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Private Notes
The final season of FX's series, Legion, was undeniably weird. But was there a deeper meaning embedded in the bizarre musical numbers or the messy time travel snafus?
We tend to think of adult animation as a relatively new phenomenon. But the truth is, cartoons have been naughty for nearly their entire existence. Let’s dive into the weird, lesser-known history of depraved cartoons.
The Mandalorian's Baby Yoda is cute and there's no denying it. But why do you want to bite his adorable little nose off?
Movies about class dominated The Oscars this year. Both Joker and Parasite are works dealing with money, or lack thereof, but only one took home the Oscar for Best Picture. Let's find out what these two very different, very popular films can tell us about ourselves.
It's easy to hate on critics, particularly when they're not fans of your favorite movies or shows. But if their recommendations don't actually help you pick your next Netflix binge, it raises the question: do they even matter?
Every year the Oscars roll around to capture our collective cultural attention. But what if we told you it was time to just ignore the hell out of Hollywood’s most glamorous awards show?
What is it about Larry David's show, Curb Your Enthusiasm, that so reliably escalates the most banal situations into a nails-on-a-chalkboard level of discomfort? Let's find out why nobody knows how to make us cringe quite like Larry David.
Whether you loved it or hated it, chances are you have some thoughts about the latest Star Wars film. But what if we consider the film in the greater context of historical epics?
Even at first glance, Quentin Tarantino’s latest film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood was indisputably a masterpiece. But we think it also happens to be a fascinating meditation on Tarantino's career - past, present, and future.
Data collection - you know that everyone from Google to your meditation app is probably gathering data about you. But what does it really mean for our future?
Mean Girls is one of those rare early-aughts teen flicks with massive cultural staying power. But what if it's more than a fun romp through the mean halls of suburban high school? What if it's actually an Aristotelian lesson in the ethics of happiness?
If you're a fan of the movie Joker, you might know that the film heavily references some extremely-good films from the 1970s and early 80s. However, are these references just visual or is there more at play?
If you've played even one minute of the 120-something hours, you probably know that Persona 5 is an insanely dense, complicated game. But is there meaning in the complexity?
Bong Joon-Ho took over the world in 2019 with his instant classic Parasite. If you've seen the film, you probably recognized its riveting critique on class. But what you might NOT know is the way dozens of tiny details and choices that Bong made enhance the film's message.
The show Watchmen had rich source material to work from, so it's no surprise that the show is highly-nuanced, surprising, and hella deep. Join Wisecrack as we peel off some of the layers of this brilliantly complex show.
The Matrix - While everyone agrees that this late 90s sci-fi flick is a classic, the sequels both struggled to achieve this level of greatness. While we've previously tried to find meaning in The Matrix: Reloaded and The Matrix: Revolutions, the news of a fourth Matrix film inspired us to ask: Is there something we missed?
Coronavirus has changed the world for all of us. This isn't the first time - diseases transform society and always have.
Tiger King is all the internet can talk about. But what makes Joe Exotic so damn addicting? We think we have the answer and that it has a lot to do with cults.
BoJack Horseman and The Good Place, two of the best comedies in recent years, have now come to an end. The weird thing is, their two endings have a lot in common, in that both grappled extensively with what it means to die.
Chances are you were somewhere between a little and EXTREMELY disappointed in the last film of the new Star Wars trilogy. And we think we know exactly why.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is a classic Michel Gondry film - blending stunning visual sequences and great performances with a compelling narrative about heartbreak. But behind all the bells and whistles, is the movie really saying anything?
Ask anybody which news source they find most objective, and we'll find you someone else who says that source is totally biased. We thought it was worth asking: Is it even possible for news to be unbiased, and if so, is that something we'd even want?
We love Batman. We love Superman. Batman + Superman = Trash?!
Spike Jonze's 2013 film "Her" is ostensibly a movie about a man who falls in love with his computer. But if you look a little closer, it's actually more like an advice manual about how we can get better at human to human relationships.
If you internet, you may have heard the rumor that coronavirus is caused by 5G technology, and you may have laughed at the people dumb enough to believe it. But here's the thing: we're all more susceptible to pseudoscience than we like to think. And there's a perfectly good reason why.
The Lighthouse is a stupendous and stupendously baffling film. But is there meaning to the literal madness, or is a mustachioed Robert Pattinson just cool to look at?
Zack Snyder's adaptation of "Watchmen" is a contentious topic amongst the Wisecrack team. Is it a brilliant extension of Alan Moore's seminal text, or a dumbed-down, Hollywood fever dream?
