General Snobbery | Film and Philosophy: Recent Episodes
Matt and Sean | Movie Snobs
Welcome to General Snobbery, a podcast engaged in the Art of Snobbery to deconstruct US culture and films, thereby opening hidden doorways that lead to infinite dimensions of delight.
Hey, look! It’s weird-looking de-aged Grant!
Greetings, Listener. Today on General Snobbery, we discuss the biggest hot-button issue of the current age: the Jurassic Park Super Bowl commercial. At the time of posting, the commercial is about four months old, but given the fact the commercial has crossed half a million views on YouTube, it’s become clear the impact is not receding. Well, your tireless wait for your Internet’s preeminent Jurassic Park scholars to dissect the commercial is finally over. Tune into this new episode to hear us discuss bad CGI, Coach Yoast, general hatred of Xfinity, Newman, purple Josh Brolin, who would win in a fight between Ridley Scott and James Cameron, the latest conspiracies regarding Robert Muldoon, and, of course, Samuel L. Jackson’s severed arm. Enjoy, and keep on Jurassic Parkin’.
#86: The Jurassic Park Super Bowl Commercial General Snobbery | Film and Philosophy
Hey Listener, we’re back! And we’re here to snob about a movie that nobody saw, Jurassic World: Rebirth. This is a very bad movie. There are dinosaurs, there are deaths, and there are many characters that you forget about the second you meet them. This is a movie that should not exist. And yet, it does, therefore we snobbed about it. Does it have anything to do with the previous movies? Basically not. Does it have anything to say about life in general? Nope. Is it so boring that one half of General Snobbery fell asleep shortly into the second act? You bet. So tune in for some good ole snobbery on a movie you’ve never seen and probably never will, because we can promise you this podcast is way more entertaining than this piece of crap movie.
Hey listener. We’ve come back for our yearly podcast. This time, we’re looking at another summer blockbuster: Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, also known as Indiana Jones 5, also known as Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’s Child. This movie is unique among summer blockbusters, in that it was projected to make a lot of money, and it didn’t do that. This film has been out for several weeks now, and that has been long enough for officials to declare it a box office bomb. Ouch!
Nevertheless, your hosts have taken it upon themselves to watch this two and a half hour movie to let you know what you missed by not seeing it. In this episode, we talk about Indiana Jones, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Grand Theft Auto, de-aging technology, Jaws (Quint, Hooper), The Fast and the Furious (Diesel), Antonio Banderas, Dr. Strangelove, the Coen brothers, Gimli conventions, and the art of falling asleep in a movie theater. You won’t want to miss it, because if you do, you will be less connected to the zeitgeist. We also talk about Nazis, because duh!
If you have comments on Indiana Jones and the Dial of Beyonce, please share them. We love hearing from our devoted base of one listener. Please enjoy this snob as much as we enjoyed doing it, which was a whole stinking lot. I’ll tell you one thing, you’ll enjoy this episode more than anyone enjoyed Shia LaBeouf’s role in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Aliens. Fortunately, Shia is not in this movie, which means there are no scenes of a character swinging on jungle vines alongside monkeys. You’ll have to just find a way to do that in your own spare time, which we do on a weekly basis. We highly recommend it. In fact, you should probably listen to this episode while swinging around on jungle vines, just to set the mood.
One June 10th, 2022, Jurassic World: Dominion was released. For a few days, people were talking about it, mostly regarding how bad it is. By the time this podcast episode was recorded a month later, nobody cared. It’s quite possible nobody ever cared about this movie, but the marketing was so aggressive that there was a brief moment that people believed they kind of cared. Still, lots of people saw it, for it has nearly made a billion dollars. However, just like Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, having that many people see it does not translate to having anyone remember that it even exists. In this episode, we talk about this movie that no one cares about, connecting it to previous Jurassic World movies that no one cares about as well as Jurassic Park movies that people still kind of care about. We also talk about No Country for Old Men, Jack Nicholson, and Carl Jung. Mostly, we talk about Henry Wu, the character played by B.D. Wong in four of the Jurassic films, including this one. As forgettable as this movie is, the price of the ticket was worth it to see B.D. Wong in a forlorn state after having caused the destruction of the planet with his advancements in genetic engineering. It’s very funny. We hope you enjoy this episode, listener. And if you don’t, please leave us a bad review about why you hate this podcast and unsubscribe. Thanks!
The movie is Predator. The setting is the jungle somewhere. The characters are a lot of beefy men, and one sneaky alien who starts pickin’ em off one by one. There’s some flexin. There’s some dyin. There’s even a bareknuckle brawl starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. This movie is a rompin’ stompin’ ride, and without movies of this kind, General Snobbery podcast wouldn’t exist. And we all know a lot of people would be worse off because of that.
We’re just kidding about that. We know no one listens to this podcast. But damnit! It’s fun to record. And maybe this is the episode that really takes off.
In this episode, Matt and Sean talk about a lot of things, some of which are parts of the movie Predator. Other things include the Mortal Kombat character Reptile, the Greek myth of the Labyrinth, and Danny Glover. Prepare yourself, listener. This one’s bound for explosion, macho man style.
Here’s a celebration of movie dads, and anything else we thought about in association. Enjoy, listener!
The Legend of Bagger Vance is a movie that not many people saw, and that very few people still talk about. But we’re still talking about it, damnit! Why? Well, you’ll just have to listen to find out, Listener. That’s the only way you’ll learn what this R. Redford/W. Smith film has to do with suburban dads who live lives of suppressed anger that manifests as psychotic rage. Enjoy!
Hey Listener! Remember Lake Placid? It’s a movie that has Bill Pullman, Oliver Platt, and Betty White as a foul-mouthed woman who fed her husband to a giant crocodile. It’s a hoot! No, this snob is not about the sequel, Lake Placid vs. Anaconda. It’s just about the boring ole original. But hey! We also talk about other movies like Jurassic Park, The Shining, Stand by Me, Silence of the Lambs, and Major League: Back to the Minors. You don’t want to miss this snob. If you do, an aquatic creature might bite your head off any moment.
Hey Listener. This episode is about Mel Gibson’s Mel Gibson’s Apocalypto. Did we mention Mel Gibson made this film? In case you didn’t know that, you will after this episode. Except for the parts where we don’t talk about Apocalypto at all and instead talk a lot about life coaches. But maybe those also have something to do with Mel Gibson. Who the fuck knows.
Hey Listener. Did you hear that there’s a pandemic afoot? Did you know that M. Night Shyamalan predicted it in 2008 with his prophetic film, The Happening? Don’t let Mark Wahlberg’s atrocious acting fool you — this movie has a message. And it’s a message that we can always laugh during times of strife, even when random kids that enter halfway through the movie are getting shot on a random person’s doorstep. Good luck surviving the apocalypse! Who knows what twists are coming next.
Hey Listener. In this episode, Matt and Sean snob about James Cameron’s Avatar, a movie that people cared about a lot for a while, and barely talk about anymore. Why are we talking about Avatar when a global pandemic is destroying the fabric of civilization? Well, why does James Cameron fancy himself an explorer of the sea? Some questions just don’t have answers. For those questions, we turn to the snobbing table, because sometimes that’s the only thing that makes sense. Especially when you’re talking about a movie where giant blue people fuse their braids with plants and dragons.
In the 73rd episode of the remarkably consistent podcast General Snobbery, your favorite film deconstructionists turn their Derridean eye toward the 1980 film Altered States starring William "John" Hurt. Haven't heard of it? Well you should have! And now you will!
What do two shows on the History Channel have to do with Scott Stapp? Probably not that much, but at least something, because all of them are discussed on this new episode of General Snobbery, where we examine the strange intersection between masculinity and conspiracy that seems to exist in these craaaazy times. Forged in Fire and Ancient Aliens are pretty wild shows, so this episode is a pretty wild ride! We hope you’ll join us.
Ready Player One is directed by Spielberg, Steven, who has had Asian stereotypes decorate his films all the way since IJ and the T of D (not including the vaguely Asian characteristics of the shark from Jaws). Ready Player One is about a kid named Wade Watts, whose alter ego is Parzival — regardless of which persona he inhabits, he’s a really bad actor. He has one face, and it’s a very ugly face. He earns no sympathy. Unfortunately, he survives in the end — but at least Simon Pegg does, too.
This is a movie that thinks it’s really important. It’s about Steven Spielberg celebrating Steven Spielberg. It doesn’t care about the dangers of technology and instead makes technology seem awesome. It’s about worshipping a massive dork named Mark Rylance. It’s about Easter eggs, but there’s no rabbit in sight. There is, however, an Iron Giant, and Beetlejuice, and a lot of other dumb things.
You probably shouldn’t watch this movie. If you do, we wish you luck. Also, you should definitely listen to this podcast, cause we hardly talk about the movie, since it’s not interesting. Instead, we talk about interesting things like Stranger Things, and cultural nostalgia, and mythology, and social media, and VR. Our podcast is a lot better than Ready Player One.
No dialogue, none. Just Arnold screams. Wow, this is going to be a good movie. And then, Arnold eyes bulging out of a prosthetic Arnold face. Okay, I get it. This is going to be one of the best movies ever made.
Hello listener, let's take an Interstellar trip.
Doug Quaid (not to be confused with Dennis) is just an average, blue collar Austrian-American living in the future. He has an attractive wife and while he doesn't love his job, it's stable. But there's one thing in life he really wants, like, really really wants. And that's to go to Mars.
However, since Hey Arnold can't afford a trip to Mars, he goes on a mind trip by way of a memory Inception device which spurs him to remember that he is a secret agent who had worked for Cohaagen but had switched allegiance to Kuato. Just so you're aware, Cohaagen is a man and Kuato is a speaking wart. Nonetheless, once the Memento of Quaid's old life comes back to him, he is hunted down like a beast, on earth, on mars, in the bright day, and during the Dark Knight.
As he learns more about his Prestigeious career as a Cohaagen crony, he sympathizes more and more with the Dunquirky mutants of mars, like the "three breasted prostitute", and attempts to free them from the Danish yoke of Cohaagen by starting the reactor and making oxygen.
Listener, this description is no doubt a confusing mess, But man Begins to understand the story more when one considers whether the entire story is but an illusion, an empty memory made to make old Quaid feel good about his life. Despite what the most accurate reading of the film is, two things are for certain: science fiction can really comment on the intricacies of humanity and Paul Verhoeven (not to be confused with Cohaagen) is a goddamn genius.
Thank you for joining us listener. And if you must listen to one thing today, please listen to Arnold screaming.
Also, Dean Norris is in this film and II'm pretty sure his character from Breaking Bad - Hank Schrader - suffered from Insomnia.
Those wily Coen are at it again! From the fellas who brought you The Big Lebowski, Fargo, and A Serious Man comes The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, a six-in-one special that follows wild characters through the Wild West as only the Coens can conceive it. Six short films connected thematically comprise this film, which better win some Oscars, because it’s fucking good. You might consider it the Coen brothers at their best. Because The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is about three things the Coen seems to love most: Songs, Stories, and Death. And, of course, how the three are closely related.
SONGS
Those Coens sure enjoy their songs. I mean, what soundtrack is more iconic than O Brother Where Art Thou? All right, Rocky 4, but apart from that, what else? Nothing, that’s what! The Coens are enamored with the way that songs carry on stories and traditions, the way they are passed down through time. There’s the song of the railroad workers at the beginning of Brother. There’s the song that Danny has to learn for his Bar Mitzvah in A Serious Man. There’s the songs that Oscar Isaac sings in Inside Llewyn Davis. And now, there’s numerous songs throughout Scruggs, including the titular character playing and singing “Cool Water” while riding his horse “Dan” to start off the film. After all, the word “ballad” is in the title, and ballads are among the oldest types of stories that exist — songs passed down around the fire, spread through the oral tradition for all to remember through time.
STORIES
Speaking of old stories, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is enamored with storytelling. The entire movie is framed as a storybook, and before each of the six stories, we see a hand turning the pages of a book and arriving at the new story before we fade into the Coenic rendition. With the exception of ______, which was based on a Jack London story and stars Tom Waits as a prospector, all these stories were written by the Coens.
