Advertise on podcast: Strange Days, Here We Come: Pop Culture, Dystopia & Collapse

In this Halloween episode, The Pop Mythologist is joined by Victims Studies scholar Dr. Shelly Clevenger to explore the disturbing themes of Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982), from corporate authoritarianism and surveillance to consumer manipulation, ideological extremism, and the victimization of children. Together, they examine why this underrated horror film feels timelier and more relevant than ever. *SPOILER ALERT: This episode contains spoilers for Halloween III. LINKS: SHSU Victim Studies program page: https://www.shsu.edu/academics/colleges/criminal-justice/victim-studies/  SHSU Victim Studies Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shsu_victimstudies/ Books by Dr. Shelly Clevenger: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17405312.Shelly_Clevenger The Psych Geeks / Pop Culture Psychology book series: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5876521.Travis_Langley Watch Shelly's TED talk on the healing power of toys: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TcqI63wL1I

The Pop Mythologist and his guest, author and psychology professor Alex Langley, revisit RoboCop (1987) as a political, mythical, and psychological parable about how capitalism privatizes everything, offers false solutions to the very problems it creates, dehumanizes human beings, and lays the groundwork for fascism. Drawing connections to the current actions and tactics of ICE, and the ongoing AI takeover, they also explore why protecting and reclaiming our humanity is a form of resistance in these times. ⚠️Spoilers for: RoboCop (1987) and RoboCop (2014) ✅ No Spoilers for: All other works mentioned Follow Alex Langley at: Instagram: @therocketllama https://www.instagram.com/therocketllama/ Threads: @therocketllama https://www.threads.com/@therocketllama?xmt=AQF0-7f6xIpQJVf66ms1AALoCuIZNzOs1bRdOfL4zVEnUJI Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Rocketllama Official website https://www.rocketllama.com/

The film NOMADLAND portrayed Americans turning to vehicle living as a way to survive increasing economic instability. In this episode, my guests Lauren and Noah share their real-life story of transitioning away from traditional housing, converting an old bus into their home, and traveling across an America that's under strain from multiple systemic pressures. They speak candidly about the many challenges, logistical hurdles, and unexpected moments of beauty and joy they've encountered along the way. We also explore the deeper themes of collapse awareness, community resilience, and how their lived experience overlaps with, or diverges from, what NOMADLAD depicts. Topics we discuss include: The rising unaffordability of housing What it means to be "collapse aware" Community resilience and lessons from surviving the destruction of Hurricane Helene The tensions of ecological values vs. the realities of life on the road All the times they considered quitting The surprising, unexpected joys of simple living How their experiences compare with NOMADLAND Helpful stories vs. unhelpful stories amid transformational change Signals of hope and building parallel structures Plus: a surprise cameo from Indy the cat 😸    ⚠️ Spoilers: Nomadland (only from the 40:45 to 55:15 timemark, no spoilers at any other time even if the movie gets mentioned) ✅ No Spoilers: All other fictional works mentioned (Station Eleven, Dimension 20, Dropout TV, Marvel movies)    Books mentioned by Lauren or Noah: The Limits to Growth by Donella H. Meadows, Dennis L. Meadows, Jorgen Randers, and William W. Behrens III https://www.clubofrome.org/publication/the-limits-to-growth/ The Art of Frugal Hedonism: A Guide to Spending Less While Enjoying Everything More by Annie Raser-Rowland and Adam Grubb https://frugalhedonism.com/ Work Won’t Love You Back by Sara Jaffe https://www.betterworldbooks.com/product/detail/work-won-t-love-you-back-how-devotion-to-our-jobs-keeps-us-exploited-exhausted-and-alone-9781568589374/new   Creating a Life Together: Practical Tools to Grow Ecovillages and Intentional Communities by Diana Leafe Christian https://www.betterworldbooks.com/product/detail/creating-a-life-together-practical-tools-to-grow-ecovillages-and-intentional-communities-9780865714717/new   Resources mentioned by Lauren: otherWise https://otherwise.one/   Resources mentioned by the Pop Mythologist: Institute for the Future https://www.iftf.org   Foresight Essentials https://www.iftf.org/foresightessentials/for-individuals   Urgent Optimists https://urgentoptimists.org   Outro music: "It’s the end of the world… shhh don’t tell the kids" by Shy and the Fight  — licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

