Pop Culture Field Manual

Are we living in a simulation? If you said yes, you’re wrong. If you said no, you’re also wrong, because the correct answer is, who cares? It would literally change nothing about your life as it currently stands. So why even worry, man? If you’re a fictional character, on the other hand, you should DEFINITELY be worrying because you’re most likely going to die. And that’s what Cam and Izzy are her...

We have talked about the Medieval time period, but we haven't dedicated a good amount of time to discussing the ABSOLUTE HORROR that is Medieval combat. Cam and Izzy break down all their favorite weapons and combat skills from times of old in this episode; it's all knights and swords and shields. So if you thought your plate carrier and ballistic helmet were heavy, how about donning a suit of stee...

Welcome to our Surprise episode! And what exactly is a surprise episode? In this case, it’s an episode that neither Izzy nor Cam knows what it’s about. It was entirely created by Magic Voice Chris. Now to reveal what the topic is. Drum roll please… It's all GAMES. Normally we end the episode with a game, but this one will be wall to wall games for both of them to play. Cam and Israel will take tur...

The giant beasts lay slain on the battlefield. The troops come home to shouts of acclaim and ticker tape parades. The weapons are hung up and the world is at peace….until the sequel rolls around. And that’s just what this is, the sequel episode to our Season 1 Episode 22 smash hit, Monsters Versus the Military. It's Monsters vs the Military Part 2 a.k.a. Halloweekend Warriors. Cam and Izzy pour th...

You can’t win a war on an empty stomach. This episode is all about food forged for ferocious fighting forces. Meaty military meals. Food for fighting. Food for fighting a food fight, maybe. Cam and Izzy discuss real food from their days in the military vs fictional food found in video games, movies and television. The dessert on this entrée of an episode is a game called "You Call This Food?!" It'...

It’s a no-brainer that great leadership is essential in the military, but good leadership is important in all walks of life. But what makes a good leader? Is it just good looks and charisma? Is it a strategic mind? Is it empathy? Is it all of these things rolled into one to form some amorphous mass of leadership ability unseen since the times of the great Pharaoh Leaderukut, a person we just made...

The ambush! One of the most dangerous things you can encounter as a soldier on the battlefield. They are meticulously designed to catch the enemy of guard and funnel them into the perfect spot for slaughter. There have been some amazing recreations of ambushes portrayed in films, TV and video games and Izzy and Cam are going to dedicate today’s episode to exploring them! LETS GO! The episode endin...

The duel. The showdown. The stand off. Two foes facing off in an ultimate contest. In pop culture storytelling the duel can create a powerful moment and carry a large amount of weight for the two characters involved. This episode is all about our favorite duels, what significance do they have for the story being told and why can they be so impactful when done right, and what does “done right” mean...

Planning on creating a relentless regime with your ideals hell bent on world takeover? Well, armies don't just fall out of the sky! You’re going to have to put in some extremely biased work in order to get those clueless fools to follow you into the loins of battle. "How can I start?" you may ask. Propaganda is a great start. Propaganda has been around for thousands of years and if you have access...

Symbolology: (noun) The study of symbols. Symbolism is important. Without symbols the world would be a dark and confusing place. Think about it. Why does every country have a flag? Why do brands have logos? Or what about those sweet patches that all the armed forces have? They’re all symbols and they give us a strong visual to associate with certain things. So today Izzy, Cam and Chris are going t...

What makes a warrior? What are the fundamental aspects that make the fighters of old so memorable and worthy of honor and respect? What about the greatest figures in history and in pop culture make them so great? That’s what Izzy and Cam are going to be discussing today. Ultimate Warriors. Men of renown. Men of destiny. Men of ….the Green Beret….wait, what?!?!? The fun ends with a game of "How Tou...

It's the 1st Annual PCFM Awards! Cam and Izzy are handing out awards to all their favorites. Best Fight, Best Vehicle, Best Action Stars and more! The Golden Grenades are being tossed around like crazy and only the luckiest and most deserving pop culture people and moments are getting them. Of course this episode ends with a game, but we'll let you get to the end and discover how fun it is. Suppor...

