No Cure for Curiosity

This bodacious episode of No Cure for Curiosity was supported by Magic Mind.  Magic Mind really helped with my productivity during this cold, dank Wisconsin weather.  You can receive 20% off your next order by going to magicmind.com and entering the fly promo code "curiosity20". Please rate and review No Cure for Curiosity in your favorite podcast app. And tell your friends who might also enjoy No Cure for Curiosity! It helps other people find the show. And continue the conversation on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/NoCureforCuriosityPodcast.Our intro music was written by UWSP music student Derek Carden and our logo is by artist and graphic designer Ryan Dreimiller.You can send comments to nocureforcuriosity@outlook.com.

If you are in a show hole, this episode is for you!  Shanny talks with several guests who share their favorite movies, tv shows, and books from 2023.   He also continues his conversation with media studies professors Kelly Wilz and Cary Elza about the biggest media news from last year.Movie and TV Suggestions:"Past Lives," a romantic drama film written and directed by Celine Son"Anatomy of a Fall," a French legal drama thriller directed by Justine Triet"Godzilla Minus 1" directed, written, and with visual effects by  Takashi YamazakiSpiderman: Across the UniverseFargo (tv series) available on HuluThe Bear (tv series) available on Hulu"Fall of the House of Usher" created by Mike Flanagan and available on NetflixThe disturbing and unpredictable movies of Emerald Fennel: "Saltburn" and  "Promising Young Women""The Banshees of Inisherin," a 2022 black tragicomedy film directed and written by Martin McDonaghNovel suggestions:Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline BoulleyHappiness Falls by Angie KimThe audiobook version of Tom Lake by Ann PatchettThe Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBrideDemon Copperhead by Barbara KingsolverThis episode of No Cure for Curiosity was supported by Magic Mind.  Magic Mind really helped with my productivity during this cold, dark January weather.  You can receive 20% off your next order of Magic Mind by using the promo code "curiosity20".   And you can also get 1 month of Magic Mind for free when you subscribe for 3 months at www.magicmind.com/JANcuriosity.Please rate and review No Cure for Curiosity in your favorite podcast app. And tell your friends who might also enjoy No Cure for Curiosity! It helps other people find the show. And continue the conversation on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/NoCureforCuriosityPodcast.Our intro music was written by UWSP music student Derek Carden and our logo is by artist and graphic designer Ryan Dreimiller.You can send comments to nocureforcuriosity@outlook.com.

On this episode, Shanny Luft was curious about Barbie, and invited his colleagues, professors Cary Elza and Kelly Wilz in Media Studies at the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point, to join him.   Why was Barbie the most successful movie of 2023, and the highest grossing film ever directed by a woman?  We also talked about the films that  inspired Greta Gerwig's directing, the Barbie doll's effect on body image, our favorite (and least favorite) parts, and more!This episode of No Cure for Curiosity was supported by Magic Mind.  I tried Magic Mind myself and found it really helped with my productivity during the cold, dark January weather.  You can receive 20% off your next order of Magic Mind by using the promo code "curiosity20".   And you can also get 1 month of Magic Mind for free when you subscribe for 3 months at www.magicmind.com/JANcuriosity.Please rate and review No Cure for Curiosity in your favorite podcast app. And tell your friends who might also enjoy No Cure for Curiosity! It helps other people find the show. And continue the conversation on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/NoCureforCuriosityPodcast.Our intro music was written by UWSP music student Derek Carden and our logo is by artist and graphic designer Ryan Dreimiller.You can send comments to nocureforcuriosity@outlook.com.

