The Macademia Nuts

Sans Lindsey, David, and Alec plow ahead with an episode-long conversation about the Netflix survival series, Outlast. The discussion focuses on the series’ villains and the limits of extrapolating reality show behaviors to the real world. Throw in a little bit of psychology, a lot of reality television production techniques, and some media theory, and somehow this conversation became a complete episode. SPOILER ALERT: We pretty much ruin Outlast if you haven’t seen it.

The Macademia Nuts finally catch up on the Oscars, and express a lack of enthusiasm for future viewing. Other topics include controversies surrounding superhero actors, Christian re-editing services, The Mandalorian, and the history of Tex-Mex food. This leads to an extended discussion of food, including robot food delivery. The Nuts shamelessly beg Panda Express for a sponsorship.

Spring Break keeps Lindsey from joining the podcast, and so David and Alec are forced to discuss Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Is Marvel struggling to find its footing managing its streaming strategy? This leads to a larger discussion of Disney’s streaming strategy with so many fractured offerings. Finally, the Nuts dive into this year’s Oscars, with much discussion of the failing broadcast and the future of not only the Oscars, but also cinema in general.

Spring Break has Alec on a camping trip, so David and Lindsey discuss one of Lindsey’s upcoming research projects and what all they have been watching. Joking over Alec’s Glamping spills over into a review of the jungle landscape that is Lindsey’s campus office. Discourse over Lindsey’s research project digresses to comfort watching picks. David trying to explain the highs and lows of the MCU to Lindsey.

This week is a meandering discussion that includes NCAA conference expansion and media rights, streaming television numbers, cocaine, board game debates, nerd culture, and Marshall McLuhan. And not necessarily in that order. We also discuss iMDB, which once again causes the podcast to spiral. Good luck, listeners.

This week, Alec and David are forced to record sans Lindsey due to Lindsey’s service commitments, though Alec makes an accusation involving Mardi Gras. This leads to a discussion of class attendance policies and changes to the classroom after COVID-19. The Nuts dissect how Zoom was able to become the dominant streaming meeting brand over Skype. The weekly media consumption discussion focuses on Only Murders in the Building and the new golf docuseries Full Swing. Is it propaganda or something else?

The NFL championship was this week, and without fail the Macademia Nuts have opinions. Everything was fair game, including the halftime show, the game itself, and – of course – the commercials. The Nuts imagine who would be involved in the greatest halftime show ever. David argues Alec’s and Lindsey’s tastes when recommending the series Legend of Vox Machina. A discussion of the fate of Rick and Morty turns into a more serious discussion of abuse in Hollywood. Finally, the Nuts brainstorm what they’re going to do when Mickey Mouse becomes public domain after discussing the internet trolls' hot takes.

This week, the Nuts talk about the Oscar nomination controversy surrounding Andrea Riseborough, which leads to a larger conversation about how technology rules typically trail technology innovation. David watched the much-maligned series Velma so the rest of us don’t have to. Other topics include the streaming show Poker Face, streaming movies You People and Vengeance, and the debate over whether or not a hot dog is a sandwich. The Nuts end the episode by discussing AMC’s decision to introduce tiered pricing in its theaters. Also, Alec may or may not eat pigeons.

The Oscar nominations are out, and the Macademia Nuts have opinions. The Nuts discuss the frontrunners, and Alec proposes a theory based on the success of last year’s best picture winner and Apple TV’s new commercial starring Timothy Chalamet. David provides his parameters for eating crow on Avatar 2’s box office success. Weekly viewing discussions include Willow, Mayfair Witches, The Last of Us, and the critical and popular failure of Velma.

The new season and new year of the Macademia Nuts podcast begins! The Nuts discuss their holiday adventures and the pending semester. Other topics include the Golden Globes, David’s Avatar 2 prediction, and the challenges faced by movie theaters. Will the end of the superhero fad signal the end of moviegoing as we know it? This leads David to discuss his obsession with a terrible network television show.  The team discusses holiday viewing, including Glass Onion and Spirited, and a plan is launched to finally get Alec to watch Yellowstone.