Mismatched Texts

Wherein Andy and Justice sketch out a short discussion of the pulling of Scott Adams'  Dilbert  comic strip from newspapers across the country. This happened as a result of Adams' recent podcast episode in which he ranted about a Rasmussen poll that asked the question "Do you agree with this statement: 'It's OK to be white.'" Following Adams' misunderstanding of the question, he commenced a racist...

Wherein Justice and Andy create a new conversation around the ideas of recycled and fresh intellectual property. We take a look at the (hopefully) final  Jurassic World film and the Apple TV series  See  in an effort to demonstrate that there are still fresh ideas out there. Why are the legacy characters present in Dominion other than to enrich the production company? Meanwhile, in  See , we are b...

Wherein Andy and Justice march through a conversation about race, urban spaces, and violence in 1993's  Falling Down and Rockstar's 2013 modern classic  Grand Theft Auto 5 . In this second look at GTA5, we focus more on a racialized breakdown of the fictional version of Los Angeles, Los Santos, and read that against "D-Fens" journey through Los Angeles. Why does "D-Fens" think of himself as the vi...

Wherein Justice and Andy ambush the argument about who would win in a fight between two of the best sneak attackers in comic books, The Punisher or Batman. While Batman is probably the most popular character in DC comics and Marvel's The Punisher flies mostly under the radar, they have remarkably similar styles (and costumes). It's in their methodology and intent where things get a little differen...

Wherein Andy and Justice scheme their way into a discussion about Rockstar Games' 2013 masterpiece  Grand Theft Auto V and the ensemble heist films of the Ocean's Eleven franchise. Which is more enjoyable: the murdeous mayhem of  GTAV 's heists or the casual elegance of the heists of the new Rat Pack? Topics range from a total lack of anxiety within the Ocean's criminal enterprise to the constant...

Wherein Justice and Andy capitalize on the news of the Daily Wire's acquisition of the unadaptable Atlas Shrugged . Is there any way at all that this could possibly be a wise financial move for erstwhile conservative "news" organization? Could you imagine how many seasons this monstrosity would need? Topics range from Rand's bloated writing style to the  Bioshock  video game series to how the Dail...

Wherein Andy and Justice conjure up a discussion of the Netflix original series  Stranger Things  and Stephen King's  IT . The orignal novel and both adaptations of King's horrying nightmare all present us with a version of victimized or marginalized children who are able to collectively overcome supernatural terrors. The kids in Stranger Things accomplish similar feats to The Loser's Club, and bo...

Wherein Justice and Andy interrupt both the micro - and macro aggressions of Dr. Kathryn Pulaski on  Star Trek: The Next Generation to talk about her flawed character. After Dr. Crusher's temporary departure, the showrunners made a terrible blunder by replacing her comradery with a character whose disdain and bigotry for one of Star Trek's most beloved characters - Data - was distasteful and distr...

Wherein Andy and Justice are dying to understand the many representations of a personified death in film and literature. We look at the 2022 Hugo Award-winning short story Mr. Death and the 1957 Ingmar Bergman film  The Seventh Seal . Given its inevitablity, death is typically represented as terrifying; however, recent depictions show a more compassionate idea of the figure. Also, why does Death n...

Wherein Justice and Andy return to the arena of pop culture and literary studies after an overwhelming August and September. We share some of our hardships and personal reasons for having had to take a break from working on the show. We missed you and we missed each other. Glad to be back!

Wherein Andy and Justice track the development of the Predator franchise and mark the successes of its newest entry,  Prey . How have the films changed over time? What is the difference between typical action films and those that focus on hunting? Are the Predators that come to Earth the losers? We hope not!

Wherein Justice and Andy conjure up a discussion of the 1992 Disney film  Aladdin  and The Daevabad Trilogy by S. A. Chakraborty. How are Middle Eastern and North African cultures depicted in these works? In what ways do they employ myth and the supernatural? Given the 24 years between them, do we see a growth in the way that MENA cultures are represented in narrative? Does Jafar deserve eternal s...

