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Both Tracy and I are dyed-in-the-wool fans of pretty much everything Joss Whedon does, and we’re definitely not alone. Why do his fans adore him, even though he often drags them through the emotional wringer? Will all of the heroes in “The Avengers” survive intact? Spoiler alert: We’re going to talk about all the things [...]
There are so many things we didn’t get to in this podcast! Ultra marathoners, the polarizing effect of Dean Karnazes, Eddie Izzard’s 43 marathons for charity — the list goes on. And even so, it’s a long episode. Here’s what we DID manage to cover: The Color Run, and how you can maybe manage to [...]
It’s currently day two of PAX East 2012. This is my second PAX East, my third PAX overall and my first time officially attending as a member of the media. I’ve taken a completely different approach to it than I did at either PAX East or PAX Prime 2011. Other than Friday’s keynote address, I [...]
Holly and I are both a little foul-mouthed. For varying degrees of “little.” And, in a burst of insight, we decided to talk about swearing for an entire podcast.
Another listener request! Listener Mariana asked for this one by name. We complied and talked about Bugs and Mickey as characters, and Warner Bros. and Disney as studios — and global juggernauts of merchandising. Although that description only suits one of them
PopStuff Show Notes: Episode 54: Manic Pixie Dream Girls
by Tracy V. Wilson | March 28, 2012
I have a closet (or not-so-closet) affection for manic pixie dream girls. Coined by Nathan Rabin, “manic pixie dream girl” is a term for those kooky, quirky girls in movies who enliven the worlds of brooding male heroes. Holly, on the other hand hates them.
So here’s a little back story. Holly and I have a huge list of episode topics on the white board in my office. Sometimes we come in here to figure out what to talk about and one jumps out at us. We jot it down for the next session and cross it off the list. Other times we stare and stare at the board like we’re scrolling through hundreds of TV channels going, “There’s nothing onnnnnnnnn!” Then one of us has a eureka moment and comes up with something we’re stupid excited about. This was one of those times. I was stupid excited to talk about prom. And I didn’t really enjoy my proms. It’s a mystery.
Another listener request! This one’s from one of our many listeners named Holly. The number of people named Holly who have gotten in touch with us makes me want to start a Holly army. Also, people keep asking us to talk about food, and we get into that subject a little in this episode, too. We also talk about the difference between a guilty pleasure and a plain ol’ pleasure, and what some of our own guilty pleasures are.
PopStuff Show Notes: Episode 51: Violence in Children’s Media
by Tracy V. Wilson | March 19, 2012
I’m really excited about the forthcoming film adaptation of “The Hunger Games.” And I also know that it’s the sort of book that I probably wouldn’t have gotten to read “until I was older” because of its violent content. So in light of “The Hunger Games” and its target audience of young adults, we thought we’d look into the question of how violence in media affects children.
We think of St. Patrick’s Day as an Irish holiday, but the way we celebrate it in America is uniquely (and sometimes problematically) American. Green rivers, green beer, green food … it’s easy to go overboard on all the green. And some of the other stuff. (Also, thanks to listener Lissa for suggesting this subject.)
Recent Postings by Category
BrainStuff
- Thank You and Best Wishes to Marshall Brain
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The Coolest Stuff on the Planet
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Keep Asking
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Stuff Mom Never Told You
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Stuff to Blow Your Mind
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Stuff You Should Know
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The Stuff of Genius
CarStuff
- Listener Mail: What’s the world’s largest engine?
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How-to Stuff
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PopStuff
- PopStuff Show Notes: Episode 68: Astrology: What’s PopStuff’s Sign?
- PopStuff Show Notes: Episode 67: Collecting: PopStuff’s Cabinet of Curiosities
- PopStuff Show Notes: Episode 66: Tracy and Holly’s Running Playlists
Stuff They Don't Want You To Know
- Good News from the Oldest Mayan Calendar
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Stuff to Change the World
- Who will own the Arctic?
- Obesity: The New Global Crisis
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Stuff You Missed in History Class
- Butch Cassidy: Should we read between the lines?
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- Party Time: A Look at Unconventional Politics