Among the earliest stories are parables, which have deep moral lessons hidden within. This is contrasted with fables, which tell the moral outright at the end. Parables leave it up to the reader. There’s also mythology, which the Coens greatly appreciate given their Jewish, Old Testament-heavy upbringing. And finally, there’s the classic American story: the Tall Tale.
Who can forget the stories of John Henry battling the machine on the railroad, or Pecos Bill riding the tornadoes, or Paul Bunyan chopping down trees with one sweep of the axe? These are stories that arose from the American Frontier, and the Coens play with those tropes, especially with Scruggs himself, who is an over-the-top, infamous outlaw known for his pleasant demeanor and sharpshooting.
The Coens have long been fans of stories within stories. Heck, even The Big Lebowski is set up as a story being told to us, via Sam Elliot, the mustached “Stranger.” They seem fascinated with the mechanisms of storytelling and how the story itself transmutes meaning, as opposed to an explicitly-stated moral at the conclusion. (This is why many were POed at the end of No Country For Old Men — because they had to interpret it themselves, and that’s hard, man!) The stories of Scruggs suggest that the Coens are so enamored with the devices of storytelling, because storytelling is our key to immortality.
DEATH
Many have pointed out the bleakness to this film, due to the fact that all of the stories involve some contemplation of — and confrontation with — death. The Big D. That inevitable conclusion to our existences that we do our best to avoid, both in thought and action. The Coens want us to contemplate it. They want their characters to contemplate it. They find humor in it — such as when Scruggs kills Clancy Brown in the old saloon over cards — as well as tragedy — such as the brutal ending of “The Gal Who Got Rattled.”
The final short, “The Mortal Remains”, suggests that our approach to our death in large part determines the quality of our lives. Are we desperately clinging to notions of who we believe we are, and were, like the terrified woman in the center of the carriage? Or are we able to fastidiously adhere to its inevitability, like the French guy who goes through the doors at the end? When that inevitable moment comes, how prepared will we be to accept it?
Regardless, the Coens appear to believe that stories are a gateway to transcendence. Though the lives that animate the stories are impermanent, the stories themselves get passed down through time, and those impermanent characters become immortalized in memory. The Kid may have killed Buster at the end, but one day, The Kid will meet his match as well. As the last line of the titular story states, “There is another kid out there now, somewhere, just learning to sing, and sling a gun, and hoping to earn a legend of his own. Perhaps some day he will meet The Kid, and that will be another story--different, yet the same.”
We are playing out the same stories, in different forms, and these stories carry eternal lessons that recur through epochs and generations, cultures and religious traditions. In a time when virtue and morality is threatened under the postmodern veneer of relativism, the Coens turn to stories to remind us that there are values worth living for, values that transcend and philosophical interpretation, and our adherence to those values in large part determines how prepared we will be to meet our inevitable mortality.
This episode is mostly about the movie Airplane! Airplane! is a funny movie. It’s filled with silly jokes, rich parody, and Lloyd Bridges, who is addicted to sniffing glue. We revisit this classic comedy and finds points of richness. Along the way, we discuss the difference between satire and parody, our current PC culture, and Darth Maul. Maul gets the most airtime, apart from the film de jour, and we hope that we can find ways to continue talking about Maul, because he’s significant, and we’re still not sure why. So if you have any insights on Maul, please come to our website, generalsnobbery.com, and let us know your thoughts. Maybe Maul is the hope we need. If not, there’s still Airplane! for some good old-fashioned laugharoos.
What the hay is Burning Man, eh? Well, we can tell you one thing: it’s certainly not Coachella! In this snob, Matt and Sean break form, talking not about a movie but about a “festival” — that is, this thing called Burning Man. What is it? Is it legit? 2 legit? 2 legit 2 quit? No one would ever say something like that there. It’s pretty darn cool, it turns out, and this episode gets into why.
Sean recently returned from the Burn, his first experience, and Matt, ever the compassionate Buddha man, interviews him in order to get into the heart of “that thing in the desert.” We hope that you will join us on this wild ride, Listener, for we wish to give you a glimpse into this wild pagan ritual, this splendid gathering of naked people. With hope, one day, together we will comprise the General Snobbery tent, and we shall deliver laughs for all the playa to enjoy.
There's no way around it, Listener. The Goonies is all about sex. In particular, it is a coming of age story about what it means to be an American boy discovering sexuality for the first time. Can the Goonies, by traveling deep into a cave, discover the treasure they looking for? The treasure of ONE EYED WILLY? Or, will they be thwarted by those mother-loving Italians, the Fratelli Brothers?
We know how it happened. Fresh from the throes of hi new-found, burgeoning love, having arisen from the dark Temple of Doom, Steven Spielberg demanded a movie about boys learning about sex. And when the director of Jaws wants a movie about boys learning about sex, America gets a movie about boys learning about sex.
We got Astin, we got Brolin, we got Short Round, and all the rest, teaching us, the viewer, of the diverse ways American boys experience the onslaught of sexuality. Some are timid. Some are confident. Some don't quite get it. Some use gadgets.
No matter what kind of puberty you had, we can all relate with Mikey. All he wants is to find ONE EYED WILLY and save his family. Is this really so fantastical? Isn't the what every man has wanted throughout all of time? I guess you could say, we can all relate with Mikey, especially Steven Spielberg who, once again, seems to be enthralled with the sexual awakening of these young boys.
As always listener, thank you for joining us. We have no doubt that this episode will forever change the way you think about your GOONIE.
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, also known as Jurassic World 2, or Jurassic Park 5, is a new movie that has made over a billion dollars. This movie stars Chris Prat, James Cromwell, Bryce Dallas Howard, and a raptor named Blue. Pratt returns with his signature clicker to usher the way for these benevolent dinos to rule the world again. That T-Rex that was such a bad boiii in J. Park Uno is now pretty heroic, continuously saving the day alongside a new host of hilarious dinos, including one that rams things with its head.
Join us for this return to snobbing form where we entertain the thousands of questions surrounding these dino films, including, but not limited to: the ethics of human cloning, capitalism and the 1%, John Hammond, feminism, British people, and that whale dinosaur that eats everything. We are thrilled you are joining us once again at this eternal table of snobbery, and we wish you good tidings as velociraptors threaten to break into your suburban home and eat you. Praise be. Praise be.
The Prestige is a movie directed by Christopher "Chris" Nolan, co-written with his baby bro Jonathan. But as "Chris" is a master of the subliminal, it becomes quite clear that The Prestige is Nolan's revelation to the world that he and Jonathan are actually the same person -- or, as Michael Caine would say, Jonathan is his "dubbow".
This movie is confusing. In fact, at some level, we are almost certain it doesn't make any sense. But who gives a shit, cause magicians are fucking awesome! And if you don't think these magicians are super duper badass, then you'll at least be treated to some Bowie Tesla. In making this film, was "Chris" conspiring with Elon Musk to prepare the world for Tesla's return? Did that conspiring continue into Interstellar, when "Chris" prepared the world for Space X's mission to colonize other planets?
Yes. And you'll hear why when you listen to this episode, which is such an awesome episode you really don't want to miss it, because if you miss it, your life will be a little less good than it would have been if you tuned into this snob. Keep the magic alive, keep questioning, and beware of any sinister dubbows waiting around the corner to drown you.
Cube. Lopez. Wilson. That Victorian Hunter from Jumanji. These are the people you will meet in the Amazon, searching for the fabled People of the Mist. But what else will you meet on this Voightage? CGI!
Anaconda is Roger Ebert’s favorite movie, and it’s basically Jaws. People on a rickety boat attacked by a monster water creature? Yep, that’s Jaws. That is one Voightage I have no interest in taking!
Deep in the jungle, while on your Voightage, you will find more than wild creatures. You will find treachery and even fascism as one man turns this educational Voightage into a horror Voightage.
Full of amazing lives and even more amazing faces, Anaconda is about as mediocre as a thing can be and likely served no major benefit to society as a whole. Most likely Roger Evert would disagree with that, but to each his Voighn.
Blue Velvetis a disturbing movie. The main reason it is disturbing is because of a man named Hopper. Dennis Hopper to be exact. Dennis Hopper plays Frank, a crazy man who inhales nitrous oxide from a ventilator he seems to always have. In reality, Dennis Hopper is playing Dennis Hopper, because when D.H. saw the script, he told filmmaker David Lynch, "I must play Frank, because I am Frank." If that is the case, it's a good thing he's dead.
Join us for this disturbing snob that gets Freudian real fast. This one takes us out of our comfort zone. That's what David Lynch does. He seems to want to show us that we are all twisted when we dig deep enough, just like protagonist Jeffrey, played by the detective from Twin Peaks. Jeffrey likes Heineken, but Frank likes Pabst Blue Ribbon. We never learn what Ben likes, because Ben is more interested in lip synching Roy Orbison songs and punching Jeffrey in the stomach. Regardless, crack open your beer, pour yourself a coffee, and join us on this snob through the repressed sexuality of the dark unconscious.
“Something wrong with his medulla oblongata!” yells Colonel Sanders at Bobby Boucher. Rage fills the innocent Waterboy, and he crushes the fear-stricken Colonel with no restraint. After this, Colonel Sanders respects Boucher and eventually becomes one of his biggest fans. Then he is trampled by a celebrating crowd. This is one of the reasons Colonel Sanders is the best of all side characters in The Waterboy.
But there are many more! Let’s not forget Farmer Fran, who, like Mel Gibson, enjoys twisting his nipples. Then there’s Clint Howard, who is ‘not a handsome man.’ And Captain Insano (The Big Show), who shows no mercy. And of course we get Rob Schneider, who appears at random and repeatedly insists that the Waterboy ‘can do it!'
Does this film hold up, 20 years after its release? How does it stack in the canon of Adam Sandler efforts? Why would two dudes spend an hour talking about it here in 2018? All of these questions and many more are considered in this new schnob, which we know you will enjoy. Get the laugh track ready. Farmer Fran has some wisdom to share.
Good snobs! How delighted we are to bring you this new episode on the hit TV show, Rick and Morty. Specifically, we focus on Episode 204, "Total Rickall", which Matt and Sean believe is one of the greatest episodes of television of all time. The reason? Partly because of "Pencil-vester". Partly due to Mr. Beauregard ("Marmelade is seeeerved"). But credit shall be given where credit is due: this episode has come to be in thanks to our beloved Mr. Poopybutthole, one of the greatest TV characters of all time.
While on the surface "Total Rickall" appears to be about an alien parasite that creates false memories in people in order to spread and take over the planet, Matt and Sean's hermeneutic reads between these lines. What might this infectious parasite be an allegory for? Fascism, no doubt!
Join us for this rip-roaring interdimensional journey through the land of a cartoon sure to live on in infamy. And if you haven't seen this episode of Rick and Morty, please stop all you are doing and watch it right now. Praise Be, Mr. Poopybutthole.
Hello Listener! We’re so glad to have you around. Have you ever had green milk? Well Luke has. Not long after drinking green milk, Luke blew up. Please don’t blow up.
Sean and Matt kick it into hyperdrive on this extensive episode that begins in a state of mystery and ends in a state of clarity. That is the miracle that is, Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Rian Johnson throws all of Star Wars fandom and Nerdom into a loop(er) with his peculiar take on most people’s favorite myth. And the result is something that peers deep at the dark nature of humanity.
Don’t be fooled by the bizarreness of TLJ, it has stuff to say. There are touching relationships, self-knowledge, and much less Boyega. Perhaps that is the film’s strength.
Rey is learning to be a Jedi from Luke, a man who is definitely not her father. Leia flies through space. Po is a douche. Finn is pointless. Dern kicks ass. Kylo wants to wear a mask. Despite these formulaic elements, TLJ speaks broadly about the rise of fascism and charlatans in our society.
Join us on our Millenium Falcon, brush the dirt from your shoulder, and scream like Chewbacca’s stupid puffin, cuz the shit is about to get totes rizzeal.
Sean and Matt discovered something of the highest form of Snob during this one. A new mission! It is time to write Forrest Gump Fan Fiction.
Gump is a wonderful Hanks film directed by Bob, Steve’s friend. It covers thousands of years of world history, revealing that Forrest is the most important person in the world.
Sean and Matt are a bit baffled by this movie. They particularly wonder, why was it made? It is universally loved, well-made, and incredibly iconic. Yet, its purpose seems a mystery. Perhaps, it was all about Sinise.
