In Defense Of

In Defense Of episodes:

• 03.01.2019

  Episode 52: One Time At Drama Camp

  This session, we're looking at the topic of theater geeks, that infatuation with live (or broadcast) stage entertainment. Joining us for the discussion are two unabashed fans of stage productions, Joy Piedmont (of the Reality Bomb podcast) and Robyn Jordan...

  
• 12.07.2018

  Ep. 51: The 2018 Geek Glad Game

  Joined by Kayti Burt of Den of Geek, we tour the many gifts the geek fandoms have been given in the last twelve months, including film, television, music, books, and more.

  
• 11.16.2018

  Episode 50: Living On Laughter

  Joined by stand-up comedian and writer Riley Silverman, we look at what is means to make a career out of comedy, and how one can retain their sanity in the pursuit. (...Maybe.)

  
• 10.10.2018

  Episode 49: Cartoons for Big Kids

  Joined by guests Chip (of This Week in Time Travel) and Lauren (voiceover artist and podcaster), we look at the topic of cartoons -- specifically, enjoying them as an adult even if they are produced and targeted primarily to a...

  
• 06.20.2018

  Episode 48: Tearing Off the Gates

  This time, In Defense Of is going on the offensive. Joined by Joy Piedmont of Reality Bomb, and Don Klees of Acorn Media, we discuss the horrible persistence of fandom gatekeeping, and how true fan acceptance and inclusion does more...

  
• 05.25.2018

  Episode 47: Prayers For the Dying (Saving Cancelled Shows)

  Podcast host Josh Liston of On the Bubble joins us to discuss how fans react, and even rally to save programs slated for cancellation.

  
• 04.10.2018

  The Snitch Had It Coming (Quidditch)

  Who says muggles can't enjoy a good quidditch match? We talk with Jack Lennard, founder-director of the Quidditch Premier League about the sport, its growing popularity, and the league itself!

  
• 03.10.2018

  Episode 45: Food Fandom

  Get your "mise en place", foodies! We're joined by podcaster, TV editor, and previous IDO guest Wil to discuss geeking out in the kitchen, and fanatical appreciation of recipes, culinary gadgetry, and the art of cooking.

  
• 01.23.2018

  Episode 44: When Harold Met Spolin (Improv Comedy)

  Joined by players past and present from Sea Tea Improv, Huge Theater, and other companies, we say "yes and" to a conversation about improvisational performance, and the personalities that get immersed in it!

  
• 12.12.2017

  Episode 43: The Geek Glad Game 2017

  Happy Holidays! Joined by Nicole Mazza of the Terminus Podcast, we compose our holiday list of some of the many gifts the geek community has unwrapped in 2017.

  
• 11.20.2017

  Episode 42: Verily and Merrily (Renaissance Faires)

  We'd like to find out what makes renaissance faires as popular now as they've ever been in a 40-plus year legacy, and in addition to the constant stream of patrons, what draws talent in from long distances to be a...

  
• 10.20.2017

  Episode 41: What, Like the Radio? (Podcasting)

  Today, joined by fellow podcaster Haley Malle (of Gallifrey Public Radio, Legends of SHIELD, and numerous other Gonna Geek podcasts), we're looking at the idea of podcasting as an activity, perhaps hobby, perhaps profession, and the rise of this form...

  
• 09.21.2017

  Episode 40: Print Positive (Book Lovers)

  Despite the sales of electronic reading devices, the exponential surge in both independent blogs and commercialized Internet journalism, and the exhausting media hype about "those darned device-dependant millennials", the printed book still has a firm foundation in our culture, and...

  
• 08.08.2017

  Episode 39: Space For Everyone (Sci-Fi Diversity)

  Joined by writer Tai Gooden, we look at the past, present, and future of diversity in science fiction through all media.

  
• 07.07.2017

  Episode 38: Merits of the Maligned

  We’re all about appreciation and support on In Defense Of, but this time around, we’re taking that even further by defending the seemingly indefensible. In the age of nearly limitless varieties of entertainment surrounding us: broadcast, cable, streaming, and even...

  
• 06.09.2017

  Episode 37: The Geeks Shall Inherit the Earth

  We've been immensely fortunate here on In Defense Of to meet and speak with members of the geek community and various fanbases who use their passions, creativity, and sheer numbers to enact positive changes in the world. From , to...

  
• 05.09.2017

  Episode 36: Between the Panels

  The adage states that art imitates life. True to the stage, the novel, the canvas, the screen, we see the influences of events and subjects of societal importance relative to the time each creative work is crafted. Often, the influence...

