Welcome to Episode 3 of The Total Ship Show! This week, brothers Zac and Al Shipley sweat through the July heat wave to debate a massive pop culture question: Is Michael Jackson's peak still historically bigger than Taylor Swift's global dominance today?

We dive deep into:
• Summer music festival formats (and why locals always complain about changes).
• Why the streaming era forces modern artists to work twice as hard for their numbers.
• The unreleased 90s vaults of bands like Soul Coughing and Ben Folds Five.
• The ultimate dilemma: How do we separate the art from the artist when it comes to figures like Michael Jackson, Louis C.K., and J.K. Rowling?

Tell us in the comments—does anyone actually top Thriller-era Michael Jackson, or has the Eras Tour officially crowned a new queen of pop?
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Welcome back to The Total Ship Show! In Episode 2, brothers Zac and Al Shipley dive deep into the changing landscape of pop culture, the harsh economics of movie theaters, and the heartbreaking reality of live-service video games. 

From hilarious logistical issues involving basement-wandering dogs and dining room lazy Susans to a passionate defense of The Last Jedi, this episode wraps up "Seinfeld-style" with a perfect blend of high-concept media theory and absurd real-life anecdotes. 

In this episode, we talk about:

• Concert and Theater Etiquette: The viral "Noah Khan" concert incident, the rise of concert diapers, and mastering the "one-hour-mark" movie theater pee break. 
• The Box Office vs. Streaming Era: Why massive franchise films like Supergirl, Masters of the Universe, and the Mandalorian movie are facing unfair box office scrutiny while streaming services change how families view ticket prices. 
• The Indie Horror Boom: How YouTuber-driven hits like Back Rooms and Iron Lung are defying the odds and overperforming in theaters. 
• The Active Entertainment Experience: Why vinyl records and highly repeatable video games like Hades are thriving because they demand your full attention. 
• Farewell to a 10-Year Journey: Zac shares his heartbreak over the sunsetting of Destiny 2, exploring the legendary "Vault of Glass" simulation and why "guardians make their own fate" might just inspire his next tattoo. 
• Next Week's Teaser: Is Taylor Swift bigger than Michael Jackson? Let us know your thoughts in the comments! 

Connect with Us: Find everything we do, including our websites, Al's music writing, and our collective links at: https://linktr.ee/totalshipshow 

If you enjoyed the episode, don't forget to hit that subscribe button on YouTube, Spotify, or wherever you get your feeds!

 In the pilot episode of their new podcast, brothers Zac and Al Shipley dive headfirst into the chaotic world of social media algorithms, aging, and childhood nostalgia. Zac breaks down how a viral Star Wars video blew up on Facebook while completely stalling on Instagram, sparking a debate on whether Facebook has officially become a "boomer" playground.  

Meanwhile, the brothers confront the reality of their 40s. Zac leans into a textbook midlife crisis—complete with a blazing-fast electric Ford Mustang and a battle against thinning hair—while Al argues that keeping his pride means strictly avoiding any artificial hair rejuvenation. 

They also share their mutual love-hate relationship with the podcast format itself, why they prefer short-form clips over 10-hour epics, and take a nostalgic trip down memory lane to remember growing up on late-night David Letterman and the fine 1980s art of smashing watermelons .