The Chauncey DeVega Show

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Ep. 61: All Things "Star Wars" Explained by Mark Clark Oct 30, 2015

Show notes

This week's episode of The Chauncey DeVega Show explores all things Star Wars and Star Wars: The Force Awakens related. Almost 40-years-ago George Lucas created one, if not the, most important film and popular culture universe of the 20th century. In less than two months, the much anticipated sequel to the landmark original Star Wars sequels will debut in December. For the first part of this week's episode of The Chauncey DeVega Show, friend of the podcast, and Star Wars expert Bill the Lizard sits in to share his thoughts about the most recent (and presumably final) trailer for The Force Awakens. Chauncey and Bill the Lizard have chatted about their theories regarding the new film(s), its plot, and shared their hopes and worries about JJ Abram's new Star Wars films on several previous occasions onThe Chauncey DeVega Show. In this final conversation before The Force Awakens, they make some final predictions about the plot,its parallels with A New Hope, work through their feelings about why "Millennials" do not seem to be connecting with the movies, and deconstruct the final trailer. The featured guest on this week's podcast episode features author Mark Clark. Mark is the author of the new book Star Wars FAQ: Everything Left to Know About the Trilogy That Changed the Movies. He has also written books on the Star Trek film and TV universe. Star Wars FAQ: Everything Left to Know About the Trilogy That Changed the Movies is a great book that examines the making of the film, its place in popular culture, and delves deep into the mythologies and mysteries about the iconic franchise. Star Wars FAQ is a wonderful resource for experts as well casual fans of theStar Wars universe. Mark possesses a deep and effortless knowledge about Star Wars and is able to relay his knowledge of the films, their creation, marketing, and hidden history, in a very compelling way. Senior Jedi Knights, Padawans, and casual fans of Star Wars and science fiction/space fantasy will learn a great deal from Mark's book and generous sharing. In this episode of The Chauncey DeVega Show, Chauncey chimes in on the hellish third Republican Presidential Primary Debate, proclaims the greatness of the drink known as the Moscow Mule, talks about his innovations in reheating Middle Eastern food that gives him "the itis", updates folks on his food poisoning experience, calls out Ben Carson's slavery-abortion piss poor pseudo historical allusions, and mocks Christian religious fundamentalists who rob their kids of the joy that is Halloween.

Ep. 60: Douglas McAdam Explains Why American Politics is So Deeply Divided Oct 23, 2015

Show notes

Sociologist Douglas McAdam is the guest on this week's episode of The Chauncey DeVega Show. Dr. McAdam is the author or coauthor of some 85 articles and 18 books such as Freedom Summer and Political Process and the Development of Black Insurgency, 1930-1970. His new book, Deeply Divided: Racial Politics and Social Movements in Postwar America examines race, political polarization, and the rise of the Tea Party movement. Dr. McAdam is also a member of American Academy of Arts and Sciences--what is one of the most prestigious honors in all of the Arts and Letters.

On this week's episode of the podcast, Chauncey and Dr. McAdam talk about the "Black Lives Matter" movement, social movements, resistance in the digital and social media age, the Black Freedom Struggle, the persistence of the color line in the Age of Obama, and the rise of Donald Trump.

Douglas is a very kind, funny, disarming, and great conversation partner at the virtual bar known as The Chauncey DeVega Show.

During this installment of the podcast, Chauncey DeVega shares a story about food poisoning, his subsequent suspicion that he was the target of a voodoo curse, preliminary thoughts on the most recent Star Wars: The Force Awakens movie trailer, gives some advice "Dear Prudence" style about a woman who discovered that her beau practiced bestiality while a teenager, and then shares an online fundraising letter from professional black conservative grifter Ben Carson.

Ep. 59: John Michael Williams Talks Suicide, Life, Hope and "Bridgend" Oct 16, 2015

Show notes

Filmmaker, producer, and singer John Michael Williams is the guest on this week's episode of The Chauncey DeVega Show. This is an expansive conversation that touches on John's recent documentary "Bridgend" about the epidemic of teen suicides in a small town in the United Kingdom, finding one's life vocation, money, success, human strength and human weakness on both sides of the color line, as well as the nuts and bolts of making a documentary film.

It is likely that John Michael Williams was a motivational speaker and counselor in a previous life. He does some great teaching and sharing of life wisdom during the conversation at the virtual bar known as The Chauncey DeVega Show. On this this week's show, Chauncey DeVega talks about his adventures at the local check cashing store and the challenges of being poor in America, talks about the Democratic debate and "Black Lives Matter", and wonders about Hillary Clinton's choice of debate attire. Was it inspired by Star Trek or Babylon 5? Chauncey also gets a bit discombobulated from his lemon lime soda and does a Cornell West impression before reading a bit from a powerful story about America's racist carceral society and how a group of prison inmates defeated the much vaunted Harvard University debate team.

