Soder Podcast Episode 60: "Never Open the Package" with Nick Mullen

Release Date: December 17, 2024
Host: Dan Soder
Guest: Nick Mullen

Overview

This episode is a classic riff-heavy hang between Dan Soder and comedian Nick Mullen (known for his sharp, meta humor and as co-host of Cum Town). The conversation dives into the state of Hollywood sequels, nostalgia and risk-taking in movies, YouTube culture, internet fame, and the absurdities of both pop culture and daily life. True to form, Mullen and Soder blend insightful commentary with deadpan, irreverent bits, keeping the tone both playful and subversively critical.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Hollywood's Aversion to Risk and Sequel Culture

• Sequels and Reboots
  • Discussion starts with the Gladiator 2 trailer, which Soder says just feels like a "copy and paste" of the first ([00:49]).
  • Mullen argues big-budget Hollywood avoids creative risks, with sequels essentially being remakes with surface-level changes ([01:00]).
  • Star Wars is used as a key example: the prequels were initially risky (with Jar Jar Binks), but the backlash made studios scared to innovate.
    • “At least there is a creative impulse ... they try.” — Nick Mullen ([01:10])
    • “Phantom Menace is better than A New Hope.” — Mullen's hot take ([01:51])
    • Soder: “You’re saying one over four? There’s a Star Wars nerd that just punched through drywall.” ([02:07])
• Gladiator 2 vs. Originals:
  • Soder and Mullen agree the new Gladiator lacks the organic character build-up and emotional weight of the first ([06:18]).
  • “It felt like they were just taking stuff and being like, remember this? There it is.” — Soder ([10:15])
  • The two compare Gladiator 2 to the Saints of Newark Sopranos movie, criticizing shallow fan service over meaningful storytelling ([05:29]).

2. Meta-Critique of Movies and Characters

• The hosts lampoon Hollywood's failure to explore, for example, the real politics of Rome or consequences of power ([07:33]).
• They riff on the hypothetical: “What if Joe Biden was Emperor Marcus Aurelius?” with Soder delivering in a Bidenesque voice ([07:41]).
• Discussion on character-driven versus issue-driven movies, with a preference for classic hero journeys over overt social commentary, as seen in The Dark Knight Rises ([09:09]).

3. Pop Culture Absurdities

• Jar Jar, C3PO, and Representation:
  • Extended bits on Jar Jar Binks' Caribbean-coded accent, imagined “Domino Binks” as a blinged-out Chewbacca, and Star Wars’ odd attempts at diversity ([02:30]; [04:22]).
  • “So what? What's wrong with Jar Jar being Caribbean?” — Mullen ([04:20])
  • “Even the robots gotta be gay.” — Mullen joking about C3PO ([13:54])
• Transporter Rulebook:
  • Soder and Mullen plot out a hypothetical Transporter watch-along podcast and joke about Jason Statham’s character’s rules — especially, “Never open the package,” which he immediately breaks ([17:30]; [17:34]).
  • “Transporter behavior is drug addict behavior ... It’s like, I’m gonna look what’s in there.” — Soder ([17:56])
• Action Hero Showdowns:
  • Lively debate: Who wins, Transporter (Statham), Dom (Vin Diesel), or Taken’s Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson)? Mullen: “Obviously Liam Neeson because he’ll let the other two guys fight and then finish them off” ([20:39]).

4. Internet Fame and Downfalls

• Riff on a once-straightedge YouTube lawyer who spiraled into drug addiction and scandal, highlighting how exposure and money warp digital creators ([57:57]).
• Discussion about how different internet fame feels from traditional celebrity—with lower barriers, sudden wealth, and more opportunity for personal implosion ([59:28]).

