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PODCAST

The Midnight Myth Podcast

Derek Jones and Laurel Hostak

Derek & Laurel dish on myths, history, pop culture and more as they explore universal themes in storytelling. From Game of Thrones and Harry Potter to the Marvel Universe and Star Wars, we"ve been making pop culture sound smart since 2017.

tv & film film history

All Episodes

01:03:05

Episode 116: Cabbages & Kings | Alice in Wonderland,...

The Midnight Myth Podcast ·

2019/08/11

Follow us down the rabbit hole as we wrap up a three-part miniseries on classic Disney animated features. This week, we’ll turn our gaze away from fairy tales and toward something curiouser… Alice in Wonderland. We’ll discuss the literary impact of Lewis Carroll’s beloved children’s masterpiece, the surprising logic behind the nonsense, and a philosophical outlook on Alice’s absurd adventures. What are Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum? What does the Cheshire Cat really want? And why oh why is a raven

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00:50:49

Midnight Myth Time Machine | Episode 7: There Is No...

The Midnight Myth Podcast ·

2019/08/07

Have you ever wondered if this world is real? Have you ever wondered if the life you are living is the good life or just the life you have been told to live? Listen to Derek and Laurel discuss storytelling that questions and deconstructs the narratives of 1990s American peace and prosperity. We talk about three amazing movies, Fight Club, American Beauty and The Matrix. Remember, all things have questions, and all questions help us understand this fundamental truth: there is a difference between

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00:52:43

Episode 115: Mirror Mirror | Snow White, Mythology &...

The Midnight Myth Podcast ·

2019/08/04

Mirror mirror on the wall, what’s the greatest podcast of all? After last week’s stimulating discussion of myth and fairy tale through the lens of Sleeping Beauty, we’re talking about the original Disney classic Snow White. We’ll deconstruct the iconic imagery of the poisoned apple and glass coffin, work through the uncomfortable implications of evil stepmothers, and spend some time with everyone’s favorite diminutive spirits, the seven dwarfs. Support us at www.patreon.com/midnightmyth Check out

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01:09:39

(Bonus) The Wheel of Ka: Episode Six, Wizard and...

The Midnight Myth Podcast ·

2019/07/30

Fellow travelers on the path of the Beam, the Wheel of Ka is back discussing the second half of Stephen King’s The Dark Tower book four, Wizard and Glass. Young Roland practices his secret love with Susan Delgado while playing Castles with the Big Coffin Hunters. In this episode we discuss the motivations and strategies of the main characters in the hopes it will illuminate what makes Mejis County of Mid-World so appealing. We talk everything, from the Wizard of Oz, the series first vampire, and the

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00:58:47

Episode 114: Briar Rose | Sleeping Beauty, Fairy...

The Midnight Myth Podcast ·

2019/07/28

Once upon a time… You know the story. King and Queen have a baby girl, evil fairy shows up to the celebration and curses the girl, girl is raised in the woods by good fairies, girl meets prince, girl falls into enchanted sleep, prince slays a dragon, true love’s kiss saves the day, happily ever after. But behind Disney’s 1959 classic Sleeping Beauty lies a dark and disturbing fairy tale tradition, one in which gender and sexual politics and questions of fate are as tangled as the thorny briars

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00:40:23

Midnight Myth Time Machine | Episode 6: Rebel Rebel |...

The Midnight Myth Podcast ·

2019/07/26

It’s the Midnight Myth Time Machine! This is Episode 6: Rebel Rebel, which originally aired in March of 2017. Derek and Laurel discuss rebellion, resistance, and revolution in stories. From the Hunger Games to Star Wars in the realms of sci-fi and fantasy and dramatizations of historical events like Les Miserables and Hamilton. So hop in the time machine with us and enjoy Episode 6: Rebel Rebel. Support us at www.patreon.com/midnightmyth Check out our new merch store for Midnight Myth,

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00:57:43

Episode 113: HULK SMASH | The Incredible Hulk, Greek...

