Residual Culture

Sure, we may have done an episode on card games, but we’re narrowing our focus to collectible card games in this episode. We welcome our friend Tim Lenard into the studio, and he gives us his hot take on Netrunner. We also talk about some of the different mechanics behind collectible card games and discuss some of our favorites. And, yes, we talk about Magic: The Gathering and it’s new push to become a creative universe for storytelling across different media platforms. Get into it!

This week we’re talking about the return of Good Eats. We discuss the show’s influence on the broader ecosystem of food shows, and we also talk a bit about food’s connection to culture. Get into it!

We’re back from summer vacation with another Emergent Culture episode. In this one, we’re talking about a large merger in the newspaper industry, which will combine GateHouse Media and Gannett. We talk about the implications of the merger, why it is happening, and whether this is good or bad for democracy. Our discussion is based on this article: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/08/05/gannett-merge-with-gatehouse-media/ Get into it!

Ben and Roberta are expecting a baby girl in October, which means Ben has been thinking about children’s programming again. In this episode, we talk about our early memories of watching television as kids, some of the dominant themes across the generations of children’s programming, and some of the more current trends. Get into it!

In this installment of emergent culture, we talk about the fire at the Universal Music Group studio that burned hundreds of master tapes from famous musicians. We talk about why master recordings are important, the extent of the damage, and the cover up by UMG. The fire happened nearly ten years ago, but we’re only now finding out about the true extent of the damage. Get into it!

Just a warning that this episode has some curse words in it.We’re talking comedy again! This time we welcome in our friend Rachel Katz to talk about her experience with writing and performing comedy. Rachel founded the Wolf Pack Comedy Club at the University of Nevada, which is still going strong today. We talk broadly about the craft of comedy, but we try to focus on the production side of comedy instead of simply consumption. Get into it!

On this weeks episode of Emergent Culture Ben and Joey talk about the news that Apple is doing away with their longtime software iTunes. In its place will be several services including Apple Music, Apple Podcasts and Apple TV. While it’s the end of an era Joey and Ben feel like iTunes will not be missed. Get into it.

Pretty, pretty, pretty good episode here. We’re talking about Curb Your Enthusiasm, primarily, but we also talk about Seinfeld and Larry David too. We comment on the nature of the comedy in the shows, why some people love it and others…well…don’t. We also talk about some of our favorite moments from the shows. Get into it!

For this Emergent Culture episode, we discuss recent reports that former President Bill Clinton will be starting a podcast with his daughter, Chelsea Clinton, called “Why Am I Telling You This?” The podcast is aimed at being a promotional tool for The Clinton Foundation. We discuss this story in light of the fact that each of us recently listened to Season Two of Slow Burn, a podcast from Slate, which focused on the Clinton impeachment proceedings and the scandals surrounding Bill Clinton. Get into it!

In this episode, we welcome Prince Nesta, aka The Reggae General, into the studio to talk about reggae, ska, dancehall, and other related music. Prince Nesta worked as a reggae DJ in Nairobi, Kenya, and we talk about his love for the music as well as the broader cultural significance of roots, rock, rebel music. We’re super excited about this episode. Get into it!

In this Emergent Culture episode, we discuss the proliferation of streaming platforms, especially in light of Disney’s upcoming Disney+ streaming platform. We discuss various services and also comment on the historical push to have “a la carte” choices for television. However, we’re not quite sure the emerging pattern of multiple streaming services really solves the problem. Get into it!

We’re back with another full-length episode of Residual Culture. This week, we welcome Isaac Morrison, who recently watched ALL the James Bond films. We begin with some general discussion of Bond as a cultural figure, and how he has changed over time. Isaac gives us a rundown of some of the characters, plot lines, and problematic relationships with women that we may have forgotten over time. The conversation is especially relevant because James Bond 25 is set to be released soon. Get into it!

We’re back with another Emergent Culture episode where we discuss a news story related to the media and/or cultural production. In this episode, we talk about Facebook’s recent decision to ban extreme views on its platform, including people like Alex Jones, Infowars, and Louis Farrakhan. We talk about this specific decision, but we also talk about the migration of public life onto private platforms more generally. Get into it!

