Remember Shuffle

It’s the second entry in Remember Shuffle’s “type of guy” series, and in this episode we are turning away from the meatspace hipster culture we discussed in the first entry and looking to the online world of atheism, bacon, and, of course, posting. The Shuffle Bois look at a particular kind of posting culture, the Epic Bacon Reddit Guy, a culture that flourished on Reddit (naturally). They break down the Epic Bacon Reddit Guy’s sense of humour, analyze and trace their love of bacon, and deconstruct their political views and collective political actions, such as they were. They also discuss 2000s-era New Atheism, the pre-gamergate gender ideologies of Reddit, and realize that one of the last Epic Bacon Guy’s left on this earth is none other than the Poster in Chief of Twitter himself, Elon Musk. Cold Open used is from College Humor. Baconator: https://remembershufflepod.wordpress.com/2023/04/22/epic-bacon-reddit-guy-e23-tips-fedora-mlistners/

Remember Shuffle is going international. On this episode, the Shuffle Bois and a couple cosmopolitan guests take a look at the 21st century’s Most American Book and Film™: Eat, Pray, Love. They analyze Elizabeth Gilbert’s autobiographical memoir about a Karen finding herself in Italy, India, and Indonesia, and en route discuss the author’s selfishness and narcissism, her hilarious orientalizing portrayal of Italy, and her specific version of American protestantism in which you get to become God.

This week, the Remember Shuffle returns to the world of the sitcom to discuss everyone’s favo[u]rite show about a mid-level paper company, The Office. They discuss the show’s unforgettable characters including Michael Scott, the well-intentioned moron with a heart of gold, Dwight, the “white trash bushido” paper salesman, and Andy, the downwardly mobile failson. En route, they discuss the changing setting of the sitcom from the domestic space to the workplace, the phenomenon of the Bullshit Job and how The Office identified it before it was common knowledge, and how small victories can turn even a boring office into a kind of utopian pastoral arcadia. They also discuss the decline of the show from one critical of meaningless work and office culture to one that embraced finding meaning in the workplace. Our guest this week, Del Maticic, can be found on Twitter @maticiceronian. He’s the co-editor of a forthcoming book on work called “Working Lives in Ancient Rome,” co-edited with Jordan Rogers.

Dive into the fascinating world of hipster culture, tracing its roots and philosophical origins. The hosts explore the paradox of hipsters as both rebels and consumers, critiquing the gentrification sparked by their movements. You'll hear about the surprising evolution of Vice Media from edgy publication to mainstream entity. Enjoy humorous takes on the quirks of hipster grocery shopping and the rise of artisanal trends. The discussion reveals the irony within the modern hipster identity, highlighting the tension between authenticity and commercialization.

The Shuffle bois are joined by two of their favo[u]rite podcasters, whom you may know from Chapo Trap House, Hell of Presidents, or the recently-released Hell on Earth podcast, Matt Christman and Chris Wade. They discuss one of the candidates for G.O.A.T. 2000s sitcom, Arrested Development. They discuss its portrayal of both the “failson” and the media-career desperate American, walk through the show’s commentary on everything from the Iraq War to Southern California land development fraud, and ask the question, “why can’t streaming services seem to make sitcoms anymore?” They close out by discussing the historical rhyming between certain Arrested Development characters and certain historical figures from the 30-years war.Special thanks to our guests, Matt Christman and Chris Wade. You can listen to their excellent Hell on Earth podcast here:https://www.patreon.com/chapotraphouse

Some Remember Shuffle episodes are about influential, fundamental pieces of pop culture that help explain the pop culture landscape that we find ourselves in today. This is not one of those episodes. On this episode, the Shuffle Bois unpack and analyze Spike TV, the 2000s TV network for men, and one of its original brogram, The Deadliest Warrior. After walking through Spike TV’s unhinged manifesto, the Shufle Bois scientifically deconstruct every aspect of the Deadliest Warrior: its three milquetoast hosts, its comically unscientific methodology, its most egregious robberies, its cavalier relationship to history, and its lasting impact on culture today, mostly through gun YouTube.

Joining the fun is BillBurr Baggins, a guest celebrated for his take on hope and optimism in fantasy. He and the hosts dive into the magic of 'The Fellowship of the Ring,' analyzing its worldbuilding and cultural impact. They muse on what could've been if different directors were at the helm, and reflect on the themes of temptation and friendship woven throughout the story. The discussion also touches on representation in Middle-earth and the film’s legacy amidst modern adaptations, all while keeping the tone light and humorous.

Of the three presidential elections that happened in the Y2K decade, 2008 was, without a doubt, the most entertaining. It features a fascinating cast of characters: alien body-snatcher Hillary Clinton, sex rascal Bill Clinton, legend-icon-moment Barack Obama, foreign policy war psycho John McCain, and the ineffable Sarah Palin. She’s ineffable in that she can’t talk right. Put all these people on the national stage, and you’re guaranteed a spectacle only rivaled by 2016. We walk through the marathon democratic primary between Hillary and Barack Obama, move on to the general election between Obama and McCain, and wrap up with the collapse of the economy in the Fall of 2008 and the ongoing aftermath of the election. En route, we discuss Hillary Clinton’s myriad weaknesses, Bill Clinton’s sex crimes, the media’s shameless support of Obama, John McCain’s total self-immolation of his reputation, Joe Biden’s failing upwards, and Sarah Palin’s inability to produce a thought or recall memories.

Nowadays, the content mill churns out superhero fare at maximum capacity. Whether that’s the endless multicoloured sludge of the interconnected MCU across platforms, or the Justice league being released twice - with viewers being able to see both the soy Whedon and self-serious Snyder cuts, but what if we told you that there was a time before society took seriously movies based on baby brained picture books? And these two films from the Y2K era, more than anything else, changed that. Today the Shuffle Bois are looking at Christopher Nolan’s “Batman Begins” and “The Dark Knight.” the two films most responsible for the legitimising of superhero content as “art.” While the hosts acknowledge that these films undoubtedly rock, they also discuss the half-baked Y2K politics of the films, the exponentially increasing gaping plot holes across all three films, and why Christopher Nolan is in fact a neo-feudalist.

On this episode of Remember Shuffle, the Shuffle bois return to the world of… well I wouldn’t call it “literature,” but maybe books? We’re talking about the ultimate mormon edging fanfic book: Twilight. We discuss how to write around sex and temptation through vampire metaphors (so as to maintain your mormon sensibilities), the attraction to danger and mystery that may or may not be universal, and the many, many toxic aspects of the Edward-Bella relationship. We also discuss the horrendous movie adaptation and its problematic casting choices, Donald Trump’s Twitter feud with one of the stars, and Twilight’s lasting impact on the publication of fan fiction.