Episode 31: Into the Great Wide Open

The End of the World with Michael and Stu

#Comedy #The End of the World with Michael and Stu #The End of the World with Michael #Apocalypse #History #Literature #Film

35:51

Diego Pavia and Paul Finebaum are this week’s Netflix Sports Club guests. Paul Finebaum, the voice of the SEC, drops a bold national championship prediction that might give the Big Tenners pause, and he reveals which SEC quarterback has him starstruck. Vanderbilt quarterback, Diego Pavia, gives a standout performance on and off the field in SEC Football: Any Given Saturday. He relives that improbable ‘Bama victory, including pre-game routine and why he thinks this victory changed the conversation about Vandy football - sorry Nick Saban. Paul Fineman and Diego Pavia gaze into the crystal ball of the 2025 season, and what do they see? Heisman Trophies, making Auburn pay, and LSU’s chances for glory. In this interview, Vandy QB, Diego Pavia: 🟥 Details the 2024 Vandy vs. ‘Bama Buildup 🟥 Discusses playing for Coach Lea and with his bestie 🟥 Reveals his true height In this interview, SEC Expert, Paul Finebaum answers: 🟥 Why the SEC’s staying power is unrivaled? 🟥 Who’s almost a bigger star than Taylor Swift? 🟥 Which team will win the 2025 National Championship? 00:00 Intro 01:24 Vandy QB Diego Pavia Is a Star 01:37 Beating Bama 03:19 Choosing Vandy And Coach Lea 04:58 Give Me The Ball 06:20 Dude Put In The Work 07:38 Nick Saban Said What?? 08:20 Underdogs 10:22 Watch Out Auburn 12:33 Recruits: Come To Vandy! 13:29 Kay and Dani Talk SEC 15:54 Paul Finebaum’s SEC Picks 16:40 All About Arch Manning 17:23 SEC: The Only Game In Town 18:25 South Carolina Should Be In The Playoffs 19:40 Shane Beamer Bounce Back? 20:14 Arch Manning Is No Taylor Swift 21:42 The Weight of Being a Manning 22:31 Finebaum: “Best Player Since Tim Tebow” 23:20 LSU QB1 + Championship Or Bust 25:39 Post Saban Alabama 27:42 Is Vanderbilt Legit? 28:44 Can Mississippi State Survive? 29:49 The Vols “Will Struggle This Year” 31:44 SEC: Natty. Little Tenners: Nothing 33:09 Outro 34:28 Up Next - America’s Team: The Gambler And His Cowboys 🏈 Diego Pavia Instagram - https://bit.ly/45uLND4 TikTok - http://bit.ly/4fsLY5p X - https://bit.ly/4ldwx2j 🏈 Vanderbilt Instagram - http://bit.ly/4lfo8eu X - http://bit.ly/4mCiaWt YouTube - @vucommodores 🏈 Paul Finebaum Instagram - https://bit.ly/45kVtPv X - https://bit.ly/46JQFWc 🎙️ Kay Adams Instagram - http://bit.ly/3GYp4Go TikTok - http://bit.ly/4m7KmR9 X - http://bit.ly/45nI2Ou 🎙️ Dani Klupenger Instagram - https://bit.ly/3HeGGxx TikTok - https://bit.ly/4lQSBkl X - https://bit.ly/4lWpufr 🟥 Netflix Sports Instagram - http://bit.ly/45CPAhL TikTok - http://bit.ly/4mti6Ia X - http://bit.ly/4mseqGH Facebook - http://bit.ly/45o5xqK YouTube - @NetflixSports We want to hear from you! Leave us a voice message at www.speakpipe.com/NetflixSportsClub Be sure to watch, listen, and subscribe to the Netflix Sports Club Podcast on YouTube, Spotify, Tudum, and wherever you get your podcasts. Hosted by Kay Adams, the Netflix Sports Club Podcast is an all-access deep dive into the Netflix Sports Universe. Join Kay as she speaks with athletes, coaches, and top sports correspondents to break down the latest Netflix Sports series. Expect bold opinions, insightful analysis, and candid conversations you won’t find anywhere else.…

