Let's Talk Media with Vedant Akhauri

Welcome back to Let's Talk Media! In this episode of the media analysis podcast, host Vedant Akhauri reunites with high school friends Aditi Shandilya and Collin Gee to dive into the vibrant, rapidly changing world of Bollywood. Because Aditi introduced Colin to Indian cinema when they first started dating, this episode serves as the perfect beginner's guide to understanding the genre. This conversation unpacks the industry's massive generational shift, its unrealistic tropes, and the best movies for non-familiar audiences to start with.

In this episode, we discuss:

• A Beginner's Guide & Global Appeal: Aditi shares her experience growing up with Indian cinema, while Colin provides the ultimate newcomer's perspective on adapting to the singing and dancing. Vedant also reflects on his time at Ithaca College, noting how epic films like Baahubali have captured a massive international audience despite the language barrier.
• The Hollywoodification of Bollywood: We break down how Indian cinema has evolved over the last 20 years. The group debates whether the industry's shift away from dramatic overacting toward Western-style action and CGI (like in the movie War) is a good thing, or if it is creating a worrying trend of "bad Hollywood rip-offs" that lose the genre's authentic charm.
• 3 Idiots and A Wednesday: The ultimate movie recommendations for new viewers. We praise Aamir Khan's 3 Idiots for its powerful message about the education system and learning how to truly learn. We also highly recommend A Wednesday - a dark, tension-filled thriller.

Every Film (and Show) Mentioned

• Om Shanti Om
• 3 Idiots
• Chennai Express
• Sholay
• Dhadkan
• War  (2019 film)
• Baahubali and Baahubali 2
• A Wednesday
• Rustom (2016 film)
• Engineering Girls (Netflix series)

If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a rating to be notified of future episodes. You can subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and follow the show on Instagram @letstalkmediava.

Audio Remastered: June 8, 2028

Welcome back to Let's Talk Media! In this episode of the media analysis podcast, host Vedant Akhauri tackles one of the most vital conversations in the entertainment industry: The power and evolution of representation. Featuring interviews with three peers studying film, journalism, and television, this episode explores how diversity on screen has shifted over the last decade, the historic milestones of international cinema, and the crucial difference between authentic inclusion and box-checking.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Fareeha Abrar: Broadcast journalism student Farha Abra shares how watching Diane Sawyer inspired her to pursue news, fueling her desire to be a role model for "little Brown girls". She unpacks the complicated legacy of characters like Baljeet from Phineas and Ferb, noting that while it was exciting to just have some representation as a kid, looking back, the character's humor relied heavily on stereotypes. She also explains how streaming platforms (specifically praising the broad diversity in Orange is the New Black) and the #MeToo movement have actively forced the industry toward more inclusive storytelling.
• Shattering the Glass Ceiling (ft. Jessica Cook): Penn State film student Jessica Cook breaks down the historic, barrier-breaking moment Parasite became the first non-English language film to win Best Picture at the Oscars. As an Asian-American and aspiring filmmaker, Jessica advocates for Hollywood to bring more international cinema to the states. Vedant and Jessica also critique the glaring lack of female directors nominated for major awards (referencing Natalie Portman's protest cape) and discuss how the Time's Up movement and the conviction of Harvey Weinstein are finally making the industry safer for women.
• Apu, Spider-Man, and Profitable Diversity (ft. Jay Singh Nanda): Ithaca College TV-Radio major Jai Singh Nanda reflects on growing up in an era where Apu from The Simpsons was the only dominant Indian character in pop culture. He shares a touching anecdote about why Spider-Man was uniquely relatable to him as a kid.

If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a rating to be notified of future episodes. You can subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and follow the show on Instagram @letstalkmediava. New episodes every week.

