Shows
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastPEL Presents PMP#201: John Wick Minus WickIn light of the new film Ballerina, we discuss the John Wick franchise that kicked off in 2014 with four films plus a (bad) Peacock TV show. We also watched the recent documentary Wick Is Pain. Mark, Lawrence, Sarahlyn and Al are joined by Brian Casey to mostly talk about the main four films in the series: They have a formula, but is that bad? Get an ad-free experience, plus bonus talking for this and nearly every episode at patreon.com/prettymuchpop for only the tiniest per-month financial pledge, or you can sign up directly with...2025-07-2252 min
Pretty Much Pop: A Culture PodcastPMP#201: John Wick Minus WickIn light of the new film Ballerina, we discuss the John Wick franchise that kicked off in 2014 with four films plus a (bad) Peacock TV show. We also watched the recent documentary Wick Is Pain.
Mark, Lawrence, Sarahlyn and Al are joined by Brian Casey to mostly talk about the main four films in the series: They have a formula, but is that bad?
Get an ad-free experience, plus bonus talking for this and nearly every episode at patreon.com/prettymuchpop for only the tiniest per-month financial pledge, or you can sign up directly with...2025-07-2252 min
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastPhilosophy vs. Improv #96: We Allege Humor w/ Mark Schiff & Daniel LobellMark Schiff is a legendary stand-up who currently podcasts with friend-of-PEL and philosophy enthusiast, Daniel Lobell as We Think It's Funny. These gents join Mark and Bill to talk about stand-up vs. improv, comedy LPs, waterless urinals, bad press, the path to enlightenment, and how to get rid of syphilis. We run a scene on hiring entertainment for the company party, and engage in some riffs that can only be called improv. Hear more at philosophyimprov.com. Support the podcast and listen ad-free at philosophyimprov.com/support. Sponsor: Go to surfshark.com/improv or...2025-07-1452 min
Philosophy vs. ImprovWe Allege Humor w/ Mark Schiff and Daniel Lobell
Mark Schiff is a legendary stand-up (watch him on Carson) who currently podcasts with friend-of-PEL and philosophy enthusiast, Daniel Lobell (check out his YouTube channel) as We Think It’s Funny.
These gents join Mark and Bill to talk about stand-up vs. improv (hear our prior treatment of the topic), comedy LPs, waterless urinals, bad press, the path to enlightenment, and how to get rid of syphilis.
We run a scene on hiring entertainment for the company party, and engage in some riffs that can only be called improv.
If you want an ep...2025-07-1255 minPretty Much Pop: A Culture PodcastPMP#187: Taking Down Santa ClausFor our annual holiday episode, Mark, Lawrence, Sarahlyn and Al talk about Santa qua mythical and cultural figure, getting into the history of the character, his film appearances, and how the emphasis on kids' belief compares to religious belief. Plus, grading Xmas movies on a curve and Black Santa!
For more, visit prettymuchpop.com. Hear this ad-free with bonus content at patreon.com/prettymuchpop or by subscribing via Apple Podcasts to the Mark Lintertainment Channel.
Learn about Mark's Core Texts in Philosophy class at partiallyexaminedlife.com/class.2024-12-2354 minPhilosophy vs. ImprovHalf Philosophizing (Season 4 Premiere)
Welcome to the beginning of a new round of shenanigans on Philosophy vs. Improv. Let the senior slump begin!
Your hosts Mark Linsenmayer and Bill Arnett here talk a blazin’ stream of consciousness and then have a pretty long improv scene. Are we already always philosophizing?
Hear more PvI. Support the podcast! Check out other Evergreen Podcast offerings.
Watch the proceedings unedited on YouTube.
2024-10-1751 min
Philosophy vs. ImprovHalf Philosophizing (Season 4 Premiere)Welcome to the beginning of a new round of shenanigans on Philosophy vs. Improv. Let the senior slump begin!Your hosts Mark Linsenmayer and Bill Arnett here talk a blazin' stream of consciousness and then have a pretty long improv scene. Are we already always philosophizing?Watch the proceedings unedited on YouTube. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2024-10-1757 minPretty Much Pop: A Culture PodcastPMP#157: The Function of a Pop Culture PodcastWhat is media criticism, and is that what we're doing? For our Season 3 finale (i.e. the end of PMP's 4th year of operation), your now officially official hosts Mark Linsenmayer, Lawrence Ware, Sarahlyn Bruck, and Al Baker turn their gazes fully toward their collective navel to think about what purposes are served by discussions about pop culture and how we can do it better.
For more, visit prettymuchpop.com. Hear bonus content at patreon.com/prettymuchpop or by subscribing via Apple Podcasts to the Mark Lintertainment Channel.
Sponsors: Get 60% off (and free shipping) on...2023-09-0755 min
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastPEL Closereads: Emerson's Oversoul (New Podcast Premiere)Are we underlyingly all really a single, unified organism? Or do we just have a lot in common? PEL's most verbose hosts Mark Linsenmayer and Wes Alwan begin unraveling this puzzling claim by reading Ralph Waldo Emerson's 1841 essay "The Over-Soul" and explaining it line-by-line. Watch this episode on video at YouTube. We encourage you to read along in the essay with us. This is the first of four parts. To hear the others as they are released this week, plus weekly episodes going forward and three episodes already posted, please support this new effort at patreon.com...2023-08-1455 min
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastEp. 322: Schelling on Art vs. Nature (Part Three)Mark and Wes conclude with some close reading of Part 6 of System of Transcendental Idealism (1800), section 3: "Relation of Art to Philosophy." Schelling thinks that art enables us to do intuitively what philosophy tries to do with concepts. We're providing this typically supporter-exclusive content for all of you in anticipation of the new Closereads: Philosophy with Mark and Wes project that we'll be unveiling next week. Sponsors: Get 50% off the #1 Meal Kit for Eating Clean (plus free shipping) at greenchef.com/pel50 (promocode pel50). Give more effectively via GiveWell.org (and let them know we sent y...2023-08-0757 minPretty Much Pop: A Culture PodcastPMP#152: BELIEVE in Ted LassoMark, Lawrence, Sarahlyn, and Al disagree about the Jason Sudeikis-headed Apple TV+ pandemic hit that's just wrapped up with its third season. Was it actually as good as everyone thought when its first season hit, or was its vibe just something we needed at the time? Should it have stayed slim and comic instead of becoming the stretched out, soapy dramedy that it ended up as?
For more, visit prettymuchpop.com. Hear bonus content at patreon.com/prettymuchpop or by subscribing via Apple Podcasts to the Mark Lintertainment Channel.
Sponsor: Check out the Skeptoid podcast...2023-06-2853 minPretty Much Pop: A Culture PodcastPMP#151: Everybody’s Talkin’ ‘Bout “Succession”The regular gang (Mark, Lawrence, Sarahlyn, and Al) address Jesse Armstrong's prestige HBO dramedy that premiered in 2018 and has just wrapped up. Why all the fuss over this show? Is it really worthy of comparison to Shakespeare?
For more, visit prettymuchpop.com. Hear bonus content at patreon.com/prettymuchpop or by subscribing via Apple Podcasts to the Mark Lintertainment Channel.
Sponsors: Get 50% off your first box of ready-to-eat meals at FactorMeals.com/pretty50 (use code pretty50). Check out the Banned Camp comedy podcast.2023-06-1451 minPhilosophy vs. ImprovDo You Want to Be Here? w/ Brain in a Vat
Mark Oppenheimer and Jason Werbeloff of the Brain in a Vat podcast join Bill and Mark L. (aka Alf) to talk about rationality, broadly construed, while not moving a couch and not giving each other Christmas presents.