Wherein Andy and Justice challenge each other's readings of Ted Chiang's  The Truth of Fact, the Truth of Feeling. How do we trust our memories? Should we trust them? What effect would memories based on perfect recall have on our development? Would you commit your whole life to a recording? We wouldn't!

Wherein Justice and Andy hammer out the impact of the third season of  The Boys and where the series might go next. Who's the real villain here and what's with the short-lived redemptive arcs? Is Butcher going to go full-supe? How will the show maintain its Homelander-focused anxiety over two more seasons (or more)? And is Frenchie the funniest character on tv? Our editorial choices point to yes.

Wherein Andy and Justice welcome Dr. Jackielee Derks, longtime friend and colleague, to a remix of Helen Oyeyemi's  Mr. Fox  and  Star Wars: The Force Awakens . Why do authors and production companies keep retelling the same stories? Is it to address contemporary issues or to enrich the almighty corporation? Topics range from J. J. Abrams' time-honored practice of mere enhancement to Oyeyemi's imp...

Wherein Justice and Andy pause their reading to rant about the increasingly common practice of television series to take mid-season breaks. What is the point of making viewers wait when the content is already finished? Are you doing this to extend our subscriptions? Are you trying to drag out award seasons? Do you consider the stars of your shows contracted property? The most egregious example: St...

Wherein Andy and Justice profile the interview style of Terry Gross, legendary host of Fresh Air on National Public Radio. Why does Terry skip the pleasantries in her guest introductions? And why does she begin with a seemingly off-topic and ultra-specific question? Also, Conan O'Brien likes tapdancing.

Wherein Justice and Andy welcome Dr. Brian Kenna to the show. The three of us chronicle the myths, gods, and the supernatural present in Neil Gaiman's  American Gods  and Richard Adams'  Watership Down . What is the function of myth in these stories? How do deities operate as representations of belief and models created by contemporary human cultures? What does Jesus have to do with chocolate rabb...

Wherein Andy and Justice infiltrate the legacy of James Bond's many representations throughout the decades. If James Bond is a reflection of his culture, which era has spoken to you and why? Has Daniel Craig changed our ideas of who Bond can be? Is there a Bond that stands above the rest? It can't possibly be Roger Moore.

Wherein Justice and Andy welcome guest Nicole Hoffmann to the show to groove on the Highwomen's 2019 remake of the 1985 "Highwayman" song. How do the Highwomen recast the "Highwayman" song from a female perspective? What are the different approaches that each takes to individual and collective endeavors? Topics range from outlaw identity to the Combahee River Collective to female empowerment. Also...

Wherein Andy and Justice dive into the conversation about the representation of female characters in film. In The Little Mermaid  (1989) and  Spider-Man  (2002) we find two women initially thought to be positive portrayals of strong female identity. Yet, looking back, both fail to meet even basic modern standards for gender equity and female independence. With more than a decade between the texts,...

Wherein Justice and Andy construct their reading of Ted Chiang's Nebula award-winning short story "Tower of Babylon." While building a tower to heaven, Ted Chiang follows the experiences of a miner, Hillalum, as he prepares to chisel his way into paradise. Let's just say, things get turned upside-down. What's the point of all of this effort? And can Hillalum find the face of God in a closed system...

Wherein Andy and Justice investigate the new DC Comics film  The Batman . How does Batman's depiction in this work measure up against past iterations of the hero? The Batman films seem to be getting darker and more grim with each reboot. Is the next one going to be just a black screen with the sounds of punching? Despite this darkness, Matt Reeves give us a compelling Batman story.

Wherein Justice and Andy stake out their claims on undead origins in the AMC's  The Walking Dead and the film adaptation of Anne Rice's  Interview With The Vampire . Why are zombie stories more up front with the origin of the undead than vampire stories? Is it because zombie stories are typically hyper-contemporary? Is it because zombie are a threat to civilization while vampire are threats to ind...

Wherein Andy and Justice labor to understand the conversation surrounding the labor shortage in the United States. We also read Melville's short story  Bartleby the Scrivener  as a text of labor exploitation. Topics range from the minimum wage to baseless accusations of millennial laziness to Tom Brady's unretirement. So, because a 44-year-old millionaire wants to play sports for another year, my...