Wisecrack Edition

Welcome to this special Wisecrack Edition on the must-know references in South Park. From Britney Spears to Ex Machina, South Park constantly borrows from and parodies pop culture and current events to make profound statements about the world we live in. The more of these references you know and understand, the richer the show becomes! So which are the most important of these references? How do they elevate the show to new levels? Join us as we dive in!

Welcome to this special Wisecrack Edition on the Philosophy of Get Schwifty! Join us as we take a closer look at religion and belief systems in one of our favorite episodes of Rick and Morty! Time to Get Schwifty!

Welcome to this special Wisecrack Edition on the Philosophy of Negan. Join as we explore the methodology behind Negan's actions and how he psychologically breaks survivors to police themselves and become the perfect Dictator in the post-apocalyptic world of The Walking Dead.

Welcome to this special Wisecrack Edition on the Philosophy of Westworld, exploring how the show draws on one of humanity's oldest stories to explore how free will shapes our understanding of good and evil. Through the lens of the show's incredible cast of characters (Ford, William, The Man in Black, Arnold, Dolores, Bernard, and Maeve), we dive into themes of predestination, ethics, consciousness, and more, reflecting on how Westworld makes us think about the choices we make and how we live our own lives.

Welcome to this special Wisecrack Edition on one of the most tragic films of the year: David Ayer’s Suicide Squad. Despite the fact that the movie was marred by critical changes at late stages of production, it still has signs of intellectual ambition. Join us as we look closely at the script’s thematic foundation and connect it to the other films of the DC Cinematic Universe. By tracing the theme of control through Man of Steel and Batman V. Superman, we can get a better understanding of what Suicide Squad was perhaps trying to achieve before the film was re-edited by the studio. Is it possible for us to still glean something insightful from a deeply flawed movie? With this new Wisecrack Edition format, we answer just that.

Welcome to this Wisecrack Edition on Attack on Titan, where we explore the surprising political ideology of the society within the walls. Is it possible that in this dystopian society a controversial philosophy from a Nazi theorist, Carl Schmitt, may be the only thing keeping the fabric of society from collapsing? Or is that just what those in power want citizens to believe?

Welcome to this special Wisecrack Edition on Battlefield 1, where we explore why a big game franchise chose the war to end all wars, World War 1. Why after years of WW2 games has WW1 been brought to light? Join us as we explore one of the most popular franchises take on one of the most horrific wars.

Welcome to this Wisecrack Edition on The Dark Knight Rises: What Went Wrong? Coming off the crest of the acclaim of The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises had a lot to live up to. In good Nolan fashion, not only did the film continue the ambitious themes established by its predecessor, but it added so much more. And that's where things started to get messy. From the inspiration of Charles Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities to Occupy Wall Street, we delve in to the themes behind the conclusion of one of the biggest trilogies of the decade.

Welcome to this Wisecrack Edition on Music in Westworld. The deeper meaning and philosophy of Westworld isn't just limited to its dialogue – it's layered throughout its masterful use of music. We'll see how Westworld uses classical compositions and modern pop to create its own dreamworld.

Welcome to this Wisecrack Edition on Rick and Morty Seaon 3: The Philosophy of Szechuan Sauce. Join us as we dive in to Camus and Dostoevsky in order to gain deeper insight in to Rick's journey for that teriyaki dipping sauce. That's what this entire episode is about, Wisecrack- that Mulan Mcnugget Sauce. It's our rosebud; our one armed man. It's what drives us.

Welcome to this Wisecrack Edition on one of the most philosophically complex animated films of all time: Ghost in the Shell. Through the lens of legendary philosopher Georg Hegel, we’ll examine how Ghost in the Shell not only laid a foundation for decades of sci-fi to come, but presents us with a truly fresh and original take on the next step of human evolution. Whereas most films that explore the line between human and machine require one side to triumph over the other, Ghost in the Shell suggests something radically different.

Welcome to this Wisecrack Edition on the 2009 Emmy Award Winning South Park episode "Margaritaiville." We'll explore how, through clever religious allegory, South Park crafts a multi-layered critique on the nature of power structures in our contemporary economic climate. By playfully positing that economics functions as a cryptic religion in its own right, South Park brilliantly satirize the financial crisis of 2008 – and the way people responded.

Welcome to this Wisecrack Edition on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. If traditional sitcoms are defined by progressive character development, saccharine moralism, and sentimental romance, then It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia is unique in how it lampoons each of these tropes and presents us with an ensemble that deliberately avoids any sign of growth. Drawing from pioneering sitcoms like Cheers, Friends, and How I met your Mother, we’ll explore how Always Sunny isn’t just an anti-sitcom, it’s the perfect anti-sitcom.

