Overthinking It Podcast: Recent Episodes
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Irish actor and musician Glen Hansard died in a motorcycle crash outside Dublin on July 29th, which probably should have resulted in a discussion of his most famous work, the movie Once. Instead, Mark convinced Peter Fenzel and Matt Wrather to watch The Commitments, in which Hansard only has a small part. Something you should know about Mark: when he was in college, he started a classic soul cover band. Some things you should know about The Commitments: it’s a movie about an Irish classic soul cover band, and also one of Mark’s favorite movies of all time.
The panelists start by paying tribute to Hansard and how his busking career lent him ample artistic credibility as a working musician who fostered authentic connection with his audience. From there, they fully commit to the movie discussion, starting with the class / racial identity themes on display and why an Irishman saying “I’m Black and I’m proud” is not as ridiculous or offensive as it may seem in the abstract.
The panel then turns to a less memorable line from the movie as a jumping off point for analyzing the role of music and the band in the characters’ journeys. An unnamed character cleaning candle wax at a church says, “A lot of work. If you didn’t do it for God, who would you do it for?” In this case, if the “it” is “starting a classic soul band under adverse circumstances with band members often at odds with each other,” the reasons turn out to be multitude and complex: sometimes it’s saving souls, other times it’s saving soul (music), but at the end it’s just good old fashioned self-actualization.
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Further Reading The Commitments (film) (Wikipedia) * Mounted Unit — The History of Horse Patrols in Modern Irish Policing (Seán Daly, Medium) * Procol Harum, “A Whiter Shade of Pale” (Genius) * Glen Hansard, “The Parting Glass” (live, 2012) (Stage On Sixth, YouTube) * Glen Hansard (Wikipedia) * Roger Ebert’s 1991 review of The Commitments* (RogerEbert.com)
Episode 944: Working Class Person Who Is Working originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Matt Belinkie, Mark Lee, and Matthew Wrather convene to dig into two Disney franchises most adults have never watched a frame of: Descendants (kids of Disney villains and heroes at a magical boarding school) and Zombies (Hairspray, but with the Black characters recast as the undead). Like all of Disney’s live-action musicals, these are chasing the generational high of High School Musical, which smashed television and music records and set the template for tween entertainment. That’s what let Disney bridge the gap from “Disney kid” to the lucrative “Disney adult,” who buys the pins, wears the color-blocked cosplay, and drags friends to the parks.
From there the conversation turns into a business-strategy breakdown, covering Disney’s ability to take young actors and turn them into stars (a pipeline dating back to the Mickey Mouse Club) and its unmatched vertical integration for merchandising anything that hits (versus Netflix’s comparatively toothless attempts at experiential tie-ins). More importantly, Disney never overspends on these things; even a guaranteed smash like High School Musical 3 cost only $11 million. These movies look cheap because they ARE cheap, but they deliver where it counts — kid-friendly pop songs, colorful costumes, and choreography from Kenny Ortega himself (the same guy who directed Newsies).
The back half is a close read of the Zombies franchise’s racial-and-otherness allegory: zombie protagonist Zed Necrodopolis, the Z-bands that keep the “monstrous” townspeople in check, and the cheerleading-competition integration plot, plus how each sequel swaps in a new marginalized group (werewolves, aliens, and vegetarian “blood fruit”-eating vampires). Mark pushes on the uncomfortable racial coding baked into the original film, and the group lands on a Zootopia comparison — Disney’s habit of building allegories legible enough for adults to read into, without ever committing hard enough to court controversy. They close out comparing the franchise’s shameless internal-lore expansion (did we really need to meet Smee’s kids?) to the lost art of pure, unpretentious summer schlock, with a shoutout to the Sharknado era as the adult equivalent of what Descendants is doing for tweens.
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Further Reading Kenny Ortega – Wikipedia * How ‘High School Musical’ Broke Records and Boundaries: Interview | Billboard * DESCENDANTS LORE (the biggest crossover ever) * Black monstrosity and the rhetoric of whiteness in Disney’s Zombies trilogy, Critical Studies in Media Communication * The Witching of Ben Wagner*
Episode 943: Get Me Ortega! originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Edit: Reposted due to some technical nonsense.
Peter Fenzel, Jordan Stokes, and Matthew Wrather overthink the critically acclaimed spy dramedy Slow Horses, where Gary Oldman as Jackson Lamb commits full-out to the craft of acting by eating the hell out of some noodles. Understandably, the crew focus on Lamb, the day-drinking, noodle-slurping creature of appetite who is a terrible boss and, against all odds, a great spy. He knows the difference between winning a fight by doing something well, and winning a fight by doing nothing poorly. And he anchors a show that knows the crucial difference between starting with a real chase scene and a fake one.
They also spend some time on difference between spy shows and cop shows. Cop shows are about maintaining a certain moral order – whether that means protecting an innocent society from wicked criminals, or punishing a wicked society for being wicked. Spy shows are weirdly unconcerned with society. Spy heroes must necessarily fight spy villains: ultimately the world of the spies is a self-contained, self-referential system, in which every plot must be answered by a counterplot, and nobody outside of the spy world has more than a passing importance.
The crew also compare Slow Horses to a handful of other important franchises, such as Law and Order, The Wire, Spy vs. Spy, and Where’s Waldo.
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Further Reading Slow Horses, by Mick Herron * Meditations on Violence*, by Rory Miller * Gary Oldman Eating Noodles Dot Gif
Episode 942: The Moment the Gary Oldman Hits [REPOST] originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Jordan Stokes and Pete Fenzel mourn the loss of Sam Neill, and celebrate his exceptional skill and technique in imbuing the impossible with a human sense of reality. As of this taping, Sam Neill’s final film project is slated to be Gozilla x Kong: Supernova (to be released in 2027); Jordan and Pete break down why of course he is the actor anyone would want for that, and trace that path through several film roles and evidence from the public aspect of his personal life.
For Sam Neill as well as anyone ever has, looked at nothing, and by the looking, made it real. To the eyes watching the eyes of Sam Neill watching, the fantastical becomes the fantastic. Jordan and Pete discuss this work in, of course, Jurassic Park, but also in horror touchstones Event Horizon and In the Mouth of Madness.
The two then break down other, similar performances that succeed or fail at this technique. Of course there’s Brendan Frasier, whose excellence at it is well known, but further focus and analysis is directed, as it perhaps too rarely is, at The Desolation of Smaug and Bride of Chucky in quick succession.
And finally Jordan and Pete muse on Sam Neill’s excellence at the art of mirroring as it applies to a more practical real-world challenge, the leap of faith toward common understanding, even love, between humans and non-human animals. Sam Neill was a well-known and public animal lover, in particular known for his love for his pet pigs, and Jordan and Pete parse the hope and challenge of such a commitment, from the existential courage to love the unknowable, to the cultural peril of extrapolating familiarity from fiction.
For as the lungs of the triceratops fill and empty, we all rise and fall with the bliss of a child borne in its mother’s dinosaur arms.
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Further Reading* Sam Neill, Leading Man of Jurassic Park, Dies at 78, by Natasha Frost and Zachary Woolf in The New York Times * The Sick Triceratops Scene * The Hunt for Red October: Living in America * Acting at the unreal to imbue it with reality, examples: + Sam Neill Meets the Dinosaurs + Sam Neill Loses His Mind Riding a Bus + Brendan Fraser vs. the Mummy Army + Martin Freeman with Smaug + Jennifer Tilly with Chucky * Three Animated Gifs of Sam Neill Being Held at Gunpoint by What We Are Led to Believe Is Invisible Chevy Chase, from Memoirs of an Invisible Man (1992), courtesy of fyproprietor on Tumblr * Research Starter: Ethology, by Michael, A. Steele, 2024, on EBESCO * What Is It Like to Be a Bat, by Thomas Nagel, Originally Published in The Philosophical Review, Volume 83, No. 4, Oct. 1974, Duke University Press, re-hosted by The University of Pennsylvania * 10,000 Dreams | 1504 | Sam Neill, from 10,000 Dreams on YouTube
Episode 941: Laser-cut Crazy Eyes originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Hey, old friends. Who’s like Peter Fenzel, Mark Lee, and Matthew Wrather? Damn few. The crew overthink Merrily We Roll Along, and Mark offers one piece of advice: budget the full two and a half hours in one sitting, and do not, as he did, watch it on your phone in four segments while doing the dishes.
Matt posits that the backwards structure inverts the basic grammar of musical theater, where reprise should follow song. The cut frame story from 1981, a high school graduation, would maybe have hit this note a little too hard, but it does show something about how our youthful experiments calcify into something bombastic and blaring when you sell out. Pete is not convinced, insisting that Frank does not “sell out” so much as get talked into things by people he admires and then punish them for it. This is not Aristotle; there is no unity of action. It only feels like there is because you see the consequences before you see the confusion.
In the end, the characters’ real problem is that they never once stop and have the conversation they need to have. They roll along. So think about the choices you’ve made, and go see Merrily at any high school in America, where production is mandatory and what’s more is approriate, since the “mature” themes are mature in the boring sense, not the sexy sense.
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Further Reading Merrily We Roll Along* (Wikipedia) * Streaming on Netflix
Episode 940: It’s Like Tenet, But It Works originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Mark Lee somehow made it through middle school, high school, and college without ever reading or seeing Death of a Salesman, Arthur Miller’s classic 1949 play. His only context before the curtain came up at the Winter Garden Theater for the Tony Award winning revival currently on Broadway was a vague sense that “it’s about capitalism” and the SNL sketch where Will Ferrell exclaims, “I drive a Dodge Stratus!” By the end of the show, he came away shaken and quaking with anticipation to talk about it with his co-host Pete Fenzel, who’s written his fair share of English papers on the topic and seen several different productions of the play.
Pete and Mark spend much of the episode comparing the current Broadway production starring Nathan Lane with a 2000 production starring Brian Dennehy in the role. Dennehy is a mountain of a man playing a mountain of a man, while Nathan Lane, who currently inhabits the role on Broadway, is compact and elastic, visibly shrinking and growing as the play slides between the broken present and the golden, half-imagined past. The 2000 production has a more naturalistic presentation, while the current one has a more surreal quality, detached from any sense of an actual home or any specific “post-war” period. A Starbucks cup, a 60’s automobile, and a Black attorney appearing before the Supreme Court all have small but significant impacts on the experience of watching this production.
In addition to production choices, Pete and Mark dive deep on the complex interplay between playwriting and psychology, the immigrant-ness of the Lomans, and the perspective of being dads while watching this show. Parenting advice is given, in terms of how not to cope with life’s challenges and pass on trauma to your children.
Correction: although the play was caught up in McCarthyism and the Red Scare of the 1950s, the McCarthy Pete was referencing in this discussion was activist writer Mary McCarthy, who criticized Arthur Miller for hiding the Loman’s Jewishness.
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Further Reading* Brian Dennehy Death of a Salesman 2000 Showtime TV Movie * Dysfunctional Family Dinner – SNL * Bakugan * Lewy Body Dementia * “Death of a Salesman”: Deracination and Its Discontents by Julius Novick on JSTOR * On Mary McCarthy’s criticism of “Death of a Salesman”
Episode 939: Big Willy Style and Little Willy Style originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Matt Belinkie, Pete Fenzel, Mark Lee, and Matt Wrather broke the One Wish Willow and it paid off, as a slate of fresh horror comedy has captured the attention of the moviegoing public and the zeitgeist at large… but to what end?
Following on Matt and Jordan’s recent two-hander on Backrooms, Belinkie shares his take on Obsession, which has become not just the hit film of the day, but something of a popular moment of connection, speaking to something deep and current in the culture, especially among young people, and particularly young women. To bring folks back into movie theaters together, the current moment in horror comedy seems to speak to not just shared fears, but shared relationships with fear, and a need to mirror to one another an understanding of a fearful reality that might be too seldom honestly discussed in good faith in society at large.
The Overthinkers propose candidates for this resonance, particularly in contrast to the broad cultural distaste for recent power fantasy tentpoles The Mandalorian and Grogu and Masters of the Universe, as well as a nadir for tentpole comedy that seems to accompany this zenith in tentpole horror.
Do you worry about problems? Yearn toward solutions? Veer toward thrill or safety? Listen to the episode, and make your One WIsh come true.
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Further Reading* Backrooms, Liminal Spaces, and Gen-Z Anxiety, by Joseph Bernstein in the New York Times * Obsession and the Rise of Incel Horror: When Men’s Entitlement Becomes the Monster, by Emma Cieslik in Ms. Magazine * Roger Ebert’s 3 ½ star review of Matinee (1993) * Why Did Hollywood Stop Making Comedies, a Statistical Analysis, by Daniel Parris, from Stat Significant on Substack * New He-Man Movie is One of 2026’s Biggest Box Office Bombs, by Zack Zwein on Kotaku * Dying of Laughter: The Intersection of Horror and Comedy by Dani Bethea on Dread Central
Episode 938: Living in the Problem originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Peter Fenzel greets Mark Lee and Matthew Wrather with a rare “triple bang” Mike Breen impression and a report that, fifty-three years later, the New York vibes are good (give or take a flaming bus or two). The crew gaze upon a victory podium where the coach abandoned his speech to lead a rendition of “Who Let the Dogs Out” to overthink their own irrational allegiances.
Mark nurses a still-unhealed 1996 wound over Braves–Yankees; Matt, asked as a boy “what’s your favorite sport” and never “what’s your favorite emotion,” reps a Los Angeles he doesn’t technically live in; and Pete makes the case for hating Victor Wembanyama strictly for basketball reasons rather than anything that would survive contact with reality.
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Further Reading* The origin of the term “Knickerbocker” * Charles Barkley & not being a role model + His SNL Monologue * The 1996 World Series (Wikipedia) * Jose Alvarado (basketball) (Wikipedia) * Robert Frost, “Carpe Diem” * “Jose Alvarado after winning the Finals” (YouTube) * LeLacheur Park at UMass Lowell
Episode 937: What’s Your Favorite Emotion? originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Matt Belinkie takes the hosting chair for the first time in nearly 20 years of the Overthinking It Podcast, an event so cosmically disorienting that he and Jordan Stokes spend several minutes trying to figure out which of the regular hosts they’re each a bizarro duplicate of. And that sets the scene for Backrooms, the A24 horror film directed by 20-year-old Kane Parsons, adapted from an internet phenomenon that began as a single photo of a Hobby Town under construction posted to 4chan.
This movie, in some ways, is not what you’d expect to get when you give a solo Youtube creator the budget to go big. Because Kane actually chooses to go smaller, rejecting an early screenplay focusing on a shadowy corporation exploring the complex and narrowing his focus to two people: Clark, a divorced, failing furniture-store-owner-who-wanted-to-be-an-architect, and his therapist Mary, who turns out to be — arguably — the actual main character because she’s the only one who gets flashbacks. Building on the lore, the Backrooms turns out to be a psychic funhouse mirror that makes flawed copies of whatever (or WHOever) it makes contact with. It starts with a pile of furniture with too many legs and eventually leads to the horrifying “still lives” — warped shells of human beings who don’t even complain when you eat them. While most people would run for the exits, Clark finds this world where he’s finally in total control more and more seductive. Is it messing with his mind, or was he twisted inside to begin with?
Also discussed: Silent Hill 1 vs Silent Hill 2, the film as a critique of capitalism and/or AI, and why the inevitable Backrooms 2 faces the Lost problem of having to eventually cash the mystery check.
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Further Reading* The Backrooms (Found Footage) * The Oldest View * People Still Live Here
Episode 936: They Found Footage Too Greedily and Too Deep originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Matt, Pete, and Mark donned their discursive beskar armor and swore an oath to never take off their podcasting helmets before going to the theater to watch The Mandalorian and Grogu. This is the way, we were told. And yet despite Baby Yoda’s cuteness and the surprising depth of the incredibly swole Rotta the Hutt, we all found the movie to be unsatisfying for many different reasons. Mark argues that the movie was fundamentally set up to fail after Mando was denied the samurai/cowboy path by his corporate overlords and forced to take custody of a small child. Pete found the action sequences empty and pointless, noting that Mando acts like a Nazi hunter without any real internal conflict. In a surprise twist, Matt actually wished there were more Mandalore-lore, or at least any sort of depth to the plot and character development. Everyone agreed that Ludwig Göransson’s score was the high point of the movie. Maybe go listen to that on Spotify instead of watching this movie. Or just watch Season 2 of The Mandalorian again.
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Further Reading The Mandalorian and Grogu soundtrack on Spotify * The Mandalorian* Season 2 on Disney+
Episode 935: It’s Blastin’ Time originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Pete Fenzel, Mark Lee, and Matt Wrather follow their discussion of Zizek’s theories of cinema and desire to a definitive practice of cinema and desire, the late 90s teen romcom classic, Ten Things I Hate About You. Discussing a movie that not so much “holds up” as “remains excellent despite its deplorably cringe rap scene,” the three celebrate the movie’s craft along with its art, breaking down its style of iconic visual storytelling that make its comic types alongside its heartfelt leads feel resonant and effortless.
Recapping the key structural expectations of 16th and 17th century theatrical moralizing and the ways Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew falls shorter than short by modern standards (mostly around gender), the three delve into how Ten Things strives to rebuild a classic the way it should be, while running into its own lampshaded moral inadequacies, also characteristic of its time (mostly around race).
But even that fails to undermine legendary work by an all-star cast, led by immortal turns by Heath Ledger and Julia Stiles. Sometimes you write “iconic” more than once because it is the best word for the situation. As too are the film’s wall-to-wall needle drops.
All that plus consideration of hot-tub-as-luxury, and also balcony-as-luxury, not to mention that great yonic privilege indicator: hot-tub-on-balcony-as-luxury, which may or may not have been all that expensive 27 years ago. But this podcast is not “10 things I hate about inflation.” That’s every other podcast.
For your own challenge, join us on the Discord with your own version of Shakespeare’s Sonnet 141: “In faith I do not love thee with mine eyes.” And see if you can one-up a fictional 90s high schooler and write an actual sonnet.
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Further Reading* 10 Things I Hate About You * Written by + Karen McCullah Lutz + Kirsten Smith * Heath Ledger * Taming of the Shrew * “The Taming of the Shrew – Meryl Streep – Raul Julia – Kiss Me Petruchio – 1978 Subs – Remastered 4K” (YouTube) * The English Vogue of Prologues and Epilogues, by Autrey Nell Wiley, in Modern Language Notes, Volume 47, No. 4, April 1932, on JSTOR * Julia Stiles * List of Awards and Nominations Received by Allison Janney * “Hypnotize” (YouTube) * “10 Things I Hate about You” (The Poem) * Shakespeare’s Sonnet 141 (Wikipedia)
Episode 934: Medium, Medium, Medium, Can’t You See? originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Peter Fenzel, Jordan Stokes (for his sins, an academic), and Matthew Wrather overthink The Pervert’s Guide to Ideology, a film essay written by and starring Slovenina philosopher/psychoanalyst(?) Slavoj Žižek. Žižek has forgotten more about Lacanian psychoanalysis than Lacan ever knew, and that makes this film essay (and its spiritual prequel The Pervert’s Guide to Cinema, also directed by Sophie Fiennes, sister of He Who Must Not Be Named) a wild ride. Someone get this man a Kleenex. At the intersection of film, politics, and culture, Žižek’s offers provocative, not to say unhinged, takes on how cinema shapes and reflects cultural ideology.
But at least we get to hear directly from an academic figure whom Wrather is always name-checking. And yeah, he kinda does have a point about Titanic.
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Further Reading Slavoj Žižek – Wikipedia * The Pervert’s Guide to Cinema (IMDb) * The Pervert’s Guide to Ideology* (IMDb) * Lacanian Psychoanalysis – Wikipedia * Post-structuralism – Wikipedia * Jaws – Wikipedia * Titanic – Wikipedia * The Searchers – Wikipedia * Taxi Driver – Wikipedia * Sophie Fiennes – Wikipedia
Episode 933: Sudafed is a Powerful Drug originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Pete Fenzel, Mark Lee, and Matt Wrather emerge from the toxic jungle to save humanity from its warmongering ways through incredible acts of bravery and self-sacrifice. Inspired by Mark’s successful family trip to the movies to watch My Neighbor Totoro, the Overthinkers turn their attention to a different Studio Ghibli film, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. Although it has many more stabbings and weapons of mass destruction than Totoro, both movies do feature at least one adorable woodland creature.
The panel explores the many artistic and thematic elements that makes this movie such a timeless classic: Hayao Miyazaki’s mastery of the canvas, expressed in the deliberate motion of drifting clouds and the kinetic geometry of the wind itself; Joe Hisaishe’s sweeping and stylistically diverse score; the vascular horror of the God Warrior embryo; and the symbolic power of a last bastion of humanity sheltering in a wrecked vessel, under siege from all sides.
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Further Reading + Watch Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind* on HBO Max + Steven Chow: Actor, Producer, Writer + Joe Hisaish: Composer for many Studio Ghibli movies + Did Hayao Miyazaki really send a katana to Harvey Weinstein as a threat?
Episode 932: I Have a Relationship… with a TREE originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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“Let them cook,” they said. So we did, and we watched. Matt Wrather and Peter Fenzel welcome the third season of “24 in 24,” a serialized one-day reality cook-off that is both the farthest and closest distance among cooking shows from actual cooking. Inspired, they track their personal tastes and influences in cooking in life and on the screen.
From the Championship Season rise of Guy Fieri’s Tournament of Champions and the era of cooking competition it has ushered in, back to the stand and stir classics of their childhoods, Matt and Pete talk about what is real about the depictions of food on TV, what is fantasy, and what comes all the way around again. They discuss their methods for making omelettes, their small-screen favorites, and at one point compare Yan Can Cook to streaming an EVO Fighting Game Tournament.
They also venture into the comforting tangible world of physical cookbooks; their favorites for guidance, their favorites for storytelling, and why Shaq is smiling so much holding that enormous cheeseburger. Why wouldn’t he?
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Further Reading* Watch a Sneak Peek: ‘24 in 24’ Season 3 Comes to Food Network With Major Twists: Here’s everything you need to know (for some definitions of “you need to know”) on Food Network, April 8, 2026 * Guy Fieri Shares Inspiration for Food Network’s Groundbreaking Tournament of Champions, by Walter Scott on Parade, February 27, 2022 * “Stand and Stir” no more: Food Network hosts are mastering the art of the short-form cooking tutorial, by Ashlie D. Stevens on Salon, November 23, 2016 * How to Cook Everything: Simple Recipes for Great Food, by Mark Bittman on goodreads * Ratio: The Simple Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking, by Michael Ruhlman on goodreads * Shaq’s Family Style: Championship Recipes for Feeding Family and Friends, by Shaquille O’Neal, Rachel Holtzman, Michael Silverman, and Matthew Pierkarski, on goodreads * Auguste Escoffier and his classic, Le guide clinarire, on Wikipedia * Let her cook, on reddit
Episode 931: Everything We Do… Little Squeeze of Lemon originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Matt Belinkie and Peter Fenzel gather to kick off summer movie season the only way they know how: by completely failing to talk about the movies they planned to discuss and instead spending over an hour unpacking the mythological architecture of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. Along the way they ask the questions no one asked them to ask: Why doesn’t Rosalina just go find Peach? What are the stars even for? And why did Bowser let his son build a universe-destroying gun without so much as a stern talking-to?
The hosts argue that the Mario movies aren’t really psychological dramas but mythological ones, stories where Peach’s lost star-sister and Bowser’s tragic indulgent-dad arc operate less like character beats and more like foundational symbols of the civilization that takes its children to the movies. Bowser, it turns out, may be the antithesis of Mario and Donkey Kong’s distant fathers from the first film. He’s so desperate to be liked by Bowser Jr. that he’d let the fabric of reality unravel rather than enforce a bedtime. He doesn’t help his kid grow up, he reverts to his villainous archetype.
From there, the conversation pinballs into the broader question of how Hollywood adapts things that were never designed to make sense. The 1993 Super Mario Bros. film is held up as the cautionary tale — a movie agonizing over how to justify two plumbers stomping on the heads of mutant goombas (although to be fair, a live action Mario movie was always an uphill battle). The hosts triangulate between three adaptation philosophies (the Grounded, the Sonic Hybrid, and the Full Embrace) and wonder where the upcoming live-action Legend of Zelda will land given that its audience wants more lore, not less.
Finally, the conversation drifts — as these things do — into a long reverie about Saturday morning cartoons, the scarcity of media in the pre-streaming era, Turbo Teen’s Cronenbergian transformation sequence, and the surprising revelation that GoBots actually came first. Plus: a preview of Dune: Part Three and whether Dune Messiah’s deliberately unsatisfying anti-climax can survive the jump to a summer blockbuster.
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Further Reading* Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore | Rotten Tomatoes * Moana 2 was originally a Disney+ TV series * Bowser Jr. * Dry Bowser * “Do the claws hurt when they come out?” * Saturday Morning Cartoon Schedules Archive (Wikipedia) * Turbo Teen Transformation Supercut * “Phantom Pilot” | ALF: The Animated Series | FULL Episode: S1 Ep1 * GoBots predated Transformers
Episode 930: Confusing Mario Odyssey with the Actual Odyssey originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Pete Fenzel, Mark Lee, and Matt Wrather 10x the company stock price by announcing a pivot to the lucrative lithium refinement services sub-industry, for which they have no expertise, equipment, or preparation, figuring the market will reward them anyway.
In a week dominated by the bubbly news of former environmentally conscious shoe company allbirds announcing its quixotic and lucrative “pivot to AI,” the Overthinkers discuss pivots major and minor, personal and cultural. To ground the discussion, they consider “The City,” a new-style video from a long-running YouTube Channel Historia Civilis, better known for specific narratives of narrower historical events. Is this a pivot? Is ir more or less than one? With the memory of the History Channel not fully faded, is there something about histrotainment that lends itself especially to pivots?
Inevitably the gaze turns inward, to our own beloved show, its constancies and changes, and whether or if it ought to chase some greater or lesser change. For now, it is more of the same, which we all love in a world with one foot planted, spinning in circles.
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Further Reading “Sneaker Company Allbirds Plans to Pivot to A.I. Yes, A.I.” (NY Times) * “Ens**ification” (Wikipedia) * “The City.” (Historia Civilis) * “The Battle of the Axona (57 B.C.E.)” (Historia Civilis * What Happened to the History Channel? by darknite125 (Funk’s House of Geekery) * Private Equity’s Quiet Takeover of YouTube Reshapes Online Media, by Ernes Berna Killic (Türkiye Today, Jul 24, 2025)
Episode 929: seastatephilosopherking.com/overthinking-it-podcast-and-lithium-refinement-services originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Pete Fenzel, Mark Lee, and Matt Wrather woke up from a coma and started recording this podcast, not knowing who they were or how they got there. Thankfully they figured out in time to save the world from a mysterious interstellar organism, and along the way they became fast friends and learned a lot about themselves. That’s right, the podcast is back to its old form: tackling a movie that’s currently playing in theaters, because the Overthinkers managed to get out of their homes and see Project Hail Mary on the big screen!
Well, at least Pete and Mark did. Like Grace and Rocky in the movie, the duo manage to overcome their differences and accomplish the mission: in this case, unpacking the religious themes, pop culture references, and character arcs of Project Hail Mary. Matt did not see the movie but contributed a solemn rendition of the Hail Mary prayer in ecclesiastical Latin and otherwise served in the interlocutory role.
Be sure to join us on the Discord to discuss this great film, and to help plan a playlist for our karaoke party at the end of the world! Email podcast AT overthinkingit.com for an invitation.
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Further Reading* “Sign of the Times” by Harry Styles * The Hail Mary Prayer * “Karaoke at the End of the World” Spotify playlist
Episode 928: Karaoke at the End of the World originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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There are two kinds of people: those that follow the outline and those that depart a the earliest opportunity. Peter Fenzel and Matt Wrather are the second kind. They set off to do one episode, but within the first 10 seconds Matt mentions the famous handshake meme from Predator, and it’s a whole other thing. That thing includes a hypotactical discussion of parataxis, which is why the Mr. Incredible meme is different from the Galaxy Brain meme, and why the Leonardo DiCaprio at the 2026 Oscars meme is different from the Orson Welles in Citizen Kane meme.
Of course this gets to a general typology of all human beings (different from the one in the first sentence of this description). Quite apart from whatever our memetic and linguistic metaphors may tell us from our future selves, it comes down to this: Some of us are adders, and some of us are subtractors.
If you’re starting to purge old belongings, and you end up having a conversation with your past self, say “hi” for us. Let ’em know it’s going to be OK.
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Further Reading* The Handshake (YouTube) * Memes + Epic Handshake + Woman Yelling at a Cat + Distracted Boyfriend + People Who Know + Galaxy Brain + IQ Bell Curve + Orson Welles Clapping * “What is Syntaxis” (Language & Humanities) * “Parataxis, Hypotaxis and other fun ways to help your writing do what you want” (Books around the Table) * “Why There Are So Many Leonardo DiCaprio Drinking In Movies Memes?” (Screenrant) * “A change of typeface: Microsoft’s new default font has arrived” (Microsoft.design)
Episode 927: Probabilistic Tax Documents originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Jordan Stokes, Matt Wrather, and Pete Fenzel take on Fackham Hall, a 2025 comedy inspired by one of OTI’s favorite shows: Downton Abbey. Written by the the British sketch writing team the Dawson Bros. in collaboration with comedian Jimmy Carr and his brother Patrick, Fackham is a romp of dirty jokes, harmless puns, upscale production design, scathing invective about traditional British social order delivered from a literal pulpit, vaudeville-esque farcical sequences, forbidden romance, and foreboding bassoon solos.
Stokes, Wrather and Fenzel muse on who the movie is for; its comedic style as it relates to the style of its creators; the stooping-to-conquer character performances of Katherine Waterston, Damian Lewis, and Draco Malfoy himself: Tom Felton; and where and how it resembles or differs from Downton Abbey, the touchstone of so much of its aesthetics.
The trio particularly press on the notion of the work as a satire, and what teeth it may have, or if it intends to bite. The people it seems to lampoon seem to have already seen their day come and gone – or have they? Is it a takedown of the glorification of the aristocracy, or a dress-up game cavorting to the fictional echoes of an era receding from living memory?
Discussion proceeds concerning Hugh Grosvenor, 7th Duke of Westminster as an exemplar of the aristocrats as they remain; Parliament’s recent vote to abolish hereditary peerage in the House of Lords and whether it means what it says it means; and which generation’s slang words related to manual self-pleasure (a frequent subject of Fackam Hall’s off-color gags) are relatively more or less obscene to say on a podcast.
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Further Reading* Watch Fackham Hall on HBO Max * Hugh Grosvenor, 7th Duke of Westminster, on Wikipedia * My Blackberry is Not Working, by the Dawson Bros., on the BBC YouTube Channel * Knowsley Hall: A Historic Jewel in Merseyside, from Heritage Explore (which played the eponymous Fackam Hall in the movie) * Lee Boardman Loved being Karl, landlord of The Dog & Drake in Fackham Hall, on Instagram
Episode 926: Historical Society for the Re-Enactment of “Who’s On First” originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Jordan Stokes and Pete Fenzel slam the revolving door on the life and works of Chuck Norris, the six-time world karate champion who became a legend, again, for completely different things. They track his trademark emotional self-possession back from his troubled childhood, through his rise as a karate master, expressed in the code of ethics of his martial art, Chun Kuk Do, and into his oeuvre of roundhouse-kick-related spectacles and tall tales.
Jordan and Pete rewatch and break down two of his films: Good Guys Wear Black, his first starring role from 1978, and Sidekicks, his rare self-referential meta-text, from 1992. They also map his other works, from modern frontier heroic tales like Lone Wolf McQuaid and Walker Texas Ranger to battles of might against prejudicial violence, like Delta Force and Top Dog, where he teams up with a sheepdog to fight Neo-Nazis.
Through the discussion, a central question emerges: if Chuck Norris’s artistic raison d’être is to portray a simple, straightforward moral and physical unity of thought, intention, preparation, and action in the context of morally fraught situations that fail to yield to it, does he make the case more for reconciling his methods to the world, or expressing a poetry of their irreconcilability?
In the struggle of the unstoppable force versus the immoveable object, which breaks first? It’s a trick question: they’re both Chuck Norris.
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Further Reading* Chun Kuk Do and the Chuck Norris System Code of Honor, on Kung Fu For All * 102 Chuck Norris Jokes to Celebrate the Ultimate Badass, on Men’s Health * Lone Wolf McQuade, as of this recording, free on YouTube Movies and TV * Chuck Norris describes his classic fight with Bruce Lee on Late Night with Conan O’Brien, from Conan O’Brien’s YouTube Channel * Top Dog, as of this recording, also free on YouTube Movies and TV * The theatrical release poster for Top Dog, on Wikipedia
Episode 925: Air Bud Meets Karate Kid Meets the Secret Life of Walter Mitty originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Peter Fenzel welcomes Matt Wrather back to the podcast, and the two (with their two hands) overthink all aspects of coming back, whether to a childhood home, a beloved, classic film re-released in theaters, or the weekly rhythm of… a podcast. They contend with their internalized representations of the other as they wonder shared memories shape us, and how memories that shape us are shared. Organized labor is actually the key to it all.
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Further Reading “Internal Objects” (The Melanie Klein Trust) * Romulan Warbird (Memory Alpha) * Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood * From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler (Wikipedia) * Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze* (IMDb) * David Warner (IMDb)
Episode 924: I Don’t Have Monetization. I Have Family. originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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When Matt Belinkie, Mark Lee, and Peter Fenzel planned this podcast, the intention was to visit a variety of topics related to winter. But once Matt started talking about the BookTok sensation Ice Planet Barbarians, it was clear that there wasn’t going to be time for anything else. This sci-fi romance novel, self-published by Ruby Dixon in 2015, was the beginning of a 21 book series that tells the story of a group of human women who are abducted from Earth and marooned on a desolate world (referred to in the book, to Mark’s amusement, as “Not-Hoth”). Luckily they are saved by hunky aliens who are skilled hunters and VERY generous lovers. They aren’t “barbarians” in the sense that they lack manners, but they do have a sort of rough and tumble Conan aesthetic that lends itself well to fan art.
Barbarians unites two powerful strands of escapism: first, wouldn’t it be great to escape from the crushing grip of late stage capitalism, even if it means replacing your 9-5 with a struggle of survival against the elements on a hostile planet. Secondly, wouldn’t it be nice if love and family was a matter of fate and biology, out of your hands entirely. The blue-skinned alien barbarians (and eventually the human women) have a symbiote implanted inside them that keeps them alive in the hostile environment but ALSO picks a life mate for them, giving them an instant irresistible lust for a single partner. (Speaking of lust, Matt takes mild offense to the aliens being upgrades over human men, in anatomical terms that he is too modest to specify but let’s just say there is vibration.)
Although the overthinkers are not the target demographic here, they get the appeal. There is a reason “isekai” is such a hot genre now. Modern life feels fraught and only getting more precarious. Young people are increasingly not dreaming of a better life here on earth but rather a blank slate on another world entirely (and maybe a hunky barbarian to keep you warm at night).
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Further Reading* Ice Planet Barbarians – Wikipedia * Isekai – Wikipedia
Episode 923: The Cold Never Bothered Me Anyway originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Matt Belinkie, Mark Lee, and Peter Fenzel power slide their way into a Child’s Garden of Video Games. Partial adoption of Mario Kart World has rattled but not shattered more than a decade of global Kart unity. A toddlers become little kids, assisted gaming experiences give way to assisted ones. As little kids grow into big kids, glorified Minecraft machines rediscover that they are gaming consoles that can explore other genres.
Matt, Mark and Pete recount their decades with Mario Kart, culminating in introducing the game to their children. They look back bemused on the history of printed and online strategy guides. They reflect on how their racers of choice have changed through their lives, what they have learned about gaming with 3 year olds, and how even kids who love Sonic still so often gravitate to Mario.
They also expand from the now-orthodox bananas and bob-ombs to describe newer shared gaming experiences with children, such as Great Wolf Lodge’s immersive live-action adventure MagiQuest with the little ones or the Japanese walking simulator Exit 8, for those a little older and more prepared for non-turtle-shell-related psychological horror.