Does “reason” by itself tell us what to do and what to believe? Is trypophobia really just bigotry? (It is not.) What’s the rationale for making negative comments online about a podcast? Are bigots bigger than bigamists? Was Ayn Rand a cannibal?
The image is from this site, and truly, you do not want to be there.
...2023-06-1055 minPretty Much Pop: A Culture PodcastPMP#150: Dark Shadows w/ Kathryn Leigh ScottMark, Lawrence, and Sean Michael Cooney discuss the gothic romance vampire soap opera from 1966-1971 plus the spin-off movies and reboots. We interview one of the stars of the original show, the author Kathryn Leigh Scott, to talk about the appeal and enduring legacy of this show that was once massively popular but is now a quintessential cult property that will likely be rebooted for the fourth time within the next couple of years.
Is the show camp, or just low budget? Think of all the sensitive, reluctant vampires in today's media that this show launched! We're d...2023-06-041h 08Pretty Much Pop: A Culture PodcastPMP#149: Rocky and CreedIt's our most successful sports film franchise ever, starting with the Best Picture winning, highest grossing film from 1976, through eight sequels to land us with Creed III.
Mark, Al, Sarahlyn, and Lawrence talk about the ups and downs of this journey. How can such an apparently simple formula stay fresh? Is there any rationale for a larger Rocky-verse?
For more, visit prettymuchpop.com. Hear bonus content at patreon.com/prettymuchpop or by subscribing via Apple Podcasts to the Mark Lintertainment Channel.
Sponsors: For ready-to-eat meal delivery, visit FactorMeals.com/pretty50 and use code...2023-05-1755 minPretty Much Pop: A Culture PodcastPMP#148: Resource Management Video GamesMark, Al, our editor Tyler Hislop, and Dr. Jamie Madigan of the Psychology of Video Games podcast talk about a wide range crafting and building games from Minecraft to Starcraft to Sim City to Civilization to Rimworld to Subnautica. Given what a time commitment these typically require, what makes some of them worthwhile?
For more, visit prettymuchpop.com. Hear bonus content at patreon.com/prettymuchpop or by subscribing via Apple Podcasts to the Mark Lintertainment Channel.
Sponsors: Listen to The Psychology Podcast with Scott Barry Kaufman and The History of Literature Podcast with Jacke WIlson.2023-04-2453 minPretty Much Pop: A Culture PodcastPMP#147: Nostalgic Mysteries (Knives Out, Poker Face) from Rian JohnsonMark, Lawrence, Sarahlyn, and Al talk about Rian Johnson's new show Poker Face as basically a Columbo reboot (a "howcatchem" instead of a "whodunnit"), plus his recent films Knives Out and Glass Onion that modernize and subvert Agatha Christie.
For more, visit prettymuchpop.com. Hear bonus content at patreon.com/prettymuchpop or by subscribing via Apple Podcasts to the Mark Lintertainment Channel.
Sponsor: Listen to The History of Literature at historyofliterature.com. Check out Book Vs. Movie at bookversusmoviepod.weebly.com.2023-04-0151 minPretty Much Pop: A Culture PodcastPMP#146: Black Panther Films and ComicsPerhaps alone in the Marvel Universe, Black Panther is taken seriously as a political statement, both in the content of its stories and in how the films are produced. Wakanda purports to present an alternate historical condition of Africa had it not been colonized.
Mark, Lawrence Ware, Anthony LeBlanc, and Viola Burlew discuss the comics and films, getting into the political ideas, the social function, the heroic character, and the unique challenge of making the film when the main actor has died.
For more, visit prettymuchpop.com. Hear bonus content at patreon.com/prettymuchpop or...2023-03-131h 03Pretty Much Pop: A Culture PodcastPMP#145: Growing Up SitcommedMark, Sarahlyn, Lawrence, and guest Landen Celano from the Grunt Work podcast talk about talk about our ambivalence toward the three-camera, laugh-tracked half-hour comedies that filled our childhoods. Why did some of these stand the test of time? Are some shows well suited for hate-watching or background watching? Why the Night Court reboot doing so well?
We touch on some new shows like Kevin Can F*** Himself and Reboot that reflect on sitcom tropes, shows that subverted the format even at the time (Norman Lear), the juggernaut that is Chuck Lorre, catch phrases, and our memories of...2023-02-2355 minPhilosophy vs. ImprovDebates in the Orthaganon
Mark and Bill act out a couple of scenes of a person trying to convince a stubborn person of something. But there’s a twist in the characterization! Also, before you were born, the world did not exist.
Part of this came out of some comments in The Partially Examined Life’s second Wittgenstein On Certainty episode and anticipates our upcoming treatment of Daoism. Mark also brings up up Rawls’ liberalism. And the meaning of the phrase “partially examined life” is revealed!
Hear more PvI. Support the podcast! You’ll get all of our post-game discussions a...2023-02-1850 minPretty Much Pop: A Culture PodcastPMP#144: Androids and UsDo movie robots want to love us, be us, or kill us? Mark, Lawrence, Sarahlyn, and Al talk through various ethical and narrative problems having to do with the creation of artificial life.
We all watched M3GAN and Steve Spielberg's A.I., and also touch on After Yang, Ex Machina, Bicentennial Man, the BBC show Humans, and of course this is an element in classic sci-fi properties like Alien, Blade Runner, Star Trek, etc.
For more, visit prettymuchpop.com. Hear bonus content at patreon.com/prettymuchpop or by subscribing via Apple Podcasts to the Mark Lintertainment Channel.2023-02-0845 minPretty Much Pop: A Culture PodcastPMP#143: Pinocchio the Unfilmable (Yet Frequently Filmed)Mark, Lawrence, Sarahlyn, and Al discuss the original 1883 freaky children's story and consider the recent rush of film versions, from a new Disney/Robert Zemikis CGI take to Guillermo del Toro's stop-motion passion project to a heavily costumed Italian version by Matteo Garrone. Why do people keep remaking this story, and how has the original moral of "be a good boy and obey" changed over the years?
For more, visit prettymuchpop.com. Hear bonus content at patreon.com/prettymuchpop or by subscribing via Apple Podcasts to the Mark Lintertainment Channel.
If you like this podcast...2023-01-2651 minPretty Much Pop: A Culture PodcastPMP#142: Lyric Literality w/ Dave PhilpottSince 2008, Dave has written cheeky (but actually heavily researched) letters to rock stars that point out logical flaws in and/or deliberately misunderstand their lyrics. Many of these have been answered by the artists and housed in three books: Dear Mr. Kershaw, Dear Mr. Popstar, and Grammar Free In The U.K.
Mark and Al Baker talk to Dave about the "green ink" stereotype in British comedy, metaphors in songwriting, how meaning escapes the intentions of the author, the clash between lyrical meaning and musical style, avoiding clichés, and more.
For more, visit prettymuchpop.co...2023-01-1359 minPretty Much Pop: A Culture PodcastPMP#141: Christmas SongsThe PMP A-Team (Mark, Lawrence, Sarahlyn, and Al) talk about the canon of Christmas songs, from centuries-old carols to current attempts by pop stars to get added to this cycle of cash-flow. Happy holidays, everybody!
