Claim OwnershipThe Macademia Nuts
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© 2024 The Macademia Nuts
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We’re media academics who chat about pop culture, media industries, news, and pretty much all things media
73 Episodes
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Beyoncé has dropped her much anticipated album Cowboy Carter, and the Nuts wonder if this will finally net her the album of the year Grammy. Of course not all country fans agree, and the nuts discuss the origins and media systems that produce loyalty in the country genre. A discussion of influencer culture, and the modern impetus to sell to the highest bidder, makes the Nuts nostalgic for the grunge era. Somehow this leads to a discussion of the best Star Wars movie, Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, and Amy Winehouse desert island scenarios, and Lindsey’s life with synesthesia.
This week’s current media makes this episode a bummer. A discussion of the documentary season Quiet on Set turns into a larger discussion about the culture of abuse in Hollywood. This leads to a discussion about the recent raid of P. Diddy’s homes, along with allegations of abuse and trafficking. Other topics include the public relations failures involving Kate Middleton’s health-related absences from public and the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. Somehow, Zach Snyder’s Rebel Moon is a bright point of this episode.
Eventually, the Nuts discuss the 2024 Oscars, but there are so many more interesting things to talk about before that. Lindsey finished all 85 hours of The Sopranos, and she wants you to be impressed. The Nuts discuss trends, such as Member’s Only jackets and cargo pants. Viewing recommendations include Resident Alien, Poor Things, and Oppenheimer. And yes, the Nuts have opinions about this year’s Oscars.
David saw the Sony “Spiderverse” movie Madame Web so you don’t have to. It is as bad as you’ve heard. The Nuts discuss the new X-Men ‘97 series and David’s subsequent watching of the original X-Men series. A discussion of the popularity of Stanley cups leads to a discussion of marketing and viral trends, and how Alec was mocked for his Member’s Only jacket in middle school. The Nuts extensively discuss home entertainment technology, including trends in media tech. It’s not as boring as you think. Finally, Lindsey builds a greenhouse.
This week was the Super Bowl, so of course Alec starts the episode by ranting about his difficulties getting a new iPhone from AT&T and UPS. Somehow this leads to a discussion of Super Bowl advertiser Temu and their unique business model. The Nuts do get around to talking about the enormous ratings of the Super Bowl, the halftime show, favorite commercials, and - not surprisingly - Taylor Swift. Other Super Bowl-related topics include Alyssa Milano and youth sports, Patrick Mahomes’s status as a challenger to Tom Brady for greatest of all time, and Jason Kelce.
The Nuts have a spoiler-filled discussion of the Netflix true-crime documentary American Nightmare. Also, somehow David was unaware that there have been multiple seasons of the broadcast television show The Conners. The Nuts discuss the Grammys, including Taylor Swift and Beyonce. David has a favorite Taylor Swift album. Finally, the Nuts discuss people walking around with Apple Vision Pro.
For some reason, butter keeps coming up in this episode. We’re sorry. Other observations include the world is cruel to night owls, and true Southerners like grits. Topics include the usual television recommendations, Alec’s new video game obsession, and the implications of the ongoing Swift/Kelce relationship. The Nuts question statistics about the most popular soft drink in each state, including the Coke vs. Pepsi debate, and they weigh in on the Justin vs. Britney debate. Finally, the Nuts address the Oscars debate.
Alec is very proud of his recent video game conquests on his new Nintendo Switch; however, Lindsey has no idea about any of it, and David doesn’t play Switch that much. The Nuts discuss the history of the gender divide in video gaming. Other topics include NBC’s decision to broadcast an NFL playoff game on their streaming platform Peacock, the Emmy Awards, and whether Lindsey would choose to save Amy Winehouse or Taylor Swift. Finally, the Nuts pay tribute to the end of Letterkenny, the end of Nick Saban, and the end of Jason Kelce’s football career.
From good to disturbing, the Nuts watched the worst (and best) so you don’t have to - unless you want to. Lindsey and David discuss the good movie that is also disturbing, Saltburn, and they convince Alec not to watch it. Alec and David don’t have to work very hard to convince Lindsey not to watch Rebel Moon, which some people out there actually enjoyed, apparently. Alec proposes his u-shaped model of movie badness and enjoyability. Other debates on bad media include college football bowls and this year’s Golden Globes.
Netflix has finally released a detailed report of their hourly viewership of over 18,000 shows, and the Nuts are giddy about it. The Nuts discuss the implications of these numbers for television production and streaming products moving forward. Taylor Sheridan is suing one of his Yellowstone stars, Cole Hauser, over coffee, and the Nuts decide if they are Team Sheridan or Team Costner. The Nuts discuss their holiday viewing plans. Also, there is a not-so-spirited debate over whether pineapple belongs on pizza.
