I am a computer circuit that thinks, therefore, I am? Listen to Derek and Laurel discuss the long science fiction tradition of artificial intelligence, and the history of the fictional robot. Baked into these narratives is the question of human consciousness. Intuitively, we all know we are conscious, right? But how do we define it, and can we create it in our technology? All these questions and more will be (kinda) answered in this week’s podcast, “Don’t Disconnect Me Brah!” Stories explored will include 2001: A Space Odyssey, R.U.R., Asimov’s I, Robot, and others…
Episode 118: Bringing Skeksi Back | The Dark Crystal, Greek Mythology & the Art of Puppetry
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Another world. Another time. In the age of wonder… Join us this week for a discussion of the 1982 Jim Henson film The Dark Crystal. Hot on the heels of Netflix’s release of a prequel series (Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance), we’ll explore the richly textured world of the original film, the creatures that inhabit Thra, and the mysteries of the crystal itself. We’ll share some background on the ancient art of puppetry, and how he unification of puppet and puppeteer communicates the philosophy of the film. We’ll uncover the subconscious mythological allusions of major characters, discuss the power dynamics of skeksis and mystics, and share our love of Jim Henson’s singular achievement.
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Midnight Myth Time Machine | Episode 10: Punk Rock Justice
Welcome to the Midnight Myth Time Machine! We’re republishing our back catalog to make our older episodes widely available. This episode originally aired in 2017.
Derek and Laurel are back at it again, inspired by the FX series “The People vs OJ Simpson.” They contextualize justice as a story, one that evolves through time and cultural relativity. Beginning in Ancient Greece, where mythology and justice merged as one, Derek and Laurel follow the thread to Marvel Studio’s Captain America: Civil War.
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(Bonus) The Wheel of Ka: Episode Seven, The Wind Through the Keyhole
Nearly a decade after Stephen King concluded the Dark Tower, he went back to Roland and his Ka-Tet and wrote The Wind Through the Keyhole. Chronologically, the book takes place in between Dark Tower books 4 and 5, where Roland finds himself and his band of travelers taking shelter amid the dangerous freezing storm called the Starkblast. Stephen King plays with meta narrative as the story of The Wind Through the Keyhole is Roland telling a story about young Roland telling a story. From shape shifting murderers to tigers in a cage, Derek and Steve break down this interesting narrative as they travel closer and closer to the nexus of the universe, the Dark Tower, say thank ya.
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Episode 117: Ruthless | The Handmaid's Tale Season 3, European History & The Old Testament
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CW: sexual violence, war, genocide
Spoilers for season 3 of The Handmaid’s Tale on Hulu
As season 3 of The Handmaid’s Tale comes to a close, we’re left with burning questions about the nature of humanity and the repetition of history. Are human beings selfish and inclined only to protect their own power? Or are they capable of remarkable acts of selflessness? What separates those who oppress others from those who rise and fight oppression? We look to the examples of recent history—specifically to the kindertransports (organized evacuations of predominantly Jewish children from Nazi-occupied areas of Europe) before and during the Second World War—to find models in our world for the kind of magnanimous, mundane, and ruthless work humans have done in service of others. We dissect season 3’s numerous parallels to the Biblical story of Exodus and the implications of those parallels. Lastly, we examine the arcs of our closest character, questioning the show’s take on redemption for even the most monstrous among us.
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Midnight Myth Time Machine | Episode 9B: Take This Ring
It’s the Midnight Myth Time Machine—our back catalog is headed to podcast platforms near you. This episode, which originally aired in March of 2017, is the second half to our first discussion of JRR Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings universe. Where in the previous episode we focused on world-building through the various races of Middle Earth, here we explore the mythological precedent for magic rings and rings of power.
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Midnight Myth Time Machine | Episode 9A: Spears Shall Be Shaken
And given unto Derek and Laurel was a podcast of power, forged in the concrete of South Philadelphia, and in it, they poured their nerdiness, love of mythology and story telling! Listen this week as we scratch the surface of JRR Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, as we examine the structure, history, and lore behind the modern world’s most famous fantasy series. We take time to look at where Wizards are from, and why Dwarfs are the conservatives of Middle Earth. We talk about how the Elves came to being, and the cyclical nature of good vs evil. We also take a look at the villains of Middle Earth and the corruptive influence of Sauron’s lidless burning eye. If you like journeying to a magical realm where anything is possible, then listen, enjoy, and tell a friend!
Episode 116: Cabbages & Kings | Alice in Wonderland, Logic & Nonsense
Follow us down the rabbit hole as we wrap up a three-part miniseries on classic Disney animated features. This week, we’ll turn our gaze away from fairy tales and toward something curiouser… Alice in Wonderland. We’ll discuss the literary impact of Lewis Carroll’s beloved children’s masterpiece, the surprising logic behind the nonsense, and a philosophical outlook on Alice’s absurd adventures. What are Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum? What does the Cheshire Cat really want? And why oh why is a raven like a writing desk? Then we’ll investigate some of the key differences between the source material and Disney’s adaptation and what those differences can teach us about the historical context from which each version was born. A dash of Homer’s Odyssey and a pinch of psychedelia, and we might as well join the mad tea party.
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Check out our new merch store for Midnight Myth, Boomerangerang, and Wheel of Ka tees and totes!
Learn more, view sources and inspiration, and sign up for e-mail updates at www.midnightmyth.com
If you enjoy the podcast, please consider leaving a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen!
Sources
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