Supercontext: an autopsy of media
Supercontext is a podcast that dissects media, exploring how we consume it and the ways it shapes our everyday culture. Hosted by Christian Sager and Charlie Bennett, the show offers an analytical take on the media landscape. Each episode examines the underlying messages and influences of various media forms.
Episodes
Ice Cream Man
This horror anthology launched in 2018 and has been lauded for its storytelling, genre experimentation, and charming nostalgia, while dealing with violence, sadness, and the constant human struggle between good and evil. We talk about the creative team's intentional and personal process, and why we get a good vibe from those fellas. Sources: https://www.comicsbeat.com/interview-w-maxwell-prince-
Deadwood, Season 1
This revisionist Western is a mix of fictional and historical narratives about how law, society, and America came to South Dakota in the late 1800s. We talk about how the show's creator, David Milch, got from Ancient Rome to the Dakota gold rush, and all the lines he crossed to get there. Sources Deadwood, Generic Transformation, and Televisual History by Allison Perlman THE WAY OUT WEST: DAVI
The Problem With Music
In 1993, our late, lamented hero Steve Albini wrote this gross and profane takedown of the music industry, and we've been thinking about it ever since. We try to follow the evolution of Albini's attitude about how music is distributed while also checking in on David Byrne, Marxist theory, and Tik Tok. Sources https://thebaffler.com/salvos/the-problem-with-music https://qz.com/202194/steve-alb
Addicted to Bad Ideas: Peter Lorre's Twentieth Century
This 2007 concept album by The World/Inferno Friendship Society, inspired by screen actor Peter Lorre, is just one piece of the larger performative project that was the life of Jack Terricloth. We talk about the band, the album, the lifestyle, and the limits of the World/Inferno Friendship Society's punk cabaret spectacle. Sources https://coilhouse.net/2009/12/jack-terricloth-is-alive-and-at-la
The Magic Christian
This 1969 anarchic film comedy was based on a Terry Southern novel and championed by Peter Sellers, but it seemed to mark the start of a decline for both their fortunes. We take on Chris's favorite movie, and try to get to the bottom of why he likes it, Charlie doesn't, and everybody agrees with both of us. Sources: https://www.thespinningimage.co.uk/cultfilms/displaycultfilm.asp?reviewid=145
Something Is Killing The Children
This horror comic has achieved surprising success despite its gore and all the dead kids. We talk about the comic's creation and promotion, and we ask "Is this all about trauma? Why aren't people talking about that?" Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Something is Killing the Children Sources https://youtu.be/
I Think You Should Leave With Tim Robinson
This sketch show mixes surreal humor, cringe comedy, and an everyman lead performer to craft an exploration of anxiety, status, and societal fear that still manages to make its audience laugh with joy. We talk about how and why the show was created, and whether it quiets or riles up our own anxieties. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Find it here on Netflix: I Think You Should L
The VALIS Trilogy
The novels VALIS, The Divine Invasion, and The Transmigration of Timothy Archer by legendary science-fiction author Philip K. Dick comprise the unofficial VALIS trilogy. Published between 1978 and 1982, these books use psychedelic imagery, religious history, and psychological inquiry to create a portrait of American culture in the late 70s and early 80s. We try to unpack them against the backdrop
Ambient 1: Music For Airports by Brian Eno
This 1979 instrumental record is considered the beginning of ambient music by many of its listeners. We unpack Eno's intentions behind the function of such music, while considering his goal of provoking his listeners to contemplate their own death. We also do our best to define Ambient Music for ourselves and resist the pull of academic dissection of artistic experimentation. Interested in the med
An American Werewolf in London
This 1981 horror/comedy film has achieved cult status within the film buff community, built the mold for horror comedies, and completely traumatized Charlie in his youth. Despite the controversies around its creator, it has become ripe for personal interpretations. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: An American W
Fluorescent Black
After being serialized in Heavy Metal magazine, this dystopian bio-punk comic was published as a beautiful book in 2010... and hardly anyone is talking about it now. We discuss the creators' intentions and hopes for the story, along with Heavy Metal's history, and Christian's youthful memories of Singapore. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Track it down from here: Fluorescent Bla