John Oliver, Trevor Noah, Sam Bee. News delivered with a healthy side of comedy has never been bigger. But is there something smart going on when you listen to Jon Oliver roast Dr. Phil?
Everyone says that we're living through a once-in-a-century crisis. But what does that actually mean? Turns out the answer to that is more complicated than you think. We'll explain in this Wisecrack Edition: What is a Real Crisis?
It: Chapter One was a rare horror blockbuster that also won critical acclaim. And so, we had high hopes for the sequel — high hopes that were quickly dashed by its mediocrity. What made It: Chapter Two so bad?
The pandemic is still here and everything sucks. Is there a way out?
V for Vendetta is yet another adaptation of a beloved Alan Moore graphic novel — and he hates it. Is there depth to this alliterative film, or is Alan Moore right?
We all know what it's like to get trolled online. But what happens when one of your favorite movie directors trolls you on screen?
Mad Max first burst onto the scene in 1979 to tell a story about a dope Australian apocalypse. But 4 sequels later, we're still left in awe by director George Miller's coherent vision about power, life, and death - as seen in these films and also, incredibly, his children's movie, Babe.
Bong Joon Ho is all the rave and rightly so. That's why we thought it'd be a good time to take a look back at his 2013 film, Snowpiercer. At first an apparently simple critique of global capitalism, we discovered there's SO much more than meets the eye.
The Platform became one of those surprise hits on Netflix with its metaphor about prison, capitalism, and the like. But is there actual depth within this 333-story tower of hell? And what's the deal with Don Quixote?
Of all the prequels, Episode 3 is undoubtedly the best. But still, there's something that keeps it from being great.
The Midnight Gospel hit Netflix with a much needed dose of psychedelia. But is there anything deeper going on when Clancy climbs into that universe simulator?
Even if you're not a fan of reality tv, you probably know that their depictions of love are, at first glance, pretty bananas. But what if there's actually a lot to be learned from the way these shows construct stories about love?
Dwight is one of modern TV's most enduringly-popular characters. He also seems like a total nightmare to work with. But what if Dwight secretly makes life in the office way better? No seriously.
Space Force had all the makings of Greg Daniels’ latest hit. And then, it completely failed to live up to his previous work, most notably, The Office.
We spend so much time trying to ignore advertisements. But what if we can actually learn a lot about ourselves from ... paying attention to them?
COVID-19 has reshaped our lives and our world. Recent attempts to protect ourselves from this pandemic have reconfigured so many aspects of our lives. But are we safer as a result of these changes?
Adam Sandler gets a bad rap. With a filmography that includes "Click" and "Jack and Jill" and "Little Nicky," that's honestly fair. But what if there's more to Adam Sandler than the poop jokes? What if he can tell us something about an entire generation of men?
Genius is a word that gets tossed around a lot, particularly when we collectively need somebody to solve huge societal problems. But what if the very idea of genius is ... kind of dumb?
Bill Gates has been the recent subject of many a ridiculous conspiracy theory. But what if this tin-foil hat thinking obscures a much darker reality?
It's not exactly breaking new that Americans hate wearing masks. Still, nobody seems to know what to do about it.
Gone Girl's Amazing Amy is one of cinema's best villains. But this film isn't just commenting on her insane antics - it's saying something about all of us.
Why are even the smartest, most competent statisticians seemingly incapable of making a solid prediction about... seemingly everything? It's because making predictions is tricky, and so much media we read about statistics can be super misleading.
Why are so many ads prepackaged with social justice causes these days? And what does it say about us? We have a lot of thoughts and feelings about this, most of which we'll unpack in this.
Can understanding the political dynamics of a fictional town give us insight into the minds of the Founding Fathers? And can Pawnee's townhall meetings give us insights into problems inherent to democracy?
You know Hereditary is scary, but do you know why? It has less to do with violent beheadings and way more to do with your DNA.
Paul Verhoeven's been shocking American audiences for decades with depraved onscreen violence and sex. But are his cinematic transgressions actually saying something more?
Eric Andre's comedy is very funny and very gross. But can his insane antics actually help us see society in a whole new light?
We all grew up with one Robert Squarepants. But what did watching everyone's favorite sentient underwater sponge for hours on end do to us, and what does it say about our world at large?
Everyone knows that Robocop and Judge Dredd show us a future vision of hyper-efficient law enforcement. But what if these films are actually warnings for what can happen when individual rights are sacrificed for corporate efficiency?
