Cultural Futures Exchange

Ep 54: Judy Blume

Are you there Judy? It’s us, CFX, and this week we are here to ask you, when will we grow? Haha, all kidding aside. That’s right, we are covering the great Judy Blume, an author who has influenced several generations with her frank, honest and realistic books for kids and young adults. We go into her history, highlighting a few of the books that are both her most notable and also most controversial. Of course, we talk about Are You There God, It’s Me Margaret, Blume’s breakthrough and most famous book and we also touch on the recent film adaptation. We cover the followup to that book, Then Again, Maybe I Won’t, Blume’s one stab at dealing with teenage boys. We talk about Blubber, probably one of the darkest books not only on childhood but on human nature. And, how could we do an episode on Blume without covering her most banned book, Forever…, possibly the first book to depict first time sex from a female perspective? We also talk about how Blume is not only a writer but an anti-censorship champion and how she went above and beyond to correspond with thousands of kids who looked up to her for guidance. In this episode, we really go out of our way to tackle Blume’s work with a mature and academic approach or… then again, MAYBE WE DON’T. As you’ve come to expect, while we respect these books, we also have a lot of fun with them, and along the way, we learn…
What male body part should not be covered in aftershave
Which of our podcast hosts didn’t actually learn anything from Blubber
What a nymphomaniac is and how it nearly got a 19 year old B. Dalton bookstore employee fired
Why Slip never had a wet dream
What medical condition led to Jeff’s biggest sound FX fail yet
How Slip, momentarily, became cool via literature and liberal parenting
Note: Apologies for the shitty sound as we had a microphone technical failure at the CFX studios :( 
Check us out on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/culturalfutures/) for links and additional content related to this and other episodes as well as clues to upcoming shows or write to us at culutralfuturesexchange@gmail.com
All audio clips are used under the "Fair Use" Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act in 1976; Allowance is made for "Fair Use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research.
Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.
All rights and credit go directly to its rightful owners. No copyright infringement intended.
 

Ep 53: Purple Rain

Dearly beloved CFX fans, we are gathered here today to evaluate this thing called Purple Rain. Will it stand the test of time forever or just a mighty long time…well, we’re here to tell U. That’s right, we evaluate the film, the music and the artist (thankfully known as Prince which is good because I don’t know how to print that damned symbol…). What about the movie? Should U “dig” the picture or “smash” it? Is the music “sheer perfection” or is there “something wrong with the machinery”? Is Prince a genius, a “Messiah”, something “that we’ll never comprehend”? We go all the way back to the beginning, from Prince’s troubled childhood in Minneapolis, to his slow rise in crossover popularity that eventually led to his commercial (and probably artistic peak) in the 1984 film and album Purple Rain. We also discuss the aftermath of his career and discuss whether Prince was a musical genius or just really talented. Let us guide U and, hopefully, along the way, U will also learn…
Who “Darling Nikki” is and what inspired Prince to name his lead actress Apollonia
How to commandeer an official university vehicle so you and your friends can go see the Prince concert
How Slip’s concert dance moves inspired deep admiration (ok…more like laughter)
Who was the unlikely inspiration for Purple Rain’s iconic theme song
Which Jim Henson creation film critic Vincent Canby compared Prince to in his less than favorable review of the film
Who the real star of Purple Rain was…and it wasn’t Prince….
And, finally, how Siskel and Ebert covered their boners with....humanity…
Check us out on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/culturalfutures/) for links and additional content related to this and other episodes as well as clues to upcoming shows or write to us at culutralfuturesexchange@gmail.com
All audio clips are used under the "Fair Use" Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act in 1976; Allowance is made for "Fair Use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research.
Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.
All rights and credit go directly to its rightful owners. No copyright infringement intended.

