Pretty Much Pop #22: Untangling Time Travel
Time travel rules in The Terminator franchise are notoriously inconsistent. Can we change the future or not? Mark, Erica, and Brian are joined by Ken Gerber (http://gerberbrothers.net/) to talk through time travel rules and plots, covering the randomness of Dr. Who, being your own grandfather, time travel comedies, time loops, freezing time, historical tourism, and more.  For more, visit pretty...
46m Dec 10, 2019
46m
Ep. 231: Descartes's "Discourse" on Wisdom and Certainty (Part One)
On René Descartes’s Discourse on Method (1637), an overview of his work that distills his method, outlines his famous Meditations, presents a provisional (Stoic) ethics, and considers whether he wants to be a public intellectual. This is all meant as a preface to scientific publications on geometry, optics, and meteors. Don't wait for part two; get the unbroken, ad-free Citizen Edition (https:/...
45m Dec 09, 2019
45m
NEM#111: Marty Willson-Piper Has Room for Everything
In The Church, he was half of a world-famous twin guitar machine for 30 years starting in 1980 but has also released seven solo albums and been in several other bands, most notably releasing four albums with his old friend Dare Mason as Noctorum. We discuss two 2019 Noctorum tracks, "The Moon Drips" from Afterlife (https://amzn.to/2quWXY3) and "Dancing with Death" from The Afterdeath EP, plus "...
1hr 14m Dec 07, 2019
1hr 14m
(sub)Text: A Discussion of Todd Phillips' Film "Joker"
Wes Alwan and William Sharp (psychoanalyst and professor at Northeastern (https://cos.northeastern.edu/people/william-sharp/) ) discuss the film at the Boston Graduate School of Psychoanalysis (https://bgsp.edu/) .  Why has this film done so well? It offers no spectacle, and good doesn't triumph. It is psychologically true and expertly performed. The audience can enjoy tragedy and identify deep...
1hr 13m Dec 06, 2019
1hr 13m
Pretty Much Pop #21: Role-Playing Video Games
What constitutes a video RPG? Is there any actual role-playing involved? Our editor Tyler Hislop rejoins Mark, Erica, and Brian to discuss those video games that are supposed to make you feel like your choices matter, with comparisons to MMO RPGs, table-top role-playing, and more. For more, visit prettymuchpop.com (http://prettymuchpop.com/) . Hear bonus content for this episode at https://www....
51m Dec 03, 2019
51m
Ep. 230: Bruno Latour on Science, Culture, and Modernity (Part Two)
Continuing on Latour's We Have Never Been Modern (1993) with guest Lynda Olman (https://www.unr.edu/english/people/lynda-olman) . Latour rejects the idea of objective truth totally apart from perceivers, so is he an idealist? We lay out the "Constitution" of modernity that keeps science and politics separate, how it makes it difficult for us to address issues like climate change, and what Latou...
1hr 1m Dec 02, 2019
1hr 1m
Ep. 230: Bruno Latour on Science, Culture, and Modernity (Part One)
On Latour's We Have Never Been Modern (1993) with guest Lynda Olman (https://www.unr.edu/english/people/lynda-olman) . What's the "modern" ideology of science, and is there something we should critique about it? Latour wants us to think about science not abstractly through the eternal truths it supposedly discovers, but through the concrete practices of scientists. He investigates the Modern Co...
49m Nov 25, 2019
49m
NEM#110: Joe Louis Walker's Blues Soup
Joe has played alongside B.B. King, Ron Wood, and even back to Hendrix, Hooker, and Monk. As a solo artist he's put out around two dozen albums since 1986. He's a blues man but mixes in gospel, soul, rock, and many other styles. We discuss the title track of Hellfire (2012), "Keep the Faith" from Hornet's Nest (2013), the title track from The Gift (1988), and listen to "Soldier for Jesus" from ...