Another Short Message
Reservation Dogs, Season 3
This television show, created by Sterlin Harjo and Taika Waititi, ran from 2021 to 2023, taking on themes like grief and indigenous identity with humor, inventive storytelling, and touching reminders of coming of age within a compassionate community. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Track it down from here: Reservation Dogs Sources: https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/reservation-dogs
The Only Good Indians
This 2020 novel by Native American author Stephen Graham Jones mixes literary explorations of indigenous peoples' identity with slasher-film tropes, making it his first novel with mainstream success. Did Jones change something about his writing to get there, or did the literary world catch up to him? We discuss how history, symbols, and context fit into his project while asking, "Why did the liter
Repeater
Fugazi, the legendary post-punk band, released Repeater, their first full-length record in 1990, and it still feels relevant today. We talk about the DIY ethic of the band and its label, and how they recorded a thematically unified collection of songs that is still interpreted in deeply personal ways by listeners who weren't alive when it came out. Interested in the media we discussed this episode
And Now a Short Message
Christian and Charlie have a couple things to say.
Supercontext
This podcast ran independently from 2016 to 2020. We reflect on our goals in creating it and how successful those were while trying to be transparent about the ins and outs of podcast production, marketing, and monetization.
From Hell
This graphic novel by Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell came out between 1989 and 1998, 100 years after the Jack the Ripper murders it's based on. We look at the meticulous research they put into this to try to understand how this story manages to be about true crime while indulging in deep themes like English identity, psychogeography, and the nature of time. Interested in the media we discussed this
Heat
This 1995 film by Michael Mann is considered a quintessential cops-and-robbers epic. We look at Mann's attention to detail and his attempt at authenticity in light of the movie's influence on audiences, filmmakers, and real-life criminals. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Heat Additional Resources: Interview
Hounds of Love
This 1985 concept album by Kate Bush is split into pop songs and a suite of music about someone drowning. We look at Bush's career arc leading up to this record and how the support she received from those around her allowed to experiment and create this wholly unique music. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Hou
Hyperion
Dan Simmon's 1989 science-fiction novel is acclaimed for its unique structure, references, and style. We take a closer look at how it interrogates our expectations of genre to explore a complex host of themes. Thank you to Chris Marlton for coproducing this episode. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Hyperion A
Withnail & I
This 1987 film is celebrated as a cult classic for its depiction of self-destructive young Englishmen at the end of the 1960s. We discuss how creator Bruce Robinson got it made, and whether it congratulates its characters for their alcoholism or criticizes their generation and the end of that era of British culture. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purc
We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
This 1962 novel is being reappraised by critics and fans as a creeping meditation on 1950s housewives, agoraphobia, and good old-fashioned New England persecution. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: We Have Always Lived in the Castle Additional Resources: We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
The Moomins and the Great Flood
This 1945 children's book by Tove Jansson began a publishing empire in Finland that is worth millions of dollars. We look at Jansson's beloved allegory about a world where a family survives turmoil and everyone is accepted for who they are. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: The Moomins and the Great Flood Addi
Lateralus by TOOL
This 2001 record is praised as being metal for the thinking man. We peel back the lyrics and the time signatures to understand why this band inspires an almost-religious devotion in its fans. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Lateralus Additional Resources: 10 THINGS YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT TOOL'S 'LATERALUS'
Paper Girls
This comic book series by Brian K. Vaughan and artist Cliff Chiang started in 2015 as a story about four preteen girls coming of age in the 80s. We look into how the creators produced the comic while examining their skepticism of nostalgia in a post-Stranger-Things world. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Paper
