Tag: Discussion

DNA Podcast 141 – Martial Arts in Popular Culture (of the 20th Century)

The Department of Nerdly Affairs
The Department of Nerdly Affairs
DNA Podcast 141 - Martial Arts in Popular Culture (of the 20th Century)
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Original Poster for The Five Fingers of Death (aka King Boxer)

In this episode, Don and Rob are back exploring how movies and television took martial arts from being weird and forbidden arts practiced by a select few to the McDojos of the 1990s. Along the way, they discuss how the Shaw Brothers changed everything, how Bruce Lee never dies, and why American Ninja ruled the 80s. All this, and Don and Rob’s “Martial Arts Top 10s!” are waiting for you in this action-packed episode of The Department of Nerdly Affairs.

Closing Music:
Ode to Joy performed by Oliver Eckelt

Show Notes:

These Fists Break Bricks
Get Tough! by Major Fairbairn
The Manchurian Candidate
The Shaw Brothers
The One-Armed Swordsman
Wuxia
Bonnie and Clyde
The Legend of Billy Jack
Kung Fu TV Series
The Five Fingers of Death (aka King Boxer)
Enter the Dragon
Golden Harvest
Mystics in Bali
Drunken Master
Encounters of the Spooky Kind
The Bodyguards
Sonny Chiba
The Many Clones of Bruce Lee
The Karate Kid
American Ninja
Black Belt Theatre TV Package
Pat Morita
Ralph Macchio
Chuck Norris
Kill Bill
The Street Fighter Theme Song

Our Top 10 Lists:

Rob
10) The Karate Kid
9) Zatoichi series
8) Once Upon a Time in China series
7) Master of the Flying Guillotine (1976)
6) Police Story (Jackie Chan)
5) The Street Fighter (Sonny Chiba)
4) Kung Fu Cult Master
3) The 36th Chamber of Shaolin
2) Iron Monkey
1) Five Fingers of Death + Enter the Dragon

Don
10) The Death Master (1972)
9) Hai Karate Aftershave
8) D&D Monk Character Class (original)
7) They Call Me Bruce
6) Gymkata
5) Street Fighter II (game)
4) Miami Connection (watch MST3K live version!)
3) Hokuto no Ken (Fist of the North Star)
2) Kung Fu Hustle
1) Count Dante and the Black Dragon Society


DNA Podcast 138 – Family in Popular Culture

The Department of Nerdly Affairs
The Department of Nerdly Affairs
DNA Podcast 138 - Family in Popular Culture
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Aka “Al” and “Peggy” Bundy

In this episode, Don and Rob do their best Vin Diesel impressions and spend the whole episode talking about family. They talk about what family really is, its place in society over time, and most importantly, its place in drama up until today. All this, and why “Punch and Judy” was the original socially destabilizing family comedy, is waiting for you in this episode of The Department of Nerdly Affairs.

Closing Music:
Ode to Joy performed by Oliver Eckelt

Things Discussed:

Dan Carlin: Suffer the Children
Aristotle’s “Poetics”
Punch and Judy
Bringing Up Father
The Gumps
Lil Abner
Blondie
I Love Lucy
Leave it to Beaver
Bewitched
I Dream of Jeannie
One Day at a Time
The Brady Bunch
Family Ties
The Cosby Show
Cousin Oliver
Married with Children
Roseanne or maybe….
Friends
Big Bang Theory


DNA Podcast 137 – AI in Popular Culture

The Department of Nerdly Affairs
The Department of Nerdly Affairs
DNA Podcast 137 - AI in Popular Culture
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In this episode, Rob and Don look back at the past of humanity’s relationship with Artificial Intelligence and ponder where it will be going in the future. The duo discuss recent innovations in AI, how people’s concept of what AI is has changed over the years, and why AI might not want to wipe us out after all. All this, and why sexbots may herald humanity’s doom, is waiting for you in this episode of The Department of Nerdly Affairs.

Closing Music:
Ode to Joy performed by Oliver Eckelt

Things Discussed:

Artificial Intelligence
Google Engineer Claims Google AI is Sentient
BF Skinner
ChatbotGPT
Dr. Susan Calvin (Robopsychologist from Issas Asimov stories)
Queensryche- The Warning (Album)
GREY (manga)
The Turing Test
Understanding Comics
Cognitive Dissonance
The Singularity
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
Is the Internet Conscious? If It Were, How Would We Know?
Colossus: The Forbin Project
Electric Dreams (movie)
Lawnmower Man (movie)
Cyberpunk
Max Headroom
Gamma World
Tay Microsoft Chatbot
Korean Mukbang Videos


DNA Podcast 136 – Classic Doctor Who

The Department of Nerdly Affairs
The Department of Nerdly Affairs
DNA Podcast 136 - Classic Doctor Who
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LONDON, ENGLAND – JANUARY 01: English actor Tom Baker in his role as the fourth incarnation of Doctor Who in the British science fiction television series of the same name, circa 1975. With him are two of his arch-enemies the Daleks. (Photo by Anwar Hussein/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

In this episode, Rob and Don are joined by Jack Ward to discuss the 20th century versions of the iconic staple of U.K. science fiction – Doctor Who. The trio discuss how they first met The Doctor, the various incarnations and evolutions of the series, and how it affected their lives. All this, and which Doctor is Don’s favorite, is waiting for you in this episode of The Department of Nerdly Affairs.

