In today's podcast, Rob and I talk about what he expects to see (and hopes to see) at Cinemacon 2022 when he's there tomorrow through Thursday with John Campea and the Campea Crew. Rob, of course, is excited to see the exclusive footage and star power each studio rolls out for the event - but he's also interested in spending time with theater operators to learn more about how the movie-going experience is changing to deal with the variety of social and economic challenges that have been thrown at them over the past 5-10 years.

A good bit of time in this podcast is also spent talking about the importance and power of storytelling and why stories need to be told in groups as well as on a one-to-one basis in order for societies to develop shared understandings and a shared framework for civil behavior. But all that seems to be under threat right now.

Why?

In general, when it comes to stories, people seem to be too ready to be satisfied with spectacle whether it has meaning or not.

As I mention in the podcast, I think it's the responsibility of the people in charge of our stories - author, director, producer, show runner - to set the standard (and enforce it) for good storytelling. But all too often, either there's an inability to establish and maintain a high level of quality in our storytelling or there isn't the will to even try.

What does that mean for society at-large? We want to know what you think. You can do that by sending us a letter.

Just go to our website: www.postgeeksingularity.com, click on the "Contact Us" link in the menu and then send us a message to let us know how we're doing and what's on your mind.

We look forward to hearing from you.

I invite you to listen in on my weekday conversations with my friend and business partner, Robert Meyer Burnett, as we talk about the things we love: great movies, inspiring television programming, nostalgic genre entertainment, and pop culture.

- Mike Bawden, co-host of the ROADTRIPPIN' Podcast

This is an original show produced for the PGS podcast network and was recorded on April 25, 2022.