I Cut The Big Five From My Life
This 2019 series of Gizmodo articles and videos by Kashmir Hill look into how difficult it actually is to stop using The Stacks: Google, Amazon, Facebook, Apple, and Microsoft. We place Hill's research within our larger understanding of Big Tech and media literacy while listening to arguments for tech regulation or simply scaling back. I Cut The Big Five Tech Giants From My Life: It Was Hell Ad
Lone Wolf and Cub
This epic 1970s manga series is celebrated for its influence on other stories. We look at the conditions that produced it and how the comic represents Japanese history, revenge, gender, and the irredeemable hero on the road to Hell. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Lone Wolf and Cub: Volume 1, The Assassin's R
Fly By Night
This 1975 rock album began to define Rush's identity after the late Neil Peart joined the band on drums and lyrics. We look at how they treated their band as a business to try to understand the particular blend of instrument solos and libertarian ideology that later defined them. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store
The Goldfinch
This 2013 novel generated a cantankerous debate in the world of literary criticism over the quality of fiction and how we define it. We look at Tartt's writing process and themes to try to understand whether this book deserved the praise and awards it received. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: The Goldfinch A
Trout Mask Replica
This 1969 double-album has been described as both "unlistenable" and "one of the greatest albums of all time." We discuss its volatile production while trying to understand its composition and how it influenced another fifty years of weird music. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Trout Mask Replica Additional
Ravenous
This 1999 cannibal-horror-comedy film went through three directors in a troubled production. We discussed how it successfully critiques American consumption and Manifest Destiny despite its financial failure. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Ravenous Additional Resources: ''Creative differences'' shake up H
Batman Odyssey
This comic book series by Neal Adams is a strange combination of talent and narcissism, along with the realization that its lead character and its creator aren't as in control as they want to be. We discuss gun violence, Expanding Earth theory, and generational conflict to try to make sense of this one-of-a-kind experience. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show
Basquiat
This 1996 film is a purported biopic about a famous painter by another famous painter, Julian Schnabel. We ask whether the narrative this movie presents is an inaccurate portrayal of its subject because it exploits him or because the director is commenting on his own place within the world of fine art. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it thro
Repost of M.R. James, Ghost Stories of an Antiquary
This is a repost of a 2016 episode. In our 2016 holiday episode, we looked at the forgotten Christmas Eve tradition of telling ghost stories. M.R. James' work from over a hundred years ago best represents this Victorian trend, so in his honor we brought horror to academia and safe spaces. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affili
Doctor Sleep by Stephen King
This 2013 novel is a sequel to The Shining. With guest Emily Lewis, we consider how King continues his own redemption arc through these stories about alcoholism and parenting. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Doctor Sleep Additional Resources: Stephen King in Person The author speaks, receives Mason Award a
Exit, Stage Left: The Snagglepuss Chronicles
This 2018 comic series by Mark Russell and Mike Feehan reimagines the cartoon character as a gay playwright at odds with 1950s American politics. We examine Russell's writing goals while considering a critical debate about the book: is it formulaic award-bait or character-driven commentary on our present circumstances? Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by p
Foolish by Superchunk
Thank you to our Co-producer patron Kevin Wetter for selecting this week's topic! This 1994 indie rock album means a lot to its fans as proof positive that you can survive a romantic breakup. We look at the small business that drove its creation and try to put ourselves in the shoes of the listeners who cherish it. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purch
Aeon Flux
This animated series was an MTV oddity, televised between 1991 and 1994 in a blur of non-linear, ambiguous chunks. We talk about how creator Peter Chung got this made while inserting symbolic references to the limits of 1990's storytelling. We also wonder why we're so nostalgic for a simpler time when our entertainment was more nebulous and weird. Interested in the media we discussed this episode?
