The Show Where They Talk About Monsters: Episode 2.4 - Vampires (Part 2)
The Show Where They Talk About Monsters
Release Date: 12/13/2023
The Show Where They Talk About Monsters: Episode 3.7 - "Human Monstrosity", a talk with Rafiki Jenkins
The Show Where They Talk About Monsters
University of Georgia professor, Rafiki Jenkins, joins Doc and Mike to discuss the origins of human monstrosity (can a human be monstrous?) and how horror fictions presents and complicates history and American culture. We hope you have a fortunate Friday the 13th! Jerry Rafiki Jenkins is Assistant Director of the Institute for African American Studies at the University of Georgia. Rafiki holds a doctorate in Literature from the University of California, San Diego, and his research focuses on Black speculative fiction and film, with an emphasis on horror, and future human studies....
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The Show Where They Talk About Monsters: Episode 3.6 - "The Death of the Author", a talk with Renee Fox
The Show Where They Talk About Monsters
How awful is your favorite author? Did you once love the works of a film director and the ideals they expressed, but, to your dismay, they turned out to be a lout? How does their badness change their art? Do texts belong to the author once they're released into the world? In this episode, Doc and Mike talk with the Co-Director of the Center for Monsters Studies, Renee Fox, about the concept of the "death of the author" and how texts and art can take on their own life, beyond the creator's intentions or control, long after publishing. They discuss complicated artists, Dickens, JK Rowling,...
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The Show Where They Talk About Monsters: Episode 3.5 - The Golem
The Show Where They Talk About Monsters
In this episode, Mike and Doc explore the origins of our favorite lump of animated clay, the GOLEM (pronounced GOAL-EM, not GAUL-UHM)! Protector of Jewish communities, the golem is a powerful ally, but you have to be very specific with your instructions, as it will carry out the task you give it with lethal literality. Enter, if you dare, and learn about the history of the golem, the monster's ties to Freudian psychoanalysis, and how the monster carries on its legacy in today's fantasy and science fiction. About this podcast: MONSTERS! They haunt our days and chill our...
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The Show Where They Talk About Monsters: Episode 3.4 - So You've Decided to Sell Your Soul: Tips for a Buyer's Market
The Show Where They Talk About Monsters
It's...uh...live! Join Mike and Doc as they record their podcast on THE DEVIL in front of a live audience at UC Santa Cruz Center for Monsters Studies' 2024 Festival of Monsters! We also have video evidence that Mike and Doc are not actually ghosts that haunt your smarphones! Watch the podcast here: https://youtu.be/5yFNEpWMwEk About this podcast: MONSTERS! They haunt our days and chill our dreaming nights, to paraphrase Emily Dickinson. There's not a population on earth that does not have its own unique monster stories to tell to frighten, but also to instruct on the...
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The Show Where They Talk About Monsters: Episode 3.3 - Interview with Pete Docter
The Show Where They Talk About Monsters
Mike and Doc interview Oscar-winning director, animator, writer and Chief Creative Officer of Pixar, Pete Docter! Docter wrote and directed some of your favorite Pixar movies including Inside Out, Up, Soul, and, discussed in detail here in the interview, Monsters, Inc. About this podcast: MONSTERS! They haunt our days and chill our dreaming nights, to paraphrase Emily Dickinson. There's not a population on earth that does not have its own unique monster stories to tell to frighten, but also to instruct on the nature of good and evil, right and wrong. But what happens when monsters get...
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The Show Where They Talk About Monsters: Episode 3.2 - Witches! Part 2
The Show Where They Talk About Monsters
Witches! Part deux! Mike and Doc continue to stir their bubbling cauldron, discussing the North Berwick Witch Trials in 16th century Scotland, the witches of Macbeth and other popular representations of witchcraft. This episode is dedicated to the late actor, Dame Maggie Smith, whose lengendary career spanned seven decades and included a famous turn as Minerva McGonagall a witch/professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the Harry Potter film series. About this podcast: MONSTERS! They haunt our days and chill our dreaming nights, to paraphrase Emily Dickinson. There's not a...