Ep 52: Bosom Buddies

When we first came up with the concept of the show, namely leveraging our pop cultural expertise to put cultural artifacts under the CFX microscope to see if they will stand the test of time, the short lived early ‘80s sitcom, Bosom Buddies, was one of the first shows we both thought of covering. Well, in episode 52, we do just that. We dig into not only the production history of the show, the before and after careers of all cast members, including the conspicuously successful Tom Hanks, but also the rich tradition of cross dressing as a plot point both in comedy and drama, going all the way back to Shakespeare and beyond. See, it's all perfectly normal....
Is this show an underappreciated classic full of edgy satire or just another hackneyed sitcom full of tired plots and well-worn comedy tropes? We answer this question by analyzing every single episode of the show and then “speak our minds” to decide if this short lived show deserved “a second chance” or if we should tell the show’s creators and actors to “keep it yourself”! And, as usual, along the way, we learn…
Who is the one major cast member who didn’t appear on The Love Boat
How a very stoned Martin Scorcese may have stolen the plot of one of the episodes for one of this best films
How Billy Joel and Stephanie Mills taught Slip a very painful lesson about karma
How Buffy and Hildy, Kip and Henry’s brothers, are from Saskatchewan, Canada while Kip and Henry are from Shaker Heights, OH…
How the coffee shop at the Susan B Anthony Hotel for Women is the hippest, most happening place in all of NYC…maybe even all of the USA
What it means to be a sitcom art critic
What "horrible" CFX legend and poo bomb victim was wearing Donna Dixon's pink chiffon outfits before she ran off with Dan Aykroyd
And, finally, the lengths one will go through to avoid being sued by Gary Gygax 
Check us out on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/culturalfutures/) for links and additional content related to this and other episodes as well as clues to upcoming shows or write to us at culutralfuturesexchange@gmail.com
All audio clips are used under the "Fair Use" Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act in 1976; Allowance is made for "Fair Use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research.
Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.
All rights and credit go directly to its rightful owners. No copyright infringement intended.

Ep 51: Warren Zevon

This week CFX covers Warren Zevon, an artist that the general public, if they’ve heard of him at all, usually think of as a one hit wonder and associate him with one that song, “Werewolves of London”. As great as that song may be, CFX, as you’ve come to expect, digs deeper to discover the real Warren Zevon, the oftentimes frustratingly brilliant and brilliantly frustrating songwriter and musician’s musician who went from childhood classical prodigy to ‘60s flame out to the peak of popularity and critical acclaim in the late ‘70s, all to have it go up in flames in one of the most alcohol soaked, debauched and drugged out careers the world has ever seen (and the world has seen a lot of them)! In the end, he “stood in the fire” (to quote him) only to be defeated by cancer. But he didn’t even let that stop him, keeping his sardonic sense of humor and incomparable wit and insight intact until the end. But what can CFX say about the prospects of an artist who most people haven’t heard of? Will his work stand the test of time? We go into his unbelievable story and evaluate the highs and lows of his long career, and, as usual, we learn…
How many times it’s possible to fail rehab
Where are the best and worst places to hide your empty vodka bottles
What is the best opening line of a song ever
Why you should be careful of those Hawaiian hotel employees
What is JEFFCORE?
How not to treat Jackson Browne
And, finally, lyrical ruminations describing chronic incontinence problems of the elderly
Check us out on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/culturalfutures/) for links and additional content related to this and other episodes as well as clues to upcoming shows or write to us at culutralfuturesexchange@gmail.com
All audio clips are used under the "Fair Use" Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act in 1976; Allowance is made for "Fair Use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research.
Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.
All rights and credit go directly to its rightful owners. No copyright infringement intended.

Ep 50: Rush-Part 2 of Synth

Part 2 picks up right where we left off on Part 1, by tackling the post-Moving Pictures journey of our Canuck music heroes. They’ve just experienced their greatest commercial success (artistic as well, at least according to CFX) to date and ready to fire the up the synths for some emotion transmission on 1982’s Signals. How do the next 11 albums over 30 years of the band’s studio recording history go down? Are they cool with their rapidly growing, hard-won, post-Moving Pictures fan base? Or will they be cast out? We cover it all, have major disagreements agreements along the way, and learn:
How not to make music videos
What famous drummer (ok, look-alike) starred in the Subdivisions video
How disco might have been Rush’s secret weapon
What happens when Neil Peart and Jeff go head-to-head in a lyric writing contest
How everyone is entitled to Geddy’s opinion
Why Big Money has no soul
And, finally, how exactly, abnormal shapes and forms contribute to life in two dimensions becoming a mass production scheme
Check us out on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/culturalfutures/) for links and additional content related to this and other episodes as well as clues to upcoming shows or write to us at culutralfuturesexchange@gmail.com
All audio clips are used under the "Fair Use" Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act in 1976; Allowance is made for "Fair Use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research.
Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.
All rights and credit go directly to its rightful owners. No copyright infringement intended.

