In this episode, we celebrate the completion of 100 episodes! HOORAY! So we’ll look at what it means to be Pop Conscious and how one might go about attempting to live a Pop Conscious existence every day. We’ll take a look back throughout two years of shows to find the recurring themes, the standouts, and the takeaways. Join us as we share collective pop culture memories, surprises, and inspiration from unexpected sources and offer tips to find more!
To celebrate the vision of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Malayna and Stacy have invited a friend from our well-spent youths in Unity as a guest expert! We’ll talk with Dr. Scott Bowman, Criminal Justice Professor and Social Justice Advocate, about how we can depict MLK’s vision in entertainment and media, how we are all still called forth to make new choices to reach for it, and where we’re seeing it become reality. From Straight Outta Compton to Black-ish, to The Force Awakens, join us in raising our vision higher!
Dr. Scott Bowman = Texas State University Criminal Justice Professor, Social Justice Advocate with a minor in Religious Studies, he has published scholarly works on the subjects of race, crime, and juvenile justice including as the editor of two volumes of the books – Color Behind Bars – Racism in the U.S. Prison System – Racial over- and under-representation in the U.S. prison system is not simply “black vs. white.” HE KNOWS THINGS!
MLK’s Vision = from “I Have a Dream” speech – “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.”
And from his book Strength to Love : “Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.
Check out these links for more info about things we discussed:
A listener suggested this topic, which makes it even more fun and interactive! Video games are often blamed for negative changes in youth and society, but what if they could be used for good? What if they could help us become better? Dr. Jane McGonigal is a video game developer and champion who has created a free online game tool to help us become our best selves. We’ll take a look at the positive contributions video games make to society and humanity, and it’s backed by science! Join us and learn how to be your most super self!
Mastering Life’s Energies: Simple Steps to a Luminous Life at Work and Play by Maria Nemeth — “A game worth playing and a goal worth playing for”
The Game of Life and How to Play It – Florence Scovel Shinn
Games People Play – The Basic Handbook of Transactional Analysis by Eric Berne
History of Board Games and more from diceygoblin.com
Within the past few years board games have gone through an explosion of growth. In 2012 The Guardian went as far as dubbing it “A Golden Age for Board Games”, stating board games have seen a growth rate as high as 40% year over year. That’s higher than Google, which sees about 20% growth year over year.
The budding interest has also inspired Wil Wheaton and Felicia Day to start a popular Youtube series, called Table Top. This series pits internet celebrities against each other and garners several hundred thousand views per video.
In celebration of the 40th Toronto International Film Festival, second only to Cannes, and known for launching Oscar hopefuls, we’re discovering there’s plenty to love about Canada. Canadians are much like us, many of them with similar accents, so we don’t notice when they show up in our favorite TV shows or movies. Cable programming is full of Canadian-produced television shows, and musicians and comedians become some of our favorites, without our even realizing it. So let’s point out how much they bring to our lives in the good ol’ US of A, and the world at-large, and share some love for our neighbors to the north! Plus, team member Michele Coles will join us to share her observations from her up-close-and-personal trip to the Great White North!
Malayna’s Pre-Show Notes:
Toronto Film Festival is the main event in terms of Hollywood launching its Oscar hopefuls. It’s also the place to catch North American premieres of the big film fish from Cannes in May.
Murdoch Mysteries (on Ovation Channel as The Artful Detective) is one of my favorite shows ever! – In the late 1890s Toronto, police Inspector William Murdoch takes a new, more scientific approach to solving crimes. Assisted by coroner Dr. Julia Ogden and Constable George Crabtree, Murdoch introduces such concepts as finger marks and lie detecting machines. He has the support of his somewhat doubtful superior, Inspector Brackenreid, though at times, even he finds Murdoch’s methods – and claims – somewhat astounding. Started in 2008 – they’re in Season 9. http://www.acornonline.com
The Listener on Ion Television – started in 2009 in its 5th Season, (perhaps its last) stars Lauren Lee Smith who played Riley on CSI (Vegas) for a while. A young paramedic discovers he has telepathic powers, and uses them to help solve criminal investigations.
