Episode 104: Don't Forget That the Real World Exists

To close out 2025, Alex leads Kate, Matt, and Jason in some trivia about the year in pop culutre, diving into conversations about manners at the movie theater, sub-contracting in video games, the number of teeth on a Labubu, and more.

This week, Alex, Swara, and Charles discuss the Wrapped phenomenon, its intended and unintended consequences, and where they draw lines on engaging with them, personally.

This week, Alex, Adrian, and Charles talk about worldbuilding, continuity, when it's a fun expansion of our understanding of a universe, and when it becomes a source of gatekeeping or overwhelm in a story. Plus, is there a fine line to draw between scrutinizing a timeline and over-analyzing it? And at the end of the day, does any of it really matter?

This week, Alex, Kate, and Neysha talk about adaptations, why we're constantly going back to the same wells for stories, the impact of a good reinterpretation, and how they appreciate when an adaptation has a unique take or perspective on a story.

This week we're talking all about the Predator matters. From comics to films and the lore that its steeped in - yes, even AVP - we dig into why this film that began with Jean-Claude Van Damme in a read monster suit jumping over logs became one of the cornerstones of action and science fiction in the 1980s, 90s, and today. Adrian leads us through the history of the franchise, its technical effects wonders, and more. This is a rerelease of a May 2020 episode with an introduction from Jason to celebrate the release of Predator: Badlands.

This week, Alex and Kate discuss brain rot, what it is, how it's destroying literacy and culture, and ultimately how it helps the rise of fascism, even if some of it is innocuous too. Plus, they have no idea what 6-7 means.

This week, Alex, Kate, and guest Byron McKoy from Frightday.com discuss true crime and how Shelby Oaks was completely recut between its original festival release and its theatrical release before diving into a slasher killers vs survivors bracket.

This week, Alex and Kate talk about horror franchises, when they do and don't work, why they've been around since the beginning of cinema, and which ones they've enjoyed the most.

This week, Alex, Kate, and guest Paul Klein discuss The Rocky Horror Picture Show in honor of its 50th anniversary. They discuss the legacy of the movie and its countless shadow cast productions, its impact on representation for queer and non-queer viewers alike, and why we shouldn't expect "perfect" representation from our media.

100 episodes into the "new era" of But Why Tho? The Podcast, Alex, Kate, and Matt talk about why But Why Tho matters, the topics and themes we harp on most often, and what we hope people will continue getting out of the show.