SFX makeup artist & creative influencer Aleena Averly joins me to discuss two films that portray dystopian futures against a backdrop of ecological collapse, Blade Runner 2049 and Elysium. We talk about how technology, AI, surveillance, inequality, and class oppression—but also pockets of heroism and sacrifice—are portrayed in both films, how the real world is racing alarmingly fast towards both futures, and why the fight to stay human in an increasingly inhuman world matters more than ever. Topics include:   • Class divides and structural oppression   • Immigrant scapegoating as a way to maintain class oppression   • "Are you a replicant?"   • AI, AI companions, and the illusion of "realness"   • The erosion of empathy, humanity, and authenticy   • Echoes of Philip K. Dick’s ideas   • Outward rebellion vs. inner awakening   • Staying real and human in an increasingly unreal and inhuman world ⚠️ Spoilers: Blade Runner 2049, Elysium ✅ No Spoilers: All other works mentioned Find Aleena Averly: YouTube: @AleenaAverly https://www.youtube.com/@AleenaAverly Instagram: @aleena.averly https://www.instagram.com/aleena.averly/   Opening quote: From a 1979 interview w/ Philip K. Dick, edited for brevity and clarity, accessed via Internet Archive: https://archive.org/details/PhilipK.DickRAWInterview Outro music: "Replicant Love" by Francesco Berta, licensed via AudioJungle  Read more about the real-life lessons of Blade Runner 2049 and the fiction of Philip K. Dick on PopMythology: • The Blade Runner 2049 Replicant's Guide to Being Human in an Inhuman World https://www.popmythology.com/blade-runner-replicant-guide-becoming-human/ • Be a Dick-Head: The Philip K. Dick Way of Spiritual-Political Resistance https://www.popmythology.com/philip-k-dick-way-of-political-resistance/

Horror has always mirrored our real-world fears—and important socio-political issues. In this Halloween double feature, host The Pop Mythologist and special guest Sapient, from the blackened death metal band Abomnium, explore NIGHTBREED (1990) and A QUIET PLACE (2018) as dystopian allegories of fascism, oppression, survival, and strategic resistance. From Clive Barker's underground outcasts of Midian to John Krasinski’s silent survivors, the two films reveal how horror can expose the machinery of fascism—and the courage and ingenuity it takes to survive and resist it. ⚠️ Spoiler Warning⚠️ *Spoilers for: Nightbreed (1990), A Quiet Place (2018) Lyrics for excerpt of "The Machine Awakens" by Abomnium: Broken Cratered Impact scarred Eon dust layers Hidden Photon cascade Electron displacement Sensors flicker The machine awakens [...] For the rest of the song, go find Abomnium on Bandcamp or the streaming service of your choice! Links: Abomnium on Bandcamp https://ukemrecords.bandcamp.com/album/of-time-and-dying-stars Bridge 11 on Bandcamp https://bridge11.bandcamp.com/ Sapient / Abomnium on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/abomnium/ 10/27 EDIT: Congratulations to Sapient / Abomnium for winning Metallica's #GetTheLoadOut cover song contest this week! https://www.instagram.com/p/DQSI3BBj4Sh/

In this episode of Strange Days, Here We Come, we dive into SHIN GODZILLA and GODZILLA MINUS ONE to explore their themes of collapse by way of bureaucracy, inaction, war, and failed leadership—comparing the films' depictions of effective and ineffective governance and the power of direct civilian action amid crisis (e.g., natural disasters, climate change, pandemics, war, and nuclear devastation).     ⚠️Spoilers: Shin Godzilla (2016), Godzilla Minus One (2023) ✅ No Spoilers: Godzilla (1954), Don't Look Up (2021), Black Panther (2018), Lost (2004-2010), All Quiet on the Western Front (2022), Enemy at the Gates (2001), Jacob’s Ladder (1990), Joker (2019)  Links: "Pacific Rim, Godzilla, and the Balance of Nuclear Power" by Jess Kroll

