Episode 111: The Technicality of Muppetry

This week, Alex and Kate talk about the rise of performative consumerism as a form of moralization and how it manifests from Tumblr to Bad Bunny's halftime show. Plus a reminder about some of the politics of some of the most misunderstood musicians. We aren't just the things we consume; go be a community!

This week, Alex, Jason, and Kyle discuss the Muppets, their legacy and impact, what iterations of the Muppets have worked and why, and of course, how they'd like to see the Muppets used in the future.

This week, Alex and Jason talk about the classic depiction≠endorsement argument. They talk about how a lack of media literacy leads to the misconception and when depicting unsavory things is meant to make you think versus when it's unintentionally depicting.

This week, Alex, Kate, and Jason draft their favorite things from different corners of pop culture from 2025. The categories are TV/Film, Books/Comics, Music, Video Games, and Favorite Moments. The picks range from well-known hits to a trifecta of country/folk musicians.

To close out 2025, Alex leads Kate, Matt, and Jason in some trivia about the year in pop culture, 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.