This episode was recorded for Pandavision, but we're having trouble uploading so I'm posting it here as well. Season 2 of The Witcher just went up, and we're helping you get ready for it! Ashley Coffin, Paul Hoppe, and Matthew Fox talk complete our primer on Season 1.
Dec 17, 2021•51 min
Paul and Matthew jump into ethical questions from the 2nd half of the live action CowBoy BeBop!
Dec 07, 2021•1 hr 12 min
We're talking about Season 2, episode 1-2. SO many character reveals!
Dec 02, 2021•1 hr 10 min
What happens when a pastor and a pastor's kid talk about the ethics of church leadership, using faith to justify terrible things, and vampires? Matthew and Matt Carroll get into all the ethical questions raised by Netflix's Midnight Mass
Nov 30, 2021•47 min
Let's talk Cowboy BeBop, episodes 1-5. Are Spike and Jet heroes. anti-heroes, or something else? What's going on in this post earth society? Paul and I jump into these questions and more.
Nov 23, 2021•1 hr 13 min
Would you disturb an ant-hill to build a garden or something else you needed? What if humanity was the ant-hill? Is it better to force people to do good things, or let them do terrible ones? Eternals raised some great questions, and Pete Wright of The Next Reel joins me to explore them.
Nov 16, 2021•1 hr 2 min
Could the Jedi have been saved? Was their downfall inherent in their structure, their rules, their repression? Did Anakin just need a good HR officer to take his complaints to? Rob and Jonah join me to talk about the fall of the Jedi, and how we might have rebuilt the order.
Nov 09, 2021•1 hr 21 min
Let's talk multiverses! Paul Hoppe and I dive into the questions raised by telling stories in a multiverse. Note- this episode may be a bit controversial, as both of us are not as gung-ho as many others about the way the multiverse is playing out in the MCU. This episode is NOT an attempt to argue with people who are loving the multiverse, or to shame them or to in any way question that. If you're super excited to see how the multiverse plays out- that is awesome, and if you're not interested in...
Nov 02, 2021•1 hr 8 min
Is there such a thing as benevolent colonialism as Duke Leto tries? How does Dune explore the idea of a messiah, and the way those effect and are effected by Paul, the Bene Gesserit and the Fremen? My friend and former colleague from my days as a pastor, Chris McArdle, joins me to dive into these topics and more. Chris McArdle is an ordained minister of the United Church of Christ who serves the First Congregational Church of Anoka, Minnesota. He is a self-described lifelong geek whose parents i...
Oct 26, 2021•1 hr 16 min
Ashley and I continue our discussion of True Blood, covering S1 Eps 5-8 on this 2nd episode of Superhero Ethics After Dark! 18+ only please.. This week I am on my honeymoon, so this will be the only Superhero Ethics episode. But most of the time, After Dark will be a bonus episode, not a replacement for the normal weekly episode. Superhero Ethics After Dark is a new series where Ashley and I will discuss shows that deal frankly with topics like sexuality or other themes the podcast gods will get...
Oct 19, 2021•1 hr 14 min
Hollywood Strike? ScarJo vs. DIsney? What's a fan to think and do? I'm joined by 3 friends from the The Next Reel podcast network, all of whom are industry professionals, to discuss what is happening and how it effects what we choose to watch. Here is the petition we discussed during the show: https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/tell-amptp-to-make-a-deal-with-behind-the-scenes-workers Mandy Fabian was named "Best New Filmmaker of the Year" by NewFilmmakers LA, co-created/directed Lifetime's firs...
Oct 12, 2021•1 hr 11 min
A homeland for the X-men and all mutants? Should mutants be thought of as their own nation? Does this mean Magneto won? Will and Steve from Hype is my Superpower Podcast join me to discuss these questions and more as we talk about the Krakoa story line in X-Men comics. Never read the comics- neither have I! We use them as a jumping off point to discuss the characters and issues on both screen and page.
Oct 05, 2021•1 hr 24 min
What are the questions that come up when we militarize space? Is there a problem when you show up to a first contact in ship loaded with weapons? Who makes decisions when messages to the civilian oversight back home take days or weeks to be delivered? Rob McKenzie is back to talk about these issues and more in Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, Stargate and sci-fi fiction. We recommend a number of books in this episode and you can buy many of them through The Ethical Panda affiliate! You get a low...
Sep 28, 2021•1 hr 18 min
Welcome to our first episode of Superhero Ethics After Dark! 18+ only please.. Ashley and I are discussing True Blood, the HBO series about Vampires coming out of the Coffin in rural Louisiana, starting with Season 1, Episodes 1-4. We talk about the ethics of Vampires, is Sookie compassionate or naïve, all the ways this show is a metaphor for issues in our own world, and can Ashley talk about anything BUT her thirst for ER. Superhero Ethics After Dark is a new series where Ashley and I will disc...
Sep 27, 2021•1 hr 1 min
What morality do you develop if no one ever tells you no? Do you learn not to hurt people, when you can always change their emotions? Will and Steve of Hype is my Superpower join me to discuss these issues on page and screen with a focus on Purple Man from Jessica Jones and Empath from the X-Men. Check out Will's twitch channel: http://twitch.tv/sylverdreamer
Sep 21, 2021•1 hr 7 min
We dive into the ethical questions from Shang Chi! Is Wenwu a villain, an antagonist or just the best Anakin Skywalker ever?