We discuss Kathryn Bigelow’s Strange Days (1995) to explore its chillingly relevant themes of police brutality, surveillance, and AI-created fake memories. Drawing parallels to our real world — from the L.A. riots to Midjourney — we ask why this dystopian sci‑fi noir feels more relevant and unsettling than ever and how its ideas connect to today’s anxieties about over-policing, propaganda, and the way AI technology may soon reshape both our private memories and public histories.  *This episode contains spoilers for Strange Days.* Read Jess Kroll's film reviews HERE. Contact the podcast HERE.

(This podcast was formerly titled THIS IS THE END: POP CULTURE & COLLAPSE.) Well, it's been... a while. In this, the first new episode in over two years, I share a bit of the personal story behind why this podcast has been dormant for so long and how it relates to what I call "personal collapse." But just as with societal collapse, personal collapses don't necessarily have to be a permanent end state.  I also share why I've decided to give the show a new title. Going forward it will no longer be called "This is the End: Pop Culture & Collapse." The new title is "Strange Days, Here We Come: Pop Culture, Dystopia & Collapse," and a slightly broader focus to include discussions of dystopian stories in addition to collapse-related ones. But don't worry, there will still be plenty of collapse-related material. :) Even if you are not interested in, or familiar with, concepts surrounding societal collapse, if you are a caregiver or know someone who is, you might find this episode interesting as it goes into how the individualized burdens of caregiving can result in a "personal collapse."   A shoutout to the r/CaregiverSupport subreddit on Reddit. They know what I am talking about.  https://www.reddit.com/r/CaregiverSupport/ Here's to new beginnings. Strange days, here we come.

(Note: This episode was originally released under the old podcast title "This is the End: Pop Culture & Collapse." As of July 2025 the show is now titled, "Strange Days, Here We Come: Pop Culture, Dystopia & Collapse.") NOTE: This episode was recorded in Dec. of 2022 but I've only gotten around to editing it now. Since then I've become much better acquainted with ChatGPT and so, yes, I know its name (whereas at the time of this recording I still didn't). LINKS: Jess Kroll's film reviews   https://www.popmythology.com/author/jmskroll/ Jess Kroll author page on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/jesskrollauthor 'The One' series by Jess Kroll (as J. Manoa) https://amzn.to/3DaKuuJ 'The Werewolf Council' series by Jess Kroll (as J. Manoa) https://amzn.to/3Xz1u63   'Land of Smiles' by Jess Kroll https://amzn.to/3JlRIjk   LIST OF FILMS (and spoiler time stamps)   -----------------------------------   WALL-E 5:08 - 5:53 (possible minor spoiler) 8:44 - 9:07 spoiler 13:23 - 13:36 spoiler 15:13 - 15:36 spoiler 17:42 - 18:32 spoiler DON’T LOOK UP 22:50 - 23:05 26:55 - 27:02 (possible minor spoiler) 29:44 - 29:54 (possible minor spoiler) 30:34 - 31:10 spoiler 32:37 - 36:23 (possible minor spoilers) 37:09 - 38:47 spoiler 40:07 - 41:13 spoiler 44:14 - 45:03 spoiler 46:12 - 48:02 spoiler 53:50 - 54:10 spoiler 1:02:45 - 1:03:00 (possible minor spoiler)   THE ROAD 56:43 - 56:53 spoiler 59:25  - 1:03:03 spoiler   MENACE II SOCIETY No Spoilers   THE GRAPES OF WRATH No Spoilers