Welcome to this Wisecrack Edition on The Philosophy of Get Out. There are few films as clever in their depiction of racial tensions in America as Jordan Peele’s social thriller Get Out. While most movies that focus on race take aim at those who overtly try to disenfranchise minorities, Get Out does something unique: it explores how the demeanor of white liberals who have supposedly “moved beyond racism” may not be as authentic as they may think. By drawing on black thinkers and philosophers, we explore how Get Out is a masterful depiction of the black condition in 20th Century America.

Rick and Morty is incredibly unique, with its remarkable characters, unforgettable episodes, and surprisingly profound subjects. But the show is also exceptional in its ability to play with our expectations while employing rather traditional storytelling techniques. In this special Wisecrack Edition, we explore how Dan Harmon’s Universal Theory of Storytelling (effectively a variation of Joseph Campbell’s Monomyth / Hero’s Journey) helps bring the show’s dark and subversive themes to life. By following one of our favorite episodes – “The Ricks Must Be Crazy” – we dive into the structure and formula for crafting great stories.

One Punch Man's Saitama isn't your typical hero. He doesn't struggle to defeat villains so much as he struggles to show up to the fight on time. What can Saitama and his bored lifestyle teach us about our own modern lifestyle? And what secrets lie in the show's storytelling? Join us in this Wisecrack Edition on the Philosophy of One Punch Man.

Welcome to this Wisecrack Edition on Batman v Superman: What Went Wrong? It’s no secret that BvS has drawn widespread ire for its issues with plot and tone. So, in an effort not to dwell on the same issues, we decided to focus on another problem plaguing the film: its ideological failings. Many of the film’s cues are taken straight from Frank Miller’s graphic novel The Dark Knight Returns – a work that paints a very clear philosophical divide between Batman and Superman. But it's in replicating this dynamic that BvS starts to flounder. By exploring some of Miller’s key inspirations, we’ll unveil how the philosophical backbone of The Dark Knight Returns was adapted to Batman v Superman – with lackluster results.

Logan is one of the most unique superhero movies to come out in the past decade. That’s largely because it’s not a superhero movie at all, it’s a Western. What makes Logan a masterpiece is how it takes some of the defining themes of the western genre – searching, enclosure, and the end of an era – and updates it to not only reflect the final moments of one of the most beloved comic book characters of all time, but to make a rather sly statement on the current state of the film industry. Welcome to this Wisecrack Edition on The Philosophy of Logan.

The Matrix is a masterpiece of the first order. But what happens when this sci-fi journey is complete? We unearth just how one of the most hyped sequels of all time went oh-so-wrong.

What can our obsession with apocalypse teach us? We explore how shows like The Walking Dead can be viewed as a new spin on utopia. Has the idea of rebuilding in the ashes of the world replaced our dreams of flying cars and jetpacks?

“Nothing is True. Everything is Permitted.” If you’re an Assassin’s Creed fan like us, you’ve probably heard this phrase parroted by the Assassin’s Order numerous times. Does this motto reveal something essential about the Assassins' ideology? Or is it just deliberately cryptic nonsense? In this Wisecrack Edition, we dive in to the book from which the mantra was lifted, Vladimir Bartol’s 1939 novel Alamut, to explore how the philosophical backbone of this classic translated to the Assassin’s Creed franchise in a rather confusing manner. This questionable handling of philosophical material isn’t enough to hurt the games, but it ends up REALLY hurting the movie. Find out how!

“With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility”- Uncle Ben’s famous lines have defined the inner struggle of everyone’s favorite web slinger across all of its 17,000 reboots. In this Wisecrack Edition, we explore how this mantra uniquely positions Spiderman as a reflection of American international relations. Just as America struggles with how it should responsibly wield its immense power and resources, so too does Peter struggle with how to responsibly use his powers as Spiderman. By drawing upon thinkers William V Spanos, Sacvan Bercovich and other International Relations theorists, we’ll uncover the philosophies that make Spiderman the quintessential American Superhero, and make some predictions as to how these philosophies will carry over in to Spiderman: Homecoming.

Black Mirror is one of the most unnerving viewing experiences in recent memory. And around the Wisecrack office, watching Black Mirror goes hand in hand with having a panic attack. But why does this show evoke such a sense of dread? Unlike other shows about technology and future dystopias, Black Mirror taps in to something eerily familiar to our everyday world. In this Wisecrack Edition, we dive in to the work of prophetic French philosopher Guy Debord to better understand an idea that permeates Black Mirror, as well as our own society- spectacle. Drawing from Debord’s landmark text “The Society of the Spectacle,” we explore how Black Mirror holds up a MIRROR (see what we did there?) to our current social predicament: namely, the ways in which technology not only mediates our relationships with other humans, but also the world around us.

