Podcasts by Pretty Much Pop: A Culture Podcast

PMP#88: Indie Animation w/ Benjamin Goldman from 2021-04-06T18:35:13

Animation is so labor-intensive that it seems designed for corporate domination a la Disney. Mark, Erica, and Brian are joined by animator Listen

PMP#87: Female Buddy Comedies w/ Erica’s Female Buddy Micah Greene from 2021-04-01T14:32:55

OnBarb&Star Go to Vista Del Mar, and how inserting women into the buddy comedy format might lead to deeper exploration of friendships. Two sets of long-time friends--Erica and Micah, an...

PMP#86: What Irish Means w/ Black 47’s Larry Kirwan from 2021-03-23T21:38:52

St. Patrick's Day has passed: What sort of representation of Ireland has made it to the U.S. through such celebrations? Who gets to decide what's authentically Irish?

Mark, Erica, and Bria...

Bonus-PMP#85 Aftertalk w/ Rolando (And More TV You Are Missing) from 2021-03-16T17:08:12

More discussion yanked from behind our paywall for your amusement: Your hosts and Rolando touch on some of what his...

PMP#85: What the WandaVision!? w/ Rolando Nieves from 2021-03-09T20:51:58

The debut Disney+ Marvel series is... a tribute to classic sit-coms? Mark, Erica, Brian, and guestRolando Listen

PMP#84: Musician Memoirs w/ Laura Davis-Chanin from 2021-03-03T01:58:15

Mark, Erica, Brian, and guest memoir author Laura talk about the appeal of this type of book whose production has exploded in recent years. We each read a book, coveringListen

PMP#83: Disabled and Other-Abled Representation w/ Kayla Dryesse from 2021-02-24T00:09:32

Media representation of disability needs improvement, as does inclusion of disabled actors and writers. Playwright Kayla joins Mark, Erica, and Brian to talk about hurdles, disability culture, n...

PMP#82: Cobra Kai and the Karate Kids from 2021-02-18T02:16:02

Mark-san, Erica-san, and Brian-san survey the new Karate Kid revival show Cobra Kai and all the original films starting with the 1984 classic for nonsensical plotting, villain motivation, questi...

PMP#81: Radio vs. Podcasting w/ Jason Bentley from 2021-02-10T16:33:59

Jasonwas music director at KRCW, the LA NPR station, is also a DJ with a lot of experienced inte...

PMP#80: Reliving Groundhog Day (and Palm Springs, Russian Doll, etc.) from 2021-02-02T17:19:35

Happy Groundhog Day! The'93 film has had dozens of imitators spanning various genres in recent years, but the idea goes back more than a century. Mark, Erica, Brian, and guest Ken Gerber touch o...

PMP#79: The Fargo Formula w/ Tamler Sommers (Very Bad Wizards Crossover) from 2021-01-27T18:33:07

On the darkly comic'96 film and the 4-season crime show. Mark, Erica, Brian, andTamlerfrom Listen

PMP#78: Chess Is Having a Moment w/ J.J. Lang from 2021-01-20T21:48:49

In light ofThe Queen's Gambit, chess expert J.J. joins Mark, Erica, and Brian to look at chess media, culture, and personalities.

We consider gender, genius, and other issues in Listen

PMP#77: The Big Screen Experience from 2021-01-13T17:55:17

What's the post-COVID future of movie theaters? Mark, Erica, and Brian compare past moviegoing habits and reflect on the big-screen vs. small-screen decision. How would we optimize the theatrica...

PMP#76: Wonder Women (84 and Others) w/ Vi Burlew from 2021-01-06T20:59:48

Returning heroine Vi (now a grad student in comics history) joins Erica, Mark, and Brian to put the new film in context, bringing in the weird ideas of WW's creator as shown in the 2017 biopic Listen

PMP#75: Our Great British Baking Show w/ Stephen Carlile from 2020-12-29T19:56:06

What explains the immense quarantine-time popularity of this quaint reality cooking show? What do we get out of watching talented amateurs bake things?Listen

Mark Lint’s PEL Network Holiday Party 2020: Merry Chatting and Songs from 2020-12-24T14:39:48

Join the office party, where Mark holds mini conversations on philosophy, art, and life with all PEL and PMP co-hosts, plusListen

PMP#74: Micro Comedy w/ Tiffany Topol from 2020-12-22T16:15:50

What has the Internet done to comedy?Tiffany, purveyor of social media bits and song parodies, joins Erica, Mar...

