If you can read that, you're on the path of illumination... or mediocrity, as we take a close look at the filmography of Christopher Nolan. Inspired (incepted?) by our dear friend and returning guest Andrew Martinez, we analyze his latest film "Tenet" and how it stacks up compared to a classic like Inception or a solid set of films like "The Dark Knight" trilogy, even his smaller films such as "Insomnia" and "The Prestige." While listeners will learn about Ryan's cheese grater phobia, they will ...
Jun 26, 2021•1 hr 20 min•Season 2Ep. 70
We have another packed one this week, as we stream through topic to topic. We start off on the grueling triple-digit heat ravaging the west, compare and contrast mask regulations in California and Colorado (where Seb's reporting), then we have a laugh at the latest shenanigans in conservative media: Alex Jones, Dennis Prager, Ben Shapiro, Jordan Peterson and Michael Knowles all go unscathed as we dissect PragerU's "Otto's Tales." This gave us the opportunity for a "Mars on Life" first, taking Pr...
Jun 18, 2021•1 hr•Season 2Ep. 69
The 45th president loved his Mikes, didn't he? Social media: Mars on Life: @marsonlifeshow on Twitter and Instagram Sebastian Schug: @drsebby (Instagram) and Seabass on YouTube Ryan Mancini: @mancinira (Twitter) and @manciniryan (Instagram) Artwork by Zachary Erberich (@zacharyerberichart) "Space X-plorers" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0...
Jun 16, 2021•5 min•Season 2Ep. 68
*From ACT UP founder and AIDS activist Larry Kramer: "I was trying to make people united and angry. I was known as the angriest man in the world, mainly because I discovered that anger got you further than being nice. And when we started to break through in the media, I was better TV than someone who was nice." We unravel the Fauci email story and come to the conclusion that while his correspondence does not live up (naturally) to the scrutiny it's received by conservative media, the idol worshi...
Jun 11, 2021•1 hr 15 min•Season 2Ep. 68
Mass surveillance has wrought a destabilized world. This takes us to Citizen, an app many Americans are using though its evolution has raised some alarms. We also diverge into legal "Star Wars" commentary, the appetites of the Second Amendment crowd, some Michael Flynn news, breaking Kenneth Frank James Berry news and, finally, "Joker 2" – is it happening and what should it be about? Find out and listen to what we think. Check out the story we talk about regarding Citizen: https://www.nbcnews.co...
Jun 04, 2021•1 hr 14 min•Season 2Ep. 67
Looking for a jam-packed episode? You're in luck, for this week we recognize the legacy of children's author Eric Carle, followed by more vaccine talk, some "Doctor Who" talk, an announcement from our dear Sebastian, Season 3 talk, Pokémon card scalpers talk, collectors talk, COVID-19 lab talk and more Amway talk. As you know, there's more than just talk on a show like ours. To read more from the Jacobin obituary on Richard DeVos: https://jacobinmag.com/2018/09/richard-devos-amway-multi-level-ma...
May 28, 2021•1 hr 11 min•Season 2Ep. 66
We on Mars on Life have a consistent record shattering the "get rich quick" myths which peers from our respective generations have fallen for. While there has been some generalization and some pointed critiques when pressing guests on the show, today's show provides an in-depth take from one of our own resisting attempted recruitment from one of the most blatant pyramid schemes in the history of American business: Amway. We then close off today's show with a PSA on getting vaccinated: take it fr...
May 21, 2021•1 hr 20 min•Season 2Ep. 65
The joke police convict Saturday Night Live for reaching its lowest point in the show's history with the help of everyone's favorite genius Elon Musk. The guys also talk about California's shrinking population ("I was in the pool!!"), lingering NFT talk, congressional redistricting and military service. Social media: Mars on Life: @marsonlifeshow on Twitter and Instagram Sebastian Schug: @drsebby (Instagram) and Seabass on YouTube Ryan Mancini: @mancinira (Twitter) and @manciniryan (Instagram) A...