Danny, The Champion of the World
This 1975 children's book by Roald Dahl is about class conflict and an idealized relationship between a child and their parent. We talk about Dahl's notoriously disagreeable personality while trying to reconcile it with this genuinely joyful story. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Danny, The Champion of the Wo
Spinning by Tillie Walden
This 2017 graphic novel is a memoir about growing up, figure skating, and coming out of the closet. We talk about how Walden approached the project with guidance from her editor while we look at the comics industry as a whole and the tensions between the book market and the direct market. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affili
Dirty Computer by Janelle Monáe
This 2018 concept album is about reckoning, celebrating, and reclaiming what it means to be American. We discuss how Monáe uses her platform to advocate for queer and black women while working with big record labels to also produce commercial success. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Dirty Computer Additional
Brian De Palma's Carrie
This is a special repost of the first episode of our Patreon-only series, SuperKINGcontext. Stephen King's first novel was adapted into this 1976 cautionary movie about adolescence, bullying, and female representation by a team of middle-aged men. How does the male gaze impact this story that is so often referred to as "feminist"? Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support
Chapo Trap House
This political comedy podcast makes over a million dollars a year from its Patreon subscribers alone. We try to unpack how it gets made while learning more about the personal values associated with the "dirtbag left." Chapo Trap House podcast on Soundcloud Additional Resources: Meet Chapo Trap House: The Funniest and Most F**ked Up New Podcast About Media and Politics THE RADICAL CHEEK OF 'CH
Injection by Warren Ellis, Declan Shalvey, and Jordie Bellaire
This 2015 comic mixes folklore and magic with science and technology. We discuss how each creator brings their own experimentation to the project, and how it's been received by the comic book industry and its more philosophical readers. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Injection Additional Resources: Warren
The Weird and the Eerie by Mark Fisher
This collection of non-fiction essays attempts to define two modes of storytelling by providing examples of each from popular culture. We talk about how Fisher's argument fits into our larger discussions of horror stories and how his definitions may be useful for considering the end of capitalism. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through o
Joss Whedon's Dollhouse, Season 1
Thank you to our Co-producer patron Kevin Wetter for selecting this week's topic! This 2009 TV show, helmed by Joss Whedon, was meant to be a thematic exploration of identity and sexuality but many have argued about its problematic story. Was that because of corporate interference or Whedon's own issues with feminist representation? Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support
Repost of The Dark Knight
THIS IS A REPOST OF A 2016 EPISODE. As the release of the film JOKER looms, we revisit our discussion about Batman, the Joker, and ambiguity. Looking back on the Batman film "The Dark Knight," does it stand for anything? Or does it simply soak up whatever morals we bring to it? Christopher Nolan's intentions remain mysterious, but we do our best to figure them out. Interested in the media we dis
A Zed and Two Noughts
Thank you to our Co-producer patron Miriam Meaney for selecting this week's topic! This 1985 Peter Greenaway film approaches storytelling with the perspective that there is no meaning to reality despite our organized attempts to create it. We talk about how Greenaway uses the traditions of Dutch paintings and anatomical animal studies to get this message across or frustrate us by trying. Intereste
Takeshi Kitano's Dolls
Thank you to our Co-producer patron Chris Marlton for selecting this week's topic! This 2002 Japanese art film is slow, meticulously shot, and has wonderful, ornate costumes. We discuss how it was influenced by a form of traditional puppetry but should be approached more like a meditative painting. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it throug
On Moral Fiction by John Gardner
In this 1978 non-fiction book, Gardner argues that art and writing should be moral and that his peers in the literary community are immoral for failing to uphold this tradition. We discuss Gardner's tragic life story while trying to process this debate and whether he was right, wrong or just an asshole. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it thr
Welcome to Nightvale
This podcast started in 2012 as a fictional update from a strange, supernatural town. With guest Dave Moore, we discuss how this successful production is made while unpacking the utopian ideal it creates with a kind of drab mundanity. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Find out more at their website and tell them we sent you. Welcome to Nightvale Additional Resources: Welcome T
Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth
This 2005 video game tried to capture the atmosphere and experience of H. P. Lovecraft's mythos. It is now called a commercial failure and a cult classic. We discuss its unique, immersive gameplay, and its Lovecraftian approach to knowledge as a thing to fear. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Call of Cthulhu (