We also do a bit of year-end reflection, getting into various things we've watched with some recommendations and ambivalent reflections.
For more, visit prettymuchpop.com. Hear bonus content at patreon.com/prettymuchpop or by subscribing via Apple Podcasts to the Mark Lintertainment Channel.
Sponsor: Check out RetroZest podcast at retrozest.com.2022-12-281h 14
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastEp. 306: Dworkin and the Dobbs Decision (Part Two)Continuing on Ronald Dworkin's "Unenumerated Rights: Whether and How Roe Should be Overruled" (1992) and the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization (2021) decision featuring guest Robin Linsenmayer. Get more at partiallyexaminedlife.com. Visit partiallyexaminedlife.com/support to get ad-free episodes and tons of bonus discussion including the supporter-exclusive part three to this episode.2022-12-1949 minPretty Much Pop: A Culture PodcastPMP#140: First Nations Culture w/ John BeaubienMark and Lawrence talk to "Iroqois propagandist" and philosophy nerd John about how Native cultures currently relate to American and Canadian mainstream cultures with regard to the study of philosophy, TV (e.g. Reservation Dogs), cultural appropriation, identity politics, and more.
For more, visit prettymuchpop.com. Hear bonus content at patreon.com/prettymuchpop or by subscribing via Apple Podcasts to the Mark Lintertainment Channel.
Sponsor: Check out the Geek Freaks podcast network for 11 fun pop culture podcasts.2022-12-171h 00
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastEp. 306: Dworkin and the Dobbs Decision (Part One)Does the U.S. Constitution guarantee the right to an abortion? We discuss Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization (2021) and Ronald Dworkin's "Unenumerated Rights: Whether and How Roe Should be Overruled" (1992). With guest Robin Linsenmayer. Get more at partiallyexaminedlife.com. Visit partiallyexaminedlife.com/support to get ad-free episodes and tons of bonus discussion.2022-12-1241 minPretty Much Pop: A Culture PodcastPMP#139: The Sandman ComethWe cover the first chunk of Neil Gaiman's 1989 comic and its new Netflix adaptation. Mark is joined by Anthony LeBlanc, Sarahlyn Bruck, and Al Baker.
What are the narrative challenges of depicting a god? What is the show's metaphysics the role of storytelling in it? Were the updates and story choices for the TV show helpful, or was the comic truly "unfilmable," as was long thought?
For more, visit prettymuchpop.com. Hear bonus content at patreon.com/prettymuchpop or by subscribing via Apple Podcasts to the Mark Lintertainment Channel.2022-12-0248 minPretty Much Pop: A Culture PodcastPMP#138: What Are “Creatives”?Is there really a division in today's culture between those who create and the merely receptive masses? Mark gathers three artists in different media about the place of the artist in society: sci-fi author Brian Hirt, art photographer and academic Amir Zaki, and musician/novelist/ex-English prof John Andrew Fredrick (of The Black Watch).
We touch on art education, the self-understanding of artists, the relation between artist and consumer, art vs. commerce, bad art vs. non-art, and much more.
For more, visit prettymuchpop.com. Hear bonus content at patreon.com/prettymuchpop or by subscribing via...2022-11-1849 minPretty Much Pop: A Culture PodcastPMP#137: Slashing the “Halloween” Film FranchiseWhat's the appeal of this 13-film franchise that started with John Carpenter's 1978 film Halloween and has purportedly wrapped up with David Gordon Green's Halloween Ends?
Mark Linsenmayer, Al Baker, Lawrence Ware, and Nathan Shelton debate the ideology and effectiveness of the various films.
For more, visit prettymuchpop.com. Hear bonus content at patreon.com/prettymuchpop or by subscribing via Apple Podcasts to the Mark Lintertainment Channel.
Sponsor: Check out The Create Unknown podcast.2022-11-101h 03Pretty Much Pop: A Culture PodcastPMP#136: Nathan Fielder’s “The Rehearsal”Mark, Lawrence, Sarahlyn, and Al convene an emergency podcast recording to react to this brilliant, mind-blowing, possibly immoral HBO comedy docuseries, wherein Fielder supposedly helps ordinary people rehearse difficult personal confrontations.
For more, visit prettymuchpop.com. Hear bonus content at patreon.com/prettymuchpop or by subscribing via Apple Podcasts to the Mark Lintertainment Channel.2022-11-0148 minPretty Much Pop: A Culture PodcastPMP#135: The Breaking Bad-O-VerseGiven the end of Better Call Saul, Mark, Lawrence Ware, Sarahlyn Bruck, and Al Baker discuss this strange TV "franchise" that amazingly produced a prequel that was arguably better than the original. We cover the characterization and pacing, novelistic TV vs. not having a plot roadmap in advance, and whether we want to see another installment in this world.
For more, visit prettymuchpop.com. Hear bonus content at patreon.com/prettymuchpop or by subscribing via Apple Podcasts to the Mark Lintertainment Channel.2022-10-1846 minPretty Much Pop: A Culture PodcastPMP#134: Unpopular Music Genre FandomWith the dissolution of popular music culture by the Internet, what is it now to be into music genres that aren't currently popular? Is it still an act of rebellion, or is even that passé?
Mark is joined by composer/multi-instrumentalist Jonathan Segel from Camper van Beethoven, philosopher Matt Teichman of the Elucidations podcast, and musician and Internet DJ Steve Petrinko to talk about our relation to the mainstream, the different types of unpopular music (popular 30 years ago vs. never popular avant garde), post-irony, and more.
For more, visit prettymuchpop.com. Hear bonus content at pa...2022-10-0753 minPretty Much Pop: A Culture PodcastPMP#133: Predator (Films) and PreyThanks to the new film Prey, we now have six films (starting with 1987's Predator) featuring the dreadlocked, camouflaged, infrared-seeing race of alien hunters who have apparently been flying around collecting our skulls for 300 years.
Mark is joined by Lawrence Ware, Sarahlyn Bruck, and Al Baker to talk about the appeal of this franchise and what makes a good Predator film.
For more, visit prettymuchpop.com. Hear bonus content at patreon.com/prettymuchpop or by subscribing via Apple Podcasts to the Mark Lintertainment Channel.
Sponsor: Get a huge discount and free month at...2022-09-2347 minPretty Much Pop: A Culture PodcastPMP#132: “Too Soon” in Comedy?To honor the death of Gilbert Gottfried, we discuss jokes like the 9-11 one he was pilloried for. Can comedy really be "too soon" in relation to its tragic subject matter? Is comedy really tragedy plus time, or are jokes in fact most needed immediately when pain and discomfort are most acute?
Mark is joined by three comedians: Adam Sank (of the LGBTQ-themed Adam Sank Show), Twitch-streaming songster Meri Amber, and returning guest Daniel Lobell (graphic novelist and podcaster). We get into tailoring jokes for an audience, coping with grief, triggering, and more.
For more...2022-09-0857 minPretty Much Pop: A Culture PodcastPMP#131: Hope for Jordan Peele’s “Nope”Jordan Peele's launch from a solid comedy base with Key & Peele to the unexpected Get Out was so impressive that he's generated a huge amount of good will that allows him to play the full-on auteur with huge budgets. Did that pay off with his third film, the monster movie Nope?
Mark is joined by Lawrence Ware, Sarahlyn Bruck, and Nicole Pometti.
