Podcast appearances and mentions of dikembe umbutu

In July of 2016, in the formational days of General Snobbery, cohosts Matt and Sean traveled to a St. Louis theater to see Independence Day: Resurgence. They expected to be wowed by Goldblum. They expected great things from Pullman. But never in a trillion eons could they have anticipated what soul-enriching performance would come from DeObia Oparei, the man who portrayed Dikembe Umbutu.  Instantly, Umbutu became one of Matt and Sean’s favorite film characters of all time. His combination of wisdom and power yielded some of the most memorable scenes from Roland Emmerich’s wonderful film, including a scene in which Umbutu saved many gun-firing Americans by massacring a rogue alien with his dual machetes. He truly stunned Matt and Sean, and the majority of their episode on ID:R was devoted to Umbutu’s magnificence.  Now, after multiple episodes devoted to Umbutu and much tweeting at Mr. Oparei, something truly extraordinary has occurred. For the thirtieth episode of General Snobbery, the one and only DeObia Oparei has visited the podcast.  How can we express our gratitude? How can we communicate our joy? No words may reach the fantastical summits of emotion that developed upon speaking to Mr. Oparei, he who portrayed Umbutu, the Master of Warlord Visions. DeObia expressed such kindness, such warmth, such joy throughout our conversation. Had we had all the time in the world, it is beyond the point of doubt that the conversation could have continued ad infinitum, beyond even where the Harvesters reside.  In our joyous conversation, DeObia grants insight into how he understands Dikembe, how he approached his role, and how inspiring was his experience working with Roland Emmerich. We discuss DeObia’s relationship to yoga and meditation, the meaning of the word “mudra”, and the importance of stillness in developing the “inner life”. He tells us of the play he wrote, Crazyblackmuthafuckin’self, a well-received investigation into identity that ran years back in London. He even clears up false reports regarding his past as a stripper in Australia, explaining how his opening of a dance theater ultimately yielded this widespread delusion.  We are so grateful we got to speak with this great actor who has appeared in so much, from Game of Thrones to Your Highness, Doom to Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. As you listen, listener, we are certain you will hear what kindness erupts volcanically from his mighty soul. DeObia is truly a great man, and we are boundlessly thankful for what joy he has brought our lives.  Three cheers for #Umbutu and the many great performances of DeObia Oparei yet to come! Praise be, dear listener. May many Warlord Visions visit you in your deepest dreams. 

Dear Mr. DeObia Oparei, Greetings on this fine day! This message comes to you from Sean and Matt, curators of General Snobbery Podcast. As you have likely discovered via our tweets and Instagram posts, we are big fans of your work. Specifically, we adulate your work as Dikembe Umbutu in Independence Day: Resurgence, and we remain grateful for the celestial degree of joy it has brought our lives. While we wish not to elaborate too much in this episode description, we beseech you to give this episode a listen during a few free moments you may find amidst your busy, illustrious life (perhaps whilst relaxing in a crystal-laden bathtub with candles and incense burning?). We have an offer for you, a plea if you will, over which we hope you will let your mind wander in your meditations. It is our sincere hope that you will consider being interviewed by us on General Snobbery, that we may get to know the man behind the machetes, the ubuntu of Umbutu. Should you decide to share a few moments of your time with we lowly plebeians, know that a great gift will be coming your way, both in the physical and in the spiritual. All information w/r/t contacting us can be found on our website, generalsnobbery.com. Yet in truth, given our positive interactions on Twitter, we believe a Twitter DM will be the best bridge between our distant worlds. We thank you, Mr. DeObia, for your sincerity, your generosity of spirit, and your bringing to be of Dikembe Umbutu. May many profound visions come your way. With hearts of gratitude, Sean and Matt General Snobbery Podcast PS: If you wish to gauge our interviewing abilities before agreeing, you might have a listen to episodes X-XII, all of which take the interview format.

At seven twenty-five PM, on Tuesday, the eleventh of October in the year two thousand and sixteen, Roland Emmerich "liked" one of General Snobbery's tweets.  If you have been following General Snobbery throughout these twenty episodes, you will know that we have launched a campaign to #LetUsWriteID3. Essentially, we think that, due to our heightened understanding of Roland Emmerich's intentions, as well as our limitless appreciation for Independence Day: Resurgence (most notably the character of Dikembe Umbutu), we are the most qualified people to help Roland write the script for Independence Day 3. Indeed, as Andy Dufresne wrote a letter every day to receive books in the Shawshank library, so we have tweeted @ Roland every day since launching our campaign.  Why, you may wonder, did Roland suddenly decide to grace our evening with a like? Certainly he'd noticed the previous 60-70 tweets we had sent at him? We believe the sudden liking can mean only one thing: he has finally decided to give us a chance. He has finally decided to #LetUsWrite ID3.  In the immediate aftermath of the Twitter notification, we scrapped all previously-held plans for our monumental twentieth episode and instantly began recording this episode that now greets your sacred ears. In this excited conversation, we showcase our passion for our new devoted listener, Roland Emmerich. We offer up some teasers for ID3. We propose our meeting place in LA, offering even to foot the bill for the meal and use our Southwest Points to fly out there.  It's all an exuberant appreciation for the unexpected delights of life. We thank you, listener, for joining us. When the moment comes that Roland sends us a DM with the plan, know that that DM is coming not only to us, but also to you. In the end, we will all be writing the script for ID3, and as we do, we will all be snobbing the whole way home. 

Some call him the "African Warlord," some call him Michael Clarke Duncan, some have no idea who he is at all. In reality, he is Dikembe Umbutu, great machete-wielding savior of the African nations, the most resurgent component of Independence Day: Resurgence. Here's an episode that has long rested in the hidden vaults, patiently awaiting the proper moment of release, in which your hosts turn a psychoanalytic eye toward Mr. Umbutu and his faithful sidekick, Floyd. Little did ye know, Listener, how wrought with complications is Roland Emmerich's great 2016 blockbuster. Indeed, faithful Listener, ye shall discover in the closing moments of this episode the implanting of a new idea, an idea that may change the unfolding of the universe. Roland Emmerich, this one is for you.

20 years have passed between the 1996 sci-fi hit Independence Day and this summer's new Independence Day: Resurgence.  That time passed in our real world--but it also went by for the fictional characters who survived that alien assault.  Fans have long wondered--what happened on July 5, 1996? Were all the aliens killed when the ships went down? Some of this will be revealed in the new movie, but those wanting a fuller explanation can find it in the new novel Independence Day: Crucible by Greg Keyes.  It spans all 20 years and follows old characters, like David Levinson and Steve Hiller, as well as new players like Jake Morrison and Dikembe Umbutu.   Did anything happen in that 20-year span to warrant a novel? Join Arnie in this Books & Nachos episode as he summarizes and reviews this new story -- and the comic series Independence Day: Dark Fathom! And if you enjoy Books & Nachos, support the show through our PodBean Crowdfunding Page!