Providence by Alan Moore and Jacen Burrows
This 2015 comic series is an attempt to tell "the ultimate H.P. Lovecraft" story, so we dive deep into the cold, clinical research process behind it. We also discuss this story's relationship with sexual violence, racism, American mythology, capitalism and... comic book fandom. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store:
From Beyond
This 1986 horror film adapted an H.P. Lovecraft story into a transgressive "video nasty" about repressed sexuality. We learn about the production methods that brought its "pineal glands" to life, while discussing Lovecraft's fear of sex in contrast with From Beyond's smashing of taboos. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliat
Lovecraft Country by Matt Ruff
This 2016 novel explores sci-fi and horror in the 1950s from the perspective of an African-American family already accustomed to prejudice and dread. We have an uncomfortable conversation about how it addresses H.P. Lovecraft's racism and the question of whether a white author should tell stories about the black experience. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show
Akira
This 1988 Japanese anime film broke the bank with its high production budget, but it is still remembered for its masterful artwork and deep themes about adolescence and post-war dystopia. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Akira Additional Resources: Akira: The Story Behind The Film 'Akira': Looking back at t
The Terminal Beach by J. G. Ballard
Thanks to our Co-producer Miriam Meaney for this week's topic! This 1964 collection of short science fiction stories shows a writer in conflict with his own genre in the wake of horrible family tragedy. We discuss Ballard's interest in psychological inner space and speculative fiction to better understand his role in the history of literature. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Ple
Fishbone & The Familyhood Nextperience Present: The Psychotic Friends Nuttwerx
This album from 2000 came out more than 20 years into the career of this genre fusing music group. We look at their commercial apex and their struggles with racist expectations to understand what led to this attempt at a new beginning. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Fishbone albums Additional Resources: T
GLOW, Season One
This 2017 Netflix television show is a critically acclaimed fictional depiction of the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling that were popular in the 1980s. We discuss how the show's creators handle representation of stereotypes while also criticizing the worst of America's fears. Additional resources: Get in the Ring: How 'GLOW' Recreates the Golden Age of Lady-Wrestling TV Why 'GLOW' Creators Made Wom
After the People Lights Have Gone Off by Stephen Graham Jones
This 2014 collection of short horror stories shows a prolific author experimenting with different tropes and genres to find wonder in making sense of the world. We discuss Jones's unique writing process to understand the importance he gives horror. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: After the People Lights Have
Ladyhawke
This 1985 fantasy film is remembered fondly by our generation, but may not hold up under re-examination. We look at the studio process it was made under, while thinking about how it tries to subvert our expectations of fairy tales. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Ladyhawke Additional Resources: 20 Crazy De
Uzumaki by Junji Ito
This 1998 horror manga depicts a Japanese town that plunges into chaos in the face of the symbolic spiral. We look at how Ito conceived Uzumaki, while struggling with big philosophical ideas like nihilism, rationalism and routine, meticulous dread in the face of our cosmic insignificance. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affili
Killing Eve, Season 1
This 2018 spy thriller is praised for its humor and subversion by critics and audiences alike. We discuss how it represents female and queer identities without pinning down either as templates or tropes. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Killing Eve, Season 1 Additional Resources: 'It's anarchic': the cast o
Nick Cave Double Feature
This repost of our two Nick Cave episodes is a mess of grief, awe, love, and aspiration. Part 1: Nick Cave's Lament In anticipation of the Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds album "Skeleton Tree" and its accompanying documentary "One More Time With Feeling," we discuss the tragedy of losing a child and its effect on art, performance and persona. Part 2: Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Skeleton Tree By becomin
Repost of Game of Thrones, Season 6
THIS IS A REPOST OF A 2016 EPISODE. In an unusually giddy, slaphappy episode, Charlie & Christian try to understand how Game of Thrones' sixth season was made. When does an adaptation stop being an adaptation? What happens when it passes -- and surpasses -- its source material? Additional Resources: Last Year (Winds of Winter) post by George R.R. Martin
Regurgitator, Unit
Thank you to our Co-Producer patron Chris Marlton for selecting this week's topic! This 1997 Australian alternative rock record was a massive success in its home country, but is something we (the hosts) were totally unfamiliar with. We look at how music subjectively builds identity for some "young people" to understand why Unit is so important to adults looking back on their outsider adolescence.