Well listener, open up your box of chocolates, grab your paddle, and lace up those sneakers, something is about to bite you!
The General is ready to take you on a ride through history, filled with many, many Hanx yells!
Whether it's rediscovering the beauty of childish mystery or buying into the paradigm that salvation is through material possessions alone, one thing is for sure, 90s fathers really suck at Christmas!
In today's special, two-film Snob, Sean and Matt enlist the help of a third Snob, a Snob ye astute listener know! Amanda Pumpkins is back and what a treat it is for her to join us once again! With two hyperactive movies on the horizon, Amanda's grounded perspective helped keep this Snobbersation from flying higher than Old Arnold dressed as Turtle Man!
The movies of the day are Jingle All the Way - starring Arnold and Darth - and The Santa Clause - starring Timothy A, and Judge R. Both movies have kids with dreams, both movies have fathers who just can't quite get their shit together, and one movie has Phil Hartman as the neighborhood player.
Just what exactly are these two movies trying to say about fatherhood in the age of materialism? How do these near tragedies reflect the blinding optimism of the 90s? Is Tim Allen really a huge Donald Trump fan? Apparently, the answer is yes. AAAAHHHHOOOOOOO (Tim Allen sound).
These questions and more are explored and many laughs are had! What a joyous Snob this is and what a Christmas miracle to be joined by Amanda Pumpkins. We wish you, only listener, many sweet Snobs and may all your materialistic dreams come true because, according to the 90s, that's where happiness lies. Unless you're Tim Allen who is delusional not only in The Santa Clause, but in real life as well.
Merry Snobmas!
Rocky Balboa is a guy who is Sylvester Stallone. When we watch Rocky progress over the course of many movies, we watch a man undergoing the effects of increasing steroid use. That all culminates in Creed, where Balboa's head has become the shape of a square.
But let's not overlook the skull-shaping effects of fifteen rounds of Ivan Drago punches. Ivan Drago is a man who is Dolph Lundgren, a certified genius, whose first name is short for "Dolphin." Dolph can punch so hard that he is capable of impressing an entire nation of Communists. After that, he punches so hard that he is capable of murdering Carl Weathers. It is very sad when that happens. But it's also triumphant, because Rocky Balboa realizes his skull can take fifteen times as many Drago punches than the skull of Weathers. Thus, America reigns supreme!
Join us, listener, for this snob that meanders through the Siberian wilderness (which is actually just Wyoming) and pumps up through many training montages and a deep reading into Rocky IV's enduring allegorical nature. We hope you have fun. If not, well, at least you can climb a snowy mountain and scream, "DRAGO!" at the top of your lungs. This can be very helpful, even in the darkest of times.
Hello Snobs, how are you? Are you sad? Maybe not all of your dreams have come true. Don’t worry, Samwise is here.
Rudy (1993) is a heartwarming story about The University of Notre Dame, a school so holy that it’s basically God. Aside from Notre Dame, Rudy is about football, middle class America, and having a lot of heart. Rudy (Shawn Ass-Tin) has so much heart. He has all the heart in fact. #heart.
Join Rudy as he faces every adversity in life and yet never gives up on his one goal: being the biggest Notre Dame fanboy in the world.
Along the way, dear Snob, you will meet people like Fortune, a mystical groundskeeper who is wise and kind. You will also meet baby-face Favreau, a dweeb who becomes a pimp in the course of a few scenes. Finally there is Papa Ned Beatty, the famous father of fourteen children. Ned is kind of mean to his son with a lot of heart, but that’s okay, it just makes Rudy have more heart.
Accented by a soothing soundtrack, Rudy is a feel good movie and perhaps the best Notre Dame commercial ever.
Strap in Snobs, put your jersey on, and get those grades up. If you had one tenth the heart of Rudy, you’d listen to this podcast!
Have you ever felt your oats? Have you ever gotten your JUSH? Well buckle up, Mama, because this episode is about to serve you all of the above, okkkkkurrrrr? Resident Snobbers Matt and Sean welcome back Adam, guest Snob and super fan of RuPaul’s Drag Race, to laugh and kiki while we discuss the notorious 1990 documentary film Paris Is Burning alongside an episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race.
Join us, listener, as we travel outside the realm of "bro-flicks" into this place of shade-throwing and Extravaganzas. While Tim Curry and Swayze garner a mention or two, it's RuPaul, the Great Mother, who speaks to us in this snob, listening always and guiding our continual drag performances. After all, we are all born naked, and the rest is drag...
Into the Wild is an award-winning autobiography of a man named Sean Penn, who is an actor, a writer, a much-lauded grump, and a carrier of rifles through post-Katrina New Orleans. Sean Penn is also a man who really hates people who believe Americans have the right not to vote, such as General Snobbery mentors Trey Parker and Matt Stone. In fact, we have heard rumors that those who promote non-voting are quite often murdered by Sean “Sean” Penn himself. Thus, after this episode, we are both very afraid that Old “Man” Sean is going to off us with one of his many drones.
That’s not to say we think you shouldn’t vote. But you know who DOES think you shouldn’t vote? Eddie Vedder! Ha ha. Just kidding. If that was true, then Sean “Penn” wouldn’t have forced him to do the music for this film. But the person who would likely say we shouldn’t vote it the one known as Chris McCandless, the stand-in for Sean Penn, minus the non-voting initiative.
Chris “Mac Daddy” McCandless was a guy from a city who had very rich parents. One of those parents is William Hurt, who represents Sean Penn’s abusive father (explored also in Tree of Life, which Sean Penn reportedly forced Terrance Malick to make). William Hurt is a bad guy in this film. He also thinks he is God. That’s silly. As Mel Gibson said, “Only Jesus is God.”
But hey, maybe Chris “Light A Candle” McCandless had some Jesus in him. That might be why he sees a light when he dies at the end. That’s not a spoiler. Everyone knows that happened because many American teenagers are forced now to read this book. Because of that fact, most American teenagers watch this movie instead. Thus, Sean Penn has successfully brainwashed most American teenagers to think they should go to the Alaskan wilderness because it’s super cool and an Eddie Vedder soundtrack will follow you as you do it. You might even meet Vince Vaughn on the road. He’s super cool.
So it’s a polarizing film about a polarizing character. Who is the Real Sean Penn? Will he stand up? Please? And if he does, will he have the courage to sue General Snobbery, as we have challenged him to do? Tune in to this episode to find out, dear listener. And if we never return after this episode, which is highly likely, it’s because Sean Penn murdered us both.
DAAAAAAAMMMMNNN, Sean and Matt had quite the adventure with this Snob. Three Snobs, two movies, one incredible theme about the hopes, triumphs, and tragedies of the intercity. O yea, and how Ronald Reagan was a very racist person.
At the suggestion of fellow Snob and guest for the day, Greg Buckman--a man wise in the way of race relations and the untold narratives of American history--Sean and Matt devote this wonderful Snob to two films: Boyz n the Hood and Friday. One a drama, one a comedy. Both deeply human with moments of sadness and those wonderful aspects of the human spirit that we generally call hope.
These two movies are triumphs of 90s cinema that continue to carry prophetic messages about race in America. What is perhaps most amazing about these movies is how similar they are, considering one is very very sad and the other is very very funny. Like, roll on the effin' floor funny. Like, piss your effin' pants funny.
Join us listener, because great stories and splendid cultural criticism await you if you would just hit that play button. Many special thanks to Greg for making this Snob possible.
Back in the summer of 2015, as Matt and Sean traveled through Cincinnati on an unconscious vision quest, they were greeted with an image: the image of Newman, dying in Jurassic Park. As they recounted this image in detail, they found that the laughter erupting between them was as infinite as is John Hammond's inability to face reality. Next thing they knew, they poured some whiskey beneath the starry sky, and took the fateful step all podcasters must take, hitting the "Record" button on the iPhone. In that moment, General Snobbery came to be.
In today's episode, Matt and Sean come together in Chicago to reminisce about the importance of Jurassic Park to their lives. Though they are not sure why, they are certain it is the only film that could ever have brought this podcast to be, for amidst its many, many flaws, Jurassic Park is an undoubtedly perfect film. Amidst the Chicago reminiscing, you, dear listener, will hear samples from that original recording, so long ago, as the snobbery unfolded with the crickets of night and spanned through the Dasein of Dr. Grant, Laura Dern, and Mr. Arnold's Arm. Though the sound quality may be lacking, Sean and Matt hope you feel the freedom of authenticity unfolding in this preliminary moment of General Snobbery.
From the director of Interstellar, Inception, The Dark Knight Trilogy, and some other movies about time, comes a war movie with enough noises to blow your ears off. Dear listener, we hope you will see Dunkirk, and when you are done(kirk), we hope you will listen to this episode.
Dunkirk is a movie about noise, not people. Well yes, there are people, almost 400,000 in fact. But the real story of this movie is how British people are very British and how loud sounds can make healthy people have strokes and heart attacks.
Sean and Matt enter deep into the dream of Chris Nolan in this three part Snob. They beg the question, what was this movie? Please join them along with some of Chris' pals: Cillian Murphy, Tom Hardy, and new friend, Kenneth "Kenny B" Branagh. Not too much can be said about this movie, but so much can be Snobbed!
DISCLAIMER: Please consult your doctor before seeing this film. We feel we have an ethical obligation to say that as the film might make you have a noise induced heart attack.
Mortal Kombat is a film about fighters. One of these fighters is Liu Kang, a man Gene Siskel once called the "Asian good guy." Another one of these fighters is Johnny Cage. Another one is Sonya Blade (pronounced "Sonya Bleede" by Shang Tsung). These three fighters become friends, because the movie places them all together, and next thing they know, they're fighting for the fate of the world! Holy cow! Holy Scorpion!
Yes, that is a pun about Scorpion, who is another fighter and a personal favorite of these two snobs back in Mortal Kombat 2 on Sega Genesis days. Scorpion is cool because he can shoot a weird rope thingy out of his hand that snatches up his opponent as the unhuman monster yells, "Get over here!" Man. Writing about this film is baffling. How on earth does it possibly exist?
We do not know, but we are glad it does, for this episode was a joyous one indeed. If you want to relive some mid-90s magic, if you want to hear about Lord Raiden, or if you wish to hear a mashup of soundbytes in conjunction with a probably-pointless conversation, then, dear listener, this snob's for you. Let us together experience a Flawless Victory.
“People ask me if I know about Tyler Durden.” So begins the film Fight Club, a movie that is about fighting and a few other things. Those other things include masculinity, corporations, and Meat Loaf. And of course Leto. Jared Leto, that is. If you haven’t seen Fight Club, then you haven’t seen Jared Leto get his face pummeled by the fists of Ed Norton. If you really hated him as the Joker in Suicide Squad, then you might enjoy that scene. But that would also probably make you a psychopath. But as long as it does not make you a “bro”, then you’re fine in our book. Just don’t blow up any buildings.
Fight Club came out in the year 1999, the same year at The Matrix, American Beauty, and Office Space, all of which investigate the emptiness of the consumer lifestyle perpetuated by the American Dream. The Mummy also came out in 1999, which is of course referring to the B. Fraser (clap) version, and not the 2017 mistake starring Tom “Chilly T” Cruise. (#NotMyMummy). The Mummy did not investigate these themes. But it’s still great.
Anywho, Fight Club has been quite the cultural milestone, a film that ranks #10 on the great IMDb.com’s top rated movies. Wow! That’s higher than Forrest Gump, and that movie has Hanx! This is a movie about a psycho. His name is Tyler Durden. His name is not Robert Paulson. Meat Loaf’s name is Robert Paulson. Tyler Durden is a guy who thinks that society needs to be obliterated so that humanity can revert to its primal state and start anew. The problem is, lots of bros think this is a great idea, because it means they get to blow shit up and punch people in the face. These bros are called “Space Monkeys” in the film. Leto is one of them.
So this Snob travels many directions through this labyrinthine, incredible film that will be analyzed for centuries. Analyze away, fellow filmgoers, as long as you don’t think this guy is awesome and a savior of the world. Even Marla didn’t think that, and she actually cared for him. But do see this movie, and think about it. You can even talk about it. We think.
Finally, we offer thanks to our three listeners, Dave, Angela, and Josh, for offering up such great questions whose consideration started this episode with such a righteous bang. We cherish all of you! And we cherish you too, good listener, as we move into the second year of this Snobbing Journey.