The Midnight Myth Podcast ·

2019/07/21

You wouldn’t like him when he’s angry. Yes, friends, the time has come—we’ve endeavored to analyze Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor of the MCU, but there’s a (very) large gaping hole in our exploration of the core Avengers: The Incredible Hulk. In this case study of the dual-natured hero, we’ll uncover his relationship to the Greco-Roman myths and cults of Hercules, as well as his inspiration in 19th century literature like Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Robert Louis Stevenson The Strange Case

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00:53:06

Midnight Myth Time Machine | Episode 5: The Joke

The Midnight Myth Podcast ·

2019/07/19

In Episode 5: The Joke, which aired originally in 2017, Derek & Laurel explore one of the most iconic villains of all time: the Joker. With an eye to one of the Joker's most enduring comic book iterations: Alan Moore's 1988 one-shot graphic novel The Killing Joke, we'll decipher his underlying philosophy (and point out some of his most problematic issues). CW: sexual assault Support us at www.patreon.com/midnightmyth Check out our new merch store for Midnight Myth, Boomerangerang, and Wheel of

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00:54:46

Boomerangerang: Back to the Upside Down

The Midnight Myth Podcast ·

2019/07/14

The Boomerangerang is back, babies! Inspired by our discussions from the past few weeks—and our love of the Netflix show Stranger Things—we’re mixing up the format of our signature pop culture debate. It’s Team Stranger Things versus Team 80s Movies in an all-out battle for supremacy (in some completely random scenarios drawn from a hat). Who will win and who will be mindflayed? It’s anybody’s game as we throw Eleven, Hopper, Joyce and more in with characters from Back to the Future, the Neverending

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00:39:52

Midnight Myth Time Machine | Episode 4: Rock Bottom

The Midnight Myth Podcast ·

2019/07/12

It’s the Midnight Myth Time Machine. We’re publishing our back catalog week by week to make it available on your favorite podcast listening platforms. This is Episode 4: Rock Bottom, in which we discuss what happens when the hero of a story loses all hope. How do heroes overcome the depths of despair, loss, and suffering to be triumphant over their adversaries? In other words, when a hero hits rock bottom, how do they build themselves back up? Special hat tip to the movie Gladiator. Support us at

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00:55:27

Episode 112: Moon Child | The Neverending Story,...

The Midnight Myth Podcast ·

2019/07/07

In the magical world of Fantasia, a storm is gathering. A great big Nothing is threatening to swallow up the land of the hopes and dreams of mankind into total oblivion. Only a great warrior—and an intrepid reader—can come together to give the Childlike Empress a new name, thus saving Fantasia from its impending doom. This week on the Midnight Myth, we’re diving headfirst into the pages of 1984’s The Neverending Story (based on the novel by Michael Ende). It’s the film that first introduced us as

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00:36:09

Midnight Myth Time Machine | Episode 3: Detected |...

The Midnight Myth Podcast ·

2019/07/04

It’s the Midnight Myth Time Machine! We’re publishing our back catalog week by week, and this is Episode 3: Detected. It originally aired in February of 2017 and explored our fascination with detective stories. With a special emphasis on the best-loved detective in fiction—Sherlock Holmes—we’ll interpret the clues and uncover the truth about why detective stories continue to be told. Join the investigation by hopping in the time machine with us. Support us at www.patreon.com/midnightmyth Check out

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01:06:59

(Bonus) The Wheel of Ka: Episode Five, Wizard and...

The Midnight Myth Podcast ·

2019/07/01

The Wheel of Ka is back! On the next installment of our podcast reread of Stephen King’s The Dark Tower, Derek & Steve discuss the first half of Book Four: Wizard & Glass. King finally lets the readers into the murky history of Gliead’s last Gunslinger, Roland, and we learn of his youth and the love that would come to define the romantic nature of his heart, Susan Delgado. Derek and Steve unpack the themes, from Roland and Susan’s parallel to Paris and Helen from the Greek myth of the Trojan

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00:58:54

Episode 111: Creature Feature | Stranger Things,...