The power of curiosity compels you!  On this episode, we talked about William Friedkin's The Exorcist with Cary Elza, (Associate Professor of Media Studies from the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point) and Kathryn Lofton (the Lex Hickson professor of American studies and religious studies, professor of history and divinity at Yale University.)Whether you are an Exorcist fanatic, or hate horror movies, this episode will have something for you.  We talk about why The Exorcist caused a frenzy in 1973.  How the movie portrays religious faith.  And This the 50th anniversary of The Exorcist, which enraptured audiences in 1973, making it the third highest grossing film of that decade.  The Exorcist drove public fascination with the devil and exorcisms inside of churches,  across popular culture, and deep in the public imagination.  For those of you who like extra credit, here is some further reading:Pauline Kael's review from The New Yorker (Jan 1973) Collen McDannell's edited volume, Catholics in the MoviesPlease rate and review No Cure for Curiosity in your favorite podcast app. And tell your friends who might also enjoy No Cure for Curiosity! It helps other people find the show. And continue the conversation on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/NoCureforCuriosityPodcast.Our intro music was written by UWSP music student Derek Carden and our logo is by artist and graphic designer Ryan Dreimiller.You can send comments to nocureforcuriosity@outlook.com.

On this episode of No Cure for Curiosity, I spoke with Stephen Prothero, author, religion scholar, and now retired professor from Boston University. Throughout his career Stephen Prothero has promoted thoughtful public consideration about religion. He has been published in the New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street, and many other newspapers and magazines. He's been a guest on network television, NPR, CNN, The Daily Show with John Stewart and The Colbert Report.Prothero published a book this year titled God the Bestseller: How one Editor Transformed American Religion a Book at a Time, a biography of Eugene Exman.If you have ever described yourself as "spiritual but not religious," or a "religious seeker," or if you've ever had a religious experience that you can't completely explain, I think you will enjoy my conversation with Stephen Prothero.Books, articles, and interviews with Stephen Prothero can be found at www.stephenprothero.comMy favorite guest appearance Stephen had with Colbert is available here: https://media.mtvnservices.com/embed/mgid:arc:video:comedycentral.com:3be33026-ed01-11e0-aca6-0026b9414f30Please rate and review No Cure for Curiosity in your favorite podcast app. And tell your friends who might also enjoy No Cure for Curiosity! It helps other people find the show. And continue the conversation on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/NoCureforCuriosityPodcast.Our intro music was written by UWSP music student Derek Carden and our logo is by artist and graphic designer Ryan Dreimiller.You can send comments to nocureforcuriosity@outlook.com.

On this episode of No Cure for Curiosity, I asked five people to share their favorite media of the last year!  If you are in a show hole or looking for a new novel for your book club, this episode is for you!Lauren Gantz, Associate Professor English at UWSPEverything, Everywhere All at Once (Movie)Reservation Dogs (Streaming on Hulu)What We Do In the Shadows (Streaming on Hulu)Our Flag Means Death (Streaming on HBO Max)Monstress written by Marjorie Liu, drawn by Sana Takeda (Graphic Novel)Gretel Stock, Dean of University College, at UWSPThe Crown (Streaming on Netflix)Alice Isn't Dead (Podcast)Maintenance Phase (Podcast) Paula Weitzenberg,  World Class Veracious ReaderA Man Called Ove written by Fredrik Backman/A Man Called Otto (Movie)Beartown by Fredrik BackmanHorse by Geraldine BrooksThe Violin Conspiracy by Brendan SlocumbTrue Biz by Sara NovicRemarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van PeltChris Williams, Associate Professor of English at UWSPNope ( Movie)The Menu (Movie)Marvel Snap (Phone Game App)Final Girl (Boardgame)Kathryn Lounsbery, musician, educator, comedian, and musical executive for CocomelonSisters In Law (Podcast)The Puzzler: One Man's Quest to Solve the Most Baffling Puzzles Ever, from Crosswords to Jigsaws to the Meaning of Life written by A.J. Jacobs (Author of The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible)The Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (Streaming on Netflix)The White Lotus (Streaming on HBO)Bad Sisters (Streaming on Apple TV)Severance (Streaming on Apple TV)Abbot Elementary (Sitcom on ABC)Please rate and review No Cure for Curiosity in your favorite podcast app. And tell your friends who might also enjoy No Cure for Curiosity! It helps other people find the show. And continue the conversation on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/NoCureforCuriosityPodcast.Our intro music was written by UWSP music student Derek Carden and our logo is by artist and graphic designer Ryan Dreimiller.You can send comments to nocureforcuriosity@outlook.com.

