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Pop culture matters...But why tho? 

Looking to catch up on pop culture? We're reviewing the latest movies and television, interviewing industry creatives, and of course - breaking down why all the things we love matter. But Why Tho? is a bi-weekly podcast where we'll dive into the past week in pop culture and get to discoursing on important conversations. 

Additionally, you'll be able to check out But Why Tho? Reviews, our review show where we give you a quick spoiler-free review of the latest in pop culture.

Sep 9, 2020

Last Friday Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 released and we've all had the bird man on the brain. So, to celebrate the return of one of the best sports games ever made we decided to talk about why Tony Hawk's Pro Skater matters to gaming and culture more widely. In this episode, we drop into the long history of the franchise, its development, and how Tony Hawk aimed to create a video game that immersed the player in a real representation of skate culture. We talk about what happened when Neversoft closed and we also break down how Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 is marking a triumphant return. But one of the things we didn't know would happen is a deep conversation about representation and how despite its predominantly white roster, the Pro Skater franchise never felt like it excluded people of color, specifically with its music from De La Soul to Ozomatli and its in-depth create-a-skater feature.

We talk about the genre-defining mechanics and of course discuss the wide-ranging impact of the game's soundtrack and how it impacted our own personal tastes. Oh, and how Matt still dresses like his create-a-skater to this day.