  
• 04.14.2017

  Episode 35: Motivation via Meme

  Joined by radio producer and podcaster Andy Hicks, we look into the origins, efficacy, and potential pitfalls of using geek or pop culture icons as the means to gather support or advocacy for another effort, be it social, environmental, political,...

  
• 03.12.2017

  Episode 34: Keeping It Casual

  We've made it abundantly clear how thrilled we are to witness the progression of fandom topics from the sidelines, to an era of "geek chic", to widespread mainstream adoption. Watercooler conversations now involve such subjects as the Marvel cinematic universe...

  
• 01.28.2017

  Episode 33: A Life With Furpose

  By its simplest definition, anthropomorphism is the attribution of human characteristics to nonhuman objects or entities. With roots going back over 30 years, the concept of anthropomorphic characters as a fan-based portrayal, or the furry fandom, in more modern parlance,...

  
• 12.16.2016

  Episode 32: The 2016 Geek Glad Game

  The expressions have become so commonplace, they have literally become memes: "go home, 2016, you're drunk" or "2016, you are fired". If you've listened to our podcast even once, you'll know that we put too much effort into promoting positivity and...

  
• 11.23.2016

  Episode 31: You Play, I'll Watch

  We've reached a point in familiarity with online communities where their recognizability and existence are now thankfully becoming more of a societal norm. From the early days of newsgroup forums, to dial-up chat rooms, to today's social networks, there are...

  
• 11.04.2016

  Episode 30: Don't Throw Away Your Shot!

  We're not exaggerating when we say this could be the most important election in our lifetimes. A lot hangs in the balance. This election will decide control of the White House, the Senate, and the balance of the Supreme Court...

  
• 10.22.2016

  Episode 29: There's a Band For That

  We have reached a fascinating evolutionary point in musical expression, where the very boundaries of what previously defined genres and styles have melded and blurred into a watercolor canvas of crossovers and complex collaborations. Hip hop producers record with shamisen...

  
• 10.18.2016

  Episode 28: Responsible Immaturity

  As the Fourth Doctor once told Sarah Jane Smith in the famed episode, 'Robot', "there's no point in being grown up if you can't be childish sometimes". The world can weigh heavily on the spirit of the adult at times,...

  
• 09.28.2016

  Episode 27: It's Popular For a Reason

  It's easy to find out what's popular in various forms of entertainment, fashion, and social circles. We may not eagerly await the next issue of "People" magazine to hit newsstands, or tune in to the radio on Saturday mornings for...

  
• 08.29.2016

  Episode 26: Surviving Your First Con

  Through any number of factors and influences that have led to this momentous decision, you have decided to attend your first fandom convention. Perhaps it was the guest line-up that called out to your fanatical heart; possibly the insistence of...

  
• 08.11.2016

  Episode 25: When Art Inspires Art

  In case you've missed all social media for the past three months, we here in the United States are deep in the heart of convention season, and so to kick off our series of topics that spiral around the con...

  
• 07.24.2016

  Episode 24: By the Fans, For the Fans

  Whether you are aware of it or not, by 2016, there is a very good chance that a short story, novel, television series, or even film that you've invested time in actually originated from the existing work of another individual...

  
• 07.08.2016

  Episode 23: Down With the Ship

  Let's face it -- we're all secretly wondering about the Putin-Trump trist, right? I mean, let's be honest, the chemistry is undeniable. And don't even get me started on Big Bird and Snuffalupagus, because any BFF that tells you "I...

  
• 06.17.2016

  Episode 22: The Transformative Power of Fandom

  Transformational fandom is a frequently misunderstood, sometimes maligned part of fandom which seeks to build upon an appreciated franchise to fans' own purposes. Marginalized individuals within that set -- particularly women, POC, and queer fans -- are more likely to...

  
• 05.19.2016

  Episode 21: Geek Weddings

  "Mawwage. Mawwage is wot bwings us togeder today. Mawwage, that bwessed awangment, that dweam wifin a dweam... And wuv, tru wuv, will fowow you foweva... So tweasure your wuv." If the quote means anything to you, congratulations, it's a gold...

  
• 04.21.2016

  Episode 20: Hamil-maniacs

  Give yourself the hypothetical indulgence of time travel, for a moment. Send yourself back roughly eight years, and imagine that you have an idea to develop a musical, with a hip-hop score, cast with a predominantly non-Caucasian company, that centers around a pivotal point...

  
• 04.14.2016

  Episode 19: Taking Graphic Novels Seriously

  It's simply not fair to anyone involved that, to this day, if you mention the reading of graphic novels to a random cross-section of people, a large number of them (if not a majority) will simply assume that you've said...

  
• 03.26.2016

  Episode 18: What, That Again?