1hr 23m Nov 22, 2019
1hr 23m
Pretty Much Pop #20: Improv Comedy w/ Tim Sniffen
What role does improv comedy play in popular culture? It's deployed by certain film directors (e.g. Christopher Guest), in some of the TV work of Larry David, Robin Williams, et al. But only a rare show like "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" makes it obvious. Is this art form doomed to live on the fringes of entertainment? Mark, Erica, and Brian are joined by Tim Sniffen (https://www.timsniffen.com/) ...
52m Nov 19, 2019
52m
Ep. 229: Descartes's Rules for Thinking (Part Three)
Concluding René Descartes's Rules for Direction of the Mind (1628). We finish rule 12 through the end, talking about simples, the faculties of intuition and judgment, perception and imagination, necessary vs. contingent truths, and how to do Cartesian science, including what constitutes a "perfectly understood problem." Start with part one (https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/2019/11/04/ep229-1-d...
58m Nov 18, 2019
58m
Pretty Much Pop #19: Race and the Target Audience w/ Rodney Ramsey
Are YOU the target audience of what you watch? While shows used to be aimed at a white majority or "niche group," now much media aims itself seemingly at everyone. Rodney Comedian/actor/writer/producer Rodney joins Mark, Erica, and Brian to discuss the experience of watching outside your demographic, whether identifying with characters requires physical commonalities, "black voice," and the evo...
49m Nov 13, 2019
49m
Ep. 229: Descartes's Rules for Thinking (Part Two)
Continuing on René Descartes's Rules for Direction of the Mind (1628), covering rules 7 through the first part of the lengthy rule 12. We try to figure out what he means by "enumeration;" the faculties of imagination, sense and memory; the virtues of perspicacity and sagacity; his psychology of the senses, the "common sense" where all sense data comes together, and the understanding; how Descar...
53m Nov 11, 2019
53m
NEM#109: Producer Guy Sigsworth (Seal, Björk, etc.) Goes Solo
Guy has been a highly sought-after British producer/keyboardist since the early '90s and is just now releasing his debut album, STET (https://amzn.to/2WU82gS) . We discuss "Mono No Aware" and "Dorian" from that album and "Unravel" from Björk's Homogenic (https://amzn.to/34FOYFV) (1997). End song: "Let's Go" by Frou Frou from Details (https://amzn.to/2K28GE0) (2002). Intro: "Crazy," co-written w...
1hr 16m Nov 08, 2019
1hr 16m
Pretty Much Pop #18: Stephen King's Media Empire
Is the most popular writer of our time actually a good writer? Or maybe he used to be good? While you've been thinking about those questions, King already wrote another book, so ha! Mark, Erica, and Brian share their experiences with and opinions about King's oeuvre and the films and shows that have come out of it. For more, visit prettymuchpop.com (http://prettymuchpop.com/) . Hear bonus conte...
54m Nov 08, 2019
54m
Ep. 229: Descartes's Rules for Thinking (Part One)
On René Descartes's Rules for Direction of the Mind (1628). Is there a careful way to approach problems that will ensure that you'll always be right? What if you just never assert anything you can't be sure of? This is Descartes's strategy, modeled on mathematics. We likewise carefully move step-by-step through this text. This is part 1 of 3; get the whole discussion now via the Citizen Edition...
50m Nov 04, 2019
50m
Pretty Much Pop #17: Comedy as Philosophy w/ Daniel Lobell
Are stand-up comedians the Modern Day Philosophers? This is the premise of Daniel's podcast (https://moderndayphilosophers.net/) , but really, only some comedians express original claims; many just tell jokes. Are those exceptional comics philosophizing? Does telling the whole, tragic truth rule out being funny? Daniel, Mark, Erica, and Brian consider Carlin, Gadsby, Chappelle, and others. For ...
46m Oct 29, 2019
46m
Ep. 228: Social Construction of Race (Appiah, Mills) (Part Two)
Continuing on Kwame Anthony Appiah's "Race, Culture, Identity: Misunderstood Connections" (1994), Charles Mills's "But What Are You Really?, The Metaphysics of Race" (1998), and Neven Sesardic's "Race: A Social Destruction of a Biological Concept" (2010) with guest Coleman Hughes (https://quillette.com/author/coleman-cruz-hughes/) . Racial classifications vary geographically, therefore race is ...
