They Warned Us!
By Lerron Wright and Rafael Reyes
Cover art photo provided by rawpixel on Unsplash: unsplash.com/@rawpixel
They Warned Us!Dec 28, 2018
Man-Boy vs. Fan-Boy discuss films that lead up to Avengers: Engame
Lerron Wright and RJ Reyes discuss their favorite Marvel films that lead up to Avengers: Endgame. Listen to our podcast to hear which parts of Marvel films were most pivotal to them, as well as talk about what they would like to see resolved in the film. This is a podcast you do not want to miss!
Episode 8: I'll be back! T2 and the Erasure of Blackness: Part Deux
In Episode 8 of They Warned Us! we will be reviewing Terminator 2, the 1991 blockbuster hit by Arnold Schwarzenegger. This is part 2 of a 2 part podcast. This second podcast tackles POC representation, and its prophetic value. In particular we deal with the subject of the erasure of blackness, and trying to maintain some sense of values that come from our culture.
Some themes we cover:
Humanity, the notion of family Fate, and the attempt to escape becoming a statistic, Cameron’s attempt to address police brutality by reversing it.
Episode 7: I'll be back! T2 and the Erasure of Blackness: Part I
In Episode 7 of They Warned Us! we will be reviewing Terminator 2, the 1991 blockbuster hit by Arnold Schwarzenegger. This is part 1 of a 2 part podcast. This first one tackles the movies themes and the social context which the film lifts up.
Some themes we cover:
- Humanity, the notion of family
- Fate, and the attempt to escape becoming a statistic
- Cameron’s attempt to address police brutality by reversing it
Click on the link below /click on the link in bio to come and listen to our podcast.
Episode 6: Have you Forgotten? Total Recall!
In Episode 6 of They Warned Us! we are talking about the 1990 film Total Recall. In its early reception it pushed the envelope on special effects and CGI. However, what about the values it was trying to portray throughout the film? Did it break ground in accordance to the POC perspective? Come and listen to our podcast as we discuss this and more.
Plot: Douglas Quaid (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is a bored construction worker in the year 2084 who dreams of visiting the colonized Mars. He visits "Rekall," a company that plants false memories into people's brains, in order to experience the thrill of Mars without having to travel there. But something goes wrong during the procedure; Quaid discovers that his entire life is actually a false memory and that the people who implanted it in his head now want him dead.
In our podcast we discuss:
- Importance of Adventure (Following Alfred North Whitehead's work in his Adventure of Ideas)
- Corporate Control over Knowledge and Bodies (Foucault)
- Nature of Reality
- Sexual Politics
- Redemptive Violence (Walter Wink)
- Anti-Pedagogy: We Don't Pay you to Think! (The necessity of Critical Thinking coupled with Imagination)
Episode 5: Put on Your Running Shoes, It's Time for the Running Man!
In this episode of They Warned Us! we look at Arnold Schwarzenegger's The Running Man! In 2017, after a worldwide economic collapse, the United States has become a totalitarian police state, censoring all cultural activity. The U.S. government pacifies the populace by broadcasting game shows where convicted criminals fight for their lives, including the gladiator-style The Running Man, hosted by the ruthless Damon Killian, where "runners" attempt to evade "stalkers", armed mercenaries, around a large arena, and near-certain death for a chance to be pardoned by the state.
In this episode we look at the following themes:
- media consumption and its effects
- the problem of truth
- the manipulation of society, or the whimsical nature of freedom
For additional writing and material, follow our blog at https://write.as/they-warned-us
Episode 4: Put On Your Helmets Everyone, It's Rollerball!
The year is 2018 in a futuristic society where corporations have replaced countries. A violent futuristic game known as Rollerball is the recreational sport of the world, with teams representing various areas. One player, Jonathan E., fights for his personal freedom and threatens the corporate control.
What is discussed:
- Corporate takeover
- Information Control
- Loss of Critical Thinking
- Limits of Freedom
- The Role People of Color Play in Society
- Causal Effects of Narcissism
- Sports/Media Consumption
Rollerball (1975) trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtkvGfJbmQA
Rollerball (2002) trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDFgfZJvkbA
"We Like To Take One With Us Wherever We Go" - 1975 Rollerball Weird Scene: https://youtu.be/M4ffZpnnk08
"United Fruit" It should have been United Citizens! Here is the link: http://bit.ly/2V3YZZy
George Steiner - Real Presences and Loss of Critical Thinking- http://bit.ly/2rQo6BB
Ivon Gebara - Longing for Running Water and Autonomy- http://bit.ly/2EHVCm3
Episode 3 - They Gotta Have It! Soylent Green
- gender issues
- economic crisis
- lack of trust in government
- environmental issues
- food shortages
- lack of employment
There are more, but this covers what is being lifted in the film. And what does it says to People of Color? Well, listen in and find out on this podcast of They Warned Us!
Trailer - www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVpN312hYgU
Episode 2: Omega Man!
But the more important question is, how do POC fair in this dystopian future? Do we have a hope? Listen to our podcast to find out.