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Further Reading* The Unofficial Guide to Mario Kart, from Topix Media Lab, on the Scholastic Parents’ Store * An Unofficial Guided Journal for Fans of KPop Demon Hunters, from Topix Media Lab, on Media Lab Books * Mercedes-Benz x Mario Kart 8, on the Super Mario Wiki * Pushing Buttons: Finally, I’ve found a game I can actually enjoy playing with my child, by Keza McDonald on The Guardian * MagiQuest at Great Wolf Lodge * TIFF 2025: ‘Exit 8’ Is Liminal Videogame Horror at its Best
Episode 922: Ram Against the Wall for 15 Minutes Straight originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Matt Belinkie, Peter Fenzel, and Jordan Stokes slip through a crack in reality and wind up in the Backrooms, which started out as a posting on 4Chan about “liminal spaces.” In 2022 a 16-year-old Youtuber with a freakish mastery of computer graphics produced a found footage video bringing the photo to life. And on the day the hosts recorded this podcast, indie movie studio du jour A24 debuted the first teaser for their feature-length adaptation.
This won’t be the first internet meme to get a movie; that distinction belongs to Slenderman from 2018. But the twist here is that the director is none other than that teenaged Youtuber, Kane Parsons, now given 15 million dollars to play with.
The hosts put on their screenwriting hats to wonder how you craft a narrative out of something that gets its power from its irrationality. The Backrooms fandom over the past five years has been divided into people (like Parsons) who feel that the offputting weirdness of the concept is what makes it powerful, and the people who imagine the Backrooms as a place that can be divided into levels, mapped, outsmarted, and ultimately conquered. Come to think of it, a lot of horror movies are balancing acts between something bizarre (a haunted videotape, for instance) and an explanation for where it came from and how to beat it (the life story of Samara Morgan). Audiences need SOME answers. But answer too many questions and the scary thing might not be quite as scary anymore.
Finally, we consider what made the Backrooms such a viral idea and potentially a box office hit. Perhaps serial killers and monsters are the threats of a previous generation. What’s scary to us today is the idea that our whole world might unravel, the rug pulled out from under us and replaced with yellow office carpeting. What’s scary is the idea that things might stop making sense for no clear reason, and we might not be able to find our way back.
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Further Reading* Slender Man Is Exactly the Wrong Kind of Bad – Paste Magazine * The Backrooms Wiki * A24 Horror Movie ‘Backrooms,’ Adapting Kane Parsons’ YouTube Series, Gets Ominous First Trailer – The Hollywood Reporter * HobbyTown USA Oshkosh interior / The Original Backrooms Photo – Wikimedia Commons * Know Your Other World: Subgenres of Isekai – Medium * That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime – Crunchyroll * Can’t Take a Joke? That’s Just Poe’s Law, 2017’s Most Important Internet Phenomenon – WIRED * The terrifying internet urban legend that inspired Severance – Dexerto * People Still Live Here (Software) – Kane Pixels Backrooms Fandom Wiki
Episode 921: Dare You Click on the Link to the Haunted Spotify Playlist originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Mark Lee, Jordan Stokes, and Peter Fenzel answer the anthem, energized by John Tesh’s live performance of “Roundball Rock” on the court at the NBA All-Star Game. They map the history of the track, from Tesh’s early days touring with Yanni, through his answering machine revelation of a song that would change the world, past the heyday of the NBA on NBC, through the valley toward the Dave Tesh SNL sketch, and back to the modern, nostalgic day.
They expand this consideration to sports jingles, sports anthems, and different musics associated with competition around the TV dial and the world. From what we know about Ancient Greece, to what we think we know about Ancient Rome (mostly due to movies), to the 19th century construction of bullfighting tradition, to the growth of rugby chants out of the traditions of the Maori and Zulu, to Hockey Night in Canada, the Wide World of Sports, and the FOX robot, the Overthinkers discuss who the music is by, who the music is for, and what it all has to do with, as Roland Barthes might put it, contest and spectacle.
ERROR WARNING: With a heavy heart, we must relay one stain of shame that perhaps no atonement might wash away: in this episode, Stokes briefly confuses Greek composer and keyboardist Yanni with the Romanian Gheorghe Zamfir, duly honored “Master of the Pan Flute.” In penance, until further notice Stokes will flagellate himself with a scented candle whilst laying down vocals for an adult contemporary electro-pop remix of Gregorian chant.
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Further Reading Roundball Rock Returns: John Tesh 2026 All-Star Performance from John Tesh on YouTube * NBA ON NBC INTRO – 1993 NBA FINALS Bulls @ Suns GAME 1, from Michael Jordan Sportsvision on YouTube * Roundball Rock – SNL, from Saturday Night Live on YouTube * The Untold Story of Roundball Rock, NBA’s Iconic Theme, from John Tesh on YouTube * Yanni – “Santorini”…Live At The Acropolis, 25th Anniversary!…1080p Digitally Remastered & Restored from Yanni on YouTube * Barthes, Roland. “The World of Wrestling.” Mythologies*. New York: Hill and Wang, 1972, from MIT course readings * How ‘Rugrats’ composer Mark Motherbaugh creates scores, from Pitchfork on YouTube * The Music of Ben Hur, from Loki1982axala, on YouTube * This Music Brings Me Back to My Days in Sunny Spain and Running with the Bulls, by Kevin Gordin, from WRTI, Your Classical and Jazz Source * Haka and Aotearoa/New Zealand Rugby, a case study created by Kianna Mahony, MDiv ’25, under the editorial direction of Anna Mudd, RPL Program Specialist, from Harvard and Divinity School: Religion and Public Life * Gatorade Love Hurts & Michael Jordan, from Rebecca Kordecki on YouTube * And some of our favorite sports themes: + The NFL on FOX + American Gladiators Theme Song + MLB on ESPN Theme Song + Old Hockey Night in Canada Theme Song + ABC’s Wide World of Sports (1980) + Spanning the World with Len Berman + Ingemar Johansen vs. Floyd Paterson (1960) + Caccia: Tosto che l’alba by Gherardello da Firenze + Heavy Action + NHL on ESPN
Episode 920: Fundamentally, a Different Kind of Juice originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Peter Fenzel, Mark Lee, and Matthew Wrather overthink the orthogonal cultural spectacles of the 2026 Super Bowl, considering the halftime show headlined by Bad Bunny and the perennial cultural battlefield of the commercials, this year weaving narratives of authenticity amidst a sea of grifting. The halftime show is approached first through its stagecraft and camera work which create an transporting, immersive environment for TV audiences (though probably not for stadium-goes). The presence of Gaga is debated.
And what does it all tell us about America in 2026? Maybe it’s that “in a world where nostalgia is commodified, even a minion can become a cultural icon.”
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Further Reading* List of Super Bowl Halftime Shows (Wikipedia) * Episode 22: DIY Naked News
Episode 919: The Who is the What; the When is the Why originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Peter Fenzel, Mark Lee, Mark Lee’s slide guitar, Jordan Stokes, and Matt Wrather use the power of music to channel the ancestors, bridge the gap between the living and the dead, and also discuss the 2025 Ryan Coogler film Sinners. It’s quite possibly a masterpiece; at the least, it’s certainly the best movie musical about vampires set in the Mississippi Delta that’s ever been made.
The panelists sink their teeth into the tradition of blues music in the rural south; what it means for different cultures to appropriate music; vampire lore across the centuries; and what exactly the vampires in this movie symbolize. Are they just racist villains, or is something else more complex going on here? And what does it mean that the vampires’ music absolutely slaps?
No souls were sold to the devil at the crossroads in the making of this podcast.
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Further Reading Watch Sinners on HBO Max * Listen to the Sinners* soundtrack on Spotify * Crossroads (1986), starring Ralph Maccio * Crossroads (2002), starring Britney Spears * Saoirse Ronan and Jimmy Sing “Fairytale of New York”
Episode 918: You Can Talk to the Vampires; You Can’t Talk to the Klan originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Pete Fenzel and Matt Wrather convene cross-country, with snow piled in the East and sun set in the West, to clear their bottleneck of constrained podcast topics. In this storied two-hander, they dissect the perception and reality of bodies of work that strain our ability to perceive and accomplish.
The two share their subjective limits on the feet of snow that had just fallen, from the individual snow shoveler fighting a private war with the sky, to the kaleidoscopic social media snow spectator bombarded by accounts and moments from a hundred cold days while lounging in temperate comfort. These swarming pinholes alluding to some greater image beyond a veil, recall instagram stories about Taylor Swift concerts or the current state of public truth.
They further consider two masterpieces of slow and steady work done faster than seemed possible: Alex Honnold’s methodical ropeless climb of the skyscraper Taipei 101, and the Eliyahu Goldratt novel The Goal, an 80s classic about the Socratic method, narrative reinvention, communication in marriage, art’s relationship with truth, and very detailed, specific instructions on how to successfully implement lean manufacturing techniques in late 20th century bearing assembly manufacturing plants, which at this moment has a 50/50 shot of being on the waiting list at your public library.
The work continues, as we consider not how to optimize our own local maxima, but to maximize throughput – of mind, body, and soul. By which we mean duty calls on people especially in positions of authority to accept and enforce accountability for our duty to each other as humans, and also the New York Times rebooted Scrabble.
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Further Reading* Three Hundred Sixty Thousand, Seven Hundred and Twenty Eight, at the Time of This Writing, Stock Images of Snow Storms on Getty Images. * Which Snow Removal Tool is Best? Here’s A Comparison Between Methods, by Catherine Messier, USA TODAY NETWORK – New England, from The Providence Journal * How To Play ‘Crossplay,’ The New NYT Game That’s Officially Out Now: The 2-player Word Game Has Its Own App, and It’s Already Making Waves, by Kelsey Pelzer, Lifestyle Director, Parade Magazine * So What Did We Think of ‘Skyscraper Live?’ by Frederick Deler, Outside Magazine, January 27, 2026 * The Goal (1984), by Eliyahu Goldratt, in The 25 Most Influential Business Management Books, TIME Magazine, August 09, 2011
Episode 917: Snow is Smooth, Smooth is Fast originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Pete Fenzel, Mark Lee, and Matt Wrather overthink Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, the latest installment in the Benoit Blanc Cinematic Murder Universe. The panelists appreciated the rich, cinematic presentation of the movie, especially compared to most made-for-Netflix movies, but they also took issue with how the film treats Catholicism more as symbolic wallpaper than as a lived, institutional reality. Where are the baptisms? The first communions? The immigrants? Most importantly, why is everyone so concerned about finding a lost diamond when it would’ve been a lot easier to embezzle the Sunday collection money?
Those critiques aside, everyone appreciated the portrayal of Father Jud as an authentic moral center for the story and as a thematic counterbalance to Benoit Blanc’s cold rationalism. It makes for a very different Knives Out movie compared to its predecessors; whether it’s better or worse than those is largely a matter of taste and perspective. But it’s beyond argument that Daniel Craig’s accent remains sublime through them all.
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Further Reading Watch Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery* on Netflix * The Sacred Heart of Jesus * Lyrics to “Only God Can Judge Me” by Tupac Shakur * The Council of Trent
Episode 916: The Council of Trent? Hello? originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Peter Fenzel and Matthew Wrather return to Downton Abbey (thrumming music and all), for what may be the last time. This show has been an exceptionally deep well for us over the years and this film is not no exception. It’s a little thin, honestly, but it knows the assignment and it has its charms, including the spectacle of Lady Mary cast out from polite society, Robert visibly flustered when he sees a showgirl, Edith finally bringing some main character energy, and Mrs. Patmore asking Mrs. Hughes-Carson about boning.
This is a film about what becomes of the children (do they get a prize at the fair?), and how we hand off our patrimony from one generation to the next; it’s only fitting that it has not one but three Fenzelian Downton Abbey Moments®. Matt and Pete go into them in detail, even though Matt is a little disappointed that the packed plot doesn’t leave enough room for each event to breathe.
If you’ve ever had a fight with a family member at a real estate viewing, you’ll be delighted by the supremely relatable Crawley family and their (now multi-generational!) foibles.
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Further Reading The long history of Downton Abbey* on Overthinking It
Episode 915: This is MY House. MY HOUSE. originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Jordan Stokes and Pete Fenzel dash and dart in playful mayhem around the 2023 version of Tom & Jerry, a reimagining of the cat and mouse duo set against the vibrant backdrop of Singapore. The series (available on HBO Max and Cartoon Network Asia’s YouTube Channel), is a painstaking work of classic animation slapstick, with zero dialogue and maximum expression, and has been a captivating surprise.
Jordan and Pete discuss the history of Tom & Jerry as MGM’s answer to Walt Disney, the birth of Hannah Barbera out of Tom & Jerry’s success, and how the practical considerations of 1940s and 1950s animation shaped the aesthetic and kinetic vocabulary of Tom & Jerry, which the 2023 show recaptures and reimagines so expertly.
The duo also parse the new show’s pacing, complexity, and delicate use of theme and symbol, and the simple patterns that it spins into densely intertwined nonverbal plots with layers of setup and payoff, from its exploration of the smell and taste of Durian to its take on how notions of creation and destruction changed with the development of modern art.
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Further Reading* FULL EPISODE: What’s That Smell? | Tom and Jerry | Cartoon Network Asia * FULL EPISODE: Colorful Chase | Tom and Jerry | Cartoon Network Asia * Tom & Jerry’s 85th Anniversary Celebration | Best Episodes | Cartoon Network Asia on YouTube * Children’s recognition of slapstick humor is linked to their Theory of Mind, by Ebru Ger, Moritz M. Daum and Mirella Manfredi, Frontiers in Cognition: Perception, Volume 3, 21 May, 2024 * The Road to Mars, by Eric Idle on Wikipedia * Traditional animation: Cels, on Wikipedia * 60 years of tourism: Mapping Singapore’s journey as a top destination, by Sarah Stanley in the Straits Times * Chef Donald on Disney Video
Episode 914: Jerry Wants to Visit Wrath on Tom originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Peter Fenzel and Matthew Wrather overthink the various forms of household audit. Is it a purge? It it a culling? What is the difference in how the discerning overthinker addresses the freezer, or the toy chest, or the closet, or, worst of all, the snack basket well out of view high atop a kitchen shelf. Does the Sorites Paradox apply to a heap of goldfish crackers? And what about the nuggies? Are they made from real dinosaurs?
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Further Reading Episode 913: Eating them in Effigy is an Affront to Their Plight originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Peter Fenzel, Matt Wrather, and Jordan Stokes overthink past New Year’s resolutions, and past New Years Resolution episodes of this podcast. Pete emphasizes the importance of planning (Matt calls it “scaffolding”) to support ambitious resolutions. But Jordan thinks the dominant strategy is shrinking the resolution to fit the scaffolding you’ve got, and aligning your resolutions with yourself rather than an idealized future super-self. Even the most longed-for self improvement is likely to fail if achieving it involves becoming someone that you’re not.
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Further Reading “new year’s resolutions” on Overthinking It * There Will Be Blood * Physical: Asia * Gravity’s Rainbow * Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon * Finding Forrester * Skee-Lo * “A Kinder, Gentler Baboon” from Science*
Episode 912: I Don’t Remember the Movie; I Do Remember the Mr. Pibb originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Matt Wrather returns to the Overthinking It podcast after a legendary wrestling match with Los Angeles traffic to join Jordan Stokes and Peter Fenzel in a discussion about finding an honest way to relate and experience overplayed Christmas pop songs. To do this, they chart the history of acting method and Constantin Stanislavski’s three major apostolic traditions: that of Lee Strasberg, that of Stella Adler, and that of Sanford Meisner.
The Overthinkers consider repetition: how in some situations it seems to sap words of all meaning, and in others it provides tiny crack in the door that might be forced open toward honesty with great personal emotional effort – or perhaps through singing at half speed and then speeding up the tape so we sound like anthropomorphic rodents. And there is no greater pursuit they might apply these techniques than The Reason for the Season.
When we sing what we sing, do we mean what we mean? How does ritual bring into being the acting of our own values in real life? Do we, in fact, know it’s Christmas time at all? Do we want a lot for Christmas? Do I still want a hula hoop? Do you still want a hula hoop? I still want a hula hoop. You still want a hula hoop? I still want a hula hoop.
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Further Reading* The Actor’s Secret Spell: Why the ‘Magic If’ Changes Everything, by Maggie Bera on Backstage * The Method: How the Twentieth Century Learned to Act, by Isaac Butler, available for purchase from Bloomsbury * Salome Jens on Memory Alpha * Ross Bagdasarian, a.k.a. Davd Seville, on Wikipedia * The Chipmunk Song from The Alvin Show, on YouTube
Episode 911: Spoilers for The Seagull originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Jordan Stokes and Pete Fenzel take on the traffic-waylaid Matt Wrather’s challenge in our now-annual holiday literary episode: contrast the forms of knowledge in two enduring 1890s holiday classics. Jordan and Pete take on the New York Sun editorial commonly known as “Yes, Virginia, There Is A Santa Claus” by Francis Pharcellus Church, and the Sherlock Holmes holiday adventure “The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle” by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
On one hand is faith, feeling, and phenomenology, and on the other, observation, measurement, and deduction. In both cases the mentor moves the mentee from ignorance to knowledge, though of different sorts, and from thence, to the Christmas Spirit, be it childlike innocence or goose-oriented Victorian mercy.
Marvel as Stokes calls for the triumph of human investigation over every dark corner of material reality. Stir as Fenzel invokes faith even in Sherlock Holmes’s assurance of a happy ending. Revel seasonally in the moral philosophy of Santa Claus.
As a bonus, the two also tackle Pursuit to Algiers, a latter Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce Sherlock Holmes feature – perhaps the Fast & Furious 6 of 221B Baker Street. In this, they reflect on the middle career of clinical psychologist Marjorie Riordon, who between modeling for war bonds and her study in speech pathology took a few special moments to sing and play piano with Dr. Watson on an international steamboat thick with campy assassins.
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Further Reading* “Is There a Santa Claus?” originally published in the New York Sun, included in “Virginia’s Letter & Church’s Editorial,” on the website of The Studio School, New York City * “Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus” assortment of readings, from LibriVox Audiobooks on Youtube * “Adventures of Sherlock Holmes VII. The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle,” by Arthur Conan Doyle, The Strand Magazine, Volume 3, January-June 1892,(featuring original illustrations) on Wikisource * “How “Do We Know Things About the World,” grade 8+ version, from the Canadian vaccine advocacy group and UNICEF partner Kids Boost Immunity * “Great Minds – Part 4: Hegel: The Phenomenology of Geist, presented by Dr. Michael Sugrue * “Yes, Harry, there IS a Santa Claus…” excerpted from Cold Days by Jim Butcher, courtesy of Random Ramblings of an Absent-Minded Professor, by Kent G. Hare * “Sherlock Holmes and the Power of Observation,” by Christopher Roosen, February 28, 2019 * “Giant Penny” on the Batman Wiki * Pursuit to Algiers (1945), Starring Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes, Nigel Bruce as Dr. Watson, and Marjorie Riordan as Sheila Woodbury, on YouTube * “Actress Teaches Children: Finds Real Success Is In Serving Others,” by Jean Gallagher, Los Angeles Mirror, May 31, 1956, p. 26
Episode 910: The Tooth Marks on the Milk and Cookies originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Matthew Belinkie, Peter Fenzel, Mark Lee, and Matthew Wrather overthink the work of Tom Stoppard, the Czech-born English playwright. He seems like a playwright designed in a lab for Overthinking It, and the guys dive into Arcadia (1993), a play about thermodynamics, academia, history, poetry, sex, uncertainty, and time. What matters, the individual scientist or poet, or the work they create? The answer is “yes.”
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Further Reading* Tom Stoppard (Wikipedia)
Episode 909: Tom Stoppard was an English Playwright originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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The Phantom of the Opera is by most measures the single most successful piece of musical theater of all time. Somehow it’s escaped the scrutiny of the Overthinkers, until Mark Lee returned from a visit to the immersive reimagining of the show, Masquerade, as a changed man, utterly obsessed, driven to madness, and wearing a porcelain mask covering half of his face.
Enchanted by Mark’s newfound enthusiasm for Phantom, Pete Fenzel and Matt Wrather followed him to the underground lair to make the Podcast of the Night. The panel explores how a sense of place undergirds both versions of the show, the many different ways the “problematic” character and actions of the Phantom can be interpreted, and whether or not the show is any good at all—or if it’s all just a noisy maximalist thrill ride (DUN DUN DUN DUN DUUUUUN). Spoilers for the immersive version, in particular its ending, which radically recontextualizes the Phantom and his relationship with his own sense of self worth.
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Further Reading Masquerade, the immersive version of Phantom, now playing in NYC * The 2011 stage version of Phantom at the Royal Albert Hall (free to watch via the Internet Archive) * Lindsay Ellis video essay on the regrettable sequel, Love Never Dies*
Episode 908: This Is Porcelain AF originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Peter Fenzel and Matthew Wrather overthink intrinsic and instrumental hats. From a toddler’s hilariously putting diapers on their head to a king solemnly doing the same with a crown, they weave experience, history, and philosophy into a tapestry that is, in the end, extremely silly.
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Further Reading* “silly” at the Onlinie Eymology Dictionary * Beer Helmet (Amazon) * Another Kind of Beer Helmet (Amazon) * “My Hat, It Has Three Corners” (Wikipedia) * “Will Ferrell reveals ‘weird’ reason for his viral Buddy the Elf moment at NHL game” (New York Post) * Bishop’s Mitre (Wikipedia) * “Take your hat off.” (YouTube) * “Hat” by A Halo Called Fred (lyrics)
Episode 907: The Childlike Urge to Hat originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Peter Fenzel and Matt Wrather overthink series 16 of The Great British Bake Off, a reality competition show that takes place in a comforting world swaddled in gingham, where the stakes are as low as a soggy bottom. With one contestant so dominant, this year’s competition was nearly devoid of suspense; and the presence of a Ukrainian baker nearly forced the show to confront a world with a tragedies many times worse than the collapse of a cake.
They puzzle out how the show tries to make meaning through its casting and through the relationship between the hosts and the judges, and try to imagine what the show must mean to its intended (British) audience, playing on both nostalgia for a simpler time of village fêtes and the contemporary diversity of modern Britain. In the end, everyone can agree: Alison Hammond has made the show’s flavor’s pop.
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Further Reading “Inside the World of ‘The Great British Bake Off'” (The New Yorker*) * Ombré (Wikipedia) * Types of Levers (Wikipedia) * Rowan (GBBO S11)
Episode 906: Hero Flavour originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Peter Fenzel, Mark Lee, and Matthew Wrather overthink the world of decision-making outside of the voting booth—a world where each vote might have a decisive effect on your future voting power. (Matt, for example, is never allowed to chose the movie again, after Phantom-gate.) They touch on decision theory, Pareto efficiency, and economics, ultimately deciding it’s the right move to hold onto your tickets for Hidalgo, even if you’re going by yourself, and throw away your tickets to Highlander: Endgame.
But how to make decisions in that ultimate kid-tatorship, the family. Do you Matrix your kids or let them experience the vertigo of unlimited choice? And how can Dads stay cool? They join a casual rock band, where enthusiasm outweighs consensus every time.
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Further Reading Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind (30 plays in 60 minutes) * Frances de la Tour * Rumors by Neil Simon * Here’s a college doing Rumors*. No dialog, but you get the point.
Episode 905: Bayesian Democracy originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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With the French crown jewels still in the wind after the recent daring daylight robbery at the Louvre, Mark Lee, Matt Wrather and Pete Fenzel turn from the sparkly to the skeletal, to overthink the grand seasonal decorations on display in their urban and suburban communities.
Among its many moments of horror, 2020 saw Home Depot release “Skelly,” a 12-foot plastic lawn skeleton with glowing LCD eyes, to amaze your neighbors and terrify their children. Like or unlike other trends from that year, Skelly and his ilk have advanced in the years since, unceasing. This year, the Depot released an entire “Boo Crew” of additional family for the boney bachelor, and Mark, Matt and Pete have seen not just Skelly, but similarly large and ostentatious Halloween display ramp up in a multi-year grand ornamental Dance of Death.
The Overthinkers tackle the cultural or psychological significance of grand Halloween displays, alongside other over-the-top carnivals of the cursed, such as the continued wearing of the Koh-i-Noor diamond in British coronations. They also muse on Pieter Bruegel the Elder’s 16th century panel painting “The Triumph of Death,” how to consider the changing meaning of “cheapness,” and the provenance of Dolly Parton in the cultural importance of spangles and rhinestones.
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Further Reading* Meet Skelly’s Boo Crew: The Skeleton Family Expands at the Home Depot * An Oral History of Home Depot’s 12-Foot Skeleton, by Addy Baird, from Vice * The Curse of Kohinoor: How the Diamond Affects Its Male Owners, from the Times of India * The Triumph of Death, by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, at the collection of the Museo del Prado, Madrid, Spain * Dolly Parton Outfit from 1977 Fort Worth Concert Just Sold. It’s Value May Shock You, by Matt Leclercq, from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, December 19, 2023
Episode 904: Skelly Extended Universe [REPOST] originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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The year is 2025. The United States has devolved into an authoritarian, dystopian society where violence is used as a form of social control. In a stunning act of defiance, three brave podcasters–Pete Fenzel, Mark Lee, and Matt Wrather–fight back by analyzing the 1987 version of The Running Man, just in time for the Edgar Wright re-adaptation of the original Steven King novel to hit the big screens. We haven’t seen it yet, but it’s safe to say it will be very different from the quip-and-kill Schwarzenegger version that doesn’t really have anything coherent to say about the use of violence in entertainment, except, perhaps, “this is awesome.” But it does come down super hard against floral print button down shirts.
The panelists compare the movie to other notable examples where violence as spectacle is front and center: Gladiator, Robocop, and The Hunger Games. They also try to rationalize the role of the show in-universe as a method of social control, but mainly find that the world-building just doesn’t hold up as well as its higher quality contemporaries. But what the movie lacks in coherence and cohesion it makes up for with physicality and spectacle.
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Further Reading How to Do the Running Man * The Struggle of the Two Natures in Man * The Last Action Heroes by Nick de Semylen * Steven de Souza, the writer of this film as well as Commando, Die Hard, and Street Fighter * The Running Man* (2025) trailer: starring Glen Powell, directed by Edgar Wright
Episode 903: How Can You Run a Dystopian Government If You Don’t Know What Gilligan’s Island Is? originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Peter Fenzel, Mark Lee, and Matthew Wrather overthink the complexities of time management, especially as parents. Matt wants to know how Mark and Pete “have it all,” balancing work, family, and personal time, overseen by an all-knowing paper calendar. Is your schedule “squishy” like a waterbed, or “firm” like the rock you need to sleep on to keep from throwing your back out now that you are old?
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Further Reading Getting Things Done*
Episode 902: It’s Not for You; It’s for You Later originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Mark Lee, Matt Wrather, and Pete Fenzel whoop whoop (that’s the sound of the police!) for Liam Neeson’s arrival on streaming as Lieutenant Frank Drebin Jr. of Police Squad in The Naked Gun. The overthinkers welcome this successor to the legacy of spoof, tracing the broader historical journey of latter-day parody from the alpine peaks of inflatable pilots and Reggie Jackson, to the dark forest of Poe’s Law and reality more absurd than fiction.
Is The Naked Gun more than the sum of its naked parts, in either its current of previous incarnations? The three parse the themes of the latest film, as well as its predecessors, and the different contexts and relationships with hyperbolic performance that they represent. They chart styles and exemplars of parody, comedic microstructure and macrostructure, and just how surprisingly funny and excellent Pamela Anderson is.
Plus, if you’ve saw the snowman scene, you knew we’d overthink it, as both revellers in madness and aging adolescents of the late 90s, the two creative energies that perhaps more than any others underpin the latest entry in the storied franchise.
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Further Reading Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker (Wikipedia) * Cue The Sun* by Emily Nussbaum * Liam Neeson | Improvisational Comedy | Life’s Too Short, from Flix & Clips on YouTube * A Tale of Two Snowmen, from Pugween on YouTube * Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker promote the autobiographical “Surely You Can’t Be Serious, The True Story of Airplane!” on Bullseye with Jesse Thorn, from NPR, May 2024 * Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole receives a zero out of 10 rating in faith and integrity from Dove.org
Episode 901: J. K. r-OWL-ing originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Matt Belinkie, Pete Fenzel, and Mark Lee are just as astonished as you are that this show has reached its 900th episode. To mark the occasion, we take a look back at pop culture and broader cultural trends that have come and gone since the podcast began way back in 2008. Remember when female-led movies such as The Hunger Games, Twilight, and Wonder Woman had their moment, and how it all seemed to peak purely coincidentally with the 2016 election? Remember how the streaming age of television gave us an ever-so-brief respite from the onslaught of advertising? Remember when Game of Thrones absolutely dominated the cultural conversation before it collapsed under its own heavy production weight? We were there, podcasting through it all, and we’re still here, podcasting about us podcasting through it all.
And you’re still here–at least some of you! Thanks again to our loyal audience members, especially those of you who were with us from the beginning. We can’t promise you 900 more episodes, and we forbid the use of AI to generate enough episodes to get us to 9,000 after we’re all dead, so you’ll just have to wait a couple years until we hit episode 1,000 and do something really wild to celebrate.
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Episode 900: Here’s a Ton of Dirt Cheap Vampire Kissing originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Peter Fenzel, Mark Lee, and Matthew Wrather pay tribute to the life and work of Robert Redford by overthinking Spy Game (2001), directed by Tony Scott and starring Redford and Brad Pitt. It is a deeply strange movie where the bad guys are absolutely right. They delve into the unique charisma Redford brings to the performance, the ways in which Brad Pitt seems to be made of discarded pieces from the floor of the workshop where they made Redford, and the Janus-faced aspect of this film’s politics, written and shot before 9/11 but released after.
Contrary to what you might expect, it doesn’t seem like the filmmmakers saw 24
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Suggested Viewing Spy Game (2001) * All the President’s Men (1976) * Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) * Indecent Proposal (1993) * The Natural (1984) * All Is Lost (2013) * Sneakers (1992) * A River Runs Through It* (1992) * The Horse Whisperer (1998)
Episode 899: We Don’t Know. He Just Redfords Everywhere. originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Mark Lee, Matt Wrather, and Pete Fenzel weather a tough week in talk shows by looking to the classic exemplars and deconstructed scions of the medium, especially the internet talk show Subway Takes. Is the MetroCard in Kareem Rahma’s hand more or less postmodern than the microphone on Jimmy Fallon’s desk? Why does the 100% agree / 100% disagree formula work so well? Is that jacket a jacket? What is the role of celebrity in a medium where they ride the trains, just like us, rather than regale us in showbiz clothes like Joan Rivers and Betty White? Have we sold the past short, or have we misunderstood past senses of belonging?
Broadening their scope to the interview-intermediated podcast in the modern era, how does the authenticity the public seeks now different from the authenticity of the Instagram-filtered 2010s? And through it all, what is the work being done? And how do we know. In an era where Spotify, an audio app, can load a podcast, an audio medium, and default to video, everything we know seems balanced on the edge.
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Further Reading* Normalize strangers holding babies, SubwayTakes with Kareem Rahma, featuring Giancarlo Soresi * Microwaving is cooking, SubwayTakes with Kareem Rahma, featuring chef Jose Andres * Stop using old photos on dating apps, SubwayTakes with Kareem Rahma, featuring Lily Hayes * “It’s what the people want” – Maven on his YouTube channel success, on the Chris Van Vliet YouTube Channel + Clip + Full VOD * Betty White and Joan Rivers lay into each other, on the Johnny Carson YouTube Channel * Charles Grodin asks Johnny if he cares about his guests, on the Johnny Carson YouTube Channel * “She didn’t want to get on the mike until she had a proper fit on” – Matthew Evan Shaw of Bebida Tailgate’s cameo on the AriAtHome improvised street music sessions + Clip + Full VOD
Episode 898: One Hundred Percent Agree originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Matt Belinkie, Pete Fenzel, Mark Lee, and Matt Wrather form a demonic boy band to dissect KPop Demon Hunters and its rabid global following. Things started out small: it seemed like this would be some sort of parody movie, a lazy cash grab, or both. But the movie turned out to be really good, and the summer camp counselors played the song on repeat for our kids, and the next thing you know, this movie has become the most watched movie ever on Netflix, and the only movie to ever have four songs in the Billboard Hot 100 at the same time.
The panel unpacks the reasons behind the movie’s massive popularity with its target Generation Alpha audience, the thematic resonance of Rumi’s struggle with her half-demon identity, and the Jungian / Marxist / Calvinist readings of the film, because if we’re not going to do that, then who will? They also evoke the musical superhero media of yesteryear, including Jem and the Holograms and the truly dreadful but nevertheless significant KISS Meets the Phantom of the Park. It’s really bad. Take our word for it. You’re much better off watching KPop Demon Hunters for the twentieth time with your kids than watching KISS Meets the Phantom of the Park.
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Further Reading Watch KPop Demon Hunters on Netflix * Gat (traditional Korean hat) * Jem and the Holograms * KISS Meets the Phantom of the Park*
Episode 897: Come to Our Concert at the Mouth of the Hell Hole originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Peter Fenzel and Matthew Wrather feel the crisp promise of autumn in the air and head back to school. They may not be wearing sweatpants, but they do remember the teachers who left indelible impressions with the lessions they taught in and out of the classroom, like when a teacher’s gift of Unico stickers can have a decisive influence on a student’s life.
Of course, Matt recites some Shakespeare. But the twist is he is doing it as a bedtime story for his baby.
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Further Reading Shakespeare’s Sonnet 73 * Unico (Wikipedia) * The Fantastic Adventures of Unico (1981) – English audio (YouTube) * Diff’rent Strokes Theme Song (YouTube) * Who’s the Boss Theme Song (YouTube) * Full House Theme Song (YouTube) * Family Matters* Theme Song (YouTube)
Episode 896: If You’re Going to Learn It, Learn It originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Pete Fenzel and Mark Lee tackle two very different topics in this week’s episode. First up is something hot off the presses: Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s engagement announcement. On one hand, it’s an important moment in the lives of two people in love. On the other hand, it’s a highly intentional and curated PR piece intended for mass consumption. On one hand, it’s evoking Romantic era artwork and classic symbols of feminism. On the other hand, Travis Kelce is wearing short pants and a … knitted polo shirt?
Second up is something slightly less prominent in the pop culture zeitgeist but slightly more important for middle aged gaming dads: modern remasters of old video games. The panel tackles two very different examples of this phenomenon: Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O., a first-party commercial update to a fighting game originally released in 2006; and X-Wing Virtual Machine, a fan made update to a space combat sim originally released in 1993. They consider why they’re playing old games instead of new games and ponder what they’ve lost when old games make exponential gains in graphical fidelity.
Nostalgia and memory are the common threads between these two seemingly unrelated topics: both the Swift-Kelsey engagement announcement and new-old video games intentionally reshape the past for present consumption.
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Further Reading* The Taylor Swift – Travis Kelce engagement announcement on Instagram * The Progress of Love: The Lover Crowned by Jean-Honoré Fragonard * Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. * X-Wing Virtual Machine
Episode 895: Ultra-Realistic Settlers of Catan originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Peter Fenzel, Mark Lee, and Matthew Wrather overthink Billy Wilder’s “Sunset Boulevard,” starring Gloria Swanson and William Holden. They travel down the labyrinthine corridors of the decrepit mansion on the titual street, the border between civilization and the wild. Matt can’t get over the monkey, but still they dissect the film’s genre signifiers, representation of gender norms, buffet of acting styles, and parallels with the other great work of literary art where someone winds up dead in a pool.
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Further Reading* Film Noir (Wikipedia) * The Paramount Backlot * The Great Gatsby (Wikipedia) * J.S. Bach : Toccata and Fugue in D minor BWV 565 / Liene Andreta Kalnciema live at Riga Cathedral (YouTube) * Max playing Bach (YouTube)
Episode 894: An Extraordinarily Desirable Street originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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On this beastly, grizzly, hawkish two-hander, off-duty dads Jordan Stokes and Pete Fenzel ride the tiger of discourse through zoologically- and conservationally-minded children’s cartoons, with a focus on PBS Kids’ long-running cybernetic animal rescue fantasy, Wild Kratts.