48m Oct 28, 2019
48m
NEM#108: Mike Watt's Punk Operas
Ace bassist Mike started with punk legends MINUTEMEN in the early '80s, broke into the majors with fireHOSE going into the 90s, and was so beloved by the alternative music scene that his first solo album in '94 was star-studded, with Eddie Vedder and Dave Grohl in the supporting tour. Mike has released three concept albums over the years and has collaborated on dozes of projects as well as back...
58m Oct 25, 2019
58m
Pretty Much Pop #16: 25 Years After FRIENDS
Mark, Erica, and Brian examine the conventions, techniques, and staying power of the beloved '90s sitcom. Are we supposed to identify with, or idolize, or merely like these people? What makes the formula work, did it sustain itself over its 10-year run, was it successfully replicated, and what parts haven't aged well? For more, visit prettymuchpop.com (http://prettymuchpop.com/) . Hear bonus co...
43m Oct 22, 2019
43m
Ep. 228: Social Construction of Race (Appiah, Mills) (Part One)
On Kwame Anthony Appiah's "Race, Culture, Identity: Misunderstood Connections" (1994), Charles Mills's "But What Are You Really?, The Metaphysics of Race" (1998), and Neven Sesardic's "Race: A Social Destruction of a Biological Concept" (2010). With guest Coleman Hughes. Don't wait for part two; get your full, ad-free Citizen Edition (https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/2019/10/21/ep228-social-co...
43m Oct 21, 2019
43m
Pretty Much Pop #15: Opera as Pop
Opera used to be a central part of European pop culture, Pavarotti was as big a pop star as they come. But still, it's now the quintessential art-form of the wealthy and snobbish. What gives? Guest Sean Spyres from Springfield Regional Opera (https://www.sropera.org/) joins his sister Erica along with Mark and Brian to discuss opera's place in culture (including its film appearances), how it's ...
41m Oct 15, 2019
41m
Ep. 227: What Is Social Construction? (Hacking, Berger) (Part Two)
Continuing Ian Hacking’s The Social Construction of What (1999) and Peter Berger's “Religion and World Construction" (1967). We break down Hacking's typology of construction arguments: Are they exploring where our ideas came from or trying to change things? Are they trying to state facts about nature vs. nurture or essentially political solicitations for us to reconceptualize in healthier ways?...
1hr 6m Oct 14, 2019
1hr 6m
NEM#107: Barry Andrews (Shriekback): Objectifications of Groove
Barry started in '77 playing keys with XTC and after two albums started his own band Shriekback in '81, with whom he's had 14 releases plus some solo albums. He's known for inventive soundscapes placed over solid grooves and philosophical lyrics delivered in a low chant. We discuss three Shriekback tunes: "Such, Such Are the Joys" from Why Anything? Why This? (https://amzn.to/2M2p4Wk) (2018), "...
1hr 14m Oct 11, 2019
1hr 14m
Pretty Much Pop #14: UFOs on TV with Investigative Journalist Paul Beban
TV news reporter Paul Beban (https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulbeban) (ABC, Al Jazeera, Yahoo, and now featured on the Discovery Network's Contact (https://www.discovery.com/shows/contact) ) joins Mark, Erica, and Brian to discuss the appeal of UFO narratives. Do you have to believe to be entertained? What's the connection to humor, religion, and anti-government venom? For more, visit prettymuchp...
39m Oct 08, 2019
39m
Ep. 227: What Is Social Construction? (Hacking, Berger) (Part One)
On Ian Hacking’s The Social Construction of What (1999) and Peter Berger's “Religion and World Construction" (1967). Guest Coleman Hughes from Dilemma (https://thisis42.com/discover/dilemma-podcast.html) joins us to survey the types of social construction arguments: the "culture wars" (e.g. race, gender) and the "science wars" (scientific findings are not read off the world but emerge from hist...
