Residual Culture

Are card games “media?” We say “yes,” and discuss some of our favorites in this episode. We begin with some early memories of playing card games, then we talk about the significance of collectible card games like Magic: The Gathering and Hearthstone. We also talk about other card games, both digital and analog, and some of the innovative ways that card games are being designed. What’s your favorite card game? Let us know! Get into it!

What’s going on? Oh us? We’re just sitting down for a talk with Dr. Paul Mitchell in this episode. He recommended we listen to Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On?” so we could discuss its influence on Dr. Mitchell’s life, the ways in which it reflected some of the social, political, cultural, and racial conflicts of its time…and how it still remains relevant today. We also discuss the roots of hip-hop music, which emerged shortly after this album. It’s a great discussion, and we hope you enjoy too. Get into it!

This week Ben and Joey talk about the phenomena that has been dominating the film industry for the last several years, reboots and remakes. The guys talk about all the good and bad that comes with remaking a movie or rebooting a franchise. Joey is blown away by the number of movies being remade and the guys also are really off base with a comment made about only action movies getting remade. Enjoy this episode and we will be back to a weekly re;lease schedule next week. get into it!

Joey and Ben watched The Ballad of Buster Scruggs and talked about all 6 of its acts and what works and what didn’t. Later on they dive into the connecting theme and where it lies in the Coen brothers catalog of movies. Ben and Joey disagree on some things, but for the most part have similar feelings about the movie. Later on the look into the Coen brothers upcoming projects!

In this special episode, Ben takes the show on the road back to Wisconsin, and his son, Caden, serves as a special guest host. Ben and Caden talk about the media that is important to Caden, including some of his favorites from 2018. Caden makes some recommendations for the audience, and they also talk about what they are looking forward to in 2019. Get into it!

Joey and Ben talk about their year in review. Focusing mainly on music but they pepper in a few movie, TV show and video game recommendations too. Ben says some funny things, Joey gets a little sappy, and both want to thank you for an amazing year talking about media. We thank you very much and you’ll hear us again in the new year!

Joey and Ben get together to talk about the popularity of “chill music,” why it became so popular in recent years and what it’s doing to the music industry. Plus they give some recommendations to what to listen to while working and the impact of having things on in the background. They also look into the culture around Lo-Fi Hiphop, Vaporwave and more. Get into this relaxing episode of Residual Culture.

This week we’re taking a deep dive into the movie Annihilation. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t seen the movie, go watch it, then come back to listen to our hot takes. The movie demands to be discussed, as it is open for interpretation. Ben is pretty sure he’s got it figured out. Here’s a hint: autopoiesis. Nuff said. For emergent culture we look into what’s next for Alex Garland, the director of Annihilation. Get into it!

Forget content — this week we’re talking about hardware! We talk about how mediated content has been delivered to audiences this week, including music, television, and film formats. We discuss our early memories of media hardware, some of our favorites, and what gets lost in the transition to new formats. For emergent culture, we watch a trailer for Techmoan, a YouTuber who reviews and unpacks (literally) old technologies. Fascinating stuff! Get into it!

This week we welcome Paul Boger into the studio to talk about mockumentaries. We discuss the merits of the genre, how it differs from satire, and we discuss some memorable favorites. In short, lots of Christopher Guest. We also talk about how the genre has increasingly filtered into television. For emergent culture, we watch a trailer for AustrALIEN Skies 2. Get into it!