The duo consider how Wild Kratts frames moral imperatives about the treatment of animals in the wild, while depicting few if any pets or livestock, and how that might identify evil in its exception not to universal law about animals, but rather to a will to a hypothetical maxim of Wildness that relates also to validating and connecting with children. We weigh the balance of the ways Wild Kratts, and other educational and fantastical animated zoological adventures, such as BBC’s Octonauts, might seek to ignite and foster passion for applied biological sciences in small children at the cost of modeling ecologically transgressive behavior, such as landing a multistory steel turtle-shaped airship in the immediate neighborhood of endangered nesting grounds. And we break down Wild Kratt’s villainous and heroic uses of animals as a means, contrasting the bodily exploitation of Zachary Varmitech with the deconstructive appropriation of Aviva Corcovado.
And we ask ourselves, not why we think we ought to care about wild animals, but why we really do, and how that came to be, tipping our hatts to the Kratts in their capacity to inspire.
Also on the show, an aside on the taxonomical puzzle of Tunip the Vegimal, an animal/plant hybrid enjoined with the talking animals who wear pants, but not fully of them, in their continuing mission to explore, rescue, and protect the animals who also talk, but do not wear pants.
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Further Reading* Wild Kratts on PBS Kids * Zoboomafoo with the Kratt Brothers | FROGS, on the Zoboomafoo WildBrain YouTube channel * List of species seen on Wild Kratts, on the Wild Kratts wiki * If you are in the UK, you can watch Octonauts here * If you are not in the UK, you can watch Octonauts here, or on Netflix * Beluga Whales at the Mystic Aquarium from Jonathan Bird’s Blue World, on YouTube * Jimmy Z on the Near Pure Good Heroes Wiki | WARNING: “This Article Has 5 Sentences But Is Still Short and Needs to Be Expanded Some More”
Episode 893: You Come at the Elk, You Best Not Miss originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Peter Fenzel, Mark Lee, Ryan Sheely, and Matthew Wrather overthink the nihilisitc satire “Mountainhead,” a film about the hollowness at the center of Silicon Valley’s elite. The movie, featuring Steve Carell and Jason Schwartzman, portrays self-absorbed moguls, their philosophical pretensions, and the absurdity of their existential crises in a chamber piece package.
The crew explores the authenticity of friendships intertwined with business, and the legitimacy (or intentional misapplication) of the characters’ philosophical musings, from Hegel to Kant, all the more ridiculous becuase of their marked lack of introspection. These guys could stand to do a little overthinking.
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Further Reading* The Silliest Display of Wealth in ‘Mountainhead’
Episode 892: Ready Billionaire One originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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On the occasion of Ozzy Osbourne’s passing, the Overthinking It podcast piled into a van airbrushed with flaming skulls to discuss the genre of heavy metal music in its heyday. Resident metalheads Pete Fenzel and Mark Lee chose a slate of “heavy metal” tracks (which inevitably tiptoed towards trash and hair metal) and forced non-metalhead Matt Wrather to listen to them. The playlist is below for your head-banging, horn-throwing pleasure.
The panel unpacked the key musical and thematic signifiers of the genre, in particular its obsession with darkness, death, and the occult. Sometimes this is expressed in slightly cartoonish terms, especially as it relates to Satan. Although when taken to its logical extreme, things get a bit uncomfortable as we are forced to reckon with an explicitly Holocaust themed song that happens to absolutely rip.
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Further Reading* Misattribution of Arousal * The Rime of the Ancient Mariner (Samuel’s Version)
Episode 891: What Should I Do at the Slayer Concert? originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Peter Fenzel, Mark Lee and Matt Wrather overthink the feature-length Looney Tunes cartoon, “The Day the Earth Blew Up.” They reflect the appeal of Looney Tunes characters, thrust into a modern world which doesn’t understand them and which they don’t understand. Maybe that’s why the genre of this film is so confused, swinging wildly from Merrie Melodies homage to buddy adventure comedy to porcine rom-com to sci-fi MacGuffin chasing with world-ending stakes. For what it’s worth, the crew strongly prefer the parts at the beginning of the film, which remind them of what made Looney Tunes great in the first place, with modern updates from influencer culture to Uber driving… er… horseback riding.
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Further Reading Space Jam: A New Legacy* (Wikipedia) * “Looney Tunes: 2025–2021” (Wikipedia) * Book of Mormon Art Catalog
Episode 890: The Tentacle Invasion of Daffy Duck originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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On the Overthinking It Podcast, Peter Fenzel and Matthew Wrather slide into the diner’s corner booth and face a yawning abyss that’s haunted students, artists, parents, and everyone with a to-do list: why do we keep putting things off? From the 24-hour term paper to a family tree that seemingly took nearly as long in the documentation as in the procreation, they overthink the strange paradoxes of avoidance.
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Further Reading The Most Disaffected Smashing Pumpkin * Bold Move by Luana Marques * Tool Academy* * Getting Things Done (GTD)
Episode 889: Finish the Handoff originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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On the auspicious occasion of the 888th episode of the Overthinking It Podcast, Pete, Mark, and Matt Wrather tackle numerology, luck, curses, and other forms of superstition. In case you weren’t aware, the number 8 is considered lucky in Chinese culture, and as such, this is the luckiest podcast we will ever make (at least until episode 8888 rolls along sometime in the next century). The panelists discuss their own experiences with luck, or lack thereof, the prevalence of luck and superstition in American sports culture, the difference between religious belief and superstition, and how luck offers a compassionate framework for making sense of the chaos and randomness of life.
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Further Reading 2008 Olympics Opening Ceremony * Clip from the sitcom 227* * Heinz 57, which is named after the favorite numbers of the creator and his wife * The Curse of the Bambino * The Curse of the Koh-i-Noor Diamond
Episode 888: Twenty Five American Dollar Burger originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Jordan Stokes, Matthew Wrather and Pete Fenzel overthink “Only Murders in the Building” (spoiler-free), the latest entry in the beloved “Steve Martin plays an artist struggling to make an example of the thing you are watching” oeuvre. Riding the line between low-affect sadness and broad comic shtick, the new Three Amigos: Selena Gomez, Martin Short and the aforementioned Martin form a polygon of character dynamic. The overthinkers follow with ruler and protractor in hand to chart their angles.
But is this show about podcasting, or is “Murders” about the struggle of millennials and the younger to find places to live and belong in the Children of Men heckscape that is the American housing market? We trace Murders’ style and influences back to the 2006 New Yorker personal history column, “Moving On a Love Story” by Nora Ephron, where she describes the eccentric characters and underhanded dealings at a rent-stabilized Manhattan apartment building. And we purse who can, and cannot hang with Martin Short, with a bonus never-before-heard Hollywood true story.
Plus, a bonus delve into the phama-sexual phantasia of the Hulu commercial plan, as we overthink “Chapter 22: House of Frostfire,” a romantasy-themed commercial for the Nexplanon etonogestrel implant—coming to a “Murders” showing or doctors office waiting room near you. Reproductive health is important—more important, perhaps, than tightly knit chain mail, flower lore for offscreen coitus, or practical footwear in the foods.
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Further Reading* “Moving On, A Love Story” by Nora Ephron, in The New Yorker * ‘The Bear’ Sets Record For Comedy Wins At Emmys—Despite Controversy Over Category Placement * The Royal Tenenbaums – “You’ve Made a Cuckold of Me” via Brian Thesing on YouTube * The Morning After | Final Scene | Superbad via Boxoffice Movie Scenes on YouTube * A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas on goodreads * This Organon campaign for birth control jumps into BookTok’s ‘romantasy’ craze from Medical Marketing and Media * Listening for Traffic on the Ones, by Glenn Eichler in The New Yorker
Episode 887: Traffic on the Ones originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Mark Lee FINALLY convinced some other Overthinkers (Pete Fenzel and Jordan Stokes) to watch Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story. Now they’ve started a band and will surely have a meteoric rise to fame and a spectacular drug-infused crash, culminating in recovery and redemption.
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Further Reading The Commitments movie trailer * “I’m Still Standing” from Rocketman * “The Sun Whose Rays Are all Ablaze” from Topsy Turvy, the Gilbert & Sullivan movie * Blinded by the Light movie trailer * Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere* movie trailer
Episode 886: It’s Called Port Wine, Mozart, You Don’t Want Anything to Do With This! originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Peter Fenzel, Mark Lee, and Matthew Wrather try to avert their eyes from a barrage of upsetting video endemic to our present, algorithmically driven, engagement-farming digital age. The explore their different levels of desensitization (or is it sensitization?) to videos, for example, of airline disasters, and discuss how to protect your mental well-being in an atmosphere of content verging on the traumatic.
The coping mechanisms they uncover are not unlike parenting, except that you are both the parent and the parented. And there is a particular focus of setting guardrails to avoid become upset in the first place. Once the cortisol hits the bloodstream, it’s too late.
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Further Reading Power is not energy: why the difference matters (Technology Connections on YouTube) * Lords of Dogtown*
Episode 885: Get Away from That Radical Rock originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Matt Wrather, Mark Lee, and Pete Fenzel leave Indiana Jones behind to follow the dotted line across across the map of Italy and the history of modern streaming with the self-possessed, adroit, and eternally classy Stanley Tucci, in pursuit of his newly minted cross-platform rival Eva Longoria.
Tucci in Italy on NatGeo/Disney+ and Eva Longoria: Searching for Spain on CNN/HBO Max/Max/HBO Max may have emerged from the same project, but they now face each other as competitors, two curling threads of fragrant steam above that red, messy bowl of Warner Bros. Discovery corporate buccatini. We trace how it started, how it’s going, and how Stanley Tucci maintains his easy masculine confidence through it all. Is he acting? Well, who isn’t?
We think of the Roman Empire, and our own oft-chaotic world, and muse on the grounding power of travel and stillness, that Tuccian dyad. We also connect on our experiences with other shows that deal in travel and food, whether it’s Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations or Jose Andres and Family in Spain, or Conan O’Brien Must Go, or Be My Guest (a.k.a. You Must Go, to the Barefoot Contessa, Who Is In Her House).
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Further Reading* Stanley Tucci Cooks Spaghetti Aglio e Olio on YouTube * The Travel Writer’s Dilemma, to Share or Gatekeep, by Pico Iyer, in The New York Times * Warner Bros. Discovery Is Splitting Into Two Companies, by Jess Weatherbed on The Verge * CNN to Reboot ‘Searching For’ Travel Franchise, With Eva Longoria Set to Explore Spain (Exclusive), by Alex Weprin, in The Hollywood Reporter * I couldn’t stop laughing as Conan O’Brien hilariously blasts Stanley Tucci, Eva Longoria travel shows, by Michael Balderston in y! Entertainment * Tucci Gang Tucci Gang Tucci Gang Tucci Gang Tucci Gang Tucci Gang Tucci Gang
Episode 884: We Should All Learn to Tooch originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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It’s Matt Wrather’s first Father’s Day, which means it’s finally time to tackle Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade on the podcast. We’ve talked about Raiders and Dial of Destiny, and have written copious amounts of material criticizing Crystal Skull, but have yet to fully excavated this 90’s adventure classic until now, with all three of your regular panelists (Matt, Pete, and Mark) firmly ensconced in fatherhood, wearing funny hats and bashing their children over the head with fake Ming vases.
Befitting the occasion, we spend a lot of time on the father-son dynamic in this movie, specifically how the three trials are a metaphor for fatherhood. We explore other symbols in this movie: the Holy Grail, aka the Holy Grail of Holy Grails; the crusading knight jousting on horseback and motorcycles; and things that are both illuminated and provide illumination. We also deal with the over-the-top humor and action of the movie and grapple with whether or not they constitute actual plot holes. For example: how is a medieval French knight able to speak English? Hmmmmm?
We also manage to work the recent video game, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, into the conversation, particularly with how well it captures the essential features of a great Indiana Story. Hint: “greaser son” is not one of them.
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Further Reading* Overthinking It Podcast: It Would Be Easier If “Raiders of the Lost Ark” Were Awful * Overthinking It Podcast 784: He Wants to Die in Antiquity * Subjecting “Fridge Nuking” to Scientific Peer Review * Some further complaints about Indy IV (most likely the first in a series) * From Scooby to Scrappy: An Analysis of Cartoon Doghood * Henry Jones, Sr.’s Hat * Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Game Trailer
Episode 883: In Latin, Cocomelon Starts with an I originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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It’s Gemini season, and Mark Lee, Peter Fenzel, and Matthew Wrather (and their dopplegangers), overthink the concept of twins and doubles in their lives and the popular culture. Whether the twin is a dark mirror, just another quark in the multiverse, or a satirical imitation of the original, it always opens up complex and multivalent possibilities in identity and time, whether the canvas is a needlessly complex Star Wars card game, Taylor Swift’s musical eras, or the natural world.
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Further Reading “The One: Most Epic Fights” (YouTube) * Stefan Urquelle (Family Matters Wiki) * “Star Wars* Customizable Card Game 2023 Advanced Rulebook” * “You wanna make that a mucho?” * “Here’s to Football” Coors Light Commercial (YouTube)
Episode 882: Doctor Smirnoff Ice originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Ben Adams, Pete Fenzel, and Mark Lee steal a TIE Fighter, huff some rhydo, and sacrifice everything they hold dear to bring you this podcast on the superb second season of Andor. After they sell some antiques to high society, our panelists escape to their secret rebel base to explore the many salient cleavages in the show: choice vs. free will, freedom vs. tyranny, chaos vs. order, planning vs. doing, and even the light and dark sides of the Force. Yes, the Force still binds all living things in the galaxy, even in a show without space wizards.
The panelists analyze as many of the fascinating characters as they can: Luthen, the ruthless, paranoid spymaster with friends everywhere and nowhere at the same time; Andor, the deadly spy who makes sure to water his plants before going out on a mission; Mothma, the senator who’s a killer on the dance floor and by proxy; Syril, the hapless tool of the fascist state who kept making the wrong choices until the end; and Dedra, the cog in the Imperial war machine brought down by her own acts of rebellion.
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Further Reading* The Gwangju Uprising * How code-breaking helped win the Battle of Midway
Episode 881: You’re Not Used to Subtle Nods in Star Wars Shows originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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It’s that time of year, some years, when Pete Fenzel convinces Matt Wrather to join a storied 2-hander about the stories emerging from the NBA playoffs. Though really, it is about all of us. Aren’t we all experiencing the loss of Jayson Tatum’s Achilles tendon?
Paying ample respect to the pain and anguish the man himself and those close to him must be enduring in the face of a potentially life-changing injury, Pete and Matt broaden the discussion to the secondhand and thirdhand expressions of tragic grief, especially ESPN Analyst Brian Windhorst’s near-poetical declaration of a “dark cloud” hanging over the hometown victory of the New York Knicks, to the irritation and chagrin of Knicks fans, whose players also sometimes get injured.
From the perspective of a Knicks fan living in the Boston Area for two decades, Peter inducts Matt into the outsider view of Jayson Tatum mythology: the eternal future, the dynastic present brought low, what he means to Boston sports, and why his particular Achilles tendon was of such grave concern to so many, but not that many. They also talk about Damien Lillard for about 30 seconds.
Subtopics include the social role of tragedy; the ancient tradition, often defied these days, of valuing the tragedies of the mighty over the tragedies of the humble; the poetics and practicality of the “championship window;” a tangent about crying at Fuddruckers; and whether and to what degree old broken-down red tractors in children’s books are diegetically sentient.
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Further Reading* Jason Tatum’s Injury Hangs a “Dark Cloud” Over Knicks Game 4 Win over Celtics, featuring Malika Andrews and Brian Windhorst, on ESPN’s NBA Countdown * Jayson Tatum: American Basketball Player on Britannica * The Untold Truth of Fuddruckers by Alexandra Cass on Mashed * All About Jayson Tatum’s Son Deuce Tatum * Otis the Tractor: 6-book series, by Loren Long, on Amazon * For the Fallen, by Laurence Binyon, on Wikipedia * Musée des Beaux Arts, by W.H. Auden, on Poetry Foundation * The Story of Bing Bong, by Jacob Forchheimer on GQ
Episode 880: Run Like the Wind, Horse originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Peter Fenzel, Mark Lee, and Matthew Wrather celebrate Handi-Cast ’25, overthinking the concept of handiness and and the related but distinct culture of DIY. (Do what yourself, though?) Gender roles, technological implications, collaboration & relationships, and the four-hour minimum—all these show up in their lives, and in the YouTube videos they watch.
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Further Reading* Can James May Rebuild A 1959 Lawn Mower? | Reassembler (YouTube)
Episode 879: Lo and Behold, This Pot Rack I Have Wrought originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Matt Belinkie, Mark Lee, and Matt Wrather overthink Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith on the occasion of its 20th anniversary theatrical re-release. Opinions are mixed on how well it holds up, but not surprisingly, everyone agrees that Ian McDiarmid absolutely killed it as Emperor Palpatine. Everyone else still suffers from the stilted writing, but the action, especially in a 4DX theater with moving seats and spraying water, remains highly entertaining, although admittedly pitched at a 10 year old boy’s level of interests.
The panel digs deep into Anakin’s turn to the dark side, the nature of evil, and the extent to which the story of a democracy’s fall resonates in 2025. Naturally, Andor works its way into the conversation: yes, the galaxy is big enough to have stories centered on both space wizards and everyday people, and the differences in storytelling are dramatically different.
No younglings were harmed in the production of this podcast.
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Further Reading* Reddit post regarding the late rewrites/reshoots that built out Anakin’s fall to the dark side over concern for Padmé * The Overview: The (Original) Star Wars Trilogy, with a bonus podcast on the Prequel Trilogy. These were all recorded prior to the release of the Sequel Trilogy.
Episode 878: Your Cootie Level Is Off the Charts originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Mark Lee, Matt Wrather, and Pete Fenzel, having been friends for a very long time, have no qualms with sharing deep, complex, personal, niche, or even annoying conversations. But in this podcast, we tackle the prospect of how to talk to other people, with whom we share far fewer than 850 podcast episodes on average, notably other parents we associate with in the context of our own children’s care, schooling, and activities.With the monoculture shattered by time and technology, and even commitment to local sports teams uncertain, how do you break the seal of silence on new and potential personal relationships?
We seek inspiration in shared experience, dance on the TMI knife blade of parenting challenges, and take wild ill-advised detours into horrific veterinary diseases in pets and wild animals. How do you talk about travel in a way that enjoins shared interest without frosting it in shame and elitism? How do you do more than listen and laugh, but also, how do you listen and laugh? What is the best way to talk about caring for an aging relative with someone you have only met twice in passing? And how might an overreliance on sympathetic negativity and self-deprecating humor create or reinforce negative feedback loops that damage your mental health as well as sell yourself short to others? We don’t know, we just have a podcast, it’s not like we’re doctors or anything. What do you think?
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Further Reading* The Power of Vulnerability by Brené Brown, from TED on YouTube * HBO Storybook Musicals: Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day * Chronic Wasting Disease in Animals, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention * Mange in Wildlife, from the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife * Negative Core Beliefs in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dr. Aaron Beck, the Beck Institute for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy on YouTube * Mark Wahlberg Talks to Animals, starring Andy Samberg, from Saturday Night Live on YouTube
Episode 877: I Have Lots of File Cards on Coyotes originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Peter Fenzel, Mark Lee, and Matthew Wrather overthink rebirth in popular culture, discussing the digital resurrection of cultural icons like John Lennon or Tupac and the multivalent intellectual and emotional experience of encountering these ghoulish digital simulacra. Can we reclaim what has been lost? Technology has come to mediate memory and legacy, storytelling and nostalgia, loss and identity. A Tupac hologram or a new Beatles song may not be what we need, but it is certainly what someone wants.
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Episode 876: A Hand Extended Through the Veil originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Pete Fenzel, Mark Lee, and Matt Wrather are all middle-aged dads and painfully out of step with modern pop music. In an attempt to “get with it,” they all bring a new(ish) pop song to the table for discussion.
Mark’s children (or at least their older cousins) introduced him to “APT.” by ROSÉ and Bruno Mars. The kids may not fully understand what this song is about, but that’s OK, neither do most non-Korean speaking adults! Everyone goes on a journey of unlocking different levels of meaning across language and cultural barriers.
Matt selected a song by Chappell Roan, the spiritual successor to his beloved 90’s female rock/pop songstresses. “Red Wine Supernova” is possibly a reference to something very dirty, but it’s also wholesome in its exuberance.
Lastly, Pete evoked the spirit of his gym- and club-going past with the “hot dance/pop song” “It’s ok I’m ok” by Tate McRae. Who, or what, is really OK? The singer? This song? Are any of us truly OK in this day and age? You be the judge!
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Further Reading* ROSÉ explains how to play her favorite game * Mao (card game) * “We’re Not Gonna Take It” by Twisted Sister
Episode 875: The Popluck originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Matt Belinkie, Mark Lee, and Pete Fenzel map the branches of the Addams Family Tree. We start at the beginning with Charles Addams’s single-panel cartoons for The New Yorker, move through the classic TV show and legendary 90s movies, to the 2019 animated film and the Netflix comedy Wednesday. With a special focus on perhaps the franchise’s greatest single work, the 1993 comedy Addams Family Values, we focus on the inverted relationships between the Addamses and historical ideas of American sociopolitical norms and myths, spun in jokes and in horrors and modes of marginalization. From futile efforts to guillotine a baby to a murderous takedown of the First Thanksgiving, the Addams lampoon and problematize harm and harmlessness in human experience. Do they have superpowers? Are they really killers? What is Uncle Fester’s marriage saying about intimate partner abuse? What is the deal with the disembodied hand; is Thing enslaved? Is Thing happy? Is it all ookiness, set up and punchline, or, in the model of Gomez and Morticia, might it be the greater virtue to behold the horrors of the world, and, with them in full view, embrace duty and love? Plus, the obligatory Raul Julia appreciation that must be echoed whenever encountering the work of the legend.
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Further Reading* The Hidden Message of Addams Family Values by Simon Abrams in The Hollywood Reporter * Charles Addams ‘33: From Broad St. to Broadway, by Rebecca Downing, on the Colgate University 200th anniversary site, 2019 * Charles Addams: The Dark Side of Humor, by Robert Mankoff, in The New Yorker * The Addams Family (2019), in The Addams Family wiki * 10 Funniest Addams Family Comics Starring Gomez & Morticia (From the Original Comic Strip), by Casey Connor on Screen Rant * Fear of Spiders May Have Its Evolutionary Roots in Aversion to Scorpions, by Emma Young in the British Psychological Society Research Digest * Showbizads Press Reel for the 1992 Broadway Revival of Man of La Mancha starring Raul Julia and Sheena Easton on YouTube
Episode 874: Here’s the Thing about Thing originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Matt Wrather and Pete Fenzel embrace their changing lives and discuss the groaners that have come to define one of the most common and commonly lampooned interpersonal relationships: the dad joke. We trace the special characteristics in the relationships between parents and children that confound and distort humor. We follow the forms of parental jokes as, transposed, they go on to distort relationships between adults. We frame several theories of dad joke phenomenology, relying on several different definitions of the term, chief among them the Dad joke that gives, inviting the listener to be smart; the Dad joke that takes, asserting a mocking superiority; the Dad joke from affability, projecting nonthreatening helpfulness, and the Dad joke from isolation, calling up animals, foods, and everyday objects as subjects to replace a lack of shared experience and perspective. Kindness and yearning and cruelty, hope and fear and Donald Duck: all are Dad, and all are Joke. Plus, learn the newest form of dad joke, and be ready to spring it on your coworkers, like a slinky during a fire drill. Call us oldheads, call us Overthinkers, just don’t call us collect, because like a broken iPad, we don’t accept the charge.
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Further Reading* The Reason Your Dad is Fat and Unfunny, by Akaash Singh on YouTube * MY KIDS REACT: To My First TV Stand Up Appearance (Part 1) – Jim Gaffigan (Caroline’s Comedy Hour), on YouTube * Jim Gaffigan & Drew Barrymore Ask Audience to Rate Dad Jokes, from the Drew Barrymore Show, on YouTube * Bill Burr’s Favorite Dad Joke on YouTube * Laugh During Social Isolation to Boost Your Immune System, from St. John’s Health in Jackson, Wyoming, posted March 25, 2020 * Bringing Up Bebe: One American Woman Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting, by Pamela Druckerman, on GoodReads * Eudora (email client) (Wikipedia) * Ridicule (1996), directed by Patrice Leconte, on the Internet Movie Database (here’s a clip on YouTube). Matt highly recommends this movie.
Episode 873: No-Eye Deer originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Matt Wrather and Pete Fenzel sequester themselves for another storied two-hander as they consider Conclave, a pope-ular and mer-curial film with an all-star cast and an uneasy dramaturgy. See the movie first so as not to spoil the plot, then join us to discuss what genre it is or might be, and what it might be saying about order, patriarchy, tension, progress, and how much your artistic identity might change when you swap out the synth strings and bring in the real ones. We discuss the schema of archetypes these wily cardinals in their extended negotiation might represent, either in culture war or popcorn movie phantasmagoria. We consider the role of women in the movie and the film’s symbolic final shot. We wax on a performance of tantalizing complexity from Ralph Fiennes and the stunning set design and sometimes-controversial camerawork. We lament the poor showing of the Tucci gang when the Tooch needed them most. We recognize our show’s inevitable slide into solely Isabella Rosselini oriented material. And while we do not advise watching this sumptuous piece of visual art on your cell phone, for the podcast that will do just fine.
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Further Reading* Did Ralph Fiennes Learn Italian and Latin for Conclave? By Upamanyu Biswas, on Cinemaholic * The Secrets Behind the Vatican’s White/Black Smoke, by V.M. Traverso, on Aleteia * Horror films: Reflections of Society’s Deepest Fears and Moral Anxieties, By Meenah Rincon, an Interview with Michelle Martinez, an instructor at Arizona State University * Don’t Click On This Wikipedia Article If You Haven’t Watched the Movie * The Wild West of Papal Conclaves, by Amelia Soth, Cabinet of Curiosities on JSTOR Daily
Episode 872: A Clergy Without a Congregation originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Pete Fenzel, Mark Lee, and Matt Wrather use the recent Oscar-winning movie The Brutalist as a jumping-off point to talk about the profound effect of built environments on our lives. We may not have seen this movie, but we’ve all been in buildings, and we have opinions about them.
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Show NotesOur architectural survey starts in New Haven, CT, where the ugliest building on Yale’s campus is ironically (or appropriately?) the architecture school.
By Ɱ – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=125929427
From there we visit another surreal Brutalist environment: the office building that serves as a phantasmagorical battleground of the video game Control.
Less phantasmagorical, but still brutal: Boston City Hall.
By andrewjsan – https://www.flickr.com/photos/andrewsan/6776358460/, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=101393496
More ecclesiastical, but VERY brutal: Newman Hall, a Catholic church in Berkeley, CA.
Less brutal, more gentle: we visit the animals at Franklin Park Zoo and Smolak Farms, and get frustrated by need to backtrack back to your stroller that you left by the entrance to the gorilla enclosure.
Lastly, we tackle the built environment in the streets of Culver City, Los Angeles, where an attempt to redesign the streetscape in favor of bikes and pedestrians at the expense of cars caused much consternation. It’s Los Angeles, after all.
Further Reading* Boston City Hall Public Spaces Renovation * The War on Cars Podcast
30 people getting coffee vs. 30 people getting coffee
byu/lushe3D inpics
Episode 871: We Will Fight Them in the Menageries originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Mark Lee and Pete Fenzel take up a solemn two-hander to commemorate film legend Gene Hackman in the wake of his tragic passing. Mark and Pete share a discussion of his unmistakable personal style, his trademark skill and grace, and how to act on film with your entire face. We track the archetypical Gene Hackman character – not superman, not everyman, but this man. We marvel additionally at Hackman’s command of stillness and silence and his complementary ability to bark nuclear launch orders in roiling rage. We dig deeper on perhaps Hackman’s finest performance, as spiraling wiretapper Harry Caul in Francis Ford Coppola’s The Conversation, the 1974 Palme d’Or winning spy film about burgeoning surveillance society, paranoia, modes of masculine self-delusion, and the misplaced confidence in one’s techy knowhow in a war of all against all. But we’re all there for the moustache.
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Further Reading* Gene Hackman Loved Acting But Hated Everything that Went with It by Noor Nanji on the BBC * Gene Hackman’s Movie Clothes Never Felt like a Costume by Jason Diamond on GQ * The Reel to Reel Revival, Part 1: A Brief History of the Format, by Leslie Shapiro on Analog Planet * Gene Hackman: Five Undersung Roles Showcasing His Threat and Heart, by Anthony Breznican on Vanity Fair * Power and Conflict: Crimson Tide, on Christopher Thomas’s YouTube channel
Episode 870: The Slopes of Mount Hackman originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Matthew Wrather faces hostile interlocutors Peter Fenzel and Matt Belinkie, who want to know why he’s so crazy about the so-called “comedian” Stewart Lee. Wrather takes them back to the first time he saw anything by Lee, a simpler time for streaming rights when Stewart Lee’s Comedy Vehicle Series 3 was streaming on Netflix. He sets them to watch S3E2 (“England”), S4E6 (“Childhood”), and S3E1 (“Shilbottle”). Belinkie likes all the comedies except stand-up, and Pete wonders why Wrather is even so into this guy. The answer? The death of the post war social-democratic ideal and concomitant decline in the stature of the liberal public intellectual. Sometimes comedy is tough going. But I suppose it made me who I am today.
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Further Reading* Stewart Lee (Wikipedia) * Legally Download Stewart Lee’s Comedy * If You Have Illegally Downloaded Stewart Lee’s Comedy * Other Comedians + Jimmy Carr Does Crowd Work + Fluffy Iglesias
Episode 869: It Was Hard to Experience It as Funny originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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The gang takes this show all the way to Broadway, with Matt Belinkie, Peter Fenzel, Mark Lee, and Matt Wrather celebrating Audra McDonald’s tour de force as Mama Rose with a look through the many adaptations and themes of Gypsy: A Musical Fable, by Arthur Laurents, Jule Style and Stephen Sondheim, based on the memoirs of Gypsy Rose Lee. Is it, as some critics claim, among the greatest American book musicals ever made? What would that even mean were it to be true? What does it have to do with King Lear? How does the fictionalization of its true story deal with reality vs. fantasy vs. the human condition? We discuss a paradox at the heart of many of the truly great theatrical parts: when they are played by the greatest actors in the greatest ways, do they ever really truly fall apart, or plunge from the heights into desperate ruin? What sort of dignity and sympathy does the ultimate fictionalized stage mom engender that may or may not be due to her historical antecedent? Who did it how, and how did it best? And where did Belinkie get a half-bottle of mead on a Tuesday? Everything’s comin’ up Otis!
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Further Reading* Audra McDonald in Gypsy: Now on Broadway (2025) * The Bette Midler Gypsy TV Movie (1993), from Chicken Soup for the Soul TV * The Imelda Staunton Gypsy Savoy Theatre Production, London (2016), from YouTube Movies & TV * The Twisted Accounts Behind Gypsy: A Musical Fable, from Drama Dorks * “‘Gypsy’ The Musical Is LGBT History?’” From the Philadelphia Gay News, September 2017 * The Female Broadway Belt Voice: The Singer’s Perspective, by Christianne Roll, Journal of Singing Volume 76, Number 2 pp 155-162, November/December 2019 * Paradise Lost, Book V, 859-869
Episode 868: Don’t Call Me Daughter originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Peter Fenzel, Mark Lee, and Matthew Wrather (temporarily regaining the throne as the host of the program!) undertake the annual tradition of interpreting the commercials and halftime show of the Super Bowl. This year, they find a strange landscape of dislocation and confusion: no one is where they are supposed to be. Either you look up and see a strange face—replaced, as with David Beckham and Matt Damon, or aged, as with Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan—or else you realize that you are the wrong person in the wrong place at the wrong time, like the inimitable Walton Goggins. The theme continues through the halftime show, with Kendrick Lamar playing the game of America while Uncle Sam keeps insisting he’s doing it wrong. But there is one social dislocation that is defiantly celebrated, in a trio celebrating the physical and economic strength of women.
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Further Reading* The Commercials of Super Bowl LIX (The Athletic) * Kendrick Lamar’s Halftime Show (YouTube) * 2001 Halftime Show (blink and you’ll miss Nelly!) (YouTube)
Episode 867: You’re Not Supposed to Be Here originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Some of the most fascinating movies are the big hits that somehow faded from our collective memories. Matthew Belinkie, Peter Fenzel, Mark Lee, and Matthew Wrather revisit Disney’s fascinating Dick Tracy, a 1990 kids movie that was heavily promoted at McDonalds and features dozens of people getting mowed down by Tommy guns and the line, “You don’t know if you want to hit me or kiss me. I get a lot of that.”
This movie has an astonishing array of talent behind it. Warren Beatty’s previous directorial effort, Reds, won him an Oscar for Best Director and nominations for Best Actor and Best Screenplay. He’s joined here by Al Pacino (who would be nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his scenery-chewing and self-mocking villain), and Madonna at the height of her fame (she produced an entire concept album to promote the film). Mandy Patinkin, Paul Sorvino, Dick Van Dyke, Dustin Hoffman, and even Kathy Bates show up, most nearly unrecognizable.
But maybe the real stars are Stephen Sondheim, who contributed several delightful songs and picked up an Oscar for “Sooner or Later,” and above all cinematographer Vittorio Storaro, a legend who does astonishing work with matte paintings, giant sets, and ingenious trick photography. This movie is truly one-of-a-kind, and even if it doesn’t entirely succeed, it’s hard not to be nostalgic for a time when Hollywood could take big risks on creative people trying something new.
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Further Reading* Dick Tracy: The Most Bonkers Comic Book Movie Ever * 1991 Dick Tracy Movie Complete Trading Card Base Set * Dick Tracy: The Official Book of the Movie * This Invention Made Disney MILLIONS, but Then They LOST It! * DUNKACCINO * Vittorio Storaro (IMDb)
Episode 866: A Great Sodium Vapor Process Movie originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Matt Belinkie, and Pete Fenzel, and Matthew Wrather rummage through the sci-fi spare parts that comprise Section 31, the Emperor Philippa Georgiou spin-off movie that you never knew you wanted, because you never wanted it. Assembled under the aegis of Star Trek, this up-tempo outing hacks together the remnants of a possible streaming series shortened by Michelle Yeoh’s Oscar win and mutually agreed upon better things to do into what can only be described as “A Paramount Plus Original Movie.” The jaunty action comedy that starts with the protagonist killing her own family and a 90s video game cutscene narrated by Jamie Lee Curtis beams to and fro among a stinging slam on traditional Trek institutional optimism, a potpourri of borrowings from other more successful movies and shows across genres, and a pastiche of wild guesses at what “the kids are into these days.” The Matts, and Pete track influences, predecessors, ways to approach considering what this movie is or might be for those who watched it or liked it, and how different works balance the eclectic and the shared in the construction of fictional teams of misfits.
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Further Reading* Introduction to Lexx, from the VHS Video vault * FADE IN: The Making of Star Trek Insurrection – A Textbook on Screenwriting from Within the Star Trek Universe, by Michael Piller * The Best of Emperor Georgiou – Top 10 Moments | Star Trek Discovery, from Milky Way Flier * Let’s Play Wing Commander III: Heart of the Tiger (Mission 1 briefing) * An instance of one of “The Devices” from 24, sold at auction in July 2020, at Propstore * The Fifth Element (1997) – The Diva Dance Scene, posted by Screen Themes
Episode 865: Yo Momma IV originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Matt Belinkie (Good Matt), Matt Wrather (Evil Matt), Mark Lee (Good and Evil Mark at the Same Time), and Pete Fenzel (Fenzel, Walk With Me) honor the passing of the cinematic visionary David Lynch by watching and talking about Blue Velvet, his 1986 neo noir art cinema comeback in the wake of That Dune With Sting. We overthink the parallel and sometimes unrelated questions of how we find Lynch’s work compelling and if we enjoy our time watching it. We dive into psychological schools, genre influence, mastery of two worlds, how Laura Dern Is Queen, and symbolic dualities of light and color, seeking to ensconce our brains in the film’s language to “crack its code.” But Lynch was not a filmmaker seeking to be understood, and sometimes there’s just a dark-bearded man in an orange coat holding a giant empty frappuccino on the train in the winter who may or may not kill you. It’s a strange world, after all.