In our first episode of 2023,  Shanny talks with Cary Elza and Kevin Obsatz, two media studies professors at UWSP, about the career of James Cameron and his latest movie, Avatar: The Way of Water.   We talked about the themes that have dominated Cameron's career, his particular skill for getting audiences pumped up, and what we thought of the second film in the Avatar Pentalogy!Please rate and review No Cure for Curiosity in your favorite podcast app. And tell your friends who might also enjoy No Cure for Curiosity! It helps other people find the show. And continue the conversation on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/NoCureforCuriosityPodcast.Our intro music was written by UWSP music student Derek Carden and our logo is by artist and graphic designer Ryan Dreimiller.You can send comments to nocureforcuriosity@outlook.com.

To wrap up the second year of No Cure for Curiosity, I talk with Rob Stolzer, Professor of Art, and Neil Prendergast, a US Historian from UWSP, about Charles Schulz and Peanuts!If you want to learn more from Rob Stolzer, check out his websites devoted to art, comic art, and illustration:Rob Stolzer's General Art Website: http://www.robstolzer.com Ink-Slinger's Blog: https://inkslingers.ink The Art and Life of Gregor Duncan: https://gregorduncan.org Russell Johnson & Mister Oswald Website: https://misteroswald.comPlease rate and review No Cure for Curiosity in your favorite podcast app. And tell your friends who might also enjoy No Cure for Curiosity! Our intro music was written by UWSP music student Derek Carden and our logo is by artist and graphic designer Ryan Dreimiller.

For Halloween, Shanny Luft speaks with Robert Jadin, an evolutionary biologist, and Chris Diehm, an environmental ethicist, about SNAKES!   How did snakes evolve?  Why do they scare us?  What do snakes taste like?   (Plus, we talk about snake sex if you're curious about that sort of thing.)Check out this creepy episode of No Cure for Curiosity! (And tell your friends about NCFC!)Please rate and review No Cure for Curiosity in your favorite podcast app. Five-star reviews help other people find No Cure for Curiosity! Our intro music was written by UWSP music student Derek Carden and our logo is by artist and graphic designer Ryan Dreimiller.

Shanny Luft speaks with Vera Klekovkina (Department of World Languages), Joshua Horn (Department of Philosophy), and Tomi Heimonen (Department of Computer Science) about their thoughts and concerns about robots.This episode was inspired by UW-Stevens Point College of Letters and Science Community Engagement series, "When Robots Rule the World."  From the futuristic portrayal of robots in film to robots in the operating room, from the daily use of artificial intelligence (AI) in mundane tasks to the latest advances in the field of human-centered AI, a wide range of university faculty will  explore the implications of When Robots Rule the World, in lectures and public events in Stevens Point.More information about the Community Engagement Series is available here: https://www.uwsp.edu/2022-2023-community-engagement-series/Here are some links to books and articles referenced in this episode:Kathleen Richardson, Sex Robots: The End of Love (https://www.amazon.com/Sex-Robots-Love-Kathleen-Richardson/dp/1509530282/ref=sr_1_1?crid=BSU2LR46L8H4&keywords=sex+robots+the+end+of+love&qid=1664985872&sprefix=sex+robots+the+end+of+love%2Caps%2C93&sr=8-1)David Levy, Love and Sex with Robots: The Evolution of Human-Robot Relationships (https://www.amazon.com/Love-Sex-Robots-Human-Robot-Relationships-ebook/dp/B000XUACXM/ref=sr_1_1?crid=JU9PPZX8YKQ7&keywords=love+and+sex+with+robots&qid=1664985898&qu=eyJxc2MiOiIxLjQ4IiwicXNhIjoiMS4yMyIsInFzcCI6IjEuMzAifQ%3D%3D&sprefix=love+and+sex+with+robots%2Caps%2C100&sr=8-1)Jean Baudrillard, Simulation and simulacra (https://www.amazon.com/Simulacra-Simulation-Body-Theory-Materialism/dp/0472065211/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=simulation+and+simulacra&qid=1664985831&qu=eyJxc2MiOiIxLjE2IiwicXNhIjoiMC42NCIsInFzcCI6IjAuOTcifQ%3D%3D&sprefix=simulation+and+simul%2Caps%2C103&sr=8-1)Report submitted to EU in 2017 about roboat rights: www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/A-8-2017-0005_EN.html?redirect---------------Please rate and review No Cure for Curiosity in your favorite podcast app.  Five-star reviews help other people find No Cure for Curiosity!Our intro music was written by UWSP music student Derek Carden and our logo is by artist and graphic designer Ryan Dreimiller.

