Media Mavens

By Pam and RileyVideo Games

Media Mavens episodes

July 24, 2017Just Like the Mad King (Episode 35)
This week we talk to our friend Mel about all things Game of Thrones.
EPISODE NOTES
Our main segment is full of spoilers for Game of Thrones, up to and including the season 7 premiere. We also address sexual assault this episode, both in the main segment and when talking about Orange is the New Black.
Today's topics:
Guest Intro (00:00:49)
This week we talk to our friend Mel about all things Game of Thrones. Mel is an artist in the games industry, you can find some of her work here.
What we've been up to (00:00:49)
Mel
Mass Effect 1 and 2

Orange is the New Black

Brooklyn 99

American Gods (book and show)

Science Vs

Sword and Scale

Casefile

Adventure Zone
Riley
Final Fantasy 15

Dream Daddy

Game of Thrones

Power Rangers

EXO KokoBop
Pam
Rise of the Tomb Raider dlc

Half-Life 2

System Shock

Orange is the New Black

Power Rangers

Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham

Tarantino movies (no one watched any, we just somehow ended up talking about them)

A Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
Game of Thrones (00:37:40)
What is Game of Thrones and where the hell is the next book?

How we got into GoT (00:39:33)

GoT's rape problem in the books vs the show - Dany, Cersei, Sansa (00:44:07)

Lady Stoneheart (00:48:04)

Who, if anyone, are you rooting for to claim (or keep) the throne these days? Has your allegiance changed over the course of the show? Why? @The_Doc_Webb (00:50:30)

Cersei and Daenerys

The poop citadel (01:02:50)

Mel is really into Turmund (01:05:08)

Arya, the Hound, Nymeria (01:07:34)

Lady Mormont (01:14:09)

Sansa (01:14:47)

Littlefinger (01:18:09)

Could the show exist without Red Gods, Dragons, and Frost Zombies? @UrzasRage (01:21:09)

What character has to die or what plot point has to occur before you give up on the show permanently? @The_Doc_Webb (01:26:38)

Final thoughts and mentioning some of the best and worst scenes (01:29:13)
If you’ve got any feedback, questions, people or topics you’d like to hear on future episodes of the show, you can reach out at [email protected] or on Twitter @_MediaMavens. We've also got a forum to discuss episode at CartridgeClub.org. If you like the show, please give us a review on iTunes or Stitcher.
Music: Vivacity by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
1 hr 41 min
July 12, 2017More Themyscira! More Amazons! (Episode 34)
Our main segment is full of spoilers for Wonder Woman.
This week we had writer and film critic Valerie Complex on the show to talk about Wonder Woman. You can find Valerie's movie reviews and writing on Black Girl Nerds, Geek and Sundry, Hypable and many other publications.
We had some technical difficulties with audio this episode so it's edited together a little differently than normal. We did our best, hope you enjoy!
What we've been up to (00:00:49)
Riley
HoTS

Overwatch

The 100 (Spoiler alerts at 00:05:30!!)

Okja (00:10:20 - sort of spoilers?)

Steven Yuen Interview http://www.vulture.com/2017/07/steven-yeun-interview-okja-walking-dead.html

Vice Article on translation in Okja: https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/3kn8mk/okja-proves-that-were-doomed-if-we-dont-understand-one-another
Pam
Viva Pinata

Little Inferno

What Remains of Edith Finch

Master Chef Canada

Glow

The Bright Sessions
Wonder Woman (00:28:15)
Who is Wonder Woman

Son of Baldwin discussion article of WW

First impressions (00:29:10)

If not Gal Gadot then who? (00:34:58)

Fight scenes & Aries (00:36:40)

Steve Trevor (00:40:34)

The third act is a disappointing final battle style let down. How would you rewrite it if you had the chance? @youmeyou (00:42:20)

Also I loved some how it's a story with a lot of cliches but most are well used.... are there any cliches that bothered you? @devoted_pupa (00:44:40)

Do you think that it would have been nice to see Dr. Poison get a bit more screen time and some development to her character? @estelliaslair (00:47:30)

How did audience engagement rank compared to other movies? How did it affect your enjoyment? @alatinolawyer (00:49:10)

What character would be your number 1 pick for a new female super hero movie franchise? @youmeyou (00:51:50)

Hopes for the next Wonder Woman movie? (00:53:00)

