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Overthinking It Podcast
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Overthinking It subjects the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve.
42episodes
Episodes
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Episode 869: It Was Hard to Experience It as Funny
Mar 3, 2025Tap to summarizeSupport Overthinking It by becoming a member for $5/month! Matthew Wrather faces hostile interlocutors Peter Fenzel and Matt Belinkie, who want to know why he’s so crazy about the so-called “comedian” Stewart Lee. Wrather takes them back to the first time he saw anything by Lee, a simpler time for streaming rights when Stewart Lee’s Comedy Vehicle Series 3 was streaming on Netflix. He sets them to watch S3E2 (“England”), S4E6 (“Childhood”), and S3E1 (“Shilbottle”). Belinkie likes all the comedies except stand-up, and Pete wonders why Wrather is even so into this guy. The answer? The death of the post war social-democratic ideal and concomitant decline in the stature of the liberal public intellectual. Sometimes comedy is tough going. But I suppose it made me who I am today. Download (MP3) Subscribe: iTunes Other Apps Further Reading Stewart Lee (Wikipedia) Legally Download Stewart Lee’s Comedy If You Have Illegally Downloaded Stewart Lee’s Comedy Other Comedians Jimmy Carr Does Crowd Work Fluffy Iglesias Episode 869: It Was Hard to Experience It as Funny originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
Transcribe →Episode 868: Don’t Call Me Daughter
Feb 24, 2025Tap to summarizeSupport Overthinking It by becoming a member for $5/month! The gang takes this show all the way to Broadway, with Matt Belinkie, Peter Fenzel, Mark Lee, and Matt Wrather celebrating Audra McDonald’s tour de force as Mama Rose with a look through the many adaptations and themes of Gypsy: A Musical Fable, by Arthur Laurents, Jule Style and Stephen Sondheim, based on the memoirs of Gypsy Rose Lee. Is it, as some critics claim, among the greatest American book musicals ever made? What would that even mean were it to be true? What does it have to do with King Lear? How does the fictionalization of its true story deal with reality vs. fantasy vs. the human condition? We discuss a paradox at the heart of many of the truly great theatrical parts: when they are played by the greatest actors in the greatest ways, do they ever really truly fall apart, or plunge from the heights into desperate ruin? What sort of dignity and sympathy does the ultimate fictionalized stage mom engender that may or may not be due to her historical antecedent? Who did it how, and how did it best? And where did Belinkie get a half-bottle of mead on a Tuesday? Everything’s comin’ up Otis! Download (MP3) Subscribe: iTunes Other Apps Further Reading Audra McDonald in Gypsy: Now on Broadway (2025) The Bette Midler Gypsy TV Movie (1993), from Chicken Soup for the Soul TV The Imelda Staunton Gypsy Savoy Theatre Production, London (2016), from YouTube Movies & TV The Twisted Accounts Behind Gypsy: A Musical Fable, from Drama Dorks “‘Gypsy’ The Musical Is LGBT History?’” From the Philadelphia Gay News, September 2017 The Female Broadway Belt Voice: The Singer’s Perspective, by Christianne Roll, Journal of Singing Volume 76, Number 2 pp 155-162, November/December 2019 Paradise Lost, Book V, 859-869 Episode 868: Don’t Call Me Daughter originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
Transcribe →Episode 867: You’re Not Supposed to Be Here
Feb 17, 2025Tap to summarizeSupport Overthinking It by becoming a member for $5/month! Peter Fenzel, Mark Lee, and Matthew Wrather (temporarily regaining the throne as the host of the program!) undertake the annual tradition of interpreting the commercials and halftime show of the Super Bowl. This year, they find a strange landscape of dislocation and confusion: no one is where they are supposed to be. Either you look up and see a strange face—replaced, as with David Beckham and Matt Damon, or aged, as with Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan—or else you realize that you are the wrong person in the wrong place at the wrong time, like the inimitable Walton Goggins. The theme continues through the halftime show, with Kendrick Lamar playing the game of America while Uncle Sam keeps insisting he’s doing it wrong. But there is one social dislocation that is defiantly celebrated, in a trio celebrating the physical and economic strength of women. Download (MP3) Subscribe: iTunes Other Apps Further Reading The Commercials of Super Bowl LIX (The Athletic) Kendrick Lamar’s Halftime Show (YouTube) 2001 Halftime Show (blink and you’ll miss Nelly!) (YouTube) Episode 867: You’re Not Supposed to Be Here originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
