Colm Meaney: A Union Man I wanted to find a picture of Colm Meaney on the SAG AFTRA picket line and make a “more than a hero, a union man” meme but I guess I didn’t know he lives in Ireland. Anyway. This article is fascinating.
Of course the biggest stories of the year in the USA have been the overturning of Roe vs Wade and Elon Musk’s absolute disaster takeover of Twitter. Here’s some stories you might have missed:
Watch the Air
Adam’s essay about how we can do more to prevent respiratory viruses. We don’t have to accept either total lockdown or hundreds of deaths per week
This year I had the delight of watching the first season of Strange New Worlds on Paramount Plus which I believe had the best first season of any Star Trek show. It was near perfect if not perfect. The show combines the best parts of the TOS aesthetic with an updated sensibility and while you don’t have to have seen Star Trek before to enjoy it, if you are a Trekkie there are a million Easter eggs. The framing is brilliant and Pike is quickly becoming my favorite Captain (I said it!)
The Hulu original Welcome to Chippendales starring Kumail Nanjiani is just fantastic television. There was a lot more sleaze going on behind the scenes of the 80’s male revue than I ever knew. The 80’s fashion and decor is a fun, and the acting is superb. Ultimately the show is about the idea of “The American Dream” and how it succeeds and fails to live up to expectations. (Technically the series finale is next week but even not having seen it I still strongly recommend it.)
Movies
Of course I loved Glass Onion and join the rest of the internet in being smitten with Benoit Blanc. It’s the kind of fun popcorn movie I wish they’d make more of, and now that it’s a franchise I may get my wish.
I am still thinking about Don’t Worry Darling as an updated version of The Stepford Wives and the movie has a lot to say about feminism and misogyny, suburban capitalism, the façade of gender and online radicalization. I’m still chuckling over the fact that when asked about how he felt about being the inspiration for the movie’s villain/cult leader, Jordan Peterson was like “Well Chris Pine is hot so…” Adam wrote a review here.
The Lost City was a cute comedy and I will watch anything where Daniel Radcliffe chews the scenery (Including the Weird Al Movie) but together with Don’t Worry Darling I think there’s a trend of “non remake remakes.” As The Lost City is so much like Romancing The Stone without being a remake in name. It’s an interesting way to revisit the magic of a past story without all the fan pressure that comes with an announced remake.
I had to watch Clerks 3 and I would recommend it to anyone who was a Kevin Smith fan in their youth. The trilogy wraps in a touching story about facing mortality in midlife. There were a few laughs that came with the many references to previous movies (and the Clerks cartoon show!)
South to America: A Journey Below the Mason Dixon to Understand the Soul of a Nation by Imani Perry
My UU congregation read this one and there was a lot to discuss. Perry looks at the American South and its various meanings and definitions. Race and history are intertwined with geography and culture.
Fight Like Hell: The Untold History of American Labor by Kim Kelly
I grew up in a union household and this subject is near and dear to my heart. Organizers and workers who were women, queer or people of color have been in the United States since its founding. Although sometimes these groups allowed themselves to be pitted against each other – there are also inspiring stories of solidarity and courage. This is the stuff they didn’t teach you in school and its easy to see why.
Ways of Being: Beyond Human Intelligence. Animals, Plants, Machines: The Search for Planetary Intelligence by James Bridle
This book is trippy and I wouldn’t have picked it up if I’d never heard Contrapoints explain the gist of Ways of Seeing in order to understand the reference. And while I thought this was a scientific exploration of intelligence artificial and “natural” it’s more a book about philosophy and challenges the reader to think about these concepts in different ways. It reminds me a lot of How To Do Nothing and I will be rereading it again very soon to get more out of it.
Podcasts
Sold A Story This is a must listen to for parents and anyone who cares about children and education. About 20 years ago the way we started to teach reading in America changed for the worse. The deficits of the pandemic are nothing compared to the injustice we have done by ignoring everything we knew about reading.
Ghost Church I will listen to anything by Jamie Loftus and while I am not a believer in ghosts even after listing to this entire thing I think it’s worth a listen to understand the history of American spiritualism, a fascinating subject. If you only have time for one, listen to episode 8, which explains Ectoplasm. Trust me.
Videos
The Weird World of Tucker Carlson Originals by Jose
Lee Zeldin supporters on election night
Zeldin Supporters react, some cry as race is called by many TV stations for NY Governor Kathy Hochul as the winner.
Election event night for Zeldin at Cipriani in Midtown is still ongoing, while about half of people left, Zeldin has not yet spoken. pic.twitter.com/i7pOd7SbwF
CHAT GPT
Everyone is posting their experiments with the chatbot that will change the world. And I need you to see this. I was literally screaming as I watch it type this. I’m impressed.
Elizabeth and Karen interview History Professor Paul Renfro about his book “Stranger Danger: Family Values, Childhood, and the American Carceral State.”
This episode continues our discussion into the panic over child trafficking stirred up by QAnon and how it relates to the Satanic Panic of the 80’s.
Karen and Elizabeth interview Kiera Butler, Senior editor and public health reporter at Mother Jones magazine about how QAnon targets women, especially mothers of small children. Is this a repeat of Stranger Danger and 80’s style Satanic Panic?
Elizabeth and Karen read Jordan Peterson’s resignation latter from the University of Toronto and discuss his ideology, implicit bias, post modernism, and the philosophy of Vladamir Putin.
Pikmin Bloom – a walking app that has gotten me moving even when the weather is terrible.
Growbot – new game about robots in a garden under attack on an abandoned space station. The art is exquisite and combined with the relaxing soundtrack and challenging puzzle games make this just a joy to play.
Television
Masters of the Universe Revelation on Netflix – Kevin Smith created a real treat here, especially for 70’s and 80’s babies and I wouldn’t have checked it out if misogynists hadn’t lost their minds over it on the internet. Engagting story, beautiful animation and Mark Hamill is hilarious as Skeletor.
If you like Doctor Who but haven’t caught up on Fluxx, I highly recommend it. It’s not like anything they’ve done before (even if it might seem like you’re about to be Moffatted.) There’s a million story lines and I won’t spoil them except to say they do resolve satisfactorily and I loved it.
Hitmen Season 2 – Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins return as, well Hitmen in this hilarious show avilable on Peacock in the USA. To be honest I thought season one was somewhat better, but both are worth a watch.
Movies
Haven’t seen many current films this year, but I can recommend The Suicide Squad and Renon 911!: The Hunt for QAnon. Let me know what you think if you’ve seen them. 😉
I have to recommend “Truth of The Divine” by Lindsay Ellis, the second book in her Noumena series. It’s an alternate history about ailens landing on earth during the mid ’00s and the havoc that is wrecks on their interpreter, the early 20’s estranged daughter of a Julian Assange like figure. The first book (Axiom’s End) is a fun sci-fi adventure book and the second absolutley destroyed me. It’s a good story but I am also amazed at how deeply it made me feel.
Also highly recommended is the graphic novel “The Secret to Super-Human Strength” by Alison Bechdel. This book is often marketed as “one woman’s lifelong journey with fitness” but it is so much more than that. It’s a deeply spiritual book that looks at the mind/body connection from both a pratical and philosophical level.
Elizabeth welcomed Jaslin Kaur back to the show to talk about the Taxi Workers Alliance hunger strike and victory, NYC politics and organizing for the future.