May 15, 2021•56 min•Season 2Ep. 64
The New York Times? Correct, and friend of the show Genise Sherrill appeared in it! Genise returns to talk about her recent appearance in NYT as well as the latest developments with her show "The Jumpoff." The horns go a-tooting as we talk about recognition for content as well as Genise's journey since first meeting photographer Damon Casarez to the day she say herself among a dozen fellow artists and content creators. Thank you again to Genise, always a delight and an education having you on. T...
May 08, 2021•1 hr 14 min•Season 2Ep. 63
With the flip of a Colorado state quarter from 1999, Sebastian goes first to talk about the world of NFTs (non-fungible tokens) and its home within the realm of cryptocurrency – run away – and what ramifications NFTs may have for the world of art, IPs and corporate-owned media. The episode concludes with Ryan's final take and summary of Mike Davis' "Ecology of Fear." Social media: Mars on Life: @marsonlifeshow on Twitter and Instagram Sebastian Schug: @drsebby (Instagram) and Seabass on YouTube ...
May 01, 2021•1 hr•Season 2Ep. 62
We went overtime talking about "Ecology of Fear" last week, so we left our final topic to its own special bonus episode. Sebastian reads from and Ryan reacts to a hilarious op-ed in LA Taco by Alexander Hancock titled "Nine Types of L.A. Drivers That Make L.A. One of the World's Worst Cities to Drive In," with artwork by illustrator and friend of the show Tommy Gallegos. To read what we laughed at and agreed with, head to https://www.lataco.com/la-drivers-types-cars-trucks-worst/ Social media: M...
Apr 28, 2021•33 min•Season 2Ep. 61
The verdict is indeed in. The guys talk about the result of the Derek Chauvin trial, the justice served to George Floyd and the contrasting discourse on the tragic death of Ma'Khia Bryant, as well as an update on the current state of the COVID-19 pandemic. Much of today's show will focus on Ryan's reading of "Ecology of Fear: Los Angeles and the Imagination of Disaster" and author Mike Davis' chapter titled "The Case For Letting Malibu Burn." Social media: Mars on Life: @marsonlifeshow on Twitte...
Apr 24, 2021•1 hr 15 min•Season 2Ep. 61
"Yeah the South Bay, it's... I don't know what the hell's going on." Journalist, podcaster and friend of the show Kenneth Berry returns to conclude on where Andrew and Pete left off on the state of journalism, adding further context to the power of journalistic gatekeepers (namely publishers), the lack of resources journalists have to pursue the kinds of stories they want to report, bad advice given to younger journalists ready to work and how those reporters learn to garner trust on the job. Th...
Apr 17, 2021•1 hr 1 min•Season 2Ep. 60
Sebastian breaks some major news, Ryan rereads Mike Davis' magnum opus "City of Quartz" and the boys share their thoughts on "South ParQ: Vaccination Special." Social media: Mars on Life: @marsonlifeshow on Twitter and Instagram Sebastian Schug: @drsebby (Instagram) and Seabass on YouTube Ryan Mancini: @mancinira (Twitter) and @manciniryan (Instagram) Artwork by Zachary Erberich (@zacharyerberichart) "Space X-plorers" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attributio...
Apr 09, 2021•1 hr 6 min•Season 2Ep. 59
A conversation focused on the unmanageable crises in Los Angeles County – and the state as a whole – leads to another tangent of doom and gloom (and hope?...Nah). We also take note of the recent dislocation efforts by the LAPD upon the homeless community at Echo Park last week, and how that will only be exacerbated by the 2028 Olympics. See Kemal Celengir's photojournalism in LA Taco, specifically covering last week's face-off between activists and police: https://www.lataco.com/echo-park-lake-h...
