On this month's episode of The Sociologist's Dojo Podcast Dr. Ted Preston Professor of Philosophy at Rio Hondo College and the Host conclude their discussion of "The Miyagi-verse" and The Karate Kid Franchise.

Listen to Part I

Here in Part II:

The Host and Dr. Preston discuss the 80's commodification of the series, Terry Silver's embodiment of 80's Cocaine-fueled corporate villainy, and the depictions of Vietnam before looking at the displays of masculinity, and the representations of social class and parental/mentor forms of socialization.

We lock-in during this second Part.

Enjoy.

Production Notes:

Intro: 0:00-3:13

• "Previously on"

Historical Context (Concluded): 3:14-48:41

• The films and the show representing the time they were produced
• Reganite deregulation, Nostalgia marketing and the 80's commodification of the franchise
• Terry Silver: A personification of 80's Cocaine-fueled corporate greed
• The Depictions of Vietnam and the impact of US Colonialism

Social Analysis 48:42-118:00

• Trauma, Arrested Development and PTSD
• Tangent 1: Just a local "special interest" story
• Depictions of Masculinity in the Franchise
• Parent/Mentor Socialization
• The Cinematic relationship with political polarization
• Tangent 2: Learning about Reality through Cinema
• Race, Orientalism, and the cultural appropriation of Asian culture through a Whiteness Lens
• Representation of social class struggles and its impact on Storytelling

Outtro: 118:01-124:19

• Personal Rankings of the Franchise
• Plugs
• Next Essay: "The Paranoid Trilogy of Allan J. Pakula: An Introduction (August 1st)
• Next Episodes The Dojo's 2026 Summer Movie Round Up (Late August)

All Clips used under Faire Use

Links

• Vader's Flesh is Sacred: Disability Personhood and Victimhood Through 80's Representations of Robots and Cyborgs
• Episode(s) 52 and 53 The Rambo Franchise Part I and Part II
• Wax On: 'The Karate Kid' and Me by Ralph Macchio
• The Karate Kid Franchise Soundtracks
• Clip 1- Miyagi Karate , Clip 2 "I like that", Clip 3 A Reformed Terry, Clip 4 Kreese Therapy Clip 5 Kreese Apologizes, Clip 6 Johnny Confronts, Clip 7 Miyagi vs Daniel, Clip , Clip 9 Child labor Clip 10 Child Abuse, Clip 11 Child Soldiers

On this month's episode of The Sociologist's Dojo Podcast, Dr. Ted Preston, Professor of Philosophy at Rio Hondo College returns for another Franchise deep-dive. This time, our sights are set on The Karate Kid.

Here in Part 1, of this two part episode, we catch up with Dr. Preston's teaching/research and take a biographical detour or two as we discuss the Franchise's basics, its contribution to the 80's "Karate Craze" and its surprising representation of the consequences of Japanese Internment during WWII in earlier installments.

This first episode has a long runway and can meander a bit. But the conversation is so good that you'll find it worthwhile.

The conclusion of this conversation will be released with Part II in Mid-June. Stay Tuned.

Production Notes:

Intro: 0:00-4:18

• Producer's Note- A two-part episode
• Recording Date Jan 2026

Catching up with Dr. Preston's work 4:19-7:17

• Practical Stoicism

The Basics of The Karate Kid Franchise 7:18-28:50

• Disclaimer: We're Academic Fans not published schloars on The Karate Kid
• The Components of "The Miyagi-verse"
• Tangent 1 "Legacy Franchises"
• The Soft Power of the Franchise
• Cinematic catnip for mediocre, middle aged, straight white men.

Historical Context (Part 1) 28:51-122:09

• Biographical Context: Dr. Preston: Karate on the Playground
• Tangent 2 "The Problem with Streaming Content and escalation of the films and series"
• Biographical Context: Brian's Frenetic Franchise viewing order
• A Karate Soap Opera ( A WWE Comparison)
• Tangent 3 "Daniel misinterpreting Miyagi's lessons"
• A Gap in Storytelling between the Original films and Cobra Kai
• The inception and creation of Cobra Kai: a cultural product
• Tangent 4 "The Martial Arts of the Show"
• The Film's impact on "The 80's Karate Craze"
• Reckoning with Japanese Internment in an underdog film about bullying

Outtro 122:10-122:54

• Next Episode: Episode 64: The Karate Kid Franchise Part II with Dr. Ted Preston