about a year ago 53:57

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We're turning back the clock to 2009 to discuss an epochal turning point in our society, namely, the Balloon Boy incident. While perhaps not as "earth shattering" as some of the other topics we've covered, we make the argument that this incident does mark an important turning point in the nature of media, in that it was one the last "crises" to occur before the 24-hour news networks were subsumed by the all powerful, crushing rise of social media. We recap the incident, look a little bit at the family involved, and also consider the ways mass media events have been transformed in the 2010s and 2020s.
This episode contains spoilers for the Balloon Boy Incident (he wasn't in the balloon).

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82 episodes

Episode 31: Into the Great Wide Open

The End of the World with Michael and Stu

published about a year ago

MP3•Episode home

Send us a text

https://www.instagram.com/theendoftheworldwms/
https://youtube.com/@TheEndoftheWorldwMS?si=xmj-2e0s58JdN8-B
https://linktr.ee/endoftheworldwithmichaelandstu

82 episodes

#Comedy #The End of the World with Michael and Stu #The End of the World with Michael #Apocalypse #History #Literature #Film

All episodes

The End of the World with Michael and Stu

1
82: A Brief History of the Afterlife Three 49:15

3 days ago49:15

49:15

It's part three of our foray into the history of the afterlife, this time with a focus on Ancient Mesopotamia and the legendary Epic of Gilgamesh. We go over the conception of the afterlife presented in the poem, which is very egalitarian if not very comforting, and we then move on to consider the second half of the tale, which focuses on Gilgamesh's attempt to achieve immortality. This episode contains spoilers for The Epic of Gilgamesh . An English translation of the Epic in PDF form Send us a text https://www.instagram.com/theendoftheworldwms/ https://youtube.com/@TheEndoftheWorldwMS?si=xmj-2e0s58JdN8-B https://linktr.ee/endoftheworldwithmichaelandstu…

The End of the World with Michael and Stu

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81: A Brief History of the Afterlife Two 51:59

10 days ago51:59

51:59

In the second installment of our afterlife miniseries we delve into the prehistoric realms, discussing the earliest evidence we have for some kind of a belief in the afterlife in prehistoric, neolithic peoples. We also consider the Neanderthal and Denisovans, cave paintings, early totemic art, and the practices of ceremonial burial. We also touch on Göbekli Tepe and other early ritual sites and end up by making reference to skull cults, everyone's favorite type of cult. We open the episode with one of Michael's brainteasing hypotheticals about the afterlife. Images of Göbekli Tepe Examples of Plastered Human Skulls Art from Chauvet Cave The Harbin Cranium Send us a text https://www.instagram.com/theendoftheworldwms/ https://youtube.com/@TheEndoftheWorldwMS?si=xmj-2e0s58JdN8-B https://linktr.ee/endoftheworldwithmichaelandstu…

The End of the World with Michael and Stu

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80: A Brief History of the Afterlife One 53:24

17 days ago53:24

53:24

This week we are deviating from our normal subject matter slightly in covering Albert Brooks's wonderful 1991 film Defending Your Life as a way of introducing the miniseries we'll be running for the next month. The afterlife seems like a natural corollary to the show's typical focus on the end of the world, and Brooks's film felt like a good way in, as it explores a secular vision of the world to come, one ruled by a bureaucracy focused entirely assessing the extent to which you have succeeded in overcoming fear. It's a great movie and we had fun talking about it. This episode contains spoilers for Defending Your Life . Theme music for this episode is from "After Life" by No Sky God. Send us a text https://www.instagram.com/theendoftheworldwms/ https://youtube.com/@TheEndoftheWorldwMS?si=xmj-2e0s58JdN8-B https://linktr.ee/endoftheworldwithmichaelandstu…

The End of the World with Michael and Stu

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79: I Still Dream of Orgonon 47:56

24 days ago47:56

47:56

This week we are discussing right-wing paranoia about weather control and how it is being used as a comforting belief that enables one to evade accepting the reality of human influenced climate change. We go through the history of the "chemtrails" conspiracy theory, while also situating it in the earlier (and much more interesting) beliefs of Viennese Psychiatrist turned out-of-the-box thinker, Wilhelm Reich and his concept of orgone and his invention of cloudbusters. We also discuss the career of chemtrail proponent Naomi Wolf, whose career parallels Reich's in some interesting ways. We open the episode by discussing the continuing Jeffrey Epstein revelations and postulate on where this all might lead. Axios on Anti-Chemtrails Legislation Wilhelm Reich Museum in Maine Naomi Klein's Doppelganger Naomi Wolf's Infamous Interview Gaffe Send us a text https://www.instagram.com/theendoftheworldwms/ https://youtube.com/@TheEndoftheWorldwMS?si=xmj-2e0s58JdN8-B https://linktr.ee/endoftheworldwithmichaelandstu…

The End of the World with Michael and Stu

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78: Islands in the Stream 52:40

4 weeks ago52:40

52:40

This week we are discussing the recent furor over the Jeffrey Epstein case which has begun to surface divisions within the MAGA movement. We go over the actual history of the prosecutions of Epstein and Maxwell, look at the various ways Trump supporters have justified the administration's refusal to "release the files," while also speculating about what the reasons behind that refusal might be. Sources: Scott Adams' tortured defense of Trump Will Sommer on five MAGA responses to the Epstein 'crisis' The New York Times on the history of Epstein's prosecutions Axios on tensions within the Trump White House over Epstein Files The Wall Street Journal on Trump's "bawdy letter" to Epstein in 2003 Cullen Hoback's documentary on QAnon at HBO Max The New York Times on Trump and Epstein's friendship The New York Times on allegations against Trump connected to Epstein Send us a text https://www.instagram.com/theendoftheworldwms/ https://youtube.com/@TheEndoftheWorldwMS?si=xmj-2e0s58JdN8-B https://linktr.ee/endoftheworldwithmichaelandstu…

The End of the World with Michael and Stu

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77: How Many Ways To Get What You Want? 56:47

5 weeks ago56:47

56:47

This week we are discussing the Biblical Antichrist. What does the New Testament have to say about this ominous figure? Why do some Christians maintain his return is a necessary precondition for the so-called "second coming" of Jesus Christ? What historical (or contemporary) figures have people asserted might just be this Antichrist? Is the Antichrist even a singular person or is it more of a generic turn for anyone who is a non-believer? We get into all of this and so much more. We also spend the last portion of the episode discussing Lars von Trier's 2009 film Antichrist . We attempt to relate this baffling, troubling picture to the Biblical prophecies we discuss in the first half, with mixed results. We open the episode going over the recent Grok incident, wherein the X chatbot seems to have declared itself to be...MechaHitler. We also give a preview of our forthcoming episode by briefly mentioning the potential MAGA Civil War over the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files. This podcast contains spoilers for Lars von Trier's Antichrist . Rolling Stone on Grok Send us a text https://www.instagram.com/theendoftheworldwms/ https://youtube.com/@TheEndoftheWorldwMS?si=xmj-2e0s58JdN8-B https://linktr.ee/endoftheworldwithmichaelandstu…

The End of the World with Michael and Stu

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76: I Won't Forget to Put Roses on Your Grave 44:51

6 weeks ago44:51

44:51

This week we are discussing Edgar Wright's zombie comedy about the mundanity of day to day life under late capitalism, Shaun of the Dead . Featuring star turns for Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, the movie examines the question of how to live a meaningful life through the familiar tropes of a zombie picture. We consider the ways the issues at play in this film from 20 years ago might be handled today, while comparing our own feelings about ambition and what it means to be "not a zombie" in a world marked by a relentless urgency to "get ahead." We open the episode discussing the recent horrible flooding in Texas, as well as the potential ramifications of the just passed "Big Beautiful Bill." This episode contains spoilers for Shaun of the Dead . Send us a text https://www.instagram.com/theendoftheworldwms/ https://youtube.com/@TheEndoftheWorldwMS?si=xmj-2e0s58JdN8-B https://linktr.ee/endoftheworldwithmichaelandstu…

