Episode 516: That Indeed Was Cold

On the Overthinking It Podcast, we break the fourth wall.

Peter Fenzel, Mark Lee, and Matthew Wrather decide that meta is betta.

(This episode was pre-taped; we’ll return to Deadpool 2 in June.)

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6 Comments on “Episode 516: That Indeed Was Cold”

  1. clayschuldt #

    This conversation reminded me of that scene in Hot Shots Part Deux where Charlie and Martin passed each other on the river and said “I loved you in Wall Street.”

    Reply

  2. Margo #

    Thank you for daring to be critical of Schindler’s List. This is a film I always thought I wasn’t allowed to dislike because I’m Jewish and therefore must not judge a film about the Holocaust on its merits. This film falls into the very uncomfortable genre of what some call Misery Porn. When a director very seriously states “We are going to show you horrible things to show you that this event was horrible. We are doing an important public service by doing this, and if you don’t like the result you are a bad person.” Other examples of Misery Porn that spring to mind are “Twelve Years a Slave.” And “The Deer Hunter”. Your millage may vary.

    Reply

    • Mike #

      I remember a critique, I forgot who it was but they must have been a well known name in media, that Schindlers List was too upbeat, to positive. It was a movie about overcoming the odds. About a man against the odds, beating the bad guys in his own little way.

      As for being Jewish, you don’t owe anyone anything, and shouldn’t be forced to critique Shindlers List, or criticize Israel, etc. BUT when powerful people pretend to speak in your name – pretending to represent your identity – then that should be when you call out bullsh!t. Goes for Jew, Christian, Black, White, etc.

      Reply

  3. Ben Adams OTI Staff #

    One topic you guys didn’t explore was the degree to which Deadpool’s fourth-all breaking is far more transgressive (maybe aggressive?) than the average “Talking to the audience” protragonist. Sure, characters like Zach Morris and Frank Underwood turn to the camera and address the “audience” directly, but it’s usually a hyopthetical audience – they know they are being watched, but don’t show any awareness of who they are being watched by or under what circumstances. Zach Morris talks to the camera, but he doesn’t snark about how cheesy the Very Special Episode is, or make jokes at the expense of competing Saturday morning shows. When Frank Underwood turns to the camera, he doesn’t talk about Netflix or binge-watching.

    Deadpool is somewhat unique in that he usually shows much more awareness about the medium he’s in – he knows he’s in a Marvel movie, he makes jokes about Josh Brolin being Thanos, etc.

    Reply

  4. Ben Adams OTI Staff #

    Another interesting model for 4th wall breaking is Abed’s character from “Community.” He would “break” the wall all the time by referring to meta-aspects of the show – only for other characters to hear what he was saying and interpret it as a sign of mental illness.

    Reply

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