Ep 50: Rush-Part 1 of Fear

ATTENTION PLANETS OF THE SOLAR FEDERATION! WE HAVE ASSUMED CONTROL! WE HAVE ASSUMED CONTROL! That's right, eh! This is the big one, episode 50, and so, it's time to grab a Molson Golden, don that kimono, and tuck into some poutine, because CFX are covering one of the all time greats, Canadian rock gods, RUSH. This is an episode so huge and magnificent, that we couldn't do it in one go, but had to split it in two. That's right, for a total of 5+ hours, we dive into the history, zeitgeist and take on the whole discography of these virtuosic prog wizards from the Great White North. In part 1, we chart the rise of the band, from their humble beginnings as heavy riff rockers to hash oil imbibing prog rockers to multi-platinum FM radio rulers. RUSH are great, we all know that, but how well do they stack up really? In the first part, we cover everything from the early days of the band with drummer John Rutsey before Neil "The Professor" Peart would blow everyone away with his Objectivist philosophical beliefs and superhuman drumming all the way to the band's megablockbuster Moving Pictures album (in part 2, we'll cover the rest). We decide if the band really does mold a new reality or if their music is just a silly whim (that doesn't fit the plan). And, along the way, as you've come to expect, we also learn...
What rush song nerds listen to to get "in the mood"
How to pronounce Alex's real last name (actually, we could never figure that out)
What band wouldn't allow Rush to have a soundcheck and, let's face it, were total hoseheads
What cartoon character did critics say Geddy Lee sang like
What was the most difficult album to record? The easiest? And the most hash-influenced?
How your esteemed hosts rank the albums of this era
And, finally, will we be dining on honeydew or will this episode end in Tears…
Check us out on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/culturalfutures/) for links and additional content related to this and other episodes as well as clues to upcoming shows or write to us at culutralfuturesexchange@gmail.com
All audio clips are used under the "Fair Use" Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act in 1976; Allowance is made for "Fair Use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research.
Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.
All rights and credit go directly to its rightful owners. No copyright infringement intended.

Ep 49: The Breakfast Club

Teen archetypes! Melodramatic method-inspired soliloquies! Stepford Wives teen makeovers! Flaring nostrils! Hairy butt loving sportos! Quarterflash sound-alikes! And, who could forget… Neo-Nazi Zoom DWEEBIES?! If you’re wondering what we’re talking about, you’ve obviously never seen the 1985 classic John Hughes film, The Breakfast Club! We were bound to get to this one sooner or later and this week we do, diving into the history and zeitgeist of this film and deciding whether it is indeed one of the great and enduring teen-centered films ever made or if we should just ignore the advice of Simple Minds and just FORGET ABOUT IT. We also have some fun talking about which of the teen archetypes we most resembled (it’s not hard to guess… we’re looking at you, Brian Johnson) and go through a meticulous walk-through of just about every detail and event of the film, and, as you’ve come to expect, we also learn…
What the Brat Pack was and what a Rat Pack version of this film might be like
Who originally was cast as rebel John Bender and what physical characteristic led to Judd Nelson getting the part
Which of your CFX hosts also took shop and how he messed up his project worse than Brian
About Jeff’s foreign film movie career starring alongside of Molly Ringwald and Patrick Dempsey
Which character was probably most interested in what, besides Bender’s weed, was in Johnson’s underwear
How to not fake being stoned
What happens when you mess with the bull…
Check us out on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/culturalfutures/) for links and additional content related to this and other episodes as well as clues to upcoming shows or write to us at culutralfuturesexchange@gmail.com
All audio clips are used under the "Fair Use" Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act in 1976; Allowance is made for "Fair Use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research.
Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.
All rights and credit go directly to its rightful owners. No copyright infringement intended.