Dark Matter on Syfy – A guy from the Listener, Anthony Lemke, who played Becker, and Jodelle Ferland, who played Bree Tanner in the Twilight Saga movies. The six-person crew of a derelict spaceship awakens from stasis in the farthest reaches of space. Their memories wiped clean, they have no recollection of who they are or how they got on board. The only clue to their identities is a cargo bay full of weaponry and a destination: a remote mining colony that is about to become a war zone. With no idea whose side they are on, they face a deadly decision. Will these amnesiacs turn their backs on history, or will their pasts catch up with them? Read the rest of this entry →
Malayna welcomes Sezín Koehler to discuss cultural identity and the pop culture transcending it. Sezín is of mixed descent and is a Huffington Post blogger, novelist, and Third Culture Kid who has lived in 13 countries and 18 different cities. Her pop culture fandom ranges from mermaids to Maleficent, Gilmore Girls to Guardians of the Galaxy, Labyrinth to Love, Actually, and Hannibal to Harry Potter. Her spiritual beliefs are just as diverse and expressive. Join us as we explore pop culture’s global influence and how it inspires our lives, whatever our cultural influences may be!
These terms are familiar to anyone who has traveled, as both Malayna and Stacy have recently, but they are also ideas that can be used in connection with summer’s end. Whether it means beginning a new school term or reflecting upon your career and life goals, we’ll examine pop culture depictions of these concepts. Join us in looking at the destinations we choose, how we make departures from our routines to get there, and how to know if we’ve arrived. Travel outward and inward with Pop Conscious!
We are all in the school of life, so as summer ends, we’re beginning to gear up for getting down to business! Whether in school, work, or just life, our business may include classes, writing assignments, deadlines, and tests to determine if we’ve “made the grade.” In so many ways, school never ends. So join us as we look at pop culture expressions of schooling, and find fun ways to keep learning about ourselves!
If you had to learn everything you knew about the world and its people from movies and TV, what would you know about prayer, ritual, and sacred celebrations in other cultures and lands? What could you learn from their depictions? And would they be accurate? These are the questions we’ll try to answer and discuss in our Pop Conscious preparations for Unity World Day of Prayer. Tune in for our recommendations of alternative spiritual observances with pop culture flair!
When people are fans, they are passionate, devoted, and engaged. It makes fandom the perfect vehicle for riding a wave of devotion to create a more engaged life—one in which passion informs all the choices we make. We welcome author and scholar Tanya R. Cochran, who will tell us how she has channeled her passion for the works of Joss Whedon and J.J. Abrams into her career, and as a means to deepen her inner journey. Join us and learn to follow your inspiration!
We so enjoyed our talk with Dr. Tanya Cochran! We touched the work shown above, but also spent time on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which featured heavily in her dissertation, and the latest controversy surrounding how Black Widow is portrayed in the Avengers: Age of Ultron movie.
If you’re not well-versed in the works of Joss Whedon, check out our companion piece on Beliefnet.com, “The Spirit of the Whedonverse“!
Here are a few excerpts from Tanya’s dissertation:
p 26 – But little has been written and published about finding God where we might least expect — in songs by Eminem, in sitcoms such as The Simpsons (1989 – present), in films such as Crash (2004), or in teen horror/action/science fiction/fantasy/comedy/dramas with campy titles like Buffy the Vampire Slayer .
Detweiler and Taylor { A Matrix of Meanings: Finding God in Pop Culture -November 1, 2003} argue that Jesus himself set the precedence for ‘shaking things up‛…[he] flipped the script on people’s understanding of power, life, and religion’ (8).
And flipping the script is exactly what Detweiler and Taylor intend to do by claiming that ‚God shines through even the most debased pop cultural products‛ (8). I was skeptical of their claims at first, but as I more fully realize what story it is that I find myself in, I take their words more and more to heart. My experience tells me I must.
Pg 27 – No more guilt, only critical curiosity. This whole person sees striking and moving metaphorical connections between the Bible ’s Gospel and Buffy ’s “good news.” This whole person makes meaning for herself that deepens and enriches her religious, spiritual, and academic experience. She hears a universal tune humming through both obvious and obscure texts.