Are you a virus? A disease? Then that means you're a human being, at least according to Agent (Weaving) Smith.
Today, dear Snobfriend, join us for revelry and laughs as we Snob deep into the rabbit hole that is, The Matrix. Directed by the Wachowskis, The Matrix is much better than than bad movie, Inception. Perhaps the movie referenced the most on General Snobbery, The Matrix addresses deep questions of knowledge and being, including how the hell we know who the hell we are. And, there's Kung Fu.
Sean and Matt are joined by guest and fellow Snob, Aidan, whose vast knowledge of The Matrix guides the conversation like Morpheus guiding Neo during that cool as fuck fighting sequence and that dope ass jumping test.
What can truly be said about The Matrix? What can be said about knowledge? What can be said about the world in which we live? Remarkably, less than we think. And that's a good thing. After all, Cypher thought he knew a lot and he got blown away by a ray gun. What a dick!
Please, join Sean, Matt, Aidan, Neo, Trinity, Morpheus, Tank, and most of all, Mouse as we seek to battle the Agent Smiths that exist in the world and seek to keep our minds hardwired to those things which stifle our humanity. Snob on!
"In Greek Mythology, the Titans were greater even than the gods." The same can be said about Titanic and other films. James Cameron's 1997 opus about a revolutionary road is full of, not only delight, but King Théoden as well.
Out in the North Pacific, an iceberg waits to bring down the cultural elites of the English speaking world. Wow! James Cameron understands Marxism almost as well as he understands the depths of the sea. In other words, according to himself, he's an expert, not to mention the king of the world!
Sean and Matt are toward explosion as well as iceberg but they are "Not alone" - Gandalf. They are joined this ep by longtime fan of General Snobbery, Amanda Pumpkins! Amanda has, time and again, been the only listener and has proven herself a top notch #Snob with her brilliant wit, wonderful social media references, and overall Kierkegaardianisms. What a wonderful addition Amanda is, totally the opposite of that asshole Cal (Zane).
All aboard! Grab your peasant knapsack, steal Svën's ticket, and avoid all falling smokestacks, this ship is iceberg bound.
As always, listener, we welcome you to our unique point of view and we ask you to consider, are you a #Snob as well? Amanda Pumpkin's journey to the recording studio is so similar to Jack Dawson's, of the Chippewa Falls Dawsons. So full of adventure and art. And if we are lucky, may we too borrow clothing from Molly (Bates) Brown.
Last call! The horn's a-honking. Press play Picasso, Cameron's got the wheel!
Episode Rundown: 1:30: Getting to know each other, getting Zane on the Brain 12:40: Official Introduction of Amanda Pumpkins 15:40: How Amanda discovered General Snobbery 28:30: Dive into Titanic 48: Barenaked Ladies and Titanic 51:30: What makes someone a "Living Meme"? 1:08: Why is Leo the “King of the World”? 1:11: Tangent about Batman Forever and Batman and Robin 1:13: Sudden Entry into Tommy Wiseau and The Room 1:20: Titanic, the End of Modernism, Postmodernism, and Metamodernism 1:28: Beyond the Titanic: Into the Realm of Philosophy (Kierkegaard, Heidegger, Wittgenstein, Thoreau, Emerson, and Nietzsche) and beyond! (Even Alex Jones) 1:44: The Evil Iceberg
In the image you see, John Boyega (Star Wars: The Force Awakens) has seven faces. Each one is smaller than the one before. This is an image that Matt made, and ever since that moment, it has baffled both of us. It appears boundlessly significant, and yet, time and time again, we are left with the question: what does it mean?
In today's snob, we delve deeply into these many Boyega faces, contemplating possible meanings ranging a diverse spectrum. We consider the suggestions provided by some of our beloved listeners, such as Amanda Pumpkins' connection to René Magritte's classic painting The Son of Man. What does it mean when the apple becomes a tiny Boyega face?
In a shocking turn of events, Boyega's many faces ultimately leads us to a new chapter of this snobbing endeavor: the felt responsibility to watch every single film of the Marvel Universe, from beginning to end, and snob about them as we go. For we have grown suspicious of Empire Disney and Darth Marvel, and we must learn more of what mysterious signs they are providing. For perhaps only in so doing may we discover the truth behind the layers of Boyega and glimpse the appearance behind the apple.
We intend to approach this mission with the concentration and patience of Tibetan monks creating sand mandalas, like those in the video below. We know that this endeavor will challenge us, and perhaps it will damage our psyches to an irreparable degree. But we must continue the search, and we must discover the truth of Boyega. He may be mankind's last hope.
Your daily life is simple. It is idealistic. Your values are strong and your morals are sound. There is no reason, you think, that you and everything you know should be wiped out in a matter of seconds. Too fucking bad asshole. You're going to die!
UNLESS!
Harry Stamper was just a blue-collar oil driller. He was smart, damn good at his job, and absolutely hated liberals of every kind. He had a rag-tag team of strong Duncans and smart Wilsons. All he wanted in his life was to run his rig, care for his daughter, and push his conservative agenda. Too fucking bad asshole. You're going to save the world!
Armageddon is a baffling film. It is horribly written, way to long, and espouses a stringent form of conservative ideology that exists in the realm of nostalgia-worship. When an asteroid the "size of Texas" is headed toward your home, you suddenly realize that the ways things used to be seem a lot more appealing than the ways they are going to be. Catch our drift? Michael Bay basically said earth represents conservative values and the asteroid represents liberal values.
Sean and Matt attempt to drill to the core of this movie, a movie that has so much that can be said about it that it is almost impossible to say anything at all about it. A true anomaly of a film.
At the core of this film is not a nuclear bomb, it is Michael Bay. Actually, Michael Bay basically is a nuclear bomb in that both cause destruction and their proliferations are a question of morality. The Man-child, Michael Bay, becomes a strong point of discussion in this Snob. As always, Sean and Matt consider his intention, maturity, and whether he has absorbed the person of Jerry Bruckheimer. (It is quite possible Michael Bay keeps Jerry Bruckheimer in a cage in his Ford Mustang garage, only letting Jerry out occasionally to do movie promotions. To reference a film with much deeper themes, Jerry Bruckheimer is basically Michael Baby's Manchurian Candidate).
If there is a redeeming light in this particular Snob, it is the brief reference to our personal friend, Jake Busey. Aside from that, another triumph is when Sean and Matt realize they never have to watch this shit-film (probably scheizefilmische) ever again. The truth of Being Toward Explosion (Sein Zum Explosion (yes, the English and German are the same)), remains O so real! Non-American directors seek to highlight profound questions in their action movies whereas American directors seek to highlight their sweet space suits.
Strap in, fight your space dimentia, and load your mini gun. We got somethin' big coming up. Zero Barrier!
Fuck you!
Welcome Snobs! Are you one with the Force? Is the Force with you? Speaking of the Force, are your midichlorians high? Are they through the roof? Are you a potential Darth? If you answered Yes to any of these questions, you MUST listen to this Snob.
Rogue One is a movie about a space ship. But that's not all! It's also about an orphan girl who dies, her friend (with whom you think she might have a romantic connection) who dies, a guy named Saw, and a blind man who dies. Sorry Listener, we have spoiled the film! But alas, if you listen to this episode, you shall discover more than you ever could!
Sean and Matt are joined by friend and fellow Snob, Adam. Adam is a librarian and brings to the Snobbing table a sense of the value of information and textual interpretation. He also brings his knowledge about Queer interpretation of characters in Star Wars, which takes our Snobs on an intellectual endeavor stronger than the Force. Finally, Adam brings a general dislike of John Boyega.
Taking place just before Episode 4, Rogue One is a movie about Saw. Just kidding, it's about the Death Star, a really big ball that can blow up cities, even planests, even robot men named Saw.
Jyn (Martini) Erso and her band of misfits and Force Fanboys must discover and transmit secret plans about the Death Ball to the Rebel Alliance so that the evil Darth Jake Lloyd can later be defeated.
Join these three Snobs as they appreciate aspects of Rogue One, including that the main characters died, that Forrest Whittaker's name is Saw, and that the blind Force Fanboy is likely gay.
From the looks of it, there can never be a Rogue Two. It is a plot impossibility. But as we have learned, nothing is impossible with Disney, especially when hundreds of millions of dollars serve as motivation.
1: intro of our guest
3:30: Rogue One
45: Gay Chirrut
49:30 : John Boyega/Finn/Poe
1:05: CGI Tarkin
1:23: Darth Plageius , and Reddit “Place”
1:30: The elaborate hoax of Boyega and the unspoken truth of Darth Maul
1:32: Star Wars as a Christian allegory
1:45: Final thoughts on Boyega and his potential gayness
1:48: Darth Vader’s BDSM
1:53: Is Disney the evil Empire?
“Dude, did you see the new Fast and Furious movie?” “Yeah dude. It was so dope.” “So dope man. Remember when that car blew up?” “Oh yeah. I remember that. Remember when the Rock kicked those guys’ asses?” “Yeah dude. Or how about when Vin Diesel growled at that woman?” “Yeah. And those Russian nukes? And that seemingly unconnected submarine?” “That was my favorite part!” “Man. I hope they make these movies forever.” And chances are, listener, they will. For if the eighth installment of this most unlikely of franchises, entitled The Fate of the Furious, has set a record for biggest international opening weekend. Wow! It even beat The Force Awakens, and that had Boyega in it! There is no Boyega in sight here, but there is Ludacris, and Tyrese, and Kurt Russell, and Michelle Rodriguez, and even Mark Sinclair. On today’s Fate of the Furious episode, we are joined by four special guests, four young men who have been taught by the snob known in this episode as “Mr. Sean”. These four gentlemen—Connor Aguilar, Philip Brain, Ethan Fetters, and Sean Wolahan—endeavor nobly down the path of snobbery, inciting great linguistic potentiality in order to properly deconstruct and digest this massacre of a film. Is it worth seeing? Well, that depends on who you are asking. But apparently most people would say yes, cause it has made over a billion dollars. In an era of film franchises, when the Marvel Universe threatens to take over the actual universe, let us be filled with joy that a franchise about cars and explosions has somehow risen to the top. Actually, that’s probably not a reasonable source of joy. But then again, there is a two minute scene where Tyrese is dragged across an icy lake at hundreds of miles an hour. Yay Capitalism! Enjoy this snob, listener, where these four honorable young lads carry the torch through this dark and massively confusing film, endeavoring on the noble path of trying to describe what in the hell it is about. For should they succeed, then we will all learn how to make a billion dollars in today’s wild world. Good day, dear listener.
Long ago, in the early days of General Snobbery, we made extra efforts not to say words that Americans typically regard as "bad". This self-censorship was not always easy, and its breaching resulted in the occasional "bleep". However, at some point, that self-censorship changed, and we began to allow words to flow along with the stream of thought, even if they are bad. In these early days, behind the scenes, we recorded an episode on one of our favorite films of all time, Trey Parker and Matt Stone's Team America: World Police. We never released it, for it has a high amount of profanity in it. Praise be to our loosening of the rule, for now, we can share this snob with the world! Now that the thrust of General Snobbery involves the deconstruction of the American action film, it makes more sense than ever to release an episode on a movie that annihilates nearly every trope that have become standards for these action movies. It's a quick one, but it is filled with much delight. We hope this delight travels from our mics straight to your soul, listener. We love you. Fuck yeah!
Hollywood blockbuster action movies are about beloved protagonists, the overcoming of evil, and plenty of explosions. But sometimes they're about the existential reality that each of us barely teeters on the line of fascism. Yes, that is right. General Snobbery wishes you to know, you might be a fascist! Starship Troopers is the film today! Sean and Matt venture back to 1997 once again to explore what is their favorite #emerging topic: how do action films directed by non-Americans differ from those directed by Americans? Have you ever considered this question? "Do you want to know more?" Then press the play button, you filthy little fascist! They were just attractive, vibrant youths who wanted adventure and wanted to serve their government. That is where our story opens! Johnny Rico was one of these young men, played by Casper "the friendly" Van Dien. We follow Johnny, along with his friends Carmen, Dizzy, Carl, and Byron Hadley as they serve their government, become citizens, and kill Bugs! And o yea, they also become fascists! At the surface, Starship Troopers is a typical, cheesy sci-fi movie about humans with guns and gross aliens with goo. The comedic writing is not only typically timed, it's totally predictable. In short, there is nothing new or good about this movie. Until you realize director Paul Verhoeven did that on purpose, making a brilliantly tight satire with a pigment, and scary, message. The meassage - war makes fascists of us all! Paul Verhoeven is Dutch, just like Ævart. If you wish to know more about how fascism emerges in everyday life, watch Starship Troopers. You might also consider reading some Heidegger, because that man was actually a Nazi. Join Sean and Matt as they continue the dasein of high-budget Hollywood and continue discovering what exactly it means to live toward explosion. Also, Jake Busey.