Sep 14, 2021•1 hr 56 min
What if raises so many great ethical questions and we're here to explore them! With Will and Steve of the Hype is my Superpower Podcast! https://hypeismysuperpower.podbean.com/
Sep 05, 2021•1 hr 3 min
Batman may face down the Joker, Cap was ready to take on Thanos by himself- but no hero is braver than the middle school teacher! Social Studies teacher and long time Panda Emily Cissell joins us to talk about how she uses comic books in her classroom. Emily Cissell is a middle school social studies teacher also known as a real life superhero. She has a borderline obsession with Captain Marvel, Loki, and her dog Hemingway. You can find her at: Instagram/Twitter: @emilyorlou Some of the links she...
Sep 01, 2021•1 hr 6 min
What happens when Robin goes out on their own? Jessica Plummer joins me to discuss Tim Drake coming out as queer, Dick Grayson wrestling with the effects of growing up Robin and Jason Todd trying to find his way out of Dick's shadow. Jess has a new book out, and if you buy it through this link you get a discount, and help support the podcast! https://bookshop.org/books/sword-stone-table-old-legends-new-voices/9780593081891?sscid=71k5_dqqyo&utm_source=ShareASale&utm_medium=Affiliate&u...
Aug 25, 2021•1 hr 35 min
Paul Hoppe and Jessica Plummer join me to discuss ethical questions in The Suicide Squad! Jess has a new book out, and if you buy it through this link you get a discount, and help support the podcast! https://bookshop.org/books/sword-stone-table-old-legends-new-voices/9780593081891?sscid=71k5_dqqyo&utm_source=ShareASale&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=2805314&utm_term=1535322&fbclid=IwAR3hbVPAI_cVvXhwdBlmmM-HBtdWQu1PGYRQjQzzzDjWxyiU_y7mizzmv3U...
Aug 17, 2021•2 hr
The evil king is dead, the empire has fallen, the story is over! But what comes next? On this specially-commissioned episode, Paul Hoppe and I explore that question and many others that go into the making of sequels and prequels. This episode was commissioned by the 50th follower of Paul's Twitch Stream, freecplad3454. You can find Paul at twitch.tv/zenmadman, and if you're interested in commissioning an episode yourself, email me at theethicalpanda@gmail.com to discuss it!...
Aug 10, 2021•2 hr 2 min
Paul joins me to talk Luka, and Raya and the Last Dragon! We dive into questions raised by each of these movies individually, as well as talking about why Kids Movies are so often dismissed, and the power that can be found in their version of storytelling. We go into questions like trust, identity, queer representation, and where legend and myth meet reality.
Jul 27, 2021•1 hr 11 min
Did he who remains have to die? Did Loki miss the mark on queer representation? And how did the phrases Thank you Daddy Disney, and Schrodinger's Kang, make it into our episode? Paul Hoppe and Fox Kaye join me to discuss these questions and more.
Jul 21, 2021•1 hr 41 min
Paul and Ashley join me to discuss ethical questions from Black Widow! We talk about character agency, the importance of this movie, and falling fortress fight fiascos.
Jul 13, 2021•1 hr 21 min
Returning Guest Becky Allen joins us to discuss Shadow & Bone- the TV series, and the book it was based on. Even if you haven't seen the show or read the movie, there's lots to enjoy!
Jul 06, 2021•1 hr 54 min
Our thirst episode, and the ongoing discussion of thirst and queerness has brought a lot of feedback and Ashley joined me to go over it. We talk about all the great support we've gotten, some of the negative comments that have come in and, amazingly, we kept our conversation under 35 minutes! (a bit longer with ads)
Jul 01, 2021•35 min
Paul and I are talking about deep ethical questions like- is it bad to genocide entire civilizations when they make choices you think are bad? What was the importance of Loki becoming canonically bi, and has the show addressed his gender fluidity? And no discussion of Loki would be complete without one of our old favorites- redemption arcs.
Jun 29, 2021•1 hr 19 min
Its Pride month so we're talking queer representation in our sci-fi/fantasy/superhero stories. Why does representation matter? Why is it particularly important for the queer community, and why does Hollywood consistently do it so badly. We are joined by special guest Shiri Sondheimer. Shiri is a pansexual crone who rants about books and comics on Book Riot and the Roarbots. Her own short stories can be found in Unlocking the Magic: A Fantasy Anthology and Women In Horror 2016. She has an article...
Jun 22, 2021•1 hr 25 min
Mail Bag! Paul and I dig into your feedback. Spoiler Warning- because we're answering specific questions about different stories we've covered and there are a lot of spoilers, below are the different topics we cover, with the time it starts and when the next one starts, so you can skip ahead to not be spoiled. 3:20 Invincible 28:46 Who can be a guest 45:06Avatar the Last Airbender 54:28: The ethics of thirst 1:02:20 Godzilla vs Kong movies 1:14:44 Warrior...
Jun 15, 2021•1 hr 56 min
Should Superheroes promise to never kill? Is killing in the heat of battle the same as killing a supervillain so they cannot do harm again? We look at these questions and more in a discussion of Jupiter's Legacy and other stories. If you haven't seen Jupiter's Legacy, don't worry- neither has one of our guests! We use the show as a jumping off point, to focus on the topic itself. With Paul Hoppe and Jessica Plummer. During the show we mention an earlier episode where we discussed the Superman Co...
Jun 08, 2021•1 hr 37 min