It was Friday night, and Playland was jammed. For thousands of kids, it had everything they wanted. But for one kid, it had just a little too much.

Randy and Kris are joined by the hosts of the Not Couple Goals podcast, Allie Nelson and Tyler McCarthy, to revisit their shared childhood trauma from watching the formative horror stories of Nickelodeon’s Are You Afraid of the Dark? television series. Together, they confront personal demons ranging from clowns & balloons to isolation and home invasion. They also explore how these same stories helped them forge important relationships in their lives.

Of course, they also spend plenty of time critiquing low-budget acting, questionable 90’s fashion, and egregious fire code violations. Before wrapping up, the panelists explore which members of The Midnight Society they’d most like to hang out with, and conversely, which ones they’d love to cast into that iconic campfire. Finally, everybody takes home a prop from the episode. After all:

It’s the most fun in the park, when you’re laughing in the dark!

Want to get in touch? Visit our⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Follow us on⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠@media.lit.pod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, Bluesky:⁠ ⁠⁠@media-lit.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠, and Twitter:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠@MediaLitPod⁠⁠⁠! Also, hit us with your questions, comments, and episode requests at [email protected].

In Part Four of Media/Lit’s “LOST & Lit” series, Randy and Kris welcome back die-hard LOST fans James Princivalle and John Aspler, PhD. (aka Doctor John) to discuss one of James’ favorite episodes of LOST:“Catch-22” (3.17).

Before the gang digs into the episode, they look back on their experience with Media/Lit’s two-part “LOST: Draft & Pitch” event from September 2024. They critique their own performances in the Draft & Pitch and also take a moment to celebrate some of the other great concepts. After a surprise Cameo, the panel some time to better understand the roots of James’ LOST fandom.

Finally, they get to the heart of “Catch-22.” They explore the literary connections at the center of the episode, tie the episode to other great works of literature, unpack the Losties evolving power dynamics, and play a lightning round of Media/Lit’s “Do You Ship It?” segment. 

We hope you enjoy the episode, but no matter what, we’ll see you in another life, brotha.

Want to get in touch? Visit our⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠@media.lit.pod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, Bluesky: ⁠⁠@media-lit.bsky.social⁠⁠, and Twitter:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠@MediaLitPod⁠⁠! Also, hit us with your questions, comments, and episode requests at [email protected].

It was the end of an era, but the start of an age.

Media/Lit kicks off season two in the biggest way possible: a sweeping draft of Taylor Swift songs across all of her eras in recognition of the conclusion of her landmark Era’s Tour.

We’ve got seven panelists, seventy songs, and a soul-searching deep dive into Taylor’s catalogue. In addition to your usual time with Randy and Kris, this episode also lets you hang with superstar podlings, both old and new:

Alex Marcus, podcast director at The Pop Break digital culture magazine and the mastermind behind this exercise.

Meg and Davor of Space Swifties, a Taylor Swift and Star Wars podcast!

Leah Marilla Thomas, entertainment writer and expert on the intersection of television culture and Taylor Swift lyrics!

Maria Giddings, a jack-of-all-trades writer (most recently taking her work into the stars with NASA) and former guest cohost of Media/Lit!

Join us, as we celebrate one of the most successful and prolific artists of all time. Here are some timestamps for this SUPER-SIZED episode:

Want to get in touch? Visit our⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠@media.lit.pod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, Bluesky: ⁠⁠@media-lit.bsky.social⁠⁠, and Twitter:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠@MediaLitPod⁠⁠! Also, hit us with your questions, comments, and episode requests at [email protected].

Randy and Kris wrap up season one of Media/Lit by sharing the gift of music. That’s right, Randy and Kris swap “Mix Tapes” and then rank the tracks on their respective mixes. It’s a beautiful expression of friendship and a great opportunity to reflect upon some very special tunes. 

But first, the boys look back to reflect on their favorite moments of heart and humor from the first season of the show. They also walk listeners through the “Prop Caves” they’ve assembled over the course of the season as they’ve hypothetically picked their favorite props from various properties as a recurring Media/Lit segment.

It’s a fun and heartfelt review of the year, and we hope that you will join us!

Want to get in touch? Visit our⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠@media.lit.pod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, Bluesky: ⁠⁠@media-lit.bsky.social⁠⁠, and Twitter:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠@MediaLitPod⁠⁠! Also, hit us with your questions, comments, and episode requests at [email protected].

Are all podcasts like this? So much bigger on the inside?

Randy and Kris are back with the next installment in the “New to Who” series! Kris gets a big old dose of TARDIS lore with a deep dive into “The Doctor’s Wife” (6.4). In other words, this episode will be remembered as the time Randy and Kris talked about the time that The Doctor and the TARDIS talked.

In addition to celebrating the episode that humanized the TARDIS for a whole new generation of Whovians, Kris updates listeners on his fandom and plays a special game to review the characters he has met so far with the debut of “Adventure, Vacation, Podcast, Perform.” Additionally, the boys play a round of “Do You Ship It?” and take home their favorite props from the episode.

Finally, Randy assigns Kris the next piece of homework in this Doctor Who journey.