Closing Music:
Ode to Joy performed by Oliver Eckelt

Things Discussed:

Doctor Who
The Sonic Society
Magic Shadows Documentary
“Couch Jumping”
Professor Quatermass
ITV
Space: 1999
Professor Kitzel
Trickster God
Sixties Spy Craze
The Master
FASA DR.WHO RPG
Abslom Daak: Dalek Killer
Interview with Tom Baker from 1981
Hammer Horror
X-Men: Days of Future Past
Genesis of the Daleks


DNA Podcast 135 – Breaking Up With Fandom Is Hard To Do

The Department of Nerdly Affairs
The Department of Nerdly Affairs
DNA Podcast 135 - Breaking Up With Fandom Is Hard To Do
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In this episode, Don and Rob discuss the thorny issue of why people break up with their media darlings. The two delve into the reasons why people and the properties they love might go their separate ways, and explore whether that’s a good or bad thing. Along the way, the duo discuss heavy metal, isekai, and manga, but everything they talk about can be applied to anything that brings joy to peoples’ hearts. All this, and a healthy dose of nerd rage, is coming to you in this episode of The Department of Nerdly Affairs.

Closing Music:
Ode to Joy performed by Oliver Eckelt

Things Discussed:

Marie Kondo
The Phantom
Ghostbusters- Afterlife
A Headbanger’s Journey
The KISS Army
Venom (Band)
Kylie Jenner Diet Pepsi Commercial
Isekai
Truck-kun
Hikkomori
Being an Influencer is Soul Crushing
Sentai
Samurai TV DNA Episode
SLAM DUNK!
MASHLE
SPRIGGAN
MAZINGER
DEVILMAN
All-Star Squadron
The Desert Peach
The Streisand Effect

Don’s Four Ways Fans Break up with a Property
-(fans) Age Out
-(fans) Reach Saturation (with a property)
-Style Drift (of the media property)
-Hardcore Nerd Rage (because fans don’t get what they want from it anymore)

Rob’s Fifth:
-Fans are driven away by toxic fandom even though they still like the property.


DNA Podcast 132 – The Psychology of Comics

The Department of Nerdly Affairs
The Department of Nerdly Affairs
DNA Podcast 132 - The Psychology of Comics
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In this episode, Don and Rob discuss the psychology of comic books. The two delve deep into the unconscious desires of comic book readers, discuss why Manga failed to find an audience in 1980s America, and probe how comics are linked to human needs. All this, and why British girls comics are the anti-manga, is waiting for you in this episode of The Department of Nerdly Affairs.

Closing Music:
Ode to Joy performed by Oliver Eckelt

Things Discussed:

Martin Scorsese on Marvel Movies
Seduction of the Innocent
Cap’s Kooky Quartet
Eagle Comics
Golgo 13
Fist of the North Star
Albedo
Omaha the Cat Dancer
Condorito
Cypher (X-men character)
The Man With No Name Trilogy
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Human Needs
DNA History of Manga Podcast (Part 1 / Part 2)
Highlights Magazine
City Hunter
Super Doctor K Manga (Scalpel of the North Star!)
Slam Dunk! Manga
Prince of Tennis
Shonen Jump Online
The Japanese Bubble Economy
Blacksad
Rock Lee (Naruto Character)
Stupid Comics – British Girls Comics
Welcome to Webcomics (YouTube Video)

Japanese manga fulfils 12 basics human needs:
1. Sexuality (Physiological)
2. To feel safe or secure? (Safety)
3. To belong group to a group (Love and Belonging)
4. Being loved (Love and Belonging)
5. Being picked/needed (Esteem)
6. Being admired/respected (Esteem)
7. Being praised (Esteem)
8. Being useful (Esteem)
9. To be praised for effort (Esteem)
10. To feel clever or smart (Self-Actualization)
11. To feel special/powerful (Self-Actualization)
12. To be a hero or at least the leader (Self- Actualization)


DNA Podcast 130 – The Mandela Effect

The Department of Nerdly Affairs
The Department of Nerdly Affairs
DNA Podcast 130 - The Mandela Effect
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In this episode, Don and Rob explore the intersection of reality and human perception and how these two things often fail to match up. Along the way they discuss Don’s four ways reality and humanity tend to disagree, how the internet has been both a help and destructive force in determining reality, and more high weirdness than you can shake a Sasquatch at! All this, and how rye bread may have caused the Salem Witch Trials, is waiting for you in this episode of The Department of Nerdly Affairs.

