It's a special Christmas episode about Christmas specials! Producer Andrew looked up the titles of obscure made-for-TV Christmas movies, then Joe and Todd made up plot summaries. Listen to discover if the made-up plots are stranger than the real movies (spoiler: not always).
The Protagonist Podcast #049: "I think I froze my giblets." Big Bird in Christmas Eve on Sesame Street (TV 1978)
Merry Christmas, listeners! Join Joe and Todd as they talk about Big Bird in the 1978 tv special Christmas Eve on Sesame Street. They discuss the magic of Jim Henson's creativity and Caroll Spinney's amazing performance in the giant yellow feathered suit. Topics include Big Bird's innocence (and his amazing ability to learn to ice skate), Oscar the Grouch's surprising edginess, Bert and Ernie's top-notch acting, and to top it all off: the true meaning of Christmas.
The Protagonist Podcast #048: "Fill your hand!" Lance Kilkenny in Kilkenny by Louis L'Amour (Novel 1954)
This week, Joe and I talk about a Western from a master of the genre, using the novel Kilkenny by Louis L'Amour as our subject of discussion. Lance Kilkenny is a cowboy with a violent past, a firm sense of justice, and a certain set of skills, which gives us plenty to dissect.
The Protagonist Podcast #047: "He looks like he's ... leaning." Lucy Eleanor Moderatz in While You Were Sleeping (Film 1995)
Tackling our first romantic comedy, Joe and I talk about Lucy in While You Were Sleeping. Listen, as we tackle such topics as quotable lines, the awesomeness of Joe Jr., and Lucy's decisiveness.
The Protagonist Podcast #046: "What are you?" Coyote and Jones in Gunnerkrigg Court (Comic 2015)
It's a week of big ideas as Todd and Joe discuss Coyote and Jones from the webcomic Gunnerkrigg Court. Join us as we discuss creation, creativity, tricksters, and, if you listen carefully, you'll hear Todd's heart break while discussing loneliness.
The Protagonist Podcast #045: "You know what makes me happy? Butter!" Marie Barone in Everybody Loves Raymond (TV 1998)
Joe and I talk about Marie Baron from Everybody Loves Raymond. Listen as they tackle bitterness, tradition, and tofu turkeys in a classic Thanksgiving episode.
The Protagonist Podcast #044: "That was disturbing." Special Halloween Draft: The Mt. Rushmore of Fear
Listener beware! Joe and special guest Todd Petersen join me as we each build our own Mt. Rushmore of Fear, each selecting their four most frightening images from pop culture to carve on a mountainside. And (it turns out) discussing the scariest stories we've encountered can get spooky, so maybe don't listen to this one in the car with the kids.
The Protagonist Podcast #043: "There are some things you can't share without ending up liking each other ..." Harry Potter in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's/Sorcerer's Stone (novel 1997)
You knew this one was coming. It was only a matter of time before Joe and I tackled Harry Potter. Listen, as we are joined by special guest Tianna Homer, to discuss Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's/Philosopher's Stone.
The Protagonist Podcast #042: "Don't cross the streams." Peter Venkman in Ghostbusters (Film 1984)
This week Joe and I discuss Peter Venkman from Ghostbusters, one of the classic action comedies of the 1980s. Is the character just ad-libbed jibes, or is there something more to the quippiest member of the quartet?
The Protagonist Podcast #041: "Gotham is Batman." Bruce Wayne/Batman in Batman Vol. 1: The Court of Owls (Comic 2011)
This week I talk with Joe and returning guest Todd Petersen talk about Batman/Bruce Wayne in a comic book storyline called "The Court of Owls." Join us as we talk about the Dark Knight and this story written by Scott Snyder and drawn by Greg Capullo.
The Protagonist Podcast # 040 "Don't blink." Sally Sparrow in "Blink" S03E10 of Dr. Who (TV 2007)
This week, Joe and I talk about "Blink," the gateway episode for many Doctor Who fans. What makes Sally Sparrow such a great character, and what makes the Weeping Angels such great villains?
The Protagonist Podcast #039: "Extraordinary Murders!" C. Auguste Dupin in "Murders in the Rue Morgue by Edgar Allan Poe (Short Story 1841)
If you're a fan of detective stories or crime procedurals, you'll want to hear Joe and I discuss C. Auguste Dupin from "Murders in the Rue Morgue." This short story written in 1841 by Edgar Allan Poe is considered the first detective story ever published, and we discuss its indelible mark on popular culture.
The Protagonist Podcast #038: "YOU ARE A TOY!" Buzz Lightyear and Woody in Toy Story (Film 1995)
Joe and I bring on special guest Joseph Hegstrom Pratt to talk about Buzz Lightyear and Woody from Disney/Pixar's Toy Story (1995). It's hard to believe it's already been 20 years since we were introduced to those two characters who give us plenty to discuss this week.
The Protagonist Podcast #037: "Look up for once in your lives!" Phil Sheldon in Marvels (Comic 1994)
This week, Joe and I discuss Phil Sheldon from the comic book series Marvels by Alex Ross and Kurt Busiek. Join us as we talk about issues of modernity, celebrity culture, and our sense of wonder with the miracles in our world.
The Protagonist Podcast #036: "C'mon Twinkle Toes!" Aang in "Bitter Work" S02E09 of Avatar: The Last Airbender (TV 2006)
This week Todd and Joe, with some helpful expertise from producer Andrew, talk about Aang from Avatar: The Last Airbender (not the blue alien movie by James Cameron nor the Shyamalan film, they're talking about the cartoon series on Nickelodeon). Listen to a podcast with almost as many tangents and non-sequiturs as an episode of the series they're talking about.
The Protagonist Podcast #035: "You're 5 foot nothin', 100 and nothin', and you have barely a speck of athletic ability." Rudy Ruettiger in Rudy (Film 1993)
In preparation for the glorious football season that is soon upon us, Joe and I discuss the classic underdog story, Rudy. What parts in the film are true, what parts are inspirational, and what parts make us tear up?
The Protagonist Podcast #031: ""Whatever our souls are made of ..." Catherine and Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë (Novel 1847)
This week, Joe and I tackle a classic of Gothic Romantic literature as they discuss Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights. I give perhaps the greatest recap in our podcast's history (in my humble opinion), and Joe has a special bonus treat for the listeners at the end of the episode.
The Protagonist Podcast #030: "I am so lost ..." Draft of Weird Children's Films and TV Shows
In this special draft episode Joe and I each try to select the most bizarre collection of children's shows and movies that have ever been made.
The Protagonist Podcast #029: "None of these pigs are my parents!" Chihiro Ogino in Spirited Away (Film 2009)
This week Joe and I are joined by John Darowski to talk about Spirited Away. This Japanese animated classic from 2001 is one of the strangest and most beautiful films I have ever seen.
The Protagonist Podcast #020: "May the odds be ever in your favor!" Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games (Novel 2008)
In this episode, Joe and I hunt down the motivations of Katniss Everdeen, from Suzanne Collins' 2008 novel The Hunger Games. Join them as they track down her interesting characteristics and pursue insights into one of the most popular protagonists of the last decade.