Transcribe →Episode 866: A Great Sodium Vapor Process Movie
Feb 10, 2025Tap to summarizeSupport Overthinking It by becoming a member for $5/month! Some of the most fascinating movies are the big hits that somehow faded from our collective memories. Matthew Belinkie, Peter Fenzel, Mark Lee, and Matthew Wrather revisit Disney’s fascinating Dick Tracy, a 1990 kids movie that was heavily promoted at McDonalds and features dozens of people getting mowed down by Tommy guns and the line, “You don’t know if you want to hit me or kiss me. I get a lot of that.” This movie has an astonishing array of talent behind it. Warren Beatty’s previous directorial effort, Reds, won him an Oscar for Best Director and nominations for Best Actor and Best Screenplay. He’s joined here by Al Pacino (who would be nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his scenery-chewing and self-mocking villain), and Madonna at the height of her fame (she produced an entire concept album to promote the film). Mandy Patinkin, Paul Sorvino, Dick Van Dyke, Dustin Hoffman, and even Kathy Bates show up, most nearly unrecognizable. But maybe the real stars are Stephen Sondheim, who contributed several delightful songs and picked up an Oscar for “Sooner or Later,” and above all cinematographer Vittorio Storaro, a legend who does astonishing work with matte paintings, giant sets, and ingenious trick photography. This movie is truly one-of-a-kind, and even if it doesn’t entirely succeed, it’s hard not to be nostalgic for a time when Hollywood could take big risks on creative people trying something new. Download (MP3) Subscribe: iTunes Other Apps Further Reading Dick Tracy: The Most Bonkers Comic Book Movie Ever 1991 Dick Tracy Movie Complete Trading Card Base Set Dick Tracy: The Official Book of the Movie This Invention Made Disney MILLIONS, but Then They LOST It! DUNKACCINO Vittorio Storaro (IMDb) Episode 866: A Great Sodium Vapor Process Movie originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
Transcribe →Episode 865: Yo Momma IV
Feb 3, 2025Tap to summarizeSupport Overthinking It by becoming a member for $5/month! Matt Belinkie, and Pete Fenzel, and Matthew Wrather rummage through the sci-fi spare parts that comprise Section 31, the Emperor Philippa Georgiou spin-off movie that you never knew you wanted, because you never wanted it. Assembled under the aegis of Star Trek, this up-tempo outing hacks together the remnants of a possible streaming series shortened by Michelle Yeoh’s Oscar win and mutually agreed upon better things to do into what can only be described as “A Paramount Plus Original Movie.” The jaunty action comedy that starts with the protagonist killing her own family and a 90s video game cutscene narrated by Jamie Lee Curtis beams to and fro among a stinging slam on traditional Trek institutional optimism, a potpourri of borrowings from other more successful movies and shows across genres, and a pastiche of wild guesses at what “the kids are into these days.” The Matts, and Pete track influences, predecessors, ways to approach considering what this movie is or might be for those who watched it or liked it, and how different works balance the eclectic and the shared in the construction of fictional teams of misfits. Download (MP3) Subscribe: iTunes Other Apps Further Reading Introduction to Lexx, from the VHS Video vault FADE IN: The Making of Star Trek Insurrection – A Textbook on Screenwriting from Within the Star Trek Universe, by Michael Piller The Best of Emperor Georgiou – Top 10 Moments | Star Trek Discovery, from Milky Way Flier Let’s Play Wing Commander III: Heart of the Tiger (Mission 1 briefing) An instance of one of “The Devices” from 24, sold at auction in July 2020, at Propstore The Fifth Element (1997) – The Diva Dance Scene, posted by Screen Themes Episode 865: Yo Momma IV originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
Transcribe →Episode 864: A World of Bugs with a Thin Layer of Grass