We all know that Game of Thrones is just that… a game for the Iron Throne. But with all the time spent theorizing on who WILL win the Seven Kingdoms, we decided to take a different approach and pose the question: Who is actually FIT to rule the Seven Kingdoms? In this Wisecrack Edition, we focus on the Queen of Dragons herself, Daenerys Targaryen. Through the lens of political philosopher Niccolò Machiavelli, we evaluate Daenerys’s leadership skills utilizing three of his most famous texts: The Prince, Discourses on Livy, and The Art of War. How does the Breaker of Chains stack up? Let’s find out!

The first of a three part series on Christopher Nolan.

Welcome to this Wisecrack Edition on Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood.

Welcome to this Wisecrack Edition on What South Park Teaches Us About Economics.

Welcome to this Wisecrack Edition on What Key & Peele Teach Us About Comedy.

Death Note is all about justice, but what exactly is it trying to say? In this Wisecrack Edition, we'll dive into Death Note's unique exploration of justice, injustice, and potato chips. Join us as we explore the philosophies of Light, L and more.

If you’re going to make a sequel, try not to take 13 years to make it. If you take 13 years anyway, then at least don’t rewrite the whole thing at the last minute, right? Wrong. In this edition of What Went Wrong, we explore how late stage rewrites in Pixar’s Finding Dory led to some questionable narrative choices, resulting in a rather underwhelming film.

Welcome to this Wisecrack Edition on Buddhist Philosophy in Dragon Ball.

Welcome to this Wisecrack Quick Take on Season 7 of Game of Thrones.

Adapting a 37 episode anime in to a 90 minute movie is an enormous challenge, so a reduction in depth is expected. Instead of the anime's philosophical dialogue on justice, Netflix's new Death Note film attempts to tackle the blurry distinction between good and evil. But does it succeed? Join us as we explore the ideological inconsistencies in this Wisecrack Quick Take on Death Note: What Went Wrong?

South Park is a Wisecrack favorite, and with the success of the serialized narratives of seasons 18 and 19, Season 20 was set up to be the best, and most relevant, season yet. But, it turned out to be.... less than that. Find out what went wrong on this Wisecrack Edition of South Park season 20!

The second of a three part series on Christopher Nolan.

Blade Runner is one of the richest sci-fi films in cinema history, so following up on such a classic is a daunting challenge. Luckily, the new anime that bridges Blade Runner and its forthcoming sequel flexes all the brains that made the original so legendary. On this Wisecrack Quick Take, we’re gonna break down the core symbolism and philosophical ideas of the original film and see how they also manifest in Shinichiro Watanabe’s new anime, Blade Runner Blackout 2022.

Welcome to the second installment in our 'What Went Wrong?' series on The Matrix sequels! For this video, we decided to go balls-to-the-wall, breaking down all the intellectual goings-on of The Matrix franchise – finally answering the question: does this movie make sense? Get ready as we dive into what is perhaps the most philosophically-ambitious trilogy Hollywood has (and will) ever produce!

Welcome to this Wisecrack Edition on the Philosophy of Mr. Robot!

The landmark original Blade Runner film confronted us with with the question “What Makes us Human?” The much anticipated sequel "Blade Runner 2049" continues to mediate on the importance of this question, but instead of retreading the same ground, it proposes something new that is essential to our humanity — our desire for connection and intimacy. Join us as we break down all the juicy, smart stuff behind Dennis Villeneuve's newest masterpiece!

The first three seasons of BoJack Horseman showed us a protagonist that, despite his Hollywoo success, struggled to find meaning. Season 4 departs from this narrative, to focus on... well, narrative. Join us on this Wisecrack Quick Take as we break down how our tendency to define ourselves through stories serves as the thematic backbone for the newest season of that show starring the horse from Horsin' Around.

Welcome to this Wisecrack Edition on the Philosophy of Saw!

Welcome to this Wisecrack Edition on Stranger Things!

Is Destiny 2 inspired by one of England's most famous poets? And if so, what can we learn about the game's antagonist's true motivation?

Welcome to this Wisecrack Edition on the Philosophy of Berserk!

Welcome to this Wisecrack Quick Take on Thor: Ragnarok!

Welcome to this Wisecrack Edition on What Went Wrong (besides everything) in The Emoji Movie!

Welcome to this Wisecrack Quick Take on My Hero Academia Season 2!

Welcome to this Wisecrack Edition on The Lion King!

Welcome to this Wisecrack Edition on Adventure Time!

Welcome to this Wisecrack Edition on the Philosophy of Fight Club!

Welcome to this Wisecrack Edition on What Went Wrong in Man of Steel!

Welcome to this Wisecrack Edition on The Philosophy of Archer!

Welcome to this Wisecrack Quick Take on Star Wars: The Last Jedi!

Welcome to this Wisecrack Edition on How to Advertise in 2017 with Deadpool 2!

Welcome to this Wisecrack Quick Take on Pixar's Coco!