Merry-Go-Roundtable

Contributors Ian Campbell and Alec Larios set out to tackle GHOST OF TSUSHIMA, finding an odd balance of tone, some supremely satisfying gameplay, and the perimeter of a growing movement to turn games into something akin to a Netflix binge: content to be experienced rather than a singular experience worth playing.

It's been awhile since this podcast has been released, but we're proud to present this conversation dissecting the highly anticipated THE LAST OF US PART II. Arguably one of the most eagerly awaited games of all time, there's division between critics who see the game as a masterpiece and internet fanboys who have been outraged that they didn't get exactly the game they had in their heads. Contributors Kevin Cookman and Jimmy Evans try to go beyond the petty in-fighting to delve deeper into the highs and lows of the game.

Happy Memorial Day Weekend! It's been over a month since we launched Aya vs the Big Boys in our Patreon, so we thought we would release another episode for free to perk interest in the show! If you like what you hear, be sure to check out our Patreon at: patreon.com/mgrm This week's episode is a break from the traditional format and features Aya's friends who have shaped and influenced her taste over the years, and their personal favorite Big Boys.

While in many ways there are more important things to worry about right now than making art, it still feels like an especially precarious and scary time for artists. Carter got a chance to talk to a number of independent artists about how they've been adapting in the face of a global pandemic. You can check out Eric Toms here: @tomsfunny on social media, check out Night of Shorts here: https://erictoms.com/the-night-of-shorts-night-episode-21/ You can support Marty Lang’s Seed&Spark campaign here: https://www.seedandspark.com/fund/staywithme#story You can support Cathedral Bells here: https://linktr.ee/Cathedralbells You can watch Chris Bell’s movie The Winds That Scatter here: https://means.tv/catalog

In our new podcast series, resident Rom-Com queen Aya Lehman goes through the heavy-hitters of "bro cinema" with our very own Big Boy, Kevin Cookman. This week, we present the first episode, a discussion on 1999's FIGHT CLUB. All subsequent episodes will be available exclusively on the Merry-Go-Round Patreon, be sure to subscribe for more content. https://www.patreon.com/mgrm The song at the end of this episode was recorded and performed by our editor in chief, Thomas Seraydarian.

Folk punk musician Sean Bonnette joined Carter to talk about his new album GOOD LUCK EVERYBODY. They discuss staying in the music industry for the long haul, making music that explores the bad feelings of politics, and making sense of turbulent times.

On this heavy episode, Carter reflects on Harvey Weinstein's conviction and Kitty Green's excellent film The Assistant.

In a surprising and historic Oscars, Merry-Go-Round darling Bong Joon-ho swept the ceremony in ways none of us were really prepared for. Sergio Zaciu and Kevin Cookman break down how Bong managed to crush the awards this year, and highlight how strange it was to have so many exciting wins at such a lackluster awards show.

Contributor Kevin Cookman is joined by Vanyaland film critic Nick Johnston to discuss the highest highs and lowest lows of an exciting first Sundance of the new decade. You can find Nick on Twitter: @onlysaysficus Vanyaland: @Vanyaland617 Kevin, at always is: @KevinCookman

Wrapping up our podcast series, film section editor Sergio Zaciu leads a discussion on the shifting trends in film this decade. Read our full 100 film list of the best of the 2010s here: https://merrygoroundmagazine.com/merry-go-rounds-top-films-of-the-2010s/

Games editor Ed Dutcher leads this discussion of the cultural shifts in video games that defined the 2010s.

TV Editor Kate Brogden guides us on a thorough review of the past decade of television, particularly focusing on how drastically everything about our conceptions of TV have changed in the age of streaming.

