Supercontext: an autopsy of media

Christian Sager and Charlie Bennett

A podcast autopsy of media: how we consume it and how it informs our everyday culture.

  1. Deadwood, Season 1

    1d ago

    Deadwood, Season 1

    This revisionist Western is a mix of fictional and historical narratives about how law, society, and America came to South Dakota in the late 1800s. We talk about how the show's creator, David Milch, got from Ancient Rome to the Dakota gold rush, and all the lines he crossed to get there. Sources Deadwood, Generic Transformation, and Televisual History by Allison Perlman THE WAY OUT WEST: DAVID MILCH & IAN MCSHANE ON DEADWOOD by Damien Love Singer, Mark (February 14, 2005). "The Misfit". The New Yorker.  Andreeva, N. (2003, January 7). HBO, Milch mine "Deadwood" for Western series. (News). The Hollywood Reporter, 376(39), 5. https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/Entertainment-115937&page=1 Brian McCuskey. (2013). Last Words in Deadwood. In N. S. Witschi & M. Graulich (Eds.), Dirty Words in Deadwood (p. 18). UNP - Nebraska Paperback. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt1ddr701.9 Witschi, N. S., & Graulich, M. (2013). Who Put the Gun into the Whore's Hand? In Dirty Words in Deadwood. University of Nebraska Press. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/deadwood-review-season-one-hbo-2004-1235857267/ https://variety.com/2004/tv/reviews/deadwood-4-1200534541/ https://www.looper.com/153803/we-finally-understand-why-deadwood-was-canceled/ https://www.cinemantics.org/p/the-meaning-behind-deadwoods-opening http://www.hpten.com/all-content/2021/9/30/theme-character-and-language-in-deadwood Peacock, S. (2010). Borders and boundaries in Deadwood. In C. CORNEA (Ed.), Genre and performance: film and television (pp. 96–112). Manchester University Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt1vwmg3w.11 Johnson, M. K. (2013). Queer Spaces and Emotional Couplings in Deadwood. In M. GRAULICH & N. S. WITSCHI (Eds.), Dirty Words in Deadwood: Literature and the Postwestern (pp. 208–235). University of Nebraska Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt1ddr701.17 https://www.avclub.com/keith-carradine-on-deadwood-fargo-and-madonna-1798250077 https://collider.com/walter-hill-interview-reassignment-deadwood/ David Milch at Yale: An Interview by Nathaniel Lewis

    2h 43m
  2. The Problem With Music

    May 29

    The Problem With Music

    In 1993, our late, lamented hero Steve Albini wrote this gross and profane takedown of the music industry, and we've been thinking about it ever since. We try to follow the evolution of Albini's attitude about how music is distributed while also checking in on David Byrne, Marxist theory, and Tik Tok. Sources https://thebaffler.com/salvos/the-problem-with-music https://qz.com/202194/steve-albini-the-problem-with-music-has-been-solved-by-the-internet https://boingboing.net/2024/05/10/read-steve-albinis-famous-essay-on-the-music-industrys-problems.html https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/music/the-new-problem-with-music-steve-albini-revisits-one-of-his-favourite-themes-1.2013006 https://stereogum.com/1678835/steve-albini-thinks-the-internet-solved-the-problem-with-music/news https://reason.com/2014/04/30/legendary-punk-producer-steve-albini-say/ https://www.ajournalofmusicalthings.com/revisiting-steve-albinis-problem-music-essay-problem-solved-internet/ https://rocknerd.co.uk/2015/01/11/steve-albini-how-the-internet-solved-the-problem-with-music/ https://www.spinmagazine.com/2014/04/steve-albini-internet-problem-with-music-streaming-debate/ https://www.simplemusiccontracts.com/the-problem-with-music https://louderthanwar.com/steve-albini-streaming/ 2014 Face the Music Video: https://youtu.be/Lz_CPzuwSk4?si=PDHcZV4kKZErnI7R 2014 Face the Music transcript: https://genius.com/Steve-albini-keynote-address-at-melbourne-australias-face-the-music-conference-2014-annotated https://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/oct/11/david-byrne-internet-content-world https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/oct/16/why-david-byrne-wrong-spotify-thom-yorke https://freepresshouston.com/the-steve-albini-interview/