P221 – Mark 9.15: “As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him” (New American Standard Bible).Wonder, a state in which one wants to learn more about something. The people are amazed by this person, curious about him. They want to know more.
I want to know more even as I believe that Jesus, as God, is infinite. And because he is infinite, he cannot be fully known. To know more is to know that knowing never ends. To know is to seek, to wonder about him, to wonder of him.
This seeking, this wondering is a conversation, a dialogue with truth and love embodied. There is no monologue. Monologues lead to guardianships. Dialogues, however, lead to searches, to journeys, to paths of wonder. Years ago when I was swallowed by intellectual crisis and depression, I could have chosen any one of many paths. But if I had chosen any other journey but the journey of wonder, I may not have ended up here at this moment because wonder gives birth to ever – increasing wisdom.
We also talked about our shared love of J.J. Abrams works, which include the much beloved TV series Alias, Lost and Fringe.
And there is plenty more to talk about! We’ll have to have Dr. Tanya back!
May the fourth be with you! Things have changed since the originally-released, history-making, Star Wars Trilogy. A prequel trilogy came out, and in 2012 the brainchild of George Lucas was adopted by Disney. Disney is known for magic, fantasy, and imagination. Stacy and Malayna will talk about the impact both have had on pop culture, and how we can use what they’ve taught us so far as tools to improve our lives, as we look forward to when The Force Awakens!
Retro Outlaw interprets Leia as the Coppertone girl. Google it!
We must admit, there was a disturbance in The Force as we attempted to present our podcast on May 4th. Here’s your guide to navigate around the technical difficulties!
We discussed a timeline of Star Wars films releases and our memories. I mentioned that I remembered seeing the original one at The Egyptian (but it may have been Return of the Jedi, actually….). Stacy thought that I might have been referring to The El Capitan, across from the Chinese Theater, but nope! Links included to show that we eventually checked our facts!
Aside from a dog barking about 5 minutes in, all was well until we mentioned the documentary The People vs. George Lucas.
The Force responded by kicking us off the air for 2 full minutes.
So skip to 18:00 minutes into the show, when we pointed out the metaphor — the idea that people being upset with the creator of the Star Wars universe is like us shaking our fists at our Creator (God, or whatever name you choose) for something we don’t like about our world. George Lucas created this whole universe that we all love, and then we got mad at him for what did with his creation.
Han Shot First!
Around 24 minutes into the show, another glitch of about 15 or 20 seconds hit us, but we course-corrected and continued to talk about the Han Shot First issue! (Shooting who? Greedo! I was right! I second guessed myself into thinking I meant Boba Fett. But I didn’t. I totally meant Greedo.)
The rest went without a hitch:
Between the 26 and 27-minute mark, we got into the next installment, The Force Awakens, with JJ Abrams directing. (Click to see a trailer!)
Stacy, as a one time, Star Wars Fan Club member, examines why it had such an impact on her young self: 1) the excitement of living in the unknown of space * Leia as a strong female role model * Technology as our friends – (Wall-E, Big Hero 6 – Androids are our phone friends) * It’s a story about family and reconnection * Embrace others – like Wookies, Ewoks, etc.
Malayna pointed out the Joseph Campbell / Hero with a Thousand Faces connection – mythical language of all human stories, from King Arthur to Beowulf… The Hero’s Journey inspired us all using the same tools. And the book The Writer’s Journey – written by a story consultant at Disney- impresses the importance of these archetypal characters, on a journey we’re all on. Any of our holy books, can be a description of our spirit’s journey through the human experience. These stories are that too – all stories are.
People vs George Lucas 2 – due out later in 2015 – the Disneyfication of Star Wars franchise. JJ Abrams did a great job with the Star Trek universe.
We looked at the messages of Disney movies, and what we can learn from them if we look.
We talked about the TV show Heroes, which was on NBC and created by Tim Kring. (Not Disney, not ABC.)
And finally we summed it up that all these stories about princes or princesses are about us – we are all heirs to the kingdom! As such, we have a responsibility to self, community, and environment – to being our best selves, take on that royal role.
Resonate with stories that call us to be better – step into those roles, and use them as tools to inspire!
