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 dis...
Dec 23, 2020•1 hr 15 min
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 ...
Dec 16, 2020•58 min
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 ...
Dec 09, 2020•1 hr 15 min
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...
Dec 02, 2020•1 hr 27 min
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 h...
Nov 30, 2020•20 min
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.
Nov 30, 2020•24 min
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 t...
Nov 27, 2020•26 min
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' infide...
Nov 11, 2020•45 min
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.
Nov 06, 2020•18 min
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 ...
Oct 28, 2020•1 hr 14 min
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 ...
Oct 19, 2020•1 hr 1 min
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 cal...
Oct 14, 2020•1 hr 25 min
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...
Oct 07, 2020•1 hr 11 min
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...
Sep 30, 2020•1 hr 28 min
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 ...
Sep 23, 2020•33 min
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 fo...
Sep 16, 2020•1 hr 41 min
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 ...
Sep 09, 2020•1 hr 47 min
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 backgro...
Aug 26, 2020•1 hr 27 min
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 L...
Aug 19, 2020•1 hr 30 min
The lore for Warcraft is expansive and has captivated the minds of fans for over twenty-five years. World of Warcraft: Shadowlands looks to expand that lore this fall with the expansion of the ever-popular MMORPG. Sylvanas Windrunner has shattered the crown of the Lich King and opened a rift over Azeroth, the Horde is splintered, and the Alliance is on the hunt for the former leader of the Horde. New adventures loom but before then, fans can read the latest tie-in novel for the expansion, Shadow...
Aug 18, 2020•42 min
This week we're talking about one of the foundational authors of science fiction: Isaac Asimov. We dive into his series, his academic career and ultimately the three laws of robotics and how they set the stage for not only sci-fi but for robot ethics in the real world as well. And we do it all with the help of our producer and sr. editor of But Why Tho?. Jason! This episode is sponsored by MANSCAPED. Head over to manscaped.com and use code: BUTWHYTHO at checkout to get a great deal on a great wa...
Aug 12, 2020•1 hr 28 min
This week with the arrival of The Last Dance on Netflix, we're talking about His Airness himself, Michael Jordan. In this episode, we dive into the history of the iconic basketball player both on and off the court. We talk about he became the greatest player of all time, his move to baseball, some of his controversies, how he essentially created Nike as a streetwear brand as well as an athletic one. Plus we have a deep conversation about competition, sports, and what it takes to become the GOAT....
Jul 30, 2020•1 hr 37 min
This week, the gang does a podcast and talks about why It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Matters. We dive into the history of the FX Original series, how it picked up where Seinfeld left off and made it darker, and why after all these years it's a series that still holds on tight. In the same vein as our Archer episode, we have a conversation about shows about bad people doing bad things and how it works as a comedy when it's done right. There is even a little Day Man....
Jul 22, 2020•1 hr 10 min
This week, we're diving into the life, history, and career of Chicano icon: Danny Trejo. In this episode we break down why Danny Trejo matters to film, fans, and why his status as an icon is not only incredible after his journey but life-changing for those he meets. While this isn't one of our longest episodes, we get the chance to dive into an icon, discuss our favorite movies of his and show just why Danny Trejo Matters. Even if you're unfamiliar with Danny Trejo, you probably know what he loo...
Jul 15, 2020•41 min
If you've listened to any of the 144 other episodes of But Why Tho? the podcast, then you know we always mention special effects when talking about a long-lasting and impactful film or franchise. After realizing just how many times Industrial Light & Magic has come up, we decided the iconic special effects house created by George Lucas was worthy of its own episode. Here, we discuss the history of the visual effects house, its iconic set pieces, films, and how it continues to revolutionize t...
Jul 08, 2020•1 hr 1 min
2020 marks the 10th anniversary of the ending of the Fullmetal Alchemist manga, and to celebrate we're talking about why Fullmetal Alchemist matters. From the best selling manga to the TWO anime series and the controversy around them both to the creator, Hiromu Arakawa herself we dive into it all with the help of LaNeysha from the podcasts, Did You Have To? and So Here's What Happened. This episode, we (minus Matt) cover the high notes, the depressing notes, and how the series has some of the be...
Jun 24, 2020•1 hr 20 min
It's the 45th anniversary of JAWS this week and to celebrate we're diving into the deep end and breaking down exactly why JAWS matters. We talk about the mishaps on set, the fact that someone wanted to train a real shark, it's status as the very first Summer blockbuster , and even get into the dark side of the film by detailing its detrimental effects on ocean ecosystems and certain sharks nearing extinction, and more. JAWS matters for a lot of reasons, and we take a look at them all and even ge...
Jun 17, 2020•1 hr 13 min
This week we're checking diving deep into Alfred Hitchcock's classic Psycho . With the help of our frequent guest Alex, from Frightday.com, we explain the history of this black and white horror masterpiece just in time for its 60th anniversary and explore all the reasons why Psycho matters. If you haven't seen Psycho, here is your spoiler warning because we spoil the film right off the bat. In this episode we cover how the film made the blueprint for slashers (yes, we mention Peeping Tom, but co...
Jun 10, 2020•1 hr 25 min
Serial Box delivers premium audio and reading entertainment for an on-the-go audience that loves immersive storytelling and has recently expanded their titles in partnership with Marvel, featuring Marvel’s Thor: Metal Gods and Marvel’s Black Widow: Bad Blood. Now, the platform is bringing Jessica Jones to audiences with Marvel’s Jessica Jones: Playing with Fire, a 16-episode story narrated by Fryda Wolff and written by a team of accomplished writers. Last week, we got the chance to speak with Ay...
May 28, 2020•21 min
This year marks the 30th anniversary of Seinfeld (well, depending what date you choose) and to celebrate, we're taking a look at how this 90s series came to define television sitcoms and archetypes for years to come. In this episode we get into all the reasons Seinfeld matters. We walk you through the production history of the show, it's financial success, and of course its tenure in syndication. And we do it all with the help of the most-guested guest, Alex! But, beyond that we talk about how t...
May 27, 2020•1 hr 27 min
