The Macademia Nuts
We’re media academics who chat about pop culture, media industries, news, and pretty much all things media
Episodes
84 episodes
Episode 0083: Michelin Stars and Social Media Check Fraud
This week’s show is as focused as usual, with conversations covering the TV show Black Sails, the depiction of pirates in media, childhood memories of camping, Reese's chocolate and peanut butter snacks, and the Michelin Guide. Alec is excited ...
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Season 3
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Episode 83
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58:18
Episode 0082: Chimps and YouTube Controversies
The series 'Chimp Crazy' has fascinated Lindsey, and Alec has many unexpected opinions about monkey ownership and monkey media. Other topics include the controversy surrounding YouTuber Mr. Beast, Alec’s difficult relationship with Florida Stat...
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Season 3
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Episode 82
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52:07
Episode 0081: Great Media Scholars and Breakdancers
How else would the episode start than with a discussion of the most famous scholar in the Nuts’ field, the Breakdancer RayGun. As with most of the world, the Nuts are skeptical. Other embarrassing moments in the Olympics are discussed, as well ...
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Season 3
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Episode 81
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56:46
Episode 0080: Twisters and other Pole Vaulting Incidents
With the release of the summer event movie “Twisters” imminent, the Nuts talk about their experiences with hurricanes and the impact of weather coverage in the media. They then discuss the Olympics, including Simone Biles' return to the Olympic...
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Season 3
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Episode 80
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1:00:56
Episode 0079: Hawk Tuah and Other Summer Adventures
Women have dominated the internet this summer, including the Oilers flasher and the Hawk Tuah girl. The discussion of viral moments and the long-term success of internet sensations somehow turns to Taylor Swift. Summer viewing and summer vacati...
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Season 3
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Episode 79
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1:04:54
Episode 0078: Fast-Forwarding the Saucy Scenes in Bridgerton
Justin Timberlake got a DUI, and Alec depended on very questionable sources on X for information about the arrest. Bridgerton season three was watched by all, and Lindsey was disappointed by the amount of saucy scenes, while Alec admitted he fa...
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Season 3
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Episode 78
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1:25:52
Episode 0077: Rate My Macademia Nut and Summer Box Office Predictions
The conversation revolves around the topic of end-of-year evaluations for academics, focusing on the anxiety and impact of student evaluations of teaching. David reads Lindsey her Rate-My-Professor reviews, and it gets awkward. Beyond professor...
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Season 3
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Episode 77
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1:18:13
Episode 0076: Hell Freezes Over as Netflix is Set to Stream NFL Football
Netflix has announced that they will stream NFL Christmas Day games, and the Nuts are once again forced to eat crow. Well, maybe only Lindsey. The Nuts discuss the forthcoming event, and speculate on the impact of Taylor Swift and Jason Kelce's...
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Season 3
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Episode 76
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1:11:11
Episode 0075: Horse Petting at the Kentucky Derby, Live on Netflix
Lindsey scratched an item off of her bucket list as she attended the Kentucky Derby last week, and David and Alec have lots of questions. Based on Lindsey’s experience and the recent Roast of Tom Brady broadcast live on Netflix, the Nuts discus...
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Season 3
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Episode 75
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1:19:29
Episode 0074: The Tortured Podcasters Department
Taylor Swift's new album dropped, and of course the Nuts have to discuss it. The conversation explores the concept of long albums and the role of editors and producers in the music industry, as well as other creative industries. Other topics in...
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Season 3
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Episode 74
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1:16:39
Episode 0073: We’ve Got the Indiana Fever
The end of the semester approaches, and the Nuts have work to do. This week’s conversation begins with a collective discussion of the Amazon Prime documentary Red, White, and Wasted, which chronicles a low-income Florida family obsessed with mu...
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Season 3
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Episode 73
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1:16:45
Episode 0072: The One Where David Snacks and Lindsey's See Time
Beyoncé has dropped her much anticipated album Cowboy Carter, and the Nuts wonder if this will finally net her the album of the year Grammy. Of course not all country fans agree, and the nuts discuss the origins and media systems that produce l...
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Season 3
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Episode 72
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1:17:15
Episode 0071: This Episode is a Bit of a Bummer
This week’s current media makes this episode a bummer. A discussion of the documentary season Quiet on Set turns into a larger discussion about the culture of abuse in Hollywood. This leads to a discussion about the recent raid of P. Diddy’s ho...