In 2021, Ken Burns released a 3-part documentary about Ernest Hemingway, which inspired my conversation about Hemingway with English professor Ross Tangedal and PhD candidate Katie Warczak.  Should we still care about Hemingway?  Or should he be canceled?If you do not learn new things about Hemingway from this conversation, you can have your money back.  That's our podcast guarantee.Plus, can Ross and Katie convince Shanny to reconsider The Old Man and the Sea, his least favorite book from high school?What do you think of Hemingway?  Share your thoughts  on our Facebook page:  www.facebook.com/NoCureforCuriosityPodcast. Please rate and review No Cure for Curiosity in your favorite podcast app.  Five-star reviews help other people find No Cure for Curiosity!Our intro music was written by UWSP music student Derek Carden and our logo is by artist and graphic designer Ryan Dreimiller.

In December 2021, writer and director Lana Wachowski delivered the fourth movie in the Matrix universe, The Matrix Resurrections, after a 20-year wait.  Shanny invited Kelly Wilz, Professor of Communications, and Cary Elza, Associate Professor of Media Studies, to chat about the the new film and the entire Matrix saga.  What made the original film so impactful?  Why did Lana Wachowski return to the world she co-created with her sister?  Which narrative themes have changed, and which have stayed the same, since the original Matrix film?  And why do we love Keanu Reeves?  That's what this conversation is all about.Extra credit readings for this episode:Emily VanDerWerff, "The Matrix 4," https://www.vox.com/culture/22847558/the-matrix-resurrections-4-spoilers-review-neo-therapy-mental-health-traumaConnie Hanzhang Jin, "Why Trans Fans Connect to 'The Matrix'" https://www.kqed.org/arts/13907504/trans-fans-the-matrix-lilly-lana-wachowskiJohn Wilmes, "The Twisted, Stolen Legacy of the 'Matrix' Red Pill," https://www.theringer.com/movies/2021/12/21/22847157/the-matrix-red-pill-legacyWhat did you think of The Matrix Resurrections?  Share your thoughts  on our Facebook page:  www.facebook.com/NoCureforCuriosityPodcast.  Or send comments to nocureforcuriosity@outlook.com.Our intro music was written by UWSP music student Derek Carden and our logo is by artist and graphic designer Ryan Dreimiller.

With the Super Bowl a week away, and the Olympics playing out now, Shanny invited Robert Sirabian, professor of English at UWSP, and Art Remillard, professor of Religious Studies at St. Francis University in Pennsylvania, to talk about sports, community, narrative, heroes, transcendence, and politics.Readings referenced in this podcast:Arthur Remillard, "Steelers Nation and the Seriously Religious Side of Football," The Marginalia Review (2013).Reed Albergotti and Vanessa O'Connell, Wheelmen: Lance Armstrong, the Tour de France, and the Greatest Sports Conspiracy Ever. (2014).Howard Bryant, The Heritage: Black Athletes, a Divided America, and the Politics of Patriotism. (2019)Share your thoughts  on our Facebook page:  www.facebook.com/NoCureforCuriosityPodcast.Send comments to nocureforcuriosity@outlook.com.Our intro music was written by UWSP music student Derek Carden and our logo is by artist and graphic designer Ryan Dreimiller.

