Fuel Your Fandom

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Aliens? Hollywood strikes? Oof. The FYF boys have taken on some pretty heavy topics these last few weeks. But not to worry — on this episode, Saint and Jim go back to the frivolous side of fandom, and engage in a little speculative say-so. If you're a nerd (and we bet you are), chances are you've engaged in some schoolyard debates about fantasy superhero matchups. "Hulk could TOTALLY beat up Superman!" "Nuh-UH!" Well, why stop on the playground? Now that we're older, (theoretically) wiser, and steeped in more superhero media than ever, it's even MORE fun to theorize about super-powered slapfights. Especially when the slappers in question don't even live in the same universe. So, that's what FYF is doing today. And YOU are invited to dive in, nod, disagree, and then drop the guys a line with what YOU think about this super-sized spectacular. Fight on!

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So. What's up with all this alien stuff, huh? 👽 Unless you've been living under a (third) rock, you've heard the news: after years of sci-fi, speculative fiction, and the powers-that-be dismissing anyone with an even passing interest in UFOs as a tinfoil-hatted crank, the tables have turned at long last. According to some high-ranking government officials who recently testified before a congressional sub-committee (and whose credentials totally check out), the U.S. is not only in possession of crashed non-Earth-origin spacecraft and off-world "biologics", but we've been in long-standing contact with the spacefaring civilizations who sent them. Obviously, this is A Big Deal, and a whole load of implications to wrap one's thinkmeats around. But Saint and Jim are at least going to scratch the surface of it all on this edition of the podcast. Plus — tangents! Because you know how they do.

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All of Hollywood — both as an industry, and as a town — is currently at a standstill. It started with the Writers Guild of America (WGA), but it didn't stop there. Now, SAG-AFTRA (the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) have joined the scribes on the picket lines. The result of this combined work stoppage? Any television or film production that wasn't currently in post-production has completely shut down. And when you look at the reasons behind that, it becomes clear why they're doing it. In this edition of Fuel Your Fandom, Saint and Jim break down the reasons for why the people who create your entertainment are striking for better working conditions, and offer support — no matter how long it takes for all parties considered to get what they deserve. And all that implies.

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We're back, baby! Saint and Jim's summer sabbatical is over, and they're tanned, rested and ready to tackle another timely topic: gaming console exclusives. We've long known that game hardware itself is often a loss leader; i.e., a financial hit that the Sonys, Nintendos and Microsofts of the world are willing to take in order to deliver the games. And that means one thing: exclusives. They're divisive, engender tribalism, and frustrate gamers who often have to decide between so-called killer apps like "Halo" and "Horizon." Plus, with the biggest players buying up third-party developers like big bargaining chips, it's only getting stickier. So let's dive in and kick it around. Also here: the latest superhero casting news, the strike of the whole damn entertainment industry, and trouble on the "Borderlands" film. EARHOLES NOW.

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As much as we know we shouldn't, everyone stops at a fast food place here and there. And we do it because we largely know what to expect from the big "quick-service" chains. Specifically, (relatively) cheap, simple eats served up fast. Still, a lot of the fast-food giants have deviated from the traditional menu formula in ways that make that old reliable burger stop suddenly seem...unpredictable. On this episode, Saint and Jim tale a look at the many ways your local McRestaurant has swerved wildly out of their lane, even as they're asking you to stay in yours when you pull up to the drive-thru. PLUS: Zelda movie rumors, why Spider-Gwen is on Saudi Arabia's naughty list, and a whole new line of stuff we're gonna have to start collecting, now.

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Wow. 150 episodes already? Seems like just yesterday that Saint and Jim were talking about their favorite cover songs on the very first ever episode they did together. Tempus fugit! Since then, they've notched live episodes, countless incredible guests, and at least one dripping-with-debauchery trip to Vegas. But they're not resting on their laurels, nor fobbing you off this week with some limp clip-show retrospective. Instead, they'll be talking to longtime friend of the show Mike "Smo" Smolarz, who is the guy to thank if you appreciate all the hard work they do avoiding pop-culture spoilers. So join us them as they dig into all the geek news, what's up with Xbox, and at least one overdue story about an embattled Hollywood provocateur. GIVE 'EM YOUR EARHOLES.

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Love it or hate it, the internet's favorite video app is a force of nature. With more daily users than YouTube, a more dialed-in algorithm than Facebook and a bigger global reach than Instagram, it seems like it's here to stay. So why do so many people look at it crooked, including the U.S. government? In this edition of FYF, Saint and Jim break down what makes TikTok so popular, shout out some of their favorite creators, and examine why some people treat it like a digital punching bag. So stop scrolling, and lend 'em your earholes.

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It's a good time to be a gamer. The latest "Legend of Zelda" to emerge from the world of Nintendo isn't just game of the year-worthy, it's one of the greatest games ever created. That's a bold statement, but Saint and Jim are prepared to defend it on this episode. The refreshed world map, new abilities, fresh items and unbelievable depth of inventiveness inherent to this game are like nothing else players have ever experienced. So earhole this (97% spoiler-free) edition of the podcast, and lets save the princess together. Plus: alt-rock news, more Marvel bumps, and more tangents than you can shake a Bokoblin arm at.

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Saint and Jim might live on the internet, but that doesn’t mean they necessarily understand what it gets up to sometimes. Take, for instance, the idea of online altruism. In an era where GoFundMe is one of the nation’s biggest health care providers (and there’s increasing saber-rattling about taxing the ultra-rich to help provide services to the less-fortunate), you’d think a public figure who gave freely of their wealth would be a universal hero, right? Well, not necessarily. Enter Jimmy “Mr. Beast” Donaldson, a millionaire YouTuber who uses his resources to do things like buy cars for needy people, give houses away and even cure 1,000 people of blindness. Who could have an issue with that? You might be surprised. Check this one out if you ALSO can’t imagine who some people refer to this as “performative charity.”