In Medias Mess

Surprise! This podcast is still alive. And we're kicking things off in 2024 with a closer look at why we aren't fans of awards in media (and how everyone—us included—really needs to Calm Down).  Thank you for your patience, we're glad you're here.

Our favorite 13-some just announced a comeback, and we're stoked for more new music ahead. But before that, our friend and fellow Carat K Domingo joins us as we slip into the diamond life and take closer a look at Seventeen's musical evolution—and maybe indulge in some parasocial gushing.  Music for In Medias Mess by Sage Ilagan. Illustration for In Medias Mess by Bea Magbanua.

The WHO has officially declared the Covid-19 pandemic over, and for better or worse, we are forever changed… including our media habits. This week, we're taking a look at how a global health crisis shaped the way we consume media. Follow us on Instagram to keep up with the new season! @inmediasmess Music for In Medias Mess by Sage Ilagan. Illustration for In Medias Mess by Bea Magbanua.

Your resident media nerds are back! Here's a quick little intro to where we're at, and what to expect in this new era of IMM. Follow us on Instagram to keep up with the new season! @inmediasmess Music for In Medias Mess by Sage Ilagan. Illustration for In Medias Mess by Bea Magbanua.

Media has the power to bring us joy, hope, and ultimately influence our lives in different ways. But what happens when creators of our beloved songs and stories turn out to be bigots, abusers, or just bad people altogether? We're taking a closer look at how we react to finding out we love media created by assholes. Join the conversation! Find us on Twitter: @InMediasMess Music for In Medias Mess by Sage Ilagan. Art for In Medias Mess by Bea Magbanua.

From romanticizing shoebox apartments and musty subway cars to being hell-bent on passing NYU, many basic bougie teenagers have had dreams of building a life in New York—us included. This week, we're tackling why, and why we're glad we grew out of it. Join the conversation! Find us on Twitter: @InMediasMess Music for In Medias Mess by Sage Ilagan. Art for In Medias Mess by Bea Magbanua.

From Calculus equations to the steps in changing a light bulb, we've all needed the internet to help us figure certain things out. This week, we're talking all about using the internet as a virtual classroom—for everything from the practical to the just plain weird. Join the conversation! Find us on Twitter: @InMediasMess Music for In Medias Mess by Sage Ilagan. Art for In Medias Mess by Bea Magbanua.

We've all had to answer the question: who are three people you'd invite to a dinner party? This week, we're breaking out the imaginary imaginary guest lists, and party planning with some cool people in mind. Join the conversation! Find us on Twitter: @InMediasMess Music for In Medias Mess by Sage Ilagan. Art for In Medias Mess by Bea Magbanua.

Korean media has taken over the world—but while music, dramas, and film are firmly in the spotlight, we figured variety deserves a little bit more love. This week, we're gushing about our favorite K-variety shows, and what we think shows like it could bring to local screens. Join the conversation! Find us on Twitter: @InMediasMess Music for In Medias Mess by Sage Ilagan. Art for In Medias Mess by Bea Magbanua.

Is there really such a thing as too much media? This week, our friend Glad joins us to talk about our personal media habits, finding diverse content, and why we like the things we like. Find our lives in playlists over on Twitter: @InMediasMess.

It turns out post-concert blues lasts longer in the middle of a pandemic. This week, we're gushing about our last live gig—Carly Rae Jepsen's Dedicated Tour—and taking a look at just what it is we love about our millennial pop fave. We made a playlist! Check out our some of our favorite CRJ tunes here.

For a society hell-bent on amassing as much wealth as possible, so many media execs and industry leaders do a bad job at keeping the cashflow going strong. This week, we're taking a look at what we would better do if we had all that money and power.

Welcome to season two of In Medias Mess! This week, we're going full nerd mode over our favorite pop music visionaries, their legacies in the music scene, and their influences extending way beyond the airwaves. Keep the conversation going! Join us on Twitter: @InMediasMess. Music for In Medias Mess by Sage Ilagan. Art for In Medias Mess by Bea Magbanua.

We can't quite believe we got here, either. On the season finale of In Medias Mess, we're taking a look at the last two years (!!!) of putting this show together, and what we've learned about keeping passion projects fun. Whether you're a regular listener or just stopping by, thank you for being part of this season! Keep the conversation going with us on Twitter: @InMediasMess. Music for In Medias Mess by Sage Ilagan. Art for In Medias Mess by Bea Magbanua.

From signature campaigns to planting literal forests, fans and fan projects have shown the world the might of the modern fandom—even beyond the ticket sales and streaming numbers. This week's episode takes a closer look at just how far fan power can reach, and where it should end. Join the conversation! Find us on Twitter: @InMediasMess Music for In Medias Mess by Sage Ilagan. Art for In Medias Mess by Bea Magbanua.

From the Billboard chart-toppers and Grammy nominations, it's safe to say that K-Pop has grown into a certified global phenomenon. But as veteran fans who've been here a while, we've literally seen it explode through the years. This week, our friend Nana Roman joins us as we throw it back to 2009, and take a closer look at the evolution, trends, and impact of the Korean media industry. We recorded this in November 2020, but we also recognize that this episode comes out at a difficult time for the Asian and Asian-American community. To learn more about what's happening and how to extend help, visit stopaapihate.org and hateisavirus.org. Join the conversation! Find us on Twitter: @InMediasMess Music for In Medias Mess by Sage Ilagan. Art for In Medias Mess by Bea Magbanua.