(Note: This episode was originally released under the old podcast title "This is the End: Pop Culture & Collapse." As of July 2025 the show is now titled, "Strange Days, Here We Come: Pop Culture, Dystopia & Collapse.")   PopMythology.com film critic and novelist Jess Kroll joins me to have a conversation about 10 different movies that depict collapse in some way. In this episode, Part 1, we discuss the first five.  Scroll all the way down below to see the titles of the films discussed and during which timestamped moments that spoilers or semi-spoilers of these films are mentioned. LINKS: Jess Kroll's film reviews   https://www.popmythology.com/author/jmskroll/ Jess Kroll author page on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/jesskrollauthor 'The One' series by Jess Kroll (as J. Manoa) https://amzn.to/3DaKuuJ 'The Werewolf Council' series by Jess Kroll (as J. Manoa) https://amzn.to/3Xz1u63 'Land of Smiles' by Jess Kroll https://amzn.to/3JlRIjk     LIST OF FILMS (and spoiler demarcations) ----------------------------------- DONBASS (7:32 - 16:42)   • No spoilers   THREADS (16:57 -28:02)   • Spoiler 21:45 - 22:05   • Spoiler 23:36 - 24:18   • Spoiler 26:49 - 27:14   CONTAGION (28:02 - 44:13)     • Spoiler 32:38 - 34:16   • Spoiler 35:23 - 35:45   • Spoiler 38:48 - 41:15   • Spoiler 41:29 - 42:23   • Spoiler 42:34 - 44:13    CHILDREN OF MEN (44:13 - 1:01:05)   • Spoiler 51:40 - 52:14   • Spoiler 52:35 - 54:23   • Spoiler 55:21 - 55:46   • Spoiler 56:25 - 57:54   • Spoiler 58:17 - 1:00:14   IDIOCRACY (1:01:05 - 1:16:12)   • Spoiler 1:04:40 - 1:05:34   • Spoiler 1:11:23 - 1:12:14

(Note: This episode was originally released under the old podcast title "This is the End: Pop Culture & Collapse." As of July 2025 the show is now titled, "Strange Days, Here We Come: Pop Culture, Dystopia & Collapse.")   In this episode, I interview political commentator, former congressional candidate, and now regenerative farmer Haven Scott McVarish, author of LAST CHANCE TO SAVE AMERICAN DEMOCRACY. Haven talks about his favorite novel, STARK by Ben Elton, a dystopian comedy thriller about how corporations and the wealthy cause a global ecological collapse. Haven also discusses the novel's themes in relation to his own book about the current, ongoing collapse of U.S. democracy. We talk about how to save our imperiled democracy as well as what ordinary people can start doing now to prepare for collapse via local community building and restorative agriculture.      LINKS:     Last Chance to Save American Democracy by Haven Scott McVarish    https://amzn.to/3eqPxxB    Stark by Ben Elton https://amzn.to/3wY6dD2 5 Journeys (Haven Scott McVarish's non-profit organization)  https://www.5journeys.org/

(Note: This episode was originally released under the old podcast title "This is the End: Pop Culture & Collapse." As of July 2025 the show is now titled, "Strange Days, Here We Come: Pop Culture, Dystopia & Collapse.")   This is a longer version of a talk I recently gave at San Diego Comic Con 2022 as part of a panel on Marvel's street-level characters (Daredevil, Jessica Jones, etc.) moderated by Dr. Scott Jordan as part of the Comics Arts Conference. Thank you to Dr. Jordan for inviting me onto the panel and to Dr. Shelly Clevenger, my guest from the last episode, who was the speaker originally slated to talk about the Punisher on the panel but was not able to attend. Also a warm thank you to Dr. Michael Kersulov whose encouraging words after the panel resulted in adapting my talk into a podcast episode.       NOTE: This episode contains quotations from fictional works that contain some NSFW language—specifically two instances of the F word.   Works discussed in this episode: Born #1-4 (2003) by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson The Punisher MAX #1-60 (2004) by Garth Ennis and various artists The Punisher: The End #1 (2004) by Garth Ennis and Richard Corben   All of the above works are available in these collected volumes: The Punisher Max: Complete Collection Vol. 1 https://amzn.to/3zgINsP The Punisher Max: Complete Collection Vol. 2 https://amzn.to/3ScJHz2 The Punisher Max: Complete Collection Vol. 3 https://amzn.to/3OH2yiT The Punisher Max: Complete Collection Vol. 4 https://amzn.to/3vnIdbo