Music editor CJ Simonson is joined by Nick Funess and Carter Moon to discuss the whirlwind changes in popular music over the 2010s. Be sure to read our top 100 albums of the decade list here: https://merrygoroundmagazine.com/merry-go-rounds-top-albums-of-the-2010s/

On the last episode of the year, we present this barn burner roundtable discussion of Bong Joon Ho's exceptional film, PARASITE. This biting Korean social satire has ripped through all critical corners of the film world and become a shocking success in the US, equal parts devastating and wildly entertaining, our panel deconstructs what makes this film so special, particularly for people who have been following Bong's career for years. For related research on this film check out the following: The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (Available on Vudu for free) Salt of the Earth (Available on Kanopy for free) The Pervert's Guide to Ideology (Available to rent on all the major platforms) Mark Fisher's book Capitalist Realism provides enormously useful tools for interpreting pop culture (https://bit.ly/35PdzsW)

In this special crossover episode, we invite you to check out Carter's new podcast, Vaguebooking, a podcast about social media in the age of social isolation. Carter interviews our film editor, Sergio Zaciu, and Sergio's brother Oliver. You can check out Vaguebooking wherever you get your podcasts, You can follow the show on Twitter: @vaguebookingpod

Our music editor CJ Simonson got a chance to interview Joey and Miri from the bands From Indian Lakes and Queen of Jeans, respectively. They talked longevity in a changing indie rock world and what it's been like to collaborate together. You can check out From Indian Lakes here: https://fromindianlakes.bandcamp.com/album/dimly-lit And check out Queen of Jeans here: https://queenofjeans.bandcamp.com/album/if-youre-not-afraid-im-not-afraid As always, you can support Merry-Go-Round on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mgrm

Every Thanksgiving, Carter asks a panel of Merry-Go-Round editors and contributors to share a piece of media that they're thankful for. This year brought us some lovely contributions from Kate Brogden, Ian Campbell, and CJ Simonson. You can check out Uncle Stan's Thanksgiving album here: https://unclestan.bandcamp.com/album/a-very-stanley-thanksgiving You can check out Pendent here: https://pendantusa.bandcamp.com/album/through-a-coil As always, support Merry-Go-Round on Patreon: patreon.com/mgrm

Carter is joined by the intensely powerful band Closet Witch. They discuss the grief and rage that fuels their music, how they manage to stay DIY, and using music as an outlet. You can see an example of Closet Witch's incredible live performances here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJYWRhoZ-Fs As always, you can support us on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/mgrm

As movie theaters become more and more expensive, it's difficult for the average person to even make it out more than once or twice a year. Even for devoted fans, it's becoming increasingly difficult to justify turning out to the theater as often as we like, or maybe more importantly as often as we think we should. In this winding conversation, Carter goes deep into what film culture might look like in our uncertain future with Kevin Cookman and Chris Bell. The Vulture article on Disney's practices clamping down on their newly acquired Fox properties can be found here: https://www.vulture.com/2019/10/disney-is-quietly-placing-classic-fox-movies-into-its-vault.html Check out Chris' own movie podcast: Facebook.com/indiebeatmovies Kevin can be found on Twitter @KevinCookman You can also read his excellent review of Jojo Rabbit here: https://merrygoroundmagazine.com/jojo-rabbit-sure-loves-nazis/ You can support Merry-Go-Round on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/mgrm

In our ongoing series on all things horror movies, we're re-releasing an episode of the podcast Toilet ov Hell Radio. Toilet ov Hell is a great source for all things metal, but for October they took deep-dives into specific horror movies. Carter was lucky enough to get the chance to talk about 1999's AUDITION with Joe Thrashnkill. Check out Toilet ov Hell here: https://toiletovhell.com/category/radio-free-toilet/ Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/mgrm

In our ongoing October series on horror films, Carter is joined by filmmaker Maren Moreno to discuss the incredible book MEN, WOMEN, AND CHAINSAWS: GENDER IN THE MODERN HORROR FILM. Originally published in 1992, this riveting book combines feminist theory, psychoanalysis, and cross-cultural literary analysis and applies it to slasher movies. The book made an indelible impact on horror, forever changing how the genre understood itself, pointing out tropes and commonalities in the way gender and sexuality are understood and processed in supposedly low-brow movies. Maren and Carter discuss the book and two recent horror films, DON'T BREATHE and RAW and how they seem to be subverting so many of the tropes identified nearly 30 years ago. You can follow Maren on Twitter @docuprincess. As always, you can support Merry-Go-Round at: https://www.patreon.com/mgrm

