Like the best shows for kids or adults, Avatar assumes we have the patience to get involved with its characters as human beings, not just action figures.

Brian and Spencer discuss albums by Sleigh Bells, The National, and The Black Keys, and the novels Matterhorn and A Game of Thrones (Song of Ice & Fire vol 1). Also, the shows they’re keeping busy with this summer (Avatar: The Last Airbender and Daria) and the stupid movies they’re not seeing.

‘A Serious Man’ trailer, ‘I Am So Proud of You’ comes to DVD, season 3 of one of the best shows on TV approaches, and new games and comics featuring our favorite superhero.

Tell us your favorite The State moment, and you could win a DVD prize pack worth literally tens of dollars.

Between breaks for holidays and vacations, a brief return with notes on Patton Oswalt in ‘Big Fan’, ‘The State’ on DVD, Chan-wook Park’s ‘Thirst’, New Flaming Lips, and ‘Modern Warfare 2′ (with goggles?).

How marketers turned the idea of a target audience back on themselves, creating a unique feedback loop whose reverberations may be partly responsible for the show’s success.