    2h 6m
  3. Addicted to Bad Ideas: Peter Lorre's Twentieth Century

    Apr 3

    Addicted to Bad Ideas: Peter Lorre's Twentieth Century

    This 2007 concept album by The World/Inferno Friendship Society, inspired by screen actor Peter Lorre, is just one piece of the larger performative project that was the life of Jack Terricloth. We talk about the band, the album, the lifestyle, and the limits of the World/Inferno Friendship Society's punk cabaret spectacle. Sources https://coilhouse.net/2009/12/jack-terricloth-is-alive-and-at-large-in-gotham/ https://www.theaquarian.com/2012/12/03/the-worldinferno-friendship-societys-hallowmas-warsaw/ https://www.punknews.org/article/38826/interviews-jack-terricloth-world-inferno-friendship-society https://www.treblezine.com/worldinferno-friendship-society-addicted-to-bad-ideas/ Jordan, Chris. "Jack Terricloth, from Jersey Suburbs to World/Inferno Friendship Society, has Died." TCA Regional News, 14 May 2021, ProQuest. Web. 26 Mar. 2026 . https://www.popmatters.com/the-world-inferno-friendship-society-addicted-to-bad-ideaspeter-lorres-20th-2496212229.html https://imposemagazine.com/reviews/addicted-to-bad-ideas-world-in Sisario, Ben. "Jack Terricloth, 50, Smarmy Vocalist And Key to Punk Cabaret Movement." New York Times, 18 May 2021, p. A21(L). Gale Academic OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A662078840/AONE?u=mlin_b_umass&sid=bookmark-AONE&xid=7aa0e86b. Accessed 26 Mar. 2026. Sisario, Ben. "Addicted to Peter Lorre (that voice, those eyes)." New York Times, 8 Jan. 2009, p. C1(L). Gale Academic OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A191744194/AONE?u=mlin_b_umass&sid=bookmark-AONE&xid=8ae3a733. Accessed 26 Mar. 2026. https://www.punknews.org/review/6660/world-inferno-friendship-society-addicted-to-bad-ideas https://thephoenix.com/boston/music/120801-world-inferno-friendship-society-lead-a-punk-c/ https://www.threepennyreview.com/burning-up/ https://www.vice.com/en/article/rank-your-records-the-world-inferno-friendship-society-jack-terricloth/ https://youtu.be/iADNLE7H5qE?si=JiGng9YlENpMFX-d

    2h 31m
  4. The Magic Christian

    Mar 6

    The Magic Christian

    This 1969 anarchic film comedy was based on a Terry Southern novel and championed by Peter Sellers, but it seemed to mark the start of a decline for both their fortunes. We take on Chris's favorite movie, and try to get to the bottom of why he likes it, Charlie doesn't, and everybody agrees with both of us. Sources: https://www.thespinningimage.co.uk/cultfilms/displaycultfilm.asp?reviewid=145 https://web.archive.org/web/20080115004058/http://www.filmcritic.com/misc/emporium.nsf/ddb5490109a79f598625623d0015f1e4/0c63a2560495532008256cbb00826ca3?OpenDocument http://www.visual-memory.co.uk/amk/doc/0081.html https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/books/01/06/17/specials/southern-magicfilm.html https://lecinemadreams.blogspot.com/2022/07/the-magic-christian-1969.html https://www.genxculture.com/the-magic-christian-the-most-60s-film-ever-made/20/04/2020/ Flanagan, K. The Road to Excess Leads to THE MAGIC CHRISTIAN: Comedy, Excess, and the Limits of the Body. Dassanowsky-Harris, R. (1992). The Southern Journey: "Candy" and "The Magic" Christian as Cinematic Picaresques. Studies in Popular Culture, 15(1), 95–111.

    2h 34m
  5. Something Is Killing The Children

    Feb 6

    Something Is Killing The Children

    This horror comic has achieved surprising success despite its gore and all the dead kids. We talk about the comic's creation and promotion, and we ask "Is this all about trauma? Why aren't people talking about that?"  Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Something is Killing the Children Sources https://youtu.be/-CpVx-BDBK0?si=by5gNx6RpKVKB4cF https://thecreativeindependent.com/people/comic-book-artist-james-tynion-iv-on-leaning-into-inspiration/ https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/something-is-killing-the-children-movie-blumhouse-1236409897/ https://www.horrordna.com/features/james-tynion-iv-talks-something-is-killing-the-children-2 https://aiptcomics.com/2019/10/10/nycc-james-tynion-iv-boom-studios-something-is-killing-the-children-interview/ http://www.multiversitycomics.com/interviews/tynion-iv-harburn-something-is-killing-the-children/#google_vignette https://www.cbr.com/james-tynion-iv-on-the-horrors-of-something-is-killing-the-children/ https://www.cbr.com/something-is-killing-the-children-horror-halloween-reading/ https://sktchd.com/interview/sktchdxtinyonion-part-two-how-to-build-a-comic/ https://bleedingcool.com/comics/james-tynion-iv-teases-a-something-is-killing-the-children-spin-off/ https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/boom-studios-penguin-random-house-1235945405/ https://waywordsstudio.com/general/reviews/something-is-killing-the-children-v-1-3-by-james-tynion-iv/ https://www.pages-and-panels.com/articles-and-interviews/werther-dell-edera https://www.businessinsider.com/comic-artist-drawing-process-something-is-killing-the-children-creator-2022-11?op=1 https://www.howtolovecomics.com/2023/07/05/something-is-killing-the-children/ Panel X Panel #32