Jan 27, 2025Tap to summarizeSupport Overthinking It by becoming a member for $5/month! Matt Belinkie (Good Matt), Matt Wrather (Evil Matt), Mark Lee (Good and Evil Mark at the Same Time), and Pete Fenzel (Fenzel, Walk With Me) honor the passing of the cinematic visionary David Lynch by watching and talking about Blue Velvet, his 1986 neo noir art cinema comeback in the wake of That Dune With Sting. We overthink the parallel and sometimes unrelated questions of how we find Lynch’s work compelling and if we enjoy our time watching it. We dive into psychological schools, genre influence, mastery of two worlds, how Laura Dern Is Queen, and symbolic dualities of light and color, seeking to ensconce our brains in the film’s language to “crack its code.” But Lynch was not a filmmaker seeking to be understood, and sometimes there’s just a dark-bearded man in an orange coat holding a giant empty frappuccino on the train in the winter who may or may not kill you. It’s a strange world, after all. Download (MP3) Subscribe: iTunes Other Apps Further Reading Lynchian, from the Oxford English Dictionary Farming with Soil Life: Macrofauna >> Insects, from Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Embrace the Darkness: Carl Jung and the Shadow, from Einzelganger Thoughts on War and Death: Return to Freud, Episode 24, from Philosophy Portal Blue Velvet Cake Recipe, from The Spruce Eats Season 1: Red vs. Blue Complete, from Rooster Teeth David Lynch’s Last Public Broadcast Speech at Meditate America, September 13, 2024 Episode 864: A World of Bugs with a Thin Layer of Grass originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
Transcribe →Episode 863: World Wildlife Federation
Jan 20, 2025Tap to summarizeSupport Overthinking It by becoming a member for $5/month! Fenzel and Belinkie are lapsed wrestling fans, at least partially because we no longer have cable. But with Monday Night RAW moving to Netflix, this gives us the perfect opportunity to revisit one of America’s most unique artforms. The WWE (née F) has been a pop culture force to be reckoned with from the days of Hulk Hogan, through the TV-14 Attitude Era of The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin, and beyond (a generation of John Cena haters seems to have been replaced with a new generation of Cena worshippers). But it’s only in the last year that the company finally ousted Vince McMahon, a true visionary and scumbag who finally Me Too’ed himself into a corner he couldn’t suplex himself out of (the same week as the Netflix debut, the SEC filed more charges against him for massive hush money payments). Pete and Matt go over this history and then admire some wrestling skills like promo work, controlling the tempo of the match, and the multifaceted role of the announcers. Important to remember: Edge and The Edge are two very different people and only one has a manbun. Download (MP3) Subscribe: iTunes Other Apps Further Reading Full Raw highlights: Raw, Jan. 6, 2025 FULL MATCH — The Rock vs. Hollywood Hulk Hogan: WrestleMania X8 The Big Bossman interrupts the funeral of Big Show’s father Scott Steiner’s Math Promo Sacrifice 2008 ACTUAL FOOTAGE Sheamus to Drew McIntyre, ‘I can lose the weight, you can’t lose stupid!’ | WWE on FOX Episode 863: World Wildlife Federation originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
Transcribe →Episode 862: Your Bias Isn’t Going to Defeat My Bias
Jan 13, 2025Tap to summarizeSupport Overthinking It by becoming a member for $5/month! Clint Eastwood has been one of America’s most iconic actors and directors for several generations now, and he’s kept busy well into his 90s. But with no projects currently in development, it seems like Juror #2 might be his swan song. Like many of his directorial efforts, this movie is about normal people who become swallowed up by our nation’s institutions, in this case the legal system. Pete, Mark, and Matt delve into this odd beast: part legal thriller, part morality tale, part negative Yelp review of a roadhouse called “Rowdy’s Hideaway.” The panelists are at first skeptical about the ending, and maybe the entire second half. After introducing a genuinely interesting setup, does the movie know what to DO with it? Everyone has their own ideas of where the story COULD have gone. But the more they talk, the more they understand the story CLINT wanted to tell, one in which nobody wants to do the hard thing so ultimately we don’t get the Hollywood ending we’ve been trained to expect. If you’re looking for heroism, you’re going to have to consult Clint’s work pre-Unforgiven. The only hope for the future he’ll leave us with is a cryptic look from Toni Collette, but maybe that’s a start. Download (MP3) Subscribe: iTunes Other Apps Further Reading Juror #2 on Max Skin in the Game – Wikipedia Toby Keith – As Good As I Once Was Lyrics | Genius Lyrics Episode 862: Your Bias Isn’t Going to Defeat My Bias originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
Transcribe →Episode 861: How Did Freddie Krueger and Luke Skywalker Become Friends?