Ep. 58: M. Lamar on Black Masculinity, Sex and being "Negrogothic" Oct 09, 2015

Show notes

Performance artist M. Lamar is the guest on this week's episode of The Chauncey DeVega Show. M. Lamar is a New York city-based composer, musician, performer, multimedia artist, and counter tenor whose work "Negrogothic, a Manifesto" has been featured by The New York Times and the Museum of Modern Art.

M. Lamar is smart, funny, and honest. In this conversation, M. Lamar and Chauncey talk about art, creativity, race, sexuality, the movie Django: Unchained, fetishing the black penis, racial violence, lynching, and a range of other topics.

Chauncey and M. Lamar also share some personal stories about sex and intimate adventures across the color line.

This is a "grown folks" conversation that may not be appropriate for younger listeners.

In this episode of The Chauncey DeVega Show, Chauncey offers some thoughts on the Oregon mass shooting, ammosexuals, and "men's rights" sad and silly souls. Chauncey also cuts a promo on Ben Carson's betrayal of the Black Freedom struggle and the faux Right-wing outrage about Anthea Butler's wondering if Carson is indeed "coon of the year".

And because he can't resist calling out Right-wing dreams of tough guy foolishness and guns, Chauncey also tells (again) his story about his late night street fight with a fiend who wanted to shoot him dead.

In this overstuffed with goodness episode of The Chauncey DeVega Show, there is also some titillating--funny?--bonus content at the end of the podcast.

Ep. 57: Nina Hartley's Wisdom on Sex, Politics, and "Boogie Nights" Oct 01, 2015

Show notes

Nina Hartley is the guest on this week's edition of The Chauncey DeVega Show.

Nina is a legendary adult film actress and sex educator who has starred or performed in more than 650 films since her debut in 1984. She continues to perform, give lectures, and run seminars on sexual health, agency, and spirituality.

She is also a great and enthusiastic conversation partner.

In this conversation, Nina and Chauncey talk about the state of American politics and the psycho-sexual derangement of today's Republican Party, democratic socialism, justice, the Civil Rights and Women's Rights movements, feminism, religion and spirituality, sexual pleasure and health, and her role in the movie Boogie Nights.

On this episode of The Chauncey DeVega Show, Chauncey gives some love and congratulations to 2015 MacArthur Genius Award recipient Ta-Nehisi Coates, talks about Ben Carson's black conservative shuck and buck betrayal of the Black Freedom Struggle, as well as his magical religious delusional thinking. Chauncey also gives an enthusiastic recommendation for the new movie Sicario.

Ep. 56: Gary Brown on Writing Pro Wrestling, Benson and Reality TV Sep 25, 2015

Show notes

Gary Brown is the guest on this week's edition of The Chauncey DeVega Show. Gary is a TV writer, producer, and director who worked on such landmark shows as Benson and 227. Mr. Brown is also a former writer with World Wrestling Entertainment. Chauncey and Gary connected because of the latter's great piece in the L.A. Progressive that detailed how Donald Trump is actually a professional wrestling heel. Given Chauncey's series of essays on politics and professional wrestling, and how Donald Trump is running a reality TV show professional wrestling hustle on the American people, a conversation with Gary was natural and essential. In fun conversation, Gary shares the details about his eclectic career in television, gives advice about pitching shows for TV, talks about Robert Guillaume and the show Benson, and tells some stories about working in professional wrestling and how it helped him to understand Donald Trump. Gary and Chauncey also talk about day-to-day life on a sitcom set, the puzzle that is charisma and talent, the rise of reality TV as a genre, and the future and legacy of Bill Cosby. On this episode of The Chauncey DeVega Show, Chauncey also tells a story about poverty, race, parenting, child abuse, and his local McDonald's "restaurant", muses on the nature of truth vs. opinion, and sings a Madonna song inspired by the Pope's visit to the United States and Chauncey's experience growing up in a black Catholic church before he renounced religion.

Ep. 55: David Frankfurter on the Problem of "Evil" and the Supernatural Sep 17, 2015

Show notes

Dr. David Frankfurter is the guest on this week's episode of The Chauncey DeVega Show. He is a Professor of Religion at Boston University. David is also the author of several books, most recently, Evil Incarnate:Rumors of Demonic Conspiracy and Satanic Abuse in History. Dr. Frankfurter does some great teaching in this episode of the podcast known as The Chauncey DeVega Show. What makes someone "evil?" How is that concept abused in American political and social discourse? Was Dylann Roof "evil?" What about the 9/11 hijackers? What was going on in America during the 1980s and its moral panics about demonic possession, cults, and child kidnapping? Chauncey could not resist asking Dr. Frankfurter about his research on witches, demonic possession, magic, and the supernatural. In response, David offers up some stories about his own experiences and scholarly research as a student of history, religion, and anthropology. In this week's episode of The Chauncey DeVega Show, Chauncey tries to regain his sanity after watching the 3-hour-long CNN 2016 Republican Primary Debate. He also offers thanks to the kind folks who offered him some online Paypal love for his birthday. Chauncey is still in his "blue" post-birthday period and shares some life advice he received from a wise man at Friday's restaurant, meditates on his life trajectory, and speculates about his inability as a wannabe member of the TV commentariat to make sense of nonsense after watching the Republican debate. At the end of this week's episode of The Chauncey DeVega Show, Chauncey continues to speculate about Star Wars: The Force Awakens--he thinks he has figured out the story behind the title--and shares a nice story about a lost/found stray kitty cat in his neighborhood.

