Supercontext: an autopsy of media

Deadwood, Season 1

This revisionist Western is a mix of fictional and historical narratives about how law, society, and America came to South Dakota in the late 1800s. We talk about how the show's creator, David Milch, got from Ancient Rome to the Dakota gold rush, and all the lines he crossed to get there. Sources * Deadwood, Generic Transformation, and Televisual History by Allison Perlman [https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01956051.2011.571113] * THE WAY OUT WEST: DAVID MILCH & IAN MCSHANE ON DEADWOOD by Damien Love [https://damienlove.com/way-out-west-david-milch-ian-mcshane-on-deadwood/] * Singer, Mark (February 14, 2005). "The Misfit". The New Yorker. * Andreeva, N. (2003, January 7). HBO, Milch mine "Deadwood" for Western series. (News). The Hollywood Reporter, 376(39), 5. * https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/Entertainment-115937&page=1 [https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/Entertainment-115937&page=1] * Brian McCuskey. (2013). Last Words in Deadwood. In N. S. Witschi & M. Graulich (Eds.), Dirty Words in Deadwood (p. 18). UNP - Nebraska Paperback. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt1ddr701.9 * Witschi, N. S., & Graulich, M. (2013). Who Put the Gun into the Whore's Hand? In Dirty Words in Deadwood. University of Nebraska Press. * https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/deadwood-review-season-one-hbo-2004-1235857267/ [https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/deadwood-review-season-one-hbo-2004-1235857267/] * https://variety.com/2004/tv/reviews/deadwood-4-1200534541/ [https://variety.com/2004/tv/reviews/deadwood-4-1200534541/] * https://www.looper.com/153803/we-finally-understand-why-deadwood-was-canceled/ [https://www.looper.com/153803/we-finally-understand-why-deadwood-was-canceled/] * https://www.cinemantics.org/p/the-meaning-behind-deadwoods-opening [https://www.cinemantics.org/p/the-meaning-behind-deadwoods-opening] * http://www.hpten.com/all-content/2021/9/30/theme-character-and-language-in-deadwood [http://www.hpten.com/all-content/2021/9/30/theme-character-and-language-in-deadwood] * Peacock, S. (2010). Borders and boundaries in Deadwood. In C. CORNEA (Ed.), Genre and performance: film and television (pp. 96–112). Manchester University Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt1vwmg3w.11 * Johnson, M. K. (2013). Queer Spaces and Emotional Couplings in Deadwood. In M. GRAULICH & N. S. WITSCHI (Eds.), Dirty Words in Deadwood: Literature and the Postwestern (pp. 208–235). University of Nebraska Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt1ddr701.17 [https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt1ddr701.17] * https://www.avclub.com/keith-carradine-on-deadwood-fargo-and-madonna-1798250077 [https://www.avclub.com/keith-carradine-on-deadwood-fargo-and-madonna-1798250077] * https://collider.com/walter-hill-interview-reassignment-deadwood/ [https://collider.com/walter-hill-interview-reassignment-deadwood/] * David Milch at Yale: An Interview by Nathaniel Lewis

The Problem With Music

In 1993, our late, lamented hero Steve Albini wrote this gross and profane takedown of the music industry, and we've been thinking about it ever since. We try to follow the evolution of Albini's attitude about how music is distributed while also checking in on David Byrne, Marxist theory, and Tik Tok. Sources * https://thebaffler.com/salvos/the-problem-with-music [https://thebaffler.com/salvos/the-problem-with-music] * https://qz.com/202194/steve-albini-the-problem-with-music-has-been-solved-by-the-internet [https://qz.com/202194/steve-albini-the-problem-with-music-has-been-solved-by-the-internet] * https://boingboing.net/2024/05/10/read-steve-albinis-famous-essay-on-the-music-industrys-problems.html [https://boingboing.net/2024/05/10/read-steve-albinis-famous-essay-on-the-music-industrys-problems.html] * https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/music/the-new-problem-with-music-steve-albini-revisits-one-of-his-favourite-themes-1.2013006 [https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/music/the-new-problem-with-music-steve-albini-revisits-one-of-his-favourite-themes-1.2013006] * https://stereogum.com/1678835/steve-albini-thinks-the-internet-solved-the-problem-with-music/news [https://stereogum.com/1678835/steve-albini-thinks-the-internet-solved-the-problem-with-music/news] * https://reason.com/2014/04/30/legendary-punk-producer-steve-albini-say/ [https://reason.com/2014/04/30/legendary-punk-producer-steve-albini-say/] * https://www.ajournalofmusicalthings.com/revisiting-steve-albinis-problem-music-essay-problem-solved-internet/ [https://www.ajournalofmusicalthings.com/revisiting-steve-albinis-problem-music-essay-problem-solved-internet/] * https://rocknerd.co.uk/2015/01/11/steve-albini-how-the-internet-solved-the-problem-with-music/ [https://rocknerd.co.uk/2015/01/11/steve-albini-how-the-internet-solved-the-problem-with-music/] * https://www.spinmagazine.com/2014/04/steve-albini-internet-problem-with-music-streaming-debate/ [https://www.spinmagazine.com/2014/04/steve-albini-internet-problem-with-music-streaming-debate/] * https://www.simplemusiccontracts.com/the-problem-with-music [https://www.simplemusiccontracts.com/the-problem-with-music] * https://louderthanwar.com/steve-albini-streaming/ [https://louderthanwar.com/steve-albini-streaming/] * 2014 Face the Music Video: https://youtu.be/Lz_CPzuwSk4?si=PDHcZV4kKZErnI7R [https://youtu.be/Lz_CPzuwSk4?si=PDHcZV4kKZErnI7R] * 2014 Face the Music transcript: https://genius.com/Steve-albini-keynote-address-at-melbourne-australias-face-the-music-conference-2014-annotated [https://genius.com/Steve-albini-keynote-address-at-melbourne-australias-face-the-music-conference-2014-annotated] * https://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/oct/11/david-byrne-internet-content-world [https://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/oct/11/david-byrne-internet-content-world] * https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/oct/16/why-david-byrne-wrong-spotify-thom-yorke [https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/oct/16/why-david-byrne-wrong-spotify-thom-yorke] * https://freepresshouston.com/the-steve-albini-interview/ [https://freepresshouston.com/the-steve-albini-interview/]