With Malayna’s excitement over the release of the inspiring film Little Boy in theaters, and Stacy’s return from a Faith Walk-themed Youth of Unity event, we are reminded that “a little child shall lead them”…or rather, us. How can we let our inner child lead the way in our own lives? Pop Conscious will explore the ways we are reminded to let go of our jaded, pessimistic viewpoints and become like a child in order to enter the Kingdom of all possibilities!
Stacy’s faves: Little Prince, Little Princess, Under the Same Moon, Red Balloon, Cinema Paradiso
Malayna’s Notes:
Little Boy – beautifully made from every possible aspect! Brilliant writing, beautiful cinematography, great cast, wonderful actors, and on top of it, it offers such depth of feeling and inspiration! http://littleboymovie.com/
Inspired just from their intro trailer! (below)
“I hope Little Boy will inspire you to love more and judge less…to forgive more and complain less…
and to rediscover that little boy or little girl inside of you who still believes in miracles… experience a movie that not only entertains you but also lifts your spirits and inspires you to be a light in the world.” – Eduardo Verástegui
“I think that this movie will make everybody love each other.” – Jakob Salvati
Watch this!
Metanoia Films – Metanoia — an Ancient Greek word (μετάνοια) meaning “changing one’s mind” — may refer to:
Metanoia (psychology), the process of experiencing a psychotic “break down” and subsequent, positive psychological re-building or “healing”
Paranoia = early 19th century: modern Latin, from Greek, from paranoos ‘distracted,’ from para ‘irregular’ + noos ‘mind.’
Pronoia = Pronoia is a neologism that is defined as the opposite state of mind to paranoia: having the sense that there is a conspiracy that exists to help the person, or as astrologer Rob Brezsny says, “How the Whole World Is Conspiring to Shower You with Blessings”.
Directed and co-written by Smithsonian Institute Award-winning director, Alejandro Monteverde – who met his wife, Ali Landry, at a church Bible study.
Executive Producers:
Mark Burnett – Mark Burnett – British television producer, based in Los Angeles. Burnett is currently the executive producer of five network television series with seven hours of network programming. He has produced over 2,400 hours of television which regularly airs in over 70 countries. His current series are Survivor (2000), The Voice (2011), The Apprentice, Shark Tank (2009) and People’s Choice Awards….
Burnett has been named one of the world’s most influential people by TIME Magazine. He has won five Emmy Awards and four People’s Choice Awards. In total, Burnett’s projects have accumulated 98 Emmy nominations. In addition to his work as a producer, Mark has authored eight books.
Roma Downey – Mark married Roma Downey on April 28, 2007 at their home in Malibu. The ceremony was officiated by Della Reese. They have three children.
Eduardo Verástegui – toured the world as a singer in the Mexican pop sensation Kairo and as an acclaimed solo recording artist, performing sold-out concerts in over 13 countries. Starring in five highly-rated “telenovelas” (Spanish soap operas) for Televisa (broadcast in over 19 countries), he has also been featured on hundreds of international magazine covers including People En Español which voted him one of 50 Most Beautiful People. Verástegi has appeared opposite Jennifer Lopez in one of her most famous music videos “Ain’t it funny!” as well as in an international television commercial promoting her self-titled commercial fragrances. In 2001, Verástegui was on a flight from Miami to Los Angeles when he was approached by the V.P. of Casting at 20th Century Fox for the studio’s first ever Latino-driven film “Chasing Papi” and won the starring role. He subsequently co-starred in an indie film called “Meet Me In Miami” and has appeared in such primetime television series as “CSI:Miami, ” “Charmed,” and “Karen Cisco”. In 2004, following an inspiration to transform his image, Verástegui left his agency and management and teamed with director Alejandro Monteverde and producer Leo Severino to form Metanoia Films, a company committed to projects that entertain, engage and inspire.
Cast
Jakob Salvati
Emily Watson
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa
Michael Rapaport – red headed new Yorker (Phoebe’s cop bf)
David Henrie
Ben Chaplin – Latest Cinderella as her dad, Remains of the Day, Truth about Cats and Dogs, (Jeneane Garofalo/Uma), Murder by Numbers (Sandra Bullock),
Eduardo Verástegui
Ted Levine – Buffalo Bill, the capt on Monk, (Chatted with in the elevator at Barb’s hotel!)
