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Back by Popular Demand Elana and Steven dive in to the second episode of The Venture Bros. called “Maybe No Go“. The Venture Bros. cartoon on Adult Swim references everything from Hannah-Barbara to Marvel, David Bowie to the Big Bopper, cult cinema, Oscar Wilde to Henry Kissinger. The show’s central theme is failure– the reality of life after the promises and optimism of the 60s space age have faded. But also the positive value of failure as a way to learn and grow, of making unpleasant realities better, and ultimately whether you can learn to keep the joyfulness of youth without its illusions.

In this podcast episode Elana and Steven continue to explore the series as pop culture history geeks, talking about the latest episode, drawing out themes and references.