The Midnight Myth Podcast

We lost some legends in the past few weeks, and in the wake of the monumental loss of Stan Lee, Derek & Laurel now tip their hats to the legacy of Marvel and in particular, the X-Men. Created in 1963 with the intent of promoting diversity and anti-bigotry, the X-Men comics, cartoon series, and films now stand as a rallying cry for the disenfranchised. This episode focuses on 2011’s X-Men: First Class, examining the complex relationships between characters that exist in marginalized groups, and the deeply relatable reasoning behind the birth of great villains like Mystique and Magneto in the series. With love, compassion, and harmony, we look to the example of Charles Xavier to navigate troubled times and give thanks for our communities and chosen families. Happy Thanksgiving from the Midnight Myth.

Few movies have quite the nuanced take on life and death as those made for young audiences—and few with the deftness that Pixar’s Coco has. After returning from a honeymoon in Mexico, Derek & Laurel explore the traditions of Dia de los Muertos as they relate to Miguel Rivera’s journey in the 2017 film, all tied together through the power of love and music. Themes of memory, personal and universal relationships, and storytelling as culture round out this week’s Midnight Myth. Keep your tissues handy—it’s Pixar—and all topics from the Crusades to spirit animals are on the table.

Derek and Laurel are married! As they celebrate their nuptials, your hosts are back bringing the experience of getting married to their search for the perfect story. This week, they discuss the 1987 classic fairy tale/action adventure/true love story/satire/comedy/so many genres it’s inconceivable, The Princess Bride. Listen as Derek and Laurel struggle to stop endlessly quoting this timeless piece of cinema, as they pay homage to one of the greatest works of art ever put to film—that no one knew what to do with in its time. Derek and Laurel, both left handed, breakdown this narrative, looking to find what made it successful, why it still resonates, and why it is as close to the perfect story a film can be.

It’s a bonus Halloween episode, spooky scary! Derek and Laurel are back at gaming up magical characters in silly scenarios. In this Halloween flavored episode, Derek and Laurel sit around the cauldron stirring up magic potions while they battle for which witch would fare better in differing far away lands. Who will win this Boomerangerang? Be sure to visit our twitter and vote, and have a happy Halloween.

Autumn is upon us, and as we wrap our sweaters around our shoulders, sip on warm cider, and spend our weekends apple- and pumpkin- picking, the chill in the air reminds us of the rich mythological and historical tradition that makes the Halloween season so spookily sweet. So for this year’s Halloween special, sit back with a candied apple and join us on a journey to ancient myth as we untangle a long and complicated history—that of the witch. We’ll question the contemporary renaissance witches enjoy and follow the breadcrumbs to her origins in Greek, Roman, and Ancient Near East mythology. We’ll trace the line from Lilith of the Talmud to the Salem witch trials, from Medusa to the Kavanaugh confirmation hearings. All that and more on this week’s Midnight Myth.

It’s another Boomerangerang—because we felt the world needed some levity, some laughs, and a dash of cosmic nihilism. If nothing matters, we might as well fight to the death over the casts of Rick & Morty and Bojack Horseman, debating nonsense with your favorite cartoon existentialists. Listen and vote along on Twitter (@themidnightmyth) to determine which adult animated franchise takes the cake.

Content Warning: This weeks episode deals with themes of sexual assault.

On this weeks podcast Derek and Laurel dive into season 5 of Netflix’s original hit cartoon series, BoJack Horsemen. As we watch BoJack’s perpetual self-destructive cycle, we are left to ask if there is a reason to be moral in a post-Enlightenment world where rationality gives life little reason to behave. From Philosophy to Hollywoo cover ups of sexual assault, no topic is off the table. We must ask, Hollywoo stars and celebrities, what do they know, do they know things? Are they condemned to be free? Let’s find out in this weeks Midnight Myth.

This week on the Midnight Myth Podcast, we look to the film Dead Poets Society, the lessons it hopes to teach, and the new significance it has taken on in the years since the death of its star, Robin Williams. We examine the themes that his character John Keating recognizes and hopes to impart to his students: carpe diem! Gather ye rosebuds while ye may! Sound thy barbaric yawp. We recognize that our perspective has shifted when we watch this film. We are, in a way, looking down from standing atop our desks, watching for the signs, trying to understand why a great talent, great artist, and great man would take his own life. We follow that question into the characters of DPS, who must ask themselves the same. We wonder what’s most important—the art or the artist? The legacy or the life?

It’s another edition of your favorite pop culture storytelling debate—the Boomerangerang! This time, we’re inspired by last week’s conversation about Dr. Watson and the sidekick, so we’re pitting the great sidekicks and henchmen of stories against each other in a one of a kind debate. We’ll each pull a sidekick or henchman from a hat, then argue who’d be the best right hand confidant of a particular hero. Tons of nerdy arguments, deep insights about Spongebob Squarepants, and weird surprises await.

We spend a lot of time here at the Midnight Myth discussing heroes, villains, epic adventures, and feats of derring-do. But it’s easy to lose sight of those characters just outside the realm of glory, just to the right of the protagonist, propping them up in times of need. This week, we’re talking about the sidekick—through the eyes of one of the greatest sidekicks in all of storytelling, Dr. John Watson. As he accompanies the great detective Sherlock Holmes and chronicles their adventures, Watson may seem like a lesser man, but time and again proves himself essential to Holmes’ success. We’re taking a close look at the pilot episode of the BBC series Sherlock, ‘A Study in Pink,’ to break down what makes Watson both so ordinary and so exceptional.