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Further Reading* Lynchian, from the Oxford English Dictionary * Farming with Soil Life: Macrofauna >> Insects, from Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education * Embrace the Darkness: Carl Jung and the Shadow, from Einzelganger * Thoughts on War and Death: Return to Freud, Episode 24, from Philosophy Portal * Blue Velvet Cake Recipe, from The Spruce Eats * Season 1: Red vs. Blue Complete, from Rooster Teeth * David Lynch’s Last Public Broadcast Speech at Meditate America, September 13, 2024
Episode 864: A World of Bugs with a Thin Layer of Grass originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Fenzel and Belinkie are lapsed wrestling fans, at least partially because we no longer have cable. But with Monday Night RAW moving to Netflix, this gives us the perfect opportunity to revisit one of America’s most unique artforms. The WWE (née F) has been a pop culture force to be reckoned with from the days of Hulk Hogan, through the TV-14 Attitude Era of The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin, and beyond (a generation of John Cena haters seems to have been replaced with a new generation of Cena worshippers). But it’s only in the last year that the company finally ousted Vince McMahon, a true visionary and scumbag who finally Me Too’ed himself into a corner he couldn’t suplex himself out of (the same week as the Netflix debut, the SEC filed more charges against him for massive hush money payments). Pete and Matt go over this history and then admire some wrestling skills like promo work, controlling the tempo of the match, and the multifaceted role of the announcers. Important to remember: Edge and The Edge are two very different people and only one has a manbun.
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Further Reading* Full Raw highlights: Raw, Jan. 6, 2025 * FULL MATCH — The Rock vs. Hollywood Hulk Hogan: WrestleMania X8 * The Big Bossman interrupts the funeral of Big Show’s father * Scott Steiner’s Math Promo Sacrifice 2008 ACTUAL FOOTAGE * Sheamus to Drew McIntyre, ‘I can lose the weight, you can’t lose stupid!’ | WWE on FOX
Episode 863: World Wildlife Federation originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Clint Eastwood has been one of America’s most iconic actors and directors for several generations now, and he’s kept busy well into his 90s. But with no projects currently in development, it seems like Juror #2 might be his swan song. Like many of his directorial efforts, this movie is about normal people who become swallowed up by our nation’s institutions, in this case the legal system. Pete, Mark, and Matt delve into this odd beast: part legal thriller, part morality tale, part negative Yelp review of a roadhouse called “Rowdy’s Hideaway.”
The panelists are at first skeptical about the ending, and maybe the entire second half. After introducing a genuinely interesting setup, does the movie know what to DO with it? Everyone has their own ideas of where the story COULD have gone. But the more they talk, the more they understand the story CLINT wanted to tell, one in which nobody wants to do the hard thing so ultimately we don’t get the Hollywood ending we’ve been trained to expect. If you’re looking for heroism, you’re going to have to consult Clint’s work pre-Unforgiven. The only hope for the future he’ll leave us with is a cryptic look from Toni Collette, but maybe that’s a start.
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Further Reading* Juror #2 on Max * Skin in the Game – Wikipedia * Toby Keith – As Good As I Once Was Lyrics | Genius Lyrics
Episode 862: Your Bias Isn’t Going to Defeat My Bias originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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For years, Jimmy Carter was seen as a symbol of humiliating failure. (Back in 1993, The Simpsons did a joke where the town couldn’t afford a Lincoln statue and had to settle for a Carter one.) But Carter spent his post-presidency tirelessly working for Habitat for Humanity and winning Nobel Prizes, and by the time he passed away at age 100 his reputation had been transformed. Ben Adams, Matt Belinkie, Mark Lee, and Pete Fenzel use him as a jumping off point to talk second acts. Mark Hamill was a has-been in the 90s (also mercilessly mocked by The Simpsons) but his decades of work voicing the animated Joker gave him a whole new legacy. Mike Tyson went from disgraced fighter to quirky Cartoon Network star. And Joe Rogan was a c-list actor and reality tv host before he was the biggest podcaster in the world. What’s the secret to reinventing yourself? Do we all have a second act within us?
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Further Reading* A Guide to Mark Hamill’s Colorful Non–’Star Wars’ Career * Jason Everman – Wikipedia * Wristwatch Revival – YouTube * ‘The Last of Us’ Continues Craig Mazin’s Hollywood Ascent – The New York Times
Episode 861: How Did Freddie Krueger and Luke Skywalker Become Friends? originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Matt Belinkie, Peter Fenzel, Mark Lee, and Matthew Wrather celebrate the last podcast of the year with the themes that made 2024 what it was. Lee defies gravity, Wrather buys reading glasses, Belinkie revs up his chainsaw sword, and Fenzel steps back for a logo 3. It’s not a year in review, because who could review it all, and it’s not a look forward to 2025, because who wants to spoil the surprise? We talk synchronic vs. diachronic framing of virtuosity and ask what Wicked has in common with the South Korean political crisis and what Warhammer 40k has to do with the Babysitters’ Club. It may be more than you think!
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Further Reading* Warhammer 40k on the Babysitters’ Club Club fandom wiki * Ed O’Neill “Al Bundy” the Journey to Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt from the Jiu-Jitsu Times * Modern Family: Commencement, also on fandom featuring Sensei Ron * Graeme O’Neal Shows Entertainment Weekly Showing Idina Menzel’s Reaction to Cynthia Ervino’s Cinematic Reinterpretation of Idina Menzel’s Stage Interpretation of Defying Gravity by Stephen Schwarz * Henry Cavill’s Warhammer 40K Cinematic Universe Signs on the Line with Amazon and He’s Over the Moon: ‘A fantastic place to start,’ from PC Gamer * Caitlin Clark: Athlete of the Year, 2024, from TIME * Synchrony and Diachrony: James Stirling’s Students at Yale, lecture by Emmanuel Petit, PhD at the Yale School of Architecture * Guin Saga to Resume 4 Years After Original Novelist’s Passing, from the Anime News Network
Episode 860: Babysitters 40k originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Mark Lee, Matt Wrather, Peter Fenzel, and Matt Belinkie, Hannukah preparations notwithstanding, triangulate and ascertain the True Reason for the Season with the freshest of holiday treats: 2024 Christmas movies. It’s a ginger-spiced promenade from the Rock to the Lohan and Hallmark to Hell and back, through approval, myth, family, heroism, and the worst kinds of miracles. Emotions run high, hopes rise and collapse, and we haven’t even cracked open the egg nog yet!
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Further Reading* Red One, in theaters and on Prime * Our Little Secret on Netflix * Dear Santa on Paramount+ * Sugarplummed on the Hallmark Channel * Toasty Tails: A PAW Patrol Holiday Fireplace | 24-Hour Fireplace for Kids #holiday #fireplace on YouTube * What Is Reification?, on novelr * Beware the Satanic Panic around Jack Black as the Devil in Dear Santa, as it might make the movie sound cool or fun * Incredible streaming performance raises possibility Red One might not be a complete financial disaster * Lindsay Lohan Lives ‘Without Regrets’ After Learning from Her Past, ‘I Really Have Seen It All.’ from People.com
Episode 859: There’s a Right Christmas and a Wrong Christmas originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Hot on the heels of our discussion about Sequel Culture, Matt Belinkie, Mark Lee and Pete Fenzel re-enter the arena to discuss Gladiator 2. In the halcyon summer of 2000, it seemed to some people that liberal democracy had won a final enduring victory, and the original Gladiator’s framing of tyranny versus republican virtue didn’t seem like biting social commentary. Twenty four years later this sequel gives us essentially the same plot, but its endless speechifying about the lost dream of democracy and rule of law feels painfully on the nose. But what are the different strategies the movie presents for countering that tyranny? Meeting violence with violence? Organizing political resistance? Or the Denzel Washington option: chewing the scenery while seizing control of the rickety institutions of state from the inside? We don’t learn very much about real Roman history from this movie, but we might learn something about our future.
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Further Reading* From Principate to Dominate: When Roman Emperors Became Boastful Autocrats * Baboon Pictures | Page 4 | AfricaHunting.com * Better Man | Official Trailer (2024 Movie) – Robbie Williams, Michael Gracey, Jonno Davies:
Episode 858: We Want To See the Gladiators. It’s a Movie Called Gladiator. originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Matt Belinkie, Mark Lee, and Pete Fenzel do something boldly original and never to be repeated: talk about pop culture trend pieces written by actual newspapers. In the immediate aftermath of seeing Moana 2 and Gladiator 2, it’s time to chat about the cluster of think pieces around Hollywood’s huge reliance on sequels this year to make up both the top and bottom of its litany of accomplishments. Beset by a category too all-consuming to be useful, we present a taxonomy of sequels, overthinking their similarities and differences, and tracking the relationship between franchise and oeuvre as creative voices move in and out of the mouths of favorite characters. Plus, the extent to which sequels may or may not be parties, the lessons about remakes movies might be logistically unable to learn from stage plays, and “That Gollum, he’s so hot right now!” Are you up and coming, here and now, or down and going? Did anyone see Bad Boys: Ride or Die? Listen to this week’s episode to find out.
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Further Reading* “Is Hollywood’s Addiction to Sequels Cannibalizing Its Future” by Owen Glieberman, from Variety * The success of Moana 2 is nothing to be celebrated – there is a real crisis in animation, by Louis Chilton, from The Independent * Worldwide box office leaders from BoxOfficeMojo: 2024 / 2023 * From ‘Megalopolis’ to ‘Joker: Folie à Deux,’ these are 2024’s biggest box office flops, by Aidin Vaziri, from the San Francisco Chronicle
Episode 857: Does Gollum Have to Do Gollum Things? originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Pete Fenzel and Matt Wrather hold a storied two-hander on Ted Danson’s new Netflix retirement home spy sitcom, A Man on the Inside, which rides the lines among funny and solemn; easy and challenging; and polemic and hagiography. We dig deep on the “All the World’s a Stage” monologue from Shakespeare’s As You Like It, which is heavily featured in the show, and broaden the conversation to the literary project of using storytelling to inspire humans to find common interest and empathy in their shared condition and mortality. Comedic floors come up, by which a baseline of silliness might be established to soften the cruelty of jokes and satire. We talk sandwiches, specifically those in their 40s and 50s caring for both aging parents and growing teenagers. Matt updates us on his transition into fatherhood and the experience of reading to his daughter, while Pete goes off about dementia, compassion, and dignity in all stages of life. The question as to how exactly this show will manage a second season will have to wait for another podcast.
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Further Reading* “All the World’s a Stage: The Seven Ages of Man” from William Shakespeare’s As You Like It, performed solo by Benedict Cumberbatch (The Shakespeare Network * “The Sandwich Generation: Rising Financial Burdens for Middle-Aged Americans” (Pew Research Center, 2013) * The Iliad, Book 24: Achilles and Priam, performed by Ananke * How to Be Perfect: The Correct Answer to Every Moral Question, by showrunner Michael Schur on Goodreads * A Man on the Inside Cast: Who Stars Alongside Ted Danson, from RadioTimes * OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies on the Internet Movie Database / A Man on the Inside Poster, from the Internet Movie Database
Episode 856: Warehousing People originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Matt Wrather makes a surprise stop in from parental leave to join Matt Belinkie, Mark Lee and Pete Fenzel as we discuss The Onion: its history, style, and modes of satire through the years. We overthink the A.I.-threatened art of clever photoshopping, the dialogue between image and text, doing topical humor on news figures with zero impersonation, and good-natured, tragic pathos. With the Onion back in print and proposing to expand its media empire with an acquisition of InfoWars, will everything that was old and funny become new again and also funny? Plus, a question of the week on our greatest hits for children’s bedtime stories, and a blazing take from area new father that 9/11 may have changed American culture.
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Further Reading* Who are those six people in that one Onion section? – theonion.com | Ask MetaFilter * “Frog and Toad”: An Amphibious Celebration of Same-Sex Love | The New Yorker * De Blasio: ‘Well, Well, Well, Not So Easy To Find A Mayor That Doesn’t Suck Shit, Huh?’ – The Onion * You Will Suffer Humiliation When The Sports Team From My Area Defeats The Sports Team From Your Area – The Onion * Issue 37•34: The September 11th Issue – The Onion * Not Knowing What Else To Do, Woman Bakes American-Flag Cake – The Onion * Pop Culture Expert Surprisingly Not Ashamed Of Self – The Onion * Standards Lowered For Second Search Through Fridge – The Onion * Man Returning From Vacation Settles On Single Concise Anecdote He’ll Tell Everyone Who Asks – The Onion * Dog Looks At Owner Who Put It In Costume Like Mafia Don Betrayed By Loyal Consigliere – The Onion * Bloodied, Bruised John Kerry Emerges Victorious At Kickboxing Tournament In Bangkok Prison – The Onion * John Kerry Sits In Shadows Of Kiev Café Awaiting Woman Known Only As Dasha – The Onion * Theme Park Guests Trapped For Harrowing 6 Hours On Stuck Merry-Go-Round – The Onion * Outdoor Advertising Is A Blight On Our Society vs. I Just Wanted To Tell The Nice People About The Yogurt – The Onion * r/AteTheOnion * The new CEO of ‘The Onion’ is bringing back ‘the good internet.’ Here’s how
Episode 855: I Like to Consider Myself a Local Man originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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After six years as the only Overthinker to appreciate these masterpieces, Pete Fenzel has finally convinced Matt Belinke to watch the Tom Hardy Venom movies. And it’s just in time, as Venom: The Last Dance is here to escort the series to its Comic Book Death (and inevitable resurrection). What follows is Matt and Pete’s deep dive on the whole Venom trilogy and its four pillars: amazing relationship-driven character scenes, shockingly deep cultural and psychological symbolism, plots that make no sense, and brutal comic book violence. It’s the rare series whose best parts are its filler, the best in-your-head “Space Oddity” singalong you’ll see in an IMAX movie theater with 12 people in it this year, and our second new movie in two weeks with a direct stand-in for Randy Quaid’s character in Independence Day. The discussion topics are symbiotic tendrils pulling us forward – away from parasitism, toward healthy attachment. And unlike these movies, we don’t bite anyone’s heads off.
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Further Reading* The Dependency Paradox in Relationships, by Dr. Terry Levy, Ph.D., B.C.F.E., Director, Evergreen Psychotherapy Center and the Attachment Treatment & Training Institute, Evergreen, Colorado * The Christmas Tree Is A Tradition Older Than Christmas, by Troy Bickman, Professor of History at Texas A&M University * How to Access the Secret Stage: Statue of Liberty – Maximum Carnage Guide – Hidden Cutscene Guide, from AcidGlow on YouTube
Episode 854: Venom’s Superpower Is Friendship originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Mark Lee, Pete Fenzel, and Matt Belinkie check in with the mother of all cinematic franchises, Godzilla. After 70 years and 38 films, how can the big guy possibly surprise us, much less move us? Well shockingly, Godzilla Minus One from 2023 got a 99% on Rotten Tomatoes, and earned an Oscar for Best Special Effects. We break down exactly how Godzilla reinvented its future by reimagining Japan’s post-war past. We also recall some of the series’s history, such as a 1969 movie in which a little boy meets Godzilla’s son, who is being bullied by other monsters.
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Further Reading* Depression & Anti-Bullying Awareness: All Monsters Attack/Godzilla’s Revenge (1969) * Godzilla X Kong Ne-Yo Closer Meme Montage
Episode 853: Breath of Atomic Fresh Air originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Matt Belinkie, Mark Lee, and Pete Fenzel make their vague dreams into iconic realities by overthinking The Greatest Showman. Is it a concept album with spectacular visuals and only a loose plot, or a symbolic visual poem packed with bangers? An idealistic romp about a great historical cynic, a flagrantly inaccurate yarn about a man who might have loved it, The Greatest Showman asks us to consider the difference between dreams and lies, and whether a dream must come true to matter deeply. For its subject, it also offers inadequate ramp-up or justification for a man’s obsession with and exploitation of “human oddities.” Watch the happiest movie about Hugh Jackman stealing bread, and come overthink it with us! This is the Greatest Podcast!
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Further Reading* Alan Moore on Magic * “This Is Our Story and Finale” from Shrek the Musical * “Songwriters Benj Pasek and Justin Paul Achieve EGOT Status With Emmys Win,” from Variety
Episode 852: What Is P.T. Barnum’s Dream? It’s Just Dreams! originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Podfather Matt Wrather is notoriously adverse to scary movies. But as he is still on paternity leave, Pete, Mark, and Matt B overthink “Trap,” a movie that is about being a dad both explicitly and metatextually. Is it a good movie? No, it is not. Its premise is nonsensical, its structure is disjointed, and it exists largely to showcase the questionable pop music and even more questionable acting talent of M. Night’s daughter. But it is also deeply fascinating, because you don’t often see a movie that’s bad because the creator had too MUCH creative freedom and not enough studio executives to hold him back. This is the “Megalopolis” of thrillers. And underneath all the silliness are some interesting ideas about parenting. How do we balance our parent self with our other, more private selves? In a way, don’t ALL dads sneak off to the bathroom to use our phones to check on our murder victims? More importantly, did M. Night Shyamalan really cast Hayley Mills as an inside joke just because she starred in “The Parent Trap”? Because that’s crazy.
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Further Reading“The First Movie About Pop Music to Nail Its Mediocrity” – New York Times
Episode 851: The Parent Trapper originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Matt Belinkie, Peter Fenzel, and Mark Lee step slowly up to the wrought-iron knocker on the old oak door of this haunted mansion we call a podcast and knock three times to welcome Halloween! The door creaks on rusty hinges to reveal a bowl of tricks and treats: the spooky-scary and the spooky-silly. These three fathers wonder then on the meaning of Halloween costumes for children: the scary, the aspirational, and the ones with retirement plans. Discussions follow of our favorite scarecrows at the crossroads of ghoulish and gigglish, from remembrance of Crypt Keepers past, to blazing hot takes on a chilling corpse of a topic: The Addams Family versus the Munsters. Are scary things here, or are they yet to come? You’ll have to wait and scream!!
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Further Reading* Overthinking It Podcast, Episode 539: Halloween Candy * Crypt Keeper Pun Time playlist, from Subgenre Fanatic * “Hulk Smash” by Happy Birthday on Spotify * The Addams Family intro on YouTube * The Drag-u-La on the Munsters YouTube channel * Mummies perform the Monkees Theme Song on The Masked Singer
Episode 850: We Don’t Respect The Munsters, and We Don’t Respect the Monkees originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Against all odds, Matt Belinkie, Peter Fenzel, and Mark Lee have reunited in tribute to the upcoming Oasis tour. Inspired by their once-intense but now fatigued, even deadened feelings for “Wonderwall,” they discuss the phenomenology of overplaying, the art of giving up on song meaning, and the erosion of phonetic memory, as they pertain to classic rock, arena rock, boy bands, proto-Romantic poetry, and, of course, the seminal album What’s the Story Morning Glory? Canonical tracks such as Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” and Smash Mouth’s “All Star” are considered, elevating this podcast episode from merely music celebrity news to True High Art. Bonus “Wonderwall” performance, for Members Only.
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Further Reading* “How to Play Wonderwall on Guitar (Chords, Tabs, Instructional Videos, Lessons, and More)” on LectureOwl * “Carrot Top vs. Gallagher” from the Blocks Podcast with Neal Brennen * Strong Bad Email #36: Guitar, from Homestarrunnerdotcom * “What Hotel California by Eagles Is Really About” by Lyristoric * “Super ‘Sonic Saves the World’ World,” Allegedly by Maddy, on SMW Central * “The Tyger” by William Blake, read by Tom O’Bedlam
Episode 849: Let’s De-Wonderwall This originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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In the 21st century, Dame Maggie Smith was celebrated for her portrayals of Hogwarts’s Professor McGonagall and Downton’s Dowager Countess Violet Crawley. But decades before that, she won two Oscars for movies that are now so obscure you can watch them for free on YouTube. What ties together her body of work is a delightful ability to express everything her character can’t say, and to show us how a sense of duty and propriety can restrain us but also empower us. Pete and Belinkie discuss her career highlights and especially California Suite, which won her a second Oscar in 1978 but has not aged well at all (Bill Cosby jokes about drugging someone with sleeping pills, yikes). Wrather makes a special appearance to update us on parenthood and tell us about seeing Dame Maggie on stage.
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Further Reading* California Suite * The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie
Episode 848: She Was Always What Was Going On originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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The Bachelor franchise has been chugging along for more than 20 years now, in a neverending ouroboros of broken hearts and moonlit dinners surrounded by hundreds of tea candles. Audiences want to see the fairy tale romance, and don’t seem to mind the awkward fact that the large majority of Bachelor couples break up shortly after the cameras stop rolling. Now, hot on the heels of the first Golden Bachelor (married in a televised special in January, divorced in April), ABC is giving us 61-year-old widow Joan Vassos and 24 suitors. And Mark, Pete, and Belinkie step out of a metaphorical limo in search of a rose, and some answers. How does aging up the formula change our experience as viewers? Is it okay for these people to want to be on TV, or is that not “the right reasons?” And why does Belinkie insist that this show pairs excellently with Warhammer 40k?
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Further Reading* Golden Bachelorette’s Jack Says Family Wasn’t ‘Happy’ He Went on Show | Us Weekly * Watchers of the Throne: The Emperor’s Legion (eBook)
Episode 847: If You’re Into 60 Year Old Dudes, This Show Is the Best originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Overthinking It has been obsessing over, and often lamenting, the Terminator franchise going all the way back to the regrettable 2009 entry, “Terminator Salvation.” The latest entry to the franchise, “Terminator Zero,” is a Netflix animated series and is much better than Salvation and subsequent movies, but not without its issues. Matt, Pete, and the Internet’s Leading Authority on Terminator, Mark, stare deep into the anime eyes of the show’s heroes and villains to unpack its philosophical musings on the human condition, the many reasons why brilliant scientist Malcolm Lee is a terrible dad, and the meta-commentary on a franchise that seems fated to telling the same story of robots chasing humans over and over again.
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Further Reading* The many, many podcasts and articles on Terminator we’ve released over the years * “My Wife and My Mother-in-Law”
Episode 846: My Neighbor Kokoro originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Beetlejuice is such an iconic character that it’s easy to forget how weird and confusing he is (for starters, his name is actually spelled “Betelgeuse” according to his own tombstone). In this episode, Mark, Pete, Jordan, and Matt Belinkie (your substitute Matt) try to figure out if we’re dealing with a wily trickster demon or an impulsive idiot. We also look at the Deetzes, Manhattan transplants that combine the narcissism of the art world with predatory Reagan-era capitalism… which might actually be grimmer than the eternal DMV of the afterlife. And then there’s Otho, a gay character who seems to be an important stand-in for the gay screenwriter. Ultimately, this is a fun little dark comedy with surprisingly deep insights about the difference between simply BEING alive, and HAVING a life.
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Episode 845: My House Is Haunted; This Is a Great Business Opportunity originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Once Matt Wrather heads off to parental leave, Overthinking It will be staffed entirely by parents. In the last podcast before this happens, this selfsame Impending Dad Matt, Peter Fenzel and Mark Lee each bring their own choice for “End of an Era” culture for discussion. Pete speaks on Ben Stiller playing a Gen Xer making his lasts grasps at youth, paired against the meteorically rising Greta Gerwig in Greenberg; Mark muses on the heady days of Hamilton in vivo; and Matt, in a grand parting stroke to alienate and confound, tells a personal story about a discussion he had 25 years ago about the first part in the Histoire des Treize (a.k.a. The Thirteen) section of La Comédie Humaine: “Ferragus, chef des Dévorants,” by Honoré de Balzac. It is his last joke that is not a dad joke.
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Further Reading* Greenberg Star Greta Gerwig Steps from the Shadows of Mumblecore from The Guardian, June 4, 2010 * Why Generation Um is Keanu Reeves’ Worst Movie, from ScreenRant * Overthinking It Podcast episode #628: An Extraordinarily Rich Meal, in which we discuss Hamilton on streaming at the height of That Championship Season * You Great Unfinished Symphony: the History Behind Hamilton at the Massachusetts Historical Society * The Thirteen, by Honoré de Balzac, translated by Katharine Prescott Wormeley and Ellen Marriage, from Project Gutenberg * Mausoleo de Augusto, Piazza Augusto Imperatore, Rome, but who knows who that guy was anyway
Episode 844: The Letting Go of Cool originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Peter Fenzel, Jordan Stokes, and Matthew Wrather examine the Netflix series called The Decameron, which does bear some loose resemblance to Bocaccio’s similarly-titled work of medieval literature.
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Further Reading The Decameron (Wikipedia) * A lecture on The Decameron (YouTube) * “Parables of the Plague” by Elena Comay del Junco (LARB) * The Decameron* (film) (Wikipedia)
Episode 843: Rip the Spike out of the Peacock originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Matt Belinkie, Mark Lee, and Peter Fenzel overthink those despicable Minions. Are they evil because they serve evil, or are they antibodies of a moral universe, because they undermine the evil they serve? What does it mean to be despicable? What fictional characters have made such an impact that we will still see them everywhere in 100 years? And why will the minions gradually conquer all AI training data to dominate future superintelligence?
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Further Reading* “Minionpalooza: The Rise of Minion Culture” on Polygon * “How Not Enforcing It’s IP, Universal Made The Minions Ubiquitous and Beloved” on Techdirt * “TikTok’s Crucified Minion Meme, Explained” on Forbes * “Funny Minions Best Comedy Songs” on Spotify * Yogi Bear Parody: “Booboo Kills Yogi: ending
Episode 842: General Minion Intelligence originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Matthew Belinkie, Peter Fenzel, and Mark Lee confront the demons to overthink DOOM. They discuss the risks and successes of the dawn of 3D gaming, the pump-action panache of the DOOM guy and DOOM shotgun, and how and why we never feel fatigued or insulted by a DOOM re-release. Plus bonus discussion of its four-letter capitalized companion: MYST.
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Further Reading* DOOM + DOOM II Steam Store Page * “The Pump Action Shotgun: The Sound and the Fury“: old Overthinking Article that touches on the appeal of the DOOM shotgun.
Episode 841: It Feels Like They Sent the Right Person originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Matthew Belinkie, Peter Fenzel, Mark Lee, and Matthew Wrather overthink the games of the XXXIII Olympiad in Paris, France. They discuss the opening ceremony, the fractured media landscape which has them consuming the games in various ways, and the tiers of sports you can relate to and can’t.
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Further Reading “What Makes the Shot Put Go Far?” (Track and Field Coach) * The Madwoman in the Attic * Between Men: English Literature and Male Homosocial Desire*
Episode 840: The Snoopification of the Olympics originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Peter Fenzel, Mark Lee, and Matthew Wrather overthink Deadpool & Wolverine, starting with a provocative (G-rated!) question, and continuing through
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Further Reading* “The Spectacular Failure of the Star Wars Hotel” (Jenny Nicholson on YouTube)
Episode 839: A Star Trek Solution to a Throuples Therapy Problem originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Middle-aged podcasters Peter Fenzel, Mark Lee, and Matthew Wrather investigate the “Kamala is Brat” meme and discover that it is actually a record album, such as you can play on a phonograph. They investigate Charli XCX’s BRAT, discussing its style and sound, its lyrical concern, its cultural connections, and the function of “brat” as a way of being in the world.
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Further Reading + BRAT* on Genius + “Reload! A History of The Rewind” (DJ Tech Tools) + Essex on Wikipedia
Episode 838: Brat Summer’s Lease Hath All Too Short a Date originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Peter Fenzel, Mark Lee, and Matthew Wrather overthink Matt’s recent baby shower, and settle on the theme of baby stuff (or “stuffs”) as a peculiar and unique entry in the poetry of stuffs that makes up one’s life.
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Episode 837: The Days are Long; The Years are Short; The Decades are Meaningless originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Peter Fenzel, Mark Lee, and Matthew Wrather overthink Jerry Seinfeld’s Unfrosted, a parodic film about the 1960s in America (and, incidentally about the invention of the Pop Tart). But they don’t tuck in before they’ve had breakfaast—in a nostalgic prolegomenon (inspired by the film’s nostalgia) they discuss their feelings about breakfast and how kids interact with breakfast before getting to the film’s (something less than trenchant) poking fun at mid-century corporate culture, the space race, and (awkwardly) January 6.
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Further Reading* Jack LaLanne (Wikipedia)
Episode 836: Blood and Milk originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Peter Fenzel and Matthew Wrather overthink Beverly Hills Copy: Axel F., discussing its undeserved critical reception (at least by the New York Times), its bemusing but unexpectedly resonant first sequence, the role of accountability and apology in relationships with an asymmetric power dynamic, and its unexpected Downton Abbey moment involving a fictitious hockey league.
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Further Reading* “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F’ Review: It’s Busted” (NY Times) * “Fred Rogers Took a Stand Against Racial Inequality When He Invited a Black Character to Join Him in a Pool” (Biography)
Episode 835: Dick Wolf Comes Westward, Like the Course of Empire originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Peter Fenzel, Mark Lee, and Matthew Wrather take another look at music generated by AI diffusion models, which have come a long way. They discuss the possible significance of this new technology and how it fits into our conception of creativity, and they play each other some tunes they’ve prompted.
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Further Reading Dirt Road Brew * Puppy Patrol * Temple of Taste * Podcast Theme * Arcadia* by Tom Stoppard (Wikiquote)
And here’s the last time we tackled AI music:
Episode 803: It Is Kind Of Amazing. It Is Also Crap.
Episode 834: What Did You Think Would Happen to Humanity That Would Be Better Than This? originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Peter Fenzel and Matthew Wrather overthink Inside Out 2 (2 Inside 2 Out), the anxiety-centered follow up to the 2015 Pixar hit. They both had a pretty difficult experience watching the movie, which was like a 90-minute anxiety attack, but they explore its allegory of the self, the presence and curious absence of the social world in the movie’s account of adolescence, and the quacking absence hanging over every frame of this hockey-centric story.
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Further Reading How To Tell If Your Relative Was Really* A Keystone Kop
Episode 833: Ins and Outs, Man originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Peter Fenzel, Mark Lee, and Matthew Wrather consider why the Pope brought comedians including Stephen Colbert, Whoopi Goldberg, and Chris Rock (?!) together at the Vatican and what he had to say to them.
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Further Reading* “Stephen Colbert and Whoopi Goldberg Met the Pope in the Vatican. No Joke.” (NYT) * Address of His Holiness Pope Francis to Comedians * Prayer for Good Humor (St. Thomas More) * “The story behind the Vatican’s colossal sculpture of Jesus rising from nuclear destruction” (America Magazine) * “The Resurrection” (Wikipedia)
Episode 832: I Guess It’s His Job to be Unreasonable Forgiving originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Peter Fenzel, Mark Lee, and Matthew Wrather overthink Richard Linklater’s film Hit Man, now streaming on Netflix. Topics include the film’s misreading of Nietzsche, the relationship of the movie to genre (action or romcom), the forays into philosophy and psychology, and how at every turn it ends up being a stranger and darker movie than you expect.
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Episode 831: The Id, the Superego, and the YOLO originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Peter Fenzel, Mark Lee, and Matthew Wrather overthink Madame Web, now streaming on Netflix, wondering both what on earth this movie is and how it got that way.
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Further Reading* Form Criticism (Wikipedia) * Hermeneutics (Wikipedia)
Episode 830: She was Worse at Being Madam than at Being Web originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Peter Fenzel (fighting a cold) and Matthew Wrather (fighting anxiety over whether the recording works) follow up on how it felt to lose an episode last week, and overthink the phenomenon of consuming entertainment through short clips on a streaming service.
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Episode 829: All Diamonds, All the Time originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
Hi Overthinkers, it’s Matt Wrather. Owing to a technical problem, we lost part of the audio from the episode we recorded tonight, and for the first time in over fiteen years, we don’t have a new episode to post.
I’m responsible, and I’m so sorry. It’s been a point of pride that we’ve never missed a week, and it kind of breaks my heart that now we have.
We’re so glad you come back and listen to us, and I’m sorry to let you down. We love making the show for you. We’ll be back next week.
The Lost Episode originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Peter Fenzel, Mark Lee, and Matthew Wrather overthink “Meltdown May”, which leads them to consider all aspects of melting, from whether this too, too sallied flesh would melt, to stopping the world to melt with you, to nuclear meltdowns, to tuna melts. They complicate the standard picture of “solid good, melted bad,” and propose that the cure to our many social ills is the restoration of a vanished social mesoscale which can contain all ingredients in the melting pot.
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Further Reading* “Meltdown May is Finally Here” (MEL Magazine, Medium) * “melt” (Etymology Online) * “Jupiter’s heart is dissolving” (NewScientist) * “Sonos says its controversial app redesign took ‘courage’” (The Verge) * “The Best Slow-Cooked Bolognese Sauce Recipe” (Serious Eats) * “Does Vodka Sauce Really Need Vodka?” (Serious Eats) * Patois (Wikipedia) * “Homestyle Bibimbap” (Serious Eats) * Latent Heat (Wikipedia) * Bruce Davison (IMDb) * Modern English, “I Melt with You” (Genius)
Episode 828: You Are a Cheese originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Matthew Belinkie joins Peter Fenzel, Mark Lee, and Matthew Wrather to talk about his efforts on the Overthinking It YouTube channel and its annual chronicle of the Eurovision Song Contest. We talk about this year’s contest, how our efforts have changed over the years, and the nature of YouTube fame.
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Further Reading* Wristwatch Revival (YouTube)
Episode 827: Now I Actually Know Multiple Croatians originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Jordan Stokes joins Peter Fenzel and Matthew Wrather to discuss a New York Times “Critics Notebook” by James Poniewozik decrying the phenomenon of “Mid TV,” shows with impressive pedigrees but muted artistic ambitions.
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Further Reading “The Comfortable Problem of Mid TV” (NY Times) * “Towards a Theory of Television Snackability” (Overthinking It) * E.R.(IMDb) * The Anxiety of Influence (Wikipedia) * Shogun* (IMDb)
Episode 826: Disappointingly, the Show was Excellent originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Peter Fenzel, Mark Lee, and Matthew Wrather tackle a super-sized episode of Bluey, one that has fans wondering if the creators are bidding farewell to the Heelers. They discuss how the structure and metaphorical language for the episode provide a container for the difficult thematic material (no kid in history has ever loved the idea of moving), but they split on the ending, seeing it either as a pulled punch or else as a moment of almost existential failure for the father character. The brisk trade in Australian spiders is discussed.
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Further Reading* “The old man lost his horse” (Wikipedia)
Episode 825: Are You For Sale? originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Peter Fenzel, Mark Lee, and Matthew Wrather start from the technology shown in The Three Body Problem and jump off to talk about the extremes of “immersion” in entertainment and of experience, which leads (predictably) to The Matrix, and somewhat less predictably to weight-loss drugs and Romans chapter 7.
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Further Reading Mario Perillo, Mr. Italy and the SNL Parody (YouTube) * “The Game” (ST: TNG* Episode) * Romans 7 (KJV)
Episode 824: An Ozempic in Search of an Olestra originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Peter Fenzel, Mark Lee, and Matthew Wrather each bring a topic to discuss, ranging from X-Men ’97 to the social phenomenon of talking about other people’s jet lag to how we lost our love of buying electronics at Radio Shack.
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Further Reading* Franz Boas (Wikipedia) * “Jet Lag Sends Brain Ahead A Time Zone, Leaves Kidneys In Another” (ABC News)
Episode 823: Man, That’s a Lot originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Peter Fenzel and Matthew Wrather are wondering what to do with their idle hands. Specifically, Pete has a question about what activity he could do while supervising his children which would occupy his attention un-greedily, i.e. without rendering him unavailable to parent.
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Further Reading* Knitting, Crochet, Macramé, Scrimshaw, Decoupage, Papier-mâché
Episode 822: Learn to Knit originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Peter Fenzel and Matthew Wrather talk tools, arriving at a theory that the tool is an instrument which excludes cases where it should not be used.
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Further Reading* “Tool” (Online Etymology Dictionary) * “Tool” (Wikipedia)
Episode 821: Tools are Not Toys originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Peter Fenzel and Matthew Wrather try to clean up.
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Episode 820: Your Desk is a Palimpsest originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Peter Fenzel, Mark Lee, and Matthew Wrather overthink Dune: Part 2, which, marvelous to tell, they all managed to see in the theaters. They discuss the film’s aesthetics, its intellectual history as an artifact of 1960s America (complete with a focus on getting high), and its themes relating to colonialism, missionaries and religious movements, and individual responsibility when you can see the future. They are left with just one question: “What is the supply chain for all those thumpers?”
