The podcast Show Me the Meaning! does a wonderful job of delving into philosophical questions behind some of our favorite films. The podcast’s enjoyable focus and the hosts’ humor help Show Me the Meaning! stand out in a crowded podcast field.
A group of comedians, academics, and filmmakers at Wisecrack come together for each episode. They include Jared Bauer, Austin Hayden Smidt, Claire Pickard, Helen Floersh, and Ryan Hailey.
Bauer helps keep things moving while allowing for the right balance of friendly banter and focused discussion. Like other most enjoyable group podcasts, the hosts make you feel a part of the discussion, not like you are an outsider listening to other people’s inside jokes. And the conversations welcome and inform you without talking down to you.
Each episode focuses on a recent or classic movie, delving into the story and the meaning and philosophical questions raised in the film. But it is not a dry academic exercise. The hosts take you on a fun journey, full of humor and insight. It is one of the rare movie podcasts where you finish actually knowing more than when you started.
Show Me the Meaning is available at Wisecrack’s website or wherever you get your podcasts, including iTunes, Stitcher, Soundcloud, and Google Play (which I use). If you watched the recent Netflix Black Mirror movie Bandersnatch and wonder if you worked through all of the endings and what the interactive movie meant, there’s a good episode about the movie on Show Me the Meaning. Some other episodes I have especially enjoyed including their examination of The Dark Knight, Starship Troopers, Idiocracy, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, and each of the Matrix films.
Wisecrack has video recorded some of the episodes and posted them on YouTube. Below is their take on the Coen Brothers film Fargo.
Make sure to check out all their Show Me the Meaning! podcasts. Start out with the movies that most interest you and go from there.
What is your favorite movie podcast? Leave your two cents in the comments.
