So I’ve done my first podcast. Not sure if that was a bucket list thing but it’s happened. My friend Ashley started a podcast and I was invited to guest on the second episode, where we discuss the Wendy Davis filibuster in Texas, the new political paradigm in zombie mythology as seen in the new World War Z movie, and the surprising success of The Heat at this past weekend’s box office and whether it affects the conventional wisdom about the bankability of female-skewing projects:
This will be slightly edited down to a likely 70-minute episode that will be on iTunes and similiar platforms in a few days. I am still struggling to believe anyone will want to listen to my rambling for anything approaching that length of time.
Self-criticism – this reminds me of why I generally refrain from blogging/Facebooking/anything-ing about hot-button political issues. I have lots of very conservative friends and family members, and I don’t like falling into the role of “smug liberal” because a) I don’t think any one party or end of the political spectrum adequately represents me right now, and b) I can sympathize with how annoying my conservative friends find it, and I think I let myself get lured into that framework a few times in the Wendy Davis segment.
I honestly don’t want to sign up for the us vs. them war which colors every political conversation that happens in this country right now; not only because I think it’s damaging to our social fabric but because I think if you’re going to wade into it you’ve got to be ready to commit a lot of time and research to the fight because people will come after you, and I’m just not interested in using my time that way and I’m frankly very willing to find out that my beliefs could be total bullshit. I think there’s way, way too much certainty in our politics; and as I said about people on SportsCenter, I don’t like playing the predictions game and the same applies to being so sure I’m on the side of the good guys.
I had a lot more fun in the zombies and Heat segments. JT and I had never met nor spoken but we got along great, and Ashley is her usual brainy and proud self and I’m glad she’s doing this because it suits her abilities. Maybe I’ll show up on future episodes – we’ll see.
I’m also kicking myself because I didn’t plug Squaresville. It’s looking like the second of my three on-camera apperances will be in this Friday’s episode. Oh, what horrors await…