Media Literate

Media Literate episodes:

• 05.13.2022

  Episode 28: Graduation Day

  Hey, almost everybody who worked on this podcast is receiving their degrees today! In honor of this momentous occasion, the Media Literate team organized an adorably tiny "conference" with some panels of our most frequent guests to let them talk...

  
• 05.06.2022

  Episode 27: Cinema. Fourth Cinema

  Sebastian returns from an epic voyage through the James Bond franchise to tell Kim and Laura about one of its low points—or high points, depending on how you look at it—Lee Tamahori's Die Another Day (2002).   Some cool articles for further...

  
• 04.23.2022

  Episode 26: The Revolution Will Not Be Gamified

  Bri returns to drop some more game studies knowledge on Kim and Laura's heads, this time thinking about the question of agency. What does it mean to make choices in games, particularly when it comes to games that tell stories...

  
• 04.16.2022

  Hot Take Two - Episode 2: So, The Oscars...

  Kim Henry joins Julia Elizabeth Evans to reflect on the biggest night of the year in Hollywood—the good, the bad, and the cringe.

  
• 03.18.2022

  Episode 25: All About Our Mothers

  It's a mom appreciation episode! Kim, Laura, and Daniela try to parse through Pedro Almodovar's "All About My Mother" while considering their own mothers and how they influenced their love of film. No, Kim and Laura don't understand the movie,...

  
• 03.04.2022

  Episode 24: The First Official Media Literate Coven Meeting

  Julia welcomes Kim and Laura to her new coven with a conversation about witches and anthropology.   Some cool links for further inquiry: What Type of Witch Are You?https://www.buzzfeed.com/sydrobinson1/what-type-of-witch-are-you Zora Neale Hurston, Mules and Men: https://www.google.com/books/edition/Mules_and_Men/tz62QRx_gE0C?hl=en&gbpv=0 - Ronald Hutton, The Witch: A History of...

  
• 02.26.2022

  Snack Episode 12: [Post]Socialism

  Everything you need to know about Post-Socialism. Just in time, too.

  
• 02.22.2022

  Hot Take Two - Episode 1: Can Hollywood Just Chill?

  Our producer Julia Elizabeth Evans takes a second to process industry news with our host Laura. Together, they circle back and work out their thoughts about the 2021 Rust set tragedy, the fall 2021 IAETSE strike, Hollywood’s culture of urgency,...

  
• 02.19.2022

  Episode 23: Buster Keaton Can Get It

  Laura and Kim enlist Ann's help in understanding what it is about early film she loves so much—other than the fact that Buster Keaton can definitely get it, which they understand completely. Some cool links for further inquiry: Mary Ann Doane, "The...

  
• 02.12.2022

  Snack Episode 11: Hegemony, Gramsci, and Politics (Oh My!)

  From cultural norms to political values to stereotypes—learn all about Antonio Gramsci and his essential contributions to the concept of 'hegemony' on this week's Snack Episode, with special guest, PhD student Dan Lark. Some cool references for further inquiry:  How Gramsci Went...

  
• 02.05.2022

  Episode 22: Bridgerton - About More Than Just C*m?

  Attention ladies and gentleman of the ton, Media Literate is back for the new social season with romance scholar and absolute legend Jackie Johnson, who joins Kim and Laura for a chat about the racial politics of Bridgerton (2020-). What...

  
• 12.24.2021

  Episode 21: A Media Literate Christmas Special

  It's finally mildly chilly in Los Angeles, so grab a cup of cocoa (or something stronger) and get cozy. Kim and Laura are talking about their favorite Christmas movies in an extended Canon Fodder segment that in classic Canon Fodder...

  
• 12.17.2021

  Snack Episode 10: Understanding Chicanx Cinema

  This week's snack episode is led by Daniela Velazco, who teaches us the roots and importance of Chicanx cinema. Learn how these Mexican-American filmmakers started, what motivated the stories they tell, and why their films especially relevant in our modern,...

  
• 12.03.2021

  Episode 20: Turning White Men into Fertilizer

  Kim and Laura return to their ongoing conversation on futurity with Sebastian, who talks with them about Indigenous time and conceptions of the future. Some cool links for further inquiry: Incident at Restigouche: https://www.nfb.ca/film/incident_at_restigouche/ The Cave: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHZsdgfo11w&t=3s File Under Miscellaneous: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SEyAs-FSHQ&t=360s The...