This week Joey and Ben are joined by Jacob Solis, a friend of theirs who has seen a little bit more of Game of Thrones than Joey. They get into why it’s so popular, what makes it good (and bad) and how to end a show with such a huge fan base behind it. Get into it.

The Walt Disney Company has acquired most of the media properties of 21st Century Fox. We discuss the implications of this merger, as well as how this positions Disney to dominate culture. We also talk about the history of Disney a bit, including the ways it helped export American culture during the Cold War. For more on the recent acquisition, see Cynthia Littleton’s article “Disney Completes Fox Deal” in Variety: https://variety.com/2019/biz/news/disney-fox-deal-complete-1203167374/

In this episode we talk about our experiences with live music. We talk about our best and worst concert experiences, the most popular and most obscure artists we’ve seen, and other memorable concert-going experiences. Get into it!

We’re trying something new! We’ve turned our Emergent Culture segments into shorter episodes where we provide brief commentary on how emerging issues will affect some of the cultural products we consume. In this first episode, we discuss the ongoing race to dominate the podcasting market. Our discussion is based on the following article: “Podcasting’s Netflix Moment: The global Battle for Domination” by Mark Sweney, which was published in The Guardian on 30 March 2019, which can be found here https://www.theguardian.com/media/2019/mar/30/podcastings-netflix-moment-the-global-battle-for-domination

All-righty, then! In this episode, we welcome special guest Daniel Rothberg onto the podcast to discuss the career of Jim Carrey. From his early movies to his zany comedies and eventually his serious dramatic roles, we reflect on the actor’s career. We talk about some of our favorites and what they meant for us. For emergent culture, we watch a trailer for the second season of Kidding, and we also talk about Carrey’s upcoming role as Dr. Robotnik in the Sonic The Hedgehog movie. Get into it!

The Deep Cuts series continues! In this episode, we talk about some of our favorite movies, whether they are lesser-known movies from well-known directors or simply obscure films that we think you should see. Do you have a favorite? Have you seen the movies we recommend? Let us know! Get into it!

We’re starting a new mini-series on “deep cuts,” which highlights some of our favorite obscure elements of culture. In this first episode, we talk about obscure music. Deep cuts can be either relatively unknown or under-appreciated songs from famous artists or just really obscure artists. We each give approximately ten examples in this episode and talk about why each is important to us. Get into it!

Are card games “media?” We say “yes,” and discuss some of our favorites in this episode. We begin with some early memories of playing card games, then we talk about the significance of collectible card games like Magic: The Gathering and Hearthstone. We also talk about other card games, both digital and analog, and some of the innovative ways that card games are being designed. What’s your favorite card game? Let us know! Get into it!

What’s going on? Oh us? We’re just sitting down for a talk with Dr. Paul Mitchell in this episode. He recommended we listen to Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On?” so we could discuss its influence on Dr. Mitchell’s life, the ways in which it reflected some of the social, political, cultural, and racial conflicts of its time…and how it still remains relevant today. We also discuss the roots of hip-hop music, which emerged shortly after this album. It’s a great discussion, and we hope you enjoy too. Get into it!

This week Ben and Joey talk about the phenomena that has been dominating the film industry for the last several years, reboots and remakes. The guys talk about all the good and bad that comes with remaking a movie or rebooting a franchise. Joey is blown away by the number of movies being remade and the guys also are really off base with a comment made about only action movies getting remade. Enjoy this episode and we will be back to a weekly re;lease schedule next week. get into it!

Joey and Ben watched The Ballad of Buster Scruggs and talked about all 6 of its acts and what works and what didn’t. Later on they dive into the connecting theme and where it lies in the Coen brothers catalog of movies. Ben and Joey disagree on some things, but for the most part have similar feelings about the movie. Later on the look into the Coen brothers upcoming projects!

In this special episode, Ben takes the show on the road back to Wisconsin, and his son, Caden, serves as a special guest host. Ben and Caden talk about the media that is important to Caden, including some of his favorites from 2018. Caden makes some recommendations for the audience, and they also talk about what they are looking forward to in 2019. Get into it!

