16 episodes

Pop culture as a tool for talking about real-life dystopias and the collapse of societal systems, with a focus on constructive action. A PopMythology.com podcast.

This is The End: Pop Culture & Collapse PopMythology.com

    • Society & Culture
    • 5.0 • 6 Ratings

Pop culture as a tool for talking about real-life dystopias and the collapse of societal systems, with a focus on constructive action. A PopMythology.com podcast.

    10 Films About Societal Collapse - Part 2

    10 Films About Societal Collapse - Part 2

    NOTE: This episode was recorded in Dec. of 2022 but I've only gotten around to editing it now. Since then I've become much better acquainted with ChatGPT and so, yes, I know its name (whereas at the time of this recording I still didn't).
    LINKS:
    Jess Kroll's film reviews  https://www.popmythology.com/author/jmskroll/
    Jess Kroll author page on Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/jesskrollauthor
    'The One' series by Jess Kroll (as J. Manoa)https://amzn.to/3DaKuuJ
    'The Werewolf Council' series by Jess Kroll (as J. Manoa)https://amzn.to/3Xz1u63
     
    'Land of Smiles' by Jess Krollhttps://amzn.to/3JlRIjk
     
    LIST OF FILMS (and spoiler time stamps)
     
    -----------------------------------
     
    WALL-E
    5:08 - 5:53 (possible minor spoiler)
    8:44 - 9:07 spoiler
    13:23 - 13:36 spoiler
    15:13 - 15:36 spoiler
    17:42 - 18:32 spoiler

    DON’T LOOK UP
    22:50 - 23:05
    26:55 - 27:02 (possible minor spoiler)
    29:44 - 29:54 (possible minor spoiler)
    30:34 - 31:10 spoiler
    32:37 - 36:23 (possible minor spoilers)
    37:09 - 38:47 spoiler
    40:07 - 41:13 spoiler
    44:14 - 45:03 spoiler
    46:12 - 48:02 spoiler
    53:50 - 54:10 spoiler
    1:02:45 - 1:03:00 (possible minor spoiler)
     
    THE ROAD
    56:43 - 56:53 spoiler
    59:25  - 1:03:03 spoiler
     
    MENACE II SOCIETY
    No Spoilers
     
    THE GRAPES OF WRATH
    No Spoilers

    • 1 hr 50 min
    10 Films About Societal Collapse - Part 1

    10 Films About Societal Collapse - Part 1

    PopMythology.com film critic and novelist Jess Kroll joins me to have a conversation about 10 different movies that depict collapse in some way. In this episode, Part 1, we discuss the first five. 
    Scroll all the way down below to see the titles of the films discussed and during which timestamped moments that spoilers or semi-spoilers of these films are mentioned.
    LINKS:
    Jess Kroll's film reviews  https://www.popmythology.com/author/jmskroll/
    Jess Kroll author page on Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/jesskrollauthor
    'The One' series by Jess Kroll (as J. Manoa)https://amzn.to/3DaKuuJ
    'The Werewolf Council' series by Jess Kroll (as J. Manoa)https://amzn.to/3Xz1u63'Land of Smiles' by Jess Krollhttps://amzn.to/3JlRIjk
     
     
    LIST OF FILMS (and spoiler demarcations)
    -----------------------------------DONBASS (7:32 - 16:42)  • No spoilers
     
    THREADS (16:57 -28:02)  • Spoiler 21:45 - 22:05  • Spoiler 23:36 - 24:18  • Spoiler 26:49 - 27:14
     
    CONTAGION (28:02 - 44:13)    • Spoiler 32:38 - 34:16  • Spoiler 35:23 - 35:45  • Spoiler 38:48 - 41:15  • Spoiler 41:29 - 42:23  • Spoiler 42:34 - 44:13 
     
    CHILDREN OF MEN (44:13 - 1:01:05)  • Spoiler 51:40 - 52:14  • Spoiler 52:35 - 54:23  • Spoiler 55:21 - 55:46  • Spoiler 56:25 - 57:54  • Spoiler 58:17 - 1:00:14
     
    IDIOCRACY (1:01:05 - 1:16:12)  • Spoiler 1:04:40 - 1:05:34  • Spoiler 1:11:23 - 1:12:14

    • 1 hr 17 min
    STARK: How the Rich Destroy Democracy and Cause Collapse

    STARK: How the Rich Destroy Democracy and Cause Collapse

    In this episode, I interview political commentator, former congressional candidate, and now regenerative farmer Haven Scott McVarish, author of LAST CHANCE TO SAVE AMERICAN DEMOCRACY. Haven talks about his favorite novel, STARK by Ben Elton, a dystopian comedy thriller about how corporations and the wealthy cause a global ecological collapse. Haven also discusses the novel's themes in relation to his own book about the current, ongoing collapse of U.S. democracy. We talk about how to save our imperiled democracy as well as what ordinary people can start doing now to prepare for collapse via local community building and restorative agriculture.  
      