  Spin the wheel at the Apple trailers site, search YouTube for teasers on upcoming film releases or TV premieres, or glance over the top few articles on entertainment sites like EW or Variety, and odds are very good that you'll...

  
• 02.24.2016

  Episode 17: My Ears, My Choice

  In a musical landscape where there are more subcategories and collaborative projects that bridge musical genres than ever before, it's exceedingly difficult to try and pigeon-hole our musical tastes into succinctly-defined boundaries. That said, we still know the nature of...

  
• 01.29.2016

  Episode 16: Controversial Creators

  Imagine you were part of a book club that sought to expose members to new authors. Each iteration, you'd be handed a title, and you'd dive into it with no knowledge of the writer's background or their other body of...

  
• 01.14.2016

  Episode 15: Why Not YA Fiction?

  From the ubiquitous appeal of the Harry Potter series, to the rocketing career trajectories of authors like Rick Riordan, Kate DiCamillo and John Green, we are at a point in popular culture where the stories and series that would categorically...

  
• 12.31.2015

  Episode 14: Loving Bad Film, Part 2: Intentional Disasters

  Earthquakes and dinosaurs. Time-traveling dictators and mutated sharks. Homicidal snow tires and bubble-wrap aliens. There's enough love in the world for the poignant art films of the intellectual community, as well as the ultra-campy, miniscule budget or ultra-absurd film deviants...

  
• 12.17.2015

  Episode 13: Loving Bad Film, Part 1 - So Bad, It's Good

  In a world...where the best laid plans of producers and directors often go awry... We've all come across some form of entertainment or art that, despite all the best intentions of the creators and artists involved, completely fails to deliver....

  
• 12.11.2015

  Episode 12: Roleplay Your Way

  Stealthily attackingBy-Tor slays his foeThe men are free to run nowFrom labyrinths belowThe Wraith of NecromancerShadows through the skyAnother land to darkenWith evil prism eye -- Rush: "The Necromancer"; Caress of Steel From the simple tools of a table, a few...

  
• 11.12.2015

  Episode 11: Growing Your Own Geeks

  There's a satisfaction all its own, when parents see reflections of their own interests and passions in the hearts and voices of their children. When this manifests itself in the geek realm, it's nothing short of magical. Have we turned a...

  
• 10.28.2015

  Episode 10: Political Geekery

  Whether it's a major electoral year or a small-town bid for ombudsman or judge probate, there are some who get as interested in political contests, policy debates, and the economy as others might be in Marvel films or the latest...

  
• 10.08.2015

  Episode 9: The Working Geek

  In the immortal words of Huey Lewis, "It's Hip to Be Square". While that may be perfectly valid in libraries, on sitcoms, and in certain downtown social scenes, it may not be considered quite gospel in the workplace. What's a...

  
• 09.25.2015

  Episode 8: The Entertainment of Wrestling

  Since the gladiatorial days of the Roman Empire, there has been a public fascination with displays of physical prowess, brute strength and virility. Onward through history, Greco-Roman wrestling continued to be an honored sport, later evolving into an entertainment form...

  
• 09.12.2015

  Episode 7: Anime You Want It

  Exaggerated features and reactions. Storylines that range from the mortal-mundane to the spiritual-fantastical, often intertwined. Painstakingly drawn, inked and animated, and consumed by hundreds of millions of consumers internationally. So why is it, then, that so many western observers consider this...

  
• 08.29.2015

  Episode 6: "Sports Geek" Is Not an Oxymoron

  It's as old as cats versus dogs, the Ghostbusters versus the paranormal, or UT versus Texas Tech: the timeless struggle between those introvertive pocket-protector nerds infatuated with their role playing, databases, and Internet chat groups; and the fist-bumping sports nuts,...

  
• 08.12.2015

  Episode 5: Cosplay Is Not Child's Play

  There is an entire subculture involving cosplay that is rapidly growing beyond the convention halls, and beginning to overlap more mainstream media and social outlets. With this increased exposure, however, comes the misconceptions and bias towards the art form, as...

  
• 07.31.2015

  Episode 4: Factions Within Fandoms, Part 2: In Print

  (Our first episode release as part of the illustrious !) Have you ever been excluded from a discussion, or otherwise accused of being wrong because of your opinions on a book, comic, graphic novel, or other printed source? Ever seen a...

  
• 07.08.2015

  Episode 3: Substituting My Own Reality

  From the early days of "Candid Camera", to the 90's boom of "Big Brother", "The Real World" and "Survivor", to today's "The Deadliest Catch", "The Voice", and "Hell's Kitchen", the concept of unscripted television has evolved from a format novelty...