Want to get in touch? Visit our⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠@media.lit.pod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, Bluesky: ⁠⁠@media-lit.bsky.social⁠⁠, and Twitter:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠@MediaLitPod⁠⁠! Also, hit us with your questions, comments, and episode requests at [email protected].

MERRY CHRISTMAS, YA FILTHY ANIMAL!

Randy and Kris join forces with Bill George and the Should I Go See It? (SIGSI) crew for a cutthroat holiday movie draft inspired by 8-year-old Kevin McCallister’s violent booby traps in the seminal holiday classic: Home Alone.

After reminiscing about gifts from their Christmas pasts, the boys set out to build the best possible roster of holiday films while dodging trip wires, tarantulas, and blow torches! It’s an uphill battle for sure, but in the end, joy and nostalgia reign supreme.

Listen now and vote on IG for who you think built the best list! Also, don’t forget to follow SIGS on Instagram! We also want to offer special thanks to SIGSI producer Craig Stanton for dreaming up this fun and creative draft format!

Want to get in touch? Visit our⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠@media.lit.pod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, Bluesky: ⁠⁠@media-lit.bsky.social⁠⁠, and Twitter:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠@MediaLitPod⁠⁠! Also, hit us with your questions, comments, and episode requests at [email protected].

Also, it's always a great time to thank Loyalty Freak Music and other creators who make quality music available in the public domain.

Welcome to this very special Christmas edition of MediALIVE!

Our very own Kris "Kringle" Ingersoll shares a heartfelt reading of "A Visit from St. Nicholas" by Clement Moore. The performance is set to festive holiday music.

Treat yourself to this lovely bedtime story, and have yourself a merry little Christmas!

Want to get in touch? Visit our⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Follow us on⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠@media.lit.pod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, Bluesky:⁠ ⁠⁠@media-lit.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠, and Twitter:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠@MediaLitPod⁠⁠⁠! Also, hit us with your questions, comments, and episode requests at [email protected].

Also, it's always a great time to thank Loyalty Freak Music and other creators who make quality music available in the public domain.

It’s time to gather for a game of Verandah Santa! Randy and Kris are here for YET ANOTHER minisode about minisodes: specifically, the six Bluey minisodes that dropped in December 2024! These two dads work together to rank the episodes and explore how they reflect what the Media/Lit crew values in their Bluey content.

The hosts share their excitement for both the holiday season and the latest dose of Bluey content! In addition to ranking the episodes, the hosts also figure out which type of butler they would be in the dream house and reflect on whether or not minisodes are the ideal format for Bluey content moving forward.

Whether or not you think we got the rankings right, the Media/Lit hosts want to hear from you! Please reach out tell us which episode was your favorite!

Want to get in touch? Visit our⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠@media.lit.pod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, Bluesky: ⁠⁠@media-lit.bsky.social⁠⁠, and Twitter:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠@MediaLitPod⁠⁠! Also, hit us with your questions, comments, and episode requests at [email protected].

Also, it's always a great time to thank Loyalty Freak Music and other creators who make quality music available in the public domain.

Come in, and know us better, man! 

Randy and Kris are joined by Amanda Rivas, cohost of the Socially Distanced podcast from The Pop Break digital culture magazine, to celebrate one of our shared favorite Christmas films: The Muppet Christmas Carol! We may still have more than one sleep until Christmas, but this pod will make you feel like you’re singing in a street corner choir…or going home and getting warm by the fire….you get it. 

In addition to celebrating the heart, humor, and nostalgia at the core of one of the greatest films of all time, we celebrate in true Media/Lit fashion with a special holiday draft. Each panelist drafts a Muppet cast for a new iteration of another favorite Christmas movie. Draft Timestamp: 29:50 to 1:15:00

We hope you’ll stay for the whole episode, but feel free to jump ahead for the draft or skip our little game to get back to the great Michael Caine and Gonzo the Great a little bit faster! In any case, we hope to lift your holiday spirit!

Also, don’t forget to follow Amanda Rivas on your favorite social media platforms (Instagram, Twitter, Bluesky)!

Want to get in touch? Visit our⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠@media.lit.pod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, Bluesky: ⁠@media-lit.bsky.social⁠, and Twitter:⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠@MediaLitPod⁠! Also, hit us with your questions, comments, and episode requests at [email protected].

In this brief Media/Lit sound bite that was cut for time from an upcoming holiday celebration of The Muppet Christmas Carol, Randy and Kris share their excitement for the upcoming December 2024 Bluey minisode drop, talk about Bluey fan shipping, and encourage special guest Amanda Rivas (Instagram, Twitter, Bluesky) to get into the Bluey spirit.

Please enjoy this sound bite and get ready to stream our upcoming very special holiday celebration of The Muppet Christmas Carol!

Want to get in touch? Visit our⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠@media.lit.pod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, Bluesky: ⁠@media-lit.bsky.social⁠, and Twitter:⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠@MediaLitPod⁠! Also, hit us with your questions, comments, and episode requests at [email protected].

Also, it's always a great time to thank Loyalty Freak Music and other creators who make quality music available in the public domain.