Ep. 90 - Bright Eyed And Bushy Tailed - (Boogie Nights)
Really True Fiction
Big thanks to Graham King for joining me on episode 90! In this episode we chat about the great film Boogie Nights (1997) by Paul Thomas Anderson. In this episode we wrangle with notions of: The essence of Faustian bargain being that you don't even ask for what you really want, and the isolation that comes with not knowing what you want The importance of apologies Exploitation The desire to make something good The state of film and quality films Stigma Plucking knowledge and art from the teeth of taboo and custom Surrogate parental instincts Flattery from insecurity Great films giving...
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Bonus - The Hardest Thing To Predict Is The Future - (1984 vs. Brave New World)
Really True Fiction
Welcome to a bonus episode of Really True Fiction. Those with a keen eye will have noticed that our last two episodes were on 1984 and Brave New World. So, for a bonus, Dan and I do a bit of a compare and contrast between them; seeing as they are both very famous and of a similar ouevre. In this bonus episode we talk about: 1984 being a better novel, sociopathic vs. beaurocratic evil, what is a more realistic villainy, the ennui of BNW, 1984 as a society that has actually been achieved in history, media/art/culture portrayals as more accurate in BNW, 1984 as more insightful on the manipulation...
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Ep. 89 - May The Ford Be With You - (Brave New World)
Really True Fiction
Welcome to part two of our double bill on famous dystopia! In this episode Dan Holder and I delve into the 1931 novel Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. While disecting Huxley's vision of a dys(u?)topia, we chat about: How this should've been an essay Is this even dystopia? Boring mantra and cliches; and how they are the death of thought The passing of fads vs art Hedonistic "happiness" Ignorance of what you might want Biological manipulation Side effects of technology External vs Internal reasons for doing things Chestertons fence Scientific "arrogance" The ego when it is asked to...
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Ep. 88 - Hegel's Wet Dream - (1984)
Really True Fiction
In this episode my friend Dan Holder and I dive into maybe the most referenced/least read book ever: 1984. In this episode we chat about Orwell's favourite pub, paying attention to the little things in life and how thought crime makes us lose those things, how Winston is attracted to all the little things that will get him in trouble with the Party, post truth and how word manipulation unmoors us from ourselves, how Totalitarianism gets right to the deepest part of being human, class structure, joining in on a mass feeling, and how the mind must be destroyed and re-made for true tyranny to...
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Ep. 87 - Taming The Darkness Within - (Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows)
Really True Fiction
Finally, we made it. I was very grateful to once again be joined by Dan Holder, Lydia Rollinson and Graham King to finish off the Harry Potter books. In this last instalment of the series we talk about: Students becoming more excellent than their teachers, changing your opinion of someone because they can change, believing in the cause, accepting help from others, leaving your safe havens for the bigger world, not hurting those who don't deserve it, being an inspiring figure, how emotions can blind you to other things that are going on, Voldemort's downfall being Harry's strengths, how tyranny...
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Ep. 86 - That's Totally My Book - (Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince)
Really True Fiction
Welcome to the first foursome for Really True Fiction! A big thanks to Dan, Lydia and Graham for joining me to chat about the (best?) sixth Harry Potter book. In our conversation we cover such ground as: Relationships as status vs feeling, the monster in the chest, Ginny's subtle art of not giving a fuck, being blinded by bias, humanized villains, evil downstream of fear, what happens when you refuse a tyrant, Malfoy starting in pride, standing up to optics and propaganda, scapegoating, solving problems as the actual best form of PR, navigating popularity, navigating management, Dumbledore's...
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Ep. 85 - Kafka's Wet Dream - (Harry Potter and The Order Of The Phoenix)
Really True Fiction
Jump on the Hogwart's Express! We are going to back school! I'm very pleased to be joined by Dan Holder (who joined me on the Master and Commander episode) and Lydia Rollinson to talk about the fifth Harry Potter book. It was a total blast to have two Brits on to talk about a very British, as well as very archetypal, story. Talking about Order of the Phoenix we discuss the clash between Harry Potter and Evangelical Christianity in the 90s, avoiding hard problems, anxiety in regards to bureaucracies, Harry's blindspots, what it would be like to see your memories like a movie, adopting...
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Ep. 84 - Spiral Of Uncertainty - (The Orphan Master's Son)
Really True Fiction
For this episode of Really True Fiction I am pleased to have Stuart Kaija and Graham King on as guests to discuss the 2013 novel The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson (winner of the Pulitzer prize). I had never heard of this book before it being introduced to me for this episode and I thorougly enjoyed it. It is, broadly speaking, about the experiences of a young North Korean man through his rise, and fall, and rise again, and fall again in the North Korean's state apparatus. In this episode we discuss how the subconcious does the dirty work, how propaganda is never about the content...
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Ep. 83 - Two Weevils - (Master & Commander)
Really True Fiction
Welcome back! In the first new episode in over a year, I was very happy and enlightened with sit down and chat with my friend Dan Holder. When I asked Dan what story he would be most interested in talking about for RTF he quickly replied Master and Commander. As I learned, Master and Commander is a 20+ book series on the adventures of Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin. As such, we condensed the series down to watching the 2003 film Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World; starring Russell Crowe and Paul Bettany. I absolutely loved this film and can't believe I didn't see it...
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Ep. 82 - What Did I Do? - (The Trial)
Really True Fiction
In this episode we are discussing Franz Kafka's The Trial; written in 1914 but not published until 1925. This is an incredible and seminal work in modern literature and should be read by everyone. In this episode we talk about: - The style of a story that puts the audience in touch with the feelings of a character - If you don't know what you have done wrong than everything comes to mind and it is paralyzing and demoralizing - Bureaucracy as modern tyranny - The importance of trust in society - The bullet or the knife are never relative - Jostling and career maneuvering as the primary reason...
info_outlineHere is the conclusion of my four part series on the book The Open Society And Its Enemies by Karl Popper. This episode finishes up Popper's observations on Marx as well as his general overview on how we should best think about history. In this episode I discuss Popper's thoughts on:
- How upon success revolutionary leaders become the new ruling class - and how there are many different classes; not just two.
- How modern democracies are not what Marx knew as capitalism - political intervention as a less sexy but also less violent reform instead of revolution
- The impoverished conception of Marx's practical program
- Violence ended the exact moment it is not needed is the point of revolution
- The Left Wings ambivalence and ambiguity toward violence is something to be suspicious of - equality or table turning?
- The working class are realists and Marx had a lack of imagination in regards to Capitalism - the world today doesn't mean the world forever
- We can use our thoughts to change our environment - the ethos of The Liberal Soul is about reflection and being able to change your mind
- Honesty is making sure other people know what you mean by your words - traditions need to be analyzed before celebrated
- Rationalism vs Irrationalism
- Equality before the law - not a fact but a political demand based on a moral decision
- One can only learn if you take others seriously
Thank you once again for listening to The Liberal Soul. If you enjoy the podcast please subscribe and leave a rating or review.