Critical Media Studies

Hosted by Michael Repici

Technology Society Culture Philosophy EducationInterviews guests

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Episodes

125

Latest episode

Aug 2026

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About the show

The Critical Media Studies podcast discusses the interplay of technology and culture from an academic perspective. In each episode we consider the work of a prominent thinker in the field of critical media studies and discuss the implications of their work in relation to other thinkers and in light of current social contexts.

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60 recent

August 14, 202641 min

#126: Rose Horowitch - The Age of Reading is Over

In the second part of their discussion Barry and Mike talk about Rose Horowitch’s ideas about reading and what it means to be post-literate in the digital world.

July 31, 202633 min

#125: Rose Horowitch - The Elite College Students Who Can't Read Books

Barry and Mike begin a two-part discussion of Rose Horowitch’s investigation into post-literacy.In this episode we discuss her November 2024 article in The Atlantic Monthly, “The Elite College Students Who Can’t Read Books.” Our next episode will discuss her more recent article from the July 2026 issue of The Atlantic, “The Age of Reading is Over.”

July 17, 202634 min

#124: Ted Gioia -What you Won't Learn About the Odyssey From the Movie

In this episode Barry and Mike discuss Ted Gioia’s “What You Won’t Learn About the Odyssey From the Movie.” They debate the significance of the “magical mystery song” at the heart of literature.

July 3, 202649 min

#123: Daniel Roher - The AI Doc: Or, How I Became An Apocaloptimist

In this episode Barry and Mike discuss Daniel Roher’s 2026 documentary, The AI Doc: Or, How I Became An Apocaloptimist. They apply Bernard Stiegler’s concept of the pharmakon to understand the various positions on the development of artificial intelligence presented in the film. Link to Lawrence Lessig’s 3/29/26 Substack review

June 26, 202653 min

#122: Louis Theroux - Into the Manosphere

In this episode Barry and Mike discuss Louis Theroux’s “Inside the Manosphere” (March, 2026) and address the question: What does the Manosphere tell us about our current media environment?

June 12, 202648 min

#121: A repost of episode #99: On Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Artificial Intimacy

In this episode Barry and Mike discuss the idea of “frictionless” relationships in the age of artificial intimacy. ErikaHayasaki – “What Would a Real Friendship With A.I. Look Like? Maybe Like Hers?The New York Times Magazine 7/20/2025TED Radio Hour -- How our relationships are changing in the age of “artificial intimacy"Friday, August2, 2024

May 29, 202654 min

#120: Mark Fisher - Exiting the Vampire's Castle, pt. 2

In this episode Barry and Mike resume their discussion of Mark Fishers’s 2013 blog post, “Exiting the Vampire’s Castle”. They discuss the five laws that govern the castle and wonder if it is possible to exit the castle, as Fisher hoped.

May 15, 202638 min

#119: Mark Fisher - Exiting the Vampire Castle

In this episode Barry and Mike discuss writer/music critic/cultural theorist Mark Fisher’s 2013 blog post, “Exiting the Vampire Castle”. They look at the essay, 13 years after its posting, and provide context as to what the Castle is, how it came to be, and how it functions. The next episode will focus on Fisher’s laws of the Vampire Castle.

May 1, 202651 min

#118: Althusser - Idelology and Ideological State Apparatuses

In this episode Barry and Mike conclude their discussion of Althusser’s seminal essay, “Ideology and Ideological State Apparatuses”. They focus on Althusser’s concept of interpellation and discuss whether he believes it’s possible to get outside of ideology. The conclusion of the discussion asks how Simone Weil, who served as the genesis of this series, conceives of an outside to propaganda and politics.

April 17, 202651 min

#117: Althusser - Ideology and Ideological State Apparatuses, pt. 1

This is the first of a two part discussion. In this episode Barry and Mike discuss Louis Althusser’s Essay “Ideology and Ideological State Apparatuses” in relation to Simone Weil. Here, they discuss the state apparatuses and place them in dialogue with Weil’s discussion of party politics and attention. They close this episode by investigating the tension between the individual’s imagined and real relation to existence.