Posts filed under 'Transcript'
August 11th, 2009
The AMC drama Mad Men will begin its third season within the coming week, and so it’s a pertinent time to turn our sights on this critically-acclaimed series. Mad Men focuses on the Sterling Cooper advertising agency, set against the backdrop of 1960s America, and creator Matt Weiner uses the show as a vehicle for social commentary on evolving social mores, gender roles, and the illusions of both personal identity and domestic relationships. Returning as my guest is freelance writer and pop-culture critic Leonard Pierce, who has written about film and television for numerous national publications, and also is a regular contributor to The Onion’s A/V club. (Information on Leonard’s projects can be found here.) WARNING: Numerous spoilers within! So if you haven’t yet seen the first two seasons of this show, be sure to watch before listening… [Originally broadcast on WLUW’s Under Surveillance in August 2009.]
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February 13th, 2008
Several years ago, I sat down with resident Under Surveillance pop-culture critic Leonard Pierce for an hour-long discussion about how society’s depictions of “the future” in film and television have constantly evolved over the years. How have our views of the future been impacted by changing political climates and fears?
We ran the gamut from landmark works like “Blade Runner” and “Star Trek” to more-obscure offerings such as “Colossus: The Forbin Project,” discussing everything from the cyperpunk movement to the rise of artificial intelligence. Check it out!
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January 28th, 2008
The following is a transcript of a 2006 two-part discussion on the mafia and popular culture. How has the portrayal of the mafia and organized crime in film and television evolved throughout the years? My guest is freelance writer and pop culture critic, Leonard Pierce, who discusses the origins of the mafia’s emergence as a sympathetic figure, the role of religion in the Catholic Church within mafia tales, and the impact of the landmark Godfather films. Leonard has written about film and television for numerous national publications, and also is a regular contributor to The Onion’s A/V club. (Information on Leonard’s projects can be found here.)
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