Michael and Us

PATREON EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/56663705

When we were teenagers, George Carlin offered a gateway to more radical ways of thinking about politics and the world around us. But does his sledgehammer brand of satire hold up for us now? We re-immersed ourselves in Carlin to find out. PLUS: we discuss Andrew Yang's new political party, and dredge up our old disagreement about Andy Warhol.

The mockumentary DEATH OF A PRESIDENT (2006) imagined what would happen if then-president George W. Bush was assassinated. Though briefly very controversial, this justly-forgotten film is a perfect encapsulation of just how conservative a liberal movie could be in the years following 9/11. PLUS: we analyze the recent Canadian federal election.

PATREON EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/56380720

In 1980, the legendary journalist Gay Talese first learned of a peeping-tom who bought a motel to spy on his guests. In 2016, he finally got this man to speak on the record in a New Yorker cover story... but further reportage revealed that the peeping-tom was a less-than-reliable narrator. This scandal is the subject of the Netflix documentary VOYEUR (2017), which had us asking: even if the story is true, is it actually interesting? PLUS: final thoughts on the Canadian election, and looking back at George Carlin.

Tucker Carlson reigns as the most-watched personality on cable news. How did he get that way? How important is he really? And what does he actually believe? To answer these questions, he enlist the help of Tucker scholar and returning guest Alex Shephard, who guides us through Carlson's trajectory from a Tom Wolfe-ish magazine scribe to a Jon Stewart punching-bag to the living embodiment of the GOP's hard-right turn.

"How Tucker Carlson Lost It" by Alex Shephard - https://newrepublic.com/article/163567/tucker-carlson-profile-lost-mind

PATREON EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/56092187

The fastest fists of the east enter a junior partnership with the biggest mouth of the west in RUSH HOUR (1998), a film that represents the United States' view of its relationship with China during a moment of unquestioned U.S. hegemony. We discuss this Jackie Chan/Chris Tucker semi-classic, which every millennial has seen at least several times. PLUS: one of the hosts revisited Gran Torino (2008) and has some thoughts on it.

In Apichatpong Weerasethakul's UNCLE BOONMEE WHO CAN RECALL HIS PAST LIVES (2010), the boundaries between life and death, past and present, ghost and human, and human and animal fade away. We discuss some possible philosophical and political readings of this cryptic masterpiece. PLUS: the 20th anniversary of 9/11 and the media is covering the Canadian election.

"Why Justin Trudeau’s snap election is backfiring" by Luke Savage - https://www.newstatesman.com/world/north-america/2021/09/why-justin-trudeau-s-snap-election-backfiring

PATREON BONUS - https://www.patreon.com/posts/duffygate-w-luke-55808939

With Will on a temporary hiatus, Michael and Us is pleased to welcome Luke LeBrun, editor of my journalistic alma mater PressProgress, for a chill discussion of media coverage in Canada's ongoing federal election. With that behind us, Luke and I turn to a decidedly low-stakes political scandal from the already forgotten Harper era (colloquially known as DuffyGate), recount some old war stories from our days covering Canada's many right wing think tanks, and talk about one our country's most ignoble institutions: the Senate.

Watch CBC's The Rise and Fall of Mike Duffy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tK2CD7P6yrM

Follow Luke on Twitter: https://twitter.com/_llebrun

https://pressprogress.ca/

PATREON BONUS - https://www.patreon.com/posts/55643199

Just as the American media has turned on Joe Biden following the announcement of withdrawal from Afghanistan, the British media has given a rapturous reception to Tony Blair as he's waded back into the discourse. Luke talks to writer and author Richard Seymour about the British establishment’s crack-up over Afghanistan, its inability to quit Blair, the storied history of liberal justifications for war and empire, and other issues raised in his recent essay “Disaster Liberalism.”

PATREON EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/55508789

Our Superdelegate patrons have selected Paul Thomas Anderson's much-loved parable about American capitalism, THERE WILL BE BLOOD (2007), and we drank it up. PLUS: the state of the Canadian election, and memories of eccentric characters from our university days.

Andrei Tarkovsky's debut film IVAN'S CHILDHOOD (1962) sends us into a discussion about poetic cinema, memory, Russia, and what it means to be a national filmmaker. PLUS: Spike Lee's flirtation with 9/11 truth, and check-ins with two reactionary celebrities.