Mismatched Texts

01/07/2023

Join us as we drill into early representations of the anthropogenic by way of 1997's STNG "Forces of Nature" and 2003's The Core. Also what the hell is a laser impeller?

Wherein Justice and Andy drill into the anthropocene by way of 2003's The Core and the 1993 episode "Forces of Nature" from Star Trek: The Next Generation. Given that we're confronted with the awesome problem of the climate crisis, we've decided to rewind the clock to look at two early ver...

02/05/2023

Join Mismatched Texts as we discuss the Western Genre both old and new in and 's 1963 McLintock! How has the westen genre evolved in the last sixty years and why have we seen a sudden resurgence of it in popular television? Given that Yellowstone has taken the screen by storm, it seems appropriate to discuss what it's achieving, if anything at all. Topics range from land ownership to settler colonialism to the unfortunate permanence of Westen masculinity. Also, it seems like there's a whole lot of spanking going on...

Wherein Justice and Andy mosey down the trail of the western genre in film and television. We look at Taylor Sheridan's Yellowstone franchise alongside the 1963 John Wayne film McLintock! How has the westen genre evolved in the last sixty years and why have we seen a sudden resurgence of i...

03/04/2023

Wherein Andy and Justice turn back the clock to 2014's Edge of Tomorrow and 1993's Groundhog Day. Why do we keep watching timeloop movies over and over again? What is compelling about the opportunity - or the curse - to relive the same day for years, decades, or centuries? How long could you do it before losing your mind, or is there something to be learned from the journey? Topics range from eastern religions to alien invasions to screaming into the void at the end of your experience. Also, is this Bill Murray's best film?

23/03/2023

Join us as we creep into the conversation of the antihero in popular culture. What do you think accounts for the recent explosion of the antihero in film and television? Why are we drawn to characters of evil and violence? Does it reflect our own anxieties of morality, or is the depravity real? Subjects range from The Joker to Superman to Deadpool and Wolverine, and of course The Boys.

Wherein Justice and Andy creep into the conversation of the antihero in popular culture. What do you think accounts for the recent explosion of the antihero in film and television? Why are we drawn to characters of evil and violence? Does it reflect our own anxieties of morality, or is the depravity...

14/03/2023

Join us as we sketch out a short discussion of the pulling of Scott Adams' Dilbert comic strip from newspapers across the country. This happened as a result of Adams' recent podcast episode in which he ranted about a Rasmussen poll that asked the question "Do you agree with this statement: 'It's OK to be white.'" Topics range from how unfunny Dilbert is to the level of racism inherent in the former author's remarks.

Wherein Andy and Justice sketch out a short discussion of the pulling of Scott Adams' Dilbert comic strip from newspapers across the country. This happened as a result of Adams' recent podcast episode in which he ranted about a Rasmussen poll that asked the question "Do you agree with this...

27/02/2023

Justice Hagan and I are back at it again. This time we discuss the very impressive Apple TV series "See" and the disappointing effort of "Jurassic Park: Dominion." From the staggering vistas in See to the cramped chase scenes in Jurassic Park, we discuss the impact fresh IP can have vs. the recycling/rebooting of old work.

Wherein Justice and Andy create a new conversation around the ideas of recycled and fresh intellectual property. We take a look at the (hopefully) final Jurassic World film and the Apple TV series See in an effort to demonstrate that there are still fresh ideas out there. Why are the....

31/01/2023

Join as march through a conversation about race, urban spaces, and violence in 1993's Falling Down and Rockstar's 2013 modern classic Grand Theft Auto 5. In this second look at GTA5, we focus more on a racialized breakdown of the fictional version of Los Angeles, Los Santos, and read that against "D-Fens" journey through Los Angeles. Why does "D-Fens" think of himself as the victim when he is the agent of violence? What are the racial representations depicted in Los Santos and how do they compare to director Joel Schumacher's version of Los Angeles? How do we identify as the characters from these stories and how are we implicated in their narratives?