For more, visit prettymuchpop.com. Hear bonus content at patreon.com/prettymuchpop or by subscribing via Apple Podcasts to the Mark Lintertainment Channel.2022-08-2449 minPretty Much Pop: A Culture PodcastPMP#130: CODA and Deaf CultureThe 2022 Oscar winner for Best Picture was CODA, a story about a musically inclined girl with a deaf family. Kambri Crews, herself a CODA, joins your host Mark, Sarahlyn Bruck, and Al Baker to talk about how deaf culture interacts with film.
Films tend to show deafness as tragic, which is not necessarily how the deaf community views themselves. We talk about balancing the demands of a story, how real life works, and the need for positive representation.
For more, visit prettymuchpop.com. Hear bonus content at patreon.com/prettymuchpop or by subscribing via Apple P...2022-08-0951 minPretty Much Pop: A Culture PodcastPMP#129: Wherefore the Cover Song?Is re-playing or re-recording a song written and performed by someone else an act of love or predation?
Mark is joined by Too Much Joy's Tim Quirk, the Gig Gab Podcast's Dave Hamilton, and the author of A Philosophy of Cover Songs Prof. P.D. Magnus to talk about different types of and purposes for covers, look a little at the history, share favorites, and more.
For more, visit prettymuchpop.com. Hear bonus content at patreon.com/prettymuchpop or by subscribing via Apple Podcasts to the Mark Lintertainment Channel.
Sponsors: Find a top-rated...2022-07-281h 00Pretty Much Pop: A Culture PodcastPMP#128: Jurassic ShlockMark is joined by NY Time entertainment writer/philosophy prof Lawrence Ware, novelist/ex-actor Sarahlyn Bruck, and filmmaker/Remakes, Reboots, and Revivals host Rolando Nieves to discuss the Jurassic Park franchise in light of the new film, Jurassic World: Dominion.
Is the mere presence of cool dinosaurs enough to justify a film, or are these actually good films by any standard? What childhood itch do these scratch? How do these films work as sci-fi and political commentary?
For more, visit prettymuchpop.com. Hear bonus content at patreon.com/prettymuchpop or by subscribing via Apple Podcasts...2022-07-1247 minPretty Much Pop: A Culture PodcastPMP#127: You Down with Downton Abbey?We discuss the appeal of this Julian-Fellowes-penned British historical drama in light of the new film. Is this really "a new era" or just more of the same, and is that bad?
Mark is joined by returning guest Jon Lamoreaux (host of The Hustle music podcast), plus a couple: former newscaster Corrinne MacLeod and her husband, the photographer Michael MacLeod.
For more, visit prettymuchpop.com. Hear bonus content at patreon.com/prettymuchpop or by subscribing via Apple Podcasts to the Mark Lintertainment Channel.2022-07-0651 minPretty Much Pop: A Culture PodcastPMP#126: Political Sci-Fi in “The Expanse”On the novel series and TV show written by James S.A. Corey (aka Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck). Mark is joined by fact-checker Al Baker, educator Sabrina Weiss, and voting rights guy/former reality TV editor Colin Cole.
For more, visit prettymuchpop.com. Hear bonus content for this episode at patreon.com/prettymuchpop or by subscribing via Apple Podcasts to the Mark Lintertainment Channel.
Sponsor: Find a top-rated doctor by visiting ZocDoc.com/PMP and downloading the free ZocDoc app.2022-06-171h 02Pretty Much Pop: A Culture PodcastPMP#125: The Dramatics of “This Is Us”Mark is joined by rhetorician/educator Michelle Parrinello-Cason, Chris Sunami (The Pop Culture Philosopher), and award-winning former journalist Kera Mashek to discuss the recently concluded NBC drama created by Dan Fogelman. Is it just comfort food, or a stark portrayal of diverse human struggles?
For more, visit prettymuchpop.com. Hear bonus content for this episode at patreon.com/prettymuchpop or by subscribing via Apple Podcasts to the Mark Lintertainment Channel.2022-06-1052 minPretty Much Pop: A Culture PodcastPMP#124: What Is Batman?In light of the recent release of Matt Reeves' film The Batman, we consider the strange alternation of darkness and camp that is Batman. Is he even a super hero? What's with his rogues' gallery? What's with DC's anti-world-building?
Mark is joined by philosophy prof/NY Times entertainment writer Lawrence Ware, improv comedian/educator Anthony LeBlanc, and Marketing Over Coffee host John J. Wall.
For more, visit prettymuchpop.com. Hear bonus content for this episode at patreon.com/prettymuchpop or by subscribing via Apple Podcasts to the Mark Lintertainment Channel.
Sponsor: Lower your...2022-06-0247 minPretty Much Pop: A Culture PodcastPMP#123: We Are All JackassMark is joined by comedian Matty Goldberg; filmmaker/podcaster Rolando Nieves; and comedy juggler Josh Casey to discuss the franchise that began in 2000 in light of the new film Jackass Forever. This is perhaps our sole remaining form of popular entertainment that relies on sheer physicality, without the gamesmanship of sports. What's the appeal of this divisive extreme stunt/comedy revue?
For more, visit prettymuchpop.com. Hear bonus content for this episode at patreon.com/prettymuchpop or by subscribing via Apple Podcasts to the Mark Lintertainment Channel.
Sponsor: Find a top-rated doctor by visiting ZocDoc...2022-05-2051 min
Nakedly Examined Music PodcastNEM#172: Mark Stewart (The Pop Group): Mad Processing w/ HaikusMark led the Pop Group through two albums in the late 70s two later reunion album and has released nine solo albums of trippy, experimental dance music.
We discuss "Rage of Angels" (feat. Front 242) from VS (2022), "Age of Miracles" by The Pop Group from Citizen Zombie (2015), and "Liberty City" by Mark Stewart & the Maffia from Learning to Cope with Cowardice (1983). End song: "Cast No Shadow (Leather Strip Mix)" by feat. Stephen Mallinder and Eric Random from VS. Intro: "She Is Beyond Good and Evil" by The Pop Group from Y (1979). More at markstewartmusic.com.
Hear...2022-05-141h 07Pretty Much Pop: A Culture PodcastPMP#122: Maus Shows the Tragic Via ComicsWe discuss Art Spiegelman's Maus (1980-91) and other war-related graphic novels like Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis (2000) and George Takei’s They Called Us Enemy (2019).
Mark is joined by comics scholar Vi Burlew, comics blerd/acting coach Anthony LeBlanc, and comedian/graphic novelist Daniel Lobell.
For more, visit prettymuchpop.com. Hear bonus content for this episode at patreon.com/prettymuchpop or by subscribing via Apple Podcasts to the Mark Lintertainment Channel.
Sponsor: Lower your monthly credit payments at upstart.com/PRETTY.2022-05-0551 minPretty Much Pop: A Culture PodcastPMP#121: Protesting Protest SongsAre protest songs effective, either as protest or songs? Four songwriters including your host Mark Linsenmayer, Lilli Lewis, Rod Picott, and PMP's audio engineer Tyler Hislop discuss how protest works in various musical genres, who it's aimed at, and when it goes wrong. Has the day of the protest song passed, or is it alive and well?
For more, visit prettymuchpop.com. Hear bonus content for this episode at patreon.com/prettymuchpop or by subscribing via Apple Podcasts to the Mark Lintertainment Channel.
Sponsor: Find a top-rated doctor by visiting ZocDoc.com/PMP and downloading...2022-04-2151 minPretty Much Pop: A Culture PodcastPMP#120: Dexter the Loveable Serial KillerMark is joined Lawrence Ware, Sarahlyn Bruck and Michael Paskaru to talk about the Showtime TV horror-dramedy shows inspired by Jeff Lindsay's novels, in light of the revival show Dexter: New Blood.
