The Macademia Nuts

Of course, the Nuts are excited about Thanksgiving Break, and they have strong opinions about last-minute class meeting times. The main conversation covers the end of the SAG-AFTRA strike, and what it means for the future of streaming. David and Alec went to see The Marvels so you don’t have to. The Nuts try to figure out where the MCU goes from here (the answer may be Deadpool). The rest of the conversation focuses on Letterkenny, Shorsey, hockey, and Canadian comedies, eh.

Lindsey has read the Britney Spears biography, and David and Alec need the scoop. The Nuts then wrap up October by discussing The Exorcist and Monster Squad, which leads to a discussion of favorite movies the Nuts missed in the theaters - Lindsey and Alec discover they both have an appreciation for Kingdom of Heaven. Other topics include Marvel’s box office panic over The Marvels, the success of Five Nights at Freddie’s, and the entrepreneurship of Matthew Lillard. Finally, the Nuts discuss how the current media environment has left Hollywood with many unanswered questions when it comes to revenue streams. Oh, and Lindsey and Alec are excited for Christmas.

Not only is Lindsey’s no-movie-theater streak broken, but this weekend she took her daughters to their very first movie in the theater. David and Alec interrogate her about the experience, and the Nuts discuss their first movie theater experiences (as well as what movies are appropriate for kids). The highlight of this week’s spooky Halloween episode is a discussion of scary movies, why we like them, and their enduring box office success. The episode ends with the revelation of pending Halloween costumes.

The streak is broken! Lindsey finally ended her almost decade-long ban on seeing movies in the theater for the Taylor Swift concert film. A discussion of her children’s soon-to-be first trip to the movies turned to the lies we tell children. Of course, the Eras Tour movie’s box office and implications are discussed, as is a disturbing Reddit post involving unhealthy fandom. Other topics include Beyonce’s successful tour, Nicholas Cage and John Voigt’s acting styles, and college football rivalries. Also, Lindsey believes Barbie is this generation’s Roger Rabbit.

The Nuts begin this week’s podcast with a debate about which was a better outreach for the NFL: the game played in London, the Toy Story broadcast, or the Swift/Kelce relationship. Other debates include Mark Rober vs. Bill Nye as the greatest kids science host, superhero fatigue, and Halloween costumes. David leads the group in a game of guess-the-movie based on quirky taglines, Alec has a theory about the Toy Story universe’s timeline, and all three nuts think about how often they consider the Roman Empire.

This week’s hot story is the potential relationship between Taylor Swift and NFL player Travis Kelce, dubbed “Traylor.” The Nuts discuss the gossip, the social metrics, the ratings, and the lonely lives of superstars. Alec and Lindsey make bold predictions about the length of the relationship. Other topics include Cameo, comic cons, and the price of interacting with a celebrity, other parasocial interactions, and the rise of creators on video apps. Finally, Lindsey and Alec introduce David to Blippi.

The Nuts discuss recent celebrity apologies from Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis, and Drew Barrymore as well as the ongoing Hollywood writer’s strike. They then imagine a shared cinematic universe of animals on cocaine. Finally, Alec encourages David and Lindsey to subject themselves to the 80s Disney 3D attraction film Captain Eo starring Michael Jackson. Other topics include college football and physiometric measurement in research.

With the weather-induced difficulties at the Blue Ridge Rock Festival, the Nuts discuss whether the culprit in outdoor festival drama is God or capitalism. Speaking of capitalism, the Nuts discuss the tense negotiations between Disney and cable provider Charter Spectrum, and what this portends for the future of television. On a related note, the Nuts have difficulty recognizing current network television shows. Other discussions include David’s affinity for Tool and Neil DeGrasse Tyson, Vegas residencies, and live mascots at universities.

Burning Man turned into a watery mess, and the Nuts have strong opinions. Specifically, David and Linsey are committed to attending Fyre Fest II for reasons only they can explain. In other concert news, the Nuts extensively discuss Taylor Swift’s concert strategy and upcoming concert film. The Nuts discuss concert films, in general, including Alec’s love for U2 and David’s love for Tool. Finally, viewing discussions focus on Ahsoka, One Piece, and the Netflix success of Suits, which has implications for the future of content creation and the various Hollywood strikes. Also, David tells a joke.

Let’s just say the Nuts sing in this episode, and leave it at that. Other topics include Barbenheimer and the box office for the movie events of the summer, excellent basic cable shows, and NCAA conference expansion and upheaval in the entertainment industry. Finally, the Nuts end the episode by discussing the top television theme songs of all time.