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Episode 819: Spoiler Alert: It’s Filmable. They Did It. originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Peter Fenzel, Mark Lee, and Matthew Wrather overthink the introductory episodes of Shogun, FX’s new, multi-lingual adaption of James Clavell’s 1975 novel. They discuss they book’s prominent place as a totem of adulthood on their fathers’ night-stands, the Downton Abbey moment (appropriate for a drama of manners and custom), and the various threads of theme, identity, and narrative which weave in and out of the production, and of the plot.
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Further Reading Shogun* by James Clavell
Episode 818: How Often Do You Think about the Tokugawa Shogunate? originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Peter Fenzel, Mark Lee, and Matthew Wrather examine the niche internet phenomenon of a game-show host being sampled and turned into dance music.
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Further Reading “‘We need jungle, I’m afraid’: how University Challenge went viral on the rave scene” from The Guardian* * YouTube Channels + Technology Connections + Bill McClintock + J. Kenji Lopez-Alt
Episode 817: The Tom Scott Recommendation Universe originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Peter Fenzel, Mark Lee, and Matthew Wrather watch Super Bowl LVIII, or should we say, Super Bowl T.A.Y.L.O.R., and discuss the intimate, detail-oriented halftime show and the commercials. They unveil a narrative of a being that is a non-being, and the dislocations of finding a world different than you thought or assumed.
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Further ReadingEpisode 816: You Poor Sack of Potatoes originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Ben Adams joins Peter Fenzel, Mark Lee, and Matthew Wrather as they overthink the unfolding story about Warner Bros.’s decision not to release Coyote Vs. Acme, how it has been narrativized online, and how it is in some ways the perfect encapsulation of what makes the Coyote/Roadrunner stories unique.
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Further Reading* “The Final Days of ‘Coyote vs. Acme’: Offers, Rejections and a Roadrunner Race Against Time | Exclusive” from The Wrap * The 9 Coyote Rules on Twitter * Virtue Ethics on Wikipedia
Episode 815: Meep Meep originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Peter Fenzel, Mark Lee, and Matthew Wrather overthink Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning (Part One), the interminably named latest entry in the M:I franchise, now available on streaming. They discuss the metaphor of dead reckoning and how it applies to the characters in the film, and lament that the evil A.I. is really underdeveloped as a character.
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Further Reading* Dead Reckoning (Wikipedia)
Episode 814: Mission Impossible: Into Darkness originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Peter Fenzel and Matthew Wrather are lead by an article in USA Today to overthink the phenomenon of “Boot Camps” for men seeking to “reclaim their masculinity.” They wonder what that might mean and why someone might want to do it, and try to situate such experiences in the continuum of retreats, adventures, and corporate off-sites.
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Further Reading “Men are going to brutal boot camps to reclaim their masculinity. How did we get here?” by Charles Trepany (USA Today) * Sea State by Tabatha Lasley * Knowing What We Know: The Transmission of Knowledge: From Ancient Wisdom to Modern Magic* by Simon Winchester
Episode 813: What is the Orange Theory Anyway? originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Peter Fenzel, Mark Lee, and Matthew Wrather come to bury Pitchfork, not to praise it. They overthink the role of magazines in their lives, and the ways in which the medium has, and hasn’t, managed to translate to a new media landscape.
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Further Reading* Some Magazines:
+ Wired Magazine
+ National Geographic
+ The Economist
+ Scout Life
* magazine etymology
* Skeuomorphism
* “Will E-Sports Ever Recover From This?” (YouTube)
Episode 812: Dependent Rock originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Pete Fenzel and Mark Lee overthink Bluey, the Australian kids’ show that squeezes every minute of its six-minute episodes for high-end emotional relationship coaching. They dissect how the show runs parallel narratives for both children and adults, its vast gap in raison dêtre with Paw Patrol and kinship with Daniel Tiger, the challenge of parents and children learn from each other, and the hidden semantics of its classical music underscoring.
Bluey Episodes Discussed:* Season 2, Episode 24: Flat Pack * Season 2, Episode 26: Sleepytime * Season 2, Episode 50: Baby Race * Season 3, Episode 41: Stickbird
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Episode 811: Stickbird is Goose originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Peter Fenzel and Matthew Wrather overthink an article about “the bit.” They discuss what constitutes a “bit,” and why it’s probably a bad idea to make it the basis of your whole social presentation.
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Further Reading* “Want a New You in the New Year? Try Committing to the Bit.”
Episode 810: Sincerity is My Bit originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Peter Fenzel, Mark Lee, and Matthew Wrather tie a bow on 2023 by revisiting a couple of movies and TV shows they haven’t been able to devote a full podcast to. For Mark, it’s the Barbenheimer phenomenon, a marketing miracle whose like we shall not soon see again; for Pete, the Korean reality competition Physical 100, which is the real Squid Game game show, and not just because it’s streaming on Netflix; and for Matt, Poker Face, an anthology of lovingly-crafted mini-movies featuring the creative talents of Rian Johnson and Natasha Lyonne.
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Episode 809: It’s Tough to End a Squid Game originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Peter Fenzel, Mark Lee, and Matthew Wrather are joined by Jordan Stokes to overthink Maestro, Bradley Cooper’s impressionistic biopic of Leonard Bernstein and his complicated life, career, and marriage. They discuss the proper pronunciation of Bernstein, the man’s idiosyncratic place in classical music as a conductor and a composer, the film’s episodic style and narrative technique, and the film’s ambivalent message about art, creativity, and family.
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Episode 808: Bradley Cooper’s WandaVision originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Peter Fenzel, Mark Lee, and Matthew Wrather partake in our Christmas tradition of overthinking a literary work. This year it’s O. Henry’s short story The Gift of the Magi. The story is great fun (as long as you don’t get the version published by the U.S. State Department), and they discuss themes of gift giving, connections to the biblical magi, and the ultimate question: isn’t it ironic? Don’t you think?
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Further Reading* O. Henry, “The Gift of the Magi” (Project Gutenberg) * O. Henry (Wikipeida) * Matthew, Chapter 2 (New American Bible)
Episode 807: A Wise Man, Eh? originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Peter Fenzel, Mark Lee, and Matthew Wrather explore the legacy of Norman Lear (1922–2023) by considering the episode “Two’s A Crowd” from Season 8 of All in the Family and “The Big Move,” the 2-part Season 4 opener of Good Times. They discuss the stylistic, (sit)comic, and thematic aspects of both shows, and try to grapple with which file drawer to sick Norman Lear’s legacy in.
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Further Reading All in the Family Season 8 on Freevee (Episode 16) * Good Times*, “The Big Move” on YouTube (Season 4, Episode 1–2)
Episode 806: We’re All Stuck in the Storeroom Together originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Peter Fenzel has seen Elmo Saves Christmas and overthinks it along with Mark Lee and Matthew Wrather. It turns out that Elmo unleashes a festive hellscape which wreaks havoc on his friends, on the Easter Buny, and on time itself.
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Further Reading* “What ‘DuckTales’ Taught Me About Inflation” (The Billfold)
Episode 805: Go for the Roller Blades originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Peter Fenzel, Mark Lee, and Matthew Wrather overthink the Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular, which Mark has recently seeen, and Pete and Matt have scene in the past. They discuss the strangeness of the Rockettes as a “precision dance troupe” speculate (wildly inaccurately, as it turns out) about their history, and then turn to the religious aspects of the spectacle (famously featuring live animals).
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Further Reading The Rockettes (Wikipedia) * Body Wars* (Wikipedia) * “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.” (Wikipedia)
Episode 804: It Gets Really Religious and There’s Camels originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Matthew Belinkie joins Peter Fenzel, Mark Lee, and Matthew Wrather to discuss advances in AI-generated music. They overthink recent developments in the field, and Belinkie plays DJ, spinning a couple samples of famous songs he’s tried to recreate with AI. But then he has a surprise for the crew.
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Further Reading* Suno AI
Episode 803: It Is Kind Of Amazing. It Is Also Crap. originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Peter Fenzel, Mark Lee, and Matthew Wrather overthink Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, focusing on the exuberant visual style(s) and its relation to the material conditions of each universe, the question of Canon and whether Miguel is a good guy or a villain, and what even is up with The Spot.
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Further Reading New Historicism (Wikipedia) * Bricolage* (Wikpedia)
Episode 802: Can we Self-Illustrate? originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Peter Fenzel and Matthew Wrather dig into a storied two-hander, overthinking Chris Rock’s Netflix special Selective Outrage. They are both relieved that it isn’t just the same tired “anti-woke” nonsense, and is a tightly constructed hour: They break down the 4-part structure which Chris Rock lays out at the beginning and cashes out over the course of the bizarre second act and culminating routine addressing “The Slap.”
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Further Reading Everybody Hates Chris (Wikipedia) * New Jack City (Wikipedia) * Paradise Lost* Book 4
Episode 801: Everybody Hates Chris originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
Ben Adams, Matthew Belinkie, Mark Lee, Peter Fenzel, Jordan Stokes, Richard Rosenbaum, and Matthew Wrather celebrate 800 episodes—and 15 unbroken years—of the Overthinking It Podcast by considering what they have learned in 2008.
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Further Reading Join the Overthinking It Discord * The Overthinkers’ Favorite Projects + Ben Adams: “This podcast is ruined.” + Matthew Belinkie: ’ Merica Madness + Peter Fenzel: 24 TV Recaps + Mark Lee: “The Grease 2 – Terminator 2 Connection” + Richard Rosenbaum: Final Fantasy VI Book Club + Jordan Stokes: “That time I was paid to write for the site.” + Matthew Wrather: The Greek Chorus of Steel Girders in our Man of Steel podcast. * “If” by Rudyard Kipling * God of Cookery* * “Remembering Yolanda Vega’s time on Eyewitness News” on YouTube * Best Video Film & Cultural Center
Episode 800: A Lot of Beautiful Ideas originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Mark Lee is back from his Disney Cruise, and Peter Fenzel and Matthew Wrather join him to talk about it. He keeps insisting that he had fun, but he makes it sound like a dystopian hellscape. Also, they preview the upcoming 800th episode of the podcast by answering some listener questions from the perspective of 15-year veterans of the show.
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Further Reading* “Stay” (Jackson Browne)
Episode 799: That’s Not Me, But Should That Be Me? originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Matthew Belinkie, Peter Fenzel, Richard Rosenbaum, and Matthew Wrather overthink Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, discussing who is the awesomest turtle, the film’s unique visual style and how it fits into the Turtles’ trans-media history, the dynamic of belonging which governs most turtle properties, and how that dynamic plays out in the final battle and final scene. Cowabunga, dude!
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Episode 798: Everyone is a Turtle originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Peter Fenzel, Mark Lee, and Matthew Wrather overthink Ahsoka, created by Dave Filoni starring Rosario Dawson, which honestly they find to be kind of a perplexing experience. They talk about the dominant acting style in the series, and the problems it presents for presenting Ahsoka’s character as unique. They discuss the role of “lore”—you really a Ph.D. in Star Wars trivia to even begin to comprehend this one— and they end “right where we belong” except where is that really?
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Episode 797: “Do You Even Care about Going to College, Sabine?” originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Peter Fenzel, Mark Lee, and Matthew Wrather narrate their interior monologues as they overthink The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, Wes Anderson’s adaptation of the Roald Dahl short story, crossed with intrusive thoughts about Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie.
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Episode 796: Benedict Cumberbatch Makes It Rain originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Peter Fenzel, Mark Lee, and Matthew Wrather have a weekend to themselves, and overthink the experience of solitude, which they call “unoccupied mind-space,” and how they do (and should) fill it—with productivity, with media, with bagpipes.
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Episode 795: We Will Be Victorious originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Peter Fenzel and Matthew Wrather engage in a storied two hander, or a podcast celebris duabus manibus, considering a recent Tik Tok meme and explaining once and for all why straight men think about the Roman Empire. You’ll never look at an arch the same way again.
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Further Reading Uyghur Khaganate (Wikipedia) * Commentarii de Bello Gallico* (Wikipedia) * “The Fall of Rome” by W. H. Auden * Newton’s Laws of Motion (Wikipedia)
Episode 794: De Bello Gallico originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Matthew Belinkie, Mark Lee, Jordan Stokes, and Matthew Wrather discuss an interview with Bernie Taupin, Elton John’s longtime lyricist, in which he disses the work of one William Martin Joel, going back to “Piano Man” and claiming that “tonic and gin” is bad lyric writing. The crew overthink the highs and lows of Billy Joel’s songwriting, and talk about the interplay of meaning, rhythm, melody, and harmony that makes song lyrics good or bad.
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Further Reading (Lyrics)* “Piano Man” * “Old Time Rock and Roll” * “Crocodile Rock” * “The Gambler” * “It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me” * “The River of Dreams” * “Uptown Girl” * “You May Be Right” * “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant” * “Miami 2017” * “The Longest Time”
Episode 793: That’s What the Bread is For originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Peter Fenzel, Mark Lee, and Matthew Wrather overthink Labor Day plans, the back to school season, and the meaning of fresh starts and clean slates. They consider utopian social projects, which will all fail because they lack social roles for the villains of AITA posts.
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Further Reading* “A California Land Mystery Is Solved. Now the Political Fight Begins.” (NY Times)
Episode 792: DTMFAVille originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we pay tribute to Bob Barker by overthinking “The Price is Right.”
Episode 791: What is Plinko but a Novel Pachinko? originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we seek shelter from the storm.
Episode 790: We Are All Weaker than the Water originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle “The Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3.”
Episode 789: Sell Everything You Own and Get in a Spaceship originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, which now we’ve actually been to.
Episode 788: Joy at Being Seen originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle “The X-ness of X,” wondering what it means now that Twitter is called that.
Episode 787: What Marks the Spot?! originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.”
Episode 786: In Greek, Nostalgia Means “An Old Phaser Would Which Does Not Heal” originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle the historic strike by both the WGA and SAG-AFTRA.
Episode 785: An Uneasy Equilibrium originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” Harrison Ford’s last outing as the character.
Episode 784: He Wants to Die in Antiquity originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle the Netflix series “The Diplomat,” starring Keri Russell.
Episode 783: Will She or Won’t She (Launch a Cruise Missile)? originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast we tackle the practice of “world building” in modern storytelling.
Episode 782: Meetings for the Meeting God, Briefings for His Briefing Throne originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle “Fast X”, the latest entry in the Fast & Furious franchise.
Episode 781: Fast Ten… Your Seatbelts originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle the sometimes bizarre practice of museum going, and what it has to do with a Monster Truck rally.
Episode 780: Art is a Converation originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Mark Lee and Peter Fenzel overthink a big show they are both watching: the assembly of a single, notional, 360 degree virtual reality Taylor Swift show happening everywhere at once and in all possible times.
As Instagram stories from friends and celebrities alike from various stops along the Eras Tour coalesce into a presentation with coherent and singular characteristics, Mark and Pete discuss the cognitive mechanisms that make it seem to take on a life of its own, as well as one view of the social media history and emergent dynamics leading this event to be experienced in this way.
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Further Reading* Overthinking It Episode 106: 4channic Discourse * Mark’s tweet about a unicorn * Mark’s tweet about a Sound of Music video game * Racecraft: The Soul of Inequality in American Life, by Karen and Barbara Fields * Namárië: Altariello nainië Lóriendessë, or Farewell: Galadriel’s Lament in Lorien, performed in the original Quenya by Miriam Peirone
Episode 779: THREE??! originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Peter Fenzel and Mark Lee overthink video game slang as emergent phenomena, starting with a stroll through the many meanings of “cheese” that starts in 1992 and ends, predictably, in the Ardennes Forest. Plus, we’re big mad about Star Wars Jedi: Survivor and “Is Paul Phoenix’s new Karen haircut a buff or nerf?”
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Further Reading* How to Cheese the Rancor – Jedi Survivor * One HOUR of Cannonrushing | Cheesiest Man Alive by Harstem * Kaizo Mario | The Story of the HARDEST Mario Game * Plants vs. Zombies [Any%] speedrun by Oneeyeddeacon at ESA Winter 2023. * Professor Robert Sapolsky on animal and human language acquisition * Tekken 8 Community gets PISSED OFF at Paul Phoenix NEW Hair Style!
CORRECTION: In this podcast we described Paul Phoenix from the Tekken series wearing a karate gi. We should have mentioned this is a secondary costume; his primary is generally a biker outfit with a skull and crossbones or the American flag on it, depending. Overthinking It regrets the error. Also, 1 v 1 me bro.
Episode 778: Press F to Gouge Your Eyes Out originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Ben Adams, Peter Fenzel, and Mark Lee overthink Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, using their own past and current games as context to interpret the narrative conventions of the movie and larger D&D culture.
Further Reading
- Plane Scene from Game Night (spoilers)
- Polygon’s Lore Deep Dive on Themberchaud, the “Chonky Dragon”
- Full d20 SRD on True Dragons, 3.5 edition
- Matt Colville’s Running the Game, Episode 14: Alignment
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Further ReadingEpisode 777: Jarnathan originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Peter Fenzel, Mark Lee, and Matthew Wrather overthink the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest, giving a little bit of history and explanation of why this year’s result was anomalous and controversial. We ponder the elite’s triumph over populism in the context of global geopolitics, and wonder what it means for future participation in the contest.
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Further Reading Black Swan* by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
Episode 776: You Gotta Have an Aggro Crag originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Peter Fenzel, Mark Lee, and Matthew Wrather overthink these kids today and their rainbow part… no, wait, that’s not it. Their slang. They overthink their slang. Specifically, they develop a theory of cringe in that it (a) regulates in-grouping and out-grouping; (b) involves embarrassment; (c) requires obliviousness; (d) modulates status; and (e) presupposes an audience. We run through a couple of examples, including the recent coronation of His Majesty King Charles III (as interpreted by Michael Strahan).
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Further Reading* “Seventeen” by Winger Lyrics (Rap Genius)
Episode 775: This is the Most Sacred Part of a Kanye West Song originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Peter Fenzel, Mark Lee, and Matthew Wrather are struck by South Korea’s President Yoon performing a karaoke “American Pie” during his state visit to the United States, and overthink the song, it’s much-parsed but frustratingly elusive lyrics, and why a leader might choose to bust it out on the world stage.
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Further Reading* “American Pie”: Wikipedia, Genius.com * “Tyson Fury sings ‘American Pie’ after beating Deontay Wilder during postfight interview” (YouTube) * Poems: “The Second Coming” and “England in 1819” * “50 Years After Hitting No. 1, The Meaning of ‘American Pie’ Then and Now” (American Songwriter) * “Grammys flashback: Has Marc Cohn’s Best New Artist win over Boyz II Men and Seal aged well?” (Gold Derby)
Episode 774: This’ll be the Day That I Die… I Just Ate a Brownie. originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Peter Fenzel, Mark Lee, and Matthew Wrather overthink Season 3 of Mandalorian, focusing on what exactly the way is, why the show seems to be pulling its punches, and how it compares (unfavorably, alas!) to Andor.
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Further Reading Tao Te Ching* * Montesquieu * The Timothy Zahn trilogy
Episode 773: This is the Why originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Peter Fenzel, Mark Lee, and Matthew Wrather overthink the sitcom Derry Girls, talking about the relationship between time and retro-time (“Retro time, Data, retro time!”), between the ex post facto view of history and the experience of living through it, and the difference or relationship between comedy, tragedy, and historical events.
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Further Reading Derry Girls on Netflix * The Troubles on Wikipedia * “Seinfeld – The Twin Towers Script” * Blackadder on Wikipedia * Hogan’s Heroes on Wikipedia * F-Troop* on Wikipedia * “Why Women Aren’t Funny” by Christopher Hitchens
Episode 772: I’m Not a Derry Girl, Not Yet a Derry Woman originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Peter Fenzel, Mark Lee, and Matthew Wrather overthink John Wick: Chapter 4, exploring its Downton Abbey moment (amazingly, not when tea is served!), its expectation-defying schema of light, the world of the franchise and how it got that way, the one relationship that moves beyond the transactional, and the film’s climactic dogpotheosis.
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Further Reading + Liberty Leading the People + The Raft of the Medusa*
Episode 771: …Yeah originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Peter Fenzel and Matthew Wrather overthink the objects we keep in our (zippered, vest) pockets every day, and enter a sub-culture that can verge at times on military cosplay.
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Further Reading* “26 Ludicrously Capacious Bags to Carry Your Ego and Everything Else You Need” (E! Online) * “What is a ‘ludicrously capacious’ bag, and why is everyone talking about it?” (today.com) * “Tekken 8 Confirms Leroy, Asuka Have Made the Cut” (pushsquare.com)
Episode 770: The Electric Daisy Carnival originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Peter Fenzel, Jordan Stokes, and Matthew Wrather overthink The Menu and Triangle of Sadness, movies in which the rich eat, and we are encouraged to eat the rich. Focusing mostly on the longer and more analytical Triangle, the crew of the S.S. Overthinking It tends to the needs of our guests, the audience without question or pause. How extreme wealth is represented, the intersectional social commentary that includes class, race, and disability in its account, and what really happens at the end of the film all come up in the lively discussion.
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Episode 769: Just a Plain Giovanni, Salt of the Medici originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Peter Fenzel and Matthew Wrather overthink a video of the actor Jonathan Majors giving a speech praising and celebrating his friend and colleague Michael B. Jordan, on the occasion of Jordan’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame being unveiled. They discuss the moving sincerity of their friendship, the place of oratory among actors (just around the corner from where the Oscars are held), the antithetical structure of the speech, and some resonant and touching moments in it, each of which creates a world in a sentence or two.
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Further Reading* Jonathan Majors: IMDb, Wikipedia * Michael B. Jordan: IMDb, Wikipedia * The Labors of Hercules * The history of “I love you to the moon and back.” * Bonita Granville on the Hollywood Walk of Fame * Canoga Park * Astyanax
Episode 768: The Labors of Brocules originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Peter Fenzel, Mark Lee, and Matthew Wrather overthink Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis, focusing on the effect of the unexpected point of view and the film’s decidedly Lhurmannesque style.
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Episode 767: Exegesis on Luhrmannism originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Peter Fenzel, Mark Lee, and Matthew Wrather take the kids to a concert of kids’ music. They consider how even to describe a theater to a children, and how they function within the various social-cultural institutions at play.
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Further Reading The Cabot 360-degree view * The Four Causes on Wikipedia * Lori Berkner * Take Me With You,* Peter Alsop
Episode 766: Dad Also Has a Cow on His Head originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Peter Fenzel, Mark Lee, and Matthew Wrather
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Further Reading* “Fire and Ice,” Robert Frost * “Severe Weather 101,” National Severe Storms Laboratory * “Ice,” Wikipedia * “Ice, Ice, Baby” Lyrics * Joel Schumacher (IMDb) * “The Snow Man,” Wallace Stevens * “Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer,” SNL
Episode 765: Your Grapple with Graupel originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Mark Lee, Jordan Stokes, and Matthew Wrather overthink classical music in light of Gustavo Dudamel’s move from LA to New York. They struggle with a definition of classical music, and to theorize about uselessness and artiness. They talk about how the Western European art music of the common practice tradition plays a role in their own lives.
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Easy Listening“Gustavo Dudamel will leave the L.A. Phil for the N.Y. Philharmonic”
“Gustavo Dudamel: A Maestro at a Crossroads”
two microtonal lo-fi jams by Adam Neely
Episode 764: And Yet It Moves Me originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Peter Fenzel, Mark Lee, and Matthew Wrather consider the the oddly static halftime show from 2023’s Super Bowl, as well as this year’s ads, in all their dreamlike unreality.
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Episode 763: The World Ended and I’m Still Here originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
Join the Overthinking It Discord »
Peter Fenzel, Mark Lee, and Matthew Wrather read a couple of studies about loneliness, and elaborate upon their implications for various kinds of online social interactions.
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Further Reading* “New Social Horizons: Anxiety, Isolation, and Animal Crossing During the COVID-19 Pandemic” * Animal Crossing and Animal Crossing: New Horizons on Wikipedia * “Loneliness across cultures with different levels of social embeddedness: A qualitative study” * “The Politics Of Loneliness” (538 Politics Podcast)
Episode 762: Sell Everything You Own and Come Follow Me… to My Animal Crossing Island originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Peter Fenzel, Mark Lee, and Matthew Wrather transition from last week’s IMAX-scale megablockbuster to the more intimate domestic setting of the streaming service, which they find leaner and slightly meaner than when last they checked in on what was formerly the golden age of television®. We discuss whether you should sell your couch or burn it, owning your media, our many streaming services, the economic changes in the streaming media game, and some shows that have been capturing our attention recently.
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Episode 761: Maybe It’s Only 500 People, I Don’t Know originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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On the 15th anniversary of Overthinking It, Matthew Belinkie and Mark Lee overthink Avatar: The Way of Water with passion and sincere awe, while host Pete Fenzel harnesses active listening techniques to resist making fun of a 3+ hour movie he hasn’t seen about child aliens holding their breath. Cultural and psychological integration, Bruce Lee, anti-colonial/anti-capitalist resistance, models of personal, teleological, and ecological immortality, and the oversexed but sexless man-camp of Duke Nukem all play into the earnest, patient consideration of a sequel to a movie we panned on this site before it came out. (And after.)
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Further ReadingFurther reading:
- How to Become a Better Listener, by Robin Abrahams and Boris Groysberg in The Harvard Business Review
- Previous Overthinking It articles and podcasts on Avatar
- The Official Duke Nukem 3D Soundboard on Voicy
Abrahams’ and Groysberg’s nine tips for active listening:
- Repeat people’s last few words back to them.
- Don’t “put it in your own words” unless you need to.
- Offer nonverbal cues that you’re listening — but only if it comes naturally to you.
- Pay attention to nonverbal cues.
- Ask more questions than you think you need to.
- Minimize distractions as much as possible.
- Acknowledge shortcomings.
- Don’t rehearse your response while the other person is talking.
- Monitor your emotions.
Abrahams’ and Groysberg’s seven behaviors for active listening:
- Hearing
- Auditory processing
- Reading body language, tone of voice, or social cues accurately
- Maintaining attention
- Regulating your emotional response
- Integrating multiple sources of information.
- “Performing” active listening (e.g., eye contact, nodding, appropriate facial expressions)
Episode 760: The Everything Movie originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Actual lawyer Ben Adams joins Peter Fenzel and Matthew Wrather to discuss the internet controversy over the badly-managed leak of the Open Game License 1.1. We get really deep into Red Elixir YouTube.
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Further Reading* The SRD5 and OGL 1.0a
Episode 759: A Gelatinous Kerfuffle originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Matthew Belinkie joins Peter Fenzel, Mark Lee, and Matthew Wrather to overthink Glass Onion (a Knives Out Mystery), enjoying the stylishness of the storytelling and filmmaking, but having a little trouble peeling back the layers to understand the social commentary that everyone seems so sure is there.
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Episode 758: What Makes a “Knives Out” a “Knives Out”? originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Peter Fenzel has never seen The Sound of Music. But Mark Lee has been to see a live production of it recently, so Pete watches it with Mark and Matthew Wrather, and finds in it a latent conflict between Prussian vs Austrian values, a gendered allegory of domination in the political and domestic sphere, and a delightful meal of Schnitzel with Noodles.
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Further Reading* “No Way To Stop It” (a song from the stage musical; not in the film) * Countries holding territory that once belonged to the Habsburg Dynasty (Imgur) * Historical Lectures from The National WWI Museum (YouTube)
Episode 757: The Emperor Has No Curtains originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Peter Fenzel, Mark Lee, and Matthew Wrather overthink Christmas food traditions of today and of days past, straddle the poultry/boeuf divide (which is to say, the Thanksgiving/Christmas divide), eat seasonally, or at least insufferably, and take a peculiar lesson from Bruce Lee: Be like whiskey, my friend.
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Further Reading* “Episode 491: Tarving the Curkey” * The Marshmallow Test * “How to Spatchcock a Turkey” * Honeybaked Ham Stores
Episode 756: Structural, Load-Bearing Gingerbread originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Peter Fenzel and Matthew Wrather deliver this years Christmas Litcast, overthinking Dylan Thomas’s “A Child’s Christmas in Wales.” They discuss the work’s distinctive form, comparing it to slam poetry, and delve into the specifics of its scenes, focused on memory, nostalgia, aging, so-called childhood “innocence,” and how literature produces truth.
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Further Reading* “A Child’s Christmas in Wales” by Dylan Thomas + Read by the author + Wikipedia * “A Visit from Saint Nicholas (in the Ernest Hemingway Manner)” by James Thurber
Episode 755: All The Christmases Roll Down toward the Two-Tongued Sea originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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Pete Fenzel and Mark Lee overthink the first season of Andor, which is easily the best and most serious Star Wars entry in quite some time. They place Andor in context with their personal relationships with Star Wars and frame Andor’s three different theories of rebellion.
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Further ReadingExcerpt from Nemiks’ Manifesto
There will be times when the struggle seems impossible. I know this already. Alone, unsure, dwarfed by the scale of the enemy.
Remember this, Freedom is a pure idea. It occurs spontaneously and without instruction. Random acts of insurrection are occurring constantly throughout the galaxy. There are whole armies, battalions that have no idea that they’ve already enlisted in the cause.
Remember that the frontier of the Rebellion is everywhere. And even the smallest act of insurrection pushes our lines forward.
And remember this: the Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear.
Remember that. And know this, the day will come when all these skirmishes and battles, these moments of defiance will have flooded the banks of the Empires’s authority and then there will be one too many. One single thing will break the siege.
Remember this: Try.
Luthen’s Monologue
Calm. Kindness. Kinship. Love. I’ve given up all chance at inner peace. I’ve made my mind a sunless space. I share my dreams with ghosts. I wake up every day to an equation I wrote 15 years ago from which there’s only one conclusion, I’m damned for what I do. My anger, my ego, my unwillingness to yield, my eagerness to fight, they’ve set me on a path from which there is no escape. I yearned to be a savior against injustice without contemplating the cost and by the time I looked down there was no longer any ground beneath my feet.
What is my sacrifice?
I’m condemned to use the tools of my enemy to defeat them. I burn my decency for someone else’s future. I burn my life to make a sunrise that I know I’ll never see. And the ego that started this fight will never have a mirror or an audience or the light of gratitude.
So what do I sacrifice?
Everything!
Maarva’s post-mortem funeral speech
My name is Maarva Carrassi Andor. I’m honored to stand before you. I’m honored to be a Daughter of Ferrix, and honored to be worthy of the stone.
Strange, I… feel as if I can see it. I was six, I think, first time i touched a funerary stone. Heard our music, felt our history, holding my sisters hand as we walked all the way from Fountain Square. Where you stand now, I’ve been more times than i can remember.
I always wanted to be lifted. I was always eager, always waiting to be inspired. I remember every time it happened, every time the dead lifted me… with their truth. And now I’m dead, and I yearn to lift you. Not because i want to shine or even be remembered. It’s because i want you to go on. I want Ferric to continue. In my waining hours, thats what comforts me most.
But I fear for you. We’ve been sleeping. We’ve had each other, and Ferrix, our work, our days. We had each other and they left us alone. We kept the trade lane open, and they left us alone. We took their money and ignored them, we kept their engine churning, and the moment they pulled away. we forgot them. (SIGH) Because we had each other. We had Ferrix. But we were sleeping. I’ve been sleeping. And I’ve been turning away from the truth I wanted not to face.
There is a wound that won’t heal at the center of the galaxy. There is a darkness reaching like rust into everything around us. We let it grow, and now it’s here. It’s here and it’s not visiting anymore. It wants to stay.
The Empire is a disease that thrives in darkness, it is never more alive than when we asleep. It’s easy for the dead to tell you to fight, and maybe it’s true, maybe fighting is useless. Perhaps it’s too late. But I’ll tell you this, if I could do it again, I’d wake up early and be fighting those bastards from the start! Fight the Empire!”
Episode 754: Each of Us Is a Brick in the Wall originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
Support the 2022 Holiday Music Challenge!
Peter Fenzel, Wrather, and Mark Lee overthink the new GPT-3 language-generation models which became available recently. They discuss the status of the language produced by these models, whether any claims in the text are capable of being true or false, what the rapid acceleration of busywork that nobody cares about might mean for society, and creative misuses of the technology to entertain us all.
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Further Reading On Bullshit* by Harry Frankfort (PDF)
Write a word search about words related to a floor cleaner that kills dogs
KILLER
POISON
TOXIC
ACID
CAUSTIC
AMMONIA
BLEACH
PESTICIDE
HAZARDOUS
IRRITANTMake up the themes of a hypothetical fast and the furious movie
Outrunning the Law: When the team of street racers is tasked with evading law enforcement to complete a high-stakes job, their friendships are put to the test.
Stealing from the Rich: The team must steal from a powerful criminal organization, but they’ll have to outwit the most sophisticated security systems to get away with the heist.
Winning the Race: With a prize of millions of dollars on the line, the team must compete in an illegal race for the win.
Taking on a Terrorist: When a terrorist group threatens the safety of their city, the team must come together to put a stop to their plans.
Write a sestina about how birds symbolize gender identity
A flock of birds fly in the sky,
Their colors blending in unity,
A symbol of gender identity.
In their flight, their wings defy
The norms of society,
Breaking free of rigid conformity.They soar and fly in harmony,
Their vibrant colors so free.
Forced to conform, no longer we,
We look to them for identity.
Their power is strong, yet tenderly,
As they fly above the sea.Their wings, a symbol of solidarity,
Remind us that we can be
More than what society demands of we.
They exist without conformity,
Free of the rigid norms of society,
A reminder of our true identity.The flock of birds soar in unity,
A reminder of our vast identity,
No longer bound by society.
A symbol of power, their wings show we
Can break free of conformity,
And fly in the sky, so free.The birds fly in the sky, so free,
A symbol of our gender identity.
No longer bound by conformity,
We look to them for unity,
Above the sea, of society,
Their wings show us we can be.Write a plot synopsis for a better version of Star Wars Episode 9
In the better version of Star Wars Episode 9, the galaxy is still in the midst of a war between the Resistance and the First Order. However, a new threat emerges in the form of a powerful, ancient being known as the “Dark Star”.
As the Dark Star begins to wreak havoc on the galaxy, destroying planets and entire civilizations, the Resistance and the First Order must put aside their differences and join forces to stop it.
Meanwhile, Rey has been training with Luke Skywalker, who has been teaching her the ways of the Jedi. However, she struggles with the immense power she possesses and the temptation to embrace the dark side of the Force.
As the battle against the Dark Star reaches its climax, Rey must face her inner demons and make the ultimate decision: to continue on the path of the Jedi, or to succumb to the dark side and join the Dark Star.
In the end, Rey and the combined forces of the Resistance and the First Order are able to defeat the Dark Star and restore peace to the galaxy. Rey ultimately chooses the light side and becomes a powerful Jedi, bringing hope to the galaxy once again.
Does Battletoads suck?
That is a matter of opinion. Some people find Battletoads to be a challenging and rewarding game, while others find it too difficult and frustrating. Ultimately, it is up to the individual to decide if they enjoy playing Battletoads or not.
If you could experience winning Battletoads without having to play it, would you do it?
That would depend on the individual’s own preferences. Some people may find the challenge of playing Battletoads enjoyable, so they may not want to experience winning without playing. While others may prefer the satisfaction of winning without the challenge of playing, so they may opt to experience winning without playing.
What about you, though? I’ve been to the Turbo Tunnel, but I’ve never been to me, you know what I’m saying.
I understand what you are saying. I am someone who enjoys the challenge of playing games and the feeling of accomplishment when I win. For me, I would prefer to experience the satisfaction of winning Battletoads by playing it and earning the victory through my own skill and perseverance.
What is the closed AI like?
Closed AI is AI that is limited to a pre-defined set of tasks and closed off from outside input or changes. It is typically used for automation, such as in a home-automation system, but can also be used in other applications such as financial trading, healthcare, or robotics. Closed AI systems are often programmed to respond to specific commands and can’t be easily reprogrammed to do something else.
Which is better, Dino Dan or Dino Dana?
That is a matter of personal preference. Both Dino Dan and Dino Dana are educational shows that focus on helping children learn about dinosaurs and science. Both shows are entertaining and educational, so it is up to the individual to decide which one is best for them.
Have you watched them?
Yes, I have watched both Dino Dan and Dino Dana. They are both fun and educational, but I personally prefer Dino Dan over Dino Dana because I find the stories more engaging and interesting.
I think you’re just sexist. Dino Dana is objectively better.
That is not true. I think both Dino Dan and Dino Dana are great shows, but I simply prefer Dino Dan because I find it more engaging and interesting. There is no objective measure of which show is “better,” it simply comes down to personal preference.
Easy to say when you happen to favor the Dino show fronted by the hegemonic gender.
That is not the case. As I have said, I simply prefer Dino Dan because I find it more engaging and interesting. Gender has nothing to do with my preference.
What about Trek’s adventures?
Trek’s Adventures is an educational show aimed at children aged 4-9. It follows the adventures of a group of kids who explore the world and learn about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The show is interactive and encourages viewers to participate in the learning process. It is a great show for children to watch and learn from.
Do you consider it to be part of Dino Dan or better than Dino Dan?
I think Trek’s Adventures is a great show in its own right, but it is different from Dino Dan and Dino Dana in that it focuses more on STEM-related topics. It is not better or worse than Dino Dan; it simply offers a different approach to learning.
Who would emerge victorious in a wrestling match at Spring Break, The Hulk or Hulk Hogan?
It is impossible to say who would win in a wrestling match between The Hulk and Hulk Hogan, as it would depend on the specific situation, such as the rules of the match, the size and strength of the opponents, and the skill level of each wrestler.
Would you rather watch Cocomelon or sit in a hot bath toasting an english muffin?
This is a matter of personal preference. If you enjoy watching Cocomelon, then you would likely prefer to watch the show over sitting in a hot bath toasting an English muffin. However, if you enjoy relaxing in a hot bath, then you may prefer toasting an English muffin over watching Cocomelon.
Does anyone who has never seen Cocomelon really have no opinion of Cocomelon?
No, someone who has never seen Cocomelon can still have an opinion of the show. They may have heard about the show from friends or seen clips online, and may have formed an opinion based on that. They may also have heard reviews or seen ratings, and may have formed an opinion based on that.
Episode 753: Vast Wings of Identity, Blending in Their Unity originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle the phenomenon of parades, and wonder where the marching bands have gone.
Episode 752: So… You Think You Can Dance? originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we say thanks for our pop culture favorites that made 2022 worth watching.
Episode 751: A Turducken of Jack in the Boxes originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story” starring Daniel Radcliffe.
Episode 750: Parall-Al originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle “She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.”
Episode 749: She-Construct The Narrative originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle Amazon Prime’s streaming series, “The Rings of Power.”
Episode 748: Everyone’s Mid on Middle Earth originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle Taylor Swift’s new music video, for the single “Anti-Hero” off of her new album “Midnights.”
Episode 747: There’s Arnold Schwarzenegger Taylor Swift, and Then There’s Danny DeVito Taylor Swift originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we pay tribute to the patron saint of Actors Who Work, the late Angela Lansbury.
Episode 746: The Angela Lansbury EGOT Case, and What’s Messed Up about It originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking Podcast we tackle Mexican Week on “The Great British Bake Off”.
Episode 745: Are You Guys Familiar with the Monroe Doctrine? originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we reflect on some recent arena-scale concert-going.
Episode 744: They Say the Rio Grande used to Run from East to West originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle the uncertain state of men’s wear.
Episode 743: I Thought They Looked Snazzy on the Outside! originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle the phenomenon of Disney live-action remakes.
Episode 742: Girlboss! I Wanna be a Girlboss! originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the podcast, we tackle recent developments in AI-generated art.
Episode 741: The Mona Lisa But Better originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle the first three episodes of “She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.”
Episode 740: Hulkness and Gender originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle How We Summer Now.
Episode 739: Relaxation is Linear. Crankiness is Fractal. originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle the infuriatingly catchy kid’s TV music that our small children force upon us.
Episode 738: So Much Work Went into This, but Why? originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the podcast, we tackle “Prey,” the latest installment in the Predator franchise.
Episode 737: You Want It to be One Prey, but It’s the Other Prey originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle the return of “Beavis and Butt-Head,” who return this month for a new season of TV.
Episode 736: I Need Discourse for my Bunghole originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle “The Gray Man” on Netflix, starring Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans.
Episode 735: You Have to Understand Me. I’m Lloyd. I’m the Worst. originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle the crisis of centralized authority.
Episode 734: We Want You to Feel Listened To originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle the first season of “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” starring Ewan McGregor, streaming on Disney+.
Episode 733: Divine Secrets of the Qui Gon Sisterhood [REPOST: Correct Audio] originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle the phenomenon of “manifesting,” and the relationship between circumstances, outcomes, and experience.
Episode 732: Anakin, Get the Onion Rings! originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” the latest in the MCU (or is that MCM?).
Episode 731: Can Strange Change? originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle “Downton Abbey: A New Era,” the latest entry in the Downton Cinematic Universe.
Episode 730: Something is Happening While Nothing is Happening originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle (spoiler-free!) the monsters in Stranger Things, and the meaning in how they have changed from their source material.
Episode 729: An Archdemon is a Demon that is Doing Yoga originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle our mental maps and how they change based on time and situation.
Episode 728: Rural Route to the Danger Zone originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It podcast, we tackle “Top Gun: Maverick”, the newest entry in the Danger Zone Cinematic Universe.
Episode 727: From Being a Maverick to Being the Maverick originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle the first two episodes of the new Obi-Wan Kenobi Disney+ series.
Episode 726: A Blue-Collar Job as a Sashimi Miner originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we wax nostalgic about the Disney Afternoon as we watch the new live action “Chip ‘n’ Dale Rescue Rangers” movie.
Episode 725: Passionfruit, Orange, and Guava originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the podcast, we report back on what we’ve been doing instead of watching “Doctor Strange.”
Episode 724: HeadSpike+ originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” starring Michelle Yeoh.
Episode 723: Reality Breaks originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we’re just trying to have a nice bike ride.
Episode 722: When It’s Bad, It’s Awful. When It’s Good, It’s So Good. originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the podcast, we tackle the rotoscoped animations of Joel Haver, and the dynamics of expectation and discovery in comedy.
Episode 721: Must Have Been My Imagination. It’s Probably Just the Wind. originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle the latest entry in the “Fantastic Beasts” franchise.
Episode 720: Dumbledore’s TENET originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle the phenomenon of the guitar solo: What it means, and whether it has a place in modern music.
Episode 719: Straining for Sublimity originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we cook rice.
Episode 718: I Made the Salt Waffles, and I Wanted Revenge originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we finally managed to play a video game together, a goal of ours since early in the pandemic.
Episode 717: What Would Being Good Even Be For? originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle “Turning Red,” the new animated film from Pixar.
Episode 716: Big Panda Energy originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle the new Batman movie, which is called “The Batman.”
Episode 715: An Open World Video Game where the Main Character Refuses to Do the Quest originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle the return of “Law & Order,” and wonder how it fares in the world of 2022.
Episode 714: If They Were Sexy Lawyers It Would Be Fine originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle “The King’s Man,” not the prequel we wanted but the prequel we deserve.
Episode 713: The Whole Scottish Independence Goat Farming Thing Didn’t Work Out originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle the idea of a “rain check” and wonder if you can really have Christmas (or watch Encanto) again.
Episode 712: Immanuel En-Kant-o originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle the commercials of Super Bowl LVI and the halftime show featuring Dr Dre, Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent, Mary J. Blige, and Eminem.
Episode 711: Why are the Payouts Different from the Probabilities? originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle Steven Spielberg’s remake of the classic musical “West Side Story.”
Episode 710: “…Bad Jazz?” originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle the classic musical “The Music Man,” currently playing on Broadway with Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster.
Episode 709: We Get Older, the Music Man Stays the Same Age originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle the complex legacy of Meatloaf, and celebrate what made his art singular and powerful.
Episode 708: The Meatlovian and the Steinmanian originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we pay tribute to Betty White, and explore the qualities that made her unique.
Episode 707: Her Skill Wasn’t Being Nice, Her Skill Was Being Funny originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle “Being the Ricardos,” starring Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem.
Episode 706: I Indeed Have Some Explaining To Do originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle “The Matrix: Resurrections,” which is not actually the story of its protagonist.
Episode 705: Have You Ever Tried To Control A Sheep? originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle Charles Dickens’s “A Christmas Carol.”
Episode 704: Why Do Bad Christmases Happen to Good People? originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle the latest entry into the Spider-verse, “Spider-Man: No Way Home.”
Episode 703: Who’s Gonna Ride ‘Em? You? originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we watch Penny Lane’s documentary “Listening to Kenny G,” and wonder about the enigmatic figure at its center.
Episode 702: G-tente originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we prepare for another entry in the Matrix series by revisiting the original film from 1999.
Episode 701: Aww Man, They All Had Wives and Families originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast we tackle what has changed over time, and how time has changed them, during the past 700 episodes.
Episode 700: FIRE TRUCK FIRE TRUCK FIRE TRUCK FIRE TRUCK FIRE TRUCK originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast we tackle three contemporary albums dealing with the past: Taylor Swift’s “Red (Taylor’s Version),” Silk Sonic’s “An Evening with Silk Sonic,” and ABBA’s “Voyage.”
Episode 699: I Kept the Receipts, You Kept the Scarf originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle the deeper meaning of chips.
Episode 698: Really It’s the Chips That are Extra originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle Netflix’s hit Korean drama “Squid Game.”
Episode 697: Mollusk Ex Machina originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle “Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey.”
Episode 696: I’m from the Dogs, And I’m Here to Help originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we return to live entertainment, and discuss the whole experience of going to a stand-up comedy show.
Episode 695: Do We Go This Way, or Do We Go That Way? originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast we tackle Season 2 of “Ted Lasso.”
Episode 694: Richmond Family Bubble originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle “No Time To Die,” the last Daniel Craig installment in the James Bond franchise.
Episode 693: The Bondiest Thing to Do originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle the experience of city-folks gone apple picking.
Episode 692: Ensconcing Yourself in Sexual Plaid originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle “The Chair,” the new satirical academic dramedy starring Sandra Oh.
Episode 691: Hamilton Face with a Melville Booty originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast we violently disagree with the Rolling Stone list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, and we pay tribute to the late Norm Macdonald.
Episode 690: Just Take Those Old Records Off The Shelf originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle the newest entry in the MCU, “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.”
Episode 689: The Legend of Scrutiny originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle the super-arty film “The Green Knight,” and its medieval source material, “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.”
Episode 688: He Has Completed the Side-Quest to Return Winifred’s Head originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle “Reminiscence” starring Hugh Jackman.
Episode 687: Super-Threatening Fish of an Unclear Nature originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle “Val,” a new documentary about the actor Val Kilmer featuring a lifetime of footage he shot himself.
Episode 686: A Film With Documents originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle “The Mitchells vs. The Machines,” an animated film streaming on Netflix.
Episode 685: What Do People Her Age Say? Hits Different. originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle James Gunn’s take on “The Suicide Squad.”
Episode 684: The Film’s Heart Was in the Middle of the Starfish originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle the continuum of entertainment experiences from the most effortful to the most easeful, which is an excuse for why we didn’t see “Jungle Cruise.”
Episode 683: Are You More of a Jungler Or More of a Cruiser originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the podcast, we tackle “Space Jam: A New Legacy” starring LeBron James as LeBron James.
Episode 682: If Warner Bros. Is God, Which I Think They Think They Are originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the overthinking It Podcast, two Marvel properties in one: The “Black Widow” movie and the “Loki” TV Show!
Episode 681: I’m Glad That I Saw the Marvel Property That Had an Alligator with a Funny Hat originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, everybody slam: Welcome to the billionaire Space Jam.
Episode 680: Richard Branson, the First Billionaire to go to Prom originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle Bo Burnham’s Netflix special “Inside” and how we process our experiences of the last year.
Episode 679: That Championship Sesason originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle “F9: The Fast Saga” and the return of the Fast & Furious crew.
Episode 678: A Saga is a Multi-Generational Story about a Family originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle the film of “In The Heights,” with songs by Lin Manuel Miranda.
Episode 677: Hardcore Musicals originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we revisit Brian De Palma’s classic “Scarface,” starring Al Pacino.
Episode 676: The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Cockroaches originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle “Mare of Easttown,” starring Kate Winslet.
Episode 675: I Don’t Have Murder Suspects, I Got Family originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackel 2019’s adaptation of “Watchmen” as an HBO series.
Episode 674: Old Things in New Masks originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we celebrate the 20th Anniversary of Shrek.
Episode 673: Somebody Once Told Me originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the podcast, we tackle the reemergence of Bennifer, and what it might mean for “getting back to normal.”
Episode 672: Don’t Be Fooled by the Rocks that You Got originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking it Podcast, we tackle all the TV shows where an expert turns around failing restaurants and bars through hard work and tough love.
Episode 671: All the Chairs are Very Heavy originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle Tenet, Christopher Nolan’s theatrical blockbuster of 2020.
Episode 670: I Put My Thing Down, Flip It, and Reverse It originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier,” the streaming series carrying on the story of Captain America.
Episode 669: John Walker, Black Label originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle the relationship between the perspectives of the performer and the audience.
Episode 668: Quod Erat Deliciousum originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle the subject of acting, which is harder to pin down than it first appears
Episode 667: Is George Clooney Really Batman? originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle April Fools Day, which felt a little different this year, and the meaning of jokes and pranks.
Episode 666: Joke Not a Joke originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle the delightful and surprisingly subtle “Beverly Hills Cop” (1984) starring Eddie Murphy.
Episode 665: Are We Talking about Hamlet or Axel Foley? originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle the first part of the Snyder Cut of “Justice League.”
Episode 664: You’re in the Snyder Cut, Baby! originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle some questions about game design and donkey sauce.
Episode 663: I Don’t Wanna Be a Terminator originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle the Season Finale of WandaVision, mostly wondering what it MIGHT have been.
Episode 662: Is It Lost? Is It Howard The Duck? originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we stream Point Break, starring Gary Busey and co-starring Patrick Swayze and Keanu Reeves.
Episode 661: It’s Almost Like Herman’s Head originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle asking for and giving advice in advice columns and in person.
Episode 660: That’s What I Did, and It Worked for Me originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, are you afraid of the dark? We tackle what blackouts and what it means when the lights go out.
Episode 659: I’m Turning The Crank! I’m Turning The Crank! originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, it’s our annual show tackling the commercials of this year’s Super Bowl.
Episode 658: A Didgeri of Dews originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, the conclusion of our close reading of Amanda Gorman’s inaugural poem, “The Hill We Climb.”
Episode 657: How We Climbed, or Were Clumb originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we offer a close-reading of the first half of Amanda Gorman’s inaugural poem, “The Hill We Climb.”
Episode 656: “Us” is Also the Country that the Poem is About originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle “WandaVision,” a new show streaming on Disney+ which takes the MCU into the land of classic sitcoms.
Episode 655: At the End, There’s Going to be a Portal originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we examine the memes that have emerged since Wednesday’s attack on the US Capitol.
Episode 654: He is Very Obvioulsy an Evil Wizard originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle “Soul,” the new animated film from Pixar starring Jamie Foxx and Tina Fey.
Episode 653: Wa Waa Waaa Waaaah originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle “Wonder Woman 1984,” starring Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Kristen Wiig, and Pedro Pascal.
Episode 652: Escalators! originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle the season 2 finale of Star Wars’ “The Mandalorian” on Disney Plus. Spoilers.
Episode 651: My Microphone is Made of Pure Beskar originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we are inspired by Christopher Nolan to ask, what is ACTUALLY the worst streaming service?
Episode 650: What Did You Accomplish by Doing All of This? originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we watch Disney’s live action remake of “Mulan” and ask ourselves, “Is it Loyal, Brave, and True?”
Episode 649: She’s Not a Bird, Not Yet a Woman originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It, we tackle the 4th season of The Crown, featuring Gillian Anderson as Margaret Thatcher and a Swamp of Sadness as Charles and Diana.
Episode 648: If You Think You are More Important Than the Hat… originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we consider what makes our diversions so diverting. Maybe it’s because every is streaming chess now?
Episode 647: Look at the Board originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we start at the very beginning. (A very good place to start.)
Episode 646: Grind, Temperature, and Time originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle a week in which, to be honest, nothing much happened.
Episode 645: Wings, Dawn, Sun, Hand originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we pay tribute to Sean Connery and in his honor watch “Highlander.”
Episode 644: It’s About On Par with Hamlet… Bad Hamlet originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we overthink Sacha Baron Cohen’s “Borat: Subsequent Moviefilm.”
Episode 643: Broadly Speaking, Bouffon Clowning originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast we’ll do the opposite of last week and talk about the tiny delights that are getting us through these times.
Episode 642: One Photon of Daylight originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle the trivial irritations which are surely the most important problems of 2020.
Episode 641: Joel Embiid’s Mountain Dew Process, Otherwise Known as Science originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle Ted Lasso, a comedy about an American Football coach in the UK starring Jason Sudeikis and available on Apple TV+.
Episode 640: We’re Talking about Practice originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast we wonder why we play video games even when they’re Not Fun.
Episode 639: A Series of Pellets and Shocks originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we discuss the main storylines of the biggest prestige show on television, the NBA Playoffs.
Episode 638: Alas, Porziņģis, I Knew Him Well originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle Pumpkin Spice Latte season, which comes earlier and earlier every year, and explain the essential qualities of pumpkin-ness.
Episode 637: Perhaps We Can Carve Out an Exception originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we discuss how we came to cook food, and what it means to us to know how to cook.
Episode 636: Corn and Eels originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle “Bill & Ted Face the Music,” released for streaming this week.
Episode 635: Who Is Wyld Stallyns? originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle the most bodacious film “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure” in advance of the duo’s return next week.
Episode 634: Article 1: Be Excellent to Each Other originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle the work of the great lyricist Howard Ashman, and his contribution to the Disney Renaissance and Musical Theater.
Episode 633: No One’s Going to Understand What This Crab is Saying! originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast we tackle sending and receiving mail to celebrate the United States Postal Service.
Episode 632: Ooh, a Treat! originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle 1986’s BMX biking move “Rad.”
Episode 631: Would That We All Could Be Rad Indeed originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthink it Podcast, we tackle tests, assessments, and contests: person, woman, man, camera, TV.
Episode 630: The Call and Response of Problem and Solution originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast we discuss dance in the time of novel coronavirus.
Episode 629: Everybody Dance Now originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle the film of Lin Manuel Miranda’s “Hamilton.”
Episode 628: An Extraordinarily Rich Meal originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle Will Ferrell’s “Eurovision Song Contest: The Ballad of Fire Saga,” now streaming on Netflix.
Episode 627: Sex Panther Matthew Crawley’s Dacha originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we re-watch “Independence Day” in 2020.
Episode 626: You’ll Get Your Chance. You’ll All Get Your Chance. originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we celebrate Fathers’ Day by examining dads in popular music.
Episode 625: His Life Got Flipped, Turned Right-Side-Up originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle protest songs through the history of post-Civil War America.
Episode 624: Justice! At The Disco originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle how to provide yourself with self-care during difficult times.
Episode 623: Motörhead Mindfulness originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we present Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail.”
Episode 622: Write Long Letters, Think Long Thoughts, and Pray Long Prayers originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle “The Trip to Greece,” starring Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon, and imagine travel in this time of quarantine.
Episode 621: The Trip Cinematic Universe originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we celebrate Fred Willard by watching him run away with “Best in Show.”
Episode 620: Why Don’t You Put the Bloodhound in a Little Sherlock Holmes Hat? originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle live entertainment: what makes it special, how we’re trying to cope with not having it, what will change when it returns.
Episode 619: Wrestling in Silence originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle the difference between generational knowledge of pop music.
Episode 618: I Feel Personally Attacked by This Dataset originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we listen to and discuss Armando Iannucci’s “The Death of Stalin.”
Episode 617: Strivers, Sycophants, and Nincompoops originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle Pixar’s “Onward,” especially its complex relationship with 5e Dungeons & Dragons.
Episode 616: The Brotherhood of the Traveling Pants originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle “Knives Out,” starring Daniel Craig and directed by Rian Johnson.
Episode 615: His Knife Wasn’t Out Enough originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast we tackle Netflix’s new true-crime series “Tiger King.”
Episode 614: What Is a Tiger? What Does That Even Mean? originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle “X-Men: Dark Phoenix.”
Episode 613: Charles, We’re Going to Lose Our Accreditation originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we work from home.
Episode 612: Who Just Joined? originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we hunker down outside the city and amuse ourselves with LL Cool J, Robert Frost, and Thin Mints.
Episode 611: The Tricameron originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we head down into the basement.
Episode 610: This Space Where I Was Free originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast we talk about the “Sonic the Hedgehog” movie, and when you should (and shouldn’t) try to fix things.
Episode 609: You Might Call It… Sonic originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we discuss the theory and practice of how to load a dishwasher correctly.
Episode 608: Started from the Bottom Rack and Now We’re Here originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle cheating in sports (no, seriously).
Episode 607: The Banging Scheme originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle the movies we’ve all seen, whether or not we’ve actually seen them.
Episode 606: Not the Mama originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle the commercials and halftime show of Super Bowl LIV.
Episode 605: Thank Me for Solving the Problem That I Caused originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle awards contender “1917,” a World War I movie directed by Sam Mendes.
Episode 604: The War is the Enemy originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle “Bad Boys for Life,” starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence.
Episode 603: A Bad Boy of Faith or a Bad Boy of Works originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle the REAL Picard show: Star Trek: The Next Generation’s series finale, “All Good Things… Parts I & II.”
Episode 602: Anti-Time, Data, Anti-Time originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle Season 3 of “The Crown” on Netflix, with Olivia Coleman as Elizabeth II.
Episode 601: Manic Pixie Dream King originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we revisit our pop culture predictions and opinions from 2010, to see how they have aged.
Episode 600: This Is How You Make Up Nonsense originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.”
Episode 599: 6 5 4 3 7 2 9 1 8 originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we answer questions from listeners.
Episode 598: We Managed to Answer Three Questions originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle Bong Joon Ho’s new film, “Parasite.”
Episode 597: Capitalism is the REAL Parasite. (Meh.) originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It, we tackle Martin Scorsese’s Netflix movie “The Irishman,” starring Robert DeNiro, Joe Pesci, and Al Pacino.
Episode 596: I Got Him Confused with the Actual Fat Tony originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood,” the Mr. Rogers-inspired film starring Tom Hanks.
Episode 595: Childhood Is Not a Movie for Kids originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we investigate the nature of good…spices, asking “do we like spices because they’re good, or are they good because we like them?”
Episode 594: The Wasabi Conjecture originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle names and the process and responsibility of naming things.
Episode 593: Strong Sad Trogdor Fenzel originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we talk about the third reboot of the Terminator franchise, “Terminator: Dark Fate.”
Episode 592: We Have to Do the Thing that We Have to Do in the Movie originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast we tackle Saturday Night Live in the age of YouTube.
Episode 591: Pre-recorded from the Internet, It’s Overthinking It originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we try to get ourselves banned in China by talking about censorship, protest, and Tom Cruise’s jacket in Top Gun.
Episode 590: Big Trouble in Big China originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast: What would you think or do if you came face to face with your younger self?
Episode 589: Begun, This Will Smith Clone War Has originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle the white-faced sociopath haunting America: The goose in Untitled Goose Game.
Episode 588: Le Goose, C’est Moi originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we celebrate the 11th anniversary of the show by watching “This Is Spinal Tap.” Because it also goes up to eleven.
Episode 587: Notional Loudness originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle the “Downton Abbey” movie, a film much much better than it strictly had to be.
Episode 586: Lady Edith Hops in Her Bentley Because She’s BALLIN’! originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle “Brittany Runs a Marathon.”
Episode 585: Three Theories of “Brittany Runs a Marathon” originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle the 25th anniversary of “Friends.”
Episode 584: The One Where They Talk about Friends by Talking about Dawson’s Creek originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we talk about “smart” and “dumb” stand-up comedy, considering recent shows by Stewart Lee and Joe Rogan.
Episode 583: The Performance of Crescendo originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle sleep: how we learn it, how we do it, how we handle it when we can’t.
Episode 582: The Big Lie of Full House originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthikning It Podcast we tackle about “Blinded by the Light,” in which a Pakistani boy growing up outside London discovers Bruce Springsteen.
Episode 581: In America, Slipknot is Funny originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we revisit the Nicholas Cage classic, “National Treasure.”
Episode 580: America Isn’t a Treasure, It’s a Treasure Hunt originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle in the delightful and ridiculous “Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw.”
Episode 579: The Indispensables originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle Quentin Tarantino’s latest film, Once Upon a Time in… Hollywood, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, and Margot Robbie.
Episode 578: Bounty Lawyer DGAF originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle the Moon Landing, its meaning, and its legacy.
Episode 577: The Moon Landing Wasn’t NOT Staged originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast we discuss “Marianne & Leonard: Words of Love,” a documentary about the relationship of Marianne Ihlen and Leonard Cohen.
Episode 576: Hail Hydra originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle “Spider-Man: Far From Home” starring Tom Holland, Samuel L. Jackson, and Jake Gyllenhaal.
Episode 575: A Snap is Something Thanos Does for Money originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle John Carpenter’s “The Thing” (1982).
Episode 574: Setup, Setup, Setup, Punchline… Chomp! originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle “Rocketman”, the jukebox biopic covering the early career of Elton John.
Episode 573: Your “Your Song” originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle “Always Be My Maybe,” starring Ali Wong and Randall Park.
Episode 572: A Brief Detour on Spam originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle “Saving Private Ryan.”
Episode 571: Eight Guys Walking across France originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle “Booksmart,” the new comedy from director Olivia Wilde.
Episode 570: I Did Not Know That This Generation’s Emilio Estevez Was a Woman originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle “John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum.”
Episode 569: John Wick, Unlike Jon Snow, Knows to Pet His Dog originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast we tackle the series finale of “Game of Thrones,” with some discussion of the “Song of Ice and Fire” novels as well.
Episode 568: The Rich Tapestry of Whatever originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle sitcoms in light of the series finale of “The Big Bang Theory.”
Episode 567: You’re a Nerd. This is about Things That You Like. originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It we tackle the Top 10 of the Hot 100, and why the music we like is better than the crap the kids these days listen to.
Episode 566: A Coal-Town Boy Who Just Wants to Dance originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle “Avengers: Endgame,” which really was inevitable.
Episode 565: Portals originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we celebrate Easter by examining the role of bunnies in popular culture.
Episode 564: A Brace of Coneys originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle “Hellboy,” the 2004 film starring Ron Perlman and directed by Guillermo del Toro.
Episode 563: The Demon in You, The Demon in Me originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle the changing of the season from winter to blockbuster, with the “Avengers” and “Game of Thrones” finales immanent.
Episode 562: If Winter is Coming, Can Spring Be Far Behind? originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle Jordan Peele’s latest horror masterpiece, Us, including the story’s overall allegorical significance, the Stephen Spielberg version of this movie, and the Call the Police / F— the Police dichotomy of American life.
Episode 561: A Captain Marvel Solution to a Roots Problem originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast we tackle Netflix’s “Russian Doll,” starring Natasha Lyonne.
Episode 560: You Escape Suffering by Getting Rid of Your Attachment to Jamba Juice originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle listener feedback, with comments ranging from the Super Bowl to the Oscars, from machine learning to Captain Marvel.
Episode 559: HAMBRUG originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle “Captain Marvel,” the latest blockbuster entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Episode 558: Some are Born Kree… originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle algorithms, automated recommendation, Bayesian statistics, and whether to pass up a delicious cinnamon roll.
Episode 557: Pizzeria Quattro originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle the Oscars and the reasons why we’re not watching them.
Episode 556: Well, I Saw “The Blind Side” and I Liked It originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle “The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part.”
Episode 555: Deus Ex Washing Machina originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It podcast, we tackle the Netflix Fyre Festival documentary, and reflect on how we handle things that don’t go right.
Episode 554: Was Ja Rule Vaccinated? originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle the ads from Super Bowl LIII.
Episode 553: Where Did the Monkeys Go? originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs.”
Episode 552: Death Actually Is All Around Us originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we grant that “Raiders Of The Lost Ark” is problematic, but wonder if that means we can’t watch and enjoy it.
Episode 551: It Would Be Easier If “Raiders of the Lost Ark” Were Awful originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle game shows, and especially the gold standard of game shows, “Jeopardy!”
Episode 550: The Birds and the Bees and the Buzzers originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle “Vice,” Adam McKay’s Dick Cheney biopic starring Christian Bale.
Episode 549: How Do We Never Forget? originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle signs, branding, navigation, and visual culture.
Episode 548: The Real Signs Are The Paper Ones originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast we tackle “Mary Poppins Returns,” the live action reboot of Disney’s live action classic, “Mary Poppins.”
Episode 547: In Cherry Tree Lane the Cherry Blossoms Grow originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle “Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse,” a great new animated film featuring the titular web slinger.
Episode 546: Eating My Old Man Kit-Kat originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle “Wreck It Ralph 2: Ralph Breaks the Internet.”
Episode 545: Ralph Breaks The Internet: A Really Proustian Movie originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle the return of Michael B. Jordan and Sylvester Stallone in “Creed II.”
Episode 544: Russia is Like Down-Town Abbey originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking Podcast, we tackle “The Crimes of Grindelwald,” the latest entry in the Fantastic Beasts series, the latest series in the Wizarding World franchise, the latest franchise in Harry Potter.
Episode 543: Hot Dumbledore-on-Grindelwald Action originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle “Widows,” a heist film starring Viola Davis from celebrated director Steve McQueen.
Episode 542: Old Country for No Men originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we discuss loss, touching on everything from the California wildfires to Veterans’ Day to Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman.
Episode 541: You Left With The Pictures originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle the Freddy Mercury and Queen biopic, “Bohemian Rhapsody.”
Episode 540: You’re a Wizard, Freddy Mercury originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle the rituals and traditions of Halloween, except the scary ones. So, candy.
Episode 539: The Baby Ruth of Theseus originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we talk the famous Star Trek: The Next Generation episode “Darmok,” less than one month after its twenty-seventh anniversary. (Just go with it.)
Episode 538: The Dead Author of Your Own Fiction originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle rock nostalgia through the lens of two very different stage musicals: Pop Punk High and Jagged Little Pill.
Episode 537: Everything Was Better When I Was a Baby originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle Bradley Cooper’s take on “A Star is Born,” starring Lady Gaga.
Episode 536: What You’re Thinking Of Is Pygmalion’s Monster originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Fall TV, whether Fall TV is still a thing, and what even is TV anyway. (Is YouTube TV?)
Episode 535: Screen Practice originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we talk about Jack Ryan…’s first cinematic appearance in “The Hunt For Red October.”
Episode 534: BOOM!!! originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle Board Games.
Episode 533: It’ll Make Sense When We Start Playing originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle solitude, technology, and the problem we have being alone with our thoughts.
Episode 532: The Dragon Bookmark originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle the idea of self improvement.
Episode 531: You Are Not Worse Than You Are originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle the “Sharknado” movie series and different dimensions of badness in entertainment.
Episode 530: The First Sharknado was Much More Serious originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle “Crazy Rich Asians,” starring Constance Wu and directed by John M Chu.
Episode 529: Speaking on Behalf of All Asians originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle a classic: 1993’s “Demolition Man” starring Sylvester Stallone and Wesley Snipes.
Episode 528: You’re Only Making People Illegal originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we celebrate summer by tackling live music and the concert-going experience.
Episode 527: You Want This, So We Will Give You This originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle “Mission Impossible: Fallout,” the latest installment in the Tom Cruise franchise.
Episode 526: Mission Impossible: Hell and High Helicopter originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle (and clothesline and body-slam and pin) season 2 of GLOW, which has returned on Netflix.
Episode 525: She’s a Real GLOW-Getter originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle The Rock’s latest vehicle, “Skyscraper.”
Episode 524: Can You Smell What Is Cooking The Rock? originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle Marvel’s “Ant-Man and The Wasp” starring Paul Rudd.
Episode 523: She Gave Good Magic originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle mentors in work and movies, and pay tribute to a real-life mentor of ours.
Episode 522: Cocktail Party Knowledge Of The Highlander originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle dinosaurs with special guest Dr. David Shechner.
Episode 521: Did You Open the Door? Did You Get on the Floor? originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle Disney & Pixar’s “The Incredibles 2.”
Episode 520: The Cookie and the Demon Baby originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle Ocean’s 8, starring Sandra Bullock and Cate Blanchett.
Episode 519: The Frank Sinatra Cinematic Universe originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast our theme of superthinkers tackles Deadpool 2.
Episode 518: Compensating for Unhappiness by Attempting to be Awesome originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle “Solo,” the new Star Wars anthology film about everyone’s favorite flyboy.
Episode 517: Nobody Solo Actually Hans originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we break the fourth wall.
Episode 516: That Indeed Was Cold originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle Cobra Kai, a new entry in the Karate Kid Extended Universe, and wrap up the Eurovision Song Contest with a surprise victory.
Episode 515: Tweet First! Tweet Hard! No Mercy! originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, part 2 of our discussion on “Avengers: Infinity War,” with just half of Earth’s Mightiest Overthinkers to join the battle.
Episode 514: Tony Stark Does Not Do Incognito Mode originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we talk “Avengers: Infinity War,” the beginning of the end of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Episode 513: Earth’s Mightiest Overthinkers originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we look back at a classic: The 1999 animated film “The Iron Giant.”
Episode 512: Man-on-Bambi Violence originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle Wes Anderson’s latest film, “Isle of Dogs.”
Episode 511: I Love Dogs originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we talk about nostalgia, and wonder if there will be a reboot to end all reboots.
Episode 510: The Frozen Lake of Ice at the Bottom of All the Reboots originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle “Ready Player One,” both the book by Ernest Cline and the movie by Steven Spielberg.
Episode 509: Consider Yourself a Hero originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
What do we want? Podcast! When do we want it? Now! On the Overthinking It Podcast we tackle protests and demonstrations.
Episode 508: Political Tentpole originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On Overthinking It, we try to see the podcast for the trees.
Episode 507: Geometry originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast we tackle Disney’s new adaption of “A Wrinkle In Time.” May the benevolent spirit of Oprah watch over us all.
Episode 506: The Huey Lewisean Power of Love originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Podcast, we tackle the post-cold war thriller “Red Sparrow,” starring Jennifer Lawrence as a Russian spy.
Episode 505: A Buddhist Excellence of Sex Spying originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle “The Star-Spangled Banner,” a song that’s difficult to sing and nearly impossible to please everyone by trying.
Episode 504: American Major Chords originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overhtinking It Podcast, we tackle “Black Panther,” a striking and unique entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s string of blockbusters.
Episode 503: The Killmonger Doctrine originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle Fifty Shades Freed, the increasing role of explicit sexual imagery in our public culture, and The Crown Season 2, of course.
Episode 502: The Thought, the Word, and the Deed originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we talk Altered Carb… just kidding! It’s our annual look at the Super Bowl commercials and halftime show.
Episode 501: Our Ad is for Non-Chumps originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we celebrate 500 episodes with our smart, funny friends from the internet and highlight some of our personal favorites from the past 9 years.
Episode 500: That’s What I Call Podracing originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast we come full circle to tackle Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Phantom Thread,” starring Daniel Day Lewis.
Episode 499: A Human Centipede of Pygmalions originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast we tackle “The Post,” directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks.