Apr 03, 2021•1 hr 17 min•Season 2Ep. 58
We're full. Check out Seb's latest song on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlY5ADL9uqY Social media: Mars on Life: @marsonlifeshow on Twitter and Instagram Sebastian Schug: @drsebby (Instagram) and Seabass on YouTube Ryan Mancini: @mancinira (Twitter) and @manciniryan (Instagram) Artwork by Zachary Erberich (@zacharyerberichart) "Space X-plorers" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0...
Mar 31, 2021•16 min•Season 2Ep. 57
Snyder Cut! Vaccine eligibility! Recall! Come on man! Judgment Day! Chester Alan Arthur! (Our conversation on vaccine eligibility was recorded before the March 25 news expansions for adults 50 and older on April 1, 16 and older on April 15.) Check out Seb's latest song on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlY5ADL9uqY Social media: Mars on Life: @marsonlifeshow on Twitter and Instagram Sebastian Schug: @drsebby (Instagram) and Seabass on YouTube Ryan Mancini: @mancinira (Twitter) and @manc...
Mar 26, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Season 2Ep. 57
Mentor and friend of the show Pete D. Camarillo returns to drops some facts and leave some laughs. The guys continue last week's discussion with Andrew about journalists, influencers and marketability. From there, it offshoots into a wider tangent about social media’s influence on journalism and vice versa, along with TMZ-style ethics, online echo chambers, Clubhouse, crisis communication and public relations. Tune in to Pete's show with fellow Matador and Sundialer Kenneth Frank James Berry on ...
Mar 20, 2021•1 hr 16 min•Season 2Ep. 56
Journalist Andrew Martinez, at last, joins the pod to talk about his career starting as a student reporter at Cal State Northridge's The Sundial newspaper (where he became Ryan's first boss) and how it took him across the country to continue his career. Now based in Boston at Bisnow, he talks about the state of the industry now while also looking back to the monumental stories that shaped him and prepared him for the work ahead. We are incredibly thankful to have Andrew join the show. We cannot ...
Mar 12, 2021•1 hr 19 min•Season 2Ep. 55
We go on a side tangent to look back on our time in junior high reading the classics, what was required reading and what was not. For the last half of the show, we share our apprehension at life as lockdowns are lifted followed by a slow vaccination process and how people will respond, and where we look forward to visiting in Los Angeles once we're closer to a *normal* society. Social media: Mars on Life: @marsonlifeshow on Twitter and Instagram Sebastian Schug: @drsebby (Instagram) and Seabass ...
Mar 06, 2021•1 hr 12 min•Season 2Ep. 54
One year ago on this day, we launched our voyage to Mars with this podcast. All these episodes later and we're still going to talk about "American Dirt." Of course we also celebrate Sebastian's 23rd birthday and give a shoutout to Kenny Berry's 29nth, as well as sending our love and support to Joel del Campo and Nadia Garcia for their respective podcasts. We look back on episode 1, get some insight on the commemorative Mars donuts following the landing of our fellow resident, NASA's Perseverance...
Feb 26, 2021•1 hr 5 min•Season 2Ep. 53
Who else saw the latest trailer for the Snyder Cut? We also provide our thoughts on upcoming exhibitions at SoCal museums in 2024 and close on a critique of the president's lack of empathy regarding student loan debt. C'mon man! Social media: Mars on Life: @marsonlifeshow on Twitter and Instagram Sebastian Schug: @drsebby (Instagram) and Seabass on YouTube Ryan Mancini: @mancinira (Twitter) and @manciniryan (Instagram) Artwork by Zachary Erberich (@zacharyerberichart) "Space X-plorers" Kevin Mac...
Feb 20, 2021•57 min•Season 2Ep. 52
The guys give their final thoughts about the Jan. 6 attack on the US Capitol building. We want to move on from what happened, but we want to be clear these aren't our total views on what happened that day. We have room for disagreement, as made clear on the preferred way to define it (insurrection but not a coup, for example). Social media: Mars on Life: @marsonlifeshow on Twitter and Instagram Sebastian Schug: @drsebby (Instagram) and Seabass on YouTube Ryan Mancini: @mancinira (Twitter) and @m...