    2h 54m
  6. I Think You Should Leave With Tim Robinson

    Jan 2

    I Think You Should Leave With Tim Robinson

    This sketch show mixes surreal humor, cringe comedy, and an everyman lead performer to craft an exploration of anxiety, status, and societal fear that still manages to make its audience laugh with joy. We talk about how and why the show was created, and whether it quiets or riles up our own anxieties.  Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Find it here on Netflix: I Think You Should Leave Sources: https://www.cracked.com/article_40892_is-i-think-you-should-leave-the-best-representation-of-anxiety-on-tv.html "Is Tim Robinson the funniest man alive?" Independent [Online], 21 Oct. 2025.  "'I try to be repulsive': comedian Patti Harrison on why she likes to bait liberal audiences; The Ohio-raised star of movies and TV shows such as Shrill and I Think You Should Leave says comedy is a refuge from the impacts of being trans and that, right now, she's happy to be in the UK." Guardian [London, England], 16 Sept. 2022. Anderson, Sam. "The Virtuoso of Cringe." The New York Times Magazine, 11 June 2023, p. 20(L). Gale General OneFile, https://www.wired.com/story/i-think-you-should-leave-was-right/ https://www.vulture.com/2019/12/i-think-you-should-leave-focus-group-oral-history.html https://collider.com/i-think-you-should-leave-tim-robinson-netflix-reddit-obsession/

    2h 32m
  7. The VALIS Trilogy

    12/05/2025

    The VALIS Trilogy

    The novels VALIS, The Divine Invasion, and The Transmigration of Timothy Archer by legendary science-fiction author Philip K. Dick comprise the unofficial VALIS trilogy. Published between 1978 and 1982, these books use psychedelic imagery, religious history, and psychological inquiry to create a portrait of American culture in the late 70s and early 80s. We try to unpack them against the backdrop of our contemporary situation to gain a little clarity on our middle age and growing paranoia. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: The VALIS Trilogy Sources: https://philipdick.com/literary-criticism/interviews/horselover-fat-and-the-new-messiah/ https://muse.jhu.edu/article/237538 https://web.archive.org/web/20130528112644/http://www.philipkdick.com/media_twilightzone.html https://www.salon.com/2022/07/23/8-facts-about-philip-k-dick_partner/ https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/film/just-because-you-re-paranoid-philip-k-dick-s-troubled-life-1.3243976 Masculinity in the Novels of Philip K. Dick. Endopsychic Allegories John Boonstra: "Horselover Fat and The New Messiah" (Hartford Advocate April 22, 1981, p. 24 THE PSYCHEDELIC REINTERPRETATION OF CORPUS CHRISTI BY PHILIP K. DICK, Bogdan Trocha Dr. hab., Professor, University of Zielona Góra, Poland, Zielona Góra

    3h 6m
  8. Ambient 1: Music For Airports by Brian Eno

    11/07/2025

    Ambient 1: Music For Airports by Brian Eno

    This 1979 instrumental record is considered the beginning of ambient music by many of its listeners. We unpack Eno's intentions behind the function of such music, while considering his goal of provoking his listeners to contemplate their own death. We also do our best to define Ambient Music for ourselves and resist the pull of academic dissection of artistic experimentation. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Ambient 1: Music For Airports Sources:  https://reverbmachine.com/blog/deconstructing-brian-eno-music-for-airports/ https://www.3ammagazine.com/litarchives/oct2001/interview_judy_nylon.html https://inmotionmagazine.com/eno1.html https://www.loudersound.com/features/mad-as-t**s-but-successful-a-brief-history-of-eg-records http://music.hyperreal.org/artists/brian_eno/interviews/unk-78b.html http://music.hyperreal.org/artists/brian_eno/MFA-txt.html https://pitchfork.com/features/podcast/brian-eno-music-for-airports-review/ http://music.hyperreal.org/artists/brian_eno/interviews/musn79.html Lysaker, J. T. (2018). Brian Eno's Ambient 1: Music for airports. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780190497293.001.0001 Cox C., Warner D., . (2004). Audio culture. New York: Continuum. Albiez, S., & Pattie, D. (Eds.). (2016). Brian Eno: Oblique Music. Bloomsbury Academic. Sheppard, David. On Some Faraway Beach : The Life and Times of Brian Eno, Chicago Review Press, Incorporated, 2009.

    2h 15m
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A podcast autopsy of media: how we consume it and how it informs our everyday culture.

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