46m Oct 07, 2019
46m
NEM#106: John Colpitts (aka Kid Millions/Man Forever): Heavy Meditations
John founded the Brooklyn space-rock cooperative Oneida in the mid 90s and has put out 13 albums with them plus four as his solo project Man Forever and several others as collaborations or as Kid Millions. We discuss two tracks by Man Forever from Play What They Want (https://amzn.to/3571D5S) (2017): "You Were Never Here" and "Twin Torches" (feat. Laurie Anderson), then Oneida's "All in Due Tim...
1hr 13m Oct 04, 2019
1hr 13m
Pretty Much Pop #13: TV Revivals Revived!
Revivals (not to be confused with reboots) can bring us back to the comfort of old friends, who are now really old. But is reviving a show really ever a good idea? Mark, Erica, and Brian consider some successes, failures, and hypotheticals. For more, visit prettymuchpop.com (http://prettymuchpop.com/) . Hear bonus content for this episode at https://www.patreon.com/prettymuchpop. This podcast i...
40m Oct 01, 2019
40m
Ep. 226: Francis Bacon Invents Science (Part Two)
Continuing on Sir Francis Bacon's New Organon (1620). We cover more of Bacon's "idols" and how Bacon divides religion from science (and what this means politically). We then move on to book 2, including Bacon's novel update of the term "form," and take a look at Bacon's method of doing science by filling out tables before actually doing experiments. Start with part one (https://partiallyexamine...
1hr 3m Sep 30, 2019
1hr 3m
Pretty Much Pop #12: Once Upon a Tarantino Film
Wes Alwan (https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/author/wes/) joins Mark, Erica, and Brian to discuss Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time... In Hollywood in the context of Tarantino's other films (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quentin_Tarantino_filmography#Film) . We consider T's strange sense of pacing, his comic violence, his historical revisionism, and casting choices. Is this a brilliant film ...
47m Sep 24, 2019
47m
Ep. 226: Francis Bacon Invents Science (Part One)
On Sir Francis Bacon's New Organon (1620). Bacon claims to have developed a new toolset that will open up nature to inquiry in a way that wasn't possible for ancient and modern natural philosophy. Mark, Wes, and Dylan consider how much what Bacon describes resembles modern scientific method, talk through Bacon's "four idols" that interfere with impartial inquiry, and consider how Bacon's method...
44m Sep 23, 2019
44m
NEM#105: Wayne Hussey (The Mission): Salad Daze to Mission Accomplished
Wayne started in the late 70s, was on the first Dead or Alive Album, made his name as guitarist for The Sisters of Mercy's first full album, then led The Mission UK from 1986 through 11 albums plus two solo albums and some collaborations. We discuss "Wither on the Vine" from Songs of Candlelight & Razorblades (2014), then two Mission songs: "Phantom Pain" from Another Fall from Grace (2016) and...
1hr 19m Sep 20, 2019
1hr 19m
Pretty Much Pop #11: The Live Music Experience
Dave Hamilton (from Gig Gab (https://www.giggabpodcast.com/) ) joins Mark, Erica, and Brian to weigh concert-going (and theater-going) against the technological alternatives. Why are tickets so pricey? Do tribute bands fulfill our needs? Should audiences ideally be on drugs? These are but a few of the questions we breeze through. For more, visit prettymuchpop.com (http://prettymuchpop.com/) . H...
49m Sep 17, 2019
49m
Ep. 225: Simone Weil on War and Oppression (Part Two)
Continuing on Simone Weil's essays "The Iliad, or the Poem of Force" (1939) and "Analysis of Oppression" (1934) with guest Corey Mohler (https://existentialcomics.com/) . We talk about the self-contradictions of power, why oppression and war are so intractable, and her positive solution (what there is of it here). Weil cuts through our left-right political dichotomy in a way that might interest...
1hr 2m Sep 16, 2019
1hr 2m
Pretty Much Pop #10: The Handmaid's Tale
Mark, Erica, and Brian take on both Margaret Atwood's 1985 novel plus the TV series, getting into the transition from page to screen, taking the work as political speech vs. art, Atwood's phenomenology and neologisms (prayvaganza!), plus the roles of race and (lack of) comic relief in the story. For more, visit prettymuchpop.com (http://prettymuchpop.com/) . Hear bonus content for this episode ...
