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Reading list:* Corey Robin's Facebook Page* Not Yet Falling Apart: Two thinkers on the left offer a guide to navigating the stormy seas of modernