How do you like it so far? cover art

How do you like it so far?

How do you like it so far?

By: Henry Jenkins Colin Maclay
Listen for free

Academics Henry Jenkins and Colin Maclay use their combined knowledge to dig deeper and ask more ambitious questions than most pop culture podcasts out there – not doing recaps or just remaining on the level of entertainment coverage. For them, popular culture offers resources for asking questions about who we are and where we are going, questions that can be political, legal, technological, economic, or social, but often cut across all of the above. Art Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Mitch Resnik on “Lifelong Kindergarten”

    Mitch Resnik on “Lifelong Kindergarten”
    May 27 2026
    MIT Media Lab’s Mitchel Resnick speaks with us about the development of his Lifelong Kindergarten research group and their efforts to affect the educational landscape through creative technological activities. Throughout the conversation, we describe the shifts in academic environments, starting from the free-form, highly imaginative kindergarten rooms to the stricter halls of higher learning. Mitch relates these changes to different uses of technology within the classroom setting and the differences in learning methods. He emphasizes that participatory uses of technology, such as remixing media or sharing projects, invite creativity and community for students. We compare Mitch’s practices to those used by fandom and liken them to building LEGO masterpieces without instructions; both emphasize the sharing of information and building communities. This conversation with Mitch is filled with the hope that curiosity and creativity will keep people as lifelong learners. Here are some of the references from this episode, for those who want to dig a little deeper: Academic/Educational readings and resources: Lifelong KindergartenMIT Media LabMindstorms (book)Scratch platformOctoStudioA New Guide for Building Neurodiversity Oases for Connected Learning through Role Playing Games, FabLabs, Minecraft, BTS Fandom, and More (article)Pointing at the Wrong Villain: Cass Sunstein and Echo Chambers (article)#Republic: Divided Democracy in the Age of Social Media (book)Start with Questions: The Classroom as Design Studio (book) People & Places: Stewart BrandNatalie RuskSeymour Papert Henry writes about Papert’s “Samba Schools”Jean PiagetTod MachoverMizuko ItoWest Coast Computer FaireSamba schoolReggio SchoolsDavid WeinbergerCass R. SunsteinKaren BrennanJames Paul Gee Media: LEGOLEGO Mindstorm Kits [history, shop link]The Hundred Languages of Children (poem)The Sims [videogame franchise]SimCity ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––Share your thoughts via Twitter with Henry, Colin and the How Do You Like It So Far? account! You can also email us at howdoyoulikeitsofarpodcast@gmail.com.Music:“In Time” by Dylan Emmett and “Spaceship” by Lesion X.In Time (Instrumental) by Dylan Emmet https://soundcloud.com/dylanemmetSpaceship by Lesion X https://soundcloud.com/lesionxbeatsCreative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/in-time-instrumentalFree Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/lesion-x-spaceshipMusic promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/AzYoVrMLa1Q––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 16 mins
  • Baseball and Reality TV: Karen Tongson and Adrian De Leon

    Baseball and Reality TV: Karen Tongson and Adrian De Leon
    Apr 16 2026
    USC professor of English, gender & sexuality studies, and American studies & ethnicity, and chair of the Department of Gender & Sexuality Studies Karen Tongson and NYU Assistant Professor of History Adrian De Leon join us to talk about their adoration of baseball and reality TV. Using their piece “Both Sides Now: On the 2025 World Series,” we discuss the affective and cultural dialogues sports media creates. Karen and Adrian draw from their own Filipino upbringings and fandom of the MLB to showcase the complexities between corporate actions, fan desires, and the influence of imperialism in athletics. We then relate the creation of narratives and societal reflections in sports to reality TV shows like The Amazing Race and Traitors. The conversation culminates in a description of how sports fandom and reality TV watchers are more strongly alike than others think. Karen and Adrian suggest that people both enjoy and be critical of sports and reality TV because they can assist with understanding the world around us. Or, they can help us laugh at social rules within romantic relationships or sports rituals. Here are some of the references from this episode, for those who want to dig a little deeper: Academic/Educational readings and resources: Both Sides Now: On the 2025 World SeriesThe Latinos of Asia: How Filipino Americans Break the Rules of RaceRelocations: Queer Suburban ImaginariesJournal of Popular Music StudiesThe Filipino National AnthemTender Labour Migrant Care Work, Filipina/o Young People, and Family Life across BordersGlenn Burke, 1st openly gay MLB player, is shunned no more — 40 years after coming outHenry writes extensively about reality television in his book, Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide People & Places: Fernando ValenzuelaAlejandro KirkVince CarterTracy McGradyEdwin EncarnaciónGlenn BurkeAndy PagesTyra BanksKristen KishYam Yam ArochoEric NamJoe HendryCody RhodesMartin Luther King Jr.Malcom XJackie RobinsonChavez RavineNatalia MolinaLebron JamesCaleb WilliamsAlysa LiuAmber GlennJalen HurtsAJ RafaelJeremy PassionGabe BondocJonathan LealMiguel RojasManny PacquiaoGeorge EliotHank AaronKendrick LamarDrake Kylie KelceJason KelceTravis KelceJohn CenaStone Cold Steve Austin Media: 2025 MLB World SeriesMLB NFLNBATraitors (US) The Traitors Official PodcastAmerican League Division SeriesThe Real Housewives franchise Bravo TVJoey Bautista's bat flipKawhi Leonard’s Iconic Buzzer-Beater vs 76ersAll-Star Baseball (Video game)Strat-O-MaticTop ChefIron Chef (Japan) [YouTube, Wikipedia]SurvivorThe Amazing RaceThe Gaymazing Race (podcast)2026 Olympics Alysa Liu Gold MedalCAN vs USA Women’s HockeyUS vs CAN women’s hockey rivalryWWE Smackdown (TV show)AEWPope and Chicago Bears memes [Instagram, TikTok]Heated Rivalry See even more links for this episode on our website! For another perspective on reality television, check out our earlier episode with Diane Winston on Religion and Reality Television ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––Share your thoughts via Twitter with Henry, Colin and the How Do You Like It So Far? account! You can also email us at howdoyoulikeitsofarpodcast@gmail.com.Music:“In Time” by Dylan Emmett and “Spaceship” by Lesion X.In Time (Instrumental) by Dylan Emmet https://soundcloud.com/dylanemmetSpaceship by Lesion X https://soundcloud.com/lesionxbeatsCreative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/in-time-instrumentalFree Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/lesion-x-spaceshipMusic promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/AzYoVrMLa1Q––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 18 mins
  • AE Stevenson and Brooklyne Gipson on Digital Black Feminism, Sinners, and One Battle After Another

    AE Stevenson and Brooklyne Gipson on Digital Black Feminism, Sinners, and One Battle After Another
    Apr 8 2026
    University of Chicago Assistant Professor in the Department of Cinema and Media Studies, AE Stevenson and Rutgers University–New Brunswick, Assistant Professor of Journalism and Media Studies Brooklyne Gipson join us to talk about digital Black feminism online. We start our discussion with America’s relations with the platform TikTok, and how it is a large social media site for Black creators. We then explore how to define community and culture, especially for Black people online, in a world resistant to progress. Building from this, AE and Brooklyne discuss how certain communicative practices in the Black community focus on storytelling as a vehicle for critical thought rather than a lack of media literacy education. This leads to the larger topic of online discourse around the films Sinners and One Battle After Another. We end with dissecting how the recognition of, or lack thereof, Black culture affects people’s views of these films. Although they both feature Black actors, they interact with culture very differently. Ultimately, we push for an awareness of the multilayered discussions of media seen as progressive or discursive. They should think about what cultures and communities are being featured and how. Here are some of the references from this episode, for those who want to dig a little deeper: Academic/Educational readings and resources: Race After Technology: Abolitionist Tools for the New Jim CodeAlgorithms of Oppression Dark Matters: On the Surveillance of BlacknessRenegades: Digital Dance Cultures from Dubsmash to TikTokDigital Pleasure and Danger: A Roundtable DiscussionNiggas on the Internet: Scenes of a Black Social Life (Dissertation)Sites of Chaos: Scenes of a Black Social Life (book in progress)he Black Mirror World: Racialized Disinformation and Misogynoir Online (book in progress)The Comet (1920) [short story, article]The Souls of Black FolkBlack Oscars: From Mammy to Minny, What the Academy Awards Tell Us about African Americans People & Places: Ruha BenjaminRyan CooglerTeyana TaylorSafiya NobleSimone BrowneJasmine CrockettCentinela Drive-InSteve JobsCharli D'AmelioLeonardo ChiariglioneToni Cade BambaraW. E. B. Du BoisDenzel WashingtonLupita Nyong'oMichael B. JordanNia DaCostaSonja Norwood (wickdconfections)Leonardo DiCaprioTimothée ChalametSam RaimiKevin SamuelsAndrew TateCandace OwensCharlie KirkErika KirkNicki MinajSteve BannonPaul Thomas AndersonMaya RudolphMinnie Riperton Media: Michael B. Jordan Wins Best Actor | 98th Oscars Speech (2026)Sinners (2025)One Battle After Another (2026)Twister (1996)#OscarsSoWhite and The Legacy of Halle Berry by Be Kind RewindScream franchise Scream (1996)Scream 7 (2026)Scary Movie franchise Scary Movie (2026 film)Black Panther (2018)Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)Bugonia (2025)Magnolia (1999)Punch-Drunk Love (2002)Inherent Vice (2014)Phantom Thread (2017)Licorise Pizza (2021)Moonlight (2016)James Bond series Live and Let Die (1973)Oregon Trail (game)Lex Marie artworkA Thousand and One (2023)From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)The Jazz Singer (1980)TikTok finalizes deal to form new U.S. unit with major American investorsIs the new US TikTok safer?Candace Owens takes on Erika Kirk in 'The Bride of Charlie'Erika Kirk Accidentally Mixes Up 'Grift' Instead of 'Grit' in Awkward Moment at Turning Point USA EventVineTikTokYouTubeWickdconfections Black American recipe seriesExalted (book) ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––Share your thoughts via Twitter with Henry, Colin and the How Do You Like It So Far? account! You can also email us at howdoyoulikeitsofarpodcast@gmail.com.Music:“In Time” by Dylan Emmett and “Spaceship” by Lesion X.In Time (Instrumental) by Dylan Emmet https://soundcloud.com/dylanemmetSpaceship by Lesion X https://soundcloud.com/lesionxbeatsCreative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/in-time-instrumentalFree Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/lesion-x-spaceshipMusic promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/AzYoVrMLa1Q––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 30 mins
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_t1
No reviews yet