47m Sep 10, 2019
47m
Ep. 225: Simone Weil on War and Oppression (Part One)
On Simone Weil's essays "The Iliad, or the Poem of Force" (1939) and "Analysis of Oppression" (1934). How do circumstances oppress and dehumanize us? Weil describes the mechanisms that keep people at war and maintain oppression even through revolutions as inherent to the logic of power. With guest Corey Mohler (https://existentialcomics.com/) . Don't wait for part two; get the full, ad-free Cit...
48m Sep 09, 2019
48m
NEM#104: Dave Schramm: The Return of the Schramms
Dave was the original guitarist for Yo La Tengo in the mid '80s and left to lead The Schramms for six albums plus two solo albums while being an in-demand guitarist supporting artists like Freedy Johnston, Richard Buckner, Kate Jacobs and Chris Stamey. We discuss three Schramms songs, "Faith is a Dusty Word" from Omnidirectional (2019), "I'll Believe" from 100 Questions (2000), and "Wild Innoce...
56m Sep 07, 2019
56m
Pretty Much Pop #9: Cartoons with Dee Bradley Baker (Clone Wars, American Dad)
Are cartoons an inherently juvenile art form? A guilty pleasure when viewed by adults? Dee (https://www.deebaker.com/) , whose voice can be heard in substantial portion of today's cartoons (especially animal/monster noises like Boots in the new big-screen adaptation of Dora the Explorer or Momo and Appa in The Last Airbender), defends cartoons as providing primal delights of humor, justice, and...
55m Sep 03, 2019
55m
Ep. 224: Kierkegaard Critiques The Present Age (Part Two)
Continuing on "The Present Age" (1846), plus Hubert Dreyfus’s "Nihilism on the Information Highway: Anonymity vs. Commitment in the Present Age" (2004) with guest John Ganz (https://muckrack.com/john-ganz) . Does K's critique actually apply to our present age? We address K's view of humor, romance, authenticity, actual community vs. "the public," the leveling that occurs without anyone specific...
1hr 6m Sep 02, 2019
1hr 6m
Pretty Much Pop #8: Spider-Man: Far From Home (and Elsewhere)
Mark, Erica, and Brian discuss the function of super-hero films and how this new one fits in. Do we need "realism" in such stories? When does a premise like this get too old to keep recycling? For more, visit prettymuchpop.com (http://prettymuchpop.com/) . Hear bonus content for this episode, and more episodes in advance, at https://www.patreon.com/prettymuchpop. This podcast is part of the Par...
50m Aug 27, 2019
50m
Ep. 224: Kierkegaard Critiques The Present Age (Part One)
On Soren Kierkegaard's essay "The Present Age" (1846) and Hubert Dreyfus’s "Nihilism on the Information Highway: Anonymity vs. Commitment in the Present Age" (2004). What's wrong with our society? Kierkegaard saw the advent of the press and gossip culture as engendering a systematic passivity and shallowness in his fellows, and Dreyfus thinks this is an even more apt description of the Internet...
49m Aug 26, 2019
49m
Pretty Much Pop #7: Native Representation with Jonathan Joss (King of the Hill, Parks & Rec)
Jonathan (https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0430885/) built his career playing 19th century Indians on horseback, was John Redcorn III in King of the Hill, Chief Ken Hotate in Parks and Recreation, was featured in The Magnificent Seven and True Grit, and is currently playing Sitting Bull in Annie Get Your Gun (http://www.baystreet.org/calendar/annie-get-your-gun/) (also featuring Erica) in Sag Harbor...
41m Aug 20, 2019
41m
Ep. 223: Guest Ned Block on Consciousness (Part Two)
We talk with Ned about a second Blockheads (2019) article, Michael Tyle's “Homunculi Heads and Silicon Chips: The Importance of History to Phenomenology," which provides a variation off of the David Chalmers fading qualia argument, and then Mark, Seth, Dylan, and Wes continue exploring the details uncovered by our interview after Ned leaves. Listen to part one (https://partiallyexaminedlife.com...