Closing Music:
Ode to Joy performed by Oliver Eckelt

Things Discussed:

The Matrix
The Weekly World News
The Slenderman
Slenderman Murders
Richard Gere Gerbiling
The Jersey Devil
The Satanic Panic
The Salem Witch Trials
Did Climate Change Cause the Salem Witch Trials?
How Rye Bread May Have Caused the Salem Witch Trials
Cognitive Dissonance
Paul is Dead
Zines
CKLW The Big 8
King Diamond
Officially Pronounced Dead Patch
The Thunderbird Picture
The Berenstain Bears
The Mandela Effect
Penn Jillette
Roy the Game from Rick and Morty
STTNG The Inner Light
Ape Canyon Bigfoot Tale
The Legend of Boggy Creek
The Paterson-Gimli Film
Mysterious Monsters 1975 Movie
The Loch Ness Monster
In Search Of TV Series
Amityville Horror
In Search of The Amityville Horror
The Silly Season
Reddit Bazaar of the Bizarre group
Merman Seen off the Coast of Brest (1725)
The Necronomicron
SCP Foundation
SCP Abridged
Creepypasta


DNA Podcast 129 – Anime Tabletop Roleplaying

The Department of Nerdly Affairs
The Department of Nerdly Affairs
DNA Podcast 129 - Anime Tabletop Roleplaying
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The Coolest Anime RPG Cover of all time! Courtesy of comics artist Ben Dunn.

In this episode, Don and Rob sit down to talk about tabletop roleplaying’s relationship with anime and manga, and the many successful and failed attempts to simulate anime style adventures through RPGs. Along the way, the duo discuss Rob’s four types of anime RPGs, how anime and RPGs have both evolved over time, and the enduring question of whether BattleTech is actually an anime-style game. All this, and more references to Mayfair’s DC Heroes RPG than you can shake a 5 AP stick at, is waiting for you in this episode of The Department of Nerdly Affairs.

Closing Music:
Ode to Joy performed by Oliver Eckelt

Things Discussed:

Bubblegum Crisis RPG
Weird War Comics
Dragonball Z
Prefectural Earth Defense Force
Ashita no Joe (Tomorrow’s Joe)
Mekton RPG
Cyberpunk RPG
Teenagers from Outer Space
Urusei Yatsura
DC Heroes RPG (Mayfair)
Tenra Bansho Zero
Galaxy High Cartoon
TOON RPG
Robotech RPG
BattleTech Wargame
Armored Trooper Votoms: The Role-Playing Game
Cartoon Action Hour Season 2
Big Eyes Small Mouth (BESM) RPG
Sailor Moon RPG
Champions RPG
Vampire: The Masqurade
Ninja Crusade RPG
Blue Rose RPG
Magical Girl Meg-Chan
Tunnels and Trolls
Quick-Ass Gaming System


DNA Podcast 128 – Who Gates the Gatekeepers?

The Department of Nerdly Affairs
The Department of Nerdly Affairs
DNA Podcast 128 - Who Gates the Gatekeepers?
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An anti-film censorship cartoon published in The Film Mercury magazine circa 1926.

In this episode, Rob and Don are joined by Jack Ward to discuss the issue of gatekeeping in our culture. Along the way, the three discuss who the new gatekeepers are, if they’re any different than the old ones, and why people feel the need to censor and monitor the expression of others. All this, and the Horseshoe Theory of Politics, is waiting for you in this episode of The Department of Nerdly Affairs.

Closing Music:
Ode to Joy performed by Oliver Eckelt

Things Discussed:

Gina Carano
Hartley Sawyer
CNN First Broadcast
The Fairness Doctrine
i-Dosing
The Sad Puppies
VOX Article on “I Sexually Identify as an Attack Helicopter”
Horseshoe Theory of Politics
Emo Phillips
Rotten Rejections
True Colors
MIT Predicted a Social Collapse, and We’re Right on Schedule!


DNA Podcast 126 – Injuries in Popular Culture

The Department of Nerdly Affairs
The Department of Nerdly Affairs
DNA Podcast 126 - Injuries in Popular Culture
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In this episode, Don and Rob explore how the way that injuries are portrayed in a story has a bit effect on how the audience perceives both stories and reality. Along the way, the two discuss how movies, role playing games, and comics have shown injuries, and what it says about their presentations of reality. All this, and 16 Lies Movies have Told You About Violence, is waiting for you in this episode of The Department of Nerdly Affairs.

Closing Music:
Ode to Joy performed by Oliver Eckelt

Things Discussed:

Dick Tracy
Dick Tracy Cartoon Ethnic Cast
The Last Action Hero
The Hays Code (aka The Motion Picture Production Code)
New Hollywood
Pam Grier
CHAMPIONS: The Superhero RPG
DC HEROES (Mayfair RPG)
16 Lies About Violence that Movies have Told You (from CRACKED.com)
Fight! Dragon TV series
The Dragon Man Skull