Is there a difference between representation and diversity in science fiction—or are they just two sides of the same starship hull? In this episode of Talk of the Tavern, Ed, Andrea, and Travis beam into the debate of who gets seen, who gets heard, and how sci-fi handles it without turning into a clumsy after-school special.

From token aliens to full-fleshed characters, we explore when inclusion feels natural and when it feels like someone’s checking boxes. And yes, we’re going to mention Star Trek. A lot.

So charge your warp drive, dust off your tricorder, and prepare for a debate about the final frontier of storytelling: who gets to exist in it.

What’s on Tap?🌌 Representation vs diversity—what’s the real distinction?
👽 Aliens as metaphor: the good, the bad, and the downright lazy.
📺 From Uhura to modern casts: how sci-fi has led (and lagged) the conversation.
📚 Tokenism vs authenticity in storytelling.
🛸 Can science fiction be both inclusive and entertaining without preaching?

Toasts, Topics, & Tangents🔥 Travis argues that good representation is invisible—it just is.
🔥 Ed goes off on the endless “diversity checkbox” trope.
🔥 Both hosts admit which shows/books nailed it—and which ones aged like sour milk.

Join the Conversation!Who do you think sci-fi represents best—or leaves out completely? Got a favorite example of great (or terrible) representation in a story?

📬 Email: TalkOfTheTavernShow@gmail.com
🌐 Website: TalkOfTheTavern.com
🎧 Listen on: Spotify, YouTube, Twitch, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, Castbox, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Goodpods—assuming we don’t get canceled by the Federation Council.

🧭 Where to Find Us:🌐 Website: TalkOfTheTavern.com
📺 YouTube: @TravisISivart
📱 TikTok, IG, FB, Threads: @TravisISivart
☕ Support the show: ko-fi.com/travissivart | patreon.com/travissivart

Stream it? Own it? Lose it forever when the licensing vanishes? In this episode of Talk of the Tavern, Ed and Travis wade into the great media debate: digital convenience vs. physical permanence.

From vanishing movies on streaming platforms to that one CD you swear sounded better, we talk about the pros, cons, and emotional chaos of trusting your library to The Cloud™. We’re not saying we’re old school… but there’s a stack of burned DVDs that says otherwise.

So boot up your Betamax or buffer your broadband—it’s time to talk media survival in the age of deletion.

What’s on Tap?

📀 Physical media’s comeback: Why owning it is cool again.

📡 Streaming roulette: When your favorites disappear overnight.

📚 Digital hoarding: 7 hard drives, 3 clouds, and no idea where that movie went.

💾 Sentiment vs. storage: Why we still own floppy disks and VHS tapes.

📉 Licensing hell: When media you bought digitally suddenly vanishes.

Toasts, Topics, & Tangents

🔥 Travis explains why he still owns over 1,000 physical books.

🔥 Ed vents about trying to find a movie he knows he owned digitally—but can’t anymore.

🔥 Both hosts mourn the loss of Saturday morning cartoons—and the tactile joy of a DVD menu.

Join the Conversation!

Still rocking that Blu-ray shelf? Got a VHS player just for nostalgia’s sake? Or did you go full digital and regret nothing?

📬 Email: ⁠⁠TalkOfTheTavernShow@gmail.com⁠⁠

🌐 Website: ⁠⁠TalkOfTheTavern.com⁠⁠

🎧 Listen on: Spotify, YouTube, Twitch, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, Castbox, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Goodpods—until the licenses expire.

🧭 Where to Find Us:

🌐 Website: ⁠⁠TalkOfTheTavern.com⁠⁠

📺 YouTube: ⁠⁠@TravisISivart⁠⁠

📱 TikTok, IG, FB, Threads: @TravisISivart

☕ Support the show: ⁠⁠ko-fi.com/travissivart⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠patreon.com/travissivart

Remember when old movies meant black-and-white gangsters and big band soundtracks? Yeah—now it’s Star Wars and Saturday Night Fever.

In this episode of Talk of the Tavern, Travis and Ed grapple with the gut-punch realization that the 1960s and '70s are now retro. That’s right—our classics are today’s sepia-toned nostalgia.

From vinyl revivals to AI Beatles, from Woodstock to Woodstock '99 (shudder), we break down why modern entertainment keeps reaching backward—and how we became the elders yelling at clouds made of VHS static.

So pour something aged (like you), and let’s time travel through the decades... only to find ourselves in the museum exhibit.

What’s on Tap?

📺 The 60s & 70s are now ancient history—pop culture says so.

🎙️ Why old-school aesthetics are dominating music, fashion, and film again.

📼 Retro reboots: Who asked for these? And why do we keep watching?

🧓 “Back in my day…” moments we didn’t realize we were having.

📻 The uncomfortable beauty of realizing we’re someone else’s nostalgia.

Toasts, Topics, & Tangents

🔥 Travis admits he thought disco would never come back—and now it’s TikTok fuel.

🔥 Ed explores why “classic” now includes his entire childhood.

🔥 Both hosts wrestle with how pop culture time-traveled without them—and dragged their knees with it.

Join the Conversation!

What’s one “old” thing you love that’s suddenly cool again? Or worse... what’s been rebooted that made you feel 300 years old?

📬 Email: ⁠⁠TalkOfTheTavernShow@gmail.com⁠⁠

🌐 Website: ⁠⁠TalkOfTheTavern.com⁠⁠

🎧 Listen on: Spotify, YouTube, Twitch, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, Castbox, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Goodpods, and whatever your Walkman now connects to.

🧭 Where to Find Us:

🌐 Website: ⁠⁠TalkOfTheTavern.com⁠⁠

📺 YouTube: ⁠⁠@TravisISivart⁠⁠

📱 TikTok, IG, FB, Threads: @TravisISivart

☕ Support the show: ⁠⁠ko-fi.com/travissivart⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠patreon.com/travissivart