

Franchises, Fandoms, and the AI Turn
From expanding cinematic universes to hostile fan cultures and AI-generated storytelling, this episode examines who actually shapes meaning in contemporary media. We trace the tension between corporate control, audience participation, and algorithmic systems, and ask whether storytelling is becomin…

Media Mothership 30 April 2026

Franchises, Fandoms, and the AI Turn
From expanding cinematic universes to hostile fan cultures and AI-generated storytelling, this episode examines who actually shapes meaning in contemporary media. We trace the tension between corporate control, audience participation, and algorithmic systems, and ask whether storytelling is becomin…

From Superman to Systems
Superman gets a global “anniversary,” gamers are being recruited into real-world systems, and video games keep chasing a version of realism that doesn’t quite exist. This week, Media Mothership drifts through fandom rituals, game design oddities, and the strange ways fictional worlds start to feel …

Media Mothership 16 April 2026

Cognitive Surrender: Who Does the Thinking Now?
From research on “cognitive surrender” in AI use to failures with AI-written criticism, the discussion considers whether thinking itself is being outsourced. A jump-scare warning app raises questions about pre-empting emotional experience, while Stephen King’s comparison of Donald Trump to The Dead…

Media Mothership 9 April 2026

April Fools and Democracy Manifest
April Fools in gaming, Nintendo’s expanding media world, and why Democracy Manifest remains an enduring viral moment. This episode was recorded live at Edge Radio 99.3FM studios in Hobart Tasmania, and first aired on 2nd April 2026. For more info on Media Mothership go to https://mediamothership.au…

Media Mothership 2 April 2026

Cat Ears & Cosplay
We’re joined by Dr Emerald King and PhD candidate Ashley Reminga from the University of Tasmania to explore the world of cosplay. We cover the upcoming events including the cosplay competition at the video game event, Level Up Tasmania, and then some of the bigger questions around how cosplay funct…