People loved this character so much that they were very mad that he didn't die at the end of the show's initial run (2006-2013). What was the appeal of this killing-the-killers show? Love of justice? A parable about addiction? A compelling anti-hero? Did the revival do its job in fixing the original show?
For more, visit prettymuchpop.com. Hear bonus content for this ep...2022-04-0848 minPretty Much Pop: A Culture PodcastPMP#119: Disgraced Artists Like CosbyComedian Genevieve Joy, philosopher/NY Times entertainment writer Lawrence Ware, and novelist Sarahlyn Bruck join your host Mark to discuss how we deal with entertainers like R. Kelly, Michael Jackson, Woody Allen, et al. We all watched W. Kamau Bell's Showtime documentary We Need to Talk About Cosby. Can we separate the art from the artist?
For more, visit prettymuchpop.com. Hear bonus content for this episode at patreon.com/prettymuchpop or by subscribing via Apple Podcasts to the Mark Lintertainment Channel.
Sponsors: Find a doctor at zocdoc.com/PMP. Lower your monthly credit payments...2022-03-2448 minPretty Much Pop: A Culture PodcastPMP#118: Adapting Agatha ChristieIn light of Death on the Nile, we discuss the continuing appearance of the works of the world's most successful mystery writer in film and TV.
Mark is joined by repeat guests Sarahlyn Bruck, Al Baker, and Nicole Pometti to discuss the recent Kenneth Branagh films, the Sarah Phelps TV adaptations (like The ABC Murders), the Poirot BBC TV series, and earlier films.
For more, visit prettymuchpop.com. Hear bonus content for this episode at patreon.com/prettymuchpop or by subscribing via Apple Podcasts to the Mark Lintertainment Channel.
Sponsors: Get 15% off great...2022-03-0957 minPretty Much Pop: A Culture PodcastPMP#116: Good Grief! Peanuts PersistsAnimator/musician David Heatley, comedian Daniel Lobell, and academic/3anuts author Daniel Leonard join your host Mark Linsenmayer to discuss Charlie Brown and his author Charles Schulz from Peanuts' 1950 inception through the classic TV specials through to the various post-mortem products still emerging.
For more, visit prettymuchpop.com. Hear bonus content for this episode at patreon.com/prettymuchpop or by subscribing via Apple Podcasts to the Mark Lintertainment Channel.
Sponsor: Lower your monthly credit payments at upstart.com/PRETTY.2022-02-1046 minPretty Much Pop: A Culture PodcastPMP#114: The “West Side Story” StoryDid it make sense for Steven Spielberg to remake one of our nation's most beloved musicals (with music by Bernstein and Sondheim!), attempting to fix the parts that did not age well politically? Is the new version a modern classic or a doomed Frankenstein?
Your host Mark Linsenmayer is joined by Broadway scholar, theater critic, and actor Ron Fassler; Remakes, Reboots, and Revivals co-host Nicole Pometti; and Broadway actor and long-time PEL friend BIll Youmans.
For more, visit prettymuchpop.com. Hear bonus content for this episode at patreon.com/prettymuchpop or by subscribing via Apple...2022-01-1256 minPretty Much Pop: A Culture PodcastPMP#113: The Matrix RegurgitatedMark is joined by Brian Hirt, Erica Spyres, and Mark's son Abe Linsenmayer.
With the release of The Matrix Resurrections, we talk through the franchise as a whole. What made the first one remarkable, and does that a bar that any sequel can reach? We talk through the choices that fed into the new film, why people don't seem to care about their matrix families, the endless fight scenes, and more.
For more, visit prettymuchpop.com. Hear bonus content for this episode at patreon.com/prettymuchpop or by subscribing via Apple Podcasts to the Mark L...2022-01-0550 minPhilosophy vs. ImprovThings Mean Things w/ Tommy Maranges (aka Philosophy Bro)
Can we have an entertaining discussion inspired by Aristotle’s most boring book? Bill leads Mark and our guest Tommy through some let’s-describe-what’s-in-an-imaginary-room exercises.
Dark Tourist, I’m Sorry, the bookCan we have an entertaining discussion inspired by Aristotle’s most boring book, The Categories? Bill leads Mark and our guest Tommy through some let’s-describe-what’s-in-an-imaginary-room exercises. Then Tommy is supposed to give a comedy TED Talk, and chooses Mediterranean food. But what about his estranged father and all those corpses?
For the real skinny on Categories, listen to Partially Examined Life #279. Hear Tommy as Ph...2021-12-3147 minPretty Much Pop: A Culture PodcastPMP#112: Class Critiques in Squid Game, Succession, etc.Popular shows have commented on wealth inequality by showing how dire the situation is for the poor and/or how disconnected and clueless the rich are. How effective is this type of social commentary?
Mark is joined by philosopher and NY Times writer Lawrence Ware, novelist and writing professor Sarahlyn Bruck, and educator with a rhetoric doctorate Michelle Parrinello-Cason.
For more, visit prettymuchpop.com. Hear bonus content for this episode at patreon.com/prettymuchpop or by subscribing via Apple Podcasts to the Mark Lintertainment Channel.
Sponsors: Find a great doctor fast via the...2021-12-2152 minPretty Much Pop: A Culture PodcastPMP#111: Our Beatles Love-FestMark is joined by musician David Brookings, Gig Gab host Dave Hamilton, and OpenCulture writer Colin Marshall to discuss Peter Jackson's documentary Get Back and the enduring popularity of The Beatles.
For more, visit prettymuchpop.com. Hear bonus content for this episode at patreon.com/prettymuchpop or by subscribing via Apple Podcasts to the Mark Lintertainment Channel.
Sponsors: Book a top-rated doctor by getting the Zocdoc ad at Zocdoc.com/PMP. Get a loan to lower your monthly payments at Upstart.com/PRETTY. Get 20% off your first Box of Awesome from Bespoke Post at boxofawesome...2021-12-0956 minPretty Much Pop: A Culture PodcastPMP#110: The Dune Franchise Tries AgainMark is joined by Brian Hirt, Erin Conrad, and Brian Casey to discuss the new film, the old ones, and the book series. Is it really adaptable given the deep lore and the vast time jumps?
For more, visit prettymuchpop.com. Hear bonus content for this episode at patreon.com/prettymuchpop or by subscribing via Apple Podcasts to the Mark Lintertainment Channel.
Sponsors: Book a top-rated doctor by getting the Zocdoc ad at Zocdoc.com/PMP. Get a loan to lower your monthly payments at Upstart.com/PRETTY.2021-11-2450 minPretty Much Pop: A Culture PodcastPMP#109: Dueling in FilmIn light of the release of The Last Duel, we talk about the trope of the honor-resolving duel in movies and TV. Mark and guest co-host Dylan Casey from PEL are joined by Clif Mark, host of the Good in Theory podcast.
We touch on The Duelists, A Knight's Tale, The Duelist and The Duel (two 2016 films), Dune, Hamilton, and philosophers like Hegel and Nietzsche.
For more, visit prettymuchpop.com. Hear bonus content for this episode at patreon.com/prettymuchpop or by subscribing via Apple Podcasts to the Mark Lintertainment Channel.
