UConn PopCast

May 03 2024 1
UConn PopCast Podcast artwork

Analysis of popular culture and how it shapes society, with an emphasis on film and television. Features in-depth discussion, interviews with prominent scholars, and recordings of live shows. Hosted by Stephen Dyson, the associate director of the University of Connecticut Humanities Institute, and a professor of political science, and Jeffrey R. Dudas, professor of political science and affiliate faculty of American Studies at the University of Connecticut.

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Robert Farley on how "Andor" recreates "The Battle of Algiers" (and it works)

May 03 2024 69 mins  
It’s the UConn Popcast, and today we are joined by Professor Robert Farley, author of “Andor: Star Wars Recreates the Battle of Algiers (And it Works).” We talk about how Andor, the Disney+ streamer, was deeply influenced by Gillo Pontecorvo’s 1966 movie The Battle of Algiers. Both texts tell the story of a rebellion against authoritarian colonial overlords, and both do so

Adapting Liu Cixin’s "Three-Body Problem" for Television

Apr 02 2024 81 mins  
It’s the UConn Popcast, and today we discuss Netflix’s new screen adaptation of Chinese science fiction author Liu Cixin’s Three Body trilogy. We discuss the battle between the eye and the idea in film and television science fiction, and whether the new show strikes a successful balance. We consider some of the challenges involved in adapting this distinctively Chinese litera

Reading Taylor Swift as a Cultural and Political Text

Mar 11 2024 64 mins  
It’s the UConn Popcast, and Taylor Swift is by some measures the most popular person on the planet. Her periodic reinventions set the mass cultural terms of debate, and her political interventions – through exhorting her fans on social media – lead to huge spikes in voter registration. It is hoped by Democrats, and feared by Republicans, that a Taylor endorsement of Joe Biden

Prophet Song: A Novel about a Totalitarian Takeover in Ireland

Jan 23 2024 77 mins  
It’s the UConn Popcast, and today we discuss Prophet Song (Atlantic Monthly Press, 2023), Paul Lynch’s Booker Prize winning novel about a totalitarian regime coming to power in Ireland. We discuss the novel’s theorization of individual rights and political power, its success in depicting a family’s unraveling and its failures in telling a broader, more universal story. Why

This is the Best Statement of the Simulation Hypothesis We've Seen

Dec 08 2023 88 mins  
It’s the UConn PopCast, and in this episode we discuss Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s 1973 movie World on a Wire, shown on West German television over two nights, and then lost for decades. When it was restored and re-released nearly 40 years later, the movie quickly gained acclaim as a lost masterwork of science fiction cinema. We discuss the movie’s sophisticated and pioneering

'For All Mankind,’ An Alternate History About the Possibility of Utopia

Nov 15 2023 82 mins  
It’s the UConn PopCast, and in this episode we tackle ‘For All Mankind,’ Apple TV’s alternate history about a space race that never ended. We first react to episode one of season four, which portrays a well-established human base on Mars. What does this first episode portend for the rest of the season, and the overall trajectory of the show? We then dive deep into the polit

Can You Fall in Love with ChatGPT?

Nov 10 2023 58 mins  
The University of Connecticut Humanities Institute recently sponsored a panel discussion on the topic, “Can you fall in love with ChatGPT?” and we recorded this discussion as a live podcast. The panel, which brought together a computer scientist, humanities scholars, and social scientists, focused in part on the latest advances in sociable AI, but much more on the impact these

A Deep Dive into Olivia Rodrigo's "Guts"

Nov 09 2023 64 mins  
Olivia Rodrigo's new album "Guts" offers a compelling perspective on early adult uncertainty, societal expectations of young women, and the craft of songwriting. We take a deep dive into the art and persona of this chart-bestriding performer. The UConn PopCast is proud to be sponsored by the University of Connecticut Humanities Institute. Learn about our MA Program. Learn more abou

What Reality TV Says About Us

Nov 08 2023 44 mins  
Reality TV shapes and reflects how we see ourselves, and what we regard as normal. Professor Danielle J. Lindemann watched thousands of hours of reality tv to decode its influence on society. She joins us to discuss her book True Story: What Reality TV Says About Us (FSG, 2022). Danielle J. Lindemann is an Associate Professor of Sociology at Lehigh University interested in gender,

This Will Change Your Perspective on James Bond

Nov 07 2023 77 mins  
The Bond movies have influenced portrayals of masculinity and femininity for decades, but the Daniel Craig-era saw a revolution in depictions of sex, gender, and inclusivity. The UConn PopCast discusses with Professor Susan Burgess, author of LGBT Inclusion in American Life: Pop Culture, Political Imagination, and Civil Rights (NYU Press, 2023) The UConn PopCast is proud to be spon