    LINKS:    
    Last Chance to Save American Democracy by Haven Scott McVarish    https://amzn.to/3eqPxxB  
    Stark by Ben Eltonhttps://amzn.to/3wY6dD2
    5 Journeys (Haven Scott McVarish's non-profit organization)  https://www.5journeys.org/
     

    • 1 hr 35 min
    THE PUNISHER: War, Crime, and Collapse as Results of Capitalism

    THE PUNISHER: War, Crime, and Collapse as Results of Capitalism

    This is a longer version of a talk I recently gave at San Diego Comic Con 2022 as part of a panel on Marvel's street-level characters (Daredevil, Jessica Jones, etc.) moderated by Dr. Scott Jordan as part of the Comics Arts Conference. Thank you to Dr. Jordan for inviting me onto the panel and to Dr. Shelly Clevenger, my guest from the last episode, who was the speaker originally slated to talk about the Punisher on the panel but was not able to attend. Also a warm thank you to Dr. Michael Kersulov whose encouraging words after the panel resulted in adapting my talk into a podcast episode.     NOTE: This episode contains quotations from fictional works that contain some NSFW language—specifically two instances of the F word. 
     Works discussed in this episode:
    Born #1-4 (2003) by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson
    The Punisher MAX #1-60 (2004) by Garth Ennis and various artists
    The Punisher: The End #1 (2004) by Garth Ennis and Richard Corben  
    All of the above works are available in these collected volumes:
    The Punisher Max: Complete Collection Vol. 1https://amzn.to/3zgINsP
    The Punisher Max: Complete Collection Vol. 2https://amzn.to/3ScJHz2
    The Punisher Max: Complete Collection Vol. 3https://amzn.to/3OH2yiT
    The Punisher Max: Complete Collection Vol. 4https://amzn.to/3vnIdbo
     

    • 39 min
    B*TCH PLANET: Heaven for the White Patriarchy, Hell for Everyone Else

    B*TCH PLANET: Heaven for the White Patriarchy, Hell for Everyone Else

    We're joined by Dr. Shelly Clevenger, professor of criminology and victim studies, and chair of the Department of Victim Studies at Sam Houston State University, to discuss BITCH PLANET, the feminist dystopian comic book by Kelly Sue DeConnick and Valentine DeLandro, published by Image Comics. Dr. Clevenger, who is also a gender scholar, discusses crime and criminal justice through the lens of gender and gender identity and answers the question of what all of it has to do with the idea of "collapse." Among the topics covered include Roe vs. Wade, the Texas ban of abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, the Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard trial, a shocking historical government program to arrest and imprison women suspected of having STDs without due process, and many other issues affecting women - especially working class women, women of color, queer women, and trans women - in an age of increasing dystopia.  
      
    ***NO SPOILERS for Bitch Planet***  
      
    LINKS
    Dr. Shelly Clevenger faculty page
    https://www.shsu.edu/~icc_www/_inc/dir.php?mode=view&item=467
     
    Department of Victim Studies page at Sam Houston State University
    http://catalog.shsu.edu/graduate-and-professional/college-departments/criminal-justice/victim-studies/
     
    Dr. Shelly Clevenger on Twitter
    https://twitter.com/drclevenger
     
    Gendering Criminology by Shelly Clevenger and Jordana N. Navarro
    https://amzn.to/3Qpi3y8
     
    Bitch Planet, Vol. 1 by Kelly Sue DeConnick and Valentine DeLandro
    https://amzn.to/3QoXlyr
     
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    • 44 min
    America Is a Nation of Javerts: Lessons from LES MISERABLES

    America Is a Nation of Javerts: Lessons from LES MISERABLES

    In this episode, I interview Jim Carey, host of ‘The Left is Dead,’ a podcast about news, politics, and culture from a leftist lens. We discuss one of Jim’s favorite works of fiction, the novel LES MISERABLES by Victor Hugo, and its relevance to the societal and political turmoil we see today.
     
    Jim talks about how the U.S. has basically become an entire nation of Javerts—moral absolutists obsessed with control and punishment—and how a lack of class consciousness,  revolutionary zeal, and a broad coalition with the working class prevents our ability to find real solutions to the biggest problems of our day. He also talks about the moral and political lessons that can be taken away from LES MISERABLES, particularly from the characters of Valjean, Fantine, Marius, and the young revolutionaries whose uprising becomes a failure we can learn from.
     
    We also compare the novel and its socio-political objectives with adaptations of it in pop culture such as the Broadway musical and various film and TV adaptations. I spend a fair amount of time praising the PBS miniseries version and ragging on the Broadway musical for failing to cultivate a more meaningful level of class consciousness among its viewers. 
     
    The Left is Dead
    https://leftisdead.com/   
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheLeftIsDead
    Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheLeftisDead1
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leftisdead/

    Outro music by Benny Martin Piano
    https://bennymartin.com.au/licensed under a Creative Commons License
    https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
    Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/bennymartinpianist
    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ-yPr5SzsB0WHeKcwVONyQ
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bennymartinmusic/
     

    • 44 min

Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5
6 Ratings

6 Ratings

Bruce Hartsough ,

Great podcast on culture and collapse!

I’ve been listening to this excellent podcast for a while, and loved the last two episodes on movies with themes tied to collapse.

The interviews are thoughtful and informative as Daniel and his guests bring the shadow side of the future into focus while never giving the listener a sense of hopelessness.

I love how this podcast series gives me a greater awareness of and insight into popular culture, particularly as someone who doesn’t watch directly engage with a lot of it.

I highly recommend that you listen to the first episode (called episode 0) to get the framing for the series as well as thoughts
on spoilers, etc.

Jimcarey89 ,

A podcast even podcasters who podcast love

As a man in the podcast era, I host a podcast and when I come on from a hard day in the podcast fields making my podcast, I turn on this podcast to take the stresses of podcasts of my podcast. The Left is Dead podcast endorses this podcast and is looking forward to the future episode of the podcast about Maximum Overdrive and the dangers of AI

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