PMP#73: Beloved Bad Films w/ Manos’Jackey Neyman Jones from 2020-12-16T16:42:19

What makes a film transcendently bad? A cult classic, as opposed to merely unwatchable? Child Jackey appeared in 1966'sManos: The Hands of Fate, and she joins Mark, Erica, and Brian to ...

PMP#72: Comic Book Supremacy w/ Fred Van Lente from 2020-12-08T20:53:59

Fred writes for Marvel and his own Evil Twin Comics, in both non-fiction (e.g. Comic Book History of Animation, Action Philosophers) and stories (e.g. Marvel Zombies, Cowboys vs. Aliens). He eve...

PMP#71: Rap Battles w/ Sacrifice (Tyler Hislop) from 2020-12-02T18:58:37

Tyler (PMP's audio editor) rejoins Mark, Erica, and Brian to explain one of his passions. How is it a battle and what are the rules? What's the appeal? How does it relate to free-stylin', rap al...

PMP#70: RISKy Confessional Comedy w/ Kevin Allison from 2020-11-24T18:49:45

Kevin (The State, RISK!) joins Mark, Erica, and Brian to talk about his telling/curation/coaching of confessional stories. Do they have to be funny? True? How does this form relate to essays a l...

PMP#69: Story Songs w/ Rod Picott from 2020-11-17T23:15:31

Plenty of songs try to tell stories, but do the pop song format and narrative really mix? Songwriter and short story author Listen

PMP#68: Raised by Wolves: Biblical Sci-Fi from 2020-11-11T00:25:03

Brian, Erica, and Mark reflect on this weird sci-fi HBO Max series by Aaron Guzikowski and Ridley Scott. How much are we supposed to understand? Can we identify with any of the android and/or wi...

PMP#67: Borat Pod Show! Very Nice! With Aaron David Gleason from 2020-11-04T20:58:13

Mark, Erica, Brian, andmusician/actor Aaronconsider the comedy of Sacha Baron Cohen, especiallyListen

PMP#66: Scary Movies w/ Nathan Shelton from 2020-10-28T20:14:14

What scares us? Why do people enjoy being scared by films? Are there good horror movies that aren't scary and scary films that are still bad?

Mark, Erica, Brian are joined by actor/special...

PMP#65: Cosmic Satire w/“Bill&Ted”Writer Chris Matheson from 2020-10-21T22:57:57

Chris Mathesonhas written many comic movies and has converted religious texts ...

PMP#64: The Last of Us: The Best Movies We Ever Played from 2020-10-13T21:11:50

Is the Last of Us franchise actually a good video gaming, or just long cinematics that are only good by comparison to past video game cut scenes? It's great, but not exactly"fun."

Mark, Er...

PMP#63: Superhero Ethics (and The Boys) w/ Travis Smith from 2020-10-06T21:54:31

Travis joins Mark, Erica, and Brian to discuss our seemingly endless appetite for super-hero stories. His new book matches up heroes like Batman vs. Spider-Man for ethical comparison: What philo...

PMP#62: Mulan Re-Disneyfield w/ Michael Tow from 2020-09-29T15:56:20

Is the newMulanthe equivalent for Asian-Americans whatBlack Pantherwas for African-Americans? Did the film work? Was it better than the 1998 animated film?

ActorListen

PMP#61: Philosophy of Photography w/ Amir Zaki from 2020-09-24T04:27:44

Amir the photographic artist and prof (seeamirzaki.net) joins Mark, Erica, and Brian to consider decision making in...

PMP#60: Manga 101 w/ Deborah Shamoon from 2020-09-16T20:04:44

Mark, Erica and Brian (all manga noobs) are joined by Japanese Studies prof.Deborah Shamoonto talk a...

PMP#59: David Lynch’s Popular Surrealism from 2020-09-08T22:49:03

Mark, Erica, Brian, and guest Mike Wilson discuss the director's films fromEraserheadtoInland EmpireplusTwin Peaksand his recent short films. We get into the appeal an...

PMP Aftertalk Clip Show 2020 from 2020-09-02T17:19:16

With no new Pretty Much Pop episode this week, we've collected some highlights from the supporter-only aftertalks that we record with every episode to reveal to the general public. Feast upon these...

PMP#58:“TAYLOR SWIFT RULES!”(Conversation with a Swiftie) from 2020-08-26T18:00:24

Prompted by the release of new albumFolkloreand the 2020 docum...

PMP#57: Back to the Damn Arena–The Hunger Games Prequel from 2020-08-18T18:05:32

Remember whenThe Hunger Gameswas everywhere? Suzanne Collins returns to Just War Theory lessons with the prequelThe Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.