All clips used under Faire Use

Links:

• All the Franchise Trailers
• "Sweep the Leg" No Nore Kings
• Bro Mitzvah episode "HIMYM"
• Daniel is the Real Bully video essay
• The Karate Kid Cartoon Opening
• Van Damme Scream Bloodsport
• The Karate Kid clips: Clip 1 Clip 2 Clip 3 Clip 4
• Wax On: 'The Karate Kid' and Me by Ralph Macchio

On this month's episode of The Sociologist's Dojo Podcast Dr. Courtenay Stallings of Pepperdine University returns to discuss Jonathan Glazer's 2023 Harrowingly dramatic period piece, The Zone of Interest. Discussion topics include: 'death thrifting' the banality of evil and historical parallels with the current political climate Enjoy!

Production Notes:

Intro: (0:00-2:13)

On the Death of David Lynch: (2:14-12:39)

• Grief and parasocial relationships
• Eulogizing David Lynch through Qualitative Research

Update on Dr. Stallings Work (12:40-18:05)

• Other Podcast Appearences
• A Germinating Book Project

Basics of 'The Zone of Interest' (18:06-27:50)

• Plot Synopsis
• Trivia

Historical Context (27:51-67:25)

• Initial reactions
• Parallels with Current Events Part 1
• Living the Nazi Dream
• Complicating the "Evil Nazi" archetype
• Learning how to commit genocide from history
• 'history' as a thin veil for racism
• Funding by the Polish Film institute

Social Analysis (67:26-112:08)

• The Banality of Evil (Normalization and Complacency)
• Parallels with Current Events Part II (I.C.E.)
• Nazi 'death thrifting' vs. Civil Forefeiture by Police
• Capitalism as amoral and apathetic
• Pop culture's role in obfuscating the fact that Social Justice is an anomaly and not the norm
• Voting and Political Action

Outtro (112:09-118:49)

• The Legacy of The Zone of Interest
• Plugs and Socials
• Upcoming Essays and Episodes

Note: All clips used under Fair Use

Links and References:

• Blue Rose Mag
• Browning Ordinary Men
• Ian Kurshaw Books
• The Color of Law by Richard Rothstein
• Political Assassinations: Dressing up like cops
• Narrative Dystopias and Trump Era Policies Essay
• The Zone of Interest Trailer
• Patton Oswalt: Annhilation
• Next on the Blog: The Films of Julia Ducournau: Alpha
• Next on the Podcast: The Karate Kid Franchise Part 1 with Dr. Ted Preston

On this Month's Episode of The Sociologist's Dojo Podcast, we tackle the Succession-like satire, Mountainhead. Return guest and friend of the pod Dr. Ellen Meiser and the host discuss masculinity, AI generated dystopias-how these things impact the perception of intellegence and our ability to critically think. Enjoy!

Production Notes

Intro: 0:00-2:28

Update on Dr. Meiser's Research 2:29-7:55

• Chapter in Oxford Bibligographies
• Making it: Success in Commercial Kitchens Discussion
• Kitchen Capital

Basics of the Film 7:56-12:31

• Production
• Plot Synopsis

Historical Context 12:32-38:36

• Individual experiences watching the film
• Need to spend more time with the characters
• "Broligarchs" The New Power Elite
• All Interactions between them are transient and transactional
• A Film of the Moment: Misinformation, AI, Racism, Sexism, Wealth detachment
• The Magnitude of the character's decisions
• Connection to the current administration- Tech Robber Barons
• The acquiescence of control to corporations
• Ethics and humanity = morality

Social Analysis 38:37-60:37

• Spurious Ciorrelation between Capitalism/Wealth, Masculinity and Intellegence
• Case Study: Elon Musk
• Language to Proform Intellegence
• Goffman and Cooley
• Misinformation and Critical Thinking Loss (with an Anti-ICE aside)

Outtro 60:38-64:51

• Plugs and Upcoming Episodes

All clips were used under fair use

Notes

• Making it: Success in Commercial Kitchens
• Musk article
• Titane Review
• AI Article
• MAHA AI Generated Reports
• Mountainhead Trailer
• Idiocracy clip
• "Big Balls" AC/DC

On this month's episode of The Sociologist's Dojo Podcast, the Host gives their 2026 "State of Cinema Address". Topics include: AI in Filmmaking, the 2026 Oscar Nominations, and an outlook on the rest of the upcoming 2026 film slate. Enjoy!