Wherein Andy and Justice march through a conversation about race, urban spaces, and violence in 1993's Falling Down and Rockstar's 2013 modern classic Grand Theft Auto 5. In this second look at GTA5, we focus more on a racialized breakdown of the fictional version of Los Angeles, Los Santo...

16/01/2023

Join Mismatched Texts as we ambush the argument about who would win in a fight between two of the best sneak attackers in comic books, The Punisher or Batman. While Batman is probably the most popular character in DC comics and Marvel's The Punisher flies mostly under the radar, they have remarkably similar styles (and costumes). It's in their methodology and intent where things get a little different. Who wins? Listen and see.

Wherein Justice and Andy ambush the argument about who would win in a fight between two of the best sneak attackers in comic books, The Punisher or Batman. While Batman is probably the most popular character in DC comics and Marvel's The Punisher flies mostly under the radar, they have remarkably si...

27/11/2022

Join us as we exploit the news that has acquired the rights to . Can this be a wise financial move. Could they possibly have the resources to adapt an almost fundamentally unadaptable novel. Probably not.

Wherein Justice and Andy capitalize on the news of the Daily Wire's acquisition of the unadaptable Atlas Shrugged. Is there any way at all that this could possibly be a wise financial move for erstwhile conservative "news" organization? Could you imagine how many seasons this monstrosity would need?...

20/11/2022

Join us as we conjure up some discussion about childhood magic and trauma in It and the Stranger Things. Besides the terror we explore the hypertext of It inside of Stranger Things.

Wherein Andy and Justice conjure up a discussion of the Netflix original series Stranger Things and Stephen King's IT. The orignal novel and both adaptations of King's horrying nightmare all present us with a version of victimized or marginalized children who are able to collectively....

31/10/2022

Join us as we take a look at Star Trek's mist bigoted and perhaps most out of place character. We take a look at the questionable and short lived appearance of Dr. Pulaski here.

Wherein Justice and Andy interrupt both the micro - and macro aggressions of Dr. Kathryn Pulaski on Star Trek: The Next Generation to talk about her flawed character. After Dr. Crusher's temporary departure, the showrunners made a terrible blunder by replacing her comradery with a character who...

16/10/2022

Join Mismatched Texts as we discuss the representations of death in 's The Seventh Seal and Alix Harrow's Hugo award winning short story "Mr. Death." Which death is more compelling, a compassionate late stage companion or one who cheats at chess? We dedicate this episode to Alan Hoffmann (1954-2022).

Wherein Andy and Justice are dying to understanding the many representations of a personified death in film and literature. We look at the 2022 Hugo Award-winning short story Mr. Death and the 1957 Ingmar Bergman film The Seventh Seal. Given its inevitablity, death is typically represented...

01/10/2022

Mismatched Texts is back. Join us as we explain our reasons for being away and gear up for more conversations.

Wherein Justice and Andy return to the arena of pop culture and literary studies after an overwhelming August and September. We share some of our hardships and personal reasons for having had to take a break from working on the show. We missed you and we missed each other. Glad to be back!

18/08/2022

Wherein Justice and Andy conjure up a discussion of the 1992 Disney film Aladdin and The Daevabad Trilogy by S. A. Chakraborty. How are Middle Eastern and North African cultures depicted in these works? In what ways do they employ myth and the supernatural? Given the 24 years between them, do we see a growth in the way that MENA cultures are represented in narrative? Does Jafar deserve eternal slavery as a djinn for forcing the sultan to eat crackers?



https://mismatchedtexts.libsyn.com/episode-23-aladdin-the-daevabad-trilogy

Wherein Justice and Andy conjure up a discussion of the 1992 Disney film Aladdin and The Daevabad Trilogy by S. A. Chakraborty. How are Middle Eastern and North African cultures depicted in these works? In what ways do they employ myth and the supernatural? Given the 24 years between....