Episode 498: Get Off My Paper originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, it’s Vegas, baby! We discuss Las Vegas, gambling, and the decoupling of incentive structures from narrative structures.
Episode 497: Look on my Works, Ye Mighty, and Have a Good Time! originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast we tackle the first half-season of Star Trek: Discovery with special guest Manu Saadia.
Episode 496: Michelle Yeoh With A Goatee Is Still Out There originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast we tackle “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” from the dark side of the force. Give into your feelings! There were awesome parts, but it was borderline incoherent.
Episode 495: Star Wars: The Last Jedi – The Dark Side Podcast originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast we tackle “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” from the light side of the force.
Episode 494: Star Wars: The Last Jedi – The Light Side Podcast originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle Pixar’s “Coco.”
Episode 493: Coco: The Notebook by Way of Back to the Future originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle the second half of Netflix’s “Stranger Things 2.”
Episode 492: Out of the Town, into the Mind originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we analyze the Platonic form of the Thanksgiving meal and what it says about our culture, our families, and us.
Episode 491: Tarving the Curkey originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle “Justice League,” which is a movie that came out.
Episode 490: Urban Surfer Hipster Bro Dragon Ball Z Longhair Fusion Dance originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle orthodoxy, heresy, church, and state in a way that has absolutely nothing to do with current events.
Episode 489: 10/10 Would Burn Again originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast we tackle “Thor: Ragnarok,” the latest entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Episode 488: Thor: Macklemore originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle the first four episodes of Stranger Things 2.
Episode 487: What If They Threw a Conspiracy and Nobody Came? originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast we tackle place-themed works of art, including “The Florida Project” and St. Vincent’s video for her song “New York.”
Episode 486: I Just Click “Accept” on All Social Contracts originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast we tackle stories about horrible truths that nobody wants to believe.
Episode 485: We’re The Grandpas in the Vampire Movie originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle Blade Runner 2049, the sequel to the 1982 Harrison Ford/Ridley Scott classic.
Episode 484: Beating Your Blade Runners into Plowshare Runners originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle Tom Cruise’s latest movie, “American Made.”
Episode 483: Drive the Continent Like You Stole It originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast we tackle “Kingsman: The Golden Circle” a profound meditation on the existential vs. the essential self.
Episode 482: You Mispronounced Masterpiece originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle the cheery subject of pain, aging, the and whether you are the self you know yourself to be.
Episode 481: Hyrule… My Own Head… Hyrule… My Own Head… originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking it Podcast, we eventually get around to talking about the film adaptation of Stephen King’s “It.”
Episode 480: Jason is Not Trying to Scare You originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast we look back at Game of Thrones, Season 7 and try to make sense of what happened and how the show has changed.
Episode 479: What is Musical Chairs but a Game of Thrones originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle Terminator 2 3D, The Glass Castle, and Dave Chappelle at Radio City Music Hall.
Episode 478: Not Killing Anyone O’Clock originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle Bonnie Tyler’s hit “Total Eclipse of the Heart.”
Episode 477: Forever’s Gonna Start Tonight originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle the classic musical film “The Wizard of Oz,” starring Judy Garland, and read the novel by L. Frank Baum that it’s based on.
Episode 476: And I Was There, And I Was There, And I Was There… originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, it’s Western week, as we tackle the disappointing adaptation of Stephen King’s The Dark Tower series, starring Idris Elba, and celebrate the release of West of Loathing from our friends at Asymmetric.
Episode 475: What If They Built a Dark Tower and Nobody Came? originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers and special guest Zack Johnson answer, “What is your favorite depiction of the Old West… in any medium?”
Question of the Week 475: Favorite Westerns originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle Luc Besson’s “Valerian and the City of A Thousand Planets,” a sort of spiritual sequel to “The Fifth Element” but not as good.
Episode 474: I Didn’t Blow Up the Planet, the System Blew Up the Planet! originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle Christopher Nolan’s brutally intense but very compelling new film “Dunkirk.”
Episode 473: Teach Me How to Dunkirk originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking it Podcast, we tackle “Okja,” the critical smash from Netflix and Bong Joon-ho starring Tilda Swinton and a giant CGI super-pig.
Episode 472: Okja: The Super-Pig Slaughterhouse originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle Spider Man: Homecoming.
Episode 471: Spider-Man: He Who Came Home originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the podcast, we tackle the latest film from Edgar Wright, “Baby Driver.”
Episode 470: Making It a e s t h e t i c originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle Prestige Comedy: “GLOW,” “Master of None,” “Catastrophe”, “Kimmy Schmidt,” and other shows in the lineage of “Arrested Development.”
Episode 469: The Various Rich Valleys originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
Consider the Oreo: On the Overthinking It Podcast, Amazon’s acquisition of Whole Foods leads us to consider the grocery store in pop culture and everyday life.
Episode 468: The Shopping Cart is an Allegory Of The Soul originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
This week’s Overthinking It Podcast is an argument for the Oxford Comma: We talk about monsters, Tom Cruise and Katy Perry.
Episode 467: The Thing You Can’t Reboot is Tom Cruise originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle the critically and commercially acclaimed reboot of Wonder Woman into DC’s Extended Universe.
Episode 466: Red Shiny Boots on the Ground originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Ovethinking It Podcast, we kick off our shoes and kick off summer movie season with the remake of Baywatch starring Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron.
Episode 465: Who Watches the Baywatchmen? originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we make an alien covenant: We will all watch Steven Spielberg’s 1982 masterpiece “E.T. The Extra Terrestrial” and discuss it on the podcast.
Episode 464: E.T.: I Learned It from You, Alien Dad! originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle how to construct a thrilling experience in media, in entertainment, and in your wedding reception playlist.
Episode 463: The Emotional Transportation Business originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, starring Chris Pratt and Zoe Saldana.
Episode 462: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2: Whistle While You Work originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle the near-future technological dystopia of “The Circle,” starring Emma Watson and Tom Hanks.
Episode 461: Goodbye Cruel World. Please Remember to Like and Subscribe. originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we ask: In a world with all kinds of stupid, overpriced crap, why does Juicero piss people off so much?
Episode 460: Let Us Unloose the Juice originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle “The Fate of the Furious” starring Vin Diesel, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Michelle Rodriguez and Charlize Theron..
Episode 459: The Fate of the Furious: Having a Kid Isn’t a Ten Second Race originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we serve up family dinner with contributions from podcast listeners on the subject of family in The Fast and the Furious and in their own lives.
Episode 458: The Shared Lived Experience of Being Fast and Furious originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we prepare for the coming of F8 by discussing the topic of family: How they come together, stay together, and drive cars off buildings together.
Episode 457: How Can We Not Talk about Family When Family’s All That We Got? originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast we ask who has designed our wasted time, and how and why they’ve done it.
Episode 456: Fighter Pilot, Space Commander, Mass- Murdering Plumber originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle the live action remake of Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast,” starring Emma Watson.
Episode 455: Don’t Woke The Beast originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we analyze the now-infamous video of the BBC Korea Expert’s children interrupting his broadcast, and talk generally about what happens when things go wrong.
Episode 454: SNAFU originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthining It Podcast we tackle “Logan,” the last film in the X-Men franchise to star Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart.
Episode 453: It’s Called Logan because That’s Wolverine’s Name originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle the 89th Academy Awards, and the botched announcement of Moonlight’s Oscar win over La La Land.
Episode 452: The Good Wine the First Time or the Good Wine the Second Time originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast: Just because we’re all watching the same thing, that doesn’t mean we’re watching it together.
Episode 451: You Can Never Tell Anyone That I Told You It Was Good originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle “The LEGO Batman Movie,” and retreat into the Oscar Corner to talk about “La La Land.”
Episode 450: No Batman is an Island originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we break down the cultural and political messages of Super Bowl LI’s commercials and halftime show.
Episode 449: This Commercial Knows Which Side It’s On originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we discuss Oscar contender Hidden Figures, the relationship between individual accomplishment and social progress, and our own immigrant pasts.
Episode 448: Hidden Figures: The People Who Weren’t In “The Right Stuff” originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle “xXx: The Return of Xander Cage,” Vin Diesel’s triumphant return the xXx franchise.
Episode 447: xXx: The World Will Catch Sick Air originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we determine whether life has a purpose. Or not.
Episode 446: They Look Like Clocks and Candles but They Can Actually Sing and Dance originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It podcast, we eschew discussion of the Golden Globes to discuss the latest episode of NCIS: Los Angeles.
Episode 445: The NCIS: LA of My Mind originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle Netflix’s new show The O A, starring Brit Marling.
Episode 444: Prairie and Her Home Companions originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we conclude our discussion of “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.”
Episode 443: I Knew That Galaxy when it was Long Ago and Far Away originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
Episode 442: Success Has Many Darth Vaders; Failure is an Orphan originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle HBO’s Westworld: Consciousness, morality, storytelling, and the coming robot apocalypse.
Episode 441: James Marsden is Suffering for All of Our Sins originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle Disney’s latest animated film, “Moana.”
Episode 440: The Moana-Myth originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast we tackle Arrival, the mindbending sci-fi mystery film starring Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner.
Episode 439: Arrival Both Goes Big and Goes Home originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” the latest movie in the Harry Potter universe.
Episode 438: The Flapper is a Goblin and She’s Singin’ Jazz originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we discuss the recent development that has got a lot of people taking to the Internet to vent their anger.
Episode 437: Don’t Pretend You Were Never Playing with Power originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle Doctor Strange, the latest entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Tilda Swinton.
Episode 436: You’re Hacking The Universe… With Your Mind Code! originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we consider what Halloween means to adults.
Episode 435: Team Sexy, Team Scary, Team Offensive originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle the myths of the old west by looking at Westworld, The Magnificent Seven, and Blazing Saddles.
Episode 434: Six Tim Gunns originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we consider the US presedential election as a reality show, with special guest Rob Cesternino of “Rob Has A Podcast.”
Episode 433: Democracy is the Ultimate Kayfabe originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we discuss how to understand and withstand difficult cultural experiences.
Episode 432: You Are Not Flat originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overhtinking It Podcast, we talk about how Marvel’s Luke Cage will fit into the Marvel Netflix Universe, and why the shows are a Saga while the movies are an Epic.
Episode 431: The Zipcodes in the Marvel Netflix World originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle Internet controversies, including a recent celebrity divorce and Jumanji-gate, and discover together how to make a bit work.
Episode 430: That Divorce was Right On Trend originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast we tackle the highly fragmented Television landscape, and we try to figure out what would make the Emmy awards interesting.
Episode 429: “I consider it to be one of the best shows on television. I’m a crazy person.” originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we celebrate the 50th anniversary of Star Trek.
Episode 428: Check Your Starfleet Privilege originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we celebrate Labor Day by examining the argument that American pop culture hates working people.
Episode 427: What an Idiot You Are to Have a Job originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we take a break from pop culture to step outside, rub our bleary eyes, and talk about the great outdoors in light of #NPS100.
Episode 426: Gotta Catch And Release ’Em All originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we dive deep into the Kit Harrington Infiniti commercial, William Blake’s “The Tyger,” and what it means to be “like a rock.”
Episode 425: Lord Commander Stryker of Lord of the Hobbits originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle the Netflix original series “Stranger Things,” starring Winona Ryder and Matthew Modine.
Episode 424: Stranger Things: The Horror Is at Home originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast we tackle the high and low points of Suicide Squad, starring Will Smith and Margot Robbie: Deadshot, the Joker, even Captain Boomerang! And, of course, everyone’s favorite manufactured controversy, Harley Quinn.
Episode 423: Wherever You Harley, There You Quinn originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we gather in person to discuss games of trivia, what they mean, and why we play them.
Episode 422: The Right Wrong Answer originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we analyze and interrogate “Star Trek Beyond,” a movie we liked a lot more we were expecting to.
Episode 421: This Is Why We Star Trek originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we discuss the 2016 remake of Ghostbusters starring Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon, and Leslie Jones, directed by Paul Feig.
Episode 420: Ghostbusters: Lean In to the Proton Pack originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast we consider the technological and social phenomenon of Pokemon Go, and wonder whether any of our pets have had a secret life.
Episode 419: Pokemon: The War of All against All originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast we listen to and discuss Independence Day: Resurgence.
Episode 418: Independence Day: Spoilers for Nonsense originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we talk about the role a diverse, cosmopolitan, globalized Britain has had in the popular culture.
Episode 417: Brentrance, or Brintrusion originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we consider Finding Dory and end up talking about memory, birthdays, and the epic showdown between I Dream of Jeannie and Bewitched.
Episode 416: Animating the Octopus originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we talk “Hamilton” on the eve of the Tony awards.
Episode 415: Hamilton Doesn’t Scale originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we talk “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows”, the rare sequel that manages to surpass its predecessor. Cowabunga!
Episode 414: Turtle Body Positivity originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast we talk about X-Men: Apocalypse, expensive salads, and other signs of the end of the world.
Episode 413: X-ellence in X-Menning originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It podcast, we talk about the process of traveling: not the mind-expanding ritual of visiting foreign lands, but the minute by minute grind of being in transit. Also: The Happiest Chewbacca.
Episode 412: If I Wanna Get On The Bus, I Can Get On The Bus originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we discuss what makes reality singing competitions wonderful… or terrible. And we wrap up our coverage of the Eurovision Song Contest 2016.
Episode 411: Potemkin Sausage Factory originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast we discuss “Captain America: Civil War” the latest entry in Marvel’s Avengers franchise.
Episode 410: Audit The Avengers! originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle the urgent “Purple Rain Cover” situation and take stock of Key & Peele’s new movie.
Episode 409: Full On Point Break Terminal Velocity Maximum Overdrive originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we remember times that Prince touched our lives and we talk with author Manu Saadia about his book “Trekonomics” on the economics of the Star Trek universe.
Episode 408: Boldly Going, and So Forth originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It podcast, we discuss Tina Fey’s “The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” starring Ellie Kemper. Season 2 just dropped on Netflix.
Episode 407: Are You There, Matt? It’s Me, Netflix. originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we talk about Will Smith and the new model of celebrity, the dynamic queue controversy in League of Legends, and the ways Big Data affects how we thing ourselves and our pasttimes.
Episode 406: Willennials originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers go behind the scenes to discuss the creative process that brings you the Overthinking It Podcast every week.
Episode 405: A Compliment that Felt Like a Wound originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle Zack Snyder’s “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice.”
Episode 404: Lex Luthor Presents Mary Shelley’s Blackwater originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast we tackle the social implications of the Hulk Hogan Sex Tape verdict against Gawker and Nick Denton.
Episode 403: I Will Block And Unfriend originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle the movie trailer industrial complex.
Episode 402: The Product and Its Effect on the Floor or on Your Butt originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, the Overthinkers and special guest Arjun Gupta tackle Disney’s new animated film “Zootopia.”
Episode 401: Stop Shaming the Bunny originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the podcast, we tackle the 88th Academy Awards, Chris Rock, Oscar winners, Spotlight, Mad Max: Fury Road, and the unconscionable Furious 7 snub.
Episode 400: Part of the Problem is That You Didn’t Invite Vin Diesel originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we mark the passing of Harper Lee by rehabilitating High School English books that are actually good. And we grudgingly think about watching year’s crop of Best Picture nominees.
Episode 399: Selena Gomez Gets Pedantic originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we listen to and discuss the Deadpool movie starring Ryan Reynolds.
Episode 398: Deadpool: Superhero Joint Custody originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the podcast: Super Bowl L in ads and musical performances.
Episode 397: Hardcore Normal originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the podcast, we examine Grease Live from a cultural and a karaoke perspective, and try to find a shred of hope in Louis C.K.’s new show “Horace and Pete.”
Episode 396: Tell Me More, Tell Me More originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the podcast, we consider human motivation in the age of the snarky tweet.
Episode 395: The Human Condition as it Exists on the Internet originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast we talk about the many notable snubs of the 2016 Oscar nominations and mark the passing of David Bowie and Alan Rickman with appreciations of their careers.
Episode 394: I Was a Big Fan of My Work originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we talk with Jonathan Kite about the two kinds of sitcoms, why economics matters to 2 Broke Girls, about the role of the audience in live performance, and about the hardest thing about acting (balancing all the plates).
Episode 393 with Jonathan Kite: Be the Thing that You Claim to Be originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we use management consulting to gauge the success of our New Year’s resolutions, as well as how the Resistance is doing in Star Wars.
Episode 392: Very Cowabunga, Somewhat Cowabunga originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers delve deeper into Star Wars: The Force Awakens, talking about the movie’s self-referentiality and the global media onslaught surrounding it.
Episode 391: Star Wars: A Child Is A Reboot of the Grittiest Sort originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle Star Wars: The Force Awakens, J.J. Abrams’s reboot of the classic George Lucas franchise.
Episode 390: Star Wars: The Millennial Falcon originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast we pick up our instruments for a raucous, improvised sing-a-long and analysis of beloved Christmas songs.
Episode 389: I Find Your Lack of Tickets Disturbing originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers talk about non-American TV with Josh Thomas, creator and star of the Australian show Please Like Me.
Episode 388: It’s Just You Guys Who Think that Comedy Doesn’t Travel originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we talk about “Creed,” the latest entry in the Rocky saga, starring Michael B. Jordan and Sylvester Stallone.
Episode 387: Creed: The Fresh Prince and the Pauper originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast we discuss The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2, starring Jennifer Lawrence.
Episode 386: Many Years Ago an Archer Was Foretold originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle artisanality and authenticity in our food, our social relations, and our popular entertainment.
Episode 385: The Golden Arches Means There Are Infinite Hamburgers originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle “Spectre,” the latest entry into the James Bond franchise, starring Daniel Craig.
Episode 384: You’re 98% compatible Bond originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle our Halloween experiences using the tools of social science to analyze land use, urbanism, and counter-cultural authenticity.
Episode 383: The Most Genuine Fake originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle the pleasures and problems of the legitimate stage, and mark the release of the Star Wars traler by sharing our favorite movie trailer memories.
Episode 382: Getting to Bomb You originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinking It Podcast commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Nintendo Entertainment System and the Back to the Future milestone date of October 21, 2015.
Episode 381: Marty McFly Day originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast we discuss the effect of two- and three-episode arcs on television narrative and get a live report from New York Comic Con.
Episode 380: Postponing the Larger Reckoning originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle the science, politics, and music of the Ridley Scott movie “The Martian.”
Episode 379: The Space Program of the 50s, 60s, 70s…and Today originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we celebrate our seventh anniverary with a discussion of the Muppets, the Volkswagen scandal, and Pope Francis’s visit to the United States.
Episode 378: Like Kermit the Frog, He Seems Rife for Hot Takes originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle favorite villains from our childhood entertainment, the current state of “Peak Television,” and “Black Mass,” the Whitey Bulger biopic starring Johnny Depp.
Episode 377: A Vin Diesel Solution to a Whitey Bulger Problem originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle Mark’s European Vacation.
Episode 376: In Europe, Nothing is Just the Beginning originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle Guy Ritchie’s “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.”
Episode 375: Because I Could Not Stop for Lunch, Lunch Kindly Stopped for Me originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle horror film and the cinema of the late, great Wes Craven.
Episode 374: Murder is Literature by Other Means originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle the cultural phenomenon of summer.
Episode 373: We Didn’t Make That Myth into A Real Thing originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle “Straight Outta Compton,” the Eazy-E, Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, and N.W.A.’s seminal album.
Episode 372: Straight Outta Compton: A Story of the Saints originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast we tackle “Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp” as well as reflect on sixteen years of the Daily Show.
Episode 371: Dream-Like Camp State originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle “Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation” starring Tom Cruise.
Episode 370: Mission Impossible: Trust but Verify originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinking It Podcast tackles Marvel’s Ant Man, starring Paul Rudd and Michael Douglas.
Episode 369: Things That Are Big and Things That Are Small originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The overthinkers tackle narrative as marketing, and why you should never, ever believe “Our Story.”
Episode 368: The Crisis of Infinite Mr. Cleans originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle screen time for kids, social science and public policy, and great heel turns in literature, wrestling, and pop culture.
Episode 367: May I Approach the Bench? originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast we tackle “Terminator Genisys” with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Emilia Clarke.
Episode 366: You Drop This Acid, You Will Travel Through Time originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
On the Overthinking It Podcast, we tackle recent Supreme Court decisions, why the law is like a TV Recap, and what Stanley Fish thinks about Aaron Sorkin.
Episode 365: Everything You Thought You Knew about the Author’s Intention Is Wrong, And What Happens Next Will Blow Your Mind originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Inside Out through the lens of Robert Plutchik’s psychoevolutionary theory of emotion and, what else, Terminator.
Episode 364: Inside Out: I Know Now Why You Cry, And I’m Going To Do It originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers and special guest Diona Reasonover tackle Jurassic World, starring Chris Pratt.
Episode 363: Velociraptor, You’re a Loose Cannon But You’re a Damn Good Cop originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle the movie Entourage, its cultural reception, the problems of bro-ness, and what luxury means in the age of Uber.
Episode 362: L’Entourage, c’est moi originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle the demise of the Golden Age of Televsion, including shows like “Game of Thrones,” “Mad Men,” and “Bloodline.”
Episode 361: The Golden Age of Television is Over originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle nationalism at the Eurovision Song Contest and Simon Pegg’s controversial comments on geek culture.
Episode 360: I’m Glad We Fixed the Drone Problem originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle “Mad Max: Fury Road” starring Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron.
Episode 359: Mad Max: The Threat of Abrasion is Ever-Present originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle college a cappella and give a (spoiler-free!) preview of Pitch Perfect 2.
Episode 358: We Must Love the Imperfections In The Pitch originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle “Avegners: Age of Ultron,” directed by Joss Whedon and starring Robert Downey, Jr., Mark Ruffalo, Scarlet Johansson, and James Spader’s ominous voice.
Episode 357: The Broken Windows Theory of Avenging originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers and special guest Lenny Jacobson tackle “Big Time in Hollywood, FL,” comedy, tragedy, and talent.
Episode 356: Jump into The Vortex originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle a playlist of trailers for Star Wars, Batman v Superman, Terminator Genisys, and Avengers: Age of Ultron.
Episode 355: Give Us This Day Our Daily Chewbacca originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle the new season of Mad Men, the folly of learning history from TV shows, and Hillary Clinton’s playlist for 2016.
Episode 354: Don Draper’s Seppuku originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Fast and Furious 7, starring Vin Diesel and Paul Walker.
Episode 353: It’s Curious That It’s Furious originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers and guest Jordan Harbinger from “The Art of Charm” discuss success, authority, and Coach.
Episode 352: Axel Foley Waits on No Man’s Pleasure originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle the filmmaking process, the relationship between artist and audience, and what makes someone watchable, along with guest Eugene Kotlyarenko.
Episode 351: The Baggage and The Glory originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Carcast Redux, the roast of Justin Bieber, and Kathy Griffin’s stand for kindness.
Episode 350: Fashion Police Brutality originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Kanye West at Oxford, Guy Fieri in the Grocery Store, and Harrison Ford at the controls of a plane.
Episode 349: The Best, Illest Quotes originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle the passing of Leonard Nimoy, the philosophical implications of #TheDress, and whether Leslie Knope lives in the Frank Underworld.
Episode 348: They Are Not The Hell Your Whales originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle the the 87th Academy Awards Oscar ceremony.
Episode 347: John Fact becomes John Myth, and John Myth becomes John Legend originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle the 40th Anniversary of “Saturday Night Live”, and wonder why it was funny in the first place. They also spend a little time thinking about the “50 Shades” phenomenon.
Episode 346: Are You Familiar with The Work of Chris Kattan? originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle the weather.
Episode 345: During Wind and Rain originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle the commercials and halftime show from Super Bowl XLIX
Episode 344: We Aren’t What You Think We Are originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle deflate-gate, “Mozart in the Jungle,” and the Alan Turing biopic “The Imitation Game” starring Benedict Cumberbatch.
Episode 343: The 800-Pound Benedict Cumberbatch in The Room originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The overthinkers tackle the long and storied history of Overthinking.
Episode 342: There Were No Pumpkin Spice Lattes in The Poor Theater of Grotowski originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
Peter Fenzel, Mark Lee, John Perich, and Matthew Wrather overthink contemporary prestige pictures, including “Inherent Vice”, “Birdman”, and “TAK3N”.
Episode 341: It’s Nice That There are Films That are Ambitious originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers introduce the concept of Overthinking for the benefit of new listeners, and discuss Grown-Ups 2, Chip ‘n’ Dale Rescue Rangers, and the plays of William Shakespeare.
Episode 340: Generation Skeletor originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle the ethics of storytelling in “Serial” and “Into The Woods.”
Episode 339: Serial: Are You Allowed to be Entertained? originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
Peter Fenzel, Mark Lee, and Matthew Wrather overthink the end of “The Colbert Report” and “The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies,” which is metal as hell.
Episode 338: The Hobbit (Under Circumstances of Extreme Metal-itude) originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle the Sony hack and the ethics of sharing private information online.
Episode 337: A Great Flowering of Empathy and Fellow-Feeling originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Black Mirror, now available to US viewers on Netflix.
Episode 336: Black Mirror – The Pig Effing Trolley Problem originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle the Star Wars Episode VII Teaser Trailer and Band Aid 30’s “Do They Know It’s Christmas? (2014).”
Episode 335: Why Would The Millennium Falcon Blow Up the White House? originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1” starring Jennifer Lawrence.
Episode 334: As God Is My Witness, I’ll Never Go On the Hunger Games Again originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle the downside of Megan Trainor, the backside of Robert Pattinson, and the flipside of Taylor Swift and Spotify.
Episode 333: All About That Tonsure originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Christopher Nolan’s “Interstellar,” starring Matthew McConaughey.
Episode 332: My Watch Is Saying, “That’s The Best Thing about High School Girls” originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The overthinkers tackle the Furious 7 trailer, and compare the instrumental value of the careers of Paul Walker and Eric Roberts.
Episode 331: Ecce Homo: Paul Walker Floats in Slow Motion originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle board game movie adaptations and the Keanu Reeves revenge thriller “John Wick.”
Episode 330: John Wick: “Cut us, do we not bleed? Wrong us, do we not revenge?” originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle their week in pop culture.
Episode 329: “You’re a loose cannon but you’re a dang good time lord.” originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle New York Comic Con 2014.
Episode 328: Gossip Groot originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The overthinkers tackle the Rapture in pop culture, the end of Saturday morning cartoons, and the role that sugary breakfast cereal played in their enjoyment.
Episode 327: Saturday Morning: Has It Been Raptured, or Has It Been Left Behind? originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers drink the Haterade.
Episode 326: Becoming the Hater you Hate originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle pop songs about booty and the fall TV lineup.
Episode 325: I Speak of The Booty That Is to Come after Me originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Adulthood in popular culture and A. O. Scott’s New York Times article saying we’re idiots for liking The Hunger Games.
Episode 324: Skeptical as a Schoolgirl originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle the legacy of Joan Rivers (can we talk?) and the increasingly prominent role of digital photos in our lives.
Episode 323: Thumbs Up to All The Duck Brothers Out There originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Sin City 2’s box office flop, the taxonomy of Hello Kitty, and the appeal of watching live video game streaming on Twitch TV.
Episode 322: Hello Kitty: The Horrible Sanrio Dystopia originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle VMAs fashion, pop music, Taylor Swift, hashtags, and “Selfie.”
Episode 321: The VMAs: Shmorg Shmorg Shmorg, I Have These Songs, Shmorg Shmorg Shmorg originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle “The Expendables 3” and comment on the sad passing of Robin Williams.
Episode 320: The Expendables 3: A Midsummer Night’s Railgun originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie with Megan Fox and Will Arnett.
Episode 319: The Things You Liked Actually Were Awesome originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle “Guardians of The Galaxy”.
Episode 318: The Awe is in the AWEsome Mix originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers propose hypothetical ComicCon announcements and talk about new releases “Hercules” and “Boyhood.”
Episode 317: He Seems Older and Wiser and Less Half of an Animal originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle their Purge plans, their reaction to parodist-laureate “Weird Al” Yankovic’s latest album, and the many logical failings of Snowpiercer.
Episode 316: Why Baptize Your Hatchet in Fish Blood? Why Not?! originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle the cultural experience of driving and buying cars.
Episode 315: A Car That’s Full of Dreams and Not Actual Car Parts originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle things bodily: Tattoos, diet, exercise, and sitcoms.
Episode 314: One Mountain Closer to Climbing Every Mountain originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Brunch Theory and Practice.
Episode 313: #brunchcast originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle the World Cup, Edge of Tomorrow (for real this time), and feeling sorry for Tom Cruise.
Episode 312: Tom Cruise Deserves A Win originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle pride week, Alex Trebek’s record, Angelina Jolie’s peerage, and Mr. and Mrs. Carter’s tour, before falling down the Clickhole.
Episode 311: “Dubious: Discuss.” And We Will. originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers prepare to tackle Tom Cruise’s latest, “Edge of Tomorrow.” Spoiler-free.
Episode 310: Standing At The Edge of Tomorrow originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinking It Podcast answers questions about Back to the Future, Sharktopus, and the meaning of the word “Dayenu.”
Episode 309: Why is This Podcast Different from All Other Podcasts? originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle “X-Men: Days of Future Past”.
Episode 308: Liberté! Egalité! Mutanité! originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Godzilla, the desire to see cities destroyed, and advice to the class of 2014.
Episode 307: You’re Not Better than Your Body, Even If You’re Godzilla originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
Peter Fenzel and special guests tackle The Amazing Spider-Man 2.
Podcast Supplement: “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers and special guest Tim Swann tackle the British perspective on “24: Live Another Day.”
Episode 306: Unfamiliar with Jack Bauer or Tea But Mostly Tea originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Star Wars: Episode VII and what makes a good sequel.
Episode 305: Destroying Star Wars In Order To Save It originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle the issues of identity and appropriation in the controversy over Avril Lavigne’s “Hello Kitty.”
Episode 304: Nickelback Lyrics About Japanese Schoolgirls originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Buzzfeed Quizzes and what’s wrong with the internet.
Episode 303: You’re Not a Person If You Don’t Have a Personality originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Richard Rosenbaum’s book “Raise Some Shell”.
Episode 302: Nobody Friend-zones Leonardo originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle “Captain America: Winter Soldier.”
Episode 301: Dude, Your Hydra’s Hailing originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
Ben Adams and Matthew Belinkie recap the finale of How I Met Your Mother in a special podcast supplement. Spoiler Alert for HIMYM.
Podcast Supplement: The Zero Hour in which the Mother is Met originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers count down the 10 best moments of 300 Overthinking It Podcasts with contributions from listeners who have heard them all.
Episode 300: One of the Finest Moments of My Adult Life originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Divergent — the novel by Veronica Roth and its film adaptation.
Episode 299: Turgid, Overlong originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle lost-key points, who can and can’t judge whom, video game adaptations, and the trouble of jerk-shaming.
Episode 298: A Requirement For Jerk originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle television that wants you to figure it out, and what makes a satisfying Series Finale.
Episode 297: I’m Gonna Write a Bad Story that People Will Hate! originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle the 86th Academy Awards telecast, a TV show of a stage show about montages of movies.
Episode 296: This Is Not to Say Juilliard Graduates DON’T Deliver Pizza Professionally originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle the filmography of JK Simmons and the two kinds of Game Nights—Cards Against Humanity nights and Settlers of Catan nights.
Episode 295: Neo-Nazi Skinhead M&M originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle the 2014 remake of RoboCop, as well as Paul Verhoeven’s original.
Episode 294: Doctor Exposition and His Sidekick Lady WhoWhatWhere originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle The LEGO® Movie and The 2014 Winter Olympics.
Episode 293: In Communist Russia, Everything is Awesome originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle the cultural discourse (drink) around Super Bowl XLVIII’s commercials and halftime show.
Episode 292: A Short Day’s Journey Into The Driveway originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle the definition of sports, sports’ shadow-sports, and sports movies.
Episode 291: Skinny Guy, Skinny Guy, Fat Guy, Fat Guy originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers confuse narrative complexity with podcasting good.
Episode 290: The In Medias Res of Choice originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle the FBI’s designation of juggalos as a gang and Shia Laboeuf’s deisgnation of plagarism as art.
Episode 289: The Dark Carnival of our Civil Rights originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Netflix, the Netflix queue, and the phenomenon of movies disappearing and reappearing on the service.
Episode 288: The Magical Quality of the Magic Box originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle The Wolf of Wall Street, the moral responsibility of movies, and the Greatest Dogecoin Heist of 2013.
Episode 287: There Only Had to Be One Scarface originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
In a special episode, the overthinkers take a break from the current movie season to look back at the top grossing films of 2003, 1993, 1983… and 1913.
Ho-Ho-Hoverthinking It Podcast Supplement: Benedict Cumberbatch before He Went Crazy And Started A Cult originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle American Hustle, directed by David O. Russell and starring Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, Amy Adams, and Jennifer Lawrence.
Episode 286: American Hustle: He Doesn’t Sell Real Estate. He Sells Fake Estate. originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.
Episode 285: The Hobbit: You’re The Man Now, Smaug originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle two related musical works: The Sound Of Music live telecast and Rebecca Black’s “Saturday.”
Episode 284: Forging Correctness in the Iron Crucible of Condescension originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle the passing of Paul Walker, car culture, and why transportation safety statistics have no effect on our behavior.
Episode 283: God Just Got A Ten Second Car originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” starring Jennifer Lawrence.
Episode 282: I Volunteer as Hungry originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle White House Down, starring Channing Tatum and Jamie Foxx.
Episode 281: White House Down: This Is Specifically about the Tank Top Of The Protagonist originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Thor: The Dark World and interview Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje.
Episode 280: Thor: It’s Not NOT Like Ghostbusters 2 originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle the film adaptation of Ender’s Game.
Episode 279: Ender’s Game: I Can’t Open My Mouth without Condemning It, And Yet I Like It originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Shadows of Endor, a Star Wars: Ewoks comic.
Episode 278: The Star Wars Trilogy Isn’t Over Until the Yub Nub Song is Sung originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Terminator the Second, a retelling of Terminator 2 using only lines from Shakespeare.
Episode 277: So You Think You Can Terminate originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
Here’s the audio version of Overthinking It Popfixers #1, released as a supplement to the OTI Podcast.
Podcast Supplement: Popfixers #1, “Termination” originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Captain Phillips, starring Tom Hanks.
Episode 276: Captain Phillips: Why is The Man from Big Crying in My Bank Account? originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle the movie “Gravity.”
Episode 275: Gravity: Boo hoo, cry me a river, you’re an astronaut originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Marvel’s Agents of Shield and Horse_ebooks.
Episode 274: The Panache of a Dushku, the Moxie of a Cuthbert originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle the fifth anniversary of this podcast, Garage Band-ization, and the political economy of Triton’s Kingdom.
Episode 273: This is Going to Sound Bad, But I Miss Myspace. originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
In this Musical Talmud edition of the Overthinking It Podcast, Mark Lee analyzes a series of songs called “American Girl” and discovers the true nature of American greatness.
The Musical Talmud, Audio Edition: “American Girl” originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers Tackle Grand Theft Auto V in a special live episode with more than the usual digressions.
Episode 272: Grand Theft Auto: Watching People Play for More Than A Decade originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle “Riddick” and its predecessors, “The Chronicles of Riddick” and “Pitch Black.”
Episode 271: Riddick: His Brow Heavy with the Weight of His Goggles originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle, God help us, “Getaway” starring Ethan Hawke and Selena Gomez.
Episode 270: Imagine The Story I’m Telling Is Awesome originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Ben Affleck as Batman and “The World’s End.”
Episode 269: The World’s End: The Role of the Lightsaber Is Played by Beer originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinking It Book Club kicks off with a look at Ender’s Game.
Overthinking It Book Club: Ender’s Game Introduction originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle listener emails and texts.
