Best Daniel Bessner Podcasts (2024)

1
The Political Economy of Hollywood, with Daniel Bessner 45:06

17d ago45:06

45:06

Daniel discusses his recent Harper's cover story, "The Life and Death of Hollywood," which focuses on the economics of entertainment as private equity and streaming have changed the industry. Recorded May 24, 2024 Follow Culturally Determined @CulturallyDet LINKS Daniel's piece, "The Life and Death of Hollywood" https://harpers.org/archive/2024/05/…

1
#556 - The Void Soys Back 53:16

1h ago53:16

53:16

What if a movie about a corporate merger became the most popular movie of the year? Friends, you don't have to imagine it. We discuss DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE (2024) and ponder the question that Vulture asked: "Is Shawn Levy the Future of Populist Filmmaking?"Join us on Patreon for an extra episode every week - https://www.patreon.com/michaelandus…

1
Abortion Pills via Telemedicine, with Kiki Freedman 34:54

1h ago34:54

34:54

Aryeh talks to Kiki Freedman, the co-founder and CEO of Hey Jane, the leading virtual reproductive and sexual health care clinic. Recorded July 16, 2024 Follow Culturally Determined @CulturallyDet LINKS Hey Jane website https://heyjane.com/ KFF on the Comstock Act and abortion https://www.kff.org/womens-health-policy/issue-brief/the-comstock-act-im…

1
E174 - Woke Iron Man w/ Spencer Ackerman 44:42

34m ago44:42

44:42

Danny and Derek welcome back AP mega-guest Spencer Ackerman, author of the Forever Wars newsletter and soon-to-be-published issues of Marvel Comics’ Iron Man. The group explores Spencer’s inspiration to pursue more work in the world of comic books, writing for a character who is a defense contractor, bringing left-wing messaging into the medium, th…

1
Bonus - Oliver Stone's JFK w/ Justin Boyd 4:42

2d ago4:42

4:42

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.americanprestigepod.com Danny and Derek welcome to the podcast television writer and producer Justin Boyd to talk about Oliver Stone’s 1991 epic JFK. They explore Justin’s own origins as a Dallasite, the place the film occupies within the film & television canon, whether a 3 1/2 hour…

1
PREVIEW - #555 - The Love Guru (w/ Russ Finkelstein) 6:08

1h ago6:08

6:08

At long last, we tackle the question: What, exactly, is love? Will welcomes his old j-school colleague Russ Finkelstein to discuss his documentary LOOKING FOR LOVE (2018), which offers a hair-raising glimpse into the wild world of "international marriage agencies" that connect heartsick American men with women from the Global South. PLUS: Russ shar…

1
PREVIEW - #554 - Studio Sucky, Part 12: What Kind Of Day Has It Been 5:33

2h ago5:33

5:33

We finally reach the GRAND FINALE of our STUDIO 60 ON THE SUNSET STRIP odyssey, arriving at Episode 22, "What Kind of Day Has It Been"... but we're left with more questions than answers. Folks... what ever happened to the Macau Deal???PATREON-EXCLUSIVE EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/554-studio-sucky-110898593…

1
Showgirls (w/ Jenna Cosgrove) 1:21:13

43m ago1:21:13

1:21:13

Rivka and Frank are joined by author, screenwriter, and director Jenna Cosgrove to discuss 1995 cult classic Showgirls. They unpack the film’s brutally honest depiction of the commodification of the female body and sexual exploitation, and the class divide between the Cheetah Club and the Stardust Hotel. They also discuss how Verhoeven is actually …

1
News - Israel and Hezbollah Clash, Macron Refuses to Appoint Left-Wing PM, AMLO Pauses Relations with US and Canadian Embassies 40:51

6m ago40:51

40:51

Let Danny and Derek’s labor guide you into the holiday weekend newly informed. This week: Israel and Hezbollah exchange fire (0:29), an IDF operation in the West Bank (8:31), in Gaza, the IDF attacks Deir al-Balah and shrinks more protected zones (11:06) while Palestinians in Gaza also struggle to obtain a polio vaccine amid an outbreak (14:07); Ye…

1
E173 - The US Media, Israel, and Palestinian Journalists w/ Séamus Malekafzali 48:56

3d ago48:56

48:56

Danny and Derek speak with Séamus Malekafzali, a Beirut-based journalist focusing on the Middle East, about his recent piece for The Nation, “The Rotten Partnership Between the US Media and the Israeli Military.” They check in about the current atmosphere in Beirut amid exchanges between Israel and Hezbollah, the Biden administration and US media’s…

1
Bonus - The Biden Administration's Border Policies w/ John Washington 5:31

41m ago5:31

5:31

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.americanprestigepod.com Danny and Derek welcome John Washington, staff writer at Arizona Luminaria, to catch us up to date on the state of play in the United States’ policies toward the southern border and asylum. They explore the extremism in the Biden administration’s recent decisi…

1
News - Ukraine Kursk Invasion and Russia Donbas Assault, New US Sanctions for Venezuela, Philippine-Chinese Confrontation 33:34

23h ago33:34

33:34

The Prestigehead Convention at the Ho-Ho-Kus Inn has drawn a record crowd, but Danny and Derek still find time for your news roundup. This week: in Russia-Ukraine, an update on Ukraine’s Kursk invasion (0:29), reports of cancelled peace talks (3:57), and a continued Russian advance in Donbas (6:32); in Palestine-Israel, an update on Gaza ceasefire …

1
Duck Soup (w/ Branson Reese) 1:33:23

8d ago1:33:23

1:33:23

Rivka and Frank are joined once again by comedian, writer, and illustrator Branson Reese to discuss the Marx Brothers' classic, Duck Soup. Together, they explore the anti-comedy style of the Marx Brothers, the political and cultural legacy of their work, and the film's anti-fascist and anarchic themes. Branson Reese Website Rude Tales of Magic Podc…

1
#553 - Bottled Time 46:34

1h ago46:34

46:34

A Democratic National Convention takes place against a backdrop of protests against American imperial atrocities overseas... that's right, we're travelling back in time to 1968 with Haskell Wexler's MEDIUM COOL (1969). PLUS: So, have you heard about the DNC?Join us on Patreon for an extra episode every week - https://www.patreon.com/michaelandus"Th…

1
E172 - Tricky Strategic Changes w/ Stephen Wertheim 57:37

9d ago57:37

57:37

AP champion Stephen Wertheim, senior fellow in the American Statecraft Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, returns for a discussion of his recent piece for Carnegie, “Strategic Change in U.S. Foreign Policy.” The group muses on the difficulty of altering established foreign policy paradigms before delving into several case st…

1
PREVIEW - #552 - Battle for the Dinosaur Hour 4:32

40m ago4:32

4:32

Whenever we need a pick-me-up, we return to one of our favourite topics: THE DINOSAUR HOUR, John Cleese's baffling chat show for Britain's right-wing GB News network. In the two episodes we watched today, Cleese opines on creativity, then welcomes his good friend Rob Schneider (!) for an agonizing hourlong chat. PLUS: What happens to the Republican…

1
Bonus - The End of the Cold War, Ep. 3 w/ Fritz Bartel 5:04

1h ago5:04

5:04

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.americanprestigepod.com Fritz Bartel, assistant professor at the Bush School of Government & Public Service at Texas A&M University, is back for one final episode on his book The Triumph of Broken Promises: The End of the Cold War and the Rise of Neoliberalism. They explore Paul Volc…

1
News - New Reports of IDF Using Human Shields, Ukraine Takes More Russian Territory, Sudan Ceasefire Talks 42:30

12d ago42:30

42:30

Danny and Derek are just two guys who, unfortunately, pay their taxes. This week: conditions in Gaza continue to worsen under Israel (1:14), “ceasefire talks” continue to amble along (7:58), the US again to send massive amounts of weapons to Israel (12:59), and the IDF is again reported to be using Palestinians as human shields (17:18); the US lift…

1
Natural Born Killers [PATREON PREVIEW] 2:26

1h ago2:26

2:26

Rivka and Frank unpack Oliver Stone’s 1994 psychological action thriller Natural Born Killers. They get into whether the film was successful in its satirization of violence in the media or if it just ended up glorifying it, how the performances still hold up, and Frank reveals if he ever got the NBK tattoo he wanted as a teenager… 🤝 TO HEAR THE FUL…

1
#551 - Shore Leave 53:25

2h ago53:25

53:25

During the 2012 election cycle, Pauly Shore went to Washington to take the temperature on American and Her Problems. His resulting comedy special, PAULY SHORE'S PAULY-TICS (2012), accidentally foreshadows some of the bad vibes of the years to come. PLUS: We chart one Oscar blogger's evolution from #StillWithHer to MAGA.Join us on Patreon for an ext…

1
E171 - Police and the Empire City, Pt. 2 w/ Matthew Guariglia 50:24

1d ago50:24

50:24

Danny and Derek are back with Matthew Guariglia, senior policy analyst at the Electronic Frontier Foundation and visiting scholar of history at Emory University, for the second part of their discussion on the history of policing in New York City. They delve further into the NYPD’s efforts at “ethnic policing,” exploring the Italian squads of the ea…

1
PREVIEW - #550 - Studio Sucky, Part 12: Two Cathedrals 4:21

9d ago4:21

4:21

In the penultimate episode of STUDIO 60 ON THE SUNSET STRIP, "K&R Part 3," Aaron Sorkin wrestles with the memory of Bill Maher being cancelled after 9/11, and asks why a just and merciful god even needs you to pray to Him. Aaron Sorkin is saving some of his best stuff for last! PLUS: Checking in on the God's Not Dead franchise and the comedy career…

1
Bonus - The End of the Cold War, Ep. 2 w/ Fritz Bartel 4:46

16d ago4:46

4:46

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.americanprestigepod.com We return with Danny and Derek’s series on the end of the Cold War with Fritz Bartel, assistant professor at the Bush School of Government & Public Service at Texas A&M University. In this second episode, the group gets into the nitty gritty of Fritz’s book Th…

1
News - Bangladesh Protests Force PM Resignation, Pentagon Rescinds Guantanamo Prisoner Deal, Mali and Niger Cut Ties with Ukraine 42:38

20d ago42:38

42:38

Once again, the Treacherous Two bring word from the world. This week: an update on the horror in Gaza (0:32), Hamas names Sinwar as overall leader (7:07), more ceasefire efforts (9:43), and the wait for a retaliation from Iran continues (13:44); protests in Bangladesh force Sheikh Hasina’s resignation (18:43); rebels in Myanmar make gains in Shan S…

51
#549 - Death of the Iron Age Cafe 56:10

4d ago56:10

56:10

Tony Buba chronicled the decline of his hometown of Braddock, Pennsylvania in a series of acclaimed documentaries that elevated him to national notoriety. But in the extraordinary documentary/fiction hybrid LIGHTNING OVER BRADDOCK: A RUST BOWL FANTASY (1988), he asks what it means when his success is tied to so many people's poverty.Tony Buba's fil…

1
Free Bonus - Danny and Derek Talk "Wag the Dog" on Michael & Us 48:05

5d ago48:05

48:05

Check out Danny and Derek’s recent appearance on the Michael & Us podcast talking about Barry Levinson’s 1997 satire Wag the Dog. In Barry Levinson and David Mamet's WAG THE DOG (1997), a political spin-doctor teams with a movie producer to fake a war and save an incumbent president. You've heard of manufacturing consent, but to what extent can Hol…

1
Rocky (w/ Pamela Capalad & Dyalekt) 1:45:09

27d ago1:45:09

1:45:09

Rivka and Frank are joined by Pamela Capalad and Dyalekt, an anti-capitalist artist power couple who co-founded a financial liberation program for creators of color called See Change. The group discusses Sylvester Stallone's 1976 American classic, Rocky, and how its characters and themes are deeply rooted in the fabric of American capitalism, from …

1
PREVIEW - #548 - Studio Sucky, Part 11 - The Karl Rove Sketch 3:28

20d ago3:28

3:28

As STUDIO 60 ON THE SUNSET STRIP continues its slow descent, Aaron Sorkin continues to drift away from TV sketch-comedy and back to what he knows. Episode 20, "K&R Part 2," sees the gang lashing out at journalism while also making a tortured defense of... the White House Press Secretary?PATREON-EXCLUSIVE EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/548-…

1
Special - What's Happening in the Stock Market? w/ J.W. Mason 3:07

21d ago3:07

3:07

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.americanprestigepod.com Danny and Derek welcome to the podcast J.W. Mason, associate professor of economics at John Jay College and fellow at the Roosevelt Institute, to help us make sense of the last several days of volatility in global markets and whether it’s time to “crack each o…

1
E170 - Police and the Empire City, Pt. 1 w/ Matthew Guariglia 44:53

17d ago44:53

44:53

Matthew Guariglia, senior policy analyst at the Electronic Frontier Foundation and visiting scholar of history at Emory University, joins the program for a two-part discussion on the history of policing in New York City. They explore NY policing as a case study for how the state studies people in order to inform policy, its initial function in the …

1
Bonus - The Rise and Fall of the American Constitutional Model, Ep. 4 w/ Aziz Rana 5:10

26d ago5:10

5:10

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.americanprestigepod.com Danny and Derek once again speak with Aziz Rana, the incoming J. Donald Monan, S.J., professor of law and government at Boston College, this time to conclude the series on Americans’ relationship with the Constitution. This episode explores how economic transf…

1
News - Israel Assassinations, US-Russia Prisoner Swap, Venezuela Election 28:04

11d ago28:04

28:04

Danny and Derek continue to insist that you be informed. This week: Israel’s assassinations of Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas and Fuad Shukr of Hezbollah (1:02); a mini-New Cold War update featuring Antony Blinken and Lloyd Austin in East Asia (9:31); Sudan comes close to engaging in ceasefire talks before collapsing at the last minute (12:30); a ceasefir…

1
Special - The 2024 Venezuela Presidential Election w/ Alejandro Velasco 4:31

26d ago4:31

4:31

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.americanprestigepod.com Danny and Derek welcome back to the podcast Alejandro Velasco, associate professor of modern Latin America at New York University, to discuss this week’s presidential election in Venezuela, the results of which have prompted allegations of fraud and corruption…

1
Special - Israel Assassinations in Iran and Lebanon 3:34

24d ago3:34

3:34

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.americanprestigepod.com Danny and Derek break down what we know about Israel’s killing of Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas as he visited Iran, as well as its drone strike on Fuad Shukr of Hezbollah in Beirut.By American Prestige

1
#547 - Albanian Bacon (w/ Daniel Bessner and Derek Davison) 48:05

23d ago48:05

48:05

In Barry Levinson and David Mamet's WAG THE DOG (1997), a political spin-doctor teams with a movie producer to fake a war and save an incumbent president. You've heard of manufacturing consent, but to what extent can Hollywood and Washington manufacture reality? We're joined by Daniel Bessner and Derek Davison of the American Prestige podcast to di…

1
PREVIEW - #546 - Studio Sucky, Part 10: Have a Little Faith 5:06

19d ago5:06

5:06

Tom's brother is still held hostage in Afghanistan, Jordan is still in the hospital, and Matt & Harriet are still arguing about religion in episode 19 of STUDIO 60 ON THE SUNSET STRIP, "K&R Part 1." But this is all a mere appetizer to us FINALLY getting around to reading Aaron Sorkin's instantly-legendary op-ed about how the Democrats should run Mi…

1
E169 - The Right Wing in Postcommunist Europe w/ Maria Snegovaya 50:24

1M ago50:24

50:24

Danny and Derek welcome to the pod Maria Sengovaya, senior fellow at the Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and adjunct professor at Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service, to talk about her book When Left Moves Right: The Decline of the Left and the Rise of the Populist…

1
Bonus - The Modern Olympics w/ Victoria Jackson 4:57

26d ago4:57

4:57

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.americanprestigepod.com Victoria Jackson, Arizona State University sports historian and Great Game Lab co-director, joins the program to teach Danny and Derek a bit about the modern Olympic Games. They discuss the 1896 revival and the character of the early modern Games, how the even…

1
News - Netanyahu in DC, Bangladesh Protests, Hottest Days Ever Recorded 32:39

1M ago32:39

32:39

On the eve of the XXXIII Olympiad, the world remains complicated. This week: Joe Biden suspends his 2024 presidential campaign (0:32); in Palestine/Israel news, Benjamin Netanyahu speaks to a fawning US Congress (2:26), the ICJ rules on the legality of Israel’s occupation (6:13), the IDF shrinks the “protected zone” around Khan Younis in Gaza (9:13…

