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Space the Nation — Arts
Space the Nation

On Space the Nation, we take our love of science fiction (and fantasy and horror) and smash it together with our professional passions: international relations (as brought to the table by Tufts University professor and Washington Post columnist Dan Drezner) and cultural criticism (as brought to the table by political columnist Ana Marie Cox). It’s a highly informed but hilarious conversation that starts with an examination of a particular text (everything from Ursula K. LeGuin to the MCU, Star Trek to Colson Whitehead) and veers into current events, mental health practices and imagined conversations between Ted Cruz and the Predator. For people who like white papers and graphic novels, Chapo Trap House and what Political Science Twitter used to be.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Copyright: © Space the Nation

Latest Episodes:

S3E17: YELLOWJACKETS (S2 E1-4) May 08, 2023

Show notes

Ana and Dan don their heliotrope garb to get granular with our favorite exploration of Gen X nihilism (and Gen X music). Dan loves the idea that nothing is necessarily supernatural; Ana has counterintuitive theories about the Antler Queen. What's going on with Walter? Could Lottie be one of those rare good cult leaders? Ben, is he what's for dinner?

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S3E16: THE ROCK May 01, 2023

Show notes

Ana and Dan finally get guns -- and wet suits -- and make their way to the final stop in the Passion of the Bay, The Rock. Nic Cage is relatively toned down, Sean Connery is exquisitely arch, and there are enough great character actors in this movie to fill out multiple Law & Order seasons. It's fun and only moderately absurd and contains the least amount of product placement you'll ever see in a Michael Bay film! We break down the IR, discuss the theology of craft vs. capitalism, and determine that the real Baypril was the friends we made along the way.

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S3E15: TRANSFORMERS Apr 24, 2023

Show notes

Ana and Dan ignore the boombox in the background -- is that anything but normal? What exactly is the "more" in "more than meets the eye?" Did Michael Bay know that this franchise would take up over a decade of his life? Did we know that this franchise would wind up taking up over a decade of our lives? What is John Turturro doing in this movie? Will someone tell Megan Fox she needs a pair of pants to go with that belt she's wearing around her hips? There's IR in this movie, and capitalism too, oh boy.

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S3E14: THE ISLAND Apr 16, 2023

Show notes

Ana and Dan put on their dystopian-edition Pumas and charm some bacon out of the lunch lady to sit back and enjoy this particularly beautiful BAYPRIL entry about how people should take better care of their clones. (SPOILER ALERT?) How does this project make money selling clones for $5m a pop? Elon could have bought 8000 clones rather than Twitter -- and wouldn't he be happier? Wouldn't it be easier to grow replacement organs rather than a whole human? Who wants to be the official shoe of a eugenics-driven dystopia, anyway? The movie does have some IR, but the capitalist system does not get much critique.

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S3E13: ARMAGEDDON Apr 10, 2023

Show notes

Ana and Dan start training to go into space because a roundtable discussion is hurtling toward Earth and you can't train astronauts to podcast! You've got to train podcasters as astronauts! Are we making a mistake by kicking off Baypril with the movie that might be the most perfect expression of Michael Bay's vision? There is IR in this movie, as well as capitalism, lots and lots of capitalism.

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S3E12: PROSPECT Apr 03, 2023

Show notes

Ana and Dan head into The Green for this textured and rambling indie neo-Western, starring Pedro Pascal as a reluctant father figure -- and what do you know, he's pretty good and maybe should do more of those roles. Sophie Thatcher more than holds her own as the preteen in over her head and there's not that much more to the movie. IR? Sure, there's some! Critique of capitalism? That's the Fringe, girl.

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S3E11: THE CORE Mar 27, 2023

Show notes

Ana and Dan ask their graduate students to find "weird news" on the Internet and toss the scientific method aside to examine this not-quite-good bad movie. The script is as bad as the science, but the acting is... not so bad! Why were their "earth suits" on the ship, when they didn't know they'd have to leave it? What part of Professor Keyes' brain was removed so that he didn't realize he was extremely tasty? What were Hillary Swank's Oscars doing while she did not act in this film? There is IR and a critique of capitalism in this movie.

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S3E10: THE LAST OF US Mar 20, 2023

Show notes

Ana and Dan dig into some twenty-year-old Chef Boyardee and ponder what they will do for love. Personally, I'd do anything for love, but I won't do that. We liked this show, but quibbles abound! Dan lives ten miles outside Boston, to start. Our expert weighs in as to whether it's "really" a zombie show. Thirst for Pedro is real. There is IR and kind of a critique of capitalism in this show.

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S3E10: MY SOUL TO KEEP Mar 13, 2023

Show notes

Dan and Ana oppose pointless animal torture, but let's move on. Octavia Butler and Stephen King, friends of the pod, blurbed this book, so how could we not like it? And yet. A history's least competent immortal manipulates his child, abuses his wife, and commits murders as unnecessary as they are bloody. Just a really, really stupid immortal. There's some IR and I guess a critique of capitalism.

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S3E9: NOPE Mar 06, 2023

Show notes

Ana and Dan will not look it in the eye but will take a look at this gorgeous, layered, and maybe too-smart-for-its-own-good film from Jordan Peele. When a movie makes you think, "Man, I bet there are some good essays about this," while you're watching it, is that a good or bad thing? How many ways can you signal that the movie is about the making of movies? There is not a whooolllle lot of IR in this film but would it be possible to ignore its critique of capitalism? Nope.

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