Everything is a Primary Source

Episode 8: "Eric & Erin Lasso the Moon" Looking at the 1986 Colorized "It's A Wonderful Life" (1946) as a primary source  Erin the Tie Dyed Librarian drops in on the Podcast to talk about the colorized version of 1946's It's A Wonderful Life .  We discuss the motivations behind the update forty years after the movie's original release and how that reflects the society, culture and economics of...

Episode 7: "Merry Christmas, Mein Friend" Looking at "Snoopy's Christmas" by the Royal Guardsmen (1967) as a Primary Source Just like Snoopy, I'm flying solo for this episode where I analyze this seemingly campy song about the Red Baron sparing the cartoon dog's life because he is overcome by the spirit of the season.  It seems out of place when we hear it on the radio a lot this time of year in t...

Episode 6: "Holy Cow!" The 1991 novelization of "Home Alone" analyzed as a primary source  When I grow up and start podcasting, I'm recording alone!    By early 1991 I was the last kid in America who had not seen Home Alone in the theater.  With the VHS release still almost a year away, salvation came in the form of steel cases on wheels that is the Scholastic Book Fair where I purchased the movie...

Episode 5: "Piggy Pudding?!" Analyzing "John Denver & The Muppets, A Christmas Together" as a primary source w/ Adi Author Adi Rule joins to comment on a mutual Holiday favorite, "John Denver & The Muppets, A Christmas Together" on vinyl.  What can this charming collaboration tell us about the entertainment industry, consumers and audiences in late 1970s America?  Is it as mainstream as it...

Episode 4: "What Goes Up May Neverland" Analyzing the story of "Peter Pan" as a primary source w/Erin After seeing a stellar local stage production of Peter Pan  Erin the Tie Dyed Librarian talks with me about all things Neverland.  The 1904 play by JM Barrie, the Disney film and Broadway musical of the 1950s, and other subsequent interpretations and uses of the story and characters are analyzed t...

Episode 3:  "Johnny Cage's Paint Buckets" Analyzing Mortal Kombat (the movie) (1995) as a primary source w/Kyle  Pop culture enthusiast, long-time friend and all-around great guy Kyle joins to talk about how the 1995 Mortal Kombat movie not only tells us about American society of the 1990s, but may have done more than its source material video game in advancing the title into the mainstream.

Episode 2:"Breaking Some Eggs" Analyzing Batman (1989) as a Primary Source w/Andy  In light of (another) new Batman movie being released soon, we go back to 1989 to look at a time when a dark and brooding Caped Crusader was a new concept. Guest commentator Andrew C. joins Eric Paul in addressing how 1989's Batman is an excellent primary source of the late 1980s.

Episode 1: The Everything is a Primary Source Podcast is introduced and explained.