Watching Mates

Lars Emerson, Michael Lovito

Fresh off of their hit podcast, Running Mates -- Lars and Michael pick up discussing your favorite postwar presidents through the lens of films released in the era. Each episode, Lars and Michael each watch a movie chosen by the other from that presidency and discuss how the silver screen reflects the particular administration. read less

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Trailer for Floor Fight

Trailer for Floor Fight

Who was the best president we never had? Lars Emerson and Michael Lovito from ThePostrider.com are dedicated to finding out as they work their way through the ultimate bracket of losing presidential candidates in American history. Follow along to the podcast with the live bracket at ThePostrider.com/FloorFight and reach out to us at contact@thepostrider.com or on Twitter to let us know who you'd pick!

Episodes

Trailer for Floor Fight

Trailer for Floor Fight

Who was the best president we never had? Lars Emerson and Michael Lovito from ThePostrider.com are dedicated to finding out as they work their way through the ultimate bracket of losing presidential candidates in American history. Follow along to the podcast with the live bracket at ThePostrider.com/FloorFight and reach out to us at contact@thepostrider.com or on Twitter to let us know who you'd pick!

Season Finale - Joe Biden: Free Guy / Minari

Season Finale - Joe Biden: Free Guy / Minari

In the Watching Mates season finale, Lars and Michael unpack the nascent Biden administration through the films "Free Guy" and "Minari."

Donald Trump: Hell or High Water / BlacKkKlansman

Donald Trump: Hell or High Water / BlacKkKlansman

The brief and tumultuous Trump administration proves to have one of the most direct impacts on American cinema, as Lars and Michael explore through the films Hell or High Water and BlacKkKlansman.

Barack Obama: Gran Torino / Sicario

Barack Obama: Gran Torino / Sicario

America's first Black president comes to office offering a vision for a united country and promising change, but is bogged down in the policies and crises of the prior administration, as Lars and Michael explore through the films "Gran Torino" and "Sicario."

Trailer for Politics Express

Trailer for Politics Express

Watching Mates co-host Lars Emerson introduces The Postrider team's newest general interest politics podcast, Politics Express. Subscribe now and check out the first episode, available wherever podcasts are found and on thepostrider.com.

George W. Bush: Team America World Police / The Dark Knight

George W. Bush: Team America World Police / The Dark Knight

The world changes dramatically over the course of George W. Bush's presidency. One place it changes most visibly is Hollywood, as Lars and Michael unpack through "Team America: World Police" in his first term and "The Dark Knight" in his second.

Bill Clinton: Wag the Dog / The American President

Bill Clinton: Wag the Dog / The American President

As American presidencies approach the modern day, Lars and Michael dive into the world of scandal, neoliberalism, and partisanship in the Clinton era through the films "Wag the Dog" and "The American President."

George H.W. Bush: They Live / Roger & Me

George H.W. Bush: They Live / Roger & Me

America gets a little grungier as President George H.W. Bush comes into office and Lars and Michael explore trends in cinema during his brief tenure, focusing on a zeitgeist of decline and the new American economic reality through the films "They Live" and "Roger & Me."

Ronald Reagan: Back to the Future / Back to the Future Part II

Ronald Reagan: Back to the Future / Back to the Future Part II

Knock knock, McFly! Lars and Michael discuss their film picks for the Reagan era -- how a decade of nostalgia viewed both the past and the future -- through the lens of the films "Back to the Future" and "Back to the Future Part II."

Jimmy Carter: Rocky / Star Wars

Jimmy Carter: Rocky / Star Wars

Lars and Michael discuss their film picks for the Carter era -- a blend of optimism, underdogs, and perhaps naivety over the coming backlash Jimmy Carter would face through the lens of "Rocky" and "Star Wars."

Gerald Ford: Jaws / Chinatown

Gerald Ford: Jaws / Chinatown

Lars and Michael discuss the films of the Ford administration, exploring government incompetence and corruption (or maybe it's just about a shark) through the lens of "Jaws" and "Chinatown." But in true Gerald Ford fashion, they spend most of the time talking about Watergate and Nixon anyway.

Richard Nixon: Easy Rider / Blazing Saddles

Richard Nixon: Easy Rider / Blazing Saddles

Lars and Michael discuss the films of the Nixon administration, reflecting on hippie culture, racism, a developing "us versus them" mentality within the United States -- and a whole bunch of dirty tricks -- through the lens of "Easy Rider" and "Blazing Saddles."

Lyndon B. Johnson: Guess Who's Coming to Dinner / Dr. Strangelove

Lyndon B. Johnson: Guess Who's Coming to Dinner / Dr. Strangelove

Lars and Michael discuss the films of the Johnson administration, reflecting on dramatic domestic progress and a distrust of America's foreign policy apparatus through the lens of "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" and "Dr. Strangelove."

John F. Kennedy: The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance / Lolita

John F. Kennedy: The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance / Lolita

Lars and Michael discuss the films of the Kennedy era, discussing themes of heroism and elitism in American society through the lens of "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" and "Lolita."

Dwight Eisenhower: The Blob / Shane

Dwight Eisenhower: The Blob / Shane

Lars and Michael discuss the films of the Eisenhower era, comparing the infamous "The Blob" and the more-critically-acclaimed "Shane." The narratives on being driven from one's home, McCarthyism, and generational strife give context to Eisenhower's above-the-fray approach in his presidency.

Harry Truman: The Third Man / The Hitch-Hiker

Harry Truman: The Third Man / The Hitch-Hiker

In the first episode of Watching Mates, Lars and Michael team up to discuss the films of the Truman era, comparing film noirs "The Third Man" and "The Hitch-Hiker." The international intrigue and sense of being lost in a new world that are reflected in both films shapes their discussion on how President Truman had to adapt the United States and shape the world order as the first post-war president.

Watching Mates Trailer

Watching Mates Trailer

Running Mates stars Lars Emerson and Michael Lovito introduce their new show, Watching Mates.