Podcasts about popology

My guest Tim English (Sounds Like Teen Spirit, Popology) discuss his newest book, examining the artists that John was listening to in the last few years of his life and how certain artists and records influenced the recordings he (and Yoko) made during the summer of 1980. Some of the acts we've known about for awhile (B-52s, Lene Lovich, etc) but many others were less obvious (The Selecter, Christopher Cross, The Doobie Brothers).  John Lennon: 1980 Playlist is out now.  

My guest Tim English (Sounds Like Teen Spirit, Popology) discuss his newest book, examining the artists that John was listening to in the last few years of his life and how certain artists and records influenced the recordings he (and Yoko) made during the summer of 1980. Some of the acts we've known about for awhile (B-52s, Lene Lovich, etc) but many others were less obvious (The Selecter, Christopher Cross, The Doobie Brothers).  John Lennon: 1980 Playlist is out now.  

Class is back in session with the latest Popology 101. On this session, @chadsmart and @TheTravisYates look at the proliferation of streaming services. What was once thought to be the alternative to rising cable costs are now becoming just as expensive due to the number of options available. What affect will this have on the output of new content? Will the focus be on quality or quantity?

It's October, 2020 which means all podcasts must have a tie in to Halloween. Popology 101 takes a look at the appeal of horror films. Professor @TheTravisYates and @chadsmart are joined by horror film fan, @RobCady1 to discuss what inherent trait attracts us to what scares us.  In addition, Rob gives recommendations on some lesser known horror films and we pitch some crossover horror film mashups. If you like the show, please leave a review.  Then check out Travis and Rob's podcast, @StillUpPodcast.

Class is back in session with more distance learning. Professor @TheTravisYates and class TA @chadsmart discuss the works of author Stephen King. Conversation focuses on some of their favorite books then moving on to film adaptations that left something to be desired and those that elevated the written word to a have a lasting cinematic history.   You can check out a Stephen King inspired short film Travis directed in film school here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxRFTzmJtv8 

Taking a break from the seriousness of the world, @chadsmart and @TheTravisYates turn their attention to the small screen of entertainment.  When the Coronavirus shut down most of the world, one impact it had was prematurely ending some television seasons. Chad and Travis discuss if the importance of ending on a strong note still exists in today's digital world. They debate the pros and cons using various finales from television history to formulate their opinion.

With all the recent unrest going on in America from protests to riots to calls for defunding the police, what better time to look at biases learned from media. In this discussion @chadsmart and @TheTravisYates examine the way cops are portrayed on film and television and how that affects our viewpoint on regular cops.  In addition, we look at common stereotypes presented in media and discuss influence they have on how we see each other.

The lesson on guilty pleasures wraps up with a discussion on movies.  @chadsmart and @TheTravisYates are fans of movies that some may consider less than stellar. Travis co-hosts the podcast Still Up All Night (@StillUpPodcast) that examines the movies shown in the '80s and '90s on the weekend on the USA Network.  In this episode of  Popology 101, Chad and Travis discuss what it is about these "lesser" movies that makes them entertaining.  

Continuing the current lecture plan, @chadsmart and @TheTravisYates reveal some of their musical guilty pleasures. While most of their choices fall into similar categories, the main takeaway is there shouldn't be any guilty pleasures. If you enjoy something, enjoy it. Don't care what other people think. 

Class is back in session. @chadsmart and @TheTravisYates' latest focus is on guilty pleasures. Why do we have guilty pleasures? Why can't we just enjoy things if they give us pleasure without feeling guilty? On the first installment of this series, @My123Cents host @KevinHunsperger to discuss their fandom of professional wrestling. 

Wrapping up the series on the Academy Awards, @chadsmart and Professor @TheTravisYates tackle the subject of diversity among the nominees. After a social media backlash called #OscarsSoWhite in 2016, the Academy has tried to make changes to ensure better representation among the nominees. But should diversity matter when it comes to judging what is the best?

In this special mid-week episode of Nerds United, we bring back Travis Yates. We hear a bit more about Travis’ bona fides in the realm of media and journalism and get a brief update on what’s going on over on Popology 101 on the Positive Cynicism Podcast Network (the #PCPN, if you will). This discussion … Continue reading Nerds United Episode 164: Travis Yates and Nostalgia → The post Nerds United Episode 164: Travis Yates and Nostalgia appeared first on Jittery Monkey Podcasting Network » Nerds United.

