Talk to the Audience?!? - February 2023
Added 2023-03-01 05:00:02 +0000 UTCWe've reached the end of the month, which means it's once again time for another installment of our community podcast! Join us as we discuss The Simpsons getting renewed for seasons 35 and 36, a new wave of Super7 toys, the long-awaited appearance of Lizzo in this year's season finale, and more. And, as always, we read and respond to your questions and comments from the most recent round of episodes. So listen in as we bring this short month to a merciful end!
Comments
I read Matt Alt's book last year after his appearance on Retronauts! He has a great podcast with Patrick Macias as well.
littleterr0r
2023-03-06 00:59:28 +0000 UTCCan't ever think of Kurt vonnegut without remembering Kevin Murphy's encounter with him
trasparenti
2023-03-05 15:46:22 +0000 UTCBuilding on the conversation about what a modern superhero parody would even be, I totally agree with Bob's take on why we DON'T see much of them anymore. On a filmmaking level, there's no consistent stylization that you can parody well because their focus is on continuing/fitting into a series and not just putting all their focus into one film at a time (not to say that every movie BEFORE the factory line of MCU was good or not just dumped out for cash). I think another factor of that too is that they pushed away from SOME superhero tropes (as they got away from origin stories and the like), and a lot of the new tropes (no costume until the last episode, macguffin quests, etc.) take a lot more work to try to make funny in a reflexive/parodic way.
Dylan (batmanboy11) Freitag
2023-03-02 21:07:24 +0000 UTCSpeaking of first movies I just rewatched Ex Machina, Alex Garland’s directorial debut. That movie is incredibly restrained, there’s no real style choices that are just for looks, every part of that movie is purposeful. I haven’t seen Men, but given what I’ve read about it that seems more like a first movie in terms of excess than his actual first movie.
Lockerus
2023-03-02 16:34:09 +0000 UTCCat Soup is so unique and really fascinating to watch, though I am definitely guilty of saying I love the anime when I haven't read the manga.
Mike Mariano
2023-03-02 04:41:07 +0000 UTCI just discovered Cat Soup. I think it would be an all time great or at least uncomfortable What a Cartoon Movie choice.
Nick Grayson
2023-03-02 03:57:58 +0000 UTCSurprised you guys didn't bring up the joke about using production # when Ned talked about his teaching in the fat Tony episode. They (maybe purposely) gave the wrong production code (the real one starts with x, and that obviously isn't a real grade). XABF12 is the number they shouldve used.
Frank Grimes
2023-03-01 18:54:39 +0000 UTCNot that anyone necessarily needs to know but… *deep breath* Hollister, California is not the source of the Hollister Company chain of stores. They’re actually both named for Colonel WW Hollister, who led the first transcontinental sheep drive, and in the process got a lot of stuff named after himself. If you see that name attached to a place or geographical feature, it’s probably named after him or his kin. He initially ran a ranch in my hometown, Hollister, California, and then moved south because his wife hated it, ultimately settling near Santa Barbara. On the 101 at Gaviota, there is the Hollister Ranch, which is now mansions but which has always been home to a legendarily great surfing spot that you can’t access because rich people gated it off. When Abercrombie & FItch launched a new chain of stores in 2000, they called it Hollister, after the surf spot but making up a fake story about a John Hollister founding the company. They style their clothes to say “Hollister, California” next to surf imagery, either not knowing or caring that the actual Hollister, California is an hour inland. Later, when someone in my hometown tried to put the word Hollister on articles of clothing, the company successfully sued them for copyright infringement. When people ask, I just tell them “Yes, I grew up in the store. Everyone in my hometown works in a giant factory, making the clothes all day.” It’s an interesting way to look how stereotypically Californian imagery gets broadcast and sold to the rest of the world vs. what most of non-coastal California actually looks like.
Drew Mackie
2023-03-01 18:19:56 +0000 UTCNot sure if Bob and Henry are Mega64 enjoyers as fellow figures who have worked in video games press, but they put out a video online last summer called 'Goonies Grandkids' which may be one of the funniest things they've ever made and is a 30 min+ improvised satire on legacy sequels and the misplaced love older audiences have for 80's movies that don't quite deserve it. Characters include 'Chili' (the granddaughter of Chunk) and the search for Two-Eyed Willie's 'even bigger and more expensive ship'. It's entirely audio-based with video of a fake con audience watching it for the first time but I was doubled over laughing at several points and I still feel deserves more attention as these types of movies continue to be announced. Determined to bring it up with some of the Goonies talk in this one and the 'no company wants new things' from Henry comment. Also yay! Always a little thrill when one of my comments gets picked. Keep doing what you're doing, lads.
