Culture Chronicles

Ahh…Christmas. Possibly my favourite holiday. Christians around the world celebrate the birth of Christ on December 25, but a lot of the traditions around the festival are even older and stranger than that cold night in Bethlehem. In this episode, we explore the strange history of Christmas, and how it has influenced Films, TV and Music over the years. Contains no Wham!...but may contain some Taylor Swift.

From popular shows like The Walking Dead to classic novels like Bram Stoker’s Dracula, we love being scared out of our wits by fantastic tales of terrifying creatures, the supernatural, or even real-life monsters. But how have real-life historical events influenced this ever-popular genre? In part 2 of this episode, we explore the impact of weird history on horror literature and movies.

A Bonus Episode where I discuss A History of Horror, Part 1 with Horror Aficionado Matt Winn, of the Too Late Update Podcast. No naughty words, but contains conspiracy theories, cold war propaganda and other weird things that might upset your granny.

Some people LOVE to consume horror. From popular shows like The Walking Dead to classic novels like Bram Stoker’s Dracula, we love being scared out of our wits by fantastic tales of terrifying creatures, the supernatural, or even real-life monsters.     But how have real-life historical events influenced this ever-popular genre? In this episode, we explore the impact of weird history on horror literature and movies. 

To most people, the word hacking conjures up a particular image. However, hacking itself goes back a lot further than a hooded youth with 3 monitors and a can of monster. From trying to start World War 3 by whistling down the phone, to teaching your children's toys to swear like a docker, hacking has a long history of strange people doing hilariously dangerous things for profit, effect or just for the fun of it. And this contrast of the farcical and serious has been equally well represented in the media: sometimes accurately, sometimes...less accurately. In this episode, we explore the seedy, caffeine-fuelled underbelly of historical hacking, and how it's been represented in Films, TV and Video Games.

The Space Race of the 1950s and 60s was a 20 year period of competition between the capitalist United States and the communist Soviet Union over who could conquer space first.     It wasn’t just two idiots comparing who had the biggest rocket though: as well as driving forward technology, the space race had a profound and lasting effect on popular culture. From Literature, to TV, to Film, it fundamentally changed how the future of humanity was depicted. In this episode, we explore how the Space Race radically changed the genre of Science Fiction. 

All stories need a great antagonist. Until 9/11, Terrorists were a reliable, exotic and diverse villain for Hollywood action movies and TV.   Often communist, occasionally Irish but usually bearded and very, very angry, this rogues gallery had understandable aims and objectives: everything from war widows' pensions to a fat stack of cash.  When international terrorism struck the USA at home, the tone changed.   The psychological shock of that day dramatically changed the portrayal of terrorism from something threatening but understandable, to something terrifying and alien.   In this episode, we explore how the seismic events of 11 September 2001 influenced the portrayal of terrorism on film and TV. 

I'm Khan, and I love stories. I especially love to dig into the historical roots that shape our favourite stories, books, films, TV shows, music and more.  Each week, we'll take a deep dive into a significant historical event and examine its impact on the media and popular culture of the time, as well as the ways in which it continues to shape our entertainment today.   So whether you're a history buff, a pop culture fanatic, or simply curious about the world around you, join us as we dig up, unpack and examine the origins of the stories that have shaped us.  Welcome to Culture Chronicles!