Museums are weird, or so says Danielle. In fact, she thinks that they are glaring evidence of the racist imperialist history of the West, and because of that, she finds it hard to find the serenity and aesthetic transcendence that we have all been trained to expect there. José thinks that we have a chance to define ourselves and connect with others by engaging (quietly, please!) with these very same objects. They fight it out.
Read MoreJosé thinks all television shows are bad because they share in two fatal flaws: the problem of overlapping narrative arcs and the limitation of outsider influence. After going back-and-forth, Danielle argues that newer television shows successfully manage these limitations, and José agrees to watch suggested shows and report back in a future episode.
Read MoreDo morally bad artists always make bad art? Should knowing that an artist drugged and raped women (Cosby), married his semi-teenage step-daughter (Allen), or killed several million Jews (Hitler) change how judge their art? José claims that the artist can never be separated from the art, while Danielle wonders if the art and artist should be judged independently.
Read MoreIs it ok to laugh at racist jokes? Does it make you racist? Does it matter who is telling the joke? José tries to stake a position between calling out racist jokes as harmful, and not becoming so politically correct that we take ourselves too seriously. Also, Danielle and José each tell—and laugh at—some racist jokes.
Read MoreSuppose you were visiting your favorite work of art at a museum and came to discover that you had been admiring a replica. How would you feel? We tackle the question: Why do we want the real thing? What makes the original special and why do we feel the strong desire to be near it? We suggest that perhaps the answer is not really about the thing itself at all.
Read MoreThrough the examples of The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, and 10 Things I Hate About You, José argues that teen movies are important cultural artifacts that show us how to view the world with complexity, nuance, and depth—qualities that will allow us to have better conversations with those with whom we disagree. Danielle loves teen movies, but she’s not sure she buys it.
Read MoreJosé fears that dance is on its deathbed! Is social dancing on the decline? And if so, what do we lose if it dies? Danielle and José suggest that losing dance means losing opportunities for mastery over our bodies, as well as communication and coordination with others in a playful and non-verbal way. Dance is both related to but different from both sports and sex, and we can feel self-conscious about it in a way that we don’t with those other forms of bodily expression. We end, as always, by talking about what we’ve been thinking about since our last show.
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