(Note: This episode was originally released under the old podcast title "This is the End: Pop Culture & Collapse." As of July 2025 the show is now titled, "Strange Days, Here We Come: Pop Culture, Dystopia & Collapse.")   We're joined by Dr. Shelly Clevenger, professor of criminology and victim studies, and chair of the Department of Victim Studies at Sam Houston State University, to discuss BITCH PLANET, the feminist dystopian comic book by Kelly Sue DeConnick and Valentine DeLandro, published by Image Comics. Dr. Clevenger, who is also a gender scholar, discusses crime and criminal justice through the lens of gender and gender identity and answers the question of what all of it has to do with the idea of "collapse." Among the topics covered include Roe vs. Wade, the Texas ban of abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, the Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard trial, a shocking historical government program to arrest and imprison women suspected of having STDs without due process, and many other issues affecting women - especially working class women, women of color, queer women, and trans women - in an age of increasing dystopia.      ***NO SPOILERS for Bitch Planet***      LINKS Dr. Shelly Clevenger faculty page https://www.shsu.edu/~icc_www/_inc/dir.php?mode=view&item=467   Department of Victim Studies page at Sam Houston State University http://catalog.shsu.edu/graduate-and-professional/college-departments/criminal-justice/victim-studies/   Dr. Shelly Clevenger on Twitter https://twitter.com/drclevenger   Gendering Criminology by Shelly Clevenger and Jordana N. Navarro https://amzn.to/3Qpi3y8   Bitch Planet, Vol. 1 by Kelly Sue DeConnick and Valentine DeLandro https://amzn.to/3QoXlyr   Enjoying the podcast? Please give us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! It really helps!!! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-is-the-end-pop-culture-collapse/id1593793050 https://open.spotify.com/show/416cLdU3lYZNzpvk2FVPoX?si=wzL_0j3wQfmM0oXA7zKecQ&utm_source=copy-link   Really, really enjoying the podcast? Consider leaving a tip on Ko-Fi!  https://ko-fi.com/popmythology

(Note: This episode was originally released under the old podcast title "This is the End: Pop Culture & Collapse." As of July 2025 the show is now titled, "Strange Days, Here We Come: Pop Culture, Dystopia & Collapse.") In this episode, I interview Jim Carey, host of ‘The Left is Dead,’ a podcast about news, politics, and culture from a leftist lens. We discuss one of Jim’s favorite works of fiction, the novel LES MISERABLES by Victor Hugo, and its relevance to the societal and political turmoil we see today.   Jim talks about how the U.S. has basically become an entire nation of Javerts—moral absolutists obsessed with control and punishment—and how a lack of class consciousness,  revolutionary zeal, and a broad coalition with the working class prevents our ability to find real solutions to the biggest problems of our day. He also talks about the moral and political lessons that can be taken away from LES MISERABLES, particularly from the characters of Valjean, Fantine, Marius, and the young revolutionaries whose uprising becomes a failure we can learn from.   We also compare the novel and its socio-political objectives with adaptations of it in pop culture such as the Broadway musical and various film and TV adaptations. I spend a fair amount of time praising the PBS miniseries version and ragging on the Broadway musical for failing to cultivate a more meaningful level of class consciousness among its viewers.    The Left is Dead https://leftisdead.com/    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheLeftIsDead Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheLeftisDead1 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leftisdead/ Outro music by Benny Martin Piano https://bennymartin.com.au/ licensed under a Creative Commons License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/bennymartinpianist YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ-yPr5SzsB0WHeKcwVONyQ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bennymartinmusic/

(Note: This episode was originally released under the old podcast title "This is the End: Pop Culture & Collapse." As of July 2025 the show is now titled, "Strange Days, Here We Come: Pop Culture, Dystopia & Collapse.")   Chopin's Polonaise Op. 40 No. 1 in A major ("Polanaise Militaire") performed by Pistos, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial 2.5 Canada License