04/08/2022

Wherein Andy and Justice challenge each other's readings of Ted Chiang's The Truth of Fact, the Truth of Feeling. How do we trust our memories? Should we trust them? What effect would memories based on perfect recall have on our development? Would you commit your whole life to a recording? We wouldn't!



https://mismatchedtexts.libsyn.com/short-35-ted-chiangs-the-truth-of-fact-the-truth-of-feeling

Wherein Andy and Justice challenge each other's readings of Ted Chiang's The Truth of Fact, the Truth of Feeling. How do we trust our memories? Should we trust them? What effect would memories based on perfect recall have on our development? Would you commit your whole life to a recording? We w...

23/07/2022

Join us as we hammer out Season 3 of The Boys and plot its possible futures.



https://mismatchedtexts.libsyn.com/short-34-the-boys-season-3-and-whats-next

Wherein Justice and Andy hammer out the impact of the third season of The Boys and where the series might go next. Who's the real villain here and what's with the short-lived redemptive arcs? Is Butcher going to go full-supe? How will the show maintain its Homelander-focused anxiety over two mo...

22/07/2022

Come along with us as we welcome longtime friend and colleague Jackielee Derks, to a remix of Helen Oyeyemi's Mr. Fox and Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Why do authors and production companies keep retelling the same stories? Is it to address contemporary issues or to enrich the almighty corporation? Topics range from J. J. Abrams' time-honored practice of mere enhancement to Oyeyemi's impressive confrontation of the long history of writing violence onto women. How does Rey fit into the Star Wars retelling? Given Abrams' history, in the worst way possible.



https://mismatchedtexts.libsyn.com/episode-22-mr-fox-the-force-awakens

Wherein Andy and Justice welcome Dr. Jackielee Derks, longtime friend and colleague, to a remix of Helen Oyeyemi's Mr. Fox and Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Why do authors and production companies keep retelling the same stories? Is it to address contemporary issues or to enrich the a...

02/07/2022

Before the final finale of Stranger Things check out Justice Hagan and I discuss the increasingly common (and increasingly frustrating) practice of the mid season hiatus.



https://mismatchedtexts.libsyn.com/short-33-mid-season-series-breaks

Wherein Justice and Andy pause their reading to rant about the increasingly common practice of television series to take mid-season breaks. What is the point of making viewers wait when the content is already finished? Are you doing this to extend our subscriptions? Are you trying to drag out award....

27/06/2022

We think from is a phenom of a journalist and interviewer. We also think she has a unique style, and we discuss it here.



https://mismatchedtexts.libsyn.com/short-32-terry-gross-interview-style

Wherein Andy and Justice profile the interview style of Terry Gross, legendary host of Fresh Air on National Public Radio. Why does Terry skip the pleasantries in her guest introductions? And why does she begin with a seemingly off-topic and ultra-specific question? Also, Conan O'Brien likes tapdanc...

21/06/2022

Join as we welcome Dr. Brian Kenna to the show. The three of us chronicle the myths, gods, and the supernatural present in Neil Gaiman's American Gods and Richard Adams' Watership Down. What is the function of myth in these stories? How do deities operate as representations of belief and models created by contemporary human cultures? What does Jesus have to do with chocolate rabbits and eggs? Nothing whatsoever. But also, maybe something? It depends on who is telling the story.

criticism

https://mismatchedtexts.libsyn.com/episode-21-american-gods-watership-down

21/06/2022

Mismatched Texts : Episode 21 - American Gods & Watership Down

Wherein Justice and Andy welcome Dr. Brian Kenna to the show. The three of us chronicle the myths, gods, and the supernatural present in Neil Gaiman's American Gods and Richard Adams' Watership Down. What is the function of myth in these stories? How do deities operate as representations of belie...

02/06/2022

Bond, James Bond. He's a cultural icon and been played by 7 different people. How's he holding up? And why is it always a he? Join Justice Hagan and I as we infiltrate the James Bonds and speculate about the future of this "hero."




https://mismatchedtexts.libsyn.com/short-31-james-bond-past-and-future

Wherein Andy and Justice infiltrate the legacy of James Bond's many representations throughout the decades. If James Bond is a reflection of his culture, which era has spoken to you and why? Has Daniel Craig changed our ideas of who Bond can be? Is there a Bond that stands above the rest? It can't p...

