Have you ever googled derealization and hate what you’ve found? Maybe you said some problematic things in the past or watched your stupid friends have stupid children. These are all things we’ll be discussing as we wrap up our analysis of Bo Burnham’s new Netflix comedy special called INSIDE. It’s a valuable piece of art that encapsulates what it felt like for us to be locked down throughout the Covid-19 Pandemic. Welcome to the Internet, we’re getting real this episode, so put down your phones ...
Aug 06, 2021•1 hr 19 min
The story of the Bear, the Dog, and the Bard continues. Once within the caves that wind within the Shoalstorm Pillars, the party must continue deeper into the labyrinth to complete the job they’ve been paid to do. There will be rolling for damage, silly spells, and a ton of great (sword) action from your favorite characters. With a bit of luck, they just might survive unscathed... Listen along as we conclude our journey! Special thanks again to Hamilton for being the best Dungeon Master ever!
Jul 30, 2021•1 hr 57 min
Entertain This… presents an all-original adventure within the realm of Dungeons and Dragons! That’s right, we’re doing a quick one-shot campaign to have a little fun and sing a sea shanty or two along the way. After all, it’s 1 for you, 2 for me… Oops, I almost gave away the story’s big puzzle. Rev up your d20s, and prepare your character sheets, because the Entertain This crew is going on a journey into the Shollstorm Pillars! Listen along as our ragtag gang of scurvy sailors battle the waves a...
Jul 23, 2021•1 hr 15 min
The Dark Souls series of games are often meme’d about for being the hardest video game ever. Players will fail. But it’s through these failures that some tough lessons are learned, how to dip and dodge to land an attack at the perfect time as not to get injured yourself. It’s not going to hold your hand, but the story and lore will be the driving force guiding you to play more. And maybe along the way, we’ll learn what the deal is with praising the sun as we ask you once again to Entertain This…...
Jul 16, 2021•1 hr 13 min
Role-playing games have long been a favorite of ours, but what is the secret sauce that video game giants like Fallout New Vegas had included in their recipes? You could chalk it up to Obsidian Entertainment, but there are many tenants of what makes a good RPG, and to find one, you’ll have to travel to The Outer Worlds. Or Halcyon to be precise. We’ll examine the lore, the characters, and the stories that are told within this 2019 game from our friends at Obsidian, and maybe have a laugh as the ...
Jul 09, 2021•1 hr 9 min
What a year we’ve had. People were confined to their own homes for several long months, and it’s left many to wonder if they were alone in their experiences during that time. Bo Burnham’s latest special on Netflix titled “Inside” is all about the global pandemic of 2020 and what happened to all of us as we rode the wave of change and looked within for entertainment… or maybe it was just for diversion. No matter how you spent your lockdown, listen in with us as we go song by song to analyze this ...
Jul 02, 2021•1 hr 14 min
What makes a football team great? Why do we typically like teams that are close to us? We’ll answer those questions and more because we’re throwing a deep field pass all the way down to Florida this week to talk to Paul from The Scoop on the U YouTube channel about the University of Miami Hurricanes. No other team has been more notorious for starting ruckus on the field or talking trash, and yet they back it up every game with decisive action. And that’s always fun to watch. We’ll discuss the hi...
Jun 25, 2021•1 hr 3 min
The concept of a Hero’s Journey has been around for as long as stories have been written. All the way back to one of the first books written by Homer called the Odyssey. It’s a common way to stage out a person’s growth and development within pieces of literature. We’ll detail how one of us has taken our own hero’s journey and how O Brother Where Art Thou is an example of taking this classic storytelling theme and bringing it into modern times while mixing in a heaping spoonful of symbolism, a da...
Jun 18, 2021•1 hr 8 min
World War 2 is often doted upon by armchair historians as ‘the last good war’. Even if there’s really nothing good about the outcome, there are things that happen that serve as brief light spots in an otherwise dark conflict. The story of how one squad of ordinary people managed to save Private Ryan is one such instance when the powers that be saw trouble ahead and sought to avoid an even worse outcome for one person and his family. Was it worth risking 8 men’s lives for just one guy? Who’s to s...
Jun 11, 2021•1 hr 13 min
You’ve heard the phrase ‘acting in bad faith’ in reference to many different things. But in the world of philosophy, it means much more than just being a mean person. In this episode, we’ll examine the relationship of the self to the surrounding society and attempt to answer the question of if we are good people. Expect nothing short of a deep discussion of “No Exit” a play by Jean Paul Sartres and how this connects to a popular television show we think you should definitely Entertain. Quick Thi...
