David Hahn is joined by Master Samwise (aka Sam Roden) to ask why stories matter and what goes wrong when writers put the message before the characters. They discuss why Hollywood struggles to write strength and virtue, and how postmodern storytelling has swapped real villains for misunderstood ones, with Tolkien's Gollum and Avatar's Azula offered as better models. Sam also explains why so many serious moments in modern films get undercut by a joke, and why Catholics should engage with popular culture intentionally while aiming for quality in their own storytelling.

Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
0:45 Why stories matter
5:02 The problem with message-first storytelling
10:06 Captain Marvel, strength and virtue
17:31 Where did all the villains go?
26:01 Azula and what we lose without real villains
31:16 Gollum and the point of no return
35:51 Why modern films joke through serious moments
41:26 Should Catholics engage with popular culture?
52:26 The future of Catholic storytelling

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The David Hahn Show

The David Hahn Show brings you the week's biggest Catholic news and commentary from The Catholic Herald, from Vatican intrigue to Church life around the world.

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Hosted by: David Hahn
Guest speaker: Sam Roden
Created by: The Catholic Herald
Produced by: Arcadia Digital

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