Joey and Ben talk about their year in review. Focusing mainly on music but they pepper in a few movie, TV show and video game recommendations too. Ben says some funny things, Joey gets a little sappy, and both want to thank you for an amazing year talking about media. We thank you very much and you’ll hear us again in the new year!

Joey and Ben get together to talk about the popularity of “chill music,” why it became so popular in recent years and what it’s doing to the music industry. Plus they give some recommendations to what to listen to while working and the impact of having things on in the background. They also look into the culture around Lo-Fi Hiphop, Vaporwave and more. Get into this relaxing episode of Residual Culture.

This week we’re taking a deep dive into the movie Annihilation. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t seen the movie, go watch it, then come back to listen to our hot takes. The movie demands to be discussed, as it is open for interpretation. Ben is pretty sure he’s got it figured out. Here’s a hint: autopoiesis. Nuff said. For emergent culture we look into what’s next for Alex Garland, the director of Annihilation. Get into it!

Forget content — this week we’re talking about hardware! We talk about how mediated content has been delivered to audiences this week, including music, television, and film formats. We discuss our early memories of media hardware, some of our favorites, and what gets lost in the transition to new formats. For emergent culture, we watch a trailer for Techmoan, a YouTuber who reviews and unpacks (literally) old technologies. Fascinating stuff! Get into it!

This week we welcome Paul Boger into the studio to talk about mockumentaries. We discuss the merits of the genre, how it differs from satire, and we discuss some memorable favorites. In short, lots of Christopher Guest. We also talk about how the genre has increasingly filtered into television. For emergent culture, we watch a trailer for AustrALIEN Skies 2. Get into it!

We were saddened to learn of Stan Lee’s passing today. We decided to dedicate this special episode to a discussion of superheroes and Stan Lee’s contributions to culture. We talk about some of our favorite (and least favorite) superheroes, especially from the Marvel Universe. We also wax philosophical about the allure of superheroes more generally. For emergent culture, we watch a trailer for Captain Marvel. Get into it!

BOO!! Hope you’re in the mood to be scared because we’re talking about horror movies this week in honor of Halloween. We talk about our preferences for horror movies, including how the genre seems to have changed over time. For emergent culture, we watch a trailer for the new Halloween movie. Get into it!

This week, we’re talking about food shows. They seem to be everywhere lately. We talk about some of the original food shows, make distinctions between types of food shows, and talk about some current favorites. For emergent culture, we take a look at the trailer for the new season of Chef’s Table. Get into it!

This week we welcome Karolina Rivas into the studio to talk about The Bachelor. We talk about the appeal of the show, the meaning of the show, and the meaning of reality television more generally. For emergent culture, we talk about the upcoming season of the Bachelor. Get into it!

This week Joey and Ben are out of the studio! They went on a field trip to see the new Predator movie and give you their immediate reactions. The first 10 or so minutes we try to go spoiler free, but after that there is no holding back and there will be spoilers. The audio is also a little funny for the first few minutes, but it does improve so stick with us. The mobile studio is a work in progress. Joey and Ben also talk about action movies as a genera at the begging of this episode. So sit back, relax, grab some popcorn and enjoy this episode of Residual Culture. Get into it!

This week we are joined by KUNR Arts & Culture reporter Holly Hutchings to talk about infomercials! We try to cover everything from the Snuggie to the Bass-o-Matic. We watch a commercial for some very patriotic sunglasses, and we talk about how many as see on TV products we all own. You can also check out Holly’s podcast, How I Broke This here https://howibrokethis.simplecast.fm/Get into it!

This week we're talking about the films of Hayao Miyazaki. Ben hates planes and Joey read a book about Shinto once. We also talk about the history of Miyazaki and look into the most heart warming emergent culture we’ve had yet. Get into it!

This week we're talking about sports.  Rather than focusing on one specific sport, we talk generally about the appeal of sports programming as well as how interest in sports differs within other national contexts.  We also talk about the declining ratings of the NFL and the reasons behind it. We touch on the intersection between sports, politics, and identity.  For emergent culture, we watch a trailer for Creed II, and Ben is hyped.  Our recommendation for next week is a familiar one: Miyazaki movies (this time we promise), but stay tuned for upcoming episodes on live music and a deep dive on one movie.  Get into it!