We all know our privacy is constantly being invaded by our internet overlords. But what does privacy mean in the first place?
Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure is fondly remembered as one of the best stoner-esque buddy space-traveling buddy comedies of all time. But what if it's actually way more? What if it's brilliant?
The German Netflix series Dark offers a gritty new twist on time travel. But what if the show is really about the illusion of freedom and our inability to change fate?
Hamilton has been heralded both for its artistic merit AND for bringing the Founding Fathers so vividly to life. But what if historical fiction like Hamilton is secretly making us... dumb?
"The Last Airbender" film had incredible source material to work from - the widely-beloved Nickelodeon show "Avatar." But just about anyone who's seen it can agree that the film didn't do the show justice.
The Last of Us 2 incited vocal, often negative reactions from fans. But what if its most controversial choice is actually really deep? Let's break it down in this Wisecrack Edition: The Real Reason The Last of Us 2 is So Divisive.
You loved Rugrats as a kid because of the charming babies. But what if, looking back the most interesting part of the show is actually ... the parents? We'll explain in this Wisecrack Edition on Rugrats: How Boomers Scarred a Generation.
Television finales have a tendency to anger critics and fans alike. But why is the way a show ends so reliably contentious? Let's find out in this Wisecrack Edition: How to Ruin a Finale.
Presidential campaigns have become so long in America as to feel eternal. But, in addition to being crazy annoying, they're actually historically very weird. We'll spell it all out in this Wisecrack Edition on How Presidential Campaigns Change
Homer Simpson is one of the most iconic characters on television. But, over time, something very specific and, we think, very bad has happened to your favorite donut connoisseur. Let us get it off our chest in this Wisecrack Edition on Homer Simpson: What Went Wrong?
Mental health doesn't immediately come to mind as the funniest thing in the world. So why are the funniest comedians today the ones who are open about their depression, anxiety, and everything other mental health issue in between? Let's find out in this Wisecrack Edition on How Comedy Got Depressed.
Did Disney ruin culture for everyone?
It's no surprise that Disney has an absolute stranglehold on the culture we consume today. But the joys of the Magic Kingdom aside, what if it's actually kind of really bad for art? We'll explain in this Wisecrack Edition: How Disney Ruined Culture.
We’ve been obsessed with the two recent documentary series on the NXIVM cult, largely because its members keep referring to the cult’s leader as a “philosopher”, which feels a little weird to us. So we decided to have our in-house philosophy Ph.D consider some of the ideas espoused by the cult’s leader, Keith Raniere, to see if there is any truth hidden beneath the madness. We hope you enjoy our first episode of "A Philosopher Reacts"!
Archer is one of our favorite tv shows of all time. Full stop. But something undoubtedly happened to the series, specifically when Archer went into a coma. And we think that something is not good. We'll investigate why in this Wisecrack Edition on Archer: What Went Wrong?
Borat 2 is a depraved masterpiece of modern comedy. But it's also a deranged fairy tale of the most brilliant degree. Don't believe us? We'll explain in this Wisecrack Edition on Borat Subsequent Movie Film: The Twisted Fairy-Tale You Never Saw Coming.
We don’t throw around words like “cult classic” very often, but Dan Harmon’s first major TV success, Community, is definitely one of them. So today we’re going to talk about what makes the show so special, and it has a lot to do with treating you like you’re really smart. We’ll explain in this Wisecrack Edition on Community: Can TV Make Us Smarter?
Why Michael Scott's management style might be darker than you think.
You love, and we love, The Office. We've watched it, rewatched it, debated which Dundie we would each earn, and more. But today we're wondering about Michael Scott. Specifically, why is he so weird, and does it say something bigger about the way we all do our jobs? We'll explain in this Wisecrack Edition on The Office: How Your Boss Tricks You.
Courage the Cowardly Dog was nothing if not disturbing. But what if there's actually a ton of depth to watching your favorite cartoon canine constantly be terrified? We'll explain in this Wisecrack Edition on Why Courage Haunts Your Dreams.
The Boys tells the cynical superhero story of our time. But, in a very different way, it also tells us a lot about our society and the way people use social justice causes to enhance their own reputations. We'll tell all in this Wisecrack Edition on The Boys: The Truth About Social Justice.
Fight Club: What happens when Tyler Durden moves from the book to the screen?
When a story morphs from a book into a movie, changes are inevitable. But do such changes fundamentally affect the meaning of the work? Let's find out by examining our favorite film about punch-happy bros in this new series Book vs. Film: Fight Club.