Sponsors: Get 20...2021-11-1156 minNakedly Examined Music PodcastNEM-Pretty Much Pop Crossover: The Music of Your Youth w/ Jon LamoreauxTo what degree to our childhood favorites persist into adulthood? Are we doomed to love the songs of our generation best? What causes the generation gap in musical tastes?
Your host Mark Linsenmayer, plus Pretty Much Pop regulars Erica Spyres and Brian Hirt, and Jon, the host of The Hustle Podcast, share their nostalgia and discuss "guilty pleasures," the different pre-critical stages at which songs burrow themselves into our brains, aging pop stars, film soundtracks, and more.
For more Pretty Much Pop, visit prettymuchpop.com. Hear bonus content for this episode at patreon.com/prettymuchpop.2021-10-3056 minPretty Much Pop: A Culture PodcastPMP#108: Board Game IdeologyAs board games are becoming increasingly popular with adults, we ask: What's the relationship between a board game's mechanics and its narrative? Does the "message" of a board game matter?
Mark is joined by game designer Tommy Maranges, educator Michelle Parrinello-Cason, and ex-philosopher Al Baker to talk about re-skinning games, designing player experiences, play styles, game complexity, and more.
For more, visit prettymuchpop.com. Hear bonus content for this episode at patreon.com/prettymuchpop or by subscribing via Apple Podcasts to the Mark Lintertainment Channel.
Sponsors: Get 20% off your first box of cool...2021-10-2757 minPretty Much Pop: A Culture PodcastPMP#107: Cult Bands and Cultish FansMark Linsenmayer is joined by Tim Quirk of Too Much Joy, Aaron David Gleason, and Chris Sunami to talk about what makes a cult band. We touch on artists like Tom Waits, Velvet Underground, Big Star, XTC, and The Cure.
For more, visit prettymuchpop.com. Hear bonus content for this episode at patreon.com/prettymuchpop or by subscribing via Apple Podcasts to the Mark Lintertainment Channel.
Sponsors: Get a loan to lower your monthly payments at Upstart.com/PRETTY. Use the code "Pretty" at Nebia.com/pretty to get 10% off a superior shower experience (excludes...2021-10-1454 minPretty Much Pop: A Culture PodcastPMP#106: Stand-Up Comedy in the Internet AgeMark discusses how Internet culture has changed stand-up with three comedians: past guests Rodney Ramsey and Daniel Lobell, plus Dena Jackson.
How have YouTube, social media, and virtual spaces changed the way comedians work? We talk about story-telling vs. one-liners, repping your hometown, comedy cliques, surviving negativity, and more.
For more, visit prettymuchpop.com. Hear bonus content for this episode at patreon.com/prettymuchpop or by subscribing via Apple Podcasts to the Mark Lintertainment Channel.
Sponsors: Use the code "Pretty" at Nebia.com/pretty to get 10% off a superior shower experience. Try The...2021-09-2849 minPretty Much Pop: A Culture PodcastPMP#105: The Death of Soap Operas (Is Greatly Exaggerated)Mark is joined by novelist Sarahlyn Bruck and playwright Kayla Dryesse to discuss the conventions, evolution, and influence of daytime soaps. Are they actually terrible, or is critical dismissal of them largely sexist? Are prestige TV shows like Downton Abbey and White Orchid really just soaps in disguise?
For more, visit prettymuchpop.com. Hear bonus content for this episode at patreon.com/prettymuchpop or by subscribing via Apple Podcasts to the Mark Lintertainment Channel.
Sponsors: Use the code "Pretty" at Nebia.com/pretty to get 10% off a superior shower experience. Get a loan to lower...2021-09-1655 minPretty Much Pop: A Culture PodcastPMP#104: King Arthur Reigns O’er Pop CultureWith the recent theatrical release of The Green Knight, Mark and Brian along with Den of Geek's David Crow and the very British Al Baker consider the range of cinematic Arthuriana, including Excalibur (1981), Camelot (1967), King Arthur (2004), King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017), First Knight (1995), Sword of the Valiant (1983), Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (1973), and Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975).
For more, visit prettymuchpop.com. Hear bonus content for this episode at patreon.com/prettymuchpop or by subscribing via Apple Podcasts to the Mark Lintertainment Channel.
Sponsor: Visit hellofresh.com/14pretty and use code 14...2021-09-0159 minPhilosophy vs. ImprovHere Ought to Be Dragons
Mark and Bill do impressions of people you don’t know. The is-ought distinction is bravely explored. Does pretending to be cavemen help? Magic business is afoot. Childhood speaks.
We’ve now passed the point where the post-game discussion is just included with the episode here. If you want to hear our reflections on the episodes going forward and our recommendations for other things you might imbibe, sign up to be a supporter either at patreon.com/philosophyimprov, or if you’re an Apple Podcasts, you can click right on the “subscribe” button on our page there to get a f...2021-08-2640 minPretty Much Pop: A Culture PodcastPMP#103: Queering Video Games w/ Naomi Clark"Queering" doesn't just mean adding LGBTQ+ representation to games; it's disruption of norms through added player freedom.
Mark and guest co-host Tyler engage game designer Naomi Clark on sandbox games, character creation, how games train us, glitches, speed runs, and more, touching on The Sims, The Last of Us, Cyberbpunk, Mass Effect, and her own games like Sissyfight 2000 and the card game Consentacle.
For more, visit prettymuchpop.com. Hear bonus content for this episode at patreon.com/prettymuchpop or by subscribing via Apple Podcasts to the Mark Lintertainment Channel.
Sponsor: Get a loan...2021-08-2558 min
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastPEL Presents Philosophy vs. Improv #7: Meritocracy Now!Does it make sense to try to have everyone get what they "deserve"? Your hosts Mark Linsenmayer and Bill Arnett (Chicago Improv Studio) act out the desert machine but yet get no predictable cake. Hear more PvI at philosophyimprov.com. Support the podcast to get bonus stuff and good karma!2021-08-1539 minPhilosophy vs. ImprovLet's Have Made a Deal!
We try to be boring. Bill tries to make a discovery amidst the canards. Mark tries to be a good meta-dupe. But is our success in these attempts guaranteed by the deal you have already made with us by listening to this? It is not.
With our first celebrity guest, the final judge is unveiled!
In the post-game, we talk Conan O’Brien (sound effects) and talk shows in general, plus Joe Pera Talks With You. Why has Mark not yet read Bill’s book?
Learn improv from Bill through chicagoimprovstudio.com. Get phil...2021-08-1251 minPhilosophy vs. ImprovDeath at Not a Doctor's Office
Is death something to be feared? What’s next? What are the DETAILS? Do not adjust your listening device or call an ambulance. That sound you hear is not ground hum nor tinnitus but is the sound of improvisation.
Warning: We talk about suicide a bit. If you’re feeling depressed, don’t call the lava demon hotline, as it is a scam.
We make a few references in this one that might be clarified by some clips if you’re confused: It’s sad when Hulk has to leave. Watch Richard Pryor on Norm and Kirk D...2021-07-2947 min
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastPhilosophy vs. Improv: An Introductory TrailerWhat is Philosophy vs. Improv? Hear about the new podcast by Mark Linsenmayer (The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast) and Bill Arnett (Chicago Improv Studio, The Complete Improviser author). Go listen to the show at philosophyimprov.com or subscribe via Apple, Audible, Stitcher, Spotify, or however you get your podcasts. Get more episodes than are now publicly available plus supporter-only content at patreon.com/philosophyimprov, or you can sign up for a premium subscription to the Mark Lintertainment channel on Apple Podcasts, which gets you bonus content and ad-free episodes for not only this new p...2021-07-2201 minPhilosophy vs. ImprovReal Lava Accommodation
Mark starts us off this time: What is reality? Bill pushes back, which is rather his point this round. Hilarity ensues, given that the world is just a construct of our minds and we want it to do so. Hilarity doesn’t really do much else besides ensuing, does it? Lazy bastard.