“I want to take his face… OFF!” screams Sean Archer acting as Caster Troy as portrayed by Nicolas Cage as portrayed by John Travolta. The fact that sentences like this accurately describe scenes from John Woo’s Face/Off indicate the truly special nature of this 1997 Hollywood action film. But do not take this for a standard Hollywood action film, listener. For as we discover in this snob, Face/Off is in fact one of the most Chinese films ever made. How does Con Air fit in? Well, it also stars Nicolas Cage, it’s also an action movie, and it also came out in 1997. While it may be a lot less Chinese than Face/Off, it still stars Steve Buscemi. This is a movie that is as Amurrikan as it gets. And that’s not just because Nicolas Cage has long flowing locks. It’s also because Jerry Bruckheimer has long flowing locks. (Keep in mind, listener, this film came out before Jerry B. was absorbed into his dominant personality, known now as “Michael Bay”.) It’s also because there’s a lot of explosions, strange/misplaced humor, John Malkovich, and a very angry Colm Meaney. What a meanie! So join us in this mashup of iconic 90s action movies, listener. Whether we are talking about Cameron Poe, Castor Troy, Cameron Troy, or Castor Poe, you can never be sure whether or not we are really talking about Sean Archer, ready to impale us with a Scientology harpoon at any second. In our Heideggarian mission, we are riding this 90s action movie ship in our inevitable Being-Toward-Explosion. What kind of explosion culminates it all? Well, that depends on how Chinese you are willing to get. May we all be receptive to the presence of the Tao. Episode Progression: 3:25: Shout-outs 8:20 : Con Air 46:00 : Face/Off
The Sandlot. Part baseball love story, part sexist manifesto for young boys. Perhaps even the root of the male perception that has prevented girls from playing ball for years. These hermeneutics are largely accepted as the limits of this 1993 film. But on today’s episode, we travel beyond the limits of these hermeneutics and unpack just how American this film truly is. From a Mexican kid named Benjamin Franklin to a neighbor named Darth Vader, this film serves as an allegory for the young psyche developing beyond the fears that contain it. Our collective dreams, captured in “this magic moment”, mystically intertwined with America’s (sexist) pastime and the progression from primitive culture into industry: it’s all here, packaged together in a film that stars both Patrick Renna, Private Cowboy, and Babe Ruth (aka John Goodman). And all of it stands before the great Hercules, the most powerful archetype of them all. Join us, listener, on this wayward adventure through a classic American film. Let us never forget Scotty “Smalls”, nor let us forget the grandiose stache of Benny “The Jet” in the wake of his stealing home in the big game. The big game for us? Life, my friend. Let us live it. Let us all retire into the tranquility of The Sandlot, with Hercules, Vader, and John Goodman at our side.
Cue a soft score by John Williams. And now, idyllic shots of the American South. And next comes, almost there, here it comes, Mel Gibson butchering men! All men are created equal, according to the Declaration of Independence (Day). But some men have a Cherokee tomahawk. Our man with the 'hawk is Benjamin Martin, widowed father of seven, rocking chair enthusiast. All he wants is to live the simple life of a non-slave owning plantation cropper. Sweet as Carolina tea! But whispers are afoot. The cantankerous whispers of revolution. Because of fucking dickheads like Colonel Tavington, Benjamin Martin is forced into war, where he becomes almost as full of rage as Mel Gibson. Out to avenge his son and usher in a new era of democracy, Martin goes on the warpath. Aided by his French buddy Jean, his son Heath Ledger, and Harvard graduate Donal Logue, Gibson turns a rag tag group of brothel patrons and church goers into such a ghostly platoon that Tom Wilkinson nearly shits his fancy British man dress. The rustics in this movie might be inept, but guess what isn't? The filmmaking. Our personal friend, Roland Emmerich, once again proves he understands the American psyche as only one steeped in German philosophy could! With a brilliant score by John Will and a fun screenplay from a man who is not Randal Wallace, we get The Patriot. Listener, open Sein ears, lend them to me. You will actually laugh at parts of this movie, and you might cry too (just as Gibson does so well (not a joke, the man can act-cry)). So plug those earphones in and ready your bayonets, for many laughs are on the way!
Stanley Kubrick's film The Shining is about a guy who loses his mind in a really big hotel. It's also about a woman who loses her mind in a big hotel, a child who has pretty much already lost his mind, and Scatman Crothers. Scatman plays cook Dick Halloran, a source of light amidst ever-increasing darkness, until that darkness, in the form of Jack Nicholson, swings an axe into Scatman's chest. Then Scatman dies, and there is no more hope. This is a movie that frightened us both as children and adults. It is difficult to say why, apart from the fact that it's really scary. Why did Kubrick make this movie? Did he just want to scare the bejesus out of everyone? What does the word "bejesus" even mean? Is Kubrick a sadistic jerk? A man with profound insight into the uncanny? A devotee of Carl Jung? The man who staged the moon landing? The Shining asks these questions and many more. Join us for this snob that meanders throughout the Overlook Hotel, through its strange geometry, through Room 237, and even through the entity known as Scatman Crothers. We hope that you don't become terrified of the two little dead girls wearing dresses and standing still, or at the thought of them currently standing right next to you and staring at you. We all know that's the certain path to total madness.
Culture is fraught with factions, unable to come together. We see today, the dismay from a fragmented society and we dream to come together, like a team, and dwell together as True Snobs. What if we could unite our Left Side to our Strong Side? Do you Remember the Titans? Sean and Matt do. A paramount film from the year 2000. A bold biographic about a team that overcomes adversity and racism, all in one scene. Won't you join Sean and Matt as they discover the major theme of the movie, racism is bad. Set in 1971, RTT, follows a football team during their first year of racial integration. A team whose success depends on their ability to dispel their culturally indoctrinated values of racial segregation. Can they do it? It's a Disney movie, so yes! And Coach Boone (Denzel) is the one to do it. With his high performance expectations and moral fortitude, Coach Boone must break these boys of the yoke of hate they bear. With remarkable ability, he does it! Except for a hard-browed racist named Ray. Ray is mean and remains a racist. But Gerry (pronounced Gary) Bertier is a good boy and kicks the racist Ray off the team. They also remember coach Yoast, a man whose name is screamed several times, and whose name rhymes with toast. Wow! Coach Yoast is selfless and does what he needs for his team to survive, including replacing Alan (Gosling) with Petey (Scrubs). RTT will teach you so many things, including the fact that racism is bad and winning football games is good. Always, Sean and Matt seek to show you how a Snob enjoys every character from every film, including those who are predictable and those who are racist. Characters make films and if #you wish to be a Snob, well won't you Snob with us! YOAST!
Dear Mr. Roland Emmerich, Good day to you! We send you great joy and light from General Snobbery Podcast! As you know, we are great fans of your work. In fact, we have made it quite plain to our listeners that Independence Day: Resurgence is the definitive film of our podcast. Thus, we recorded this episode for you, Mr. Emmerich, that we might bring a shred of joy to your life in repayment for all the joy you have brought ours. We are well aware of your busyness, and we are most grateful for your continual creativity (and for your gifts!). Yet should you find a few spare moments whilst driving, flying, or perhaps lounging in the ole tub after a long and productive day, we sure hope you pop on this episode that we have recorded for you. While our pronunciation of the German words in our introduction may be flawed, know that we learned these words in an attempt to better show our love and appreciation for all you do. We need not say more here, but know that in this episode, there lies a proposition. We hope that you consider it. Should you find joy and/or delight at the thought of entertaining this proposition, you know how to contact us. Thank you, Mr. Emmerich, for all that you have brought us and the world. Regardless of your response, know that we have great respect for you and eagerly anticipate what future projects you will bring to be. With love, joy, and gratitude, Matt and Sean General Snobbery Podcast INTRO LYRICS Roland E. it’s G. Snobbery Coming at you from dimensions only YOU can see With your warlord visions and your creativity Giving people images of universal majesty Our torschlusspanik has arisen in our dreams That if we don’t act soon, opportunity will leave So we beseech of you on humble bended knee You might listen to this episode recorded for thee We await in space of gemütlichkeit and invite you to join us in our seeking of the light that the fight for understanding and an openness of mind May possess and progress all of humankind For your fingerspitzengefühl inspires Makes our luftschloss feel as real as our desires So Master Emmerich hear now our plea To unite with the forces of Eternal Snobbery! TRANSLATION OF GERMAN WORDS Torschlusspanik - fear that time is running out to achieve life goals Luftschloss - unrealistic desire, like airy castle Gemütlichkeit - space of warmth and friendliness Fingerspitzengefuhl - empathy with things and people
General Snobbery is a big fan of Steven Spielberg's 1975 film Jaws for many reasons. Predominant among these reasons is Richard Dreyfuss. We love Dreyfuss. Maybe it's that smile. Maybe it's that sardonic wit. Whatever it is, we can't get enough of him, and boy oh boy do we enjoy talking about him. But fear not, ye Dreyfuss dissenters. In this lengthy snob, we discuss many Jaws-related items outside of Dreyfuss' eternal realm. Quint, Brody, and Bruce the Shark grant much in the way of conversation thanks to their boisterous personalities and, in the case of the latter, insatiable appetite for human flesh. We are most pleased this film exists, and we are thrilled that after over forty years, it still entertains to high degrees. We hope you enjoy this conversation, listener, and we hope you enjoy the Jaws trivia we toss at each other in the latter half of this episode. One of our microphones may have malfunctioned during the recording, but we hope the snobbing transcends any issues of sound and greets your heart with the special kind of delight embodied in that award-winning Dreyfuss smile. Climb aboard the Orca, lift your anchors, and come sail these snobbing seas! Episode Progression: 0-9:00: Update on our absence 9:00: Conversation re: Jaws begins with Quint 13:00: General Snobbery finally discussed Dreyfuss 42:00: Trivia Begins 1:10: Our revisit of our favorite hermeneutic of Jaws we have ever discovered
There is the occasional movie that earns the adage, "ever ancient, ever new." The great Coen Brothers opus, The Big Lebowski, is one of these movies indeed. Few movies are as quotable as this one, with its many F words, its right-winged Walter rants, and with the wonderful voice serenades of Sam Elliot (and his mustache). In short, Lebowski is a True Snob's dream. It is a complex machine that moves with absolute ease and enjoyment. Sort of the cinematic equivalent of a Segway, only way cooler. On the surface, The Big Lebowski is a film about a kidnapping. Only, that is simply the surface. Through the medium of brilliantly conceived - and always enjoyable - characters, the Coen Brothers take us into a world of philosophical universals, engaging cultural mentalities and evoking contemplations on time. This episode marks the beginning of General Snobbery's new interview campaign. While the main characters are a delight, even the smallest of characters tells a whole story in this film. Sean and Matt have been fans of Liam for years. Who is Liam? He is Jesus' bowling sidekick, his apparent minion who follows and defends Jesus with absolute loyalty. Liam, that is to say, James Hoosier, we seek your wisdom. Help us understand this movie! For while it is great, The Big Lebowski is a film about which words ultimately fall flat. It can never be exhausted. And so how can one know this film? First, press the play button, Listener. Let Sean and Matt help you a little. And after you have done that, evoke the spirit of Ancient Israel, a spirit that embraces mystery in time and space. For "generations come and go, but The Dude abides" (Ecclesiastes 1:4).