Jun 04, 2021•1 hr 15 min
Zombie-themed video games and films have a long and sordid history within the realm of entertainment. It was clear that this genre was starting to be a bit of a dead horse towards the early 2010s, but out of this time, we saw the release of The Last of Us from Naughty Dog that sought to breathe life into a faltering idea in media. And most recently, they did so again with the 2020 release of the Last of Us Part 2. What makes these games so great and worth discussing? Well, that’s the topic of ou...
May 28, 2021•1 hr 32 min
As movie theatres begin to resume normal operations, the box offices are beginning to show that people are hungry for a new theatrical experience in the form of film. Demon Slayer Mugen Train is one of the latest films to show in theatres that showcases how well a great film can perform post-pandemic. While normal anime films and T.V. shows can be off-putting to some, this film builds on the already popular lore of the established show of the same name to better fill out the storyline and expand...
May 21, 2021•1 hr 8 min
If a divine creator is good, then why would bad things happen? That question is the crux of this story about a naive young man and his staunchly optimistic tutor’s headlong stumble across the globe. That’s right, we’re discussing a novella entitled “Candide, or Optimism“ on this week’s episode. We’ll draw similarities of this boy’s life to Voltaire’s own experiences, and examine how the shifting culture at the time of publishing played a part in this over-the-top satirical lambasting of the phil...
May 14, 2021•1 hr 9 min
It’s the hallowed day of May the 4th once again, and that can only mean one thing… It’s time for yet another Star Wars Extravaganza! And this time, The Entertain This Podcast has pulled out all the stops. This episode, we’re joined by FIVE guests all from different walks of life to bring us stories of their first discovery of the movie franchise, some deep Star Wars Lore from the back pages of Legends, and what lies in this universe for us to experience from that Galaxy Far Far Away. We have som...
May 04, 2021•1 hr 28 min
Life has its ups and downs, no one knows this more than the titular character of Bojack Horseman. It is within the rollercoaster ride of emotions and comedy that we find the true purpose of being alive and what it means to be a human, even if the character is an anthropomorphic horse! On the outside, this Netflix Original Series is a snarky animated comedy, but once you scratch the surface the story unfolds in ways that makes you feel… more human? Entertain This… and find out more! Quick This: C...
Apr 30, 2021•1 hr 4 min
David Lynch’s movies are not for everyone, this much is confirmed in this week’s episode of the podcast with a Special Guest from Behind the Bits Podcast, Scott Curtis. We’re going deep inside the ear of the world’s most oddball directors to discuss the 1986 release of a film entitled “Blue Velvet”, which is a bizarre film neo-noir set in a set right here in the good ol’ US of A. Or is it? Nothing’s for certain, but the conclusions you’ll come to about deeper meanings and dualities are all your ...
Apr 23, 2021•1 hr 14 min
Monster Hunter puts you the player in control of a hunter who tracks various beasts across the land… almost exactly what the title would lead you to believe. But what makes this game so special is the amount of control in play styles that the game gives you. Gone are the days of RPGs that railroad you into selecting a play style. In this new generation of action role-playing games, you can go from ranged to up close and personal in a matter of seconds. Whatever suits your strategy for taking dow...
Apr 16, 2021•1 hr 11 min
Construction and Management Simulation Games are a huge genre of games that we’ve grown fond of over the years. And chances are, you’ve played one too. The experience of taking nothing and creating something is one thing that defines humanity as a species, and since the dawn of the PC, we’ve been able to SIMulate an entire CITY. We’re talking, of course, about games like Sim City and The Sims and what made them so exceptional, with some other incredible ‘software toys’ mentioned along the way. W...
Apr 09, 2021•1 hr 12 min
Oh, Hi Mark… Who is the man that calls himself Tommy Wiseau? Surely, someone with such notoriety would have some sort of inspiring backstory or at least have accurate information about their upbringing saved somewhere… But as you’ll find out in the week’s episode, Tommy’s a total oddball. We’ll even provide what we know about how he came to be one of the world’s most infamous directors and learn what made ‘The Room’ such an excellent and quotable Cult Classic so that maybe you will Entertain Thi...
Apr 02, 2021•1 hr 14 min
All art is created to be experienced in a specific place, in the case of motion pictures, this place is the Movie Theatre. The silver screen is sought after for many reasons, benefitting both financials and credibility alike. Then came the stay-at-home orders and quarantines due to the global pandemic, which left film producers in a tricky situation under the question of “to stream or not to stream?” Their response is the topic of this week’s special guest episode, so whether you go out to the m...