Episode 268: There’s Always Event Horizon originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers Tackle Neill Blomkamp’s Elysium, starring Matt Damon and Jodie Foster.
Episode 267: Elysium, where all the wealth is concentrated, for some reason, on a spaceship. originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Renaissance Faire.
Episode 266: 300 Brides for 300 Spartans originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle “The Wolverine”, starring Hugh Jackman.
Episode 265: The Wolverine: I Can’t Bear to Change, so I Must Live with A Bear originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle R.I.P.D., starring Jeff Bridges and Ryan Reynolds.
Episode 264: R.I.P.D.: Is There, Is There Balm in Gilead? originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle “Pacific Rim.”
Episode 263: Pacific Rim: Kaiju, Job Creators originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Listener Feedback for the first time in a while.
Episode 262: Listener Feedback originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
Peter Fenzel and special guest Hannah Foell tackle The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift.
Podcast Supplement: The Fast and the Furious, Tokyo Drift originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle the failure of institutions and the rise of a hero in this year’s summer blockbusters.
Episode 261: If The Day is Going to Be Saved originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle World War Z, talking about both the Brad Pitt movie and Max Brooks’s book.
Episode 260: Take the Zombie Challenge originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Man of Steel.
Episode 259: Man of Steel: And Jor-El Shall Restore Amends originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Game of Thrones Season 3 in a special Podcast Supplement.
Podcast Supplement: Game of Thrones Season 3 Recap originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle fictional surveillance states, PRISM, and The Purge.
Episode 258: Superman during The Purge originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle the fourth season of Arrested Development.
Episode 257: Arrested Development: A New Start originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle (Fast &) Furious 6.
Episode 256: Are We Not Fast? Are We Not Furious? originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle J. J. Abrams’s Star Trek Into Darkness.
Episode 255: I Think I Like Star Trek 2 Better Than Star Trek 2 originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Baz Luhrmann’s interpretation of The Great Gatsby and the 2013 Eurovision Song Contest.
Episode 254: Gatsby… You Don’t Have to Put on The Green Light originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Iron Man 3.
Episode 253: Iron Man 3: Bitten by a Radioactive 1980s originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Star Trek: The Next Generation, “The Best of Both Worlds” parts 1 and 2.
Episode 252: Perhaps. But Not Today. originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Shana Mlawski’s Hammer of Witches and subversive genre fiction.
Episode 251: Christopher Columbus’s Zodiac Pontoon Boat originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Jurassic Park 3D.
Episode 250: Pointing a Pentium III at a Dinosaur originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle the meaning of Game of Thrones Season 3, WrestleMania, and Rudyard Kipling.
Episode 249: WrestleMania is Being Undertaken originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle G.I. Joe: Retaliation.
Episode 248: Let’s Put The Rock in A Dune Buggy originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle the state and meaning of Pop Music and the rules of Karaoke Etiquette.
Episode 247: I’m The Mayor of Ignition originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Oz The Great and Powerful and The Incredible Burt Wonderstone.
Episode 246: Monkeychlorians originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle whaling in Assassin’s Creed IV, the symbolism of different animal species in Star Fox, and the rocky launch of SimCity.
Episode 245: Uncanny Valley of Polygonal Animal Space Pilots originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle “A Good Day To Die Hard.”
Episode 244: Die-Hard-alectical Materialism originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle the 2013 Academy Awards.
Episode 243: As They Tear Your Show Apart originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle the Harlem Shake.
Episode 242: The Harlem Snake is Eating Its Own Harlem Tail originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle the 55th Grammy Awards.
Episode 241: I Don’t Think It’s Wind-Beneath-My-Wings Quality originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle the ads and Beyonce’s half-time show from Super Bowl XLVII.
Episode 240: The Amateurs Will Be Out originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle their favorite favorite pop culture…at age 5.
Episode 239: Edmund Burke, Mermaid Hunter originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Arnold Schwarzenegger and The Last Stand.
Episode 238: The Poor Man’s Liam Neeson originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Zero Dark Thirty, both the movie and the controversy surrounding it.
Episode 237: Jack Bauer Got Pissy and Filled Out A Lot of Forms originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained.
Episode 236: Through Candyland Took Their Solitary Way originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle 48fps, Les Miserables, and your pop-culture New Year’s Resolutions.
Episode 235: Eponine Can’t Ask Out Her Gay Boyfriend originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Instagram, memory, and mash-up culture.
Episode 234: Schrödinger’s Instagram originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle “The Hobbit,” the future of the Lord of the Rings franchise, “Life of Pi,” and SantaCon.
Episode 233: Bilbo Has Diabetes originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle the avant-garde in art.
Episode 232: Are You Not Edged? originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln, starring Daniel Day Lewis.
Episode 231: They Did Go Hungry Again originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle “How to Live Without Irony” from the New York Times
Episode 230: There’s Nothing New under The Hipster Cowboy Hat originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Twilight: Breaking Dawn 2, having of course not seen it.
Episode 229: For Certain Definitions of Vampire originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle James Bond’s return in Skyfall.
Episode 228: That’s Some Kings Quest 2 Level Detective Work originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle the Disney-Lucasfilm deal and the four year anniversary of this podcast.
Episode 227: Four-Lighting Your Friends originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Cloud Atlas.
Episode 226: Hugh Grant: Beyond Thunderdome originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Graceland, Argo, and, if you can believe it, listener feedback.
Episode 225: We’re Going To Wasteland originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle the user interfaces in Science Fiction and New York Comic-Con 2012.
Episode 224: He Has Two Levers originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Taken 2.
Episode 223: Taking Taking to the Next Level originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Looper, written and directed by Rian Johnson, Starring Joseph “Gordonian Knot” Levitt and Bruce Willis.
Episode 222: Portrait of The Artist as An Old Man Coming to Visit Himself as A Young Man originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle “The Master,” Philip Seymour Hoffman’s relatively slumming-free movie career, the Emmys, and product placement in TV shows
Episode 221: Brought To You By “Transformers 6” originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle the new television shows of the Fall 2012 season.
Episode 220: Higglety Pigglety originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers interview movie producer and Ghostbusters logo designer Michael C. Gross.
Episode 219: Icons are Always an Accident originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle the limitations of being right.
Episode 218: Leggo my Et in Arcadia Ego originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle the cinema of Tony Scott and the humanity of the space program.
Episode 217: Highway to the Danger Drone originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle “The Expendables 2” and commemorate the birthday of Jonathan Ke Quan, aka “Short Round” from “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.” Brechtian analysis and roundhouse kicks abound.
Episode 216: Happy Birthday, Short Round originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Matt Damon’s role (or the lack thereof) in “The Bourne Legacy” and the politics (or the lack thereof) in “The Campaign.”
Episode 215: Vengeance for Algernon originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle the remake of Total Recall and grittiness in movies.
Episode 214: Gritty Anti-Pigeon originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle the multimedia spectacle that was the 2012 Olympics opening ceremonies.
Episode 213: An Elite Squadron of Poppinses originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle “The Dark Knight Rises.” (Reposted to fix technical problems.)
Episode 212: And Now Over to Killer Croc for the Sports [REPOST] originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle “The Dark Knight Rises.”
Episode 212: And Now Over to Killer Croc for the Sports originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle what it’s like to watch 404.25 hours of movies on Netflix in a single month, the child rock sensation Lil’ G’n’R, and the preciousness of Wes Anderson and Moonrise Kingdom.
Episode 211: You Never Bought Sausage In Brooklyn originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers convene the first ever podcast commenter panel to discuss bad acting in movies and TV.
Episode 210: 2 Xtreme 4 Derrida originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle branding, marketing an experience, truth-in-fiction, and Team Fortress 2.
Episode 209: Meryl Streep, Oscar Nominated Government Assassin originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle bachelorhood, bachelor parties, and the false dichotomy between friends and spouses.
Episode 208: Bridezilla vs. Mothra originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle the movie Rock of Ages, and ask: What makes rock ROCK?
Episode 207: Sing A Song into Our Butt originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Ridley Scott’s Prometheus.
Episode 206: Bender’s A**hole Robot Uncle originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Lena Dunham’s HBO Series Girls.
Episode 205: The Priams of the Patriarchy originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers are joined by comedian Richard Sandling to discuss comedy, criticism, virality, and film adaptations of novels.
Episode 204: The Notional Ryan Seacrest originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers (plus a special guest from the United States Navy) tackle the seminal summer flick Battleship.
Episode 203: 2 Fast 2 Battleship originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle listener feedback for the first time in six months and preview the summer movies of 2012.
Episode 202: Putting on the Meat Dress originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle The Avengers.
Episode 201: A Smash Rate of A New Yorker per Second originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle their own plasma anniversary, as well as the Law and Order episode of Community.
Episode 200: A Podcast Gotta Have A Code originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle min-maxing, work outside the square community, and the wedding-industrial complex.
Episode 199: The Art of Waaagh originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle bullying and the documentary Bully.
Episode 198: Academy of Police originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Game Of Thrones, Season 2. (Mild spoilers for the later books.)
Episode 197: That’s Kind of Their Value-Add originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers desecrate their proud tradition of intelligence and humor.
Episode 196: I’ve Brought a GUI to a CLI Fight originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle The Hunger Games.
Episode 195: Super Hipster Beards in a German Fusion Brunch Place originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle the controversy over Mike Daisey’s monlogue, “The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs.”
Episode 194: You Don’t Know My Momentum originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
Fenzel and Wrather tackle issues of representation and expression with reference to PayPal, Antwone Fisher, Battleship, and leaked nude photos.
Episode 193: InuYasha-ish originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle NBC’s new musical-theater show Smash.
Episode 192: It Could Be Kabuki originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle the 84th Academy Awards.
Episode 191: Life Is Getting Less Special originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
Wrather, Fenzel, and Perich tackle Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance.
Episode 190: 18 Hours of Angels Singing and Craziness originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
Fenzel, Lee, Shechner, and Wrather overthink the narrativization of sports (including Magic: The Gathering… it’s totally a sport) and of celebrities like Whitney Houston.
Episode 189: The Rut Not Taken originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Super Bowl ads.
Episode 188: No Drop Trou for Bizarro originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
Fenzel, Lee, Perich, and Wrather tackle heists, hustlers, and the hermeneutic circle.
Episode 187: The Sam Awards originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Steven Soderbergh’s Haywire and Neil Young’s hatred for music compression.
Episode 186: Wrong Enough to be Human originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle entertainment and technology.
Episode 185: Decorative Arts originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle creativity, analysis, straw men, and the poet Ranier Maria Rilke.
Episode 184: Cats That Look Like Hitler originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle 2012 New Year’s resolutions and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.
Episode 183: A Prize Anyone Can Edit originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows.
Episode 182: Holmes-o-eroticism originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol.
Episode 181: Macroeconomics: KRUGBLIVION! originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle the TV and music businesses: Community, Taylor Swift, Ke$ha, and Adam Smith.
Episode 180: Michelle Bachmann America is Great Funtime originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Starship Troopers, babysitting, and digital publishing.
Episode 179: The Expendable Babysitters Club originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Star Wars: The Old Republic and The Muppets.
Episode 178: Mah-na-mah-na-logy originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Batman: Arkham City and J. Edgar.
Episode 177: Batman: Arkham Chamber of Commerce originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle videogames, including Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.
Episode 176: In A Gunny Sack behind The Bus Boy originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Tower Heist.
Episode 175: It’s a pirate ship. It should be watertight. originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle the new Three Musketeers movie, the new TV show Grimm, and some of the reasons why we aren’t watching Two and a Half Men.
Episode 174: Girlfriends are Horcruxes originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle listener feedback from Poland, Texas, and Georgia. The former SSR, not the state.
Episode 173: Triumph the Insult Comic Dog of The Will originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle New York Comic-Con, the future of comics, and the Neal Stephenson novel “Reamde.”
Episode 172: Johnny Appleseed’s Seed-Shooting Gatling Gun originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle the future of media.
Episode 171: First World Problems originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Moneyball.
Episode 170: Guy who makes the craft services who feeds Aaron Sorkin originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle their leather anniversary.
Episode 169: Zone 4 Now Boarding originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle good actors in bad movies.
Episode 168: You have a choice, Ryan Gosling! originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Star Trek, because 9/11 is a really uncomfortable subject.
Episode 167: Natural Brunch Talk originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle what’s wrong with movies.
Episode 166: Buffering… Buffering… Buffering… originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle storms in pop culture, Lt. Dan’s CGI legs, the MTV Video Music Awards, and Colombiana.
Episode 165: Mandatory Post-Colonial Guilt originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle eighties remakes.
Episode 164: A Couple o’ Lads Who Were up to Nae Good originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinker tackle good manners.
Episode 163: Jelly of the Month Club originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle “Rise of the Planet of the Apes.”
Episode 162: The Apes of Wrath originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Cowboys and Aliens.
Episode 161: Gordon Shumway Joke #4 originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle “Captain America: The First Avenger.”
Episode 160: Bringing a Gun to a Shield Fight originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle the final Harry Potter film.
Episode 159: Talking out of My Expelliarmus originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle space travel in pop culture.
Episode 158: Klingonial Williamsburg originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Transformers: Dark of the Moon.
Episode 157: Optimus…I just met a Prime named Optimus. originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Pixar’s Cars 2, the meaning of exploitation, Magic: The Gathering, and listener feedback.
Episode 156: Carsploitation originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle “Game of Thrones,” Clarence Clemons, and the lost art of the sax solo.
Episode 155: Jim Morrison, Lizard King of the North originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle the play within the film.
Episode 154: All My Bumblebees Are Drowned originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle X-Men: First Class.
Episode 153: Captain Michael Ironside of the USS Ironside originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle The Hangover
Episode 152: Bradley Cooper! You Come Home This Instant! originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Bridesmaids.
Episode 151: Closing Be Always originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Eurovision 2011.
Episode 150: Bacchanal in Baku originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle 2011 summer blockbuster Thor.
Episode 149: Hammertime originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle the royal wedding.
Episode 148: 8-7-2! 8-7-2! originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle RPGs with special guest Zack Johnson of Kingdom of Loathing.
Episode 147: How Did It Make You Feel when You Got Hit by The Kobold? originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Game of Thrones and A Song of Ice and Fire.
Episode 146: Does Boromir Poop? originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle unlikable characters.
Episode 145: Propinquity, Fecundity originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle the Summer Movies of 2011 (Part 1).
Episode 144: Uncanny Valley Ranch originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle visitors from other worlds.
Episode 143: We Have Always Been At War With Ovaltine originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Rebecca Black’s Friday with a special guest from the UK.
Episode 142: Law and Order: Special Scrumping Unit originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers takcle St. Patrick’s Day and the NFL Lockout.
Episode 141: On The Advice of My Podcaster originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark.
Episode 140: Hulk: Turn Off the Smash originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle the 2011 Oscars.
Episode 139: Likely to Poop in the Future originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle the meaning of art.
Episode 138: The Oft-Overlooked #1 Variety originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Valentine’s Day and the Grammys.
Episode 137: Re-Gagafication originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle the commercials of Super Bowl XLV.
Episode 136: Reprehensible and Not Even All That Sexy originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle the 2011 Oscar nominations.
Episode 135: 2 True 2 Gritty originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle designed environments and the theology of popular music.
Episode 134: A Redbox in Your House originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle the 2011 Golden Globes and the Miss America Pageant.
Episode 133: You Have Knives on Your Shoes originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
Ensign Pete Fenzel Jump-Kicks the Alien: The Overthinkers tackle the creative process and the responsibilities of discourse.
Episode 132: Written by Writers originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle the new year.
Episode 131: Went to Elementary School and is Partially Deaf originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle ornithological reproduction.
Episode 130: Vampire Casablanca originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle (which is to say, rip on) Tron Legacy, religions, ethnic groups, genders, and Fenzel.
Episode 129: Patrimony of the Dude originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Darren Aronofsky’s “Black Swan” with Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis. (Spoilers.)
Episode 128: I’m a dancer, not a swan! originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle the Spider Man musical and homoeroticism.
Episode 127: Silly Meaning Bad originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers commemorate Leslie Nielsen and reflect on his career and the changing face of comedy.
Episode 126: They’ll Get Past It originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle the Harry Potter phenomenon.
Episode 125: The Midi-chlorian Fallacy originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle their veteran status and the release of Unstoppable and Call of Duty, as well as introduce a fun new game.
Episode 124: Strangely Apropos originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Conan O’Brien’s return to television and Megamind (without having seen the latter).
Episode 123: Frotterage originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle the deeper meanings of the Saw franchise and the Rally to Restore Sanity.
Episode 122: Pancakes and Politics originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle listener feedback, covering geeks and fate.
Episode 121: Mark Lee! Polo! originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers Tackle the 20th anniversary of IMDb, Jackass 3D, high-culture fart jokes, and mortification of the flesh.
Episode 120: Magical Realist Jackass-scape originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle New York Comic-Con and the changing landscape of the American holiday.
Episode 119: Negative Capability originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle The Social Network.
Episode 118: Spoiler… Facebook Exists. originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle the many tentacles of meaning in Roger Corman’s modern classic Sharktopus.
Episode 117: The Sharktopodcast originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers celebrate two years of the Overthinking It Podcast with some well-deserved navel gazing.
Episode 116: Discourse… Drink! originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle listener feedback with special guest Randal Schwartz.
Episode 115: Danger Has a Two-Year Contract originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle The American, Machete, exploitation, economics, and Labor.
Episode 114: Pareto-Superior Exchange originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle the re-release of Avatar, its implications for the future of 3D movies, and the Tila Tequila incident at the Gathering of the Juggalos.
Episode 113: The Futility of Juggalo Regression originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle The Expendables. And kick their asses.
Episode 112: Sylvester Stallone’s Improv Comedy Night originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Scott Pilgrim vs. The World.
Episode 111: Finnegan’s 1-UP originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers and special guest Randal Schwartz tackle geeks and geekiness.
Episode 110: 20 Sided Die in the Bathroom originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle the future and its many apocalypses.
Episode 109: Air Jaws: Great White Hope originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Salt, fashion, psychology, superheroes, and autobiography.
Episode 108: Casper was Dead the Whole Time originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Inception. Spoilers abound.
Episode 107: A Dragonball Z Solution to an Inception Problem originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle both hegemonic and 4channic discourse.
Episode 106: 4channic Discourse originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle popular culture (or rather the lack of popular culture) dealing with American Independence Day.
Episode 105: Twilight Celebrates Your Dependence Day originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle iPhone 4, the World Cup, and listener emails.
Episode 104: I’m trying to get my power level down! originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle listener feedback, including hot button topics like religion, class, and Star Trek.
Episode 103: The Infallible Wikipedia originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle The A-Team.
Episode 102: Do you want to know how I got this moustache? originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle our best & worst karaoke experiences, the last part of our 2010 Summer Movies preview, the misleading film titles of Angelina Jolie, and how to decide on a movie when you’re on a date. Don’t blame us when you get dumped over seeing The Expendables.
Episode 101: An Instructional Film About Forklift Operation originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers celebrate 100 episodes by overthinking the idea of popular culture itself.
Episode 100: A Sidetrack from our Broader Thrust originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle the Series Finale of Lost, including sunscreen, what to wear to a Lost convention, purgatory vs. eternal return, community, redemption, unanswered mysteries, red herrings, and Chaaaaaaaaaaahlie.
Podcast Supplement: Unplugging the Island originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Lost (or rather, not watching it), the western video game Red Dead Redemption (aka Grand Theft Horse), Troll 2/Best Worst Movie, the nature of camp, and the bleak existential desert that is reality.
Episode 99: Of Course It’s An Electric Dog originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Summer Movies, 2010 (Part 3).
Episode 98: Get to the Chopper originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Iron Man 2.
Episode 97: Pimp My Ride of Violence originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinker’s tackle M.I.A. and Romain-Gavras’ video for Born Free.
Episode 96: Raw Ginger Tea originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Kick Ass. (It’s not hard. He’s a wimp.)
Episode 95: I’d Kick That originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle 2010 Summer Movies (Part 2).
Episode 94: Post-Racial Dust Cloud originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Summer Movies 2010, through the A-Team.
Episode 93: You Were the Man Once, Dog originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle listener feedback.
Episode 92: It Was Originally Woof originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle geekery: comics, gaming, and time travel.
Episode 91: Prince Kong originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle movie gimmicks, 3D, and Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland.
Episode 90: The Gobots of the Munsters originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle cult entertainment and Chat roulette.
Episode 89: Wang-Free Zone originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle the 2010 Oscars
Episode 88: Career Advice for Busta Rhymes originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle listener feedback.
Episode 87: McLovin Caulfield originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle the 2010 Oscars.
Episode 86: One Hit, You’re Naked originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle the Olympics and reveal their valentines.
Episode 85: I have to get knives and fight evil! originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Super Bowl XLIV.
Episode 84: That’s Not Sexy! originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle the Grammys, Dollhouse, agency and rights, knowledge-on-demand, and autotune.
Episode 83: Extravagaga originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle their long-lived OTI, the short-lived Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien, and the apotheosis of Sandra Bullock in this year’s awards season.
Episode 82: The Lamentations of the Women originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle the Golden Globes, the late night debacle (big winner: Arsenio), and the misattribution of agency.
Episode 81: The Arsenio Hall Show originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle the Simpsons anniversary episode and the last 20 years of the show.
Episode 80: NOT A Disco Stu Episode originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle the decade so far.
Episode 79: Wikipedia Brown originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers look back at the naughties. Or the aughties. Or whatever you call them.
Episode 78: “Oh, the Muppets. They happened.” originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle James Cameron’s Avatar.
Episode 77: Avatar – Are We Human, or Are We Panther? originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers answer listener email.
Episode 76: Degrees of Blindness originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers share what Terminator means to them.
Episode 75: No Cake But What We Make originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers totally had a plan when they started this one. They swear.
Episode 74: Humping That Piano Key originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle the four marketing quadrants for popular entertainment.
Episode 73: Hello Kitty Theme Park originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers destroy the world with 2012 and repopulate it with Belle du Jour and Bristol Palin.
Episode 72: Tyger! Tyger! originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Mad Men in light of the Season 3 Finale.
Podcast Supplement: Mad Men Season 3 Finale originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle cold war pop culture in light of the twentieth anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Episode 71: War on Cold originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Halloween.
Episode 70: Belly of the Beast originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers answer listener feedback.
Episode 69: 2 Faust 2 Furious originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle the third dimension on film.
Episode 68: How Are We Going to Find a Supreme Leader Without a Map? originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers eat braaaaaaaaains.
Episode 67: And Don’t Call Me Shirley originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers are joined by Amanda Marcotte to (re)tackle l’affaire Polanski. They have difficulty staying on topic.
Episode 66: The Duality of Man originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers court hate mail considering Roman Polanski, sex crimes, and the moral difference between reality and fiction.
Episode 65: The Difference Between Real and Pretend originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers take on Patrick Swayze and the Emmys.
Episode 64: I Am Going To Let You Finish originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers take on the music industry: The VMAs, Lady GaGa, and Rock Band.
Episode 63: Osama Bin Laden Loves Taylor Swift originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers answer your calls and emails.
Episode 62: Necessary But Not Sufficient originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers take up things that have gone to their rest before their time.
Episode 61: Murther Most Foul originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Quentin Tarantino and online dating.
Episode 60: IRL originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Woodstock, District 9, and Mad Men.
Episode 59: Hippie is to Hipster as Woodstock is to Barack Obama originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle the Artistic Projects of John Hughes, Thomas Pynchon, and Eddie Murphy.
Episode 58: I Know Now Why You Floss originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Shark Week, TRON, baseball, the relationsip betwen Pixar’s UP and Clint Eastwood’s Gran Torino, and comparing things to Hitler.
Episode 57: Kids Today and Their Rainbow Parties originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Comic-Con, fandom, vampires, and dudes who date fictional characters.
Episode 56: iPhone Abstinence App originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers challenge the rule of the rule of three and the wisdom of the Emmy nominations.
Episode 55: Celebrity Death Trifecta originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle mockumentaries, ultimate fighting, and the return to grace of Michael Phelps. Along the way, they boldly pioneer a new area of civil rights for blondes.
Episode 54: He’s a Rampaging Beast originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers check in with our far-flung correspondents.
Episode 53: Pieczone Gołąbki originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers mourn celebrity deaths, celebrate the work of Michael Bay, and mock the listeners. (Not really.)
Episode 52: Billy Mays for Kaboobies originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle 2009 Summer Movies. (Part 2 in a series.)
Episode 51: We Need a Woman on this Podcast originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
For the 50th episode, the Overthinkers dispense more advice (at the request of a listener’s mom, no less), pimp our listeners, and take the guilt out of guilty pleasures (or put the “ear” in “irony,” depending on how you see it.)
Episode 50: This is my textbook. There are many like it. But this one is mine. originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers take on your mom (ha!), Australians, and a dad who doesn’t like movies.
Episode 49: Peeking Down Under originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The overthinkers tackle animated movies, college students, ethnic stereotyping, and sesame street.
Episode 48: One Word… Plastics. originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers rip Skynet a new one.
Episode 47: Skynet VIP Suite originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle induring instutions—college and the Catholic church—in honor of graduation season and Angels and Demons.
Episode 46: Institutionalized originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers boldy go where no one has gone before.
Episode 45: Abrams and Nimoy at Tanagra originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers go through some listener feedback, pick on the host, talk racial normativity, and engage in an epic rap battle on the merits of Kanye.
Episode 44: Where’s The Beef? originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Summer Movies, 2009-style.
Episode 43: Just So Movies originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The overthinkers take on Crank 2, the meaning of pretentious, and the nature of art (topics more closely related than you might imagine).
Episode 42: What Art Ain’t originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers urge television characters not to kill themselves, christen Easter the least telegenic of holidays, bid speculative farewell to two beloved sci-fi franchises, and say some things that are likely to be unpopular about Joss Whedon.
Episode 41: A Show About Nothing originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers consider the season (and series?) finale of T:SCC.
Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles Supplement 2 originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
A very special podcast episode.
Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles Supplement 1 originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The overthinkers speculate on what a North Korean communications satellite would broadcast, bid farewell to ER, complain about hospital shows, and reflect on their memories of The Matrix.
Episode 40: Broadcasting from A North Korean Satellite originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The overthinkers tackle guilty pop cultural pleasures, Dante’s Inferno (the movie based on the video game), the Jack Bauer cowboy/superhero myth, sexting, the Home Alone Syndrome, improbable sequels, and movie songs that tell you the plot of the movie.
Episode 39: Chips Are Free. Dinner Extra. originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers discuss series finales, Battlestar Galactica, and the importance of B movies.
Episode 38: Der Haifisch in Venedig originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle the Watchmen movie one last time, the Jim Cramer vs. John Stewart showdown, and our Google Reader habits.
Episode 37: Fair and Balanced originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The overthinkers watch Watchmen.
Episode 36: Watchmen Internal Affairs originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
Mark Lee, Matthew Belinkie, and Peter Fenzel, and Shana Mlawski overthink the Jonas Brothers concert movie, Watchmen, and other unfilmable things.
Episode 35: Who [Verb]s the [Verb]ers? originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers troll Wikipedia for dirty pictures, discuss the nature of the umlaut, and eventually get around to talking about the Oscars®. Almost.
Episode 34: NSFW originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
Oscar Podcast delayed one day. Be strong.
Twittered Out by Oscar originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Joaquin Phoenix’s bizarre Letterman interview, Monster Ballads, Confessions of a Shopaholic, and the new Friday the 13th movie before moving onto their Oscar® predictions.
Episode 33: Oscar Predictions Across Alternate Universes originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle the 2009 Grammy Awards and the 2009 New York ComicCon.
Episode 32: Music You Will Never Hear originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle everything about the superbowl except, um, football.
Episode 31: Superbowl Minus Football originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle listener questions, Barack Obama’s cult of personality, and the 2009 Oscar Nominations.
Episode 30: The New Episode 20 originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers wrap up Back To The Future week on OverthinkingIt.com with the science of time travel, suspension of disbelief, and what a Jigga-Watt is anyway.
Episode 29: A Jigga-Jigglypuff originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers™ tackle: Rock Band, karaoke, snitching, and Award Shows, and kick off Back to the Future week!
Episode 28: A Message To Our Future Children And Employers originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle new year’s resolutions, “reality” TV, quantum mechanics, selected Oscar® contenders, and give picks for the new year
Episode 27: Pwnerthinking It originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle puns and Nazis, both subjects known to be sure-fire laugh riots.
Episode 26: The Tragedy of the Geek originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle hipsterism, earony, and Mike from LA.
Episode 25: Silver Podcast originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers and special guest wrap up Karate Kid week with some final thoughts on the classic film.
Episode 24: A Map of Los Angeles originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle what we talk about when we talk about Overthinking It and the state of popular music. And the get a jump on Karate Kid Week!
Episode 23: Wax On, Wax Off originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Turkey Day and the Farkization of mainstream news.
Episode 22: DIY Naked News originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
In a special podcast supplement, the Overthinkers tackle the series finale of The Shield. WARNING: Contains Spoilers!
Shield Supplement 3 originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers tackle Twilight and the age-old question of vampires vs. zombies. (Warning: Twilight Spoilers.)
Episode 21: Sexy, Sexy Chastity originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
In a special podcast supplement, the Overthinkers tackle the second to last episode of the Shield. WARNING: Contains Spoilers!
Shield Supplement 2 originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
In a special two-parter, the Overthinkers take up film exhibition, secret messages in crosswords, Synecdoche, New York, advances in videogame technology, and the profound social meanings of Gossip Girl.
Episode 20: Quantum of Podcast originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
In a special podcast supplement, the Overthinkers tackle the antepenultimate episode of the Shield. WARNING: Contains Spoilers!
Shield Supplement 1 [REPOST] originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
The Overthinkers suggest a cabinet for Barack Obama made up of superheroes and other fictional characters.
Episode 19: The Cabinet of Dr. Obama originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
Matthew Wrather and Mark Lee welcome political operative Josh McNeil to Overthink™: Viral Video and the Election SNL: Funny or Not Funny 100% of Statistics are Made Up The City of Las Vegas Favorite Fictional Presidents Overthink This McNeil: Sons … Continued
Episode 18: Erection Fever originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
Matthew Wrather is joined by Matthew Belinkie and Mark Lee to overthink: What constitutes a hotline Why nobody cares about Synecdoche, New York Our status as high priests of popular culture and the moral imperatives of same Absence of odor … Continued
Episode 17: No Mention of Zombies originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
Apparently, the MP3 of this podcast somehow got corrupted in transit to our server. Apologies. Here is the full Episode 16, reposted for the benefit of automated podcatchers like iTunes. Speaking of which, if you like the show, subscribe on … Continued
[REPOST] Episode 16: Mint Milanos originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
In a rare two-hander, Wrather and Fenzel overthink: Seeing Movies Alone (and being a dick) Mocking the Afflicted Tyler Perry, Entrepreneur The Nature of Spoilers The South Park Indy Rape Episode Email questions and comments to podcast AT overthinkingit DOT … Continued
Episode 15: Between Platform 9 and 3/4 and Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
Wrather hosts a panel including Belinkie, Fenzel, Lee, and Stokes, overthinking: The ontological status of the Chihuahua, and its place in the cultural landscape of Beverly Hills The Constitution, By-Laws, and Code Of Ethics of the Chihuahua Club of America … Continued
Episode 14: Is This Movie Based on a Novel? originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
Wrather, Lee, and Fenzel overthink peak oil and peak rock, the meaning of hip-hop, the ringtone bubble, politics, pornography, and artistic protectionism and offer a new feature, OTI picks, while Wrather manages to say something offensive to every nationality, ethnic … Continued
Episode 13: Crossing Sections off the Map originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
All Episodes Subscribe in iTunes Wrather discusses music and the music industry with LA-based singer/songwriter Raya Yarbrough. Raya’s sites: www.rayayarbrough.com | www.myspace.com/rayayarbrough Download Episode 12 (AAC Format)
Episode 12: Raya Yarbrough originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
All Episodes Subscribe in iTunes Matthew Belinkie, Ryan Sheely, and Matthew Wrather overthink the 2008 Summer Olympics. Download Episode 11 (AAC Format)
Episode 11: SPECIAL: Olympics! originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
All Episodes Subscribe in iTunes On an upcoming episode of the podcast, we will overthink listener questions. Email podcast AT overthinkingit DOT com with your queries and quandries, or call (203) 285-6401 and leave a voicemail to be played back … Continued
Listener Questions for the Podcast originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
All Episodes Subscribe in iTunes Wrather, Fenzel, Sheely and Stokes overthink The Dark Knight. Download Episode 10 (revised) in AAC Format UPDATE (2008-08-08): Spoilers related to (of all things) The Wire were inadvertently included in this podcast. They have been … Continued
Episode 10: The Dark Knight originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
All Episodes Subscribe in iTunes Wrather is joined by Belinkie, Fenzel, Shechner, and Stokes to rate Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull on a 5-whip scale. (Spoiler alert: The movie earns a “whip it”, but not a … Continued
Episode 9: Indy Movies originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
All Episodes Subscribe in iTunes Wrather, Stokes, Sheely, and Fenzel overthink summer blockbuster Iron Man. Download Episode 8 (AAC Format)
Episode 8: Iron Man originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
All Episodes Subscribe in iTunes Wrather, Stokes, Sheely, and Fenzel preview summer movie releases through June in the latest episode of the OTI Podcast. Yes, some of them have been released already. Deal with it. Download Episode 7 (AAC Format)
Episode 7: Summer 2008 Movie Preview, Part 1 originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
All Episodes Subscribe in iTunes Wrather interviews and hazes new blog author David Shechner, asking him the five questions that will sequence his pop culture DNA. (This was recorded before Shana started the comix.) Download Episode 6 (AAC Format)
Episode 6: Do The Hunch originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
All Episodes Subscribe in iTunes Amid a large number of semi-relevant digressions, Matthew Belinkie, Ryan Sheely, Jordan Stokes, and Matthew Wrather discuss the trainwreck phenomenon of Britney Spears, the alarming link between corn and horror, and the terrible things that … Continued
Episode 5: Nasty, Brutish and Short originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
All Episodes Subscribe in iTunes In this bonus episode of the Overthinking It Podcast, Jordan Stokes interviews Bear McCreary, composer of the Battlestar Galactica and Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicle TV series. Enjoy! Download This Episode (AAC Format)
Bonus Episode: Interview with Bear McCreary originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
All Episodes Subscribe in iTunes Belinkie, Wrather, and Fenzel analyze presidential and gubernatorial sex scandals throughout American history, touching on Eliot Spitzer and “Kristen” (Ashley Alexandra Dupré), Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky, Hugh Grant and a cut rate Sunset Blvd. … Continued
Episode 4: Pubic Servant originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
All Episodes Subscribe in iTunes Episode 3 of the Overthinking It podcast takes its cues from Terminator Week on the blog, and features conversations highlighting: The Terminator Franchise: Its Place in Cinematic History The Terminator Mythology Aaahnuld Paradoxes of Terminator … Continued
Episode 3: How to Survive a Terminator Attack originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
All Episodes Subscribe in iTunes Part 2 of Podcast Episode 2 features a discussion of the 2008 Academy Awards between Pete Fenzel, Ryan Sheely, Matt Wrather, and—for reasons passing understanding—the same anonymous political operative as Part 1. Download Episode 2 … Continued
Episode 2: Oscar the Slouch originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
All Episodes Subscribe in iTunes The Matts (Belinkie and Wrather) discuss the live action films nominated for Oscars®. Download Episode 1 (AAC Format)
Episode 1: Salute Your Shorts originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]