Final thoughts (00:56:10)
If you’ve got any feedback, questions, people or topics you’d like to hear on future episodes of the show, you can reach out at [email protected] or on Twitter @_MediaMavens. We've also got a forum to discuss episode at CartridgeClub.org. If you like the show, please give us a review on iTunes or Stitcher.
Music: Vivacity by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
1 hr 4 min
June 26, 2017Salty Googling (Episode 33)
This episode it's just Pam and Riley again talking about what we've been up to and answering listener questions. We talk about Master of None, the games we're looking forward to from E3, Overwatch (as usual) and some new podcasts.
What we've been up to (00:00:57)
Riley
Overwatch

Master of None

Getting ready for KCon

Lots of KPop

Pam

Wonder Woman

Master of None

E3 coverage (State of Decay 2, Ori, Beyond Good and Evil 2, Wolfenstein)

Wolfenstein The New Order

American Gods

San Andreas

Overwatch

Rabbits podcast

The Bright Sessions podcast
Listener Questions (00:25:08)
(00:25:27) Crepes. Savory or sweet? @alatinolawyer

(00:26:26) Excited or terrified with the deluge of (apparently) great games from last year, now and E3? Anything you're looking forward to? @GuusHenkBremer

(00:26:26) What games are you most pumped for before 2018 @retrofaithgames

(00:33:03) How excited are you for the new Transformers movie? @steveneidher

(00:35:45) Have the ways in which you consume gaming content (gah, what a sentence) changed, what with articles, videos & livestreams vying for time?
@GuusHenkBremer

(00:38:29) Is Wonder Woman the best DC super hero movie you've ever seen or the best super hero movie period? @cartridgebros

(00:44:00) How do y'all feel about that Wonder's Woman's brother bullhockey @mk_patter

(00:46:16) Rumors of a new Godzilla movie with his other giant friends, like mothra and co. Yay or ney? @ayligerwolf

(00:48:33) What do you wish you'd see more/less of at conventions? @vgcollectaholic
If you’ve got any feedback, questions, people or topics you’d like to hear on future episodes of the show, you can reach out at [email protected] or on Twitter @_MediaMavens. We've also got a forum to discuss episode at CartridgeClub.org. If you like the show, please give us a review on iTunes or Stitcher.
Music: Vivacity by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
56 min
June 12, 2017Shoot Them to Heal Them (Episode 32)
This episode it's just Pam and Riley talking about what we've been up to and answering listener questions. We cover everything from Overwatch to Get Out to what we're hoping for with new game releases.
What we've been up to (00:01:14)
Riley
Overwatch (Dance-iversary)

Get Out

Wonder Women

The Polygon Show

G Dragon EP (Tamar's article)
Pam
Little Nightmares

2064: Read Only Memories

Stories Untold

The 100

Life

Twin Peaks revival

Let's Watch 2 Movies - Fury Road

Dev Game Club - Planescape Torment
Listener Questions (00:33:56)
(00:34:05) If you made your own video game what genre would it be and what setting would it have? @serrinneWoW

(00:33:51) Anything from E3 you’re looking forward to? OR what will you be doing while hiding from it @GuusHenkBremer

(00:41:21) What do you think of Destiny 2 gameplay videos? With Destiny 2 coming to PC and battle.net, are you more likely to play it? @orkchop

(00:43:20) What are your hopes for Life is Strange 2? And did Pam ever play the first one? @orkchop

(00:46:48) What genre of video games do you wish there were more of? I miss space dogfighters like the old X-Wing and TIE fighter games @orkchop

(00:48:48) Who are some of your creative influences/muses, regardless of field? @MustyHobbit

(00:52:50) Riley: Which Overwatch character is most like Pam? Pam: Which Overwatch character is most like Riley? @CartridgeBros

(00:55:07) What piece of media releasing this summer are you each most excited about? @The_Doc_Webb
If you’ve got any feedback, questions, people or topics you’d like to hear on future episodes of the show, you can reach out at [email protected] or on Twitter @_MediaMavens. We've also got a forum to discuss episode at CartridgeClub.org. If you like the show, please give us a review on iTunes or Stitcher.
Music: Vivacity by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
1 hr 3 min
May 29, 2017I Have a Friend Who's Into It (Episode 31)
This episode we're talking about music for the first time on the show! We invited Tamar Herman to chat about kpop and the culture surrounding it.
Guest Intro: Tamar Herman (00:00:36)
Billboard contributer and freelance writer, specializing in East Asian music and pop culture and how it relates to the US and social media.
What we've been up to (00:01:39)
Tamar
Ragnarok

West Wing

Wonder Woman

Sara J Mass - Court of Wings and Ruin
Riley
Riverdale

Master of None

Dream High

Youtube Channel "Jolly" (note: Riley says they're brothers, but they're actually friends!)