Audio Remastered: June 7, 2026

Welcome back to Let's Talk Media! In this episode of the media analysis podcast, host Vedant Akhauri reunites with his longtime friend and fellow creator, Connor Dunwoodie. Having first met in their Florida high school's TV Production program, the two catch up on Connor's journey making vlogs, pranks, and short films for Amazon before diving into the massive, platform-altering policy shifts hitting YouTube creators.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Lying About Your Age & The Data Fiasco: YouTube getting heavily fined in late 2019 for illegally collecting data on users under 13. Vedant and Connor reflect on the universal millennial and Gen Z experience of lying about your age to join platforms like Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube.
• The "Made for Kids" Button: A breakdown of how YouTube's new legal policies completely changed the platform's monetization. As a creator, Connor explains how marking a video as "made for kids" instantly strips away targeted ad revenue, comments, and subscriber notifications, deeply impacting massive family channels like Ryan's Toy Reviews and The ACE Family.
• Parenting vs. The Platform: A debate on who is truly responsible for keeping children safe online. While Connor praises YouTube for finally stepping up to protect younger audiences, they both discuss the necessity of the YouTube Kids app and the ongoing struggle for parents to actively monitor their children's screen time.

If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a rating to be notified of future episodes. You can subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and follow the show on Instagram @letstalkmediava.

2026 Update: Connor's YouTube is now called Unlimited Connor. He's now the TikTok comedian, Rye from Fells Wargo for The Call Center Series.

"Special Spotlight" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Welcome back to Let's Talk Media! In this episode, host Vedant Akhauri connects with Anna Makris, his former supervisor on the Bernie Sanders 2020 presidential campaign. Outside of the political sphere, Anna is also a Twitch affiliate who streams under the name, TheHypnoticGamer1. This episode is a fascinating exploration of the sudden intersection of gaming, massive tech monopolies, and the 2020 election.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Politicians on Twitch: A breakdown of why candidates like Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump suddenly started broadcasting their campaign rallies to gamers.
• Amazon's 80% Cut: In a perfect blending of gaming and Bernie Sanders' talking points, Anna reveals that Amazon (which owns Twitch) takes a massive 80% cut of her affiliate earnings, leaving her with only 20%.
• Finding Love in Small Communities: Stepping away from heavy politics, Anna shares why she prefers the tight-knit communities of Twitch over massive platforms like YouTube.
• The 2020 Race Prediction: Vedant asks Anna to make a wild prediction about who will win the 2020 U.S Presidential Election.

If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a rating to be notified of future episodes. You can subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and follow the show on Instagram @letstalkmediava. New episodes every week.

Date of Recording: March 8, 2020

Audio Remastered: June 7, 2026

"Dirt Rhodes" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Welcome to this episode of Let's Talk Media, recorded the week COVID-19 was declared a pandemic. Host Vedant Akhauri and guests highlight the immediate and widespread impact of the pandemic on various media sectors in real-time.

Vedant himself, as a newscaster for his college radio station, first reported on the coronavirus during its initial detection in a Chinese market in December 2019 and its first appearance in Seattle, noting his initial thought that it "could not get any worse" before it escalated to a pandemic.

Vedant sits down with three peers to document exactly how this crisis is impacting the media.

Our guests for this episode:

1. Jessica Cook, a film student at Penn State, discusses Hollywood delays:

• Delay of Fast 9, No Time to Die, A Quiet Place Part Two, and live-action Mulan.
• Shutdown of TV show productions, including Riverdale and The Flash. 
• Celebrities like Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson testing positive for the virus. 
• Live audiences for late-night shows being eliminated, and the NCAA cancelling all athletic competitions, impacting ESPN's revenue. 

• Could these delays would accelerate online streaming becoming the norm and movie theaters declining?
• Both Vedant and Cook discuss how their own student production projects were also put on hold due to safety concerns.

2. Chloe Landau, an Integrated Marketing Communications major at Ithaca College, covers the News angle: 

• As an audience development intern at NBC News Digital, Landau's work was largely digital, allowing her team to easily transition to remote work. Non-essential employees were encouraged to work remotely, while production crews were reduced to "skeleton crews". 
• The impact on live shows, like Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, which aired without a studio audience and from a different set due to a confirmed COVID-19 case in their building, feeling "a little off". 
• The prevalence of misinformation and fake news about the virus, including from Alex Jones, and televangelists asking for money for blessings as examples of exploitation. 
• That news organizations have a responsibility to provide "truthful factual information" during a national crisis.
• Landau shared her personal experience in Bergen County, New Jersey, a COVID-19 hotspot, detailing extended "blue laws" closing non-essential businesses and pleas for medical volunteers.
• She speculated that "big media business" would take longer to return studio audiences due to the presence of celebrities and the diverse origins of audience members. 
• Regarding the cancellation of E3 and delays for next-gen consoles, Landau saw it as a blow but an opportunity for creativity

3. Alex Maceira, a politics major and fellow newscaster, discusses the potential impact on the 2020 US presidential election.