Supercontext: The Sheriff of Babylon
This 2015 Vertigo comic by Tom King and Mitch Gerads sets a murder mystery in the Iraq War in 2004. We discuss how the creators strived for accuracy and reverence with this complex story while struggling with our own distaste for violence, glorification, and authority. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: The Sher
HULK
Thank you to our Co-producer patron Kevin Wetter for selecting this week's topic! This 2003 superhero film adaption went through ten screenwriters during its production and suffered poor critical reception. We look back before the Marvel Cinematic Universe as we now know it and ask why the formula of Greek tragedy mixed with Cold War paranoia failed to work. Interested in the media we discussed th
Westworld, Season 1
This HBO series remake about artificial intelligence, violence and consciousness was made with expert care by everyone involved in its production. But we ask, why then wasn't its depiction of its big themes ultimately satisfying? Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Westworld Additional Resources: Abrams and No
Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace
This 1996 novel is infamous for its length and complex narrative structure, while being critically lauded for its themes and style. We discuss how Wallace approached the project, while grappling with revelations about how he treated women both on-and-off the page. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Infinite Jest
The Neon Demon
Thank you to our Co-Producer patron Miriam Meaney for selecting this week's topic! This 2016 film by Nicolas Winding Refn is about beauty, jealousy and the entertainment industry. We look at Refn's thematic intentions and the myriad of arguments about his "misogyny" or "feminism," to try to understand how the glamour industry portrays women. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Ple
Goodnight PunPun, Volume 1
This 2007 manga serial by Inio Asano seems like a simple story about a middle-school boy growing up in Japan. But we find that using symbolic simplicity together with the detailed, weird world of adults, Asano has been described as the voice of his generation. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Goodnight PunPun,
Angel Dust, by Faith No More
This 1992 album is celebrated as one of the best of the era but we look at the dysfunctional, toxic relationships between the five band members, and we find that the pressures of the music business, touring, and getting older, led to internal conflicts that made it harder for Faith No More to just be a group of goofy weirdos. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the sh
The Prisoner
This 1967 British TV show is revered as a cult classic that was radical and countercultural, while symbolizing philosophical arguments about individualism vs. collectivism. We take a deeper look at star Patrick McGoohan and the commercial interests behind the show to ask if it's ultimately more conservative than pop culture likes to remember. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Plea
The White Album, by Joan Didion
This 1979 collection of essays attempts to reveal the 1960s and California as stories without narratives. We discuss how Didion's work was branded because of her gender, class, and lack of politics, despite her insistence that writing was only an attempt to make sense out of chaos. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate sto
Tamasha
This 2015 Indian romantic comedy uses a meta-narrative to deconstruct expectations about identity and everyday life. We question the assumptions writer/director Imtiaz Ali makes about gender roles, while wondering how much the real infidelity between the lead actors complicated the film's big theme. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through
The Money Store by Death Grips
This 2012 experimental noise record was heralded as an important moment in musical evolution. We look at how the band approaches their process while unpacking their relationship with major label Epic Records. And we ask, how do noise, magick, and defecation contribute to the future of music? Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our a
The Tale of One Bad Rat, by Bryan Talbot
This collected comic is about a victim of child abuse, while also serving as an homage to the work of storyteller Beatrix Potter. We discuss Talbot's approach to representing such difficult subject matter, while also crafting a book that was more user friendly to non-comics readers. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate s
Crashing, Season One
This HBO television show about a standup comedian going through divorce attempts to tackle three big themes: sex, religion and the importance of comedy. We look into Pete Holmes and Judd Apatow's motivations behind-the-scenes, while also asking, "What is its point of view beyond self absorption?" Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through o
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