#402: In this episode of GT Radio, Josué Cardona is joined by Marc Cuiriz, Lara Taylor, and Link Keller for a timely conversation about how pop culture helps us process current events. Rather than focusing on news facts alone, the group explores how movies, TV shows, games, and memes give people shared language, emotional distance, and symbolic frameworks to make sense of complex, painful, or overwhelming realities.
Josué opens by reflecting on how different generations consume and interpret the news, especially through memes and fictional references. From his niece’s understanding of current events via pop culture to viral comparisons between real-world figures and fictional villains or heroes, the group notes how storytelling fills gaps that traditional news coverage often can’t.
A major thread centers on how stories create shortcuts for moral reasoning. Lara highlights how Wicked has become a powerful tool for discussing fascism, propaganda, and complicity. Characters like Elphaba, Glinda, and Fiyero offer an accessible way to talk about oppression, performative goodness, and quiet resistance—especially with younger audiences and clients.
The group also discusses reactions to violence tied to systemic injustice, including how people use fiction to explain their emotional responses. Josué points to a widely shared scene from Spider-Man 2, where everyday people protect Spider-Man, as a metaphor for why some refuse to “snitch” on figures seen as acting against an unjust system. The conversation examines how archetypes—especially heroes—shape public empathy more than facts alone.
Link adds that not all versions of a hero function the same way. The Sam Raimi-era Spider-Man is contrasted with modern MCU heroes, who often protect the status quo rather than challenge it. This leads into a broader discussion about how large media companies influence which stories get told—and which revolutionary narratives get softened or reframed.
Robin Hood emerges as a recurring archetype: an oppressed figure stealing from the powerful to help the vulnerable. While less visible as a standalone character today, the group identifies Robin Hood’s DNA in characters like Killmonger from Black Panther, insurgent groups in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and even certain video game narratives. Marc draws parallels between these stories and real-world debates about violence, revolution, and whether change can happen within systems that consistently fail people.
The episode also touches on how fiction recontextualizes long-beloved stories. Josué shares a moment challenging his niece’s view of Luke Skywalker as a flawless hero by asking her to consider the human cost of the Death Star’s destruction in Star Wars: A New Hope. These reframings, the group agrees, aren’t about ruining stories—but about revisiting them with more mature, critical lenses.
Humor and satire play a significant role throughout the discussion. From fake corporate social media posts to meme culture and gallows humor, the hosts note that levity has become a primary coping mechanism in an era where trust in institutions, media, and authority is deeply eroded. Laughing doesn’t mean people don’t care—it often means they care a lot.
The episode closes with reflections on rewatching favorite media, including Attack on Titan, through the lens of recent global events. Stories change as we change, and revisiting them can offer new insights into power, violence, resistance, and survival.
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Join the discussion on the GT Forum at https://forum.geektherapy.org and connect with the Geek Therapy Network through the links at https://geektherapy.org.
What fictional story has helped you process real-world events lately?
Have you ever rewatched something and realized you see it completely differently now?
Which hero or villain best captures how you’re feeling about the world right now?