Toronto KPOP Con and KARD concert
Pam
Steamworld Heist

Syberia

QUBE

American Gods

Guardians of the Galaxy 2
Main Topic - Hallyu! (00:24:32)
What is "Hallyu"? (00:24:50)

How popular is kpop in North America (00:29:51)

How did you get into Korean culture/music? (00:25:20)

BTS was at the BBMAs - how popular are they? (note, they didn't perform but we clarify later) (00:37:50)

Has BTS really been blacklisted by the media? (00:41:20)

Video game and kpop audiences (00:56:20)
Listener Questions ( Thanks @rainworlds!!) (00:59:10)
How are kpop groups formed? (00:59:10)

Why are k-pop artists so often framed through the lens of their respective corporations (similar to record labels) (01:03:00)

Is there space for creative expressions of the artist or corp? (01:10:50)

What are local interpretations on Hallyu era, its ties to capital and its tendency to appropriate (black artistic expression, specifically)? (01:23:40)

What does a k-pop idol have to go through to ‘make it’ up the career ladder? (01:32:10)

For people who are new to kpop, or interested in getting into it, what would you recommend? (01:33:00)

Why have 9-12 people in a group? Spectacle? (01:38:18)
If you're interested, here's the playlist Riley made for Pam to check out: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9_YjMkW8Wm0LOyQZFi2OcIoN94kkH4hV (There've been a few additions since recording!!)
You can find Tamar's writing at Billboard and her other activities at tamarherman.com.
If you’ve got any feedback, questions, people or topics you’d like to hear on future episodes of the show, you can reach out at [email protected] or on Twitter @_MediaMavens. We've also got a forum to discuss episode at CartridgeClub.org. If you like the show, please give us a review on iTunes or Stitcher.
Music: Vivacity by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
1 hr 46 min
May 15, 2017We're Just Spoiling Everything (Episode 30)
This episode it's just Riley and Pam, talking about what we've been watching and playing and answering some listener questions. We talk some spoilers for Riverdale and Fallout 4 in our discussions, so check the show notes for the timestamps of when those happen.
What we've been up to (00:00:40)
Riley
Riverdale Episode 12 Spoiler warning (00:02:17 - 00:04:03)

Sense 8 season 2

Dear White People

Guardians of the Galaxy 2
Pam
Heroes of the Storm

Raspberry Pi

Masterchef Australia

The Handmaid's Tale

Dear White People

Scandal

Leviathan Wakes
Listener Questions (00:29:18)
(00:29:25) If you could add romancing to any old game that didn’t have it what game would you turn into a smooch fest? @alatinolawyer (There are some Fallout 4 spoilers at 00:31:55 during this answer)

(00:33:51) What type of DLC would you like to see for Mass Effect Andromeda? @Orkchop

(00:37:51) What would you like to see in an Overwatch 1 year anniversary event? @Orkchop

(00:41:10) Where do you see the retro gaming community in 5 years time? @willcladley

(00:42:48) When it comes to world building in games, do you enjoy audio logs and notes left behind? What are some better ways of adding content? @polykill

(00:49:20) Do you ever play games or watch films in your primary language with subtitles on? If so, do you find it distracting? @The_Doc_Webb

(00:52:47) What are your favourite board games? @The_Doc_Webb

(00:57:23) Have you been watching American Gods? Thoughts? Comparisons to the book? What do you think of the casting choices? @The Doc_Webb

(00:59:22) An nice email from @MustyHobbit
If you’ve got any feedback, questions, people or topics you’d like to hear on future episodes of the show, you can reach out at [email protected] or on Twitter @_MediaMavens. We've also got a forum to discuss episode at CartridgeClub.org. If you like the show, please give us a review on iTunes or Stitcher.
Music: Vivacity by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
1 hr 3 min
May 01, 2017Video Games Aren't Special (Episode 29)
Dia Lacina joins us this week to talk about a the ridiculous number of major video game releases over the last months, what we think of them and how we choose what to play.
What we've been up to (00:01:25)
Dia
Nier Automata

Persona 5

Dark Souls 2: Scholars of the First Sins

Yakuza 0

Night in The Woods
Riley
Overwatch

Streaming Korean!