Ep 48: Firefly

This week CFX takes on the short-lived cult sci-fi show, Firefly. We dive into the history of the show, explore its eleven TV episodes and the 2005 fan-driven film Serenity to decide whether this oddball mix of western and space opera is “shiny” or just a whole lot of “Fei-oo”. What about this show made fans dress in space cowboy outfits, speak bad Chinese to each other, serenade Renaissance Faire crowds with Firefly-inspired ballads, and finally wage an internet battle against the evil Hollywood “alliance” to save their show? Will CFX join in the rebellion by proclaiming Firefly as the greatest show that never was or try to “take the sky” from all of these dedicated fans by pointing out that maybe this is just Star Wars meets Battlestar Galactica meets The A-Team and Have Gun WIll Travel? You may be surprised, and, as usual, along the way, you’ll learn…
What Simon and Simon and Simon LeBon have to do with this saga
How NOT to speak Chinese
Who didn’t cry when Wash died
What it means to be a "good" smuggler
How to conduct business as a space prostitute
What it takes to be lured away from Klingon fandom
And finally, the fan favorite liaison that had us headed to our bunks with Jayne
Check us out on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/culturalfutures/) for links and additional content related to this and other episodes as well as clues to upcoming shows or write to us at culutralfuturesexchange@gmail.com
All audio clips are used under the "Fair Use" Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act in 1976; Allowance is made for "Fair Use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research.
Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.
All rights and credit go directly to its rightful owners. No copyright infringement intended.

Ep 47: The Catcher in the Rye

This week CFX tackles one of the most popular and controversial books of all time, J.D. Salinger’s 1951 coming of age novel The Catcher in the Rye. This is a book that nearly everyone has read and we talk about how the book affected us when we read it as teenagers and how we view it now. We got into Salinger’s incredible life story, including his harrowing experiences in World War 2 and how his experiences influenced his writing and his difficult relationship with success  eventually led him to live life as a recluse and to stop publishing altogether. And, more importantly, we decide if this novel really knocks us out, really kills us, if you know what we mean, or is just phony and corny.  And, as usual, along the way, we also learn…
Why Jeff’s favorite character in the novel is (good ol’) Edgar Marsala  
Why Salinger might have identified with the more perverted residents at the Edmont Hotel
What famous actor wanted to adapt the book and play Holden himself even though he was a 40 year old man (actually, we forget to include this fact but it’s JERRY LEWIS!) 
What a butt-twitcher is and why we care
How Paul Stanley’s hairy chest plays into the story
And finally, will we be able to get past all that David Copperfield shit and channel our inner Stradlater to give Jane Gallagher the time or will we regress to our outer Ackley kid and get punched in the gut by Maurice the pimp?
 
Check us out on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/culturalfutures/) for links and additional content related to this and other episodes as well as clues to upcoming shows or write to us at culutralfuturesexchange@gmail.com
All audio clips are used under the "Fair Use" Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act in 1976; Allowance is made for "Fair Use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research.
Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.
All rights and credit go directly to its rightful owners. No copyright infringement intended.

Ep 46: Thin Lizzy

This week CFX celebrates St. Patrick’s Day by covering the greatest Irish band in history, Thin Lizzy! And if you consider that to be a controversial statement, we understand because as great as Thin Lizzy were, they weren’t nearly as popular as they should have been. Why weren’t they absolutely huge? Why wasn’t Phil Lynott, their charismatic leader and brilliant songwriter and bassist, a household name? Why did American FM radio barely play them? We dig into the band’s troubled history and do an analysis of their very interesting discography. We talk about the innovative twin guitar attack that spawned a thousand bands, Lynott’s poetic lyrics and brilliant storytelling, and what’s got to be the most under-appreciated drumming of all time. We talk about all the sex and we talk about all the drugs. This is a tragic story, but is there a happy CFX evaluation in the end? We decide that, and, as usual, along the way, we also learn…
How tough does a town have to be to have more than one jail?
What the deal is with ‘70s rock stars and their obsession with buffaloes?
Why Dean Martin may be the new Steely Dan of CFX
How does one get chocolate stains on one’s pants?
Why Phil Lynott missed his chance to write 70’s sitcom theme songs
Finally, are there any “gurls” who want a little more Irish in them? (Asking for a friend)
Check us out on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/culturalfutures/) for links and additional content related to this and other episodes as well as clues to upcoming shows or write to us at culutralfuturesexchange@gmail.com
All audio clips are used under the "Fair Use" Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act in 1976; Allowance is made for "Fair Use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research.
Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.
All rights and credit go directly to its rightful owners. No copyright infringement intended.