The End of the World with Michael and Stu

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75: The Days Are Long And the Nights Will Throw You Away 47:20

7 weeks ago47:20

47:20

For our 75th episode spectacular, we are discussing 28 Days Later , the 2002 film directed by Danny Boyle and written by Alex Garland that reinvigorated the zombie movie for the 2000s and launched a franchise that has been back in the news lately. We go over the film's links to Stu's favorite topic, Romanticism, while also comparing it favorably to such dystopian British pictures as Shaun of the Dead and Children of Men . We also note the similarities between the situation the protagonists find themselves in with our own recent experience of the Covid-19 lockdowns. A movie about isolation, civilization, and barbarism, for once, we both really liked it. We open the episode by briefly discussing the victory of Zohran Mamdani in the recent Democratic primary for New York City mayor, and what this moment of hope for leftist candidates bodes for the future. This episode contains spoilers for 28 Days Later but does not discuss the recent sequel, 28 Years Later, so if you are waiting to see that one, listen away. Send us a text https://www.instagram.com/theendoftheworldwms/ https://youtube.com/@TheEndoftheWorldwMS?si=xmj-2e0s58JdN8-B https://linktr.ee/endoftheworldwithmichaelandstu…

The End of the World with Michael and Stu

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74: Mickey Mouse Has Grown Up A Cow 53:59

8 weeks ago53:59

53:59

This week we are talking about billionaires and what makes them different than the rest of us. Why do they put so much stock into utopian fantasies of human salvation on Mars? Who do they believe Artificial General Intelligence will solve all of Earth's problems if we just allow for it to be born (with as few regulations in place as possible)? Why do they seem to care so little about other people? Our guide on this episode is a recent article in Rolling Stone by Alex Morris that gets at some of the psychological underpinnings of these questions while also pointing out how truly ridiculous some of these ambitions are. We open the episode by discussing the recent US bombing of Iranian nuclear sites and what this bodes for the future. Alex Morris's What You Suspect Is True: Billionaires Are Not Like Us in Rolling Stone Send us a text https://www.instagram.com/theendoftheworldwms/ https://youtube.com/@TheEndoftheWorldwMS?si=xmj-2e0s58JdN8-B https://linktr.ee/endoftheworldwithmichaelandstu…

The End of the World with Michael and Stu

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73: They're Programmed To Destroy Us 55:03

9 weeks ago55:03

55:03

This week we are discussing the introductory miniseries of the rebooted Battlestar Galactica as a kind of "culmination" of our recent robot/AI-themed episodes. For once we both really like the show, and we dissect how it deals with the complex issues of technology and religion as well as the question of "fatherhood" with respect to both characters in the show as well as the dynamic between the Cylons and humanity. We open the episode by going over recent events, including the escalating war between Israel and Iran, Trump's military parade, the No Kings protests, and the assassination of a Minnesota state politician by a man in a life-like mask. Dark stuff! This episode contains spoilers for the first miniseries of Battlestar Galactica . Send us a text https://www.instagram.com/theendoftheworldwms/ https://youtube.com/@TheEndoftheWorldwMS?si=xmj-2e0s58JdN8-B https://linktr.ee/endoftheworldwithmichaelandstu…

The End of the World with Michael and Stu

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72: But Are "Friends" Electric? 56:30

10 weeks ago56:30

56:30

This week we are continuing our suite of robot themed episodes by discussing the play that originated the word, R.U.R. by Karel Čapek which was first written in 1920. Derived from a Czech term meaning "serf" or "worker," these robots are more akin to the androids and other humanoid robots to be found in works like Blade Runner or Companion than the metallic beings to be found in Star Wars . While the play itself is perhaps not the most dramaturgically compelling work we've examined, it is incredible how many of the contemporary concerns about AI and robot labor we've been discussing lately this work anticipates. Robots are created to liberate man from his labor in this play, but in the end, what does that liberation lead to? In a world where "hard work" is held up as the ultimate good in and of itself, what is lost when the need for it vanishes? We open the episode by discussing the recent deployment of the National Guard and Marines to Los Angeles. This episode contains spoilers for R.U.R. Send us a text https://www.instagram.com/theendoftheworldwms/ https://youtube.com/@TheEndoftheWorldwMS?si=xmj-2e0s58JdN8-B https://linktr.ee/endoftheworldwithmichaelandstu…