• The move to online classes, despite concerns about student access to internet and safe home environments.
• Maceira, who had interviewed Green Party presidential candidate Howie Hawkins, discussed how the pandemic forced him to release the interview earlier. 
• The shutdown of Saturday Night Live affecting political commentary.  
• The shift to online rallies
• He hoped the absence of live audiences in debates would lead to a greater focus on policy over "one-liners and snappy comebacks". 
• The role of memes as a coping mechanism during the crisis.
• The importance of information literacy and getting news from "verified sources" like the CDC and WHO, especially amidst widespread misinformation

This episode captures a moment of global uncertainty, reflecting the immediate anxieties and adaptations across Hollywood, news media, and daily life as the world grappled with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Follow @letstalkmediava on Instagram for more exclusive content, to suggest topics, or to reach out about being a guest on the show.

Recorded: The week COVID sent everyone home

Remastered: June 7, 2026

Horizon by Scott Buckley – released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com.au

Welcome back to Let's Talk Media! In this episode of the media analysis podcast, host Vedant Akhauri sits down with his former Ithaca College professor, Dr. Cyndy Scheibe, for a deep dive into media literacy, localization, and the hidden messages embedded in children's television. They examine how 1990s and 2000s localization companies like 4Kids Entertainment heavily edited Japanese anime for American audiences, sparking a wider conversation about what the media chooses to censor v.s the harmful stereotypes it allows to be broadcast.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The Hypocrisy of Localization: How 4Kids erased Japanese culture by famously replacing rice balls with "jelly donuts," and censored supposed "mature imagery" by swapping guns for toy hammers and cigarettes for lollipops.
• Exporting Violence: Dr. Scheibe highlights a deep contradiction in US media: While networks meticulously censor imported anime, live-action American shows like Power Rangers feature roughly 150 acts of violence per hour. Ultimately, this makes the US the #1 exporter of media violence in the world.
• Selling Stereotypes to Kids: A real-time analysis of a "Real Bugs" toy commercial, breaking down how the media actively programs children with gender bias (instructing boys to scare girls) and racial stereotypes (casting an Asian boy as "the smart one" and a Black boy as a "shooter").
• Representation and "White Privilege": A heavy discussion on the damaging effects of skin-lightening in media, such as drawing female characters in Disney movies like Aladdin and Pocahontas with lighter skin than their male counterparts. Dr. Scheibe also shares personal anecdotes about the White privilege of easily finding dolls, greeting cards, and hair products compared to the struggles she faced when shopping for her adopted Peruvian daughter and African-American grandchildren.

If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a rating to be notified of future episodes. You can subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and follow the show on Instagram @letstalkmediava. New episodes every week.

Date of Recording: February 24, 2020

Remastered: June 7, 2026

"Screen Saver" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Welcome to Let's Talk Media! In this EXPLOSIVE, MUST-LISTEN episode, your host Vedant Akhauri and guest Matteo Velardo dive into the unseen forces shaping our media landscape and the DARK REALITY of China's human rights abuses and its global impact.

🚨 WARNING: This episode delves into mature and potentially upsetting content, including human rights abuses, persecution, and torture. Listener discretion is strongly advised. 🚨