Blake R.
2023-03-01 15:03:15 +0000 UTCI got all of the Super7 figures over the past week and I am mostly happy with how they turned out. All of the stuff that was supposed to come with them was present, except for Moe's apron which apparently no one got. They're supposed to send it out in the coming weeks to everyone who ordered so for now my Moe is looking rather naked without his apron. These ones were all $55 which is too much compared to other companies, but they're the only ones doing Simpsons in this style so I guess they have me. To a point. That new King Size Homer is $65 and so is Tatum and I'm out at that price. I'll get Radioactive Man and Flanders, though the Radioactive Man figure is perplexing. He has a body like Dirk Richter's Radioactive Man, but the heads and the flag are from some comic sources in the show. They should have just given him a more heroic body so they could add a Wolfcastle head option, or just went all-in on the 60's Batman parody Richter with goofy effect parts. They also have a line of Treehouse of Horror and Bart on the Road figures coming in the ReAction line, that's the same one as the Troy McClure and McBane figures. They're overpriced too at 20 a piece, but at least the Troy ones were essentially two-packs. They're Kenner Star Wars homage figures that barely move, but they do look nice. I'm also very surprised at the lack of women in the line so far, in both the Ultimate and ReAction. Super7's founder is on the record as saying diversity is important and all of that stuff and apparently they have a rule with other lines that there has to be a woman or minority in each line (like Power Rangers) so to not do that with The Simpsons who isn't starving for female characters is odd. I'm coincidentally doing a Dragon Ball rewatch as well and my kids have really taken to it. Well, my 7 year old son mostly just watches when he has nothing better to do, but my 6 year old daughter is really into it. We just got through the Muscle Tower arc and it's been a lot of fun. My daughter mostly likes the cheeky humor and the more perverted stuff just goes right over her head ("Why does he like looking at girls in their underwear?"). As long as she doesn't start patting the crotches of random people I'll let her keep watching because I am definitely enjoying going back to it. And congrats Bob on the book! I hope the Kickstarter goes well.
Joe Hodgson
2023-03-01 13:31:52 +0000 UTCWhat build are you playing in NV Bob?
T
2023-03-01 07:26:29 +0000 UTCI meant to add that at his middle school, in social studies or science, they often times have the option to record a podcast to demonstrate what they learned! Or create a you tube video, I think another choice is a Ted Talk style presentation, or creating a blog to post your response to lessons. It’s they give them resources for how to set these up properly and stuff, along with tips for successful format. It’s actually really cool the ways they’re ditching things that are out of date!
Jessica S
2023-03-01 07:23:10 +0000 UTCMy husband said he sometimes uses the chatGPT when he’s writing a project summary or the like for work, not to complete it entirely, but as a starting point to get a basic framework laid down. Then he goes in and makes changes. It’s a brilliant way to wire around an otherwise challenging task, which made me think about the possibility for helping kids who struggle with writing in k-12. My son is wicked smart, he’s autistic and thinks in ways that I can’t even comprehend, but as is common with disabilities that affect executive function skills, written expression is often torture. And he’s an excellent writer! It’s just that it’s like pulling teeth for him to get it out, and all the “strategies” like graph organizers or checklists don’t cut it. He needs a boost to get things started. There are lots of hacks already in place, similar to what my husband found, that help hack around those deficiencies: having someone scribe, speech to text, phrase generators to help form ideas - even submitting audio files in some cases, if that’s what creates meaningful learning. Anything to removes the excess demand these kiddos have to scale compared to “typical” peers. The lower grades use sentence starters and predictive text a lot, but by middle school something with more complexity is needed. I still think it’s going to be WAY more of a net negative, though, lol.
Jessica S
2023-03-01 07:14:30 +0000 UTCHope you guys one day review some of Ralph Bakshi's movies. You know the ones.
Joe Binson
2023-03-01 05:34:01 +0000 UTC