Addicted to Bad Ideas: Peter Lorre's Twentieth Century

This 2007 concept album by The World/Inferno Friendship Society [https://www.worldinferno.com], inspired by screen actor Peter Lorre, is just one piece of the larger performative project that was the life of Jack Terricloth. We talk about the band, the album, the lifestyle, and the limits of the World/Inferno Friendship Society's punk cabaret spectacle. Sources * https://coilhouse.net/2009/12/jack-terricloth-is-alive-and-at-large-in-gotham/ [https://coilhouse.net/2009/12/jack-terricloth-is-alive-and-at-large-in-gotham/] * https://www.theaquarian.com/2012/12/03/the-worldinferno-friendship-societys-hallowmas-warsaw/ [https://www.theaquarian.com/2012/12/03/the-worldinferno-friendship-societys-hallowmas-warsaw/] * https://www.punknews.org/article/38826/interviews-jack-terricloth-world-inferno-friendship-society [https://www.punknews.org/article/38826/interviews-jack-terricloth-world-inferno-friendship-society] * https://www.treblezine.com/worldinferno-friendship-society-addicted-to-bad-ideas/ [https://www.treblezine.com/worldinferno-friendship-society-addicted-to-bad-ideas/] * Jordan, Chris. "Jack Terricloth, from Jersey Suburbs to World/Inferno Friendship Society, has Died." TCA Regional News, 14 May 2021, ProQuest. Web. 26 Mar. 2026 . * https://www.popmatters.com/the-world-inferno-friendship-society-addicted-to-bad-ideaspeter-lorres-20th-2496212229.html [https://www.popmatters.com/the-world-inferno-friendship-society-addicted-to-bad-ideaspeter-lorres-20th-2496212229.html] * https://imposemagazine.com/reviews/addicted-to-bad-ideas-world-in [https://imposemagazine.com/reviews/addicted-to-bad-ideas-world-in] * Sisario, Ben. "Jack Terricloth, 50, Smarmy Vocalist And Key to Punk Cabaret Movement." New York Times, 18 May 2021, p. A21(L). Gale Academic OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A662078840/AONE?u=mlin_b_umass&sid=bookmark-AONE&xid=7aa0e86b. Accessed 26 Mar. 2026. * Sisario, Ben. "Addicted to Peter Lorre (that voice, those eyes)." New York Times, 8 Jan. 2009, p. C1(L). Gale Academic OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A191744194/AONE?u=mlin_b_umass&sid=bookmark-AONE&xid=8ae3a733. Accessed 26 Mar. 2026. * https://www.punknews.org/review/6660/world-inferno-friendship-society-addicted-to-bad-ideas [https://www.punknews.org/review/6660/world-inferno-friendship-society-addicted-to-bad-ideas] * https://thephoenix.com/boston/music/120801-world-inferno-friendship-society-lead-a-punk-c/ [https://thephoenix.com/boston/music/120801-world-inferno-friendship-society-lead-a-punk-c/] * https://www.threepennyreview.com/burning-up/ [https://www.threepennyreview.com/burning-up/] * https://www.vice.com/en/article/rank-your-records-the-world-inferno-friendship-society-jack-terricloth/ [https://www.vice.com/en/article/rank-your-records-the-world-inferno-friendship-society-jack-terricloth/] * https://youtu.be/iADNLE7H5qE?si=JiGng9YlENpMFX-d [https://youtu.be/iADNLE7H5qE?si=JiGng9YlENpMFX-d]