Abraham Benrubi
and Tom Wilkinson
Kevin James – King of Queens,
Other Youth-Led Films
Golden Child – (1986) Eddie Murphy!
Kundun – (1997) – The Tibetans refer to the Dalai Lama as ‘Kundun’, which means ‘The Presence’. He was forced to escape from his native home, Tibet, when communist China invaded and enforced an oppressive regime upon the peaceful nation of Tibet. The Dalai Lama escaped to India in 1959 and has been living in exile in Dharamsala ever since. Written by Deki
Haley Joel Osment – Sixth Sense (Pay it Forward too – Dave Venghaus)
Freddie Highmore – Finding Neverland
Daniel Radclife, Harry Potter
McCauley Culkin – Home Alone
Dakota Fanning – I Am Sam
Kirsten Dunst – Interview with the Vampire
Abigail Breslin – Little Miss Sunshine
River Phoenix – Stand By Me (Wil Wheaton, Jerry
Leo DiCaprio – What’s Eating Gilbert Grape
Christian Bale – Empire of the Sun
Chloe Moretz – Kick Ass
Metaphysical interpretation of bible verses metioned above – from TruthUnity.net
Isaiah 11: 6
11:6And the wolf shall dwell with the lamb,
and the leopard shall lie down with the kid;
and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together;
and a little child shall lead them.
Meta Interpretation (paraphrased from Charles Fillmore,found on TruthUnity.net):
Having partaken of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, a dual consciousness was set up in our minds. Some things we pronounced good and some we called bad. Now under the new law of Oneness in our hearts, we see things in their true light, and we see now that “bad” is just undeveloped good. Like a little child who knows no fear, we trust in the power of the omnipresent Good. When we are positive to the Good nothing external can hurt the Truth of us.
Mark (Not paraphrased, cuz I’m lazy…but edited down…)
10:15Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall in no wise enter therein.
We can attain the childlike mind by making ourselves receptive to the inspiration of Spirit. We must empty our minds of accumulated wisdom, and like little children believe the marvelous things of Spirit. In the childlike mind we are not suspicious or critical, but we believe and trust, and are joyous, free-hearted, and in all ways like children.
The unquestioning faith of the little child makes contact with the spiritual realm and attains its gifts.
Why does the kingdom of God belong to little children? Because … they are free from the self-righteousness that prevents the material-minded person from accepting Truth.
How do we “receive the kingdom of God as a little child”? By believing in the reality of the ideal qualities of Spirit, faith, love, goodness, beauty, and the like.
See Malayna singing “Greatest Love of All” on Who’s the Boss:
See the Labyrinth on the cover of Malayna’s novel, Echoes Across Time, here:
We are so excited to welcome the authors of Reform Your Inner Mean Girl, Amy Ahlers and Christine Arylo to chat with us at Pop Conscious! They’ll share steps to help us stop bullying ourselves and how to get to know our inner mean girls and what they want so we can bring them over from the dark side. Identifying these archetypes for transformation can be creative and fun. Party over here!
Just like we used to have tea parties with our imaginary friends, today on Pop Conscious we’ll host a tea party for our INNER FRENEMIES, our shadow selves, refereed by the authors of Reform Your Inner Mean Girl, Amy Ahlers & Christine Arylo, we’ll learn how to work together for wholeness and happiness.
Malayna’s FAVORITE BITS:
Inspire instead of torture ourselves with comparisons
The end to outer mean girls has to also include an end to inner mean girls.
… where science & spirituality meet, we find superpower!
Bitstrips are just too fun!
Malayna your highest scoring Archetype is:
Comparison Queen with a score of 19.