Production Notes

Intro: 0:00-1:09

• Basics of the Address 1:10-3:32
• AI in Filmmaking Analyisis 3:33-31:46
• The 2026 Oscar Nominations 31:47-46:27
• The rest of the 2026 Film Slate 46:28-53:36

Outtro 53:-37-55:00

Notes

Comics Cultural Collateral Damage

Cinematic Cultural Collateral Damage

'Rise of the machines': The Creative Emptiness of AI use in Filmmaking and Beyond

The 2026 Oscar Nominations

Most Anticipated Films: Rotten Tomatoes

Most Anticipated Films: IMDB

Most Anticipated Films: Variety

On this month's episode of The Sociologist's Dojo Podcast we are capping off the end of the year with another "best of List." This episode is designed to be a companion piece to my Final essay for 2025 on the blog: The Dojo's Top Ten Films that Encapsulate 2025. As with the list on the blog, this episode's list is not a list of the films that are the most Sociologically relevent, but rather, the films that I saw in 2025 that I gave 4 stars and above to on my Letterboxed page. Because of the function of lists, I will not be including detailed production notes for the episode as that will inevitably spoil the films on this list. Enjoy, everyone. Happy Holidays ! See you all in 2026.

On this month's episode of The Sociologist's Dojo Podcast Dr. Rebecca Gibson returns to the podcast to talk about the sapphic, Sci-Fi, Shakespearean, trans-inclusive, time-bending novel: This Is How You Lose The Time War. by Amal El-Mothar and Max Gladstone. Dr. Gibson and the host discuss gender fluid narratives, neurodivergent masculinity, and the cultural impact/importance of reading. Enjoy!

Production Notes:

Intro: 0:00-2:57

Update on Dr. Gibson's work: 2:58-10:35

• TedX VCU Talk
• Paris Trip
• Dr. Gibson's upcoming books

The Basics of the book 10:36-21:15

• Plot Synopsis
• Trivia

Historical Context 21:31-75:44

• Dr. Gibson's background with the book
• The Host's experience reading the book
• A bit about Romance (interlude 1)
• The literary influences and Sci-Fi cannon
• A bit more about Romance (Interlude 2)
• The context of the 2010's
• Looking for hope in an untethering world
• Last bit of Romance (interlude 3)
• The Cultural Impact of the book
• The current way we consume content
• The book's reception

Social Analysis 75:45-102:53

• The book's fluidity (Gender, Sexuality and Narrative)
• Moving closer to sex with robots and Robot Sexuality
• Neurodivergence, Robots and Masculinity
• On how omniscient beings experience love

Outtro: 102:54-123:26

• Favorite Passages and Letter Distriution Methods
• TV Adaptation Fan Casting
• The Matrix 5 thoughts

All Clips used under Fair Use

Links

• How Star Wars and Star Trek Ruined Sci-Fi
• Signified B-Sides Sigma Masculinity
• "Love Lost" by Mattia Cupelli
• Companion: Iris reaches 100%
• Derrida on Signatures
• Dr. Gibson's Books Their Socials @drrgibsongirl (bluesky) @rgibsongirl (twitter)
• The Sociologist's Dojo Blog
• Related Essay: The Curious Case of Elon Musk and Tony Stark: 'Sigma Male' Masculinity and the Myth of the Benevolent Billionaire

On this month's episode of The Sociologist's Dojo Podcast Dr. Jaime Hartless Assistant Professor of Sociology and Anthropology at Farmingdale State College returns to discuss the beauty and body horror of Coralie Fargeat's The Substance. The Host and Dr. Hartless talk Cronenberg, The 'Me Too' movement, the imposed shame/horror of the female body by patriarchal systems, and of course, the intersecting evils of Capitalism. Enjoy!

