Michael and Us

A few years after "hope and change" curdled, HOUSE OF CARDS offered a cynic's guide to the Beltway circa Obama's first term. We finally discuss a cultural phenomenon that reality would soon hopelessly outpace.

Join us on Patreon for an extra episode every week - https://patreon.com/michaelandus

Check out the Michael & Us website and episode guide - https://michael-and-us.com/

"Casual Viewing" by Will Tavlin - https://www.nplusonemag.com/issue-49/essays/casual-viewing/

"The Comfortable Problem of Mid TV" by James Poniewozik - https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/27/arts/television/mid-tv.html

We turn our attention to a bona fide cultural phenomenon and ask: where do Homer's The Odyssey and Christopher Nolan's THE ODYSSEY (2026) intersect and diverge?

PATREON-EXCLUSIVE EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/michaelandus/posts/738-odysseus-and-167166546

Like Anderson Cooper before us, we catch up on the news! We discuss the ups and downs of the recent senate primaries in the U.S. PLUS: What do Alex Jones and Goop have in common? And the unlikely story of the world's greatest Jerry Lewis impersonator.

TORONTO: Join us at the Toronto premiere of CHUNKS on September 1 at the Paradise Theatre. We will be participating in an onstage discussion with Amber A'Lee Frost and Nate Fisher - https://paradiseonbloor.com/movies/chunks-toronto-premiere/

Join us on Patreon for an extra episode every week - https://patreon.com/michaelandus

"Infogoop" by Joshua Citarella - https://joshuacitarella.substack.com/p/infogoop

Preorder "American Socialist: The Life & Legacy of Eugene V. Debbs" - https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/American-Socialist/Shawn-Gude/9781668056738

Preorder "Your Time is Now: The Sammy Petrillo Story" - https://feralhouse.com/product/your-time-is-now/

When the financial crisis hit and Americans were losing their homes, one movie had the courage to suggest: have you considered going to community college and dating Julia Roberts? We discuss LARRY CROWNE (2011), a rare directorial offering from Tom Hanks.

PATREON-EXCLUSIVE EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/michaelandus/posts/736-larry-crowne-166250639

Did you know that a private, monopolistic, unaccountable, and socially conservative organization has free reign to define the limits of artistic expression in the United States? We discuss Kirby Dick's expose of the MPAA and its ratings system, THIS FILM IS NOT YET RATED (2006), and how (and how not to) combat censorship. PLUS: Ebeneezer, the original bad-boy of Tinseltown, is back.

Join us on Patreon for an extra episode every week - https://patreon.com/michaelandus

Check out the Michael & Us website and episode guide - https://michael-and-us.com/