On the final episode of our second semester, Shanny got a chance to chat with comedian, writer, and actor Lewis Black.  We talked about Christmas, religion, and his thoughts about the next generation.

Shanny talks about Andy Felt, mathematics professor at UWSP, about ranked-choice voting.  What is it?  How does it work?   Where is it already being used?  And how would it change the culture of extreme partisanship in the United States?Share your thoughts about the video on our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/NoCureforCuriosityPodcast.Send comments to nocureforcuriosity@outlook.com.Our intro music was written by UWSP music student Derek Carden. The No Cure for Curiosity logo was designed by artist and graphic designer Ryan Dreimiller.

Shanny talks about Zombies with Kelly J Baker, a religious studies PhD, editor, and award-winning author of five books, including The Zombies are Coming, and Cary Elza, professor Media Studies at UWSP, who teaches courses on screenwriting, film and media analysis, history and genre.Share your thoughts about the video on our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/NoCureforCuriosityPodcast.Send comments to nocureforcuriosity@outlook.com.Our intro music was written by UWSP music student Derek Carden and our logo is by artist and graphic designer Ryan Dreimiller.

Shanny talks with Cortney Chaffin, an art historian at UWSP, and Ellen Larson, a PhD candidate at the University of Pittsburgh, about Cai Guo-Qiang.  Cai is a Chinese artist renowned for his firework art you have to see to believe.  We watched the documentary Sky Ladder, available on Netflix, which documented Cai's effort to complete an art piece he has worked on for decades.  We talk about what it takes to create firework art displays, the tension between art and propaganda, and whether seeing his work on film is a sufficient experience.   You don't need to know anything about Sky Ladder, or Chinese art, or Cai Guo-Qiang to appreciate our conversation!Share your thoughts about the video on our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/NoCureforCuriosityPodcast.Send comments to nocureforcuriosity@outlook.com.Our intro music was written by UWSP music student Derek Carden and our logo is by artist and graphic designer Ryan Dreimiller.

Shanny talks with Kimiko Matsumura, an art historian, and Chad Seales, a scholar of religion and culture, about Lizzo and the video for "Rumors."   Why was the video set in an ancient Greek and Roman visual world?   How does the song and video reflect Lizzo's message of body positivity?  And did Cardi B have her baby yet?!  All this and more is covered on today's episode.Share your thoughts about the video on our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/NoCureforCuriosityPodcast.Send comments to nocureforcuriosity@outlook.com.Our intro music was written by UWSP music student Derek Carden and our logo is by artist and graphic designer Ryan Dreimiller.

In the first episode of the second semester, we are curious about Stephen Colbert and American Catholicism.  So we invited Stephanie Brehm, author of America's Most Famous Catholic (According to Himself): Stephen Colbert and American Religion in the 21st Century.  And joining us is Mary Ellen O'Donnell, author of  Ingrained Habits: Growing up Catholic in Mid-Twentieth Century America.

Join our Facebook community at www.facebook.com/NoCureforCuriosityPodcast/.Send comments and suggestions to nocureforcuriosity@outlook.com.Our intro music was written by UWSP music student Derek Carden and our logo is by artist and graphic designer Ryan Dreimiller.

Shanny talks with Political Science John Blakeman about the Supreme Court.  What have been some of the most interesting and important cases from this past term?  How have the three new justices impacted the rulings of the Supreme Court?  Shanny is curious.How would you rule in these cases?  Continue the conversation on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/NoCureforCuriosityPodcast.Share comments to nocureforcuriosity@outlook.com.Our intro music was written by UWSP music student Derek Carden and our logo is by artist and graphic designer Ryan Dreimiller.