Fixer and Rescuer with a score of: 17
Perfectionist with a score of: 17
Achievement Junkie with a score of: 16
Overly Optimistic, Partying Cheerleader with a score of: 15
Invincible Superwoman with a score of: 14
Good Girl with a score of: 13
Doing Addict with a score of: 12
Mean Girls in movies and TV
Mean Girls (2004) – Lindsey Lohan / Rachel McAdams, Lacey Chabert, Amanda Seyfriend = “The Plastics” (Tina Fey wrote screenplay, was in it with Amy Poehler, and a great “grown up” cast)
Heathers (1988) – Winona Ryder + Christian Slater/ Shannon Doherty
Easy A (2010) – Emma Stone + Penn Badgely / Amanda Bynes, Cam Gigandet, (Lisa Kudrow, Stanley Tucci, Thomas Haden Church)
Never Been Kissed (1999) 0 Drew Barrymore + Michael Vartan/ Jessica Alba “The ones that even as you grow up will remain the most beautiful girls you’ve ever seen close up.”
Romy and Michelle’s High School Reunion (1997) –
Clueless
Pretty Little Liars
Gossip Girl
90210
“It’s hard to fight an enemy who has outposts in your head.” -Sally Kempton
Attend their Los Angeles book launch event on April 25th! Find out more at
With the new show Fresh Off the Boat making waves on TV, we thought we’d talk with our favorite Asian-American, Unity Online Radio host Evelyn Foreman, from The Call of Spirit, about her experiences. In addition to issues of immigration and multiculturalism, we’ll look at boat journeys in film like Life of Pi and Noah, and at the symbolic meanings of such journeys. Ever heard of the Mayflower? It’s likely we’re almost all descendants of adventurous, faith-filled boat people!
Fresh Off the Boat is a comedy series starring Randall Park, Constance Wu, Ian Chen, Hudson Yang, and Forrest Wheeler[4][5][6] that is inspired by the life of chef and food personality Eddie Huang and his book Fresh Off the Boat: A Memoir. It is the first American television situation comedy starring an Asian-American family as protagonists to air on network primetime since Margaret Cho‘s All American Girl, which aired for one season in 1994.[7] Its style has been compared to the comedy series Everybody Hates Chris.[8] The flashback technique with voice-over narration from the present day is similar to The Wonder Years.The show debuted with two preview episodes on February 4, 2015. The second episode which aired after Modern Family was promoted as a bonus episode and formally premiered in its prime time slot on February 10, 2015.[9] The first of the two preview episodes garnered 7.94 million viewers, becoming the second highest rated comedy premiere this season.[10] The second episode was watched by 7.56 million viewers.
CULTURAL – Expat vs immigrant – global coach center –
According to Miriam-Webster:
the word “Expatriate” is actually a verb or an adjective and means someone “living in a foreign land”.
the word “Immigrant” is a noun and means “a person who comes to a country to take permanent residence”.
If we go only by these definitions above, I see one major distinction that sets them apart. Immigrants have an intention to stay – whereas for the expatriates this intention isn’t mentioned and isn’t clear.
Put another way, immigrants may have a larger emotional commitment to their new place of residence – and, thus, their approach to making it is different. If expatriates know that they can always leave and they know it coming into the country already – how much effort will they try to put into… (a) finding ways to belong; (b) creating connections, (c) absorbing new ways of being, (d) making life-long friends, etc, etc, etc?
A few of my closest friends had one foreign parent, like I do —
Life of Pi – 2012 – A young man who survives a disaster at sea is hurtled into an epic journey of adventure and discovery. While cast away, he forms an unexpected connection with another survivor: a fearsome Bengal tiger.
Noah – 2014 – Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connolly…
The Last Ship – Culver Studios, Eric Dane, Adam Baldwin, Rona Mitra – TNT – The crew of a naval destroyer is forced to confront the reality of a new existence when a pandemic kills off most of the earth’s population.
We say that a man is “at sea” when he is in doubt about a mental process; in other words he has not established his thoughts in line with the principle involved, he is unstable.
FloodWater often breaks up and dissolves olderror states of consciousness in the individual, just as the Flood dissolved and washed away from the race the oldconditions that the combined error force of individuals had formed.
When John the Baptist baptized with water, he washed away the sins of an external character.
Sea – The sea also signifies universalMind, that great realm of unexpressed and unformed thoughts and ideas that contains all-potentiality.
Boat – A positive thought–a conveyance that is able to float upon the water (the unstable mind), and to bear up the disciples (the faculties of mind).
Pop Conscious 