On Pretty Much Pop, a philosopher, an actor, and a sci-fi writer (often with entertainment industry guests) talk about media and how we consume it: TV, film, music, novels, games, comics, comedy, theater, podcasts, and more. Most of what (other) people like is pretty weird when you think about it, so thinking about it is what we do.
Plenty of songs purport to tell stories, and the narrative ballad of course has a long enough history that the two forms certainly aren’t alien. But how do our listening practices conditioned by pop music jibe with recognizing and understanding narrative? Singer/songwriter and short story author Rod Picott joins Mark, Erica, and Brian to talk about classics by writers like Continue Reading …
Pretty Much Pop #68: Raised by Wolves: Biblical Sci-Fi
What happens when a male android loves a female android VERY much, and they nurse human embryos together on a distant planet after fleeing from war-torn Earth? Why the female android flies and makes a bunch of people explode with her eyes, that's what happens! ...In the first episode of this bonkers HBO Max series by Aaron Guzikowski (with notable assistance from Ridley Scott Continue Reading …
Pretty Much Pop #67: Borat Pod Show! Very Nice! With Aaron David Gleason
Let's stop obsessing about election matters and consider instead a clown who brings out racism in rubes. Mark, Erica, Brian, and musician/actor Aaron consider the comedy of Sacha Baron Cohen, especially the new Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, which you should definitely go watch before listening, unless it's the kind of thing that so repulses you that you'll never watch it, in Continue Reading …
Pretty Much Pop #66: Scary Movies w/ Nathan Shelton
What scares us? Why do people enjoy being scared by films? What's the deal with "horror" movies that are good but not scary or that are terrible yet still scary in some way? Mark, Erica, Brian are joined by actor/SFX makeup designer Nathan Shelton (who runs the Frightmare Theatre Podcast) for a Halloween conversation where no one gets a rock. We present our picks for Continue Reading …
Pretty Much Pop #64: The Last of Us: The Best Movies We Ever Played
Mark, Brian, and Drew/Erica (Ericrew? Drerica?) all played The Last of Us and its recent sequel, and while yes, it was great, we did not agree that it was "fun," nor how much "playing" was actually involved. How can cinematic video games balance narrative and gameplay? This franchise by Neil Druckmann under Naughty Dog is ostensibly about a zombie apocalypse and an Continue Reading …
Pretty Much Pop #63: Superhero Ethics (and The Boys) w/ Travis Smith
Is there no end to the seemingly endless fascination with superhero media? Mark, Erica, and Brian are joined by Travis, who teaches political philosophy at Concordia) to discuss. Travis sees their resonance as a matter of metaphor: How can we do more with the abilities we have? His book Superhero Ethics matches up heroes like Batman vs. Spider-Man for ethical comparison: Both Continue Reading …
Pretty Much Pop #62: Mulan Re-Disneyfield w/ Michael Tow
Is the new Mulan the equivalent for Asian-Americans what Black Panther was for African-Americans? The largest entertainment machine we have featured an all-Asian cast telling a traditional Chinese story aimed at the widest possible audience. Did it work? Actor Michael Tow joins Erica, Mark, and Brian to discuss the development, aesthetics, and political controversies Continue Reading …
Pretty Much Pop #61: Philosophy of Photography w/ Amir Zaki
Amir the photographic artist and UC-Riverside prof joins Mark, Erica, and Brian to consider this common act that can stretch from the mundane to the sublime. How have our various purposes for photography changed with the advent of digital technology, the introduction of social media, and the ready access to video? What determines what we choose to take pictures of, and how does Continue Reading …
Pretty Much Pop #60: Manga 101 w/ Deborah Shamoon
One of our goals on Pretty Much Pop has been to look into not just our favorite creators and genres but into things that get a lot of buzz but which we really don't know anything about. Manga is a great example of a "look what these crazy kids are into today" kind of area for many (older) Americans. Deborah Shamoon, an American who teaches Japanese studies at the Continue Reading …
Pretty Much Pop #59: David Lynch’s Popular Surrealism