Whether it's Friendster or TikTok, every generation in the age of the internet has a gateway social media platform. But for us two twenty-somethings who don't quite fit the Millennial or Gen Z molds, things are a little more complicated than that. This week, we're taking some time to unpack the equal parts important and cringey experience of spending our formative years online. Join the conversation! Find us on Twitter: @InMediasMess Music for In Medias Mess by Sage Ilagan. Art for In Medias Mess by Bea Magbanua.

From "swoon-worthy" second leads to real-life romances, mainstream media is rife with ideas of love and relationships. But seriously, are we taking this whole thing too far? This week, we're diving headfirst into ever-popular romance tropes and phenomena as we try to answer one simple question: is media too obsessed with love? Join the conversation! Find us on Twitter: @InMediasMess Music for In Medias Mess by Sage Ilagan. Art for In Medias Mess by Bea Magbanua.

Lots of Kilig, a little Hugot, and a dash of Tadhana to help it along. Mix in some Love Team mileage and you have the makings of a classic Filipino romantic comedy. This week, our friend Ica de Leon joins us to discuss the evolution of romance in local media, and why it's important to end on a hopeful note. SPOILER ALERT: This episode discusses the films One More Chance and The Hows of Us. Join the conversation! Find us on Twitter: @InMediasMess Find Ica: Twitter / YouTube Music for In Medias Mess by Sage Ilagan. Art for In Medias Mess by Bea Magbanua.

From strange choices to bizarre plot twists, we've all had a character we love fall victim to bad writing. This week, we're reopening some old wounds and dissecting just what went wrong with two of our once-favorites, Daenerys Targaryen and Barney Stinson. SPOILER ALERT: This episode discusses the television shows Game of Thrones and How I Met Your Mother. Join the conversation! Find us on Twitter: @InMediasMess Music for In Medias Mess by Sage Ilagan. Art for In Medias Mess by Bea Magbanua.

It's the new year! And things haven't changed overnight, but new beginnings are always a good opportunity for growth. This week, we're taking a closer look at the media we consume, how we consume them, and what we can all do to be better about it. Join the conversation! Find us on Twitter: @InMediasMess Music for In Medias Mess by Sage Ilagan. Art for In Medias Mess by Bea Magbanua.

2020 was, to put it lightly, very bad... which means that art and media was all the more important in helping us all get through it. This week, we're taking a moment to say thank you to the mass media that's brought us joy, comfort, and knowledge through this absolute trash fire of a year. Join the conversation! Find us on Twitter: @InMediasMess Music for In Medias Mess by Sage Ilagan. Art for In Medias Mess by Bea Magbanua.

Books: our first great media love, thanks to an appreciation for English classes and access to some incredible literature. This week, we're throwing back to our high school (…and fourth grade) selves and gushing about the hidden gems of required reading that have stayed with us through the years. SPOILER ALERT: This episode discusses the novels Ella Enchanted, Without Seeing the Dawn, and Things Fall Apart. Join the conversation! Find us on Twitter: @InMediasMess Music for In Medias Mess by Sage Ilagan. Art for In Medias Mess by Bea Magbanua.

From Holly Golightly to Summer Finn, the Manic Pixie Dream Girl trope has been around for generations. Have we finally moved past the need for them, or have we misunderstood these characters all along? Our friend Shawn Lee joins us as we look at the rise, life, and decline of the MPDG. SPOILER ALERT: This episode discusses the films (500) Days of Summer, Breakfast at Tiffany's, and Scott Pilgrim vs The World; and the Netflix series Sex Education. Join the conversation! Find us on Twitter: @InMediasMess Find Shawn: Twitter / Instagram Music for In Medias Mess by Sage Ilagan. Art for In Medias Mess by Bea Magbanua.

Five years into their “hiatus” and One Direction remains one of the most recognized names in modern pop music—and with good reason. It's our first Discography Deep Dive as we take a closer look at the music gifted to us by the world's biggest boy band. P.S. Up All Night was released in 2011. Sorry about that! We've put together a 1D playlist for ya! Check it out here. Join the conversation! Find us on Twitter: @InMediasMess Music for In Medias Mess by Sage Ilagan. Art for In Medias Mess by Bea Magbanua.

From childhood Dora the Explorer comparisons to acting out the Lizzie McGuire Movie concert scene, we all have staple childhood media favorites. But do they still matter when we're all grown up? This week, we're taking a closer look at ourselves by looking at the characters that shaped us. Join the conversation! Find us on Twitter: @InMediasMess Music for In Medias Mess by Sage Ilagan. Art for In Medias Mess by Bea Magbanua.

It's only fitting that our first episode has both of us in full nerd mode over the power (and production value) of good stories. We're revisiting some old favorites in this one, so heed the spoiler warnings as we take a closer look at the ins, outs, cost, and magic of multi-platform storytelling. SPOILER ALERT: This episode discusses the YouTube web series The Lizzie Bennet Diaries and Norwegian teen drama series Skam. Join the conversation! Find us on Twitter: @InMediasMess Music for In Medias Mess by Sage Ilagan. Art for In Medias Mess by Bea Magbanua.

Welcome to In Medias Mess, a show where two pop culture nerds try to make sense of the messy world of mass media. Catch new episodes every Saturday (ish) and join the conversation over on our Twitter! Follow In Medias Mess: twitter.com/inmediasmess