Feb 17, 2021•10 min•Season 2Ep. 51
This week's episode takes a pause on news to talk about Sebastian and Ryan's latest media work, with new music coming from Sebby and Mancini running an SCV news website. Head over to the Spotify channel Schugzy to hear Sebastian's new tunes, and you can follow the latest stories from The SCV Proclaimer on their website. Social media: Mars on Life: @marsonlifeshow on Twitter and Instagram Sebastian Schug: @drsebby (Instagram) and Seabass on YouTube Ryan Mancini: @mancinira (Twitter) and @mancinir...
Feb 13, 2021•1 hr 3 min•Season 2Ep. 51
Photographer, screenwriter and dear friend of the show Jovan Ramos joins the pod to talk about his passion for photography, taking pictures of Downtown Los Angeles and across SoCal, as well as growing up in South LA as a lover of film. We also talk a little bit about the state of politics in 2021 and what to anticipate in the years to come as multiple crises amount. Social media: Mars on Life: @marsonlifeshow on Twitter and Instagram Sebastian Schug: @drsebby (Instagram) and Seabass on YouTube R...
Feb 05, 2021•1 hr 26 min•Season 2Ep. 50
The topic of "plague entertainment" meets its fiery conclusion with an analysis on the COVID-set comedic thriller "Locked Down" on HBO Max, as well as a discussion on art as a form of therapy and redemption for former felons (or war criminals). Head over to Spreaker and listen to Ryan's words of wisdom on American life circa 2021 onward and the legacy of Former President Trump on Touchdowns & Tangents with friends Pete. D. Camarillo and Kenneth Frank James Berry: https://www.spreaker.com/use...
Jan 29, 2021•58 min•Season 2Ep. 49
Mars on Life, 2021 style. Sebastian and Ryan return to put to rest (for now) their discussion on Senator Thom Tillis' actions on copyright law and DMCA going into the new year. While it gave people a fright in December, it doesn't appear to be at the detriment of honest content creators trying to make a living. But the guys talk about their time off, with Sebastian focusing his attention to his own content and making executive decisions towards it while Ryan gets serious about a loss due to the ...
Jan 23, 2021•1 hr 1 min•Season 2Ep. 48
The journey back to Mars begins Jan. 22. Social media: Mars on Life: @marsonlifeshow on Twitter and Instagram Sebastian Schug: @drsebby (Instagram) and Seabass on YouTube Ryan Mancini: @mancinira (Twitter) and @manciniryan (Instagram) Artwork by Zachary Erberich (@zacharyerberichart) "Crossing the Chasm" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ "Space X-plorers" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed...
Jan 15, 2021•3 min•Season 2Ep. 1
Journalism. The industry remains in a decade-long state of constant disaster, beginning prior to the pandemic. In response to Sebastian's critique in our latest bonus episode, Ryan provides his 12 rebuttals on why the industry continues to go into decline, how it functions and what is being done to usurp the established order; he also added his defense for schlock (it's not as Tommy Wiseau as you think). It only gets worse as news about a recent Digital Millennium Copyright Act adjustment, with ...
Dec 18, 2020•1 hr 29 min•Season 1Ep. 47
What emerges from a comment about the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy? A teaser for our season finale, as we discuss the burgeoning failures of the journalism industry and its contribution to the abundance of mass-produced pop culture. Social media: Mars on Life: @marsonlifeshow on Twitter and Instagram Sebastian Schug: @drsebby (Instagram) and Seabass on YouTube Ryan Mancini: @mancinira (Twitter) and @manciniryan (Instagram) Artwork by Zachary Erberich (@zacharyerberichart) "Space X-plorers" Kevin ...
Dec 16, 2020•29 min•Season 1Ep. 47