Damien Chazelle's La La Land is a good movie. It is so good, in fact, that you'll be hard-pressed to find anything negative said about it on this snob. In fact, we are finding it difficult to say anything about it in this description. Like trying to describe the "True Snob," attempting to describe this film has a way of making words disappear. That is because its images transcend words. It is an exuberant expression of emotion and possibility tinged with a realistic portrayal of human beings and the inevitable struggles of real-life relationships, no matter how fantastical they may be at first. Throughout this early snob of 2017, we discuss stuff as far-reaching as The Last Temptation of Christ, the music video for "Cool" by Gwen Stefani, (500) Days of Summer, George Clooney's stardom and "smuggy" Oscar acceptance speech, (John) Legend, I Am Legend, Joseph Campbell and Christopher Vogler, Neo's dive-bomb into Hugo Weaving's chest, and the necessity of struggles in following one's dreams. General Snobbery was most inspired by this film to continue living its dream to #LetUsWriteID3, a dream for whose actualization we are willing to travel through the deepest pangs of suffering. This path of life leads such grand and unexpected places. Who would have anticipated that a conversation beneath the Cincinnati stars would eventually yield an interview with DeObia Oparei, a truly wonderful man? Who can predict where this snobbing journey may lead? We cannot, listener, and neither can the great Damien Chazelle. All we know is that we must not submit to any blockades, regardless of how many Twitter followers we lose for inexplicable reasons. In words penned by the great Roland Emmerich, delivered by the great @BillyPullman, "We're going to live on!" In the words of the late great Freddy Mercury, "I'm having a good time, having a good time, I'm a shooting star leaping through the sky... There's no stopping me." Let us continue to ride these waves into the vast reaches of the Stratosphere, transcending the Mesosphere into the land where dreams reside, into the shimmering tesseracts of "La La Land", a place of infinite bliss and possibility. Yay.
In July of 2016, in the formational days of General Snobbery, cohosts Matt and Sean traveled to a St. Louis theater to see Independence Day: Resurgence. They expected to be wowed by Goldblum. They expected great things from Pullman. But never in a trillion eons could they have anticipated what soul-enriching performance would come from DeObia Oparei, the man who portrayed Dikembe Umbutu. Instantly, Umbutu became one of Matt and Sean’s favorite film characters of all time. His combination of wisdom and power yielded some of the most memorable scenes from Roland Emmerich’s wonderful film, including a scene in which Umbutu saved many gun-firing Americans by massacring a rogue alien with his dual machetes. He truly stunned Matt and Sean, and the majority of their episode on ID:R was devoted to Umbutu’s magnificence. Now, after multiple episodes devoted to Umbutu and much tweeting at Mr. Oparei, something truly extraordinary has occurred. For the thirtieth episode of General Snobbery, the one and only DeObia Oparei has visited the podcast. How can we express our gratitude? How can we communicate our joy? No words may reach the fantastical summits of emotion that developed upon speaking to Mr. Oparei, he who portrayed Umbutu, the Master of Warlord Visions. DeObia expressed such kindness, such warmth, such joy throughout our conversation. Had we had all the time in the world, it is beyond the point of doubt that the conversation could have continued ad infinitum, beyond even where the Harvesters reside. In our joyous conversation, DeObia grants insight into how he understands Dikembe, how he approached his role, and how inspiring was his experience working with Roland Emmerich. We discuss DeObia’s relationship to yoga and meditation, the meaning of the word “mudra”, and the importance of stillness in developing the “inner life”. He tells us of the play he wrote, Crazyblackmuthafuckin’self, a well-received investigation into identity that ran years back in London. He even clears up false reports regarding his past as a stripper in Australia, explaining how his opening of a dance theater ultimately yielded this widespread delusion. We are so grateful we got to speak with this great actor who has appeared in so much, from Game of Thrones to Your Highness, Doom to Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. As you listen, listener, we are certain you will hear what kindness erupts volcanically from his mighty soul. DeObia is truly a great man, and we are boundlessly thankful for what joy he has brought our lives. Three cheers for #Umbutu and the many great performances of DeObia Oparei yet to come! Praise be, dear listener. May many Warlord Visions visit you in your deepest dreams.
Merry Christmas ya filthy Snob. And a happy New episode! If you, sweet listener, understand this reference, then you know the endless bowl full of jelly belly laughs you are about to hear. In this Christmas edition, General Snobbery has decreed that Sean and Matt delve deep into the world of Kevin McCallister, Pesci, and Stern. Home Alone is simply a Christmas classic. It has everything: a good story, wonderful music, action, laughs, and Buzz. Few films resonate as deeply in the collective Christmas psyche of the American people. And no movie has more Pesci burns as this one. To many, Home Alone is a Christmas tradition, and everyone has a favorite part. What's yours? Perhaps it's Stern's water fetish, maybe it's Uncle Frank's absolute content for innocent children, perhaps it is Pesci's emerging psychopathy, or even the image of Kevin growing on Buzz's ass. We all have favorite scenes that make us laugh and feel the holiday spirit with such strength, we'll think we were just hit in the face with a paint can. In a special Christmas twist, Sean challenges Matt with Home Alone trivia and thus a tradition is born. We ask you this single piece of trivia, Listener: what podcast should you recommend to all your friends this holiday season? You know the answer, you know it the way Stern knows the feeling of a nail entering his foot. Praise be this classic film! And praise be you, Listener! Ho ho ho, let us Snob. Landmarks: 7:10: Sean and Matt share their top three Home Alone moments 55:30: Home Alone Trivia
The title just about says it all on this one. Hashtag "Not My Mummy" (#NotMyMummy) began in the wake of the trailer for the new The Mummy, starring one Thomas "Tom" Cruise of Scientology, couch-jumping fame. Needless to say, some fans were not too pleased. But in truth, their anger had much less to do with any personal qualms with Mr. Cruise, and far more to do with the tragic fact that the great Brendan Fraser will not be returning in this upcoming film. Imhotep is mad that Fraser won't be returning Had any of us truly recognized what impact Fraser had had on our lives? Or was it not until the moment that we saw the guy from Vanilla Sky in the trailer for a Mummy film that we realized just how impactful Fraser has been? Say all you want about his Golden Globes clap (video below) - the guy can kick some major butt. Rick O'Connell will be greatly missed in this new film, and quite likely, your hosts at General Snobbery, amidst their laughter at this inevitably terrible new Mummy, will quite likely feel surges of nostalgia at the distant memory of Fraser taking on a dozen reanimated corpses with a sword. We greatly miss Fraser, and we hope that #NotMyMummy will help bring him back. Regardless, we dedicate this episode to him, where, by laughing time and time again at the hilarious scream made by Cruise in the new trailer (video below), we are truly yearning for the simpler times when we could watch Fraser shoot guns at Imhotep's huge mouth. As franchise after franchise sucks Hollywood dry of its once-great energy, dumbing film after film down to silly tropes and rushed release dates, we can at least tip our top hats to a man of the greatest order, who once radiated charisma of a special blend, charisma time has proven to be of the eternal kind. Brendan Fraser, this snob's for you.
A bartender named Troy Duffy once saw a drug dealer take money from a corpse. His response? To write a movie called “The Boondock Saints.” This film came out in 1999 and was in theaters for about five days. It then was released on DVD, where, over the course of the next few years, it found itself in the prized film collection of many bros throughout the United States. These bros spread the word, one set of bench press at a time, and soon enough, The Boondocks Saints had become a cultural phenomenon. In this episode of General Snobbery, Matt and Sean take a look back at this movie, a movie that was beloved by many dudes at their all-boys Catholic High School, including, much to their regret, themselves. Yes, Matt and Sean, those endeavoring on the path of the #TrueSnob, once loved The Boondocks Saints. They loved it so much, in fact, that upon this 2016 viewing of a film that should never be watched again by anyone, they could recall what was to come, scene by scene, line by line. Nevertheless, as wisdom comes with age and experience, so transformations in one’s viewing of a film occur. With great thanks to the Lord Almighty, Matt and Sean discovered that this film is, in fact, incredibly bad. At times, it’s hilariously bad. The most ridiculous part about it is that it clearly thinks it’s awesome. It wants you, the viewer, to believe that it’s saying something profound about existence, making a big moral stand on evil and corruption in the contemporary world. What it’s really about is two flat Irish characters deciding to kill bad guys. If it weren’t for Willem Defoe… well, actually, even he couldn’t save this godawful film. Nevertheless, due to its total badness, The Boondocks Saints provided one of the most laugh-filled snobs yet, one of those sacred snobs where Sean and Matt sat across from one another, in the same room, cultivating the limitless snobbery in a singular space. We hope you enjoy, listener, as they parse through their past, work through the guilt of once having liked this movie, and enter a place of calm and peace that snobbery alone may yield. May be all be shepherds against the existence of this atrocious movie.
Dear Mr. DeObia Oparei, Greetings on this fine day! This message comes to you from Sean and Matt, curators of General Snobbery Podcast. As you have likely discovered via our tweets and Instagram posts, we are big fans of your work. Specifically, we adulate your work as Dikembe Umbutu in Independence Day: Resurgence, and we remain grateful for the celestial degree of joy it has brought our lives. While we wish not to elaborate too much in this episode description, we beseech you to give this episode a listen during a few free moments you may find amidst your busy, illustrious life (perhaps whilst relaxing in a crystal-laden bathtub with candles and incense burning?). We have an offer for you, a plea if you will, over which we hope you will let your mind wander in your meditations. It is our sincere hope that you will consider being interviewed by us on General Snobbery, that we may get to know the man behind the machetes, the ubuntu of Umbutu. Should you decide to share a few moments of your time with we lowly plebeians, know that a great gift will be coming your way, both in the physical and in the spiritual. All information w/r/t contacting us can be found on our website, generalsnobbery.com. Yet in truth, given our positive interactions on Twitter, we believe a Twitter DM will be the best bridge between our distant worlds. We thank you, Mr. DeObia, for your sincerity, your generosity of spirit, and your bringing to be of Dikembe Umbutu. May many profound visions come your way. With hearts of gratitude, Sean and Matt General Snobbery Podcast PS: If you wish to gauge our interviewing abilities before agreeing, you might have a listen to episodes X-XII, all of which take the interview format.
We all know that Mel Gibson is quite the interesting character. From directing/starring in the hit epic Braveheart to embarking upon drunken racist/Anti-Semitic rants on public record, the man is most unpredictable, to say the least. But, as our heroes Trey Parker and Matt Stone suggest in their “Imaginationland” episode of South Park, Mel Gibson may be a loon, but the man knows plot structure. That’s why we at General Snobbery are most excited to see what ole Mel has cookin’ for his upcoming film, The Passion Two. Yes, we know he has stated that the film will be called Resurrection, but nevertheless, in our era of sequels, The Passion Two seems more fitting. Currently, there exists little to no information about The Passion Two. Thus, we are left to our speculative devices to ponder what amazing realities this sixth gospel (the fifth, of course, being The Passion One) may bring to be. In this episode, our conversation winds from the antics of Mel to the figure of Christ, from Jim Caviezel’s performance to Jesus’ distaste of snakes. We discuss Scorsese’s The Last Temptation of Christ in detail, juxtaposing it with Mel’s “Easter Card” portrayal of Christianity’s key figure. We consider just how Mel will succeed in making this film as violent as the rest of his, pausing to visualize just how he might portray J.C.’s descent into Hell in the three days following his death. And finally, we take a close look at the final scene of The Passion, the scene of the resurrection, where a hole in the hand reveals more than just a little Caviezel thigh… We thank ye, listener, for tuning in, and we hope you join us in your excitement for this upcoming epic film. Currently, we know not who is cast for Jesus. Despite the fact that Jimmy C will be nearly fifty years old at the time of its filming, we strongly desire for his return as the Christ. So we ask you to help us #BringCaviezelBack, at any opportunity possible. Praise be, listener. Praise be.