The Merry-Go-Round Podcast Network is doing a pilot run on a new podcast called It's On the List! Hosted by Noah Marger and Mason Maguire, the show is a way to uncover the type of movies on music that may have been on your radar for a long time, but which you never actually got around to looking into. Mason and Noah will be joined by a wide variety of guests to get introduced to all types of overlooked media and gain new appreciation for it. It's a show about trying new things and expanding your tastes, with two funny friends! Check out the show here: https://soundcloud.com/itsonthelist Or, find it wherever you get your podcasts. Let us know if you like the show, if you do, we can take it on as part of the Merry-Go-Round Network!

As we've officially landed in the Spooky Season, it seemed fitting to do an episode defending the often maligned and disrespected horror genre. Carter chatted with Thomas about what makes horror worthy of legitimate consideration, while also discussing the understandable reasons why so many people still seem to struggle to become fans.

Bryan Quinby is the co-host of Street Fight Radio, a political comedy podcast for everyday working people. For years, Bryan was obsessed with shock jock radio by the likes of Howard Stern, Opie & Anthony, and their lesser counterparts, but became increasingly disenchanted with those shows as time went by. Now that he has his own podcast, Bryan is getting ready to examine the weird culture and feuds that surrounded these guys on a new series called Shocktober, and he talked to Carter about what he's uncovered about their bizarre feuds and warped worldviews. This leads naturally to a discussion of the new podcasting landscape that makes Shock Jocks seem largely irrelevant, and the power of independent entertainment in general. Check out Street Fight on Patreon to start getting the Shocktober series starting in October: https://www.patreon.com/streetfightradio Support Merry-Go-Round on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mgrm

In anticipation of Merry-Go-Round's first ever live music showcase, our music editor CJ Simonson interviewed Beejay, the mind behind the Citrus City records act Shindigs. Come see Shindigs, alongside Sports Coach and Wyatt Smith this Saturday in LA: https://bit.ly/2kNI3ZR As always, consider supporting Merry-Go-Round on Patreon:

It's increasingly rare for there to be a blockbuster event in the world of rock music, but the release of FEAR INOCULUM by Tool has proven to truly be a throwback to a bygone era when rock dominated the charts. With unparalleled physical album sales, it'd be ridiculous not to talk about the unusual and challenging prog-metal band and what exactly has allowed them to have such an enduring legacy. Carter talks with Jake Mazon and Blake Michelle about their unique career, their controversies, and the high points from the new album.

Video Games editor Ed Dutcher is joined by Ian Campbell and Will Levinger to take an expansive look at one of the most exciting games of the year, Fire Emblem Three Houses. Part dating simulator, part tactical role playing game, our trio attempts to explain what makes this title such a strong candidate for game of the year.

Carter is joined by regular contributor Joseph Simpson to discuss the often maligned and unwieldy genre of true crime; its many contradictory forms, and why Americans in particular love getting our entertainment from real life violence.

Carter got the chance to talk to most of the minds behind Everything Now!, a live Twitch comedy show. They talk what it takes to work in a new medium, enjoying chaos, and finding your tribe. Check out the most recent episode of Everything, Now here: https://youtu.be/2ou82-xeUcA

Carter is joined by Alan Bradshaw and Hunter Jones to take an extremely deep-dive into apocalyptic films and what their popularity tells us about ourselves as a culture. You've got front row seats to the end of the world, enjoy it. Further Reading: Capitalism and Desire by Todd McGowan: https://cup.columbia.edu/book/capitalism-and-desire/9780231178723 Fossil Capital by Andreas Malm: https://www.versobooks.com/books/2002-fossil-capital Advertising Revolution: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/577405/advertising-revolution-by-alan-bradshaw/9781912248216/

Adam Sandler is one of the most commercially successful and critically derided actors of all time. Our editor-in-chief has a notorious soft-spot for the Sandman, and he and Carter discuss what has made him so compelling and how he's managed to maintain such a sustained career despite seeming to be a perpetual man-child. The peaks and valleys of a body of work that's both genuinely offensive at times and occasionally very touching are discussed at length.

