Media Mothership

Hosted by Craig Norris

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Episodes

100

Latest episode

Jun 2026

Language

EN-AU

About the show

Media Mothership delves into how media influences our understanding of the world around us through interviews and discussions with content makers, critical thinkers and enthusiasts of movies, TV shows, video games and more. Host Craig Norris, PhD, covers the latest news, absurdities, and trends in modern media and culture. We broadcast live out of Edge Radio studios , Hobart, Tasmania, every Thursday 4-5pm (AEST). Listen live on 99.3FM (Hobart), or streaming/on-demand via YouTube , Twitch, and Edge Radio . Follow us on Instagram , Facebook , TikTok , Discord , ResearchGate , and Twitter . To find out more, visit www.mediamothership.au

Listen to episodes

60 recent

June 5, 202645 min

Backrooms, Ghibli and AI Chaos

We discuss the surprise success of Backrooms and what it means when a YouTube creator and a creepypasta can outperform major Hollywood franchises. We also examine Studio Ghibli's controversial restrictions on photography at Ghibli Park, and look at a recent experiment where AI models were placed in charge of a simulated society—with dramatically different results. Episode 153 was recorded live at Edge Radio 99.3FM studios in Hobart Tasmania, and first aired on 4 June 2026. More information:Media Mothership: https://mediamothership.au/ Edge Radio page: https://www.edgeradio.org.au/shows/media-mothership/ Video episodes: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3opBhNiZmthw64squzl9bTBOAm10LoVt Support the show: https://www.mediamothership.au/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 29, 202640 min

Living Inside the Media Machine

Exploring some of the internet's most interesting recent stories: the pope quoting Gandalf while warning about AI, Red Dead Redemption 2's rise through the all-time sales charts, prediction markets turning into spoiler machines, and whether modern media increasingly requires homework to fully participate.Episode 152 was recorded live at Edge Radio 99.3FM studios in Hobart Tasmania, and first aired on 28 May 2026.More information:Media Mothership: https://mediamothership.au/ Edge Radio page: https://www.edgeradio.org.au/shows/media-mothership/ Video episodes: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3opBhNiZmthw64squzl9bTBOAm10LoVt Follow Media Mothership:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/media_mothership/ https://www.facebook.com/MediaMothershipFMSupport the show: https://www.mediamothership.au/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 22, 202653 min

Artificial Culture

AI disruption, disappearing videogames, Doom’s cultural canonisation, Cybertrucks as cinematic villains, Gundam’s expanding empire, and the strange blurring of reality and simulation.This episode was recorded live at Edge Radio 99.3FM studios in Hobart Tasmania, and first aired on 21 May 2026.More information:Media MothershipEdge RadioVideo episodesSupport the show: https://www.mediamothership.au/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 15, 202645 min

Everything is Optimised

We reflect on last week’s LitRPG roundtable and the audience discussion it sparked, before exploring a collection of news stories about how modern media is changing. From Robert Kirkman discussing manga’s influence on comics, to games built around Steam backlog anxiety, to AAA creators drawing inspiration from fanfiction and stylised design, we examine how internet culture, audience behaviour, and the attention economy are reshaping storytelling itself.This episode was recorded live at the Edge Radio studios in Hobart, and first aired on 14 May 2026.More information:Media Mothership: https://mediamothership.au/ Edge Radio page: https://www.edgeradio.org.au/shows/media-mothership/ Video episodes: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3opBhNiZmthw64squzl9bTBOAm10LoVt Follow Media Mothership:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/media_mothership/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MediaMothershipFM/Support the show: https://www.mediamothership.au/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 7, 20261 hr 1 min

The Rise of LitRPG

A roundtable discussion with LitRPG authors Shirtaloon, RinoZ, Haylock, Hannibal Forge, and Tevagah on the rise of progression fantasy, Royal Road, independent publishing, audience-building, and how internet-native storytelling is reshaping modern fiction.This episode was recorded live at Edge Radio 99.3FM studios in Hobart Tasmania, and first aired on 7 May 2026. Listen live to “Media Mothership” every week (Australian Eastern Standard Time) via YouTube, Twitch, and Edge Radio.Follow Media Mothership on Media Mothership https://www.mediamothership.au Instagram https://www.instagram.com/media_mothership/ Facebook https://fb.me/MediaTackle Edge Radio https://www.edgeradio.org.au/shows/media-mothership/Support the show: https://www.mediamothership.au/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 7, 202642 min