5. Comedy, Lying for the Bit, and Social Dynamics

• Stories about inventing fake personal histories (Harvard, deceased spouses) to see what people will believe ([32:55]; [34:14]).
• Soder admits to telling comics that Michelle Wolf was emancipated as a teen just to see reactions ([34:18]).
  • “I used to just wear a Harvard shirt… people would think you went to Harvard.” — Mullen ([34:05])

6. Politics, War, and Global Satire

• Satirical takes on U.S. interventions, regime change fallout, and Middle East politics, drawing parallels to movie logic ("kill bad guy, all good") versus real messy aftermath ([53:36]).
• Riffs on appointing comedians to political office, with Mullen lobbying Shane Gillis to recommend him as Secretary of the Interior so he can create "Jurassic Park Yosemite" ([43:53]; [44:18]).

7. YouTube, Streaming Culture, and Shifts in Entertainment

• Mullen and Soder discuss the baffling popularity of long YouTube streams and how they never put Cum Town on YouTube, missing what became the biggest platform ([56:55]).
• Lament how Hollywood has lost its risk-taking edge; now, everything is more sanitized or focus-grouped.
  • “1999 is the big year... there was just more money, buying more scripts, taking bigger risks.” — Mullen ([38:34])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Star Wars and Nostalgia:

  • Mullen: “Phantom Menace is better than A New Hope” ([01:51])
  • Soder: “You’re saying one over four? There’s a Star Wars nerd that just punched through drywall.” ([02:07])

• On Hollywood Risk Aversion:

  • “It felt like they were just taking stuff and being like, remember this? There it is.” — Soder ([10:15])

• On Character Archetypes:

  • “The first Gladiator movie is childish, but in a good way.” – Mullen ([06:51])
  • “You want to be an emperor because these emperors suck.” – Mullen, on Denzel’s character ([08:30])

• Action-hero Movie Satire:

  • “Never look in the package. That’s his rule … then he opens it immediately.” — Soder ([17:38])
  • “Transporter behavior is drug addict behavior.” — Soder ([17:56])

• YouTube Creator Downfall:

  • “[He] had a scotch every stream, then lost 100 pounds and got busted for coke with his kids testing positive.” — Mullen, recapping a cautionary tale ([58:55])

• On Wearing Harvard Swag:

  • “I just bought the shirt in the gift shop. … You can just buy this shirt and people think you went to Harvard.” — Mullen ([35:15])

• Internet Comedy & Grift:

  • “Those are artists. We’re just slop makers.” — Mullen ([44:30])

• Trans Bud Light Commercial Pitch:

  • Soder: “He walks outside, a gust of wind blows his pants off, and everyone’s like, Shane’s trans now... People are like, ‘Should we stop drinking Bud Light?’ They’re like, ‘Nah dude, it’s Shane. It’s for everybody.’” ([41:42])

Segment Timestamps

• [00:49] – Hollywood sequels, remakes, and lack of risk
• [01:51] – Hot takes on Star Wars original vs. prequels
• [05:29] – Sopranos "Saints of Newark" movie and fan service
• [06:18] – Gladiator 2 character development criticism
• [13:54] – Goofing on C3PO, Jar Jar, and diversity in sci-fi
• [17:30] – The Transporter, its "rules", and breaking them
• [20:13] – Fast & Furious vs. Transporter vs. Taken
• [43:53] – Mullen's pitch for Secretary of the Interior ("Jurassic Park Yosemite")
• [53:36] – Regime change, Middle East, and movie logic versus chaos
• [56:55] – YouTube, podcasting, and the rise of streaming personalities
• [57:57] – YouTube lawyer downfall story

Overall Tone

The episode keeps a loose, spontaneous, and sarcastic energy—equal parts pop-culture dissection and improvised absurdity. Both Soder and Mullen freely oscillate between insightful social commentary and digressive comedic bits, embracing the meta, slightly jaded view of the entertainment industry and internet culture. Their chemistry delivers both laugh-out-loud moments and a subtle undercurrent of critique on how creative culture, fame, and media are evolving.

For New Listeners

Even without background on specific movies or comedians discussed, you'll enjoy the fast, irreverent banter and meta-humor. Soder and Mullen manage to mine both deep laughs and sharp insights from the way stories—on screen and online—are told and re-told, as well as what happens to the people who tell them.

Notable Guest Plug:

• [60:59] – Soder shouts out Mullen's new special: "Watch Nick Mullen's special Year of the Dragon on YouTube right now!"