30/05/2022

Mismatched Texts : Short # 31 - James Bond Past and Future

Wherein Andy and Justice infiltrate the legacy of James Bond's many representations throughout the decades. If James Bond is a reflection of his culture, which era has spoken to you and why? Has Daniel Craig changed our ideas of who Bond can be? Is there a Bond that stands above the rest? It can't p...

29/05/2022

Join Mismatched Texts as we welcome special guest Nicole Hoffmann to discuss a remake and update to "Highwayman," the 1985 country music classic. The new song is "Highwomen," and spoiler alert, it's terrific.



https://mismatchedtexts.libsyn.com/short-30-highwomen-the-highwaymen

Wherein Justice and Andy welcome guest Nicole Hoffmann to the show to groove on the Highwomen's 2019 remake of the 1985 "Highwayman" song. How do the Highwomen recast the "Highwayman" song from a female perspective? What are the different approaches that each takes to individual and collective endea...

18/05/2022

Mismatched Texts : Episode 20 - The Little Mermaid & Spider-Man

Wherein Andy and Justice dive into the conversation about the representation of female characters in film. In The Little Mermaid (1989) and Spider-Man (2002) we find two women initially thought to be positive portrayals of strong female identity. Yet, looking back, both fail to meet even basic mo...

04/05/2022

Join us we discuss Ted Chiang's Nebula Award winning masterpiece "Tower of Babylon." Can we build a tower tall enough to find God? Or, perhaps, is the divine to be found in the tower itself? Or, if the system is closed, then what should we be looking at?



https://mismatchedtexts.libsyn.com/short-29-ted-chiangs-tower-of-babylon

Wherein Justice and Andy construct their reading of Ted Chiang's Nebula award-winning short story "Tower of Babylon." While building a tower to heaven, Ted Chiang follows the experiences of a miner, Hillalum, as he prepares to chisel his way into paradise. Let's just say, things get turned upside-do...

30/04/2022

Mismatched Texts : Short # 29 - Ted Chiang's "Tower of Babylon"

Wherein Justice and Andy construct their reading of Ted Chiang's Nebula award-winning short story "Tower of Babylon." While building a tower to heaven, Ted Chiang follows the experiences of a miner, Hillalum, as he prepares to chisel his way into paradise. Let's just say, things get turned upside-do...

26/04/2022

Mismatched Texts : Short # 28 - The Batman Film Review

Wherein Andy and Justice investigate the new DC Comics film The Batman. How does Batman's depiction in this work measure up against past iterations of the hero? The Batman films seem to be getting darker and more grim with each reboot. Is the next one going to be just a black screen with the sounds...

21/04/2022

Join us as we stake out our claims on undead origins in the AMC's The Walking Dead and the film adaptation of Anne Rice's Interview With The Vampire. Why are zombie stories more up front with the origin of the undead than vampire stories? Is it because zombie stories are typically hyper-contemporary? Is it because zombie are a threat to civilization while vampire are threats to individuals? Which would you rather fight: an army of zombies or a single vampire?



https://mismatchedtexts.libsyn.com/episode-19-the-walking-dead-interview-with-the-vampire

Wherein Justice and Andy stake out their claims on undead origins in the AMC's The Walking Dead and the film adaptation of Anne Rice's Interview With The Vampire. Why are zombie stories more up front with the origin of the undead than vampire stories? Is it because zombie stories are typic...

19/04/2022

Mismatched Texts : Episode 19 - The Walking Dead & Interview With The Vampire

Wherein Justice and Andy stake out their claims on undead origins in the AMC's The Walking Dead and the film adaptation of Anne Rice's Interview With The Vampire. Why are zombie stories more up front with the origin of the undead than vampire stories? Is it because zombie stories are typically hyp...