The Midnight Myth Podcast

CW: sexual violence, war, genocide

Spoilers for season 3 of The Handmaid’s Tale on Hulu

As season 3 of The Handmaid’s Tale comes to a close, we’re left with burning questions about the nature of humanity and the repetition of history. Are human beings selfish and inclined only to protect their own power? Or are they capable of remarkable acts of selflessness? What separates those who oppress others from those who rise and fight oppression? We look to the examples of recent history—specifically to the kindertransports (organized evacuations of predominantly Jewish children from Nazi-occupied areas of Europe) before and during the Second World War—to find models in our world for the kind of magnanimous, mundane, and ruthless work humans have done in service of others. We dissect season 3’s numerous parallels to the Biblical story of Exodus and the implications of those parallels. Lastly, we examine the arcs of our closest character, questioning the show’s take on redemption for even the most monstrous among us.

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It’s the Midnight Myth Time Machine—our back catalog is headed to podcast platforms near you. This episode, which originally aired in March of 2017, is the second half to our first discussion of JRR Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings universe. Where in the previous episode we focused on world-building through the various races of Middle Earth, here we explore the mythological precedent for magic rings and rings of power.

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Check out our new merch store for Midnight Myth, Boomerangerang, and Wheel of Ka tees and totes!

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It's the Midnight Myth Time Machine! We're publishing our back catalog week by week to make older episodes available to all listeners. Episode 9A debuted in March of 2017.

And given unto Derek and Laurel was a podcast of power, forged in the concrete of South Philadelphia, and in it, they poured their nerdiness, love of mythology and story telling! Listen this week as we scratch the surface of JRR Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, as we examine the structure, history, and lore behind the modern world’s most famous fantasy series. We take time to look at where Wizards are from, and why Dwarfs are the conservatives of Middle Earth. We talk about how the Elves came to being, and the cyclical nature of good vs evil. We also take a look at the villains of Middle Earth and the corruptive influence of Sauron’s lidless burning eye.

Support us at www.patreon.com/midnightmyth

Check out our new merch store for Midnight Myth, Boomerangerang, and Wheel of Ka tees and totes!

Learn more, view sources and inspiration, and sign up for e-mail updates at www.midnightmyth.com

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If you enjoy the podcast, please consider leaving a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen!

It's the Midnight Myth Time Machine! We're publishing our older episodes to make them available to all listeners. Episode 8 originally aired in March of 2017.

Ever wonder if your choices are your own or if you are caught in the web of destiny? Listen to Derek and Laurel break down stories that deal with prophecy, fate, and free will and the evolution of narrative relationships to fate. We look at Oedipus in the ancient world, Macbeth in the Renaissance, and the Boy Who Lived in the modern day—all grappling with their own choices and the cruel hand of fate. Enjoy this episode, and don’t forget to play along with the game at the end!

Support us at www.patreon.com/midnightmyth

Check out our new merch store for Midnight Myth, Boomerangerang, and Wheel of Ka tees and totes!

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Follow us down the rabbit hole as we wrap up a three-part miniseries on classic Disney animated features. This week, we’ll turn our gaze away from fairy tales and toward something curiouser… Alice in Wonderland. We’ll discuss the literary impact of Lewis Carroll’s beloved children’s masterpiece, the surprising logic behind the nonsense, and a philosophical outlook on Alice’s absurd adventures. What are Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum? What does the Cheshire Cat really want? And why oh why is a raven like a writing desk? Then we’ll investigate some of the key differences between the source material and Disney’s adaptation and what those differences can teach us about the historical context from which each version was born. A dash of Homer’s Odyssey and a pinch of psychedelia, and we might as well join the mad tea party.

Support us at www.patreon.com/midnightmyth

Check out our new merch store for Midnight Myth, Boomerangerang, and Wheel of Ka tees and totes!

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Have you ever wondered if this world is real? Have you ever wondered if the life you are living is the good life or just the life you have been told to live? Listen to Derek and Laurel discuss storytelling that questions and deconstructs the narratives of 1990s American peace and prosperity. We talk about three amazing movies, Fight Club, American Beauty and The Matrix. Remember, all things have questions, and all questions help us understand this fundamental truth: there is a difference between knowing the path, and walking the path.

Support us at www.patreon.com/midnightmyth

Check out our new merch store for Midnight Myth, Boomerangerang, and Wheel of Ka tees and totes!

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Mirror mirror on the wall, what’s the greatest podcast of all? After last week’s stimulating discussion of myth and fairy tale through the lens of Sleeping Beauty, we’re talking about the original Disney classic Snow White. We’ll deconstruct the iconic imagery of the poisoned apple and glass coffin, work through the uncomfortable implications of evil stepmothers, and spend some time with everyone’s favorite diminutive spirits, the seven dwarfs.

Support us at www.patreon.com/midnightmyth

Check out our new merch store for Midnight Myth, Boomerangerang, and Wheel of Ka tees and totes!

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Fellow travelers on the path of the Beam, the Wheel of Ka is back discussing the second half of Stephen King’s The Dark Tower book four, Wizard and Glass. Young Roland practices his secret love with Susan Delgado while playing Castles with the Big Coffin Hunters. In this episode we discuss the motivations and strategies of the main characters in the hopes it will illuminate what makes Mejis County of Mid-World so appealing. We talk everything, from the Wizard of Oz, the series first vampire, and the deadly seductive hum of the thinny in this episode. Grab your pink crystal and jump in to see where Ka, like a storm, will take you.

Support us at www.patreon.com/midnightmyth

Check out our new merch store for Midnight Myth, Boomerangerang, and Wheel of Ka tees and totes!

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Once upon a time… You know the story. King and Queen have a baby girl, evil fairy shows up to the celebration and curses the girl, girl is raised in the woods by good fairies, girl meets prince, girl falls into enchanted sleep, prince slays a dragon, true love’s kiss saves the day, happily ever after. But behind Disney’s 1959 classic Sleeping Beauty lies a dark and disturbing fairy tale tradition, one in which gender and sexual politics and questions of fate are as tangled as the thorny briars surrounding the castle. This week, Derek and Laurel explore the legacy of our most beloved fairy tales and their Disney adaptations. We’ll uncover corollaries to classical mythology, psychoanalytical interpretations, gender stereotypes and more in Sleeping Beauty.

CW: brief discussion of sexual assault

Support us at www.patreon.com/midnightmyth

Check out our new merch store for Midnight Myth, Boomerangerang, and Wheel of Ka tees and totes!

Learn more, view sources and inspiration, and sign up for e-mail updates at www.midnightmyth.com

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If you enjoy the podcast, please consider leaving a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen!

It’s the Midnight Myth Time Machine! This is Episode 6: Rebel Rebel, which originally aired in March of 2017. Derek and Laurel discuss rebellion, resistance, and revolution in stories. From the Hunger Games to Star Wars in the realms of sci-fi and fantasy and dramatizations of historical events like Les Miserables and Hamilton. So hop in the time machine with us and enjoy Episode 6: Rebel Rebel.

Support us at www.patreon.com/midnightmyth

Check out our new merch store for Midnight Myth, Boomerangerang, and Wheel of Ka tees and totes!

Learn more, view sources and inspiration, and sign up for e-mail updates at www.midnightmyth.com

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If you enjoy the podcast, please consider leaving a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen!