Michael and Us

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Yes folks, we're returning once again to our roots. In a special crossover episode with The West Wing Thing podcast, we join forces with Dave Anthony and Josh Olson dissect Aaron Sorkin's recent appearance on Michael Moore's podcast "Rumble." Does the encounter bring out the best or the worst in both men? PLUS: we discuss the pleasures and perils of "Rumble with Michael Moore" itself.

Check out The West Wing Thing - https://westwingthing.libsyn.com/

Filmed over three years, the new HBO docuseries Q: INTO THE STORM (2021) seeks to find an answer to the question that plagued the Trump years: who is Q, the mysterious leader of the "QAnon" movement? The documentary offers a provisional answer... but of course, there is no one simple explanation for how QAnon came to dominate the past few years. We discuss the backwash of the Trump era, PLUS: a report on Fox News' new late-night talk show "Gutfeld!"

"Howard Dean pushes Biden to oppose generic COVID-19 vaccines for developing countries" by Lee Fang - https://theintercept.com/2021/04/08/howard-dean-biden-covid-vaccines/

"Is Gutfeld! the Worst Show on Television?" by Alex Shephard - https://newrepublic.com/article/161985/gutfeld-worst-show-television

Check out our Patreon for exclusive bonus episodes: https://www.patreon.com/michaelandus

Patreon Episode - https://www.patreon.com/posts/49602781

The latest Superdelegate selection is the Canadian cult classic CUBE (1997), in which a handful of people need to find their way out a mysterious, deadly structure comprised of many identical cubes. The structure is, of course, a metaphor for our society, but what, exactly, is its ideology? We offer a theory. PLUS: the return of Godzilla, Luke's days as a child actor, and why the Biden years will be The Era of the Mods.

With the British monarchy at its lowest ebb of popularity since the week after Diana's death, we consider these two moments within the context of the wretched institution's ignoble history. We watch Christopher Hitchens' documentary DIANA: THE MOURNING AFTER (1998) - a controversial dissenting take on the Diana myth - and also discuss Netflix's THE CROWN and the Harry/Meghan phenomenon. In the process, we speculate how the existential threat facing this frankly worthless institution might lead to an unholy reinvention. PLUS: a rueful look back at James Berardinelli, the most popular web-based critic of the '90s.

"The British Monarchy Will Not Survive Late Capitalism — And Harry and Meghan Are Proof" by Luke Savage - https://www.jacobinmag.com/2021/03/british-monarchy-neoliberal-age-prince-harry-meghan-markle

PATREON EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/49309128

In 2006, Neil Young reunited with Crosby, Stills, and Nash to embark on a tour that he hoped would raise consciousness against the Iraq War, swing the midterms for the Democrats, and establish a link between the protest music of the '60s and the George W. Bush era. Jack Frayne-Reid (cohost of the Reel Politik podcast) fills in for Luke to discuss Neil Young's documentary CSNY/DEJA VU (2008), and the mild pleasures and serious limitations of Young's Iraq War-themed music. PLUS: the strange story of former Labour MP Mike Gapes.

The forces of liberal democracy (Jimmy Stewart) and rugged frontier self-reliance (John Wayne) come head-to-head in John Ford's masterpiece THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE (1962) - an elegiac look at a Wild West becoming tamed by progress. Aisling McCrea (contributing editor and podmaster general at Current Affairs magazine) fills in for Luke to discuss who shot Lee Marvin's chaotic outlaw, and what it means. The answers may surprise you! PLUS: the death of "mythos" in cultural criticism, and the history of "the Dilbert guy."

Check out the Current Affairs podcast - https://www.currentaffairs.org/podcast

"Satanic Panics and the Death of Mythos" by Aisling McCrea - https://www.currentaffairs.org/2021/02/satanic-panics-and-the-death-of-mythos

"The Adams Principle" by Aisling McCrea - https://www.currentaffairs.org/2020/10/the-adams-principle

"Dilbert: A Reckoning" by Miles Wray - https://www.theawl.com/2017/12/dilbert-a-reckoning/

PATREON EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/49010494

Several months ago, we watched KICKASSIA, the first of several horrific movies directed by internet comedian Doug "The Nostalgia Critic" Walker as part of his "Channel Awesome" empire. The experience nearly drove us mad. This week, our old friend Alex Ross subs in for Luke and heroically wades through SUBURBAN KNIGHTS (2012), the 130-minute (!!!!!) sequel. Nearly everyone involved with this movie has since disowned it, and we discuss how this mind-melting movie has become a fascinating time capsule of a long-gone internet subculture AND of a plainly toxic workplace. PLUS: Homer Simpson is a millennial now???

In 2020, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau faced one of his biggest scandals yet when a charitable organization to which his family had longstanding (and lucrative) ties was given a plum contract to build a high-profile volunteer program for Canadian youth. The ensuing conflict of interest scandal brought down WE Charity (formerly Free the Children), the brainchild of Canuck philanthropy wunderkinds Craig & Mark Kielburger. We watched THE PRICE WE PAID (2021), fine new investigative documentary by the CBC's The Fifth Estate series, which broke down the WE Scandal and the shady practices of the disgraced charity. We discuss how WE Charity is a perfect symbol for the deep rot in the soul of corporate philanthropy. PLUS: the Alberta government's war with Netflix; Celebrity Apprentice memories; and an introduction to the world's best/worst Oscar blogger.

Watch "The Price WE Paid" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FC_wos7MwHo&ab_channel=TheFifthEstate

"Jason Kenney’s Energy War Room Launches Campaign to Stop Netflix Children’s Cartoon About ‘Bigfoot’" by PressProgress - https://pressprogress.ca/jason-kenneys-energy-war-room-launches-campaign-to-stop-netflix-childrens-cartoon-about-bigfoot/

Jeffrey Wells's "Hollywood Elsewhere" blog - https://hollywood-elsewhere.com/

PATREON EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/48762874

In FIST OF FURY (1972), Bruce Lee stands up for his Chinese countrymen against their Japanese colonial oppressors, and became a hero of the dispossessed and marginalized everywhere. We discuss the most overtly nationalist film of the action legend's short career, and also consider Lee's unique position as the first global Asian superstar. PLUS: How long can Andrew Cuomo keep this crazy boat afloat?

America is divided, capitalism is to blame, and the only solution is... more capitalism. That's the thesis of STARS AND STRIFE (2020), another centrist documentary from the last election in which the architects of oligarchy and globalization, and big money in politics call for... an end to those things. Niall Ferguson, Rahm Emanuel, Amy Chua, Alan Greenspan, and Francis Fukuyama are just a few of the titans who deliver wildly contradictory prescriptions to America's ills in this truly dreadful documentary. We're joined by New Republic staff writer Alex Shephard to discuss. PLUS: the ongoing grift of David Brooks.

"David Brooks and the Endless Grift of the Conservative Commentariat" by Alex Shephard - https://newrepublic.com/article/161621/david-brooks-endless-grift-conservative-commentariat