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The Show Where They Talk About Monsters: Episode 3.1 - Witches! Part 1
The Show Where They Talk About Monsters
Witches! Mike and Doc confront an all-time favorite monster—with roots as ancient as the werewolf—and delve into the very nature of magic as they explore this terrifying monster. About this podcast: MONSTERS! They haunt our days and chill our dreaming nights, to paraphrase Emily Dickinson. There's not a population on earth that does not have its own unique monster stories to tell to frighten, but also to instruct on the nature of good and evil, right and wrong. But what happens when monsters get out of control, when the monstrous imagination starts to bleed over into the real world? What...
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The Show Where They Talk About Monsters: Episode 2.8 - Frankenstein
The Show Where They Talk About Monsters
FRANKENSTEIN! In the Season Two closing episode, Doc and Mike take on the most iconic monster around and learn a lot about the changes the Creature has undergone in the last 200 years. About this podcast: MONSTERS! They haunt our days and chill our dreaming nights, to paraphrase Emily Dickinson. There's not a population on earth that does not have its own unique monster stories to tell to frighten, but also to instruct on the nature of good and evil, right and wrong. But what happens when monsters get out of control, when the monstrous imagination starts to bleed over into the real...
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The Show Where They Talk About Monsters: Episode 2.7 - Interview with Jeffrey Jerome Cohen!
The Show Where They Talk About Monsters
This episode features a hard-hitting interview with the creator of monster studies, Jeffrey Jerome Cohen! The guys get into the nitty gritty with one of the greatest minds in the field! About this podcast: MONSTERS! They haunt our days and chill our dreaming nights, to paraphrase Emily Dickinson. There's not a population on earth that does not have its own unique monster stories to tell to frighten, but also to instruct on the nature of good and evil, right and wrong. But what happens when monsters get out of control, when the monstrous imagination starts to bleed over into the real...
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The Show Where They Talk About Monsters: Episode 2.6 - Ogopogo
The Show Where They Talk About Monsters
Episode 2.6 Ogopogo Switching it up! This week Mike is interviewed by Doc about the mysterious and ancient lake monster, the Ogopogo! About this podcast: MONSTERS! They haunt our days and chill our dreaming nights, to paraphrase Emily Dickinson. There's not a population on earth that does not have its own unique monster stories to tell to frighten, but also to instruct on the nature of good and evil, right and wrong. But what happens when monsters get out of control, when the monstrous imagination starts to bleed over into the real world? What are the effects of monsters on real...
info_outlineMONSTERS! They haunt our days and chill our dreaming nights, to paraphrase Emily Dickinson. There's not a population on earth that does not have its own unique monster stories to tell to frighten, but also to instruct on the nature of good and evil, right and wrong. But what happens when monsters get out of control, when the monstrous imagination starts to bleed over into the real world? What are the effects of monsters on real people's real lives? This podcast examines the histories and mysteries of some of our favorite monsters to unlock their secrets and expose their influence on our lives.
About the hosts:
Michael Chemers (MFA, PhD) is a Professor of Dramatic Literature in the Department of Theater Arts at UC Santa Cruz. His work on monsters includes The Monster in Theatre History: This Thing of Darkness (London, UK: Routledge 2018). Dr. Chemers is the Founding Director of The Center for Monster Studies.
Formerly the Founding Director of the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dramaturgy Program at Carnegie Mellon University, he joined the faculty of UCSC in 2012. He is also the author of Ghost Light: An Introductory Handbook for Dramaturgy (Carbondale, IL: Southern Illinois University Press, 2010) and Staging Stigma: A Critical Examination of the American Freak Show (New York: Palgrave MacMillan, 2007). Dr. Chemers is also an actor, a juggler, and a writer of drama.
Mike Halekakis is an entrepreneur, business owner, internet marketer, software engineer, writer, musician, podcaster, and hardcore situational enthusiast. He is the co-founder of What We Learned, a company that specializes in compassionate training courses on complex adult subjects such as caregiving for people who are sick, planning for death, and administering after the loss of a loved one. He is also the CEO of Moneyfingers Inc., a company that trains people on how to successfully create, market, and sell products on the internet.
When not burning the candle at both ends with a blowtorch, Mike loves video games, outdoor festivals, reading comics and novels, role-playing, writing and playing music, hanging out with the world’s best cats, and spending time with his amazing wife and their collective worldwide friend-group