  
• 11.27.2021

  Snack Episode 9: Fourth Cinema and Beyond

  Returning guest, Sebastian, comes to explain everything important about Fourth Cinema and its roots in media history...in 4 minutes. Learn about numbered cinema and what comes next in this week's Snack Episode.

  
• 11.20.2021

  Episode 19: Star Power

  Ann returns once again, this time for a chat with Kim and Laura about the power of celebrity in the United States and China and its role in projecting national influence around the world. Plus, Kim and Laura share some...

  
• 11.05.2021

  Episode 18: What Americans Are Missing About ‘Squid Game‘

  Kim and Laura are joined by Ph.D. student Maddie Hawk for a chat about the history of Korean media up to and including Squid Game. Why is it so big right now, and what do we miss about it when...

  
• 10.29.2021

  Snack Episode 8: The Horror of Abjection (In 4 Minutes)

  Just in time for the Spooky Holidays, our newest Short-Form Snack Episode invites back Charlotte Scurlock to teach us the history and use of the horror genre term: abjection.  Some cool links for further inquiry: Julia Kristeva, Powers of Horror: http://digitalmedia.arts.ufl.edu/~jack/home/images/archive/6/60/20160825003818%21Kristevapowersofhorrorabjection.pdf   Barbara Creed,...

  
• 10.22.2021

  Episode 17: Turning Beef into Beyond Burgers

  Get ready for a very wholesome airing of grievances. Laura and Kim bring on a brand-new team member, MFA student Julia Elizabeth Evans, to settle the centuries-old (probably) rivalry between film studies and film production. Is the author really dead,...

  
• 10.19.2021

  Snack Episode 7: What is the IATSE Strike?

  In this early-release Snack Episode, Julia Elizabeth Evans discusses the recent IATSE strike rippling through the media production world, and explains why it matters for you and the shows you care about.    Want to learn more about the updated agreement between...

  
• 10.15.2021

  Snack Episode 6: Memorialization and World War 2 Films

  From the The Odyssey to Saving Private Ryan (1998), why are War stories so prevalent in our culture, and what purpose do they serve? Join us with the return of Kevin, who finally tells us the truth about his Twilight journey, and dive...

  
• 10.08.2021

  Episode 16: Is Miyazaki an Environmentalist?

  We're back with our Third Season! Listen to the return of Colton, who joins Kim and Laura to tell them all about Hayao Miyazaki and the possibility of media to shape our perspectives on the environment and the future.   Some...

  
• 09.03.2021

  Episode 15: The Archive of the Future

  Ann returns to drop some glorious archive knowledge on Laura and Kim. What even is an archive? Why do they exist? What's the best way to maintain one for the future? PLUS, check out Ann's amazing documentary on family archives: https://vimeo.com/597358678 We're...

  
• 08.28.2021

  Snack Episode 5: The Spaces Between

  After successfully navigating our brief liminal space of the summer between semesters, Lilla joins this week to discuss the origins of Cultural Liminality and it's relationship to film and media. Learn where liminality comes from, why it matters, and how...

  
• 08.21.2021

  Episode 14: Is Film Dead?

  Kim, Laura, and Ziwei talk about the film versus digital debate (what is it? What does it mean? Does it matter?) and whether the idea of the "virtual" is brand-new or centuries old.   Media Literate is a collaborative podcast produced by...

  
• 08.06.2021

  Episode 13: You're Not Really Homeless, Tyra! Gaming, Empathy, and Identification

  Sabrina returns to try to explain game studies to Kim and Laura, who know nothing about game studies. Or games. Looking at the horror video game Until Dawn, they discuss how empathy and identification function in gameplay—both the positives and...

  
• 07.30.2021

  Snack Episode 4: The Truth About Neoliberalism

  Well, at least as much of that truth you can get in 3 min. Join us this week as Charlotte discusses Neoliberalism's roots, alongside its early founders and handful of shortcomings.

  
• 07.23.2021

  Episode 12: AMC‘s Terrible Year

  Kim and Laura welcome newcomer Brian Smith to reflect on some developments that have shaken up the the entertainment industry in the past year and discuss the shifting culture around film viewing. Will AMC survive the shift to streaming? Will...

