The Macademia Nuts

It’s the Macademia Nuts’ 50th Episode Extravaganza! To celebrate, Alec pitches a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles spinoff podcast idea that is promptly rejected by his colleagues. In turn, David plans an adventure to see Oppenheimer in IMAX. The Nuts discuss the difference between actual 70mm IMAX screens and the “Liemax” format used in most theaters. A planned battle about the show The Bear turns out to be a huge disappointment, especially compared to the current union battle taking place in Hollywood over streaming channels and money. The Nuts discuss. Also, everyone is excited about Deadpool 3.

Is The Idol the worst television show ever made? The Nuts discuss. In other terrible media news, the Nuts discuss the box office struggles of multiple tentpole motion pictures this summer, with the discussion turning to larger media financial struggles, including Disney’s issues with Disney+ and ESPN. Finally, the Nuts discuss the concept of jumping the shark in the context of one of their favorite shows: The Great. 

A submarine imploded on the way to the Titanic, and the Nuts have thoughts. Alec’s Yellowstone journey has started, and he’s self-reflective, David and Lindsey don’t like sad Pixar movies - so, all of them - and the Nuts discuss actors who are indistinguishable from their iconic characters. Alec compares media addiction to travel sports, and the Nuts begin a conversation about Shiny Happy People. 

This week’s conversation starts with a skeptical discussion of the newly announced Apple Vision. The Nuts are not pleased with the price point. However, the Nuts are pleased with the upcoming Wes Anderson movie, Asteroid City. The Nuts discuss their favorite Wes Anderson movies. Somehow this leads to a discussion of controversial picks for overrated actors. Watch out, Seth Rogen and Tom Hanks. David is coming for you. The conversation ends with a brief discussion of the controversial LIV/PGA merger. 

This week, the Nuts have a lot of doubts about Disney+’s content strategy as the Network begins removing low-rated original programming from their network. The Nuts also discuss the end of the Galactic Starcruiser experience at Disney. Show discussions include The Great, dated media on streaming, Class of 2009, and Bama Rush. 

As is typical, the Nuts talk about food. Specifically, they discuss how channels like the Food Network are necessarily focused on sight over flavor and smell, and what this means for foodie culture. A discussion of Silo turns to the series Lost and J.J. Abrams’ “mystery box.” Alec confuses David and Lindsey by saying “The Beef” when he means “The Bear.” The nuts discuss the controversy over the Netflix documentary on Cleopatra, and whether or not Netflix’s docuseries are effective. Finally, Lindsey wants to be interviewed in a Big Foot documentary.

It’s the end of the semester, and the Nuts have a lot to say about the end of spring and pending summer plans. Lindsey expresses her terror at hooding a doctoral student, and the Nuts describe their love/hate relationship with graduation ceremonies. Lindsey gives her opinion of the coronation of King Charles, the team discusses the writer’s strike and its impact on Hollywood content output, and much love and concern for the future of Yellowstone is expressed. The show wraps up with a discussion of the rapid adoption of new media technologies, and how legal and contractual systems struggle to keep up.

This week, the Nuts begin with a discussion of prominent media industry layoffs, most notably the firing of top-rated host Tucker Carlson by Fox News. David speculates about a connection between the firing and the settled Dominion lawsuit. From media beef to television beef, the Nuts spend the rest of the episode discussing the Netflix series Beef. Theories, criticisms, and shock are all expressed during the spoiler-filled discussion. SPOILER ALERT!

The Macademia Nuts are back at full capacity, and they are eager to discuss the end of the semester and the seasonal nature of professor life. Alec went to see the Super Mario Bros. movie, and much ado is made about the movie and the future of the franchise in entertainment. David wants Alec to see the new Evil Dead movie, and the Nuts are excited to finally catch up on many new television offerings when the semester draws to a close.

This week, two Nuts begin with a discussion of travel and the benefits of academia. David and Lindsey chat about the entertainment industry pay gap. David speculates about the plot of the new Barbie movie. Excitement breaks out when the conversation turns to the characters in the HBO hit show Succession. A trip down AEJMC memory lane leaves Lindsey and David questioning their career choices.