ListenThis week on The Malliard Report Jim welcomes (for the third…or fourth time?) back the one and only Pop Culture Professor, Dr. Rebecca Housel. Bringing her expert insight and knowledge to the table, Rebecca discusses the future of comics, Gamergate, Millennial culturalism, Kanye at the Whitehouse and much more.
Rebecca Housel, Ph. D. is an author and editor of both fiction and nonfiction in popular culture, philosophy, film, and more. Housel was a teacher and a professor of English for fifteen years. Housel is listed in the Directory of American Poets and writers for her works in nonfiction and is a sponsored member of the National Association of Science Writers for her essays on cancer. Housel is renowned as a feminist scholar and social theorist
The “digital revolution” has changed the way that we take in media. Whether it be the movies we download or the latest album we stream right from our phone, it is safe to say that physical copies have gone the way of the buffalo.(This pendulum seems to be shifting back the other direction though. With vinyl sales growing exponentially over the years and even cassettes making a comeback) No other medium has truly felt the brunt of this movement quite like the print industry. Newspapers are long extinct, the white-pages are an ancient artifact that turns up on your doorstep from time to time, and magazines are quickly becoming relics of a bygone era. (You see more kids glued to a screen in a doctor’s office than you do picking up an outdated copy Highlights) However, the one that has surprisingly held on for as long as it has is that of the comic book world. While it may be hard to imagine a store book-rack without the latest superhero adventures, even major powerhouses such as Marvel are prepping for the inevitable and offering fully digital subscription services for your favorite hero.
The current atmosphere within the news lately has been a strange one to say the least. While a number of the events have been completely polarizing (and we will not get into those, another discussion for another day) we can all agree on the fact that the old saying that your past will haunt you, and that truth really is stranger than fiction. Rebecca recounts an interview that she had where the individual asks her what her (in a condemning manner) thoughts were about a section of a book that a friend of hers wrote that has a far more different meaning today. Rebecca also laments that she fears stuff she has said in the past will come back to bite her. It is safe to say that all of this “gotcha” movement has gotten out of control, and things are being used in contexts that are blown far out of proportion. Side Note, Chuck Klosterman’s Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs is a fantastic read and celebrates its 15th anniversary this year.
Rebecca is always a fantastic to have on, and this episode is no exception. Her insight to the deeper than we perceive world of pop culture is enlightening, her wit is classic, and she keeps the conversation flowing. Be sure to head over to her website rebeccahousel.com to catch up on her latest blog and adventures and her works can be purchased through any major online retailer. For the latest on all things Malliard head over to malliard.com where you can subscribe to the newsletter, catch up on past shows, and more. You can also connect with Jim via Twitter @Malliard.
