But Why Tho? The Podcast

It's the end of 2020 - Thank bob. We've made it through it and in this episode we review it, well the pop culture aspects at least. We dive into our favorite films, television, games, and of course moments we've experienced on the podcast. Plus, it wouldn't be us if we didn't get into the biggest overrated things too.

This week, we head to Bel-Air with the sitcom that handled real issues, brought a lot of laughs, and brought Will Smith to stardom: The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. With the reunion show airing on HBO Max, it seemed like the perfect time to jump into the production history of the series, the records it broke, and the series' impact. We talk about how we connected with The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and how it represented one of the first series that we could see ourselves in. And of course, we also discuss Smith rise during the tail end of the show and what has happened after.  Episode 161: The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Matters...But Why Tho? is sponsored by Fun.com, the one-stop-shop for pop culture exclusive merch from clothing to toys and more. Get 15% off now with our link here!

This week we dive into the long history of The Muppets. In October, we raised over $4,000 for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and one of the rewards for hitting a fundraising amount was for the audience to pick the episode - and you all chose The Muppets! In this episode, we explain their long history from late night show guests, sketch comedy shows, movies, and how they somehow managed to become a show that made a pilot geared towards adults into a children's staple. But most importantly we talk about the impact that Jim Henson has with the creation of the Muppets, where they interact with Sesame Street and more. This episode was sponsored by Fun.com, the one-stop for exclusive pop culture gits, toys, and clothing from your favorite brands and franchises.

We covered Mario last week, so now it's time to cover his brother! This week, we're talking all things, Luigi. We dive into the character's personality, his stand-alone games, John Leguizamo, and how when he won a trophy we learned that Mario is a bully. And we do it all with the help of our producer and senior editor Jason! If you somehow have not heard of the famous Nintendo brother, Luigi was created by designer Shigeru Miyamoto, and is portrayed as the slightly younger but taller brother of Nintendo's mascot Mario, and appears in many games throughout the Mario franchise, often as a sidekick to his older brother. Whether you played him because you were player two or because you liked the color green, we explore why Luigi matters to games and fans beyond. 

This week we travel to the Mushroom Kingdom and dive into the history of Mario. In this episode, we talk about Mario matters to pop culture and beyond while mapping out how the Italian plumber from New York became Nintendo's official mascot, one of the most recognizable icons in the US, connect multiple generations of gamers, and even get his own theme park. Now, it has to be said that there is a lot to talk about when it comes to Mario. From the games to the manga that has alone grossed over $1 Billion, there is a lot of history and we're already set up to do a part two. So, if we don't cover your favorite thing about Mario, don't worry, we have more coming.  (Like a Luigi episode next week) We do all of that this week with the help of our show's producer, Jason - he also just really loves Mario.

Immortals Fenyx Rising is Ubisoft's latest game and newest IP. Developed by Ubisoft Quebec, the game is set in Greek mythology on the Golden Isle, home to the gods. You play Fenyx, a shipwrecked storyteller who is thrown into a battle between the gods and the most terrifying of the Titans: Typhon. With humanity turned to stone, it's your mission to save both the gods and humanity. In an effort to create what he views a the perfect world, Typhon has separated the gods from their essences, which he deems as the chaos that makes the gods unworthy of overseeing humanity. As Fenyx, you must unite the gods with their essences which will take overcoming heroic trials and more. We got the chance to speak with Jeffrey Yohalem, the game's Narrative Director and Lead Writer about creating Immortals Fenyx Rising.  We get the chance to discuss the creative process in writing about Greek mythology, which serves as the base for much existing pop culture franchise, and how the team behind the game made it unique. With a fres

Immortals Fenyx Rising is a new IP from Ubisoft Quebec. Set in the world of Greek mythology itself and not just a world with Greek mythology, the open-world action-adventure RPG is a sharp departure from Ubisoft's hyperrealistic worlds of its existing franchises. We got the chance to speak with Thierry Dansereau, the game's Art Director about bringing the world of Immortals Fenyx Rising to life.