The Magic Christian

This 1969 anarchic film comedy was based on a Terry Southern novel and championed by Peter Sellers, but it seemed to mark the start of a decline for both their fortunes. We take on Chris's favorite movie, and try to get to the bottom of why he likes it, Charlie doesn't, and everybody agrees with both of us. Sources: * https://www.thespinningimage.co.uk/cultfilms/displaycultfilm.asp?reviewid=145 [https://www.thespinningimage.co.uk/cultfilms/displaycultfilm.asp?reviewid=145] * https://web.archive.org/web/20080115004058/http://www.filmcritic.com/misc/emporium.nsf/ddb5490109a79f598625623d0015f1e4/0c63a2560495532008256cbb00826ca3?OpenDocument [https://web.archive.org/web/20080115004058/http://www.filmcritic.com/misc/emporium.nsf/ddb5490109a79f598625623d0015f1e4/0c63a2560495532008256cbb00826ca3?OpenDocument] * http://www.visual-memory.co.uk/amk/doc/0081.html [http://www.visual-memory.co.uk/amk/doc/0081.html] * https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/books/01/06/17/specials/southern-magicfilm.html [https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/books/01/06/17/specials/southern-magicfilm.html] * https://lecinemadreams.blogspot.com/2022/07/the-magic-christian-1969.html [https://lecinemadreams.blogspot.com/2022/07/the-magic-christian-1969.html] * https://www.genxculture.com/the-magic-christian-the-most-60s-film-ever-made/20/04/2020/ [https://www.genxculture.com/the-magic-christian-the-most-60s-film-ever-made/20/04/2020/] * Flanagan, K. The Road to Excess Leads to THE MAGIC CHRISTIAN: Comedy, Excess, and the Limits of the Body. * Dassanowsky-Harris, R. (1992). The Southern Journey: "Candy" and "The Magic" Christian as Cinematic Picaresques. Studies in Popular Culture, 15(1), 95–111.

Something Is Killing The Children

This horror comic has achieved surprising success despite its gore and all the dead kids. We talk about the comic's creation and promotion, and we ask "Is this all about trauma? Why aren't people talking about that?" Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Something is Killing the Children [https://amzn.to/4r5kDv4] Sources * https://youtu.be/-CpVx-BDBK0?si=by5gNx6RpKVKB4cF [https://youtu.be/-CpVx-BDBK0?si=by5gNx6RpKVKB4cF] * https://thecreativeindependent.com/people/comic-book-artist-james-tynion-iv-on-leaning-into-inspiration/ [https://thecreativeindependent.com/people/comic-book-artist-james-tynion-iv-on-leaning-into-inspiration/] * https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/something-is-killing-the-children-movie-blumhouse-1236409897/ [https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/something-is-killing-the-children-movie-blumhouse-1236409897/] * https://www.horrordna.com/features/james-tynion-iv-talks-something-is-killing-the-children-2 [https://www.horrordna.com/features/james-tynion-iv-talks-something-is-killing-the-children-2] * https://aiptcomics.com/2019/10/10/nycc-james-tynion-iv-boom-studios-something-is-killing-the-children-interview/ [https://aiptcomics.com/2019/10/10/nycc-james-tynion-iv-boom-studios-something-is-killing-the-children-interview/] * http://www.multiversitycomics.com/interviews/tynion-iv-harburn-something-is-killing-the-children/#google_vignette [http://www.multiversitycomics.com/interviews/tynion-iv-harburn-something-is-killing-the-children/#google_vignette] * https://www.cbr.com/james-tynion-iv-on-the-horrors-of-something-is-killing-the-children/ [https://www.cbr.com/james-tynion-iv-on-the-horrors-of-something-is-killing-the-children/] * https://www.cbr.com/something-is-killing-the-children-horror-halloween-reading/ [https://www.cbr.com/something-is-killing-the-children-horror-halloween-reading/] * https://sktchd.com/interview/sktchdxtinyonion-part-two-how-to-build-a-comic/ [https://sktchd.com/interview/sktchdxtinyonion-part-two-how-to-build-a-comic/] * https://bleedingcool.com/comics/james-tynion-iv-teases-a-something-is-killing-the-children-spin-off/ [https://bleedingcool.com/comics/james-tynion-iv-teases-a-something-is-killing-the-children-spin-off/] * https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/boom-studios-penguin-random-house-1235945405/ [https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/boom-studios-penguin-random-house-1235945405/] * https://waywordsstudio.com/general/reviews/something-is-killing-the-children-v-1-3-by-james-tynion-iv/ [https://waywordsstudio.com/general/reviews/something-is-killing-the-children-v-1-3-by-james-tynion-iv/] * https://www.pages-and-panels.com/articles-and-interviews/werther-dell-edera [https://www.pages-and-panels.com/articles-and-interviews/werther-dell-edera] * https://www.businessinsider.com/comic-artist-drawing-process-something-is-killing-the-children-creator-2022-11?op=1 [https://www.businessinsider.com/comic-artist-drawing-process-something-is-killing-the-children-creator-2022-11?op=1] * https://www.howtolovecomics.com/2023/07/05/something-is-killing-the-children/ [https://www.howtolovecomics.com/2023/07/05/something-is-killing-the-children/] * Panel X Panel #32 [https://panelxpanel.gumroad.com/l/PXPNO32?layout=profile]