Superman (1978) and the Birth of Believable Blockbusters

A pop culture round-up on games, AI, and adaptation, all asking the same question: how does media make the unreal feel real? Plus a deep dive into Superman (1978) and how it helped invent the modern blockbuster. For more info on Media Mothership go to https://mediamothership.au/ and https://www.edgeradio.org.au/.Support the show: https://www.mediamothership.au/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 1, 202631 min

Franchises, Fandoms, and the AI Turn

From expanding cinematic universes to hostile fan cultures and AI-generated storytelling, this episode examines who actually shapes meaning in contemporary media. We trace the tension between corporate control, audience participation, and algorithmic systems, and ask whether storytelling is becoming more open, or more tightly managed. For more info on Media Mothership go to https://mediamothership.au/ Recorded live each week from Edge Radio studios in Hobart, Tasmania. https://www.edgeradio.org.au/    Follow us on Media Mothership https://www.mediamothership.auInstagram https://www.instagram.com/media_mothership/Facebook https://fb.me/MediaTackleDiscord https://discord.gg/QvdT39EDMVEdge Radio https://www.edgeradio.org.au/shows/media-mothership/Support the show: https://www.mediamothership.au/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

April 17, 202648 min

From Superman to Systems

Superman gets a global “anniversary,” gamers are being recruited into real-world systems, and video games keep chasing a version of realism that doesn’t quite exist. This week, Media Mothership drifts through fandom rituals, game design oddities, and the strange ways fictional worlds start to feel real.Explore the craft behind Battlefield’s sound design, why pausing a game isn’t as simple as it seems, what Dune: Awakening is doing differently, and how actors like Peter Capaldi and Mark Hamill think about who really owns a character.This episode was recorded live at Edge Radio 99.3FM studios in Hobart Tasmania, and first aired on 17 April 2026.For more info on Media Mothership go to https://mediamothership.au/ and https://www.edgeradio.org.au/Support the show: https://www.mediamothership.au/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

April 10, 202653 min

Cognitive Surrender: Who Does the Thinking Now?

From research on “cognitive surrender” in AI use to failures with AI-written criticism, the discussion considers whether thinking itself is being outsourced. A jump-scare warning app raises questions about pre-empting emotional experience, while Stephen King’s comparison of Donald Trump to The Dead Zone highlights how fiction frames political reality. For more info on Media Mothership go to https://mediamothership.au/ and https://www.edgeradio.org.au/. Video episode available here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3opBhNiZmthw64squzl9bTBOAm10LoVtSupport the show: https://www.mediamothership.au/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

April 3, 202657 min

April Fools and Democracy Manifest

April Fools in gaming, Nintendo’s expanding media world, and why Democracy Manifest remains an enduring viral moment. This episode was recorded live at Edge Radio 99.3FM studios in Hobart Tasmania, and first aired on 2nd April 2026.For more info on Media Mothership go to https://mediamothership.au/ and https://www.edgeradio.org.au/. Links: Thousands of Chinese social media users change profile photos to Kris Jenner<https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03-31/kris-jenner-profile-pictures-trend-on-chinese-social-media/106515938> From Missy Higgins to a succulent Chinese meal, these are the 2026 Sounds of Australia  <https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03-31/sounds-of-australia-2026-revealed-national-film-sound-archive/106510584>   National Film and Sound Archive of Australia Adds ‘Succulent Chinese Meal’ Guy <https://gizmodo.com/national-film-and-sound-archive-of-australia-adds-succulent-chinese-meal-guy-2000737761>   ‘Democracy manifest’: Anatomy of a viral moment <https://www.nfsa.gov.au/stories/articles/democracy-manifest-anatomy-of-a-viral-moment> Support the show: https://www.mediamothership.au/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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