Developed by Auroch Digital and published by The Irregular Corporation Mars Horizon is a strategy simulation game created with support from the European Space Agency (ESA) and the UK Space Agency. In Mars Horizon, you take control of a major space agency, leading it from the dawn of the space age through to landing astronauts on Mars. Guide your agency through the space race and write your alternate history of space travel - any of the agencies can be the first to land on The Moon if you make the right choices. The games' timeline starts at the beginning of the space age in January 1957 all the way through landing the first astronauts on Mars. The game was designed with the intent to be as real and authentic as running your very own space agency in an educational way. This includes learning about the history of space exploration, the technology involved, and more. This week, we got the chance to speak with Tomas Rawlings, CEO of Auroch Digital, about the game, its inspiration, and all the science that goes

Netflix and Powerhouse Animation's Blood of Zeus has become a quick fan favorite and critically acclaimed animated series in the short time since its debut on October 27th. Set in a post-mythological age, and telling a story lost through the Greek oral storytelling tradition, Blood of Zeus seems like a story we've seen before on the surface. Heron, our demi-god hero, is the bastard child of Zeus and Hera is mad about it. But, there is much more to this story than a wife's revenge or Zeus' infidelity. At its core, the series offers a nuanced take on anger and how it relates to power. Additionally, we see a more vulnerable and fatherly Zeus and a more independent and powerful Hera. And, we have showrunners Charley and Vlas Parlapanides to thank for that. I got the chance to speak to the creative brothers about their work on the series, how it began, and where it will go should Netflix greenlight another season. Hit play on the audio above to hear the interview in full. To stay up to date on Blood of Zeus, follo

This week, Kate talks with Alison Araya, who plays Tía Victoria in Netflix's Julie and the Phantoms. They discuss why this character resonates, how Araya got into acting, and the importance of tías in our lives and on-screen.

This week, we're keeping with the horror themes by talking about all the reasons that Jordan Peele matters. We discuss Peele's history in television, film, and production. From the comedy years, time with Keegan-Michael Key, and most importantly how Peele has been reshaping horror. We cover how his directorial debut Get Out with Blumhouse has set the tone for horror going forward, changing its face, and forcing companies to realize that diverse stories, and in particular Black stories matter in the genre. Additionally, we discuss how his filmmaking has also caused a resurgence of social horror, and how his production company, Monkeypaw Productions has been moving the genre forward with films like Candyman and the HBO series Lovecraft Country which he produced with Bad Robot. And we cover it all with the help of LaNeysha from So Here's What Happened and Did You Have To?, who you can follow on Twitter @NeyshaPlays.

This week, we have a special episode for you all, an interview with Zachary "Zach" Whitten, from St. Jude PLAY LIVE and how they use gaming for good by partnering with content creators to help raise money for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. We talk about how St. Jude PLAY LIVE got started, how they work with creators, and we learn more about the lifesaving mission of St Jude Children’s Research Hospital: Finding cures. Saving children.®  This episode dives into the work that St. Jude does and most importantly, how you can help contribute. But Why Tho? A Geek Community was founded because we believe that pop culture matters. It’s because of this that we believe pop culture fans should use their fandom to do good. This October, we're raising money for St. Jude, in partnership with St. Jude PLAY LIVE. Donate to St. Jude at stjude.org/butwhytho

We're continuing spooky month by focussing on one of the leading production companies in horror today: Blumhouse Productions - and their other studios. We cover how the Blumhouse model of filmmaking has helped get films that are deemed "high risk" made and how its direct to streaming path has helped them survive COVID-19 closures that has hurt many other production companies. Now, with "Welcome to the Blumhouse" having aired four diverse horror films in an anthology format, it's important to call out how the production company's impact has affected the faces of horror both in front of and behind the camera. To donate to our St. Jude Children's Research Hospital campaign, you can head to: stjude.org/butwhytho

It's October so it's all about spooky things! But, we decided to move away from our R-rated titles this time around and move towards the more family-friendly scares with Casper. Led by Adrian, this episode dives into the surprisingly long history of the friendliest ghost around. We take a look at his afterlife in comic books, video games, television, the one 1995 movie we all know you still love today, and the subsequent direct to home-video titles that Kate defends as Matt pulls Rotten Tomatoes scores. But it wouldn't be us if we didn't also dive into how this one property serves as a good way to help parents talk about grief and explore tougher issues with their kids. 

