Meaning What

The way people talk about fine art sucks, but it doesn't have to. Join Mason Hershenow (photographer and educator) and Sean Ang (chef and musician) as they discuss the art world in a truly groundbreaking way: like real people. Welcome to Meaning What, a space for conversations missing in contemporary art and culture. New episodes every other Thursday.

Season Finale 06/19/2025

Season Finale MEANING WHAT WILL RETURN IN AUGUST 2025 In this, our final episode of Season 3, Mason and Sean look back on some of the topics and films we discussed this season and look forward to what’s to come. It is a very organized and focused episode and we are consummate professionals. Subscribe to our for more context, and follow us on and . ——— Meaning What is a production of it's no sam studios Created by Mason Hershenow Produced by Sean Ang Edited, scored, and mixed by Mason Hershenow /episode/index/show/meaningwhat/id/37051605

The Dressmaker (2015) 06/05/2025

The Dressmaker (2015) It’s Pride Month, so Mason let Sean pick the movie and that’s how we ended up watching the 2015 drama(?) The Dressmaker, and then workshopped it until we came up with a better version of it. Hire us as script doctors and give us millions thank youuuuu. Subscribe to our for more context, and follow us on and . ——— Meaning What is a production of it's no sam studios Created by Mason Hershenow Produced by Sean Ang Edited, scored, and mixed by Mason Hershenow /episode/index/show/meaningwhat/id/36857760

Rant-O-Rama 05/23/2025

Rant-O-Rama This week, Mason and Sean discuss some of their least favorite things in contemporary art and culture. Lenny Kravitz comes up a lot for some reason. Subscribe to our for more context, and follow us on and . ——— Meaning What is a production of it's no sam studios Created by Mason Hershenow Produced by Sean Ang Edited, scored, and mixed by Mason Hershenow /episode/index/show/meaningwhat/id/36684735

Mommie Dearest (1981) 05/11/2025

Mommie Dearest (1981) This week on a very special (late) episode, Mason and Sean discuss Frank Perry’s Joan Crawford biopic Mommie Dearest. It’s a film that both helped sink Faye Dunaway’s career and massively influenced contemporary drag culture, but is it worth watching in 2025? If you Happy Mother’s Day! Subscribe to our for more context, and follow us on and . ——— Meaning What is a production of it's no sam studios Created by Mason Hershenow Produced by Sean Ang Edited, scored, and mixed by Mason Hershenow /episode/index/show/meaningwhat/id/36520970

Lucy Dacus and Indie Success 04/25/2025

Lucy Dacus and Indie Success This week Mason and Sean talk about Lucy Dacus’s latest album Forever is a Feeling and the bigger picture its mid-tempo, mid-temperature love songs paint about indie music and social media consumerism as a whole. Stop reading this and listen to the episode. Subscribe to our for more context, and follow us on and . ——— Meaning What is a production of it's no sam studios Created by Mason Hershenow Produced by Sean Ang Edited, scored, and mixed by Mason Hershenow /episode/index/show/meaningwhat/id/36303485

Meaning What Returns April 24th 04/10/2025

Meaning What Returns April 24th Earlier this week we said goodbye to Senior Producer, resident trash goblin, and longtime good boy cat sidekick Lincoln Hershenow. In his honor (and in the interest of Mason's health), we decided to take the week off. We will return with a new episode on April 24th. Subscribe to our on Substack, and follow us on and . ——— Meaning What is a production of it's no sam studios Created by Mason Hershenow Produced by Sean Ang Edited, scored, and mixed by Mason Hershenow /episode/index/show/meaningwhat/id/36090645

Crash (2004) 03/27/2025

Crash (2004) This week Mason and Sean discuss what is widely considered to be one of the worst films to ever win the Oscar for best picture. We did this because it is almost April Fool’s Day when this comes out, and I’m not sure it was worth it. You should rate, review, and share our podcast, just to make it worth it. Thanks, you’re the best. Subscribe to our for more context, and follow us on and . ——— Meaning What is a product of it's no sam studios Created by Mason Hershenow Produced by Sean Ang Edited, scored, and mixed by Mason Hershenow /episode/index/show/meaningwhat/id/35881685

Art For No One 03/13/2025

Art For No One This week Mason and Sean reflect on Ethel Cain’s recent noise album Perverts and the broader lessons it points to about who we make art for and why. Subscribe to our for more context, and follow us on and . ——— Meaning What is a product of it's no sam studios Created by Mason Hershenow Produced by Sean Ang Edited, scored, and mixed by Mason Hershenow /episode/index/show/meaningwhat/id/35666740

Best Picture Nominees 2025 02/27/2025

Best Picture Nominees 2025 This week Mason and Sean discuss this year’s nominees for Best Picture at the 2025 Academy Awards. Between the two of us, we watched almost all of them—which is more than can be said for some of the Academy voters. Allegedly! Subscribe to our for more discourse, and follow us on and . ——— Meaning What is a product of it's no sam studios Created by Mason Hershenow Produced by Sean Ang Edited, scored, and mixed by Mason Hershenow /episode/index/show/meaningwhat/id/35452945

