Matt D’Elia Is Confused

Latest Episodes:

Boys State & Election Day Aug 20, 2020

Show notes

In this solo episode Matt covers the award-winning documentary BOYS STATE, dives into his feelings about it, and breaks down why he was so deeply disturbed by what it says about politics and young people in this country today. He then gets into a few other things, including but not limited to: corporations pretending to be woke just to sell their dumb shit, Instagram’s new ‘Reels’ feature, absolutely insane 2020 congressional candidates (like Laura Loomer), and his deep confusion about why Election Day is not a national holiday but some shitty days (like Columbus Day) still are.

Hypocrisy & Hot Takes Aug 15, 2020

Show notes

Matt dedicates this shorter-than-usual solo episode almost entirely to one topic: the prevalence of extreme and immediate ‘hot takes’, why he is overwhelmed by them, the hypocrisy they breed, and what he thinks is a better reaction to each and every news story than just shooting off a knee-jerk ‘opinion’ about it. He also talks briefly about the sudden presence of the bubonic plague (yes, really) in both China and the good ol’ US of A.

Robert P. Jones | White Too Long Aug 13, 2020

Show notes

NEW GUEST! Robert P. Jones, founder of PRRI (the Public Religious Research Institute) was kind enough to come on the show to discuss his new book— ‘White Too Long: The Legacy Of White Supremacy in American Christianity’. Matt picks Robert’s brain about how scripture has long been used by both white supremacists and American Christians as a defense of (and not as a deterrent to) abhorrent behavior, how they have historically rationalized that abhorrent behavior, the massive contradictions within the modern Christian community that continue to aid its avoidance of serious reflection or moral inquiry, the surprising truth about the many confederate monuments still standing around the country (there are 1750 of them!), and the various potential futures (both hopeful and not-so-hopeful) of the enduring ‘unholy alliance’ between American Christianity and white supremacy. Also, Matt finally gets to the bottom of why white Christians insist Jesus was white even though he absolutely was definitely 100% not white at all and that’s completely obvious to anyone who thinks about it for even one tiny shred of one measly second.

China & ‘The Net’ Aug 07, 2020

Show notes

Matt opens this week’s episode by discussing the 1995 film, THE NET, its portrayal of the early days / perceived dangers of the internet, the unfortunate fact that we ever called the internet ‘the net’ in the first place, what the internet was like back then in general, how it has changed, and how it has changed us— then he gets into a wide range of topics, including but not limited to: UFOs and their potential existence, China’s terrifying brand of totalitarianism and why it’s not talked about enough, and the one simple thing Joe Biden needs to do to win the upcoming election… which is this: to immediately stop saying really stupid things.

Confusion & ‘The Penis Master’ Jul 31, 2020

Show notes

In this solo episode, Matt discusses the state of confusion we are all presently living through, the importance of speaking plainly, the Barbie vs. Donald Trump Jr. ‘Twitter war’, the problem with politicizing children in any way for any reason— and although he was going to discuss China and its extremely fucked up brand of totalitarianism, something else comes up (in real time) that grabs Matt’s attention and must be addressed ASAP: the English man whose penis fell off, and the so-called ‘Penis Master’ doctor who put it back... on his forearm. Enjoy!

Sports & Money Jul 25, 2020

Show notes

In this solo episode Matt discusses a wide range of topics, including but not limited to: the surreal return of professional sports in the time of Covid-19, the stupid uproar in response to athletes taking a knee during the national anthem, the difficulty but ultimate importance of keeping an open mind at a time when we all so desperately seek certainty, Twitter’s questionable plans to combat QAnon, the fast-approaching eviction crisis we are on the precipice of facing— and the necessity of one very obvious solution to that crisis, despite its enormous cost and whatever other problems it may lead to down the road.

Religion & Sociopaths Jul 17, 2020

Show notes

In this solo episode Matt discusses the various types of terrible governors across the country and their astoundingly bad leadership during the coronavirus pandemic, the QAnon conspiracy theory and why it’s here to stay, the future of religion in an increasingly secular world, the dumb as hell ‘Goya Foods’ controversy and why everyone caught up in it is equally dumb as hell— and, finally, Matt gives an update on Kanye West’s presidential bid. (Hint: it’s over.)

TikTok & Kanye West Jul 09, 2020

Show notes

New solo episode! This time Matt talks the upcoming presidential election, Kanye West’s unbelievably depressing entry into what was already an unbelievably depressing election season, the perils of TikTok, the importance of privacy even if you feel like you have nothing to hide, why young and old and middle-aged people all deserve equal amounts of vitriol and — of course — the fast-spreading coronavirus, Donald Trump’s epic mishandling of it, and the infuriatingly careless way teenagers are behaving in the face of this pandemic.

Ret. Sgt. Carl Tennenbaum, SFPD | America’s Failed War On Drugs Jul 04, 2020

Show notes

Matt’s back for a 4th of July Extravaganza— two episodes, two guests, two stories to tell about America. First up is Carl Tennenbaum, a former sergeant of the San Francisco Police Department who is now a member of ‘LEAP’ (Law Enforcement Action Partnership). Matt and Carl discuss Carl’s time as a narcotics officer amid the ‘crack cocaine epidemic’ of the 1980s, how that experience changed and shaped his feelings about his work, what inspired Carl to become an outspoken advocate for the legalization of drugs (yes, all drugs), and the many existing successful models around the world for said legalization. From there they get into the endless moral, legal, and sociopolitical failures of America’s ‘war on drugs’, its undeniably racist roots, the ongoing plague of police brutality against Black Americans, the disturbing militarization of the modern police force, the far-reaching tentacles of systemic racism within the justice system, how laziness and bureaucracy entrench that racism even deeper, and why the common ‘few bad apples’ excuse for violent officers actually makes no sense at all.

Katherine Stewart | Christian Nationalism in America Jul 04, 2020

Show notes

Matt’s back for a 4th of July Extravaganza— two episodes, two guests, two stories to tell about America. This episode’s guest is Katherine Stewart, an op-ed writer for the New York Times and the author of a very important new book called ‘The Power Worshippers: Inside The Dangerous Rise of Religious Nationalism’. Katherine lets Matt in on the insidious agenda of a peculiar subsection of the American Far Right — Christian Nationalists — and their attempts to dissolve the separation of church and state in the United States, the cynicism and hypocrisy they display while going about that dissolution, the various ways they obfuscate their modes of operation for maximum effect, how they have worked their way into the public school system, the reasons they strategically choose which culture war battles to fight and which to leave alone— and how their seemingly unlikely embrace of Presidential candidate Donald Trump actually made, and continues to make, perfect sense.

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