Pop, as after 101 episodes and a bit over two years, we reflect on what we've learned and set a course for the future with changes, changes, and more changes. So what have we learned about how and why we consume? Maybe not so much in a general sense, but certainly we've been shown the appeal of many forms that we might not have considered … [Read more...] about PMP#102: What the Pop!? Season 1 Wrap-Up
PMP#101: The “Conjuring” Retroverse
With the release of The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, Mark, Erica and Brian explore the larger "Conjuring universe" that started with the 2013 James Wan film depicting the fictionalized supernatural investigations of Ed and Lorraine Warren (played by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga). Largely using the plot-generating device of the couple's storehouse of haunted objects, … [Read more...] about PMP#101: The “Conjuring” Retroverse
PMP#100: Directing Comedies w/ Heather Fink
What makes for a good comedy film or show? Funny people reading (or improvising) funny lines, right? WRONG? Mark, Erica, Brian, are joined by Heather Fink to discuss the role of the director in making a comedy (or anything else) actually good. Heather has directed for TV, film, and commercials and spent a lot of time doing sound (a boom operator or sound utility) for … [Read more...] about PMP#100: Directing Comedies w/ Heather Fink
PMP#99: The Music of Your Youth w/ Jon Lamoreaux (The Hustle podcast)
What long-term effects do songs that we're exposed to early have on our adult tastes? As children we (hopefully) learn to love music, but then our critical faculties and peer pressure kick in, and many early influences become unacknowledged or transformed into guilty pleasures. Is the generation gap in musical taste really just due to how styles change over time (and we old … [Read more...] about PMP#99: The Music of Your Youth w/ Jon Lamoreaux (The Hustle podcast)
PMP#98: The Spirit of Captain America w/ Anthony LeBlanc
What is it for a super-hero to represent America? Though the character created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby in 1941 may have been a way to capitalize on WWII patriotism, it has since been used to ask questions about what it really means to be patriotic and how America's ideals and its reality may conflict. We're of course talking about race, a theme explored by Sam Wilson, … [Read more...] about PMP#98: The Spirit of Captain America w/ Anthony LeBlanc
PMP#97: The Girl in the Wooder: Our Mare of Easttown Show!
Insofar as something is a TV hit at all these days, the small-town Pennsylvania murder mystery starring Kate Winslet seems to qualify, but what distinguishes it from the many many other crime dramas on TV? Mark, Erica, and Brian discuss the plot structure, casting, and other creative choices and try to figure out how the show relates to Broadchurch, The Undoing, etc. Should … [Read more...] about PMP#97: The Girl in the Wooder: Our Mare of Easttown Show!
PMP#96: Modernizing D&D w/ Amanda McLoughlin (Join the Party)
What's the current status of table-top role-playing games like Dungeons and Dragons in pop culture? Thanks to D&D's recent depiction in Stranger Things and the enormous popularity of fantasy properties like Game of Thrones and Lord of the Rings, interest in elves and magic and such is no longer fodder for Satanic panic, but the idea of actively pretending to be a character … [Read more...] about PMP#96: Modernizing D&D w/ Amanda McLoughlin (Join the Party)
PMP#95: “The Nevers” With a Side of Whedon
Mark, Erica, and Brian discuss the HBO Max show out Victorian-era super-powered feminine outcasts, helmed and now abandoned by the creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly, etc. It's jam packed with steampunk gadgets, fisticuffs, social injustice, and far too many characters and plot threads to keep track of. Given that the season was reduced to a half season in light of … [Read more...] about PMP#95: “The Nevers” With a Side of Whedon
PMP#94: Psychology of Video Game Engagement w/ Jamie Madigan
Why do people play video games, and what keeps them playing? Do we want to have to think through innovative puzzles or just lose ourselves in mindless reactivity? Mark, Erica, and Brian are joined by Dr. Jamie Madigan, an organizational psychologist who runs the Psychology of Video Games podcast, to discuss what sort of a thing this is to research, the evolution of games, … [Read more...] about PMP#94: Psychology of Video Game Engagement w/ Jamie Madigan
PMP#90: Godzilla vs. Kong vs. All the Kaiju!
Are gynormous monsters ("kaiju") stomping on cities just stupid fun, or do they channel deep fears of our own helplessness? Mark, Erica, and Brian reflect on the MonsterVerse films, plus the history of Godzilla in Japan from the 1954 original to 2016's award-winning Shin Godzilla. Do we care at all about the humans in these films? Are King Kong films too sad? Is there any … [Read more...] about PMP#90: Godzilla vs. Kong vs. All the Kaiju!
PMP#89: The Chicago 7 (and the Aaron Sorkinverse)
In lieu of an Oscars episode, we consider one of the nominated films, The Trial of the Chicago 7, and the career of its writer/director, Aaron Sorkin, which started with A Few Good Men through four TV series (most notably The West Wing), and films like The Social Network, Steve Jobs, and Molly's Game. Brian, Erica, and Mark consider Sorkin's stock recurring characters … [Read more...] about PMP#89: The Chicago 7 (and the Aaron Sorkinverse)
PMP#88: Indie Animation w/ Benjamin Goldman
In the perennial conflict between art and our corporate entertainment machine, animation seems designed to be mechanized, given how labor-intensive it is, and yes, most of our animation comes aimed at children (or naughty adults) from a few behemoths (like, say, Disney). Mark, Erica, and Brian are joined by animator Benjamin Goldman to discuss doing animation on your own, … [Read more...] about PMP#88: Indie Animation w/ Benjamin Goldman