Mar 26, 2021•1 hr 21 min
There’s a specific time in Disney’s history when they were releasing a series of hits back to back to widespread critical acclaim. This span is known as the Disney Renaissance and some of us were lucky enough to live through it! In this episode we’ll delve into what secret sauce made these movies so special, and why, paying homage to the folks behind the films as well that made these timeless classics fondly remembered by kids and adults alike. So, put on your listening mouse ears and Entertain ...
Mar 19, 2021•1 hr 24 min
It’s been an entire year since our first episode released! And to celebrate, we’re going full circle back to the failed dystopia of Rapture to discuss the sequel to the original masterpiece by 2k Games, Bioshock. We’ll do a deep dive in a bathysphere down to the bottom of the ocean of philosophy, and see some political sea creatures that follow their ideologies to the bitter end. And would you believe that they pack all this meaning into a video game? Don’t be a parasite, would you kindly listen...
Mar 12, 2021•1 hr 19 min
Franz Kafka seems to have had some problems. The Metamorphosis has been read in many English Literature classes in high schools all across the USA. Or at the very least assigned and skimmed. There is rich meaning within the pages, and maybe a cry for help with a bad start and an even worse ending, a truly tragic turn of events that was so reflective of Kafka’s own life and feelings on the world. So keep an open mind, and wildly interpret as you see fit on this episode of the Entertain This Podca...
Mar 05, 2021•1 hr 28 min
Not one, but TWO very special guests join us on this episode of the podcast to talk about the entertainment industry’s problematic underrepresentation of diverse groups of people. Creator of MORE Magazine and social media influencer Arianna Cruz teams up with contributor/media aficionado/Alex’s girlfriend Chloe Price, to talk with the boys about women and people of color in popular media. There are things we can all do to help right now! By holding ourselves and others accountable to include wom...
Feb 26, 2021•1 hr 15 min
It’s that time of year again! Wild commercials, long-standing rivalries, over-the-top halftime shows, and Football's final ‘super’ game of the season! Head Coach Michael leads the drive this episode as we discuss players and memories; with a brief stop into the X-treme Football League (XFL) with some local connections. It will leave you feeling everything but ‘down’. Don’t punt on this one! Put on your helmets, and take the field on this episode of the Entertain This Podcast! Nick Wolf’s Movie I...
Feb 19, 2021•1 hr 19 min
We got SOUL. Maybe not as much as the movie we’re discussing today. On this episode of the Entertain This Podcast, we’re going deep into the philosophy and underlying psychological aspects of this film, along with telling jokes along the way to soften the hard blows of existential dread. It’s a Pixar thing, after all. And we’re certainly not alone in thinking that this is ‘Peak Pixar’. Outside of that, it’s worth a watch so you should definitely Entertain This…. [Nick has now had his copywriting...
Feb 12, 2021•1 hr 17 min
Andy Kaufman was one of the most interesting people ever to act upon the stage. The biopic “Man on the Moon” chronicles his rise to notoriety but also showcases the deeper levels of understanding of his life that many sought to understand. This film stars Jim Carey, who obsessively method acted as if he was Kaufman, and for all intents and purposes became him while filming. Eerie coincidence? Or telepathy from beyond the grave? Found out all this and more on this episode of The Entertain This Po...
Feb 05, 2021•1 hr 21 min
While “the best bourbon” is a subjective term, we’ll start by defining more concrete terminology like “cask strength”, “straight” and even the word “bourbon” itself. The regulated market of bourbon has long been a staple of American life, from the Founding Father’s stills to the modern distributors of barrels today, there has never been such a stir over anything quite like this. At the end of the episode, you will be able to walk into any whiskey aisle with confidence and swagger. So join us on ...
Jan 29, 2021•1 hr 58 min
Every Hype Train has it’s terminal. And at the end of the line, the waiting is over. The game is finally released. But, can it live up to the hype? It rarely does, but one game, in particular, has recently garnered enough negative press that gamers the world over have risen up in anger demanding refunds. Cyberpunk 2077, is the latest title from CD Projekt Red, and it’s the topic of this episode. We’ll discuss why the release was fumbled from a developer’s perspective and the bright spots of this...
Jan 22, 2021•1 hr 16 min
In this season of resolutions and reflections, we feel the years passed are just as important as the year ahead. The foundations of good humanity and empathy are impressed upon us from a young age, by our parents, caregivers, or maybe characters on television. One such person in the broadcasting sphere was called Mr. Rogers. He transformed the television into more than just a source of entertainment for children and did it all with kindness in his heart. Be our neighbor and listen in as we Enter...
Jan 15, 2021•1 hr 8 min