Learn more about Kant’s phenomena vs. noumena in this very old episode Partially Examined Life episode. We return to the topic (in part) in our current two-episode run on Kant’s follower Fichte.
In the post-game (still public, since the Patreon site is not...2021-07-1839 minPhilosophy vs. ImprovWe Have Always Already Been Improvising
The gauntlet has been thrown. In this first episode, Mark Linsenmayer and Bill Arnett channel their respective muses to try to enlighten each other about something having to do with ethics on the one hand and the continuity of improvisation with regular life on the other. Which lesson shall produce the most profound effect? Does this format make any sense at all?
As a special treat, this episode includes an appendix (the “post-game”) which in the future we may or may not restrict to our financial supporters. This is where we get meta- and discuss the format and...2021-07-1739 minPhilosophy vs. ImprovPhilosophy vs. Improv: An Introductory Trailer
What is Philosophy vs. Improv?
Hear about the new podcast by Mark Linsenmayer (The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast) and Bill Arnett (Chicago Improv Studio, The Complete Improviser author).
Thanks to our announcer, Erica Spyres.
PvI logo by Solomon Grundy.
Reach out to us with your children’s art, episode ideas, guest suggestions, and other comments.
Get more episodes than are now publicly available plus supporter-only content at patreon.com/philosophyimprov. This new project needs your support to get off the ground!
2021-07-1301 min
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastMark Lint's PEL Network Holiday Party 2020: Merry Chatting and SongsJoin the office party, where Mark holds mini conversations on philosophy, art, and life with all PEL and PMP co-hosts, plus Ken Stringfellow, Jenny Hansen, and the members of Mark Lint's Dry Folk, whose 12 tunes are presented in succession with nary a partridge in sight. Will these 12 spirits turn you (or Mark) from errant ways? BYOB!2020-12-242h 05Pretty Much Pop: A Culture PodcastMark Lint’s PEL Network Holiday Party 2020: Merry Chatting and SongsJoin the office party, where Mark holds mini conversations on philosophy, art, and life with all PEL and PMP co-hosts, plus Ken Stringfellow, Jenny Hansen, and the members of Mark Lint's Dry Folk, whose 12 tunes are presented in succession with nary a partridge in sight. Will these 12 spirits turn you (or Mark) from errant ways? BYOB!2020-12-242h 05Nakedly Examined Music PodcastMark Lint’s PEL Network Holiday Party 2020: Merry Chatting and SongsJoin the office party, where Mark holds mini conversations on philosophy, art, and life with all PEL and PMP co-hosts, plus Ken Stringfellow, Jenny Hansen, and the members of Mark Lint's Dry Folk, whose 12 tunes are presented in succession with nary a partridge in sight. Will these 12 spirits turn you (or Mark) from errant ways? BYOB!2020-12-242h 05Nakedly Examined Music PodcastNEM#136: Mark Bingham: To and In New OrleansMark got signed as a teen in 1966, left to play theatrical prog jazz in Indiana during college, had a spell in a "no wave" band in New York, and finally settled down in the '80s as an in demand producer and collaborator in New Orleans, working with groups like R.E.M., Flat Duo Jets, and John Scofield. He's only finished two solo albums but has a ton of archive recordings being released soon, and now plays guitar in a cajun band.
We discuss "Pissoffgod.com" from Psalms of Vengeance (2009), "Ash Wednesday and Lent" by Ed...2020-11-211h 00Nakedly Examined Music PodcastNEM#132: Chris Frantz Looks Back on Talking Heads and Tom Tom ClubOn the publication of his memoir, Remain in Love, Chris and your host Mark Linsenmayer discuss "Psycho Killer" and "Warning Signs" by Talking Heads from Talking Heads '77 and More Songs About Buildings and Food (1978), plus "Bamboo Town" and "Who Feelin' It?" by Tom Tom Club from Close to the Bone (1983) and The Good the Bad and the Funky (2000). We conclude with the title track to Tom Tom Club's Downtown Rockers (2012). Plus, Tina Weymouth jumps in at one point! For more see tomtomclub.com.
Hear more Nakedly Examined Music. Like our Facebook page. Support us on Patreon.
...2020-09-251h 01Nakedly Examined Music PodcastNEM#130: Mark Farner (ex Grand Funk Railroad) Back from the DeadMark led Grand Funk Railroad through 13 albums in the 70s and early 80s and has had around eight solo releases.
We discuss "Nadean" from For the People (2006), "Not Yet" from Some Kind of Wonderful (1991), and the title track of Born to Die by Grand Funk Railroad. End song: "Take You Out." Intro: "I'm Your Captain" from GFR's Closer to Home (1979). For more see markfarner.com.
Hear more Nakedly Examined Music. Like our Facebook page. Support us on Patreon.2020-09-0258 minPretty Much Pop: A Culture PodcastPMP#37: Everything is LEGOWhy has a children's toy become a brand attached to virtually every media type, partnering with the most ubiquitous franchises, and serving as a pastime for many adult hobbyists who will gut you if you call LEGO a "children's toy."
AFOL Brian Hirt talks with co-hosts Erica Spyres and Mark Linsenmayer about creative play vs. following the printed directions, building purists vs. anthropomorphizers, LEGO qua corporate overlord, LEGO media, and more.
For more, visit prettymuchpop.com. Hear bonus content for this episode at patreon.com/prettymuchpop.
This podcast is part of the Partially...2020-04-0146 min
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastEp. 238: Lingering QuestionsMark, Wes, Dylan, and Seth summarize thoughts about our recent series on social construction, gender and sex, and Judith Butler's notion of "grievable lives." Should we stop covering so much contemporary work and/or political topics? End song: "The Size of Luv" by Mark Lint from Mark Lint's Dry Folk (2018). Get this and every episode ad-free with a PEL Membership. Please support the podcast!2020-03-161h 14Pretty Much Pop: A Culture PodcastPMP#1: Pop Culture vs. High CultureWhat is pop culture? Does it make sense to distinguish it from high culture, or can something be both?
Welcome to this new pop culture podcast hosted by Mark Linsenmayer, Erica Spyres, and Brian Hirt. This episode also features Tyler Hislop, our editor. For more, see prettymuchpop.com.
End song: "High Rollin' Cult" written by Mark just for this release, featuring Erica. Theme music by Mark and Erica.
