Criticism Is Dead

By Criticism Is Dead

A weekly podcast about the film, TV, and culture we're consuming and what it all means (if it means anything at all). Hosted by producer and writer Pelin Keskin-Liu and culture writer and critic Jenny... more

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FAQs about Criticism Is Dead:

How many episodes does Criticism Is Dead have?

The podcast currently has 55 episodes available.

Criticism Is Dead episodes:

October 05, 2021 Squid Game, Foundation, and the next James Bond
We discuss Squid Game and Foundation, two shows about the follies of human nature.
NOTE: Sorry for the audio quality on Jenny's end, it was a freak accident, the cause of which is still unknown (but could very well be human error, I'm sorry).
03:20 Korean survival drama Squid Game, streaming on Netflix, is a word-of-mouth sensation, an international hit, and thrilling as fuck.
24:13 Sci-fi epic Foundation, new on Apple TV+, faces an uphill battle in adapting Isaac Asimov's sprawling galactic saga for the small screen.
38:13 Plus, culture notes about who could be the next James Bond after Daniel Craig giddily leaves this franchise in the dust?
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Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. For extended show notes — including links that we reference, plus more — subscribe to our Substack. Inquiries, complaints, and recs for what to watch can go to [email protected].
Music: REEKAH
Artwork and design: Sara Macias and Andrew Liu
...more
49min
September 28, 2021 Sex Education, Columbus, and getting Pratted
We discuss Sex Education and Columbus, a series and a film about coming of age, in a sense.
04:51 Sex Education, on Netflix, is not only delightfully raunchy and silly, but it also may be the healthiest depiction of sexual identity and exploration on TV.
24:18 Columbus, available VOD or on Topic on Amazon Video, is a quiet portrait of how two lives can intersect and prompt change in each other — helped along here by modernist architecture.
41:44 Plus, culture notes about "which normal guy celeb will get 'Pratted' next?" And a shout out to the workers of IATSE.
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Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. For extended show notes — including links that we reference, plus more — subscribe to our Substack. Inquiries, complaints, and recs for what to watch can go to [email protected].
Music: REEKAH
Artwork and design: Sara Macias and Andrew Liu
...more
50min
September 21, 2021 Riders of Justice, Pig, and Emmys
We discuss Riders of Justice and Pig, two films about men dealing with grief.
04:13 Riders of Justice, streaming on Hulu, picks apart the tropes of the “middle-aged man revenge action thriller” in such an elegant, intelligent, and darkly hilarious way.
23:33 Pig, a hero’s journey of porcine proportions available VOD, sketches out a character portrait of a chef-turned-recluse.
39:35 Plus, culture notes about the Emmys, which have already happened by now, but not when we recorded this.
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Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. For extended show notes — including links that we reference, plus more — subscribe to our Substack. Inquiries, complaints, and recs for what to watch can go to [email protected].
Music: REEKAH
Artwork and design: Sara Macias and Andrew Liu
...more
50min
September 14, 2021 Only Murders in the Building, The Guilty, and Met Gala gossip
We discuss Only Murders in the Building _and _The Guilty, a show and a movie about trying to solve a case from the periphery.
03:53 Only Murders in the Building, streaming on Hulu, is neither particularly ambitious nor rigorous, but it's a winning combination of famous actors, whimsy, and New York charm. (Note: Our discussion only covers eps 1–4; also, sorry, the episodes drop on Tuesdays not Mondays!)
19:16 The Guilty, available on Hulu, is an absolutely riveting crime thriller made all the more impressive by a tight concept and even tighter quarters.
32:36 Plus, culture notes about Met Gala gossip (ALLEGEDLY, CAN NEITHER CONFIRM NOR DENY).
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Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. For extended show notes — including links that we reference, plus more — subscribe to our Substack. Inquiries, complaints, and recs for what to watch can go to [email protected].
Music: REEKAH
Artwork and design: Sara Macias and Andrew Liu
...more
44min
August 31, 2021 Reservation Dogs, Rutherford Falls, and Ted Lasso discourse
We discuss Reservation Dogs and Rutherford Falls, two recent shows that present very different contemporary Native stories.
04:07 Reservation Dogs, streaming on FX on Hulu, is about a ragtag group of Native teens striving to escape their rural Oklahoma hometown.
28:26 Rutherford Falls, streaming on Peacock, is about a white man and a Native woman whose friendship is tested by a conflict going back centuries.
40:46 Plus, culture notes about what it is about Ted Lasso season 2 that has struck a nerve in broader culture. Here is a smart piece about the whole thing by Alison Herman of the Ringer:
