[Air-L] Here's an Idea… PBSIdeaChannel represents a new form of the academy

(For those that haven't seen the videos… http://www.youtube.com/user/pbsideachannel?feature=watch) I've been a huge fan of Mike Rugnetta's work in this space and I was planning writing a piece on how this series opens up theory in a way that is accessible to a larger audience. However, my worry is that the information being presented is too close to the "Freakonomics"/"Tipping Point" field. My question to the AoIR hive mind is does this presentation of information represent a new method of scholarship combining social theory with popular culture?