Production Notes

Intro: 0:00-2:55

Update on Dr. Hartless's research 2:56-5:13

• Chapter 22: "From "Born This Witch" to "Bad Bitch Witch": A History of Witch Representation in Western Pop Culture" in Witch Studies Reader (March 2025)

Basics of 'The Substance 5:14-28:28

• Production (Cast and Crew)
• Plot Synopsis
• A Dennis Quaid Aside
• Trivia ( A Revenge Aside)

Historical Context 28:29-70:46

• Dr. Hartless's first impressions
• The Film in conversation with generations of Hollywood
• The Use of Social Media
• "The Substance Effect" [Mikey Madison and Demi Moore]
• "The Substance Snub" [ Horror and Hollywood]
• "What if Cronenberg, but Feminist?"
• Women as commodities and "Girl Power" Feminism
• The Manosphere Language and "Logic"

Social Analysis 70:47-116:56

• Toxic Gender Socialization messages
• The Mother/Daughter Dynamic
• 'The Substance' as Capitalism
• A Reproduction Metaphor
• Toxic Beauty and Body Standards
• 'The Substance' as an amalgam of "Fix yourself" beauty Products
• No "Better self" under Patriarchy and Capitalism
• Protections against 'The Substance' [FDA and IRB]
• The Manufactured Shame and Horror of the Female Body
• The Dangers of Film immortalizing Youth

Outtro 116:59-118:43

• Plugs and Social Media
• Upcoming Essays and Episodes

All Clips used under Fair Use

Links to Suplemental Material Referenced in the Episode:

• Witch Studies Reader
• Hungerstone by Kat Dunn
• The Monstrous Feminine by Barbara Creed
• Maya Hawke discussing the importance of Social media in Casting
• Demi Moore Acceptance Speeches [ Globe , SAG, Critics Choice ]
• Mikey Madison Beating out Demi Moore for the Oscar
• RFK JR disgustingly false comments on girls and puberty fits right in with Harvey from The Substance
• The Essay Series on The Films of Julia Ducournau
• The Sociologist's Dojo Blog

On this month's episode of The Sociologist's Dojo Podcast, we're going back to school with the John Hughes 80's Classic: The Breakfast Club. Media Scholar Shelley B. Woke joins the host to talk about high school cliques, peer group socialization, the criteria of an 80s teen comedy, "The John Hughes Effect", "The Brat Pack" and a lot more.

It's time to stay after class, because we all have detention... (Yes, We know in the film it takes place on a Saturday!)

Enjoy!

Production Notes:

Intro: 0:00-2:05

Basics of Shelley B. Woke 2:06-14:40

• What they 'stan' for in Popular Culture
• First Job in Journalism
• Pop Culture and decision-making aside
• Celebrity and People in Power
• Allison Reynolds: Their 'Social Media 'Sona''
• Guilty Pleasures and social "shame"

Basics of The Breakfast Club 14:41-23:43

• Plot Synopsis
• Trivia (IMDB, Criterion Blu-Ray)

Historical Context 23:44-89:03

• Shelley's history with The Breakfast Club
• 80's Teen Comedy Criteria
• "The John Hughes Effect"
• "The Brat Pack" Label
• The Generational Conversation and Universality of the Film
• The Legacy of The Breakfast Club
• AIDS Crisis Context

Social Analysis 89:04-132:40

• Peer Group Socialization and clique archetypes
• Shallow Themes and a lack of resolution
• The enduring whiteness of John Hughes Films
• Allison Reynolds: A Nonbinary Paragon
• The Film's peroblematic gender and sexual politics
• Class and Status divisions in Academia

Outtro: 132:41-135:27

• Plugs and Socials

All Clips Used under Fair Use

• The Breakfast Club Film
• The Breakfast Club Soundtrack
• The Mountain Goats- This Year
• 'Fuck J.K. Rowling'-Apathy Unit

Links

• Shelley B Woke Bluesky
• The Sociologist's Dojo Blog
• Essay on Celine Sciamma's Girlhood
• The Queering Feminist Spectacle of Thema and Louise
• The Breakfast Club: John Hughes, Hollywood and the Golden Age of the Teen film by Elissa H. Nelson
• College Suicide Nets article

On this month's guestless episode of The Sociologist's Dojo Podcast, The Host rounds out the 2025 Summer Movie season with the near 20 films they saw in the theater between the begining of May through the beginning of August 2025. Listen, as a raging metaphorical dumpster fire is miraculously saved by three films from Pedro Pascal, and a few hidden gem honorable mentions on select streaming services. Enjoy!

Production Notes:

Because this episode contains a list of films that will be gone over in detail, the usually meticulous production notes will be suspended.

Note:

All of the films mentioned can be found on the blog and podcast's Letterboxd page

Read the latest essay on the blog here

All Clips were used under Faire Use.