In our fifth episode of Season 1, Shanny talks with Cary Elza and Valerie Barske about Godzilla vs. King Kong.  We had such a great and wide-ranging conversation, we're splitting it into two parts.  In part I, Cary, Valerie, and Shanny primarily focus on the histories of Godzilla and King Kong in cinema.In part 2, which will be released March 10, we focus primarily on the new film, Godzilla vs. Kong, released in March of 2021.If you are enjoying No Cure for Curiosity, please tell a friend about us.  It helps other people find the show.  And please continue the conversation on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/NoCureforCuriosityPodcast.You can send comments to nocureforcuriosity@outlook.com.Our intro music was written by UWSP music student Derek Carden and our logo is by artist and graphic designer Ryan Dreimiller.

In our fourth episode of Season 1, Shanny talks with Kelly Wilz and Cary Elza, two UWSP professors in The Department of Media Studies, about Netflix's Big Mouth!If you are enjoying No Cure for Curiosity, please tell a friend about us.  It helps other people find the show.  And please continue the conversation on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/NoCureforCuriosityPodcast.You can send comments to nocureforcuriosity@outlook.com.Our intro music was written by UWSP music student Derek Carden and our logo is by artist and graphic designer Ryan Dreimiller.

In our third episode, Shanny talks with Chris Diehm, Professor of Philosophy and program director of Environmental Ethics at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, and Ella Janson, a UWSP alum who holds degrees in Environmental Ethics, Drama, and History.In this episode, we talk about the study of Deep Ecology, our own relationships with nature and the environment, and I ask Ella how her Humanities degrees helped her with her life and career after graduation!If you are enjoying No Cure for Curiosity, please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app.  It helps other people find the show.  And please continue the conversation on our new Facebook page at www.facebook.com/NoCureforCuriosityPodcast.You can send comments to nocureforcuriosity@outlook.com.Our intro music was written by UWSP music student Derek Carden and our logo is by artist and graphic designer Ryan Dreimiller.

In our second episode, Shanny talks with Dona Warren, the Director of the Critical Thinking Center at UWSP, and Ross Tangedal, Assistant Professor of English and Director of the Cornerstone Press at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, about swear words.In 1972 (49 years ago!) George Carlin released his famous bit "Seven Dirty Words."  I wanted to talk about this subject to emphasize that college is a place where we can explore anything we are curious about.  And I am very curious about swear words.  What makes certain words "bad"?  Why are they off-limits?  What can we learn about culture, gender, class, and history by thinking seriously about dirty words?Send your comments to nocureforcuriosity@outlook.com.Our intro music was written by UWSP music student Derek Carden and our logo is by artist and graphic designer Ryan Dreimiller.

In our first episode, Shanny talks with Lindsay Bernhagen, the Director of the Center for Inclusive Teaching and Learning at UWSP, and Wyatt Cross, a graduate from UWSP, about Wonder Woman 1984.Send your comments to nocureforcuriosity@outlook.com.Some texts referenced in this podcast:Allison Bechdel's Fun Home: A Family TragicomicJill Lapore's The Secret History of Wonder WomanOur snappy intro music was written by UWSP music student Derek Carden.  Our bright logo is by artist and graphic designer Ryan Dreimiller.

No Cure for Curiosity is a podcast promoting educational curiosity.  Every two weeks, Shanny Luft, Associate Dean of General Education at the University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point, will invite friends and colleagues to talk about things we are curious about, from Netflix's Big Mouth to the Supreme Court, from God to Godzilla.  Send your comments to nocureforcuriosity@outlook.com.Our snappy song was written by UWSP music student Derek Carden.  Our lovely logo is by artist and graphic designer Ryan Dreimiller.