We're pulling back the curtain on how China's influence reaches far beyond its borders, affecting major corporations and silencing critical voices.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The NBA & Blizzard Controversy: How financial interests led to apologies for supporting Hong Kong protests and the punishment of a pro-gamer for speaking out. Was it a lose-lose situation?
• Falun Gong: Yoga, Propaganda, and Organ Harvesting? Learn the truth about the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners. Learn how this spiritual practice, initially supported, became "the enemy" under Xi Jinping's anti-religious campaign, leading to widespread arrests, beatings, torture, and alleged organ harvesting. The censorship used to hide these is chilling.
• Orwellian Surveillance & The Great Firewall: Is BIG BROTHER Watching you? Explore China's unprecedented levels of surveillance, including advanced facial recognition and its "Social Credit System." We reveal how a low social credit score can limit your freedom and how the government covers up historical events like the Tiananmen Square massacre by erasing them from the internet. Even a Winnie the Pooh meme can get you in trouble!
• The Uyghur Muslim Crisis - Re-education Camps & Cultural Erasure: Delve into the disturbing reality of Uyghur Muslims subjected to brainwashing and forced re-education. Learn how this system aims to strip away their culture and rebuild them as "perfect Han Chinese" individuals. A single perceived problem can lead to imprisonment and torture. We also discuss the kidnapping and "re-education" of the Panchen Lama, a Tibetan Buddhist leader.
• The Hong Kong Protests: Learn the complex history of Hong Kong's semi-autonomous status and the controversial extradition bill that sparked massive protests. We explore how Chinese propaganda blamed "outside influence" like America, and how the COVID-19 pandemic inadvertently shifted the global spotlight away from this critical struggle.

This episode explores the intricate web of media, politics, and human rights. In addition to our discussion, we urge you to do your own research to come up with your own conclusions on these profound issues impacting millions.

Follow @letstalkmediava on Instagram for more exclusive content, to suggest future topics, or to reach out about being a guest on the show.

Date of Recording: February 14, 2020

Remastered: June 7, 2026

"Lightless Dawn" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Welcome back to Let's Talk Media! In our second episode, host Vedant Akhauri dives into the unprecedented wave of reboots, remakes, sequels, and spin-offs that have flooded the entertainment industry. Are studios completely out of original ideas, or is there a right way to bring back a classic? Vedant breaks down his two specific criteria for determining when a revival works, and when it is ultimately a bad idea.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The Money Rule: Why revivals must have a creative reason to exist beyond just cashing in on a recognizable brand. Vedant highlights the 2020 Party of Five reboot as a prime example of doing it right by shifting the plot's tragedy from a car accident to the highly relevant topic of immigrant deportation.
• Pointless Remakes vs. Meaningful Epilogues: A look at why the shot-by-shot 1998 Psycho remake failed, while the Bates Motel prequel succeeded in exploring new ground. Plus, Vedant discusses why El Camino successfully served as a satisfying epilogue to close the loop on Jesse Pinkman after the Breaking Bad finale.
• The Problem with "Joey": Why a revival should do something different, but cannot change a beloved character too much. Vedant explains how the Friends spin-off, Joey, completely betrayed Joey Tribbiani's original character by stripping the optimistic comic relief of his friends and charm just to force him into a lead role.

If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a rating to be notified of future episodes. You can subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and follow the show on Instagram @letstalkmediava. New episodes every week.

Date of Recording: January 26, 2020Remastered: June 7, 2026

"Olde Timey" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Welcome to the first episode of Let's Talk Media! In our very first episode, host Vedant Akhauri takes a solo dive into one of the biggest shifts in the entertainment industry: The rapid decline of traditional cable television. Using insights from Warner Pacific University librarian Carly Lampier’s 2017 publication, The Day the Cable Box Stood Still, Vedant breaks down exactly how platforms like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video managed to dominate the modern streaming wars.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The Convenience Factor: Why scheduled TV time slots and DVR recording were ultimately replaced by the immediate, on-demand binge-watching capabilities of streaming platforms.
• The "Foot in the Door" Technique: How Amazon Prime brilliantly uses this psychological phenomenon to convert its retail shoppers into dedicated streaming subscribers by starting with a smaller request.
• Creative Freedom vs. Censorship: How Netflix's dual role as both producer and distributor allows for highly diverse, uncensored content (like 13 Reasons Why and Big Mouth), whereas traditional cable producers are at the mercy of distributors who frequently ban controversial content - such as Fox refusing to air a Family Guy episode about abortion.
• Real-Time Content & Revivals: How Hulu sets itself apart by offering live TV, uploading the latest television episodes quickly after they originally air, and reviving cancelled cable shows like The Mindy Project.
• The Cost of Cable: Why consumers are ditching expensive cable packages filled with hundreds or thousands of unwatched channels in favor of cheaper, more focused streaming libraries.

If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a rating to be notified of future episodes. You can subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and follow the show on Instagram @letstalkmediava.

New episodes drop on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Date of Recording: January 18, 2020

Remastered: June 7, 2026

"Groove Grove" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/