The End of the World with Michael and Stu

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71: We Are Programmed Just to Do Anything You Want Us To 57:44

11 weeks ago57:44

57:44

This week we are talking about robots. Where did they come from? What are they? Are they really going to replace all human workers? We get into the history of these machines, while looking at the implications for them, should they be paired with AI. We also discuss Elon Musk's fixation on humanoid robots, and where this obsession derives from. We also get into the Ukrainian drone attacks in Russia, as well as discussing the recently aired claim that up to twenty percent of white collar jobs could be eliminated by AI in the next few years, and how absolutely zero safety net has been put in place to assure that people will be able to earn a living when this happens. Uplifting material! This episode contains spoilers for the history of robots. Ukraine Drone Attacks from the AP AI Replacing White Collar Jobs from Axios Elon Musk Interview with CNBC Send us a text https://www.instagram.com/theendoftheworldwms/ https://youtube.com/@TheEndoftheWorldwMS?si=xmj-2e0s58JdN8-B https://linktr.ee/endoftheworldwithmichaelandstu…

The End of the World with Michael and Stu

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70: Bring Me A Dream 1:01:08

12 weeks ago1:01:08

1:01:08

This week we are discussing E.T.A. Hoffman's short story, The Sandman , which presciently anticipates some potential psychological consequences of a too-deep dependence on artificial beings for companionship, while also pointing towards the fundamentally destabilizing possibilities a world filled with autonomous, robotic beings might bring. We go over the story, making reference to Freud's famous essay "The 'Uncanny'" which he partly based on this story, while also connecting the concerns of the tale to elements from our own contemporary experiences. It's an hilarious story, perhaps one of the greatest masterpieces we have yet covered. We open the episode discussing the potential apocalyptic consequences of Trump's decision to fund a "golden dome" missile defense system, plus we talk about the final episode of season two of Nathan Fielder's The Rehearsal . E.T.A. Hoffman's "The Sandman" Freud's Essay "The 'Uncanny '" NewScientist on Trump's "Golden Dome" Missile Defense System Send us a text https://www.instagram.com/theendoftheworldwms/ https://youtube.com/@TheEndoftheWorldwMS?si=xmj-2e0s58JdN8-B https://linktr.ee/endoftheworldwithmichaelandstu…

The End of the World with Michael and Stu

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69: In This Everlasting Twilight 52:58

13 weeks ago52:58

52:58

This week we are talking about the growth of emotional dependency on AI as programs like ChatGPT become more ubiquitous and more sophisticated. We recognize that this has the potential to be, in a sense, a double apocalypse, as the rise of AI threatens to make human beings completely redundant while at the same time the resources used to power AI make the planet increasingly uninhabitable as climate change accelerates. We segue directly into a consideration of a film that deals with these ideas, albeit not in the most serious way, 2025's Companion , directed by Drew Hancock. This film offers a vision of the way an AI powered robotic paramour might be used and abused. This episode contains spoilers for Companion . TechPolicy.press on AI Emotional Dependency Novara Media on Mark Zuckerberg's recent comments on AI replacing real friends PS: I (Stu) realize now that Stalin's birthday is December 18 and NOT December 8. We apologize for any confusion this error caused. Send us a text https://www.instagram.com/theendoftheworldwms/ https://youtube.com/@TheEndoftheWorldwMS?si=xmj-2e0s58JdN8-B https://linktr.ee/endoftheworldwithmichaelandstu…

The End of the World with Michael and Stu

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68: Round and Round and Round We Spin 44:17

14 weeks ago44:17