Some Thoughts on China 02/13/2025

Some Thoughts on China This week, Mason and Sean discuss the rising influence of China in US culture. They touch everything from the electronics we use to the clothes we wear to the politics we…um…politic; and yet, we’re still told they’re one of our biggest enemies. Is this really the case? We probably won’t definitively answer that here, but we will remind you about The House of Gucci, so there. Subscribe to our for more discourse, and follow us on and . ——— Meaning What is a product of it's no sam studios Created by Mason Hershenow Produced by Sean Ang Edited, scored, and mixed by Mason Hershenow /episode/index/show/meaningwhat/id/35266605

Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019) 01/29/2025

Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019) For this month's Meaning What Movie Club, Mason and Sean discuss one of the greatest films ever made. Subscribe for deep dives from Mason (and sometimes even Sean!) into topics from the podcast and from the wider world of art and culture, delivered every Thursday directly to your inbox. You can also follow us on and . And you should. ——— Meaning What is a product of it's no sam studios Created by Mason Hershenow Produced by Sean Ang /episode/index/show/meaningwhat/id/35061655

New Year Spectacular! 01/16/2025

New Year Spectacular! A new year has dawned, and with it a fresh batch of hopes and horrors. This week, Mason and Sean discuss what the creative landscape looks like for 2025. Things may be bleak now, but hope rises with every Taylor Swift re-release. Subscribe to our , or follow us on and . ——— Meaning What is a product of it's no sam studios Created by Mason Hershenow Produced by Sean Ang /episode/index/show/meaningwhat/id/34876045

In Bruges 12/30/2024

In Bruges In the Meaning What Movie Club, we are all inanimate objects. Subscribe to our , or follow us on and . ——— Meaning What is a product of it's no sam studios Created by Mason Hershenow Produced by Sean Ang Edited, scored, and mixed by Mason Hershenow /episode/index/show/meaningwhat/id/34653010

Social Media Is Killing Culture 12/19/2024

Social Media Is Killing Culture This week, Mason and Sean discuss the many ways that social media has become intertwined with art and culture, and why that is a bad thing for everyone involved. Other topics include: Mason’s hatred of TikTok, how old we both are, Sean dating people who love Arby’s roast beef sandwiches, and who the most masculine group of people in the world is. This episode is especially not appropriate for children, and not suggested for Mason’s mom. Subscribe to our , or follow us on and . ——— Meaning What is a product of it's no sam studios Created by Mason Hershenow Produced by Sean Ang Edited, scored, and mixed by Mason Hershenow /episode/index/show/meaningwhat/id/34525275

Chinatown (1974) 12/05/2024

Chinatown (1974) This episode contains frank discussion of the sexual assault of a minor, both that which is implied in the film and that which was allegedly committed by the film’s director Roman Polanski. The Meaning What Movie Club returns with a real doozy of an episode! Mason and Sean discuss the 1974 American film noir masterpiece Chinatown, its parallels to the sins of its director, and how it is the perfect practice in Barthes’ conception of the death of the author. We also discuss Jack Nicholson’s surprising hotness, Faye Dunaway’s surprising eyebrows, Mason’s hatred of reality television, and what makes Ethel Cain’s debut album so damn good. Subscribe to our , or follow us on and . ——— Meaning What is a product of it's no sam studios Created by Mason Hershenow Produced by Sean Ang Edited, scored, and mixed by Mason Hershenow /episode/index/show/meaningwhat/id/34296840

Recording Woes 11/21/2024

Recording Woes No new episode this week because of audio problems. Next episode drops December 5th. /episode/index/show/meaningwhat/id/34072606

The Death of the Author 11/07/2024

The Death of the Author This week, Mason and Sean discuss Roland Barthes' influential 1967 essay "The Death of the Author"—how it is misunderstood by the chronically online and how it is a useful and important in understanding the art that we consume. We also discuss abandoning your heroes, parasocial relationships, songwriting and what it can tell us about the differences between Taylor Swift and Mitski, and remind you that—statistically—someone you love has purchased an album by Nickelback. Subscribe to our , or follow us on and . ——— Meaning What is a product of it's no sam studios Created by Mason Hershenow Produced by Sean Ang Edited, scored, and mixed by Mason Hershenow /episode/index/show/meaningwhat/id/33825547

The Hell We Live In 10/24/2024

The Hell We Live In On today's episode, Mason and Sean talk about how the very same companies driving the "A.I." "revolution" are unravelling all aspects of life and culture. As you probably already guessed, we don't think it's a good thing. But, maybe there are legitimate uses? Maybe!? We also discuss autocorrect, photographers on Threads, how Microsoft wants to buy Three Mile Island, and the fact that we need a fact checker/producer. Subscribe to our , or follow us on and . ——— Meaning What is a product of it's no sam studios Created by Mason Hershenow Produced by Sean Ang Edited, scored, and mixed by Mason Hershenow /episode/index/show/meaningwhat/id/33593317