Carter is disabused of the notion that Comic Con is no longer fun by Kate Brogden, Ed Dutcher, and Steven Porfiri. The schemes, parties, dumping of dead bodies, and celebrity encounters that make Comic Con "Mardi Gras for nerds" are all discussed.

Carter is joined by Aya Lehman, Kevin Cookman, and Joseph Simpson to dissect everyone's favorite rollicking summer romp reinterpreting Stephenie Meyer, MIDSOMMAR! They attempt to breakdown why the film has been so polarizing and what we can expect next from Aster. Read Kevin's review of MIDSOMMAR here: https://merrygoroundmagazine.com/gud-music-cruel-sommar-midsommar-rips/ Read Sergio's fun interpretation of the movie here: https://letterboxd.com/immigrantfilm/film/midsommar/ Like Aya's tweet comparing Midsommar to a Nancy Meyer story: https://twitter.com/ayalhmn/status/1147917000422723590

In this experimental solo podcast, Carter explores the idea that one of the most interesting narrative trends to emerge in response to the rise of the internet is the concept of the digital self coming into conflict with the "real" self. He goes through a list of movies and television shows that have challenged our notions of who we are online in relation to who we are in physical reality. Further reading on the movie CAM: https://merrygoroundmagazine.com/seizing-the-means-of-reproduction-cam-sex-and-netflix/ Further reading on digital identity: "All My Friends Live in My Phone and So Do I" https://proteanmag.com/2019/02/05/all-my-friends-live-in-my-phone-and-so-do-i/

Regular contributors Ian and Jimmy took Thomas on a winding journey attempting to explain what constitutes perfect summer media, and why it feels so hard to find, especially as we get older. They get deep talking about where our authentic experience with summer media ends and where the marketing of the season begins. Also, this cute picture of a monkey is Ian's visual representation of how summer should be, and I couldn't agree more!

Tracy Nicoletti is a beloved contributor here at Merry-Go-Round, but she also works in the animation industry! Carter sat down with her to get some insights into the state of animation, a medium that has seen an absolute explosion of innovation in the last 10 years. Tracy gives some perspective into just how rapidly things have changed, and will most likely continue to change going forward. The new Looney Tunes Cartoons Tracy worked on can be seen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KK541L5x_IY Tracy's E3 articles can be found here: https://merrygoroundmagazine.com/square-enix-at-e3-2019-remakes-remasters-and-rpgs/ Support us on patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mgrm

Ed, CJ, Kate, and Steven all shared their thoughts on this years E3 conference. Find out who failed and who succeeded to win over the hearts and minds of gamers for the next year! Links to all our coverage of E3: Microsoft: https://merrygoroundmagazine.com/76-stray-thoughts-from-microsoft-e3-briefing/ Bethesda: https://merrygoroundmagazine.com/e3-impressions-bethesda/ Square Enix: https://merrygoroundmagazine.com/square-enix-at-e3-2019-remakes-remasters-and-rpgs/ Ubisoft: https://merrygoroundmagazine.com/square-enix-at-e3-2019-remakes-remasters-and-rpgs/ Devolver: https://merrygoroundmagazine.com/devolver-digitals-e3-bite-is-much-better-than-its-bark/ Nintendo: https://merrygoroundmagazine.com/nintendo-at-e3-2019-shut-up-and-take-my-money/ Where was Sony This Year?: https://merrygoroundmagazine.com/lets-talk-about-sonys-absence-from-e3/?fbclid=IwAR34dQELYJjm4JEyrZNw2c2LawRIs5VLgvtPmlTxWJa5lqFIhsg1o0jtMUc

