161: A Discussion of Pop Culture

The hosts engage in a spirited debate about the merits of mass-appeal pop culture versus obscure artistic niches. The conversation ranges from the credibility of legacy rock bands to the psychology of 'guilty pleasures' and the intellectual effort required to create content for the masses.

Originally aired October 12, 2009|The Early Podcast: Marc & Tod|Download MP3

Chapters (11)

00:00IntroductionOpening credits and initial greetings between Marc, Tod, and John.
00:42Weekend Recaps & ForeignerDiscussion of Dodger games and Marc's experience seeing Foreigner.
03:06Concert ExperiencesTod discusses seeing a diminished version of the Happy Mondays.
04:41Monsters of CredibilityDefining bands that are known by name but have no recognizable songs.
06:02Pavement & Indie CredDebating the appeal and technical skill of the band Pavement.
09:23The Foreigner DebateMarc argues against the stigma of liking 'dated' arena rock.
13:13Mass Appeal vs. NicheDiscussion on the technical difficulty of writing for a general audience.
17:44Mainstream MediaEvaluating the value of shows like The Simpsons and American Idol.
22:15Guilty PleasuresA story about a 'manly' guy blasting Tina Turner and the 'hipster' label.
26:02Meta EnjoymentDiscussing 'arting up your perv' and analyzing media from a creative perspective.
30:26Closing ThoughtsFinal reflections on intelligence and mass media, ending with a Foreigner track.

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