  
• 07.16.2021

  Snack Episode 3: Understanding Queer Time in 3 Minutes

  As if romance movies weren't already unrealistic enough, Guest Host Julia Rose Camus helps explain why queer relationships are often even more removed from realism in our media. Join us on this week's Snack Episode to learn everything you need...

  
• 07.09.2021

  Episode 11: The 3 Cardinal Sins of Queer Representation

  Julia Rose Camus, Kim, and Laura look back on some of their most formative shows and discuss the great missteps of queer representation that characterized so much of 2000s media. Cool links for further inquiry:   Shipping it: https://shippingit.tumblr.com/ Sex and the City: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEIWg6pV9g0&list=PLacz53F9hQwaRlJSBhZli1z80O4KdX-fZ

  
• 07.03.2021

  Snack Episode 2: The Secrets of Darkroom Photography in 3 Minutes.

  How are photos really made? Why is the room always dark? What's up with the red lights?? On this week's Snack Episode, Guest Host Ann teaches Colton all about the enigmas of dark room photography, and how filmmakers and photographers...

  
• 06.25.2021

  Episode 10: 7 Ways to be Anti-Racist at the Box Office

  Okay, not really, but wouldn't it be nice if there was a quick and easy listicle that could tell you how to engage with cinema created by marginalized groups? Instead, this week Sebastian returns to talk indigenous cinema with Kim...

  
• 06.19.2021

  Snack Episode 1: Lacan, Lack and Desire in 3 Minutes.

  What is desire? Who is Jacques Lacan? What are we lacking?? In this new mini-series, Colton invites on different hosts to cover an array of media topics. The catch? They only have 3 min to explain their topic in full....

  
• 06.11.2021

  Episode 9: Corrupt Me, Dracula

  In the Season 2 premier, new permanent hosts Kim and Laura are joined by Colton for a conversation about the potential of monsters as allegory. Using an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer as a guide, Colton delves into the...

  
• 05.07.2021

  Episode 8: Queering Troy Bolton: Oppositional Readings of Girls‘ Media

  In the season finale of Media Literate, Andrea is joined by returning guests Sabrina and Julia Rose Camus for a conversation about the often-dismissed media made for girls. They look at how, not simply passive receivers of meaning, girls take...

  
• 04.24.2021

  Episode 7: What Even Is "Indie Film?"

  What exactly is "independent cinema?" How does it manifest differently in Hollywood versus other countries? Ann, Ziwei, and Daniela sit down for a conversation about what should qualify as an independent film across American and Chinese culture, and just how...

  
• 04.09.2021

  Episode 6: The Sopranos, Mental Health, and Food

  Daniela, Charlotte, and Laura discuss The Sopranos and its unique portrayals of masculinity, food, and mental health, taking a close look at the show’s representations of eating disorders. *CW: discussions of eating disorders and diet culture.

  
• 03.26.2021

  Episode 5: D&D & iDeology

  Dan, Ann, and Sabrina delve into the history behind the iconic tabletop RPG, Dungeons & Dragons. Looking at some of the more questionable choices in the game's rules, world-building, and antecedents, they consider what it means to be an ethical...

  
• 03.12.2021

  Episode 4: Modern Man.

  Colton and Sebastian join Julia Rose Camus for a conversation about masculinity in the media. In breaking away from our usual debate format, the 3 discuss portrayals on some of the biggest, and smallest screens, in search of how media...

  
• 02.26.2021

  Episode 3: Can Marvel Make Revolutionary Movies? Intro to Numbered Cinema.

  In episode 3 of Media Literate Sebastian, Victor, and Laura discuss the value of Numbered Cinema, the framework that ties together the French New Wave, Marvel’s Thor: Ragnarok, and Marxist revolutionaries—or does it really? Some cool links for further inquiry:...

  
• 02.13.2021

  Episode 2: Who is the REAL King of the Monsters?

  In this second episode of Media Literate, Ann Zhang, Kimberly Henry and Colton Elzey discuss the king of monsters himself: Godzilla. Their question centers around comparing the recent re-boot franchise with the original roots of the giant lizard, and where...

  
• 01.30.2021

  Episode 1: Can We Live Without the Canon?

  Charlotte, Kim, and Laura discuss the film canon, those movies everyone says you need to see in order to be considered an expert. Do you really have to watch Citizen Kane, The Godfather, and Battleship Potemkin? How should these movies...