Persuasion

Latest Episodes:

Episode 180 | A Die Hard Christmas Dec 17, 2019

Show notes

Every holiday season, a heated debate renews over the validity of calling the 1988 movie Die Hard a “Christmas movie.” The action-thriller is about a terrorist plot that takes place on Christmas Eve and is foiled by its hero, played by Bruce Willis. Technically, since the story takes place on Christmas Eve, it is a Christmas movie. The pushback is that it doesn’t have the typical seasonal elements viewers associate with Christmas: no magical/fantastical North Pole, no Santa and reindeer, no kids or elves. But it does have something threatening Christmas and our notions of peace on earth and goodwill toward men—a threat that takes on a real-world form rather than a magical one.

In this episode of Persuasion, Erin Straza and Hannah Anderson continue their mini-series called A Persuasion Christmas. Each episode features conversation about a specific way pop culture is shaping our mindset and approach to celebrating the season. The first conversation, A Hallmark Christmas, covered our desire for goodness and predictability at Christmas. This installment begins with a discussion about the Christmas Spirit and how we’ve leaned hard into the merry-and-bright aspect of the season, almost to a fault. That’s why the nontraditional Christmas film Die Hard gets so much grief—it forces viewers to see the world for all it is—both good and evil, and evil doesn’t stop just because the calendar says December 25. Erin and Hannah use the Die Hard story to launch discussion about Christmas-like films that present realistic terrors. How does the action-thriller genre depict a more realistic backdrop for the Messiah’s birth? Why do we long to sanitize the nativity scene and the Christmas narrative? When we refuse to acknowledge the very real terror and brokenness in the world today, how does that weaken the rescue Jesus provides? Conversation covers everything from the historical backdrop of Jesus’ birth to the definition of the Christmas Spirit. Listen in for dialogue on topics like these for the Christmas mini-series, then continue the conversation on Twitter @PersuasionCAPC or in the CAPC members-only community on Facebook.

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Episode 179 | A Hallmark Christmas Dec 10, 2019

Show notes

Christmas cards, gift wrap, ornaments, decor—Hallmark certainly has a corner on Christmas. But in the past few years, Hallmark has practically owned the Christmas romance space. Its annual Countdown to Christmas begins in late October, when a new film rolls out each day for 40 days and previously released films play 24/7. Hallmark Christmas movies are extremely popular to watch—and to mock for their formulaic, saccharine-sweet plot lines. Even fans readily admit the stories are predictable. But is that all bad?

In this episode of Persuasion, Erin Straza and Hannah Anderson start a new mini-series called A Persuasion Christmas. Each episode will feature conversation about a specific way pop culture is shaping our mindset and approach to celebrating Christmas. This first discussion focuses on the heavy influence of Hallmark-type movies upon those who love them and those who love to hate them. How might such predictable stories point us to all that’s good and true and beautiful? Are such movies only an escape from a world desperate for something deep? Is it possible that these movies might actually strip us of cynicism if we allow them to? Conversation covers everything from Hallmark’s formula for success with its presumed audience and the possibility that Hallmark might be the spiritual director we need right now. Listen in for dialogue on topics like these in the kick off for this Christmas mini-series, then continue the conversation on Twitter @PersuasionCAPC or in the CAPC members-only community on Facebook.

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Episode 178 | Processing Creative Tensions Nov 20, 2019

Show notes

Pursuing the creative life in the digital age offers plenty of new opportunities and its fair share of challenges. The ease with which digital platforms allow us to reach our audience and share our work breaks down entry barriers that used to keep creators and makers isolated and unnoticed. But that easy access goes both ways—artists are now forced to install security measures for personal safety and carve out quiet spaces for proper development of their craft

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Episode 177 | Processing Reach & Impact, with Erik Lokkesmoe Nov 13, 2019

Show notes

A common struggle among artists of every genre is finding a way to connect their work with the a wider audience. Finding a way to increase reach and impact is often associated with knowing the right people and having enough funding… and neither of these are a given, even for the most talented creatives among us. The digital age gives us greater access to markets and outlets, but that doesn’t mean the right people will find us or take notice.

In this episode of Persuasion, Erin Straza and Hannah Anderson continue their series called The Creative Process by inviting Erik Lokkesmoe to a conversation about marketing reach and impact in creative work. Erik’s passion for spreading great stories and finding ways to promote good storytellers led him to launch Aspiration Entertainment, a marketing company that has worked on many films including Won’t You Be My Neighbor? Silence, and First Reformed. Because Erik has a knack for improving the reach and impact of good work, we’ve invited him to share ideas for being good stewards of the work we produce. Conversation covers everything from a theology of marketing to abandoning the transactional nature of our work. Listen in for dialogue on issues like these as we process the role of reach and impact in the creative process, then continue the conversation on Twitter @PersuasionCAPC or in the CAPC members-only community on Facebook.

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Episode 176 | Processing Productivity, with Mike Cosper Nov 05, 2019

Show notes

In this episode of Persuasion, Erin Straza and Hannah Anderson continue their series called The Creative Process by inviting Mike Cosper to a conversation about productivity in creative work. Mike is a writer, speaker, and podcaster who has been quite successful in producing a body of work (and organizations). His productivity has been steady over the years, leaving many wondering how he’s gotten it done. Since many artists struggle to get their ideas from ideation to completion, we wanted Mike’s insigh

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Episode 173 | Processing Art's Temporal Nature, with Kendall Vanderslice Oct 08, 2019

Show notes

Erin and Hannah continue their new series called The Creative Process by inviting baker and theologian (and Christ and Pop Culture staff writer!) Kendall Vanderslice to a conversation about art’s temporal nature. Kendall shares about her work that is made only to be consumed and how she frames the temporal nature of her work. Such constraints are important in today’s world, as we all are creating work that is in some sense “consumed” and temporary.

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Episode 171 | The Creative Process Sep 24, 2019

Show notes

In this episode of Persuasion, Erin Straza and Hannah Anderson kick off a new series called The Creative Process, exploring how the emergence of the gig economy is shaping our creative pursuits. For example, digital platforms allow anyone to become someone through the power of social media. This access is wonderful, but it’s not without it’s disadvantages, especially when we sacrifice quality output to meet platform and audience demands.

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Episode 170 | A Titanic Season Finale Jun 25, 2019

Show notes

In this episode of Persuasion, Erin Straza and Hannah Anderson wrap their Never Seen series with a thorough discussion of Titanic—a film on Hannah’s Never Seen list and one that Erin saw on the big screen almost 22 years ago. They offer gut reactions and hot takes as they peel apart this story that oozes with class divides and stereotypes.

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Episode 169 | Podcasts of Fire Jun 11, 2019

Show notes

Erin and Hannah discuss Chariots of Fire, a film on the Never Seen list for them both. Erin was familiar with the film due to her background in running, while Hannah knew of it from the faith community angle. Both were surprised by its gentle, quiet retelling of two amazingly talented runners vying for Olympic Gold in 1924. Eric Liddell is a Christian whose faith frames his quest as part of his life goal of serving God. Harold Abrahams is Jewish, driven to prove his worth through his running feats.

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Episode 168 | Describing The Breakfast Club Ruckus Jun 04, 2019

Show notes

Erin Straza and Hannah Anderson pack the Persuasion house with two guests to discuss The Breakfast Club: Wade Bearden and Kevin McLenithan, who host the Christ and Pop Culture film podcast Seeing and Believing. Only Erin had seen The Breakfast Club before, so this was a Never Seen for Hannah, Wade, and Kevin.

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