1
AP x Nonzero - Will Kamala Make America Great Again? w/ Robert Wright 33:24

1M ago33:24

33:24

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.americanprestigepod.com The bi-monthly collaboration between AP and Nonzero Newsletter continues! Paid subscribers get a discounted membership to Nonzero— just scroll below the paywall near the bottom of the description, where you’ll also find the video for the Overtime segment. 0:00…

1
#545 - It's Joever (w/ Branko Marcetic) 1:10:55

1M ago1:10:55

1:10:55

It's a politics-only episode, because we've got a big subject: it's time to say goodbye to your favorite American president, Joe Biden. We welcome back Branko Marcetic to tally #46's success and failures, and do a vibe-check on the Democratic Party following the ouster of its standard-bearer. PLUS: Branko reports on the Republican National Conventi…

1
Special - Documenting the War on Gaza w/ Laila Al-Arian 36:13

1M ago36:13

36:13

Danny and Derek welcome back to the podcast Laila Al-Arian, executive producer of Fault Lines on Al Jazeera English, to talk about the program’s recent documentary "The Night Won't End: Biden’s War on Gaza," which she also co-wrote. They discuss how the film’s crew was able to make the film despite the immense logistical challenges, the choice to f…

1
PREVIEW - #544 - A History of the Mondo Movie 4:20

28d ago4:20

4:20

Banned in 16 countries! So sickening it can only be real! In this special documentary episode Will goes on a journey through the history of the Mondo movie, from MONDO CANE to FACES OF DEATH and beyond.PATREON-EXCLUSIVE EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/544-history-of-108683201By Luke Savage and Will Sloan, Jacobin

1
E168 - The Habsburg Empire and the Modern State w/ Natasha Wheatley 53:01

1M ago53:01

53:01

Natasha Wheatley, assistant professor of history at Princeton, sits down with Danny and Derek to talk about the transformation of the Habsburg Empire from a multinational collection of polities to discrete nation-states and how this century of radical change informs our ideas of sovereignty and the subsequent international order. The discussion exp…

1
Bonus - The Rise and Fall of the American Constitutional Model, Ep. 3 w/ Aziz Rana 5:07

1M ago5:07

5:07

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.americanprestigepod.com Aziz Rana, the incoming J. Donald Monan, S.J., professor of law and government at Boston College, once again joins Danny and Derek to continue the discussion about Americans’ relationship with the Constitution. The conversation picks up in the postwar period, …

1
Unregistered 277: The Exorcist with Jack Mason and Anna Khachiyan (TEASER) 7:58

1M ago7:58

7:58

Watch the Full Episode now at patreon.com/unregistered Following a screening of The Exorcist at the Icarus Fringe and Film Festival, Anna Khachiyan and Jack Mason joined me to examine the radical nature of the film, the rise of the American counter-culture, and the meaning of religious faith in the era of neoliberalism. Become a PATRON OF UNREGISTE…

1
News - UK and France Elections, New Cold War Arms Tension, Sahel Junta "Confederation" 50:27

1M ago50:27

50:27

Danny and Derek are back with a news update after two weeks, and it appears that events continued to transpire despite their absence. This week: in Gaza, another round of fledgling ceasefire talks (0:35), the Knesset officially rejects Palestinian statehood (6:05), The Lancet journal publishes a study on the likely number of Palestinian casualties …

1
#543 - Exit Through the Gift Shop 56:00

1M ago56:00

56:00

In 2005, the Clinton family's own foundation created a DVD compilation of times when Bill and Hillary brought the funny. We discuss A TIME TO LAUGH: THE CLINTONS' HUMOR (2005), and glean a little bit of insight into how the former First Family view themselves. PLUS: From an assassination attempt of the former U.S. president to a coup attempt on the…

1
MVC update 3:39

27d ago3:39

3:39

MVC will be taking an indefinite hiatus while Frank deals with his back injury - we'll hopefully be back in the next few weeks or months. You can listen to Frank's announcement here. Love you, comrades. We'll talk to you soon.By Movies vs. Capitalism

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