The Midnight Myth Podcast ·

2019/06/30

We’re just days from the premiere of Stranger Things 3 on Netflix, so we’re going back through the first two seasons to demystify the many monsters of the Upside Down. Drawing on the mythological inspiration for the Demogorgon, the role of Dungeons & Dragons in shaping the imagination, and the long history of monsters in the movies, this episode seeks to understand why we create monstrous beasts to contend with. Most importantly, we’ll explore how Stranger Things gives us a model of monster that

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00:39:37

Midnight Myth Time Machine | Episode 2: Hey Princess...

The Midnight Myth Podcast ·

2019/06/26

It’s the Midnight Myth Time Machine y’all! We’re publishing our back catalog week by week to make it available on all platforms. This is Episode 2: Hey Princess, which aired in February of 2017. We discuss our hero, Princess Leia/General Organa from the Star Wars franchise and her legacy for the princess archetype in Hollywood. With an exploration of Central European fairy tales and Disney’s iconic princesses, we try to learn how to better craft women characters. Support us at

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00:49:45

Episode 110: Don't Fear the Reaper | Bill & Ted,...

The Midnight Myth Podcast ·

2019/06/23

It’s a most triumphant part two to our discussion of the wise fools Bill S. Preston, esq. and Ted ‘Theodore’ Logan! This week, we’ll get into the wacky and ambitious sequel to Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey. As we track the heroes’ journey through the afterlife—heaven, hell, a new-age seance, and everywhere in between, we’ll explore its roots in Greek mythology and classic world cinema. We’ll break down the film’s relationship to the story of Sisyphus,

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00:57:56

Midnight Myth Time Machine | Episode 1: Villainy |...

The Midnight Myth Podcast ·

2019/06/21

IT'S THE MIDNIGHT MYTH TIME MACHINE! We’re republishing our back catalog, which has heretofore been unavailable on most platforms. We’re starting with Episode 1: Villainy, in which Derek & Laurel deliver side-by-side case studies of two iconic villains. First, an exploration of Dracula and the Francis Ford Coppola adaptation of the classic vampire tale that upends traditional villain narratives. Next, a study of Voldemort, the larger-than-life antagonist of the Harry Potter saga and magical

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00:57:18

Episode 109: Be Excellent to Each Other | Bill & Ted,...

The Midnight Myth Podcast ·

2019/06/16

The year is 2688. The place is San Dimas, California.The air is clean, the water is clean, and even the dirt… is clean! Buckle up, friends, because we’re going back (and forward) in time for this episode, exploring the cult classic and career launch for the one and only Keanu Reeves: Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure. For an unassuming slacker buddy comedy, Excellent Adventure delves into its own special moral philosophy, pays tribute to its sci-fi forefathers (H.G. Wells, Arthur C. Clarke, and

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01:12:56

Episode 108: Another One Bites the Apple | Good...

The Midnight Myth Podcast ·

2019/06/09

Some physicists believe the universe was created in the Big Bang approximately 13.8 billion years ago. These theories are, unfortunately, incorrect. The universe was, in fact, created by Neil Gaiman and Sir Terry Pratchett, and I’m afraid it’s turtles all the way down. Welcome to the Midnight Myth Podcast’s exploration of the mythological sources and philosophies of Good Omens (a new limited series on Amazon Prime and a novel from 1990). The end times are here, and we’ve lost the Antichrist. But is

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01:08:16

Episode 107: Sweet Summer Child | Game of Thrones,...

The Midnight Myth Podcast ·

2019/06/02

With Game of Thrones in the rearview mirror, it’s time for another character study. Our listeners voted (back in early April) for a Bran Stark episode, and little did we know that he would become such a key player in the final episodes. We’ll draw on ancient Celtic and Norse mythological traditions to discover the antecedents of the character, discuss the archetypes he conforms to (and subverts), and analyze George R.R. Martin and the showrunners’ intent in crafting the final fate of Bran. Learn

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