This week we're talking about rock docs. We begin by discussing our recommendations, including Anvil: The Story of Anvil and Mistaken for Strangers. Ben was unexpectedly surprised by the National documentary, and Joey liked Anvil too. Then we talk about other notable or memorable rock docs, including the different approaches taken to their subjects. Next week we are talkin 'bout sports!Get into it!

Today Ben and Joey talk about strategy video games. Ben realizes that he hasn't played that many strategy video games and Joey realizes he has played too many. You like Star Craft 2, Total War, Factorio, Civ and Stellaris you'll probabaly like this episode!

This week we're talking about Pixar movies. Instead of ranking each movie, we talk more generally about the appeal of Pixar and animation. We also discuss some of our favorites and least favorites. For emergent culture, we check out a trailer for Incredibles 2 (when we recorded this episode it wasn't out yet) Get into it!

This week we're talking movies with a twist. We start by talking about our recommendations: The Usual Suspects and Lucky Number Slevin. Then we talk about some different types of twists, including a bunch of movies with different types of twists. For emergent culture, we watch a trailer for Sorry to Bother You. Get into it!

In this episode of Residual Culture Joey and Ben talk about everything they watched while on break. From the new Planet of the Apes movies to some truly amazing comedy specials. There is no formal theme for this episode but we hope you enjoy listening to the classic banter and maybe find some fun new things to watch, litsten to, or read!

Back to our roots! That's right, this is the long-lost very first episode of Residual Culture. It's so early that the title of the show was Your Media Has No Heart. This is where it all began. We talk about action movies, and name some of our favorites. After releasing twenty episodes, we hope you enjoy our proto-episode. Get into it!

This week we're talking westerns with our good friend, Fil Corbitt. Instead of rank-orders or any "best of" lists, we simply talk about what makes a good western, and we share some of our favorites. Joey comes into this episode ill prepared, but he tries his best. For emergent culture, we watch a trailer for "Gone Are The Days." Next week, we're talking movies with a twist! For more from Fil Corbitt, see this: http://filcorbitt.com Get into it!

This week we're talking with our special guest, Dr. Patrick File, about The Simpsons. We begin with some general discussion of our experiences with this iconic series. We also reflect on its cultural significance and assess its current quality. For emergent culture, we watch a trailer for the new season of the show. Next week, we're talking about westerns. Get into it!

This week, we're going back to a classic format: ranking a director's movies. We talk Tarantino and give our rankings of his films (those he's directed). For emergent culture, we dive into some rumors about Tarantino's new film, "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood." Next week, we're talking about Westerns with a good friend of the podcast, Fil Corbitt. Get into it!

M-E-T-A episode! We're talking podcasts...on a podcast about podcasts. We talk about our recommendations from last week, including The Habitat and Philosophize This. Get into it!

In honor of the recently released Solo movie, we're talking STAR WARS (all caps required). We start with some general discussion about Solo. Don't worry, no spoilers! Then we talk about how each of us got into Star Wars and what it means to us. Then we rank order all ten of the Star Wars feature films, and we have some fun debates. Then we watch a trailer for a Star Wars video game...that was never made. Will it ever be emergent culture? Next week, we will be talking about podcasts (thanks to our Patrons for the suggestion!). Get into it!

This week, we welcome special guest Casey Bell into the studio to talk about short stories, literature, and creative writing. We begin by discussing our recommendations from last week, which included The Bet by Anton Chekov and The Colour Out of Space by H.P. Lovecraft. Then we talk generally about literature and creative writing before a special segment where we workshop some of Ben's creative writing. For Emergent Culture, we talk about Red Clocks by Leni Zumas. For next week, we're getting meta! Recommendations are podcasts. Get into it!

This week, we're talking COMICS (all caps required!). We start with last week's recommendations, including Dark Knight Returns and Daytripper. Then we talk generally about comics, including different forms (graphic novels, web comics, etc.), art, and subjects. The episode concludes with recommendations for short stories. Get into it!