
179: Stuart Halls Encoding/Decoding and Breaking Bad as Full House meets Spaghetti Western (Madeline Grace)
From The Dr. Junkie Show by Benjamin Boyce
March 25, 2026 · 45 min · Season 1 · Episode 179
About this episode
The episode discusses Stuart Hall's encoding/decoding theory in relation to Breaking Bad and various themes surrounding addiction and patriarchy.
On this episode I introduce Stuart Hall's theory of encoding/decoding in media, and Maddy and I talk about Breaking Bad, black tar versus "China White" heroin, geographical differences in drug use, the truth of addiction versus the spectacle, patriarchy and how Breaking Bad's Walt becomes the most toxic version of it possible, and lots more. Support the show
People in this episode
Host: Benjamin Boyce
Guest: Madeline Grace
Topics covered
- media theory
- addiction
- drug use
- patriarchy
- Breaking Bad
- cultural analysis
Keywords
- Stuart Hall
- encoding/decoding
- Breaking Bad
- addiction
- patriarchy
- drug use
- media theory
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Stuart Hall
Books & works: Breaking Bad, Full House, Spaghetti Western
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