Departures

Bill Nye

Handmaid's Tale
Pam
Unravel

Nier Automata

Dead Rising 2: Off the Record

Taken

Nurse Jackie

S Town

The Rabbit
Too Many Games!! (00:42:55)
Big releases we talked about:
FF15

The Last Guardian - Cameron Kunzelman's article

Watchdogs 2

Dead Rising 4

Resident Evil 7

Yakuza 0

Horizon Zero Dawn

The Switch - Breath of the Wild

Nier Automata (minor spoilers 01:34:00)

Mass Effect (story spoilers @ 01:01:03) !!

Persona 5
(01:08:00) How many complex storylines are you able to juggle mentally? Do you try to play multiple big games during the same time frame? @alatinolawyer
(01:12:00) I find myself not wanting to dedicate 40 hours to a new game anymore. And there are great new games that are more casual these days. Thoughts? @UrzasRage
(01:12:30) Highly anticipated smaller games:
Torment

Night in the Woods

2064 Read-Only Memories

Shovel Knight DLC

Dreamfall

Thimbleweed Park

Full Throttle Remaster
(01:22:37) Do you ever jump into the middle of an established series if you haven't played the previous games but the newest seems like a standout game (e.g. Witcher 3) or do you feel the need to play the earlier games first? @The_Doc_Webb
(01:28:42) Inspired by a top 10 by Austin Walker and Dia's article on ME:A - Top 5 games to watch LPs of or discourse about without playing? @devoted_pupa
(01:35:00) How influential is knowing your friends (or others) will be playing a game, and therefore discussing it, as a motivation for you to play too? @alatlinolawyer
If you’ve got any feedback, questions, people or topics you’d like to hear on future episodes of the show, you can reach out at [email protected] or on Twitter @_MediaMavens. We've also got a forum to discuss episode at CartridgeClub.org. If you like the show, please give us a review on iTunes or Stitcher.
Music: Vivacity by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
1 hr 51 min
April 17, 2017I'm Sorry Bioware that is Just Not How Two Women Have Sex (Episode 28)
In this episode we discuss Mass Effect Andromeda with returning guest Tzufit. We break down all the new systems and companions and answer the question - should you play it?
Guest and Topic Intro (00:00:25)
A brief intro to our guest Tzufit and our topic this episode.
What we've been up to (00:02:07)
Tzufit (@soetzufit)
Overwatch

Veep

13 Reasons Why (content warning: this show deals with suicide and sexual assault which we discuss a bit)

We Believe the Children

Maplecroft
Riley (@kaleri_)
Overwatch

The Wailing

Train to Busan

Strong Woman Do Bong Soon

Streaming learning Korean on Twitch
Pam (@jasyla_)
Overwatch

Thomas Was Alone (Bonus Barrel episode)

Hard West (Drop the Feed episode)

Train to Busan

13 Reasons Why

The Witch (Let's Watch 2 Movies episode)

Power
Mass Effect Andromeda (00:28: 20)
What is Mass Effect Andromeda?

(00:29:15) First impressions and was early criticism warranted?

(00:34:16) New systems: open world, the Nomad and crafting

(00:44:13) Multiplayer

(00:47:40) Ryder

(00:52:40) Companions and crew interactions

(00:55:08) Cora and the (real) Asari companions throughout the series

(01:01:07) Romance and Riley breaks all the hearts (Romance and character spoilers here until the next timestamp)

(01:14:09) What did you think of the Angara? Were they more or less interesting than the previously established Milky Way alien species? @The_Doc_Webb

(01:21:34) Colonization (Dia Lacina's article) and exploration

(01:34:25) Hardest decisions? I hit a really bad one yesterday and curious to know if they get worse? @Sheepthediamond (Major story spoilers here until the next timestamp)

(01:49:28) What do you miss the least and the most from previous MEs? @devoted_pupa

(01:57:19) Would this game make an acceptable starting point for playing the series? @alatinolawyer

Final thoughts
If you’ve got any feedback, questions, people or topics you’d like to hear on future episodes of the show, you can reach out at [email protected] or on Twitter @_MediaMavens. We've also got a forum to discuss episode at CartridgeClub.org. If you like the show, please give us a review on iTunes or Stitcher.
Music: Vivacity by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
2 hr 3 min
April 03, 2017Is this the Old Testament or a Fantasy Novel? (episode 27)
Pam and Riley are on their own again this week, but it's the podcasts 1 year anniversary! We talk about plans for the future and answer a few questions from listeners.
What we've been up to
Riley
Mass Effect

Overwatch (Have you played Orisa yet? What do you think of her? @Orkchop)

Beauty and the Beast

The Vegetarian
Pam
Mass Effect

Torment (Have you played Tides of Numenera? How about Pillars of Eternity? What did you think of them? @Orkchop