Get involved from the start at patreon.com/prettymuchpop. We'll solicit your input for our episodes, release them early for supporters, and provide bonus content...2019-07-0943 min
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastPEL Presents PMP#1: Pop Culture vs. High CultureWhat is pop culture? Does it make sense to distinguish it from high culture, or can something be both? Welcome to this new pop culture podcast hosted by Mark Linsenmayer, Erica Spyres, and Brian Hirt. This episode also features Tyler Hislop, our editor. For more, see prettymuchpop.com. Get involved from the start at patreon.com/prettymuchpop. We'll solicit your input for our episodes, release them early for supporters, and provide bonus content with every episode; there's already some waiting for you now. Presented by openculture.com and the Partially Examined Life podcast...2019-07-0943 min
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastGlimpse: Machiavellian Politics (for Partially Examined Life #14)Does politics have to be Machiavellian? Do you have to be ruthless to succeed? Given our treatment of Game of Thrones and Life Is a Dream, and the way in which end-justifying-the-means logic plays endlessly in our real-life political situation, it's time we looked back on our episode 14 on Machiavelli. Mark Linsenmayer reviewed that episode and recorded a little essay about practicing Machiavellian politics to get you back in this spirit.2019-06-0208 min
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastPEL Audioplayers: "Life Is a Dream" by Pedro Calderón de la BarcaYour hosts are joined by real actors to do an unrehearsed read of Calderón's 1636 comedy La Vida Es Sueño, using Stanley Appelbaum's 2002 translation. Ep. 217 will cover the philosophical issues the play raises. Recorded in NYC on 4/7: Talene Monahon (Rosaura), David Epstein (Segismundo), Bill Youmans (Clotaldo), Erica Spyres (Estrella), Chris Martin (Basilio), Mark Linsenmayer (Clarín), Seth Paskin (Astolfo), Dylan Casey (soldier 1 and servant 1), and Wes Alwan (soldier 2 and servant 2). Music by Jonathan Segel, as interviewed on Nakedly Examined Music #38. Please help us to do more audioplays by supporting PEL. 2019-05-272h 17
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastGlimpse: Nietzsche's Last Man (for Partially Examined Life #213)Is technology making us complacent? Are we in danger of becoming Nietzsche's famed "last men" who are no longer capable of creativity and independent thought? Mark Linsenmayer from the Partially Examined Life philosophy podcast lays out Nietzsche's idea and argues that on the contrary, having our basic needs met by technology can free us up to pursue the creative endeavors that Nietzsche saw as the pinnacle of human achievement This is but a Glimpse. To hear the full Partial Examination of this book, visit partiallyexaminedlife.com.2019-04-2208 min
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastGlimpse: Sartre on Literature (for Partially Examined Life #212) Should literature be political? Jean-Paul Sartre thought that all literature is political, because of what literature is. That's a very weird-sounding view. Mark Linsenmayer from the Partially Examined Life philosophy podcast tries to make it sound like something you should at least consider. This is but a Glimpse. To hear the full Partial Examination of this book, visit partiallyexaminedlife.com.2019-04-1108 min
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastPEL Presents Constellary Tales #6: Philip K. Dick's "Minority Report" w/ Mark LinsenmayerPEL's Mark Linsenmayer joins hosts Ken Gerber and Brian Hirt to weigh in on the philosophical implications of precognitive crime fighting in Philip K. Dick's "The Minority Report." Brian quizzes Mark and Ken on PKD movie trivia. Get more Constellary Tales podcasts, and read original sf in the magazine at constellary.com. Listen to PEL #175 on Blade Runner.2019-03-1159 min
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastPodchaser Interview of Mark Linsenmayer: Partially Examined Life and Nakedly Examined MusicMorgan DeLisle, writer for the PodChaser "Behind the Streams Blog," interviewed Mark for a feature of our podcasts. Learn about the origins of PEL and NEM, how we make the shows, and what's coming up. Listen to all of the PEL network podcasts at partiallyexaminedlife.com, or subscribe to them individually on Apple Podcasts or via your preferred player.2019-02-2339 min
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastEpisode 136: Adorno on the Culture IndustryOn Theodor Adorno and Max Horkheimer's "The Culture Industry: Enlightenment as Mass Deception" from Dialectic of Enlightenment (1944), plus Adorno's "Culture Industry Reconsidered" (1963). How does the entertainment industry affect us? Adorno (armed with Marx and Freud) thinks that our "mass culture" is imposed from the top down to lull us into being submissive workers. End song: "All Too Familiar," from around 1992 with all instruments by Mark Linsenmayer, released on The MayTricks.2016-03-282h 07Nakedly Examined Music PodcastNEM#1: David Lowery on Story Songs and Songs About NothingWelcome to Nakedly Examined Music, an offshoot of "The Partially Examined Life" focusing on the head and heart of songwriting. The front man of Cracker and Camper van Beethoven joins Mark Linsenmayer to discuss his songs: "All Her Favorite Fruit," "I Sold the Arabs the Moon," and "Take the Skinheads Bowling." Plus "Almond Grove." Learn more at davidlowerymusic.com.
Hear more Nakedly Examined Music. Like our Facebook page.2016-01-021h 15
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastHoliday Special 2015: Mark Lint’s “Songs from the Partially Examined Life” with Many Guest GreetingsMark is joined by numerous previous guests to catch up and engage the musical part of PEL's past episodes by introducing and playing the entirety of Mark Lint's "Songs from the Partially Examined Life," which you can own, along with the 2016 PEL wall calendar.2015-12-242h 06
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastEpisode 129: Is Faith Rational?Nathan Gilmour (Christian Humanist podcast) and Rob Dyer (God Complex Radio) join Mark and Wes for to discuss the reasonableness of religious belief reading Antony Flew's "The Presumption of Atheism," Norwood Russell Hanson's “The Agnostic’s Dilemma," Steven Cahn's "The Irrelevance of Proof to Religion," Alvin Plantinga's “Is Belief in God Properly Basic?" Merold Westphal's "Sin and Reason," Basil Mitchell's “Faith and Criticism," Peter van Inwagen's "Clifford's Principle," William Alston's "Experience in Religious Belief," Richard Swinburne's "The Voluntariness of Faith" and “The World and Its Order," and Paul Helm's "Faith and Merit." Read synopses of all these at partiallyexaminedlife.com. 2015-12-142h 13
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastEp. 118 Aftershow (PREMIUM) on Songwriting feat. ex-Camper Chris MollaA highlight from our musician-packed breakdown of our songwriting episode. Featuring a third (ex-) member of Camper Van Beethoven, plus Chase Fiorenza, Mike Wilson, Maxx Bartko, Danny Lobell, Mark Linsenmayer, and (not heard on this preview) Adrian Cho and Fischerspooner's Warren Fischer. We discuss authenticity, the state of the music biz, humor in music, and more.2015-07-2418 min
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastPrecognition of Ep. 110: WhiteheadMark Linsenmayer outlines Alfred North Whitehead's book The Concept of Nature (1920)2015-02-0113 min
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastEp. 109 Aftershow (PREMIUM) with Stephen WestThe first chunk of our new after-the-episode discussion, featuring Stephen West from Philosophize This! and Mark Linsenmayer. This is a 20-min preview of a 72-min discussion that can be found in full on our Free Stuff for Citizens page.2015-01-3120 min
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastPrecognition of Ep. 109: Karl JaspersMark Linsenmayer introduces Karl Jaspers's existentialist tract, "On My Philosophy." (1941)2015-01-1810 min
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastPrecognition of Ep. 90: Sci-Fi and Philosophy with David BrinIntroductory salvo by Mark Linsenmayer before our interview with author David Brin.2014-03-2507 min
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastPrecognition of Ep. 87: SartreMark Linsenmayer lays out some themes from Jean-Paul Sartre's "Existentialism is a Humanism" and the "Bad Faith" chapter (Part 1, Ch. 2) of Being & Nothingness.2013-12-3108 min
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy PodcastPrecognition of Ep. 83: New WorkAn introduction to and summary of Frithjof Bergmann's New Work, New Culture, read by Mark Linsenmayer.2013-10-1013 min