...

PMP#56: Black + Nerd = BLERD w/ Anthony LeBlanc from 2020-08-11T22:42:59

TheInterim Executive Producer of The Second Cityjoins Mark, Erica, and Bri...

PMP#55: Food as Pop w/ Thi Nguyen from 2020-08-05T19:50:55

Mark, Erica, and Brian are joined by Utah philosophy prof and former food writerC. Thi Ngu...

PMP#54: The Genius(?) of Rick and Morty from 2020-07-29T21:12:13

Mark, Erica, and Brian address critically acclaimedAdult Swim show. What kind of humor is it...

PMP#53: The Hamilton Phenomenon w/ Sam Simahk from 2020-07-22T15:17:43

Erica, Mark, and Brian are joined by Broadway actorSamto discuss this unique convergence of musical theater, rap,...

PMP#52: The Twilight Zone from Serling to Peele from 2020-07-14T22:38:48

Something's strange... Is it a dream? If it's a morality tale with a twist ending, you're probably in theTwilight Zone.

Brian, Erica, Mark, and guest Ken Gerber are in it this wee...

PMP#51: Pictures Telling Stories w/ Joseph Watson from 2020-07-08T17:21:35

Is it really true that"every picture tells a story"? For Joseph,a Las Vegas artistwho illustratesListen

PMP#50: MJ’s Last Dance w/ Seth Paskin from 2020-07-01T12:38:52

Brian, Erica, Mark, and Seth fromThe Partially Examined Lifeinterrogate the 10-part ESPN documentary on M...

PMP#49: Conspiracy Theories as Pop w/ Al Baker from 2020-06-23T19:37:10

Al works forLogically, a company that fights misinformation. He joins Mark, Erica, and Brian to try to discuss ...

PMP#48: The Arts in Reality TV w/ Skin Wars’Robin Slonina from 2020-06-16T15:19:33

Fine art and reality TV are typically rated our highest and lowest forms of entertainment, yet creative competition shows combine them.Listen

PMP#47: Sitcom Premises: Genius, Bonkers and Otherwise from 2020-06-09T18:40:49

Sitcoms traditionally provide a cozy, relatable, changeless environment, but streaming and serialization have changed this. What are the limits on the format?

Mark, Erica, and Brian consid...

PMP#46:“Casual”Games with Diner Dash’s Nick Fortugno from 2020-06-02T14:14:50

The famed game designer joins Mark, Erica, and Brian to discuss fundamental questions about gaming and what makes a casual game. We touch on everything from crosswords to Super Meat Boy.

F...

PMP#45: Film Riffing with MST3K’s Mary Jo Pehl from 2020-05-27T16:22:39

Mary Jo was a writer/performer on Mystery Science Theater 3000 and has gone on to make jokes during movies for Rifftrax Presents and Cinematic Titanic. She joins Mark, Erica, and Brian to talk a...

PMP#44: Local News w/ Deion Broxton from 2020-05-19T22:39:53

The recentlymemifiedNBC Montana reporter joins Mark, Erica, and Brian to discuss n...

PMP#43: The Korean Wave w/ Suzie Oh from 2020-05-12T18:43:39

Parasite, K-Pop, and K-Dramas have reached the U.S. as part of Hallyu, an official Korean effort to expand cultural influence. Suzie Hyun-jung Oh joins Mark, Erica, and Brian to decode ...

PMP#42: Star Trek Lives Long and Prospers (Intermittently) from 2020-05-06T19:23:17

In light ofStar Trek: Picard, Brian, Erica, Mark, andDrew Jacksondiscuss our most philosophical sci...

PMP#41: Made-for-TV Musicals w/ Craig Wedren from 2020-04-29T13:48:03

Why are we now seeing a resurgence of musical TV shows? Craig has created musicals for many TV shows (likeGlow,Shrill, andWet Hot American Summer) and joins Mark, Eric...

PMP#40: #MeToo Depictions in TV and Film from 2020-04-21T21:49:49

Heavily watched media likeBombshell,The Morning Show,Unbelievable, and13 Reasons Whyattempt to cover sexual assault and harassment while still entertaining. D...

PMP#39: TV and Other Plans in Subjunctive Stasis from 2020-04-14T18:15:55

A discussion of what to watch during lockdown is what happens when you're busy making plans about what to include in a hypothetical discussion of what to watch during lockdown.

Join Mark, ...

PMP#38: Costuming w/ Whitney Anne Adams from 2020-04-08T03:47:54

How does clothing mesh with other elements to create a mood for a film? CostumerWhitney(Happy Dea...