Axis Conversations

Argentina is back in the World Cup final, the MLB's All-Star competitions had some hiccups, and everyone online is auditioning for their Netflix documentary debut.
Resource of the Week: The Conversation Starter - Where'd All the Tweens Go?
In Other News:
A parasite that causes extreme digestive upset is maybe the meme of the week (alongside Netflix documentaries). It certainly doesn't help that it's possibly connected to Taco Bell. Christopher Nolan's film The Odyssey is out in theaters this weekend. We'll write more about it next week, but for now, the R-rated take on Homer's epic poem is reviewing quite well with critics and audiences. Letterboxd has opened itself (paywall) to being purchased. It's Gen Z's movie review app of choice, and considering how Gen Z showed up to theaters this year, it's pretty valuable to buyers like Netflix and Sony to understand the preferences of young people. Meta rolled out a "feature" that effectively lets you use their AI tools to deepfake users with public accounts. It was promptly rolled back after the internet (rightly) freaked out. Assassin's Creed is back? Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced (a remake of Assassin's Creed Black Flag) sold 2 million copies in its first day.
🎧 Listen / Follow / Connect
→ Become a monthly donor today, join the Table.
→ Check out the podcast now on our YouTube Channel!
→ Get your question on Ask Axis! Send in your questions to ask@axis.org.
→ For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.

"We have been having some difficult and sometimes awkward conversations with our 17 yo old son about sax and masturbation. Along those lines, we've become intensely aware of the quantity of movies and shows with any kind of kissing, romantic or sex scenes. How do you draw boundaries and live in our sex saturated culture? Don't ever watch anything? Get filters and Vid Angel? Fast forward scenes? Just watch whatever and talk a lot? And how does that work when the dialogue seems one-sided? This feels so hard and confusing as a Christian, where do we go from here?" - Orange Worm
🎧 Listen / Follow / Connect
→ Become a monthly donor today, join the Table.
→ Check out the podcast now on our YouTube Channel!
→ Get your question on Ask Axis! Send in your questions to ask@axis.org.
→ For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.

→ The podcast has a new YouTube Channel! @axisconversationspodcast
Three Big Conversations:
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce got married in a garden in The Garden - 08:04
So-called "butter moms" are setting the vibe for a deep-fried summer - 19:00
New data from CIY and Barna gives us insight into how Christian teens are using AI. - 32:20
Slang of the Week: "NPC" - 00:56
In Other News:- 48:00
The round of 16 is officially wrapped in the 2026 World Cup, with all three host countries (Canada, Mexico, and the US) failing to continue. Another notable casualty is Portugal, with global superstar Cristiano Ronaldo saying goodbye to World Cup competition. Building on the trend of hosting in-person experiences, Charli xcx has announced official listening parties, hosted around the world, for her July 24th album, titled Music, Fashion, Film. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has invited 529 new members, perhaps as an attempt to regain relevance with the rising generation. The new Oscar voters will include Gen Z notables like Jacob Elordi, Jenna Ortega, and Mia Goth. The video game industry continues to be volatile, as Xbox announced this week that they're laying off almost 5,000 employees and "resetting Xbox." While perhaps not indicative of all, trends where young people reject modern "big tech" continue to rise in popularity, like the "Luddite Festival" that took place in New York City last week.
🎧 Listen / Follow / Connect
→ Become a monthly donor today, join the Table.
→ Check out the podcast now on our YouTube Channel!
→ Get your question on Ask Axis! Send in your questions to ask@axis.org.
→ For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce got married in a garden in The Garden, so-called "butter moms" are setting the vibe for a deep-fried summer, and new data from CIY and Barna gives us insight into how Christian teens are using AI.
Slang of the Week: "NPC"
In Other News:
The round of 16 is officially wrapped in the 2026 World Cup, with all three host countries (Canada, Mexico, and the US) failing to continue. Another notable casualty is Portugal, with global superstar Cristiano Ronaldo saying goodbye to World Cup competition. Building on the trend of hosting in-person experiences, Charli xcx has announced official listening parties, hosted around the world, for her July 24th album, titled Music, Fashion, Film. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has invited 529 new members, perhaps as an attempt to regain relevance with the rising generation. The new Oscar voters will include Gen Z notables like Jacob Elordi, Jenna Ortega, and Mia Goth. The video game industry continues to be volatile, as Xbox announced this week that they're laying off almost 5,000 employees and "resetting Xbox." While perhaps not indicative of all, trends where young people reject modern "big tech" continue to rise in popularity, like the "Luddite Festival" that took place in New York City last week.
🎧 Listen / Follow / Connect
→ Become a monthly donor today, join the Table.
→ Check out the podcast now on our YouTube Channel!
→ Get your question on Ask Axis! Send in your questions to ask@axis.org.
→ For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.

Rob Stennett is a graduate of UCLA film school, filmmaker, novelist, and content creator. His work has been recognized with ADDYs for writing and directing. He won the Denver Film Race for best writing, and a SILVER TELLY at the Telly Awards for a feature documentary he wrote and directed. He's created story and video content for brands, churches, and nonprofits all over the world including National Geographic, Compassion International, One Chapel, New Life Church, DISH Network, MLB, Formula 1, and the Discovery Channel, and is also the Owner & Lead Creative of Storyize, and the co-host of the podcast Meaning of the Movie. 
→ Click to check out Storyize
→ Click to check out The Meaning of the Movie podcast
 
🎧 Listen / Follow / Connect
→ This podcast is entirely Q&A based! Send in your questions to ask@axis.org.
→ Become a monthly donor today, join the Table.
→ Check out the podcast now on our YouTube Channel!
→ Get your question on Ask Axis! Send in your questions to ask@axis.org.
→ For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.