56m Aug 19, 2019
56m
NEM#103: Homer Flynn on The Residents' 50 Years
The Residents were formed in 1969 and have released around 50 albums of theatrical, experimental music with humor and humanity. They're great to freak people out with. The band is anonymous; Homer is the head of their management arm, The Cryptic Corporation. We discuss "Good Vibes" from Intruders (2019), "Blue Rosebuds," from Duck Stab (1978) and the live Shadowland (2014), "Kiss of Flesh" from...
1hr 20m Aug 16, 2019
1hr 20m
Pretty Much Pop #6: Adults Playing Video Games
Ian Maio (who's worked in e-sports marketing) joins Erica, Brian and Mark to talk about why adults play video games, types of gamers, gaming disorders, gamer shaming, inclusivity, and more. For more, visit prettymuchpop.com (http://prettymuchpop.com/) . Hear bonus content for this episode, and more episodes in advance, at https://www.patreon.com/prettymuchpop. This podcast is part of the Partia...
58m Aug 13, 2019
58m
Ep. 223: Guest Ned Block on Consciousness (Part One)
The climax and denouement of our summer philosophy of mind series: Ned Block visits to fill in the gaps about functionalism and attributing consciousness to machines and discuss essays from Blockheads (2019), focusing here on Brian McLaughlin’s “Could an Android be Sentient?” Don't wait for part 2! Get the ad-free, unbroken Citizen Edition (https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/2019/08/12/ep223-ned...
52m Aug 12, 2019
52m
NEM#102: John Andrew Fredrick (The Black Watch): Literary Anglophilia
John has released 17 albums and 5 EPs of guitar-based post-punk as the Black Watch since 1988. He's also an English professor who's published 5 books.   We discuss "Eustacia's Dream" from Magic Johnson (2019), "Emily, Are You Sleeping?" from Led Zeppelin Five (2011), "Inner City Garden" from The Hypnotizing Sea (2005), and premiere "Much of a Muchness" from the forthcoming Crying All the Time E...
1hr 6m Aug 10, 2019
1hr 6m
Pretty Much Pop #5: True Crime with Lucy Lawless
Lucy Lawless (Xena the Warrior Princess, currently starring in My Life Is Murder) joins Mark, Erica, and Brian to think about the true crime genre, of both the documentary and dramatized variety. What's the appeal? Why do women in particular gravitate to it? For more, visit prettymuchpop.com (http://prettymuchpop.com/) . Hear bonus content for this episode, and more episodes in advance, at http...
53m Aug 06, 2019
53m
Ep. 222: Debating Functionalism (Block, Chalmers) (Part Two)
Continuing on Ned Block's "Troubles with Functionalism" (1978) and David Chalmers's "Absent Qualia, Fading Qualia, Dancing Qualia" (1995). What would it be like to be halfway between person and machine? If you think the machine can't have consciousness, then Chalmers thinks that there's no sensible way to describe such an experience, ergo the machine (if functionally equivalent to the person) m...
56m Aug 05, 2019
56m
Pretty Much Pop #4: "Chernobyl" and the Art of Suffering
Mark, Erica, and Brian consider the HBO mini-series, plus "based on a true story" and why do we enjoy witnessing suffering? For more, visit prettymuchpop.com (http://prettymuchpop.com/) . Hear bonus content for this episode, and more episodes in advance, at https://www.patreon.com/prettymuchpop. This podcast is part of the Partially Examined Life (https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/) podcast net...
45m Jul 30, 2019
45m
Ep. 222: Debating Functionalism (Block, Chalmers) (Part One)
On Ned Block's "Troubles with Functionalism" (1978) and David Chalmers's "Absent Qualia, Fading Qualia, Dancing Qualia" (1995). If mental states are functional states, there couldn't be zombies. Yet Block claims that there could be zombies: for example, a functional duplicate of you whose components are actually citizens of China obeying algorithmic rules. Even if the resulting system acts like...
53m Jul 29, 2019
53m