Alec is very upset about FSU not making the college football playoff, and he takes it out on Bama graduate Lindsey. In fact, he takes it out on a lot of people, including the entire Southeast region and husky owners. The Nuts discuss the financial interests and media organizations involved in college football. Other topics include the new Indiana Jones, Brie Larson, and the MCU.
David and Lindsey watched the Love Has Won documentary on HBO Max, and it has taken over their lives. They discuss the documentary, its shocking subject matter, and why Alec shouldn’t watch it. The Nuts then discuss cognitive dissonance and why people stay in cults, as well as how they could form their own cult. Other topics include college football, Thanksgiving horror, the Eras Tour on streaming, and the failure of F1 in Vegas. Finally and appropriately, the Nuts discuss Karens.
Of course, the Nuts are excited about Thanksgiving Break, and they have strong opinions about last-minute class meeting times. The main conversation covers the end of the SAG-AFTRA strike, and what it means for the future of streaming. David and Alec went to see The Marvels so you don’t have to. The Nuts try to figure out where the MCU goes from here (the answer may be Deadpool). The rest of the conversation focuses on Letterkenny, Shorsey, hockey, and Canadian comedies, eh.
Lindsey has read the Britney Spears biography, and David and Alec need the scoop. The Nuts then wrap up October by discussing The Exorcist and Monster Squad, which leads to a discussion of favorite movies the Nuts missed in the theaters - Lindsey and Alec discover they both have an appreciation for Kingdom of Heaven. Other topics include Marvel’s box office panic over The Marvels, the success of Five Nights at Freddie’s, and the entrepreneurship of Matthew Lillard. Finally, the Nuts discuss how the current media environment has left Hollywood with many unanswered questions when it comes to revenue streams. Oh, and Lindsey and Alec are excited for Christmas.
Not only is Lindsey’s no-movie-theater streak broken, but this weekend she took her daughters to their very first movie in the theater. David and Alec interrogate her about the experience, and the Nuts discuss their first movie theater experiences (as well as what movies are appropriate for kids). The highlight of this week’s spooky Halloween episode is a discussion of scary movies, why we like them, and their enduring box office success. The episode ends with the revelation of pending Halloween costumes.
The streak is broken! Lindsey finally ended her almost decade-long ban on seeing movies in the theater for the Taylor Swift concert film. A discussion of her children’s soon-to-be first trip to the movies turned to the lies we tell children. Of course, the Eras Tour movie’s box office and implications are discussed, as is a disturbing Reddit post involving unhealthy fandom. Other topics include Beyonce’s successful tour, Nicholas Cage and John Voigt’s acting styles, and college football rivalries. Also, Lindsey believes Barbie is this generation’s Roger Rabbit.
The Nuts begin this week’s podcast with a debate about which was a better outreach for the NFL: the game played in London, the Toy Story broadcast, or the Swift/Kelce relationship. Other debates include Mark Rober vs. Bill Nye as the greatest kids science host, superhero fatigue, and Halloween costumes. David leads the group in a game of guess-the-movie based on quirky taglines, Alec has a theory about the Toy Story universe’s timeline, and all three nuts think about how often they consider the Roman Empire.
This week’s hot story is the potential relationship between Taylor Swift and NFL player Travis Kelce, dubbed “Traylor.” The Nuts discuss the gossip, the social metrics, the ratings, and the lonely lives of superstars. Alec and Lindsey make bold predictions about the length of the relationship. Other topics include Cameo, comic cons, and the price of interacting with a celebrity, other parasocial interactions, and the rise of creators on video apps. Finally, Lindsey and Alec introduce David to Blippi.
The Nuts discuss recent celebrity apologies from Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis, and Drew Barrymore as well as the ongoing Hollywood writer’s strike. They then imagine a shared cinematic universe of animals on cocaine. Finally, Alec encourages David and Lindsey to subject themselves to the 80s Disney 3D attraction film Captain Eo starring Michael Jackson. Other topics include college football and physiometric measurement in research.
With the weather-induced difficulties at the Blue Ridge Rock Festival, the Nuts discuss whether the culprit in outdoor festival drama is God or capitalism. Speaking of capitalism, the Nuts discuss the tense negotiations between Disney and cable provider Charter Spectrum, and what this portends for the future of television. On a related note, the Nuts have difficulty recognizing current network television shows. Other discussions include David’s affinity for Tool and Neil DeGrasse Tyson, Vegas residencies, and live mascots at universities.
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