In one of our more abstract episodes, Carter sits down with music editor CJ Simonson to attempt to sort out why certain musicians get forgotten while others live on to become multi-generational icons. This leads to a much broader discussion of how the internet in some ways makes it harder for us to keep track of the origins of the art we love rather than making it easier. Further reading and listening: Roky Erikson's obituary: https://www.thefader.com/2019/06/03/roky-erickson-13th-floor-elevators-rip-essay Chief Keef is the unrecognized prophet of modern hip hop: https://theoutline.com/post/3359/chief-keef-influence-essay?zd=1&zi=mnsuypo5 I Only Listen to the Mountain Goats Podcast: http://www.nightvalepresents.com/ionlylistentothemountaingoats Cocaine and Rhinestones Podcast: https://cocaineandrhinestones.com/ Support Merry-Go-Round on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mgrm

Carter is joined by the hosts of the podcast Minion Death Cult to discuss the horrors and hilarity of trolling through right-wing social media comments. It's a critical look at how social media is seeming to spread more extreme ideologies more quickly, and what can be done to combat that. You can hear Minion Death Cult here: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mini…lt/id1314166800 You can read Carter's write-up of the podcast here: merrygoroundmagazine.com/podcast-of-t…-death-cult/ As always, consider giving to our Patreon: www.patreon.com/mgrm

It finally happened, for better or for worse, Game of Thrones has lived out its final days. With much groaning and yelling, TV editor Kate Brogden, contributors Kevin Cookman and Dan Blomquist, and Carter all attempt to answer the fundamental questions about this staggering television phenomenon: Was it all worth it? Was it good? You can read Sergio Zaciu's personal take on Game of Thrones here: https://merrygoroundmagazine.com/game-of-thrones-an-obituary/ Dan's Game of Thrones podcast can be found here: https://open.spotify.com/show/0Bm5v0gxVEj7HvSJEYpR2w?si=cvHDJXe0SaGikzGgDdpCJQ&fbclid=IwAR1wdXPsm-anr3PPnYeka_guk1erV7EyUrzV_Te6FP2VF5RLZw9JIn-w4qk Support us on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/mgrm

AI is here and it's coming for your music! Except, not really. Carter got a chance to talk to Zack Zukowski, part of the duo behind the music generating project Dadabots. Dadabots uses " a modified SampleRNN architecture to generate music in modern genres such as black metal and math rock". How this works exactly, and what applications they think it might have for human musicians are just as fascinating and strange as the actual music their AI produces. Dadabots website: http://dadabots.com/ Dadabots Bandcamp: https://dadabots.bandcamp.com/ 24/7 Tech Death Livestream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNNmBtNcccE We've launched a Patreon! Check it out here: https://www.patreon.com/mgrm

The massively popular multiplayer online battle arena game League of Legends turns 10 years old this year. Three of our contributors who love the game, Blake Michelle, Tracy Nicoletti, and Dan Blomquist sat down to discuss what makes the game so addicting and so special, along with things they hope to see improve going forward. We've launched a Patreon! Check it out and consider donating here: https://www.patreon.com/mgrm Dan's piece on PUBG and battle royales can be found here: https://bit.ly/2V6gXtn Tracy's piece on Pokemon Let's Go can be found here: https://bit.ly/2VNp3v8 Blake's Billie Ellish review can be found here: https://bit.ly/2Lqyvki

What better way to dissect the cultural juggernaut that is AVENGERS: ENDGAME than to cover an often overlooked demographic when it comes to these movies: the moms. Kevin sat down with his mom for a lovely discussion of all things ENDGAME for a delightful chat that highlights the movie's strengths, weaknesses, and overall impact. OBVIOUSLY THIS IS A SPOILER HEAVY EPISODE, PROCEED ACCORDINGLY.