In this special mid-week episode of Nerds United, we bring back Travis Yates. We hear a bit more about Travis’ bona fides in the realm of media and journalism and get a brief update on what’s going on over on Popology 101 on the Positive Cynicism Podcast Network (the #PCPN, if you will). This discussion … Continue reading Nerds United Episode 164: Travis Yates and Nostalgia → The post Nerds United Episode 164: Travis Yates and Nostalgia appeared first on Jittery Monkey Podcasting Network.

With Awards season upon us,  Popology 101 starts a series examining different aspects of the awards and award winning films. @chadsmart and @TheTravisYates start the session examining why critical acclaim and popular opinion of Best Pictures films has widen over the last forty years.  In the '80s, six of the Best Picture winners finished in the Top 10 box office gross for the year while the lowest finished 25th. In the 2010's, the highest a Best Picture winner finished was 18th and the lowest was 92nd. There are several tropes that a lot of Best Picture films seem to include. Travis gives us the results of a German study to help you figure out what movies this year should take home the Oscar. 

As 2019 draws to a close, so does the Popology 101 breakdown of the evolution of Mtv. On the final episode @chadsmart and @TheTravisYates pick up the discussion of the '90s with conversation about The Real World and the popularity of Jackass.  Once the '90s were over, Mtv switched to more reality based programming and less emphasis on music. It was also around this time that Chad and Travis realized they had aged out of the Mtv demographic. No longer on the cutting edge of cool, instead of tuning in to Jersey Shore and Teen Mom, Chad and Travis keep trying to relive the Glory Days. 

Continuing the discussion on the evolution of Mtv, @chadsmart and Professor @TheTravisYates look at how programming in the 90s shifted from programs focusing on different music genres to more produced and scripted shows. Mtv in the '90s included some animated shows that spoke to a generation. Series that brought Rockers and Jocks together for charity. Most influentially, Mtv played a major role in the 1992 Presidential election.  Sharpen those pencils... or fire up your note taking tablets, class is in session.

Forget Thanksgiving break. The Popology 101 classroom is open for some extra credit. @chadsmart and @TheTravisYates continue the discussion on the evolution of Mtv by looking at the main programs from 1985-89.  After establishing the channel as a pop culture phenom in the early '80s, by the mid part of the decade, programming executives decided to shift focus from randomness to specialty. At specific times during the week, shows formatted to certain styles of music aired helping fans know exactly when to watch. The metal crowd had Saturday nights. The weird, artistic crowd was watching on Sunday nights while fans of pop and club music had a daily show. In addition to music themed shows, Mtv also ventured into the world of scripted shows with a British import and revival of a 1960s hit. Rounding out the slate of programming was the first game show. Chad and Travis stroll down memory lane fully aware of the influence of nostalgia. Come along for the trip.  Don't forget to leave a review.

Class is in session. The first semester of Popology 101 kicks off with a series looking at at the evolution of Mtv. The first lesson examines how Mtv came to exist and the music channel's impact during its first five years.  Starting with a limited resource of music videos and ending with helping cement the popularity of professional wrestling, Mtv's formative years showcased how influential the channel would be in regards to pop culture. @TheTravisYates is your Professor of Pop Culture while @chadsmart is a mixture of T.A. and (in this episode) lazy student.  Enter the classroom to learn pop culture history such as, "what was the second video played on Mtv?" "What musician called Mtv out for it's lack of diversity?" Break out your Trapper Keeper it's time to take notes as this may be on the quiz.

Do the Celtics have a path to competing with the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals? Well, sure. Maybe. Ok, probably not because it involves many things going Boston’s way. We get into all that on this week’s Drive & Kick, plus some Popology and combine talk.

Timothy (Tim) English is the author of Sounds Like Teen Spirit: Stolen Melodies, Ripped-off Riffs, and the Secret History of Rock ‘n Rock, the winner of Independent Publisher’s Bronze Medal as one of the best non-fiction books of 2008. He has appeared on hundreds of radio and TV programs in the US, UK and Canada. His work has been featured on a wide range of shows including NPR’s All Things Considered, The Howard Stern Show, BBC Radio 2 (over 100 appearances), and in the Chicago Tribune. Tim talks to me about his book "Popology: The Music of the Era in the Lives of Four Icons of the 1960s." It is the first book ever to examine how the music of the 1960s impacted the lives of the decade’s most inspirational figures: John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Robert F. Kennedy, and Thomas Merton. Website: http://popologythebook.com/ Follow Timothy English on twitter @timenglishbooks