Pete takes control of the mic and the guest trivia as he and Ben discuss the second US broadcast of The Muppet Show and which segments worked, along with the vicissitudes of lip-syncing, the inherent comedy of an upright piano, and Disney's warning labels. https://audioboom.com/posts/7951018 Sources and References: The use of "Indian Love Call" in … Continue reading Guest-starring Jim Nabors!
Ben
Guest-starring Rita Moreno!
From the third leg of the unstable milking stool that is The Perspective umbrella of podcasts comes an analysis of the first season of The Muppet Show on this, the occasion of its 45th anniversary. (We were too impatient to wait another five years!) Join Ben and his new co-host Pete for an analysis of … Continue reading Guest-starring Rita Moreno!
7 July 1971: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
In this super-sized anniversary analysis, enjoy Anna and Ben's discussion about whether children's entertainment has a duty to be moral, whether Gene WIlder was scripted or unhinged, and whether this film holds up to either scrutiny or our childhood memories. And try not to count how many times Ben says something is "Fascinating..." https://audioboom.com/posts/7902224-7-july-1971-willy-wonka-and-the-chocolate-factory Sources … Continue reading 7 July 1971: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
Episode 18: Live from the Grill-O-Mat
For the low, low cost of your entire savings, Ben and Nathan will remove this broadcast containing "sponsored" content by the University of Edinburgh Press, musings on the academic definition of satire, and pointed trivia about Royal societies, all of which could add up to divorce, premature retirement, and criminal proceedings for a company director … Continue reading Episode 18: Live from the Grill-O-Mat
19 February, 1971: Cold Turkey
Anna and Ben cough, gasp, and wheeze their way through the 1971 Norman Lear satire about a whole town that tries to quit smoking, Cold Turkey. Will they come to a consensus about whether the film unfairly judges the characters or successfully establishes stakes, or will Big Tobacco keep their findings from the light of … Continue reading 19 February, 1971: Cold Turkey
9 February, 1971: Little Murders
Anna and Ben venture into the heretofore unknown territory of 1971, and investigate Jules Feiffer's and Alan Arkin's Little Murders. They forensically dissect the romantic power dynamics between Elliot Gould's and Marcia Rodd's characters, but come to very different conclusions about the essence and impact of Donald Sutherland's satirical preacher. If they agree, fine; if … Continue reading 9 February, 1971: Little Murders
Episode 17: The Buzz Aldrin Show
The BBC would like to apologize for the following summary: just for the halibut, Nathan and Ben fish through the episode's many inside references and call-backs, floundering to find a unifying theme. They cod have found something better than this one, but you know what they say: hake it 'til you make it! Reach for … Continue reading Episode 17: The Buzz Aldrin Show
Episode 16: Déja Vu
Tonight, on "It's the Mind", we examine the phenomenon of déja vu, that strange sensation when it feels like Nathan and Ben have already talked about the possibility of last minute edits, Scottish "racism", the hilarity of explosions, and the world record for balancing eggs before. https://audioboom.com/posts/7763036-episode-16-deja-vu Sources and References The Official William McGonagall website … Continue reading Episode 16: Déja Vu
24 December 1970: The Aristocats
Anna and Ben divert somewhat from the traditional format of the podcast and after comparing The Aristocats to its canine antecedents and pondering feline genetic— and financial! — inheritance, they get lost in the weeds of discussing Disney's influence on and responsibility to popular culture. So much so that after the quiz on "catnappings", there … Continue reading 24 December 1970: The Aristocats
5 December 1970: Brewster McCloud
Anna and Ben convene in a fallout shelter under the Houston Astrodome to discuss the fiftieth anniversary of Robert Altman's dark fable. They discuss whether commercial art can be "High Art", whether fairy tales need to make sense, and the great Marshmallow Test of all our lives. https://audioboom.com/posts/7744854 Sources and References: Pauline Kael's New Yorker … Continue reading 5 December 1970: Brewster McCloud
Farced Perspective 