Mission Impossible started out as television show in the 60’s and has since grown into a blockbuster movie franchise headed up by Tom Cruise. There are currently 7 films with and 8th on the way. The franchise has grossed over 7 billion and has carved out a place for itself in the halls of Action Espionage Movie Greatness. Today, Izzy and Cam will pay homage to all things Mission Impossible, share...

The Montage. As essential a piece of pop culture as time travel or the phrase “I’ll be back.” Whether you’re trying to show a quick transformation or something that in the world of the movie took weeks or months, a montage can liven up the proceedings. Everyone likes jump cuts and saving time! Just ask Cam and Izzy! And so we’re dedicating this episode to all of our favorite montages. A completely...

Whenever people are placed in front of a burning wall of adversity, the one thing they have control over that can be used as a weapon of mass destruction to tear down that wall is their own physical bodies. The ability to become a barrel chested, 5 mile-running, weight crushing machine is a skill Cam and Israel have honed in their own military experiences, as well as watched heroes in some of thei...

What makes an action movie great? Is it the premise? The weapons? The gore? The action sequences? Yes to all of those things! But a big contribution comes from the STUNTS. An amazing stunt pulled off impeccably can push an “okay” movie over the top into the upper echelon of action. And in today’s world of CGI and greenscreen oversaturation, pulling off a good stunt is all the more impressive. So t...

Why? Why do Izzy and Cam do this to themselves? Why pick fantasy; such a broad category for an hour long episode? Why subject themselves to the inevitability of listeners messaging them that they missed this series, or that movie, or this other video game? Why, you ask? Because it’s worth it! Worth it to explore one of Izzy’s most beloved subjects and a constant source of joy for Cam! Why live in...

It's the long promised part 2 to our first all anime episode. Yes, Izzy and Cam, those big anime aficionados are back for more. They're all over the place in their totally awesome anime (and some non-anime as well) exploration. Arcane? Hell yeah. Invincible? It's in there! Robotech? Eh, probably. We're not going to lie, we've lost track. There's a lot, okay? Just...just listen and enjoy them talki...

Drug cartels are everywhere. There's one behind you right now. But don't worry! Cam and Izzy are here to tell you everything you need to know about them. Especially which movies and video games they're heavily featured in. Hell, they even get into fictional drugs just to make sure that all their bases are covered.  The game this episode is "Putting the Horse Before the Cart(el)." We really hoped y...

The world is a mysterious place full of mysterious mysteries. And of those mysteries, none are more intriguing than cryptids. For those that don’t know, a cryptid is ​​a creature whose reported existence is unproved, such as Bigfoot or the Loch Ness monster; there are a TON of them, and Cam and Izzy talk about as many of them as they can. The first (and probably last, let's be honest) game of "Nam...

The world is a magical place, made up of vast a varying environments for humans to explore. The harshest of which, SUCK. Jungles? Suck. Swamps? Do we even have to say it? Izzy and Cam dive deep, sometimes literally, into the subject and talk about all those environments that people go into, whether by choice or because, hey, someone's gotta do it.  The episode concludes with a trivia game devised...

Obviously video games have ingrained themselves in military culture for a long time. Entire video game series are stemmed from military experiences and have gained a traction in the civilian world, sparking the normies' interests in military operations. Then there’s the sub genre of stories where the main characters are IN the game themselves. Izzy and Cam spend this episode talking about all of t...

Today is a very special episode, not just because it’s an episode we’re making and they’re all special, but because we’re going to have a special guest on later, writer/director Rawson Marshall Thurber. This episode is our tribute to action movies and why we love them. We’ll talk about specific movies, but mostly we’re going to talk about the specific things that make an action movie great and why...

Marines! You know 'em. You love 'em. They're the hard charging, the tough-as-nails fighting men immortalized in Full Metal Jacket, Heartbreak Ridge, Halo and too many other pop culture properties to count on one podcast. This week Izzy and Cam pay tribute to all their favorite Marines on the planet (and some on other planets). Semper Fi! An excellent game of "Famous Marine or Just Some Guy" ends t...

Robots, cyborgs and droids, oh my. Let’s face it, robots are cool. Whether you’re fighting against them or fighting with them, if a robot is in a battle, you know it’s going to be a good time. So we wanted to take some time to talk about all the robots we know and love in pop culture; military or otherwise. A game of "Death By Numbers" is how this episode ends. But it's different than a game we pl...