Episode #196: Measuring Monocultures With John Champion

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Sometimes, Saint and Jim talk about light, fluffy stuff like their favorite burgers, or whether or not the Hulk could beat up Superman. Other times, they get taken with the intricacies of a particularly hard-to-pin-down subject. This would be an episode of the second kind. “Monoculture” — at least in popular fiction — is a term often used to describe a given race, species, or group within the story. Specifically, one that exhibits a limited, universally common cultural trait their creators use to define them. Think, “Klingons are warlike,” or “Dwarves are good blacksmiths.” It's a way for writers to project aspects of human existence onto fantasy characters, usually in order to examine said aspects without the risk of the analysis hitting too close to home. So because they're diving into a complex subject, Saint and Jim knew they’d need a guest who was up to the task of helping them break it all down. And when it comes to examining nuanced concepts in fiction and how they apply to real life, there's just no better person to talk to than "Mission Log" co-host and friend of the show John Champion…since that's really his jam. So earhole it up with your intrepid co-hosts and their esteemed guest as they take a look at monocultures in storytelling, and puzzle out what they can teach us about our own idiosyncrasies.