Jan 6, 2025Tap to summarizeSupport Overthinking It by becoming a member for $5/month! For years, Jimmy Carter was seen as a symbol of humiliating failure. (Back in 1993, The Simpsons did a joke where the town couldn’t afford a Lincoln statue and had to settle for a Carter one.) But Carter spent his post-presidency tirelessly working for Habitat for Humanity and winning Nobel Prizes, and by the time he passed away at age 100 his reputation had been transformed. Ben Adams, Matt Belinkie, Mark Lee, and Pete Fenzel use him as a jumping off point to talk second acts. Mark Hamill was a has-been in the 90s (also mercilessly mocked by The Simpsons) but his decades of work voicing the animated Joker gave him a whole new legacy. Mike Tyson went from disgraced fighter to quirky Cartoon Network star. And Joe Rogan was a c-list actor and reality tv host before he was the biggest podcaster in the world. What’s the secret to reinventing yourself? Do we all have a second act within us? Download (MP3) Subscribe: iTunes Other Apps Further Reading A Guide to Mark Hamill’s Colorful Non–’Star Wars’ Career Jason Everman – Wikipedia Wristwatch Revival – YouTube ‘The Last of Us’ Continues Craig Mazin’s Hollywood Ascent – The New York Times Episode 861: How Did Freddie Krueger and Luke Skywalker Become Friends? originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
Transcribe →Episode 860: Babysitters 40k
Dec 30, 2024Tap to summarizeSupport Overthinking It by becoming a member for $5/month! Matt Belinkie, Peter Fenzel, Mark Lee, and Matthew Wrather celebrate the last podcast of the year with the themes that made 2024 what it was. Lee defies gravity, Wrather buys reading glasses, Belinkie revs up his chainsaw sword, and Fenzel steps back for a logo 3. It’s not a year in review, because who could review it all, and it’s not a look forward to 2025, because who wants to spoil the surprise? We talk synchronic vs. diachronic framing of virtuosity and ask what Wicked has in common with the South Korean political crisis and what Warhammer 40k has to do with the Babysitters’ Club. It may be more than you think! Download (MP3) Subscribe: iTunes Other Apps Further Reading Warhammer 40k on the Babysitters’ Club Club fandom wiki Ed O’Neill “Al Bundy” the Journey to Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt from the Jiu-Jitsu Times Modern Family: Commencement, also on fandom featuring Sensei Ron Graeme O’Neal Shows Entertainment Weekly Showing Idina Menzel’s Reaction to Cynthia Ervino’s Cinematic Reinterpretation of Idina Menzel’s Stage Interpretation of Defying Gravity by Stephen Schwarz Henry Cavill’s Warhammer 40K Cinematic Universe Signs on the Line with Amazon and He’s Over the Moon: ‘A fantastic place to start,’ from PC Gamer Caitlin Clark: Athlete of the Year, 2024, from TIME Synchrony and Diachrony: James Stirling’s Students at Yale, lecture by Emmanuel Petit, PhD at the Yale School of Architecture Guin Saga to Resume 4 Years After Original Novelist’s Passing, from the Anime News Network Episode 860: Babysitters 40k originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]
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