We're kicking off the spooky season with an episode all about the guy who defined scaring theater audiences throughout the 2000s and 2010s: James Wan. In this episode, we dive into why James Wan matters to film as a whole, horror, and now superheroes. Also, we have to note that a lot of his genre-defining work as a director was done with the help of Leigh Whannell as a writer and the two of them share in a lot of the successes we talk about in this episode. We talk about how Saw brought the wave of ultraviolence into the United States and spurred the American filmmakers in the "Splat Pack" and how Insidious brought haunted houses (that aren't found footage) back to the forefront and spurred a revival of theater horror and how that film defined an era of "wan-re." Oh, and we defend Dead Silence as an underrated gem and all-ages and PG-13 horror.

Cinemax's Warrior was one of my favorite series last year as a fan and as a critic. Based on an original concept by Bruce Lee, the show was created by Jonathan Tropper and Justin Lin and blends drama, the Old West, and martial arts. Set during the Tong Wars of San Francisco’s Chinatown in the second half of the 19th century. it follows martial arts prodigy Ah Sahm, a Chinese immigrant who arrives in the City of Lights under mysterious circumstances. Once he proves his prowess as a fighter, Sahm becomes a hitman for one of Chinatown's most powerful organized crime families. That said, while Ah Sahm is the central character of Warrior, he is surrounded by powerful female characters that push the story of the series farther and offer up a look at the intersections of race, gender, and class. This is no truer than in Ah Toy, the most powerful businesswoman in Chinatown, who just so happens to be a madam. Portrayed by Olivia Cheng, Ah Toy is a powerful woman who understands how the world sees her, both within her

This week, we're celebrating the legacy, relevance, and important of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. In this episode we dive into why this series that is often overlooked, matters to the history of Star Trek, science fiction in general, and pushes forward Gene Roddenberry's vision for the future by showcasing the difficulties of achieving it. We dive into issues of race and representation and how Deep Space Nine tackled actual issues based in our very human identities without using aliens a proxy for the conversation. Additionally, the series offered up commentary on religion, colonialism, and mental health.  While we talk about why the series has hit a new relevancy today, we also discuss how setting a Star Trek series on a singular station rubbed some Trekkers the wrong way. We confront the criticism and meet it with our own as we contextualize Deep Space Nine within the larger history of science fiction and Roddenberry's vision. And we do this all with the help of Alexander Brazie.  Brazie is professional game

Last Friday Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 released and we've all had the bird man on the brain. So, to celebrate the return of one of the best sports games ever made we decided to talk about why Tony Hawk's Pro Skater matters to gaming and culture more widely. In this episode, we drop into the long history of the franchise, its development, and how Tony Hawk aimed to create a video game that immersed the player in a real representation of skate culture. We talk about what happened when Neversoft closed and we also break down how Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 is marking a triumphant return. But one of the things we didn't know would happen is a deep conversation about representation and how despite its predominantly white roster, the Pro Skater franchise never felt like it excluded people of color, specifically with its music from De La Soul to Ozomatli and its in-depth create-a-skater feature. We talk about the genre-defining mechanics and of course discuss the wide-ranging impact of the game's soundtrack and h

While we recorded this episode before the news from DC FanDome that DC Comics would be bringing back the Milestone heroes, including Static and Icon, Dwayne McDuffie matters to comics and beyond. This episode, with the help of John (aka Sceritz), creator of Scorpio, we dive into Dwayne McDuffie's history in comics from Marvel and trading cards, to co-founding Milestone Media, and how his work in animation defined the beloved DC Animated Universe. We dive into the heroes he created, their backgrounds and how they broke the mold, and we also cover the scathing letter he sent to Marvel to make his point on the representation of Black communities in comic books. We also detail the issues Dwayne McDuffie dealt with from DC leadership which led to the shuttering of Milestone Media and why he was removed from working on the Justice League in the 2000s.

This week we're hitting a the big 1-5-0. We're done so many episodes over our three years of podcasting, so it's AMA time! We open the floor once again to answer questions about pretty much anything form our community. After episode 100's drinking game which definitely left us with hangovers, we didn't come up with rules this time. Granted, everyone does have a drink, but this time you can hear us grief each other's bad opinions sober. A super special thanks to friend of the show and our guest LaNeysha for coming on to herd the cats that are our hosts when they don't agree on things.