As the butterfly emerges from the cocoon -reborn, resurrected, entire - it floats on the breeze, a being somehow the same as the caterpillar it once was, a being somehow different. If only we could see this metamorphosis in a human being, that we might draw limitless inspiration and joy. Praise be (prayer emoji) to the universe, director Peter Weir gave us this gift in The Truman Show, a film as masterfully crafted and as chortle-worthy as it is profound. Truman (Jim Carrey) is an Everyman living a life of ideal American standards, a life that is, according to all of his friends, perfect. And yet, Truman feels a longing for travel and for the world beyond his limited existence, an existence whose limits he does not fully understand. Maybe, Truman thinks, there is more to life than new kitchen utensils, a mortgage, or even a cold six pack that his friend Marlon always has. To escape the confined world he knows, Truman will have to listen to his soul instead of everyone around him, who, at the behest of the powerful Christof (Ed Harris) work to thwart Truman's real self. For those who thought Jim Carrey was only good at speaking from his rear end, think again. This movie has masterful performances by Carrey, Harris, and the always delightful Laura Linney. If you are a True Snob, you will put on your life vest, enter the revolving door, and touch the sky with us, as we all seek to be True. So grab yourself one of Marlon's beers or fix yourself some Mococoa Mix - no artificial sweeteners - and follow the North Star to Fiji. (A special thanks to Mr. Philip Glass for offering your music to this wonderful film and thus this episode of General Snobbery.)
There are not many good things to say about the new film Inferno. In fact, there might not be any. It's horrible. Truly excruciating to bear. Fortunately, with special guest David Spitz at our side, we find plenty to snob about re: this terrible offering from washed-up director Clint Howard. The newest film in the Dan Brown adaptation-series that began with 2006’s The Da Vinci Code, Inferno follows the misadventures of ole Robby Langdon (played by Tom “Chilly-T” Hanks) as he follows a new trail of symbols. But hey, this time he has amnesia! So what’s been happening in the past? Why is he here? Why are any of us here, watching this horrible movie? Some questions are not meant to be answered, which is the premise upon which Clint Howard’s new film is founded. Should you choose to see Inferno, know fully that you are choosing to descend into a place of horror and despair, a place of confusion and chaos, where no pillars of value stand. This is an irrelevant movie that should not be seen. So tune into this new episode of General Snobbery! You don’t want to miss it!
“Who’s the #Sandra in your life?” This is one of the many questions that we ask on today’s episode of General Snobbery. As much as we enjoyed critiquing the evil corporation known as "Spiritual Gangster" on last week’s episode, we realized that we’d left out a very important detail: the origin story of our despising of that evil corporation. It all began on a simple day of Instagram #wanderlust, when suddenly Matt stumbled upon this company’s page. Filled with bafflement, filled with rage, he responded in the only way he could: by trolling Spiritual Gangster. It was only a matter of time before they blocked him, just as it is only a matter of time before they block General Snobbery. But before they blocked him, Matt left behind some shimmering relics of Snobbery-style trolling, which involves not the name-calling and ridicule of a Bro-type approach, but rather the creation of a particular persona that develops comment by comment, gradually leading the social media master of Spiritual Gangster to believe that this created persona is actually completely insane. We hope you join us for a laughter-filled episode, Listener. Should you enjoy, would you be so kind as to subscribe to us on iTunes? Or perhaps to leave a kind review? We thank you dearly. Fare thee well.
A “gangster” is defined as “a member of a gang of violent criminals.” So what is a “Spiritual Gangster?” On this episode of General Snobbery, we discuss just that. It turns out that “Spiritual Gangster” is a brand of clothing that sells spiritual values that speak to an ever-growing subsect of Western culture. They are interested in taking quotes from ancient sages, printing them in trendy fonts onto tank tops, hoodies, and shirts, and selling that clothing for a whole lot of money. A great business model! They also have quite the Instagram page (@spiritualgangster). We recommend you check it out if you are interested in seeing pictures of aesthetically pleasing white yogis doing postures in exotic locations. Hey, if you scroll through the comments, you might even find one provided by the General himself! Come snob with us as we take a tour de force through the capitalist echelons of this company that seeks to fuse ancient wisdom with contemporary culture. Cause hey, who says that snobbery has to be directed at film? And if you would be so kind, do check out our Facebook page, Twitter page, or even our Instagram, where you will find many more photos like the ones on this page to come. If you find us amusing, you might even offer us the great treat of subscribing to us on iTunes. We assure you, we are committed to sending as much delightful snobbery your way as we possibly can. Fare thee well, Listener.
At seven twenty-five PM, on Tuesday, the eleventh of October in the year two thousand and sixteen, Roland Emmerich "liked" one of General Snobbery's tweets. If you have been following General Snobbery throughout these twenty episodes, you will know that we have launched a campaign to #LetUsWriteID3. Essentially, we think that, due to our heightened understanding of Roland Emmerich's intentions, as well as our limitless appreciation for Independence Day: Resurgence (most notably the character of Dikembe Umbutu), we are the most qualified people to help Roland write the script for Independence Day 3. Indeed, as Andy Dufresne wrote a letter every day to receive books in the Shawshank library, so we have tweeted @ Roland every day since launching our campaign. Why, you may wonder, did Roland suddenly decide to grace our evening with a like? Certainly he'd noticed the previous 60-70 tweets we had sent at him? We believe the sudden liking can mean only one thing: he has finally decided to give us a chance. He has finally decided to #LetUsWrite ID3. In the immediate aftermath of the Twitter notification, we scrapped all previously-held plans for our monumental twentieth episode and instantly began recording this episode that now greets your sacred ears. In this excited conversation, we showcase our passion for our new devoted listener, Roland Emmerich. We offer up some teasers for ID3. We propose our meeting place in LA, offering even to foot the bill for the meal and use our Southwest Points to fly out there. It's all an exuberant appreciation for the unexpected delights of life. We thank you, listener, for joining us. When the moment comes that Roland sends us a DM with the plan, know that that DM is coming not only to us, but also to you. In the end, we will all be writing the script for ID3, and as we do, we will all be snobbing the whole way home.
It's become common knowledge that it's best to avoid Indian Death Cults. This knowledge has come largely in thanks to Steven Spielberg's Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, the second of four IJ films, and the first in the series' chronology. The film portrays Indian Death Cults as pretty bad things, activities that probably should not be practiced on a regular basis, lest you become like the guy in the picture below, wearing large horns and a shrunken head as a hat. This film is dark. Extremely dark, in fact. So dark that Steven Spielberg, great director of Empire of the Sun, The Adventures of Tin-Tin, and The Terminal, has all but disavowed it. Nevertheless, we at General Snobbery greatly appreciate its darkness, darkness that does not exclude depicting the tearing out of human hearts and a fat man's consumption of live, slimy snakes. Thus, we give to you a lengthy consideration of the merits of this second Indiana Jones film, as well as an explication of how its horror depicted has had lasting impact on the development of our psyches. Just to be sure we got sufficiently pretentious, we entreat considerations of Carl Gustav Jung, Swiss psychologist/sage, explicating his theories on the power of images. We are certain that Jung, plagued by dark images as he was during his years of writing the Liber Novus, would have appreciated this film. We hope that you appreciate it as well, listener, and we thank you, as always, for joining us on this snobbing journey.
Gladiator (2000), directed by our favorite British-man, Ridley Scott, ushered in a new era of violence in the multiplexes. But, unbeknownst to Mr. Scott, Russell Crowe, or even Joaquin Phoenix, the film was destined to usher in a new era of something far more deplorable: a new era, of "bros." We all know "bros," and we all despise "bros." So why do "bros" still exist? In the eighteenth (!) episode of General Snobbery, we endeavor to answer that question. Using Gladiator, that depthless masterpiece, as a springboard, we travel into echelons wholly new, and for the first time, we leave you, listener, with a pressing moral prerogative. Together, let us do all we can possibly do to rid the world of "bros" once and for all. A special thanks to our Listener of the Week, Aaron Brunmeier, for providing us with such a grand question this week. Aaron, this snob's for you. Key Moments: 42:45: Transition from Gladiator to Bros 52:15: The two words that are destroying the human race 1:19:00: How to cure the world of Bros
In 2013, Edward Snowden (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) revealed that we Amurricans are being tracked by our government. Thanks to the subtle encouragement of his mentor, Nicolas Cage, Snowden utilized established journalists to broadcast the terrifying messages at a large scale. Now, Snowden's father, Oliver Stone, has taken it into his hands to make the message more known than ever before. We at General Snobbery decided to see this new film, and in the wake of our viewing, we recorded our longest episode yet. The episode was filled with much Snobbery as well as many super serious reflections regarding the role of privacy in our contemporary era. But all was not right. Our Google Hangouts connection was disrupted multiple times, something that had never happened before. We sensed we were being tracked. Our One Listener, we intuited, was an agent at the NSA. And it turns out this NSA One Listener did not like our Snobbery, for that agent hacked into our files and destroyed our data. Our Snowden episode has been "disappeared", never to be reclaimed again. We tentatively post this episode, Listener, in which we recount the frightening details of the first governmental hacking of General Snobbery. Chances are this episode will be corrupted as well, so listen as soon as you possibly can. If you never hear from us again, you know who is responsible.
It's a common misconception that Snobbery is an inherently negative pursuit. Indeed, for amateur "snobs", this way it can become. Yet for those truly committed to the Art of Snobbery, the negativity acts always in service of the joy and delight it brings to be. It is but an illusory negativity, put forth in ongoing effort to open up the shimmering core of a given reality. And after traveling beyond the fourth dimension with Coop in episode XV, our only path forth was to enter the boundless delight of Adam Sandler's early filmography. There was a time when Adam Sandler ruled the world. That time may have passed, but we at General Snobbery wish to rekindle the flames the great Jewish comedian once sparked. In his films Billy Madison and Happy Gilmore, his greatest contributions to the world of the screen (and thus the reality of our minds), Mr. Sandler offered a degree of delight previously unknown to the universe. While this delight may be as complex as a tesseract in the middle of a black hole, it is undoubtable that much of it comes through the diverse, unpredictable, and hilarious side characters of these films. From Otto the hobo caddy to Gary Potter the energy-reading golfer, the clan of O'Doyles to a towering man with a nail in his head, our conversation moves character to character in unabashed adulation for these wonderful people in these wonderful films. We of the Snobbing Pathway choose not to focus on the oft-bemoaned state of Adam Sandler's contemporary career. Rather, we proceed in gratitude that his 90s offerings exist, and, two decades later, they continue to provide such joy and delight in a life so often bogged down in weariness and turmoil. Adam Sandler, this snob's for you.
Christopher Nolan is a controversial man for snobs like us. Known for his mind-bending films, Nolan is expert at many things, not limited to big explosions, wild special effects, awful dialogue, exposition-laden stories, and giving bad names to his characters. Under the watchful eye of the full moon many years ago, as the seeds of General Snobbery implanted themselves in our minds, we found ourselves despising Nolan more and more with each breath. Yet as the universe changes, so change the minds of the most stalwart of snobs. Join us, listener, as we travel through multiple dimensions regarding Inception, the film that made us despise Nolan, and, more importantly, Interstellar, the film where Nolan regained our trust. How exactly did Nolan alter the fixed mindsets of such stalwart snobs? Along a windy tesseract of conversation regarding Mark Watney (i.e. Matt Damon), Dom Cobb, BASEketball, John Lithgow's face, 2001: A Space Odyssey, TARS and CASE, Waking Life, black holes, time travel, and, of course, the great fourth dimensional being known as "Coop", you will find out, one listener. And should you choose to snob with us, you will join us in our ascension alongside Coop into extra-dimensional realities beyond the event horizon.
After six weeks of grand views and celestial visions, Matt hath returned from the land of Appalachia. Now, residing in the great city of Chicago, he has christened the reuniting of General Snobbery for the foreseen future. Praise be! In a conversation of much joy (re: the snobbing method), Sean inquires Matt about a particular kind of vision he received on his spirit quest through Appalachia. Indeed, great visions from on high have come to determine the pathway forth for General Snobbery: to write the script for the upcoming film Independence Day 3. This is a plea to Mr. Roland Emmerich (@rolandemmerich) to give us a shot. We love you, Roland, and we love your films, and we have had many visions on directions the script may go. If you wish to skip past our attempts to impress, please travel to the 29 minute mark, where you will discover some of our large-scheme ideas. Listener, you can join our crusade by following us on Twitter (@GeneralSnobbery) and liking/retweeting our daily tweets @rolandemmerich. We know that with your help, we can make this dream a reality. Then, at last, we may all spread our snobs far and wide that we are at long last "livin' the dream." Key Moments: 15:00 - Announcement of the Campaign 22:00 - "Livin' the Dream" 29:00 - Teasers for Independence Day 3
Some call him the "African Warlord," some call him Michael Clarke Duncan, some have no idea who he is at all. In reality, he is Dikembe Umbutu, great machete-wielding savior of the African nations, the most resurgent component of Independence Day: Resurgence. Here's an episode that has long rested in the hidden vaults, patiently awaiting the proper moment of release, in which your hosts turn a psychoanalytic eye toward Mr. Umbutu and his faithful sidekick, Floyd. Little did ye know, Listener, how wrought with complications is Roland Emmerich's great 2016 blockbuster. Indeed, faithful Listener, ye shall discover in the closing moments of this episode the implanting of a new idea, an idea that may change the unfolding of the universe. Roland Emmerich, this one is for you.