Mark, Erica, Brian, and guest Mike Wilson discuss the director's films from Eraserhead to Inland Empire plus Twin Peaks and his recent short films. We get into the appeal and the stylistic and storytelling hallmarks of his mainstays--Blue Velvet, Wild at Heart, Lost Highway, and Mulholland Drive--and also consider outliers like Dune, The Elephant Man, and The Straight Continue Reading …
Pretty Much Pop Aftertalk Clip Show 2020
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 non-sequitur nuggets of wisdom and mirth! Here are the topics and clip sources. You want to go hear them in context: Escapism (from the aftertalk to ep. Continue Reading …
Pretty Much Pop #58: “TAYLOR SWIFT RULES!” (Conversation with a Swiftie)
Prompted by the release of new album Folklore and the 2020 documentary Miss Americana, Mark, Erica, and Brian speak with guest Amber Padgett about her love of Taylor, ranking the albums/eras, Taylor as songwriter/puppetmaster, why the hate, weird levels of fan engagement, double standards in expectations for female artists, and more. Like all of our discussions, this one is Continue Reading …
Pretty Much Pop #56: Black + Nerd = BLERD w/ Anthony LeBlanc
The Interim Executive Producer of The Second City joins Mark, Erica, and Brian to discuss the scope of black nerd-dom: what nerdy properties provide to those who feel “othered,” using sci-fi to talk about race, Black Panther and other heroes, afrofuturism, black anime fans, Star Trek, Key & Peele, Get Out vs. Us, and more. A few articles you might enjoy: “Blerd Defined” Continue Reading …
Pretty Much Pop #55: Food as Pop w/ Thi Nguyen
Mark, Erica, and Brian are joined by Utah philosophy prof and former food writer C. Thi Nguyen to talk food as art, foodies, elitism, food TV, cooking vs. eating, and how analyzing food is like analyzing games. Read Thi's work at objectionable.net, including the article on "outrage porn" we talk about that he co-wrote with Bekka Williams, and his general account of "the Continue Reading …
Pretty Much Pop #54: The Genius(?) of Rick and Morty
Mark, Erica, and Brian address the 4-season 2013 Adult Swim show (which has 94% on Rotten Tomatoes). What kind of humor is it, and how are we supposed to take its sci-fi and family drama elements? While its concepts start as parody, with an anything-goes style of animation, they're creative and grounded enough to actually contribute to multiple genres. How smart is the show, Continue Reading …
Pretty Much Pop #53: The Hamilton Phenomenon w/ Sam Simahk
Erica, Mark, and Brian are joined by Broadway actor Sam to discuss this unique convergence of musical theater, rap, and historical drama. Does Hamilton deserve its accolades? We cover the re-emergence of stage music as pop music, live vs. filmed vs. film-adapted musicals, creators starring in their shows, race-inclusive casting, and the politics surrounding the show. Some Continue Reading …
Pretty Much Pop #52: The Twilight Zone from Serling to Peele
Something’s strange… Is it a dream? If it’s a morality tale with a twist ending, you’re probably in the Twilight Zone. Brian, Erica, Mark, and guest Ken Gerber are in it this week, discussing the thrice revived TV series. Does the 1959-1963 show hold up? What makes for a good TZ episode, and does Jordan Peele’s latest iteration capture the spirit? We talk about episodes new and Continue Reading …
Pretty Much Pop #51: Pictures Telling Stories w/ Joseph Watson
Is it really true that “every picture tells a story”? Storytelling is part of Joseph’s method, whether he’s creating city scenes or public sculpture or children’s illustrations. So how does the story an author may have in mind affect the viewer, and is this different for different types of art? Joseph, who works in Las Vegas, does online streaming of drawing sessions Continue Reading …
PMP#50: MJ’s Last Dance w/ Seth Paskin
The 10-part ESPN documentary dissecting Michael Jordan and the Bulls’ six championships has provided some much needed sports during the pandemic, roping in even sports haters with a mix of game highlights and behind-the-scenes drama. Brian, Erica, and Mark are joined by Seth from The Partially Examined Life to interrogate the event: Was it actually worth 10 hours of our Continue Reading …
Pretty Much Pop #49: Conspiracy Theories as Pop w/ Al Baker
Al is a British ex-philosopher who now works for a company called Logically that fights misinformation. He joins Mark, Erica, and Brian to try to figure out such questions as: What's the appeal of conspiracy theories? How similar is being consumed them to being a die-hard fan of some pop culture property? What's the relation between pernicious conspiracy theories and fun Continue Reading …