Episode 160: You're Gonna Need a Bigger Podcast | Jaws (1975), Mythological Monsters & Public Health

What threatening shadows lie within the deep? For millennia, mankind has wrestled with the mysteries and perils of our oceans. With 80% of the world’s oceans still uncharted, it’s easy to understand why we tell stories about monsters lurking beneath the surface. Today, we’re discussing the ultimate modern realization of those fears—Stephen Spielberg’s 1975 classic Jaws. We’ll look back to the ancient world and the mythological sea monsters we once believed plagued our waters. How far have we really come from the people who imagined the Kraken, sea serpents, and six-headed man-eaters? Plus, we’ll cover the Great White in the room—why Jaws comparisons have surfaced in conversations about the coronavirus, public health, and policy debate.

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Episode 154: Starchild | 2001: A Space Odyssey, Mythology & Philosophy

Open the pod bay doors and join us beyond the infinite as we dive deep into Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 science fiction classic 2001: A Space Odyssey. In this first part of a mini-series on sci-fi in movies and television, we’re starting with what many consider the greatest science fiction film ever made (and we don’t disagree). We’ll explore some of the myriad readings of this ambiguous and powerful piece of visual storytelling, discuss themes of evolution and progress, and offer some insights into the unique collaboration of Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke. We’ll decode some of the visual and auditory symbols, bringing analysis from the philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche. How does Kubrick fashion a sci-fi masterpiece that works its magic on the unconscious, stirs our “mythological yearnings,” and infuses Romance and poetry into the cold vacuum of space? All this and more on this week’s odyssey.

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The Midnight Myth stands with Black Lives Matter and those protesting social injustice across our country. Please join us in supporting those who will not stay silent.

Open your wallet if you are able. Consider supporting the NAACP’s Legal Defense and Education Fund, the Southern Poverty Law Center, Reclaim the Block, your local Black Lives Matter Chapter or Bail Fund. Or directly support the families of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, or Tony McDade. Seek out and support Black-owned businesses in your area.

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Episode 153: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road | The Wizard of Oz, Mythology & Americana

I have a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore. Skip with us down the Yellow Brick Road in this long-overdue discussion of the 1939 MGM classic The Wizard of Oz. As the concluding subject of our five-part series on nostalgic films, we’ll explore the template Wizard sets out for the other films in our series—Back to the Future, Hook, Beetlejuice, and E.T. Why is The Wizard of Oz so baked into the collective unconscious? Does it earn a place among Classical mythology and folklore? Can it be read as a feminist text, or does it perpetuate the tragic messaging that girls and women should eschew ambition and adventure? All these questions, plus Dorothy as the existential hero and the influence of Shakespearean drama. Let’s go over the rainbow!

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The Midnight Myth stands with Black Lives Matter and those protesting social injustice across our country. Please join us in supporting those who will not stay silent.

Open your wallet if you are able. Consider supporting the NAACP’s Legal Defense and Education Fund, the Southern Poverty Law Center, Reclaim the Block, your local Black Lives Matter Chapter or Bail Fund. Or directly support the families of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, or Tony McDade. Seek out and support Black-owned businesses in your area.

Looking to get educated about systemic racism, police violence, and white privilege? Find book, film, and podcast recommendations at bit.ly/ANTIRACISMRESOURCES.

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Support us at www.patreon.com/midnightmyth

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Episode 143: If It's a Myth | HBO's The Outsider, World Folklore & Epistemology

Is there a monster out in the darkness? How do we know what we know? In this week’s episode, we discuss HBO’s new Stephen King adaptation, The Outsider. Spoilers abound!

We’ll talk about the epistemological conflict between Ralph Anderson and Holly Gibney, and how their tension compounds the mystery. We’ll discuss universal folklore and mythology around children, monsters, and psychic energy. This unconventional crime drama is filled with surprises, so be sure to tune in to the show before hearing our take on the history, mythology, and philosophy within!

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Episode 141B: Pity and Mercy | The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Mythology & Heroism

In Part Two of our discussion of The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, we rejoin the Ringbearers Frodo & Sam on their journey East to Mordor. Through dangerous and barren terrain, our heroes struggle to survive and pursue the near-impossible task of destroying the One Ring. It’s in this part of the series that we finally come face to face with Gollum, arguably the most wretched character in all of literature. We’ll discuss the mythological counterparts of the Waste Land, Gollum as a dark double of Frodo, and the major departures between the book and Peter Jackson’s film in terms of Frodo’s leadership style. We’ll also delve deep into the confrontation with Faramir and the host of Gondor—how is honor preserved and freedom negotiated between characters with opposing yet complementary goals? Through to the depths of Shelob’s lair, The Two Towers asks fundamental questions about the nature of morality, heroism, and legacy. Can evil conquer forever? Let’s discuss.

We’re doing a Lord of the Rings GIVEAWAY! Follow us on Twitter and check out our pinned tweet to enter for your chance to win two LotR Funko POPs and a set of LotR Trivial Pursuit.

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Episode 134: There Is Only Zuul | Ghostbusters (1984), Spiritualism & Ancient Near East History

When there's something strange in your neighborhood, who ya gonna call? That’s right, friends, we are talking GHOSTBUSTERS! The original blockbusting comedy is full of supernatural insights, historical tie-in’s, and made-up mythology. We’ll discuss the foundations of Spiritualism in America in the 19th Century, from seances to parapsychology. We’ll visit the Ancient Near East to find out who they were really worshipping in 6,000 BCE. Who are Gozer, Zuul, and Vinz Clortho? What is Slimer made of? What happens when you cross the streams? All this and more feed into the climactic battle between the forces of this world and the next in Battlefield New York. I ain’t afraid of no ghost.

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Episode 131: A Certain Point of View | Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, Mythology & History

Is C-3PO a god? Did Obi Wan tell the truth from a certain point of view? Can the worst of the worst, like Darth Vader, really be redeemed? In the final installment of our podcast series on the Star Wars Original Trilogy, we’re hopping on our speeder bikes for a joy ride through the Forest Moon of Endor. We’ll compare the teachings of the Jedi to the contradictory nature of real-world knighthood, discuss the basis of Ewok society, and track the formation and formalization of ritual in Episode VI: Return of the Jedi.

Episode 130: Old Man Yoda | Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, Mythology & Eastern Philosophy

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away… In the second installment of our series on Star Wars and mythology, we’re unpacking the most powerful symbols in Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back. Considered by most to be the best of the Star Wars movies, Empire has no shortage of philosophy and mythic symbolism to mine. We’ll explore the sacred space of darkness and light that Yoda inhabits on Dagobah, and compare his understanding of the Force—which draws deeply on Buddhist philosophy—to what we learned about it in Episode IV. We’ll meditate on the revelation of Luke Skywalker’s parentage—arguably one of the most important moments in cinema history—and its significance to the hero’s journey.