Kona

Orphan Black

The Prestige (Let's Watch Two Movies podcast ep)

Dusk or Dark or Dawn or Day
Listener Questions: (00:28:00)
Love the show, makes my time at work fly by so thank you for doing it. The chemistry between you two is fantastic. What is one thing that you've learned after a year of podcasting? What is one thing you want to approve upon or achieve with Media Mavens over the next year? (Myles from Flock of Nerds)

No questions, just my unbridled thanks for making a great show. You two are unapologetic in inviting guests from a wide spectrum of the gaming community and engaging in meaningful conversation. From the second I hear that opening jingle I know the next hour or two of my day is going to be a delight. (@alatinolawyer)

If I could marry a podcast it would be Media Mavens (@serrinnewow)

Congrats on the anniversary. Your show is great! It’s like meeting up with your friends every 2 weeks for a good chat. Let’s pretend that you could book ANYONe for an episode of MEdia Mavens. Who would be your dream guest for the show? (@estelliaslair)

Where would you like to take Media Mavens in the future? Thanks for making a pretty clean cast I can listen to around my LOs. (@momsgonna_snap)

congratulations! What are some good things you've learned about podcasting from guests and peers? @brothadom

So, uh, what’s HoTS 2.0? @Orkchop

What are your favorite movies from when you were a kid? What about your favorite books growing up? @Orkchop

Are there movies that you thought were better than the book they were based on? What about books better than their movie? @Orkchop
If you’ve got any feedback, questions, people or topics you’d like to hear on future episodes of the show, you can reach out at [email protected] or on Twitter @_MediaMavens. If you like the show, please give us a review on iTunes or Stitcher.
Music: Vivacity by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
1 hr 5 min
March 20, 2017I Got Chills (Episode 26)
This episode it's just Riley and Pam. We talk about what we've been up to and answer listener questions about everything from Destiny and Mass Effect to Korean dramas to our favourite books.
What we've been up to
Riley
Logan

Game of Thrones live

The 100

2 Hearts 1 Seoul

Movies with Mikey - Princess Mononoke

The Vegetarian
Pam
Beholder

Frog Fractions (NoClip Documentary)

Sherlock Holmes: The Devil's Daughter

I Don't Feel at Home in this World Anymore

The Sopranos - SPOILERS from 00:19:00 - 00:23:28

Listener Questions: 00:23:41
o Did you sign up for EA Access to play Andromeda early? @Orkchop
o Do you think Bioware will ever allow players to romance all of their Mass Effect squadmates regardless of gender? @estelliaslair
o What is the biggest regret you have in terms of missing out on something, video game related or otherwise? @ACDecepticon
o What is the best purchase you have ever made video game related? @ACDecepticon
o Do you prefer digital or physical editions of new games? @Orkchop
o Do you ever do your make-up in a way that references video games & / or other fandoms? Ex: an N7-inspired color palette? @estelliaslair (Here we mention Dragonsworn cosmetics)
o Do you main in Overwatch or do you rotate around? @Orkchop
o Lonely, loved, lethargic… what games do you play when feeling each of these feelings? @alatinolawyer
o Bungie said that your Destiny character won’t carry over to Destiny 2. They’ll keep your race and look, but none of your equipment or emotes you bought will come with. What do you think about an MMO wiping the slate clean and resetting everything when a major expansion or sequel comes out? @Orkchop
o Have you been reading any sci-fi or fantasy recently? And what are some of your favourite books? @GarrickWinter
o Are there any shows that you enjoy watching with a group of friends that would not be fun to watch by yourself? Or vice versa? @alatinolawyer
o If you could voice any character in video game history for any title who would it be and why? @cartridgebros
o This question is for Kaleri, Do you subscribe to DramaFever? If so, do you have any shows you’d like to recommend? @estelliaslair
o With all the news lately about male Let’s Players being unredeemable asshats, can you suggest a few good female LPers? @estelliaslair (Here we mention Geeketiquette, Rabbit Plays Games, Rad Gaming, Adam Koebel)
o How has your experience hosting a podcast been so far? What do you like about it? @SerrinneWoW

If you’ve got any feedback, questions, people or topics you’d like to hear on future episodes of the show, you can reach out at [email protected] or on Twitter @_MediaMavens. If you like the show, please give us a review on iTunes or Stitcher.
Music: Vivacity by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
1 hr 24 min

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This is Media Mavens with Pam and Riley - a biweekly podcast where we discuss our favourite, or not so favourite, movies, shows and video games.

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