Well it's finally been confirmed, Disney is coming in swinging into the streaming arena and it's most likely that our access to content will never be the same again. Carter has a wide ranging speculative conversation with his friend Mason Maguire about what the future might hold for all of us. Kate's excellent tear-down of the Disney live-action remakes can be found here: https://merrygoroundmagazine.com/you-have-forgotten-who-you-are-live-action-the-lion-king-1/ The essay breaking down how Parks and Rec divorced itself from reality can be found here: https://www.dissentmagazine.org/article/already-great?fbclid=IwAR1hlz4KK68BJJHfKXWShBnhg0QmgV3VJpBJ06mwH1dbQEKUlMYkyf6fAyE Means TV's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3VHfy8e1jbDnT5TG2pjP1w Are You For Real, the short film Carter made with Mason: https://vimeo.com/303960922?fbclid=IwAR1xCFTHc5VqCMlYHSi1KCuNH0iZAWddQAu-YcfE053KJ5rb6rAKQu6V9j8

SPOILER ALERT. Now that it's been out for a few weeks, it seemed safe to have a very spoiler-heavy discussion of US. Carter was joined by a huge host of guests to try to unravel this very messy and very interesting movie. If you want to read Kevin's review of the movie, it can be found here: https://merrygoroundmagazine.com/jordan-peele-points-fingers-us/ One of the best pieces on the internet offering an interpretation of the ending can be found here: https://bit.ly/2FZYglu

Carter interviewed a trio of border activists from Arizona who are currently on a tour screening their documentary film, UNDETERRED. UNDETERRED is a powerful film about the impact that Border Patrol has had on small border communities close to Mexico. The official website for UNDETERRED can be found here: https://undeterredfilm.org/ If you'd like to donate to a shelter for migrants who come from all over Latin America seeking refuge and asylum, you can check out this website: https://www.sheltersforhope.com/

Carter got a chance to talk to legendary independent filmmaker Joel Potrykus. They talked about Joel's methods, themes, and stink bug paranoia. Joel's new movie, RELAXER, is in theaters this Friday, you don't want to miss it.

We were lucky enough to be granted press passes to South by Southwest this year and sent our contributors Kevin Cookman and Alec Larios to provide on-the-ground coverage! They've watched a ton of movies together, turned in some great reviews, and very clearly had an excellent time. Kevin's review of US: https://merrygoroundmagazine.com/jordan-peele-points-fingers-us/ Alec's review of BEACH BUM: https://merrygoroundmagazine.com/the-beach-bum-surfs-over-viewers-heads/

Our music contributor Amanda Ball pitched this great discussion on Drake and his legacy following the 10th anniversary re-release of his mixtape SO FAR GONE. What followed was a lengthy examination of a complicated artist who's been in the spotlight for a solid decade now. Even if you're not a Drake stan, there's a lot to be gleaned about how modern artists stay relevant and the impact Drake has had on the culture. Mike's review of Scorpion can be found here: https://merrygoroundmagazine.com/scorpion-by-drake/ Amanda's writing for us can be found here: https://merrygoroundmagazine.com/author/amanda/ As always, be sure to check out CJ's other podcast on our network: Trailer Trashed: https://soundcloud.com/trailertrashed

Increasingly, more and more of our daily media consumption comes from YouTubers and podcasters; the people who fill our daily need for new content provide invaluable services. However, our TV editor, Kate Brogden, recently noticed that more and more content creators seem to be burning out and losing steam, needing to cut back or even stop releasing entirely. This lead to a discussion of why this might be happening, which caused us to come up with some interesting conclusions.

Carter was fortunate enough to get to sit down with Matt Sanicome and Bill Conway, the Editor-in-Chief and Managing Editor of the punk satire website The Hard Times. Started in 2014, the magazine has become an institution in lovingly skewering all aspects of punk culture, with a massive fanbase that's proved ravenous for "the Onion of punk rock." Their success and how they've managed to stay so consistent over the years makes for a great conversation on their part in influencing a subculture. You can check out the Hard Times here: https://thehardtimes.net/ Their new podcasts can be found here: https://thehardtimes.net/podcasts/ And be sure to check out Matt and Bill on our other podcast, TRAILER TRASHED!