Today, I had the great pleasure of chatting with my close friend Laura Castonguay, MFA, about some pretty interesting stuff. Unsure where the conversation would go, we sat in silent meditation before recording, allowing our minds to settle. Lo and behold, the conversation ended up developing about meditation itself and what it means for both of our lives. While Laura and I have different approaches to meditation - mine tends to be seated, Laura's tends to be active and physical - each of us experiences it as a way to connect more to our bodies on this earth, where we are right now. We hope that this conversation fills you with a deep sense of peace, Listener, and we hope that it encourages you to recognize your own meditative potential. For through our meditation, the bounty of the universe unfolds, and with that bounty comes the limitless delight of eternal Snobbery.
Wallowing in the isolation of the wake of Matt's noble departure for the Appalachian Trail, Sean called out to the great General for guidance on how to carry forth this mighty torch. Indeed, his questions were answered. It became clear that, for the time being, General Snobbery must assume the Interview format, in which the perspectives of the One Listener may be shared. Thus it came to be that for the first episode after Matt's departure, General Snobbery's most dedicated listener graced the show with his presence. That man is David Spitz, novelist, teacher, and creative-expression extraordinaire. Most recently, Mr. Spitz authored the novel Leopold Murphy Defrocked, the tale of a Catholic priest and the many bizarre and philosophical adventures that arise in the wake of his defrocking, which can be purchased on Amazon in Kindle and Paperback form. A fantastic read, to say the least. Mr. Spitz moved seamlessly into the Art of Snobbery, intimidated not by the flashing red light or the single Samson Meteor Mic into which the two spoke. The conversation traveled into realms yet unbreached, continuing for nearly two hours. While the room environment and recording atmosphere may have yielded an echoed distance to the discourse, still the conversation found way to consider a vast array of topics related to the Craft of Fiction. Carl Jung, J.K. Rowling, and David Foster Wallace animate much of this discussion on the distinctions between "literary" and "genre" fiction, the nature of black comedies, the role of the audience in the novel's craft, and the essentiality of mythology, ultimately coalescing into an in depth discussion of the motives and themes behind each host's novel. If you wish to jump to points of interest, One Listener, utilize the guide crafted below. We hope you enjoy this lengthy discussion, and we hope that it aids you in your ongoing earthly journey. Fare thee well. Play by Play Guide of Episode XI 12:10: The publishing landscape this day and age. 20:15: Distinction between “genre” and “literary” and how the can be fused. 27:10: The many joys of Harry Potter. 30:30: David’s novel, Leopold Murphy Defrocked, the intentions behind it, and David Foster Wallace. 45:00: "Black comedy", Kafka, and tragedy. 52:20: Is it “worth it” to spend the time necessary to write a novel? 54:20: Dueling writerly intentions of Sean and David; the Audience and Reader. 1:02:30: Writing as channelling “beyond the self”; Brian Wilson and Carl Jung. 1:06:50: David asks Sean about the book he is writing. 1:12:00: Emerson, Whitman, and Native Americans. 1:16:45: The essentiality of mythology. 1:26:00: Rejection, and David’s experience with the “traditional route” of publishing vs. self-publishing. 1:36:00: Common criticisms of MFA Programs, and Sean’s experience at the one he attended. 1:45:10: David's parting wisdom for our One Listener.
For this monumental, groundbreaking, unforeseen tenth episode (praise be, praise be), we travel off the beaten track of film deconstruction, endeavoring into a late-night, windy conversation in which Sean interviews Matt about his noble decision to hike the Appalachian Trail, which he is currently doing. The meditative interview traveled many interesting places, discussing such topics as Bill Bryson’s A Walk in the Woods, Jack Kerouac’s On the Road, the importance of travel, the desire for discomfort, Sean's experiences hitchhiking the West Coast, and the ongoing desire for “transformative experiences.” We hope you enjoy this interview-turned-conversation, listener, and we hope that should you get the chance, you will travel to the ends of the earth in your search for wisdom and illumination. Praise be, praise be.
A few final considerations of Air Force One lead Matt and Sean to synthesize several late 90s films into a singular theme: the collapse of the American Dream. What fears manifested in our culture leading up to the millennium? How is it that they seemed to anticipate the events of September 11th, the most catastrophic tragedy of our nation’s history? How did 9/11 affect our perception of films, where a filmic moment is suddenly cast across America's screens as reality and not spectacle? How has the Hollywood landscape changed in the wake of that catastrophe? We posit that a certain darkness is present in contemporary action films that cannot be found in most 90s films, a darkness telling us that all might not work out in a world where "terror" lurks in the shadows.
Films discussed include Ransom, American Beauty, Fight Club, The Truman Show, and Team America, with a particularly long segment dedicated to our most favorite of shows, South Park. Shout out to the great Roger Ebert for informing many of our thoughts.
Links:
- Here's that great compilation of Harrison Ford frantically speaking about his family issues in several films.
- Hillary Clinton chillin' in Cedar Rapids.
- John Oliver interviews Edward Snowden in Moscow.
- Roger Ebert trashes South Park: Bigger, Longer Uncut
Air Force One is one of the most iconic action films of the 90s. Why? Is it really that good? Yes. It really is. But what makes it so good? How can a movie directed by a German guy focusing on Harrison Ford as the infallible President of infallible America vs. rogue Soviet terrorists be so enduring? How much of it has to do with the fact that Glenn Close is the Vice President? Probably a lot. Regardless, it turns out that this movie is filled with endless joy. So much joy! Boy. Let me tell you. Watching a giant CGI airplane crashing into the Caspian Sea, somersaulting into oblivion, is just as enjoyable in 2016 as it was in 1997. Please, one listener, fly aboard this snob of many, many laughs as we unlock the many treasures of this fantastically delightful film. Join us again in two weeks when we use Air Force One to ascend into the infinite skies of 90s action films, questioning what they, compared with contemporary action films, tell us about the human condition. Oh, and the actor whose name we couldn't remember is Philip Baker Hall. Sorry, Phil.
In an unexpected evolution of conversation, Matt and Sean find themselves discussing what’s oft considered the fundamental question of existence: “What does it mean to be?” In a snob meandering through ideas related to The Matrix, The Truman Show, human consciousness, Richard Linklater, our constructions of reality, Starship Troopers, and 2001: A Space Odyssey, we soon break new ground into such topics as Nietzsche's Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Heidegger's Being and Time, smartphones, paradigm shifts, Infinite Jest, and Ken Wilber. Can film be art? Should film be art? Can film save the world? How the heck did Independence Day: Resurgence lead us here? We may never know. Yet as we evolve, transcending and including what hath come before, so we delve deeper into the infinite realm of snobbery, following its wonderful directions wherever they may lead. If you dig, please subscribe to us on iTunes. And if you'd be so kind, we'd sure love a "like" on our Facebook page. Many thanks to today's sponsor, Master Mugen and the Seven Sisters. Praise be, dear listener, praise be.
Feeling that their conversation re: Roland Emmerich's great sequel Independence Day: Resurgence ended insufficiently, Matt and Sean migrated from the basement to sit at table beneath the seven stars of the St. Louis night. Situated amidst the crickets and cicadas, beneath the jet airplanes, within the cool and gentle breeze, they set out to discuss the question: What's the deal with all the sequels these days? What topics, ideas, and questions then arose? Well, dear listener, to offer a brief teaser trailer: Indiana Jones/Indian Death Cults, Pulp Fiction, change in character as "deserved" and "necessary," Breaking Bad, emotion, The Truman Show, recycling of formulaic material, P.T. Anderson and Richard Linklater’s superiority, the relation between pop novels, pop songs, and big-budget films, art's facilitation of a "confrontation with reality", and, finally, the ensuing moral responsibility of the artist. How, the hosts ask, can a film become truly enduring? Tune in, dear listener, and join us in our philosophical considerations of these many topics and questions, and together let us snob our way into a discussion that unveils the calm, serious tonalities of the ancient art of snobbery.
Roland Emmerich strikes again with Independence Day: Resurgence, the much-anticipated sequel to the 1996 generation-defining film, Independence Day. In this special episode, Matt and Sean rendezvoused in the physical plane to see this laugh-out-loud comedy in a theater of St. Louis, Missouri (a city whose landmark Arch thankfully escaped the wrath of both films). We entered the theater, days after the big-budget film's release, to discover that despite our extreme excitement, no other patrons were present for the screening. An omen? Or an indication that the mass population does not understand the truth? Join us as we snob about the likes of Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum, Will Smith, stock characters, and an African, machete-wielding warlord to find out the answer.
As Stanley Kubrick's science fiction classic 2001: A Space Odyssey ends with a segment entitled "Beyond the Infinite," so General Snobbery, in its conversation about The Martian (2015), travels "Beyond the Damon." After another fifteen minutes of Martian-related conversation--conversation spanning from David Bowie's horribly-placed "Starman", the film's use of Abba, Wall-E and Iron Man's strange influence on the climax, and the characters' roles not as characters but as deliverers-of-exposition--the conversation meanders into realms neither your hosts nor Matt Damon could have foreseen. What woe hath becommeth this flatlining Hollywood system? How does an illusory notion of "quality" continue to veil the populace's perception? Does commenting on a genre necessarily yield transcendence of that genre, a la Deadpool? How shall we respond in a filmic system that recycles material to repackage as propaganda-infused advertisements for a failing federal agency called NASA? Woe may be the way for many, but for others, the only logical response to the madness may be found through the lost art of snobbery. Our deepest gratitude to McMannus Pottery Co. for sponsoring today's episode. May our snobs be with you, always, eternally, dear listener.
Matt Damon plays Matt Damon in Ridley Scott's 2015 film The Martian, winner of the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture -- Musical or Comedy. Part musical, part comedy, The Martian dazzled viewers with its orange scenery, its tale of hope and triumph, and its marketing of Matt Damon as the hero of mankind. In this particular iteration of himself, Matt Damon is mistakenly stranded on Mars in what many would consider a nightmare situation. But fear not, global population, for this stranded man is Matt Damon, and this iteration of Damon can farm potatoes in outer space while making jokes about his trustworthy bro, Martinez, and the particularly awful smell of shipmate Johannsen's feces. Tune into Part One of our two-part conversation regarding this landmark comedy/musical, and join us as we snob about Matt Damon's unfathomable and delusional optimism, Matt Damon's perceived intelligence, Matt Damon in general, Ridley Scott's strange and seemingly-diverse oeuvre, science, David Bowie, and, of course, the gradual descent of Hollywood. Stay tuned for Part Two, where the conversation travels lightyears beyond anything Starman Matt Damon has ever seen. Many thanks to Talwar & Sons, who have kindly sponsored this episode. And our utmost gratitude, as always, to Aevart Van Jook (@aevart_music) for our theme song.
In the first true episode of the new podcast "General Snobbery", your snobbish hosts engage in electric conversation meandering about diverse topics related to the 2015 Colin Trevorrow film, "Jurassic World." Topics considered include Chris Pratt's one-dimensional role, Bryce Dallas Howard's one-dimensional role, the cast of archetypal side characters, Newman's death from "Jurassic Park", Samuel L. Jackson's death from "Jurassic Park", why "Jurassic Park" is so much better than "Jurassic World", Hollywood's money-making machine--all in an effort to answer the question: What is "Jurassic World" trying to do? The world may never know. Many thanks to Aevart Van Jook for our theme song. May our snobs be with you, dear listener (if you exist). Who, in direct contradiction to your snobbish hosts' misinformation, is not actually bald.
In the prologue for the new podcast "General Snobbery," your snobbish hosts snob about such topics as Air Force One (1997), Christopher Nolan, Glenn Close's oft-unrecognized contributions to contemporary feminism, that scene in Jurassic Park where Newman dies, and the lost, sacred art of snobbery.