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Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. For extended show notes — including links that we reference, plus more — subscribe to our Substack. Inquiries, complaints, and recs for what to watch can go to [email protected].
Music: REEKAH
Artwork and design: Sara Macias and Andrew Liu
...more
52min
August 24, 2021 The Chair, Making the Cut, and new celeb coupling dropped
We discuss The Chair _and _Making the Cut, two shows about making it work within an ultimately capitalist institution.
02:35 The Chair, a new Netflix miniseries, does a good job showcasing — on both a micro and macro level — how an institution like a university cannot easily be changed, but rather changes the individual. (Also: Sandra Oh!!!)
22:38 Making the Cut is Amazon's high-budget answer to Project Runway, only even more rooted in the naked goal of commercial profit.
41:26 Plus, just some light culture notes about Zoë Kravitz and Channing Tatum :)
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Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. For extended show notes — including links that we reference, plus more — subscribe to our Substack. Inquiries, complaints, and recs for what to watch can go to [email protected].
Music: REEKAH
Artwork and design: Sara Macias and Andrew Liu
...more
47min
August 17, 2021 Together Together, Dead Pigs, and peak anthology
We discuss Together Together _and _Dead Pigs, two films about what money can or cannot buy.
04:25 Together Together, streaming on Hulu, is a gentle exploration of how an intimate process like pregnancy can sit awkwardly as a transactional affair.
19:19 Dead Pigs, available VOD or on Mubi, puts a wry slant on familiar themes in modern Chinese cinema: urbanization, globalization, and ultimately money.
36:51 Plus, culture notes about this abundance of anthology series we’re seeing.
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Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. For extended show notes — including links that we reference, plus more — subscribe to our Substack. Inquiries, complaints, and recs for what to watch can go to [email protected].
Music: REEKAH
Artwork and design: Sara Macias and Andrew Liu
...more
47min
August 10, 2021 The Green Knight, The White Lotus, and Aubrey Grande
We discuss The Green Knight and The White Lotus, two quality works about how things go awry far from home.
04:50 The Green Knight, playing in theaters now, is an out-of-this-world adaptation of the chivalric tale that asks one ultimate question: Are you going to step up or pussy out?
27:13 The White Lotus, a miniseries on HBO Max, is an intriguing character/relationship study that is both satirical yet sincere, cynical yet sympathetic.
45:19 Plus, culture notes about Drake's sweater.
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Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. For extended show notes — including links that we reference, plus more — subscribe to our Substack. Inquiries, complaints, and recs for what to watch can go to [email protected].
Music: REEKAH
Artwork and design: Sara Macias and Andrew Liu
...more
49min
August 03, 2021 Gossip Girl, The Pursuit of Love, and ScarJo vs. Disney
We discuss Gossip Girl, the loose sequel to the 2007 series, and The Pursuit of Love, the TV adaptation of the 1945 novel.
05:32 Gossip Girl, streaming on HBO Max, was maybe always going to be a doomed attempt to cash in on nostalgia.
23:56 The Pursuit of Love, streaming on Amazon Video, is a period drama with modern sensibilities.
37:47 Plus, culture notes about the lawsuit that sent shockwaves throughout the industry and made us begrudgingly say, “Good for you, ScarJo.”
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Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. For extended show notes — including links that we reference, plus more — subscribe to our Substack. Inquiries, complaints, and recs for what to watch can go to [email protected].
Music: REEKAH
Artwork and design: Sara Macias and Andrew Liu
...more
49min
July 27, 2021 Never Have I Ever, Thoroughbreds, and the Olympics
We discuss Never Have I Ever, a teen romcom drama about an Indian American girl, and Thoroughbreds, a dark comedy thriller about two white teen girls up to no good.
05:05 Never Have I Ever, streaming on Netflix, is strongest when it goes beyond the silly high school tropes to touch on issues of grief, family, and mental health.
22:48 Thoroughbreds, available on Hulu + Live TV or on VOD, is an unexpectedly clever portrait of privilege and sociopathy.
37:49 Plus, culture notes about the Olympics that we're not watching except through Olympic Village TikTok. (We'll link some examples in our newsletter!)
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Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. For extended show notes — including links that we reference, plus more — subscribe to our Substack. Inquiries, complaints, and recs for what to watch can go to [email protected].
Music: REEKAH
Artwork and design: Sara Macias and Andrew Liu
Find out more at https://criticism-is-dead.pinecast.co
...more
48min

FAQs about Criticism Is Dead:

How many episodes does Criticism Is Dead have?

The podcast currently has 55 episodes available.