Romance Is Dada: Deconstructing The Bachelor and RTV Representation with Lita Brillman

This week Dom atones for sins in his past lives by talking about The Bachelor for an hour while sounding like he's dying from the plague. Luckily he's in good company, as Lita Brillman takes a break from dragging Jessica/Cody fans to school him and you on The Bachelor's complicated relationship with race and gender as well as the wider issue of representation on reality TV. Listen below, here, or on iTunes here.

For more material, see Lita's piece on Jerri Manthey and some of her other writing. If you're interested in reading more about these topics in the context of The Bachelor, a recent Longreads reading list can be found here.

Big Brother All-Stars: Week 2

After a hectic start to the game in Week 1, we're back to break down Kaysar's reign as HoH, Will's efforts to torture him, and the early stages of BB5 and BB6's respective implosions. Plus, a closer look at how floaters once got by without life-vests, and the full backstory on how Richard Spencer became head of casting for CBS when you listen below, here, or on iTunes here.

Game of Thrones: Season 7 Episodes 1-3 Small Council

There was some interest in (yet another) Game of Thrones podcast so we decided to try our king's hands at it. We enlisted the lords of Houses Mazzaro and Bloom to discuss the show's increasing divergence from the books, the tension between politics and fantasy, and who is destined to meet a gruesome end. You can listen below, here, or on iTunes here.

Big Brother All-Stars: Week 1

After an extensive look at the pre-game dynamics in Part 1, today it's time to tear off the mask and dive deep into the circuitry and wires of the opening round.  With the power to strike first, what was the Season 6 alliance looking for in an initial target, and did they make the right decision?  As the two tightest and least reliable players in the game, what really went into Chilltown staying off the block? And which classic Big Brother tropes need to make an immediate comeback? All that and more below, here, or on iTunes here.

Big Brother All-Stars: Season Retrospective - Introduction

It's been a decade since it aired, and forever since we talked about it, but Big Brother: All Stars still stands tall as one of the greatest seasons of any competitive reality show. This marks the beginning of a season-long retrospective covering the twists and turns of the game from the moment the cast entered the house to the moment the winner was crowned.

...but first, we have to choose a cast! The gimmick of Big Brother has always been allowing audience control over the houseguests but this season took that to the next level by letting the fans and cats at home decide who they would get to judge all summer; and, of course, any all-star season only starts after a frenzy of pre-game paranoia and scheming. In the first episode of this series, we follow the campaigning in public, the plotting in private, and the growing hype for what promised to be an incredible season of televisoin.

If you like what you hear - or just the idea of an audience being in control - consider supporting us via our new Patreon page! This Big Brother series is free but Patrons will get to choose which shows we give this treatment to and have exclusive access to those episodes in the future, among many other things.

As always you can listen below, here, or on iTunes here.

We Have a Robcast 2 with Rob Cesternino

Five years after his first podcast with us, Rob Cesternino returns for a deep dive on life at the helm of RHAP, the future of TV podcasting, and his place in the Survivor media.  Find out how a web show became a community and where it's headed next when you listen below, here, or on iTunes here.

Big Brother 19: Lowder and Lowder -- Weeks 1/2 Recap/Analysis

(image credit: Reddit)

The first official eviction hasn't even happened yet and two have already fallen with others trying their best to get medevaced. We wanted to talk about the show while there are still people left to talk about so today we bring you an in-depth look at the first two weeks, from a serious discussion of 'pandas' and PTSD to a curious discussion of Paul and his powers. You can listen below, here, or on iTunes here.