Ross is joined by professor of American Studies Dr. Benjamin Railton, author of and co-creator of Black and White and Read All Over. Together, they do a deep-dive on a relatively-obscure episode of The X-Files, "Unrequited", which looks at the contested legacy, cultural impact, and unresolved trauma of the Vietnam War and the POW/MIA movement. You don't have to be an X-Files fan to listen to this episode, but it does help if you remember what Ross Perot's 1992 campaign song was.

FURTHER READING:

Perlstein, Rick. The Enduring Cult of the Vietnam "Missing in Action".

Lembcke, Jerry. The Spitting Image:Myth, Memory, and the Legacy of Vietnam.

FURTHER WATCHING:

Uncommon Valor (1983)

Missing in Action (1984)

Rambo: First Blood, Part II (1985)

Platoon (1986)

Full Metal Jacket (1987)

Born on the Fourth of July (1989)

Casualties of War (1989)

AND CHECK OUT:

Black and White and Read All Over!

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Ross is joined by Robert Spinelli and Dr. Bethan Jones to discuss the history of conspiracy theories in popular culture. They look at how conspiratorial thinking reflects social and political anxieties, the ways in which conspiracy theorists are depicted in media, and the difficulty in approaching these topics academically.

FURTHER READING:

Spinelli, Robert (Ed.). The Lizard People Don't Want You to Read This

Jones, Bethan. Participatory Culture Wars: Controversy, Conflict, and Complicity in Fandom

FURTHER WATCHING:

Community S2E9, "Conspiracy Theories and Interior Design"

JFK

The Truman Show

The X-Files

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Ross kicks off the new mini-series "Class Notes" by speaking with Dr. Josie Torres Barth about her courses on Film and Media History! They discuss the major trends and focal points of the subject, the challenges of teaching media studies in our modern cultural ecosystem, and much more.

FURTHER READING:

Hilmes, Michele. Radio Voices: American Broadcasting, 1922-1952.

Spigel, Lynn. Make Room for TV: Television and the Family Ideal in Postwar America.

Schatz, Thomas. The Genius of the System: Hollywood Filmmaking in the Studio Era.

Monaco, James. How to Read a Film: Movies, Media, and Beyond.

FURTHER WATCHING:

"The Story of Film: An Odyssey"

"Babyface"

"The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari"

"Cleo From 5 to 7"

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.