Ep. 54: Joe Uscinski on 9/11, Birtherism and Conspiracy Theories Sep 10, 2015

Show notes

Political Scientist Joe Uscinski is the guest on this week's episode of The Chauncey DeVega Show. He is the co-author of the new book American Conspiracy Theories. It is now 14 years since the tragedy of September 11th. In this episode of The Chauncey DeVega Show, Professor Uscinski and Chauncey discuss the conspiracy theories that have come into existence about that tragic day, how they function as a type of alternative belief system more generally, and the relationship between political values and a given person's propensity to believe in them. Chauncey and Joe also dialogue about the role race plays--or not--in anti-Obama "Birtherism" and other related matters. Dr. Uscinski's ability to bring rigorous empirical techniques to the discussion of what is often empty conjecture and emotion about American conspiracy theories is refreshing and exciting. In this episode of The Chauncey DeVega Show, Chauncey also does some sharing about his feelings of decrepitude on his birthday, offers up some "fun" conspiracy theories about a brand of tropical punch that supposedly made black men sterile, relays his own 9/11 memories, reads some Slavoj Zizeck, and gives a really good reason for why folks should wash the clothes they buy before wearing them.

Ep. 53: Jessie Daniels on Cyber Racism, Modern Lynchings and Digital Literacy Sep 04, 2015

Show notes

This week's episode of The Chauncey DeVega Show features two great guests. The first part of the show is very unique, and is perhaps a first in the history of podcasting and other online media. Friend of the show and website Bill the Lizard stops by and offers up a very concerned and heartfelt intervention for his friend of many years Chauncey DeVega. Apparently, Chauncey has been compromised, grammatically possessed by an entity known as "epononymously". Over the course of several years, Bill the Lizard has been documenting Chauncey's possession and (now) emancipation. This is an amazing conversation about confronting the evil within ourselves--a journey made even more frightening by the fact that Chauncey did not know that he was under the control of such a terrifying and nefarious entity. The second part of this week's episode of The Chauncey DeVega Show features sociologist Jessie Daniels. Dr. Daniels is one of the founders--along with Professor Joe Feagin--of the great and essential website known as Racism Review. Jessie and Chauncey chatted several months ago and their first conversation was erased by a mischievous spirit. Jessie kindly agreed to sit down to a second chat at the virtual salon. This was great fun. In this conversation, Jessie and Chauncey talk about popular culture, cyber racism, digital literacy and racism, police murders, the language of "lynching", and Jessie Daniel's upcoming memoir. Chauncey also informs Jessie about the joy that is the movies Leprechaun and Troll 2. In this week's episode of The Chauncey DeVega Show, Chauncey also talks about his favorite cologne, using "mud butt" as a catchall excuse for life's travails, his most recent interview on Ring of Fire TV, and feeling like his timing was off with several great essays full of rhetorical and political dynamite that were misfires this week and last.

Ep. 52: Walidah Imarisha on White Washing American History and Black Sci-Fi Aug 26, 2015

Show notes

Walidah Imarisha is the guest on this week's episode of The Chauncey DeVega Show. Walidah is an activist, writer, and historian whose work focuses on the history of black Americans in the Pacific Northwest, the power of speculative fiction, and how storytelling, organizing, and dreaming are essential tools for social change work. I discovered her work on the website Gizmodo as referenced in a story about black migration to the Northwest. While there may not have been black folks in the game Oregon Trail, there most certainly were black Americans in every part of the United States and its territories. Walidah's work is so exciting because she exposes that important "hidden history", while also using it to discuss the realities of white supremacy and racism in supposedly white "liberal" communities today. In this episode of The Chauncey DeVega Show, Walidah and Chauncey talk about race, history, and migration; have some ghetto nerd sci-fi mind meld moments; laugh about "Black Peoples Employment Month", and reflect on Imarisha's various experiences with presenting the truth and reality of so-called white liberal America at museums, schools, and other venues. Walidah Imarish is the real deal--smart, quick, funny, and insightful. This was a fun and rich conversation at the virtual bar known as The Chauncey DeVega Show. In this episode of the podcast, Chauncey also shares some stories about his journey back to Connecticut last week, ponders the eccentricities of aging parents, the realities of "dry begging", opens up his hands to try to cobble together some monies to fix his mother's washing machine, and talks about last weekend's WWE Summerslam event while also sharing a story about (quite literally) almost bumping into the great George Lucas at a local movie theater for the second time.

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