A.I. Art and Why It's Garbage 10/11/2024

A.I. Art and Why It's Garbage On today's episode, Mason and Sean continue the conversation about artificial "intelligence" by turning the eyes on the art world and all the ways that procedurally-generated slop is beginning to pollute modern culture. We also discuss the difference between vocaloids and vtubers, our feelings about Woody Allen's movies, and why your five year old will never measure up to Felix González-Torrez. And make sure to stick around during the commercial break for extra content! Subscribe to our , or follow us on and . ——— Meaning What is a product of it's no sam studios Created by Mason Hershenow Produced by Sean Ang and Lincoln Hershenow Edited, scored, and mixed by Mason Hershenow /episode/index/show/meaningwhat/id/33414132

A.I. with John Matter 09/25/2024

A.I. with John Matter Today we are rightsizing the org with a returning guest: self-described lapsed-physicist John Matter. John joins us to discuss the rise of machine learning and artificial "intelegence", and why it's not much more than fancy math. We also discuss corpo speak, end-user agreements, and some fun trivia about the . You can find more of John (including his excellent cats) on . Subscribe to our , or follow us on and . ——— Meaning What is a product of it's no sam studios Created by Mason Hershenow Produced by Sean Ang Edited, scored, and mixed by Mason Hershenow /episode/index/show/meaningwhat/id/33209667

Criticism Part 4 – Why Criticism Matters 09/12/2024

Criticism Part 4 – Why Criticism Matters Here it is, the final episode in our first mini series. Here we wrap up our discussion about media criticism, reaffirm our stance on Ronald Regan, and kick off Sean’s promissing political career as a classic American moderate. There is also discussion about Chuck Berry, Matchbox Twenty, and just how cool Mason wasn't in high school. ——— Meaning What is a product of it's no sam studios Created by Mason Hershenow Produced by Sean Ang Edited, scored, and mixed by Mason Hershenow /episode/index/show/meaningwhat/id/33015682

Criticism Part 3 – Other Media 08/29/2024

Criticism Part 3 – Other Media Mason went to a 9:45am showing of Deadpool & Wolverine a few days after this recording. ——— Meaning What is a product of it's no sam studios Created by Mason Hershenow Produced by Sean Ang & Lincoln "Link" Hershenow Edited, scored, and mixed by Mason Hershenow /episode/index/show/meaningwhat/id/32787902

Criticism Part 2 – Pop Music 08/12/2024

Criticism Part 2 – Pop Music In part two of our series on criticism, Mason and Sean discuss the world of popular music and how social media and internet culture is shaping what we listen to and the industry that produces it. There are a few tangents, but we get there in the end. Everything is good and everyone behaves reasonably, especially hardcore fans on the internet. ——— Meaning What is a product of it's no sam studios Created by Mason Hershenow Produced by Sean Ang Edited, scored, and mixed by Mason Hershenow /episode/index/show/meaningwhat/id/32536477

Criticism Part 1 – Review Culture 07/31/2024

Criticism Part 1 – Review Culture We finally renewed ourselves for a third season, and we're kicking it off with a four-part series on criticism's place in the contemporary media landscape. In this first episode, Mason and Sean discuss how review culture—Yelp, Letterboxd, Amazon product reviews, etc.—has bled into culture writ large. Spoiler: the results aren't great consumers! Meaning What is now available every other Thursday, wherever you get podcasts. Go tell somebody! ——— Meaning What is a product of it's no sam studios Created by Mason Hershenow Produced by Sean Ang Edited, scored, and mixed by Mason Hershenow /episode/index/show/meaningwhat/id/32358767

Season 3 begins August 1st! 07/31/2024

Season 3 begins August 1st! Tell your friends! Tell your lover(s)! Tell your friend(s)'s lover(s)! Every other Thursday, wherever you get podcasts. /episode/index/show/meaningwhat/id/32359337

Point Break (1991) 07/29/2021

Point Break (1991) Vaya con dios. /episode/index/show/meaningwhat/id/19965953

BONUS: Thanks India! 07/27/2021

BONUS: Thanks India! Hi! This is a Patreon preview! /episode/index/show/meaningwhat/id/19941104

Spy Movies 07/22/2021

Spy Movies Goooold-fingahhhhhh!! /episode/index/show/meaningwhat/id/19892981

East, West, & Twelve Bronze Heads 07/15/2021

East, West, & Twelve Bronze Heads Break treaties, loot cities, kidnap pekingese! /episode/index/show/meaningwhat/id/19816682

Hudson River School & Manifest Destiny 07/08/2021

Hudson River School & Manifest Destiny It's all propaganda, baby! /episode/index/show/meaningwhat/id/19742240

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