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Season 3
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Episode 71
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1:02:51
Episode 0070: This Episode was 85 Hours of the Sopranos in the Making
Eventually, the Nuts discuss the 2024 Oscars, but there are so many more interesting things to talk about before that. Lindsey finished all 85 hours of The Sopranos, and she wants you to be impressed. The Nuts discuss trends, such as Member’s O...
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Season 3
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Episode 70
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41:52
Episode 0069: Madame Web and Stanley Cups
David saw the Sony “Spiderverse” movie Madame Web so you don’t have to. It is as bad as you’ve heard. The Nuts discuss the new X-Men ‘97 series and David’s subsequent watching of the original X-Men series. A discussion of the popularity of Stan...
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Season 3
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Episode 69
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1:15:38
Episode 0068: The Taylor Bowl
This week was the Super Bowl, so of course Alec starts the episode by ranting about his difficulties getting a new iPhone from AT&T and UPS. Somehow this leads to a discussion of Super Bowl advertiser Temu and their unique business model. T...
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Season 3
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Episode 68
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1:11:46
Episode 0067: The Grammys and Other American Nightmares
The Nuts have a spoiler-filled discussion of the Netflix true-crime documentary American Nightmare. Also, somehow David was unaware that there have been multiple seasons of the broadcast television show The Conners. The Nuts discuss the Grammys...
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Season 3
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Episode 67
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1:04:05
Episode 0066: This Episode is Smooth Like Butter
For some reason, butter keeps coming up in this episode. We’re sorry. Other observations include the world is cruel to night owls, and true Southerners like grits. Topics include the usual television recommendations, Alec’s new video game obses...
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Season 3
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Episode 66
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1:17:10
Episode 0065: Video Games, Peacock, and Amy Winehouse vs. Taylor Swift
Alec is very proud of his recent video game conquests on his new Nintendo Switch; however, Lindsey has no idea about any of it, and David doesn’t play Switch that much. The Nuts discuss the history of the gender divide in video gaming. Other...
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Season 3
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Episode 65
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1:08:16
Episode 0064: A Whole Lot of Bad Viewing - We Watch So You Don’t Have To
From good to disturbing, the Nuts watched the worst (and best) so you don’t have to - unless you want to. Lindsey and David discuss the good movie that is also disturbing, Saltburn, and they convince Alec not to watch it. Alec and David don’t h...
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Season 3
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Episode 64
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1:11:31
Episode 0063: The 2023 Holiday Special featuring an Excel Sheet of Netflix Data
Netflix has finally released a detailed report of their hourly viewership of over 18,000 shows, and the Nuts are giddy about it. The Nuts discuss the implications of these numbers for television production and streaming products moving forward....
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Season 2
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Episode 63
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1:22:02
Episode 0062: Alec Apologizes to Everyone but the College Football Playoff Committee
Alec is very upset about FSU not making the college football playoff, and he takes it out on Bama graduate Lindsey. In fact, he takes it out on a lot of people, including the entire Southeast region and husky owners. The Nuts discuss the financ...
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Season 2
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Episode 62
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1:10:55
Episode 0061: We Watched Love Has Won So You Don’t Have To.
David and Lindsey watched the Love Has Won documentary on HBO Max, and it has taken over their lives. They discuss the documentary, its shocking subject matter, and why Alec shouldn’t watch it. The Nuts then discuss cognitive dissonance and why...
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Season 2
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Episode 61
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1:29:36
Episode 0060: Hollywood Is Back in Business, but the MCU Is Not
Of course, the Nuts are excited about Thanksgiving Break, and they have strong opinions about last-minute class meeting times. The main conversation covers the end of the SAG-AFTRA strike, and what it means for the future of streaming. David an...
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Season 2
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Episode 60
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1:01:09
Episode 0059: It’s Lindsey, B*@#h!
Lindsey has read the Britney Spears biography, and David and Alec need the scoop. The Nuts then wrap up October by discussing The Exorcist and Monster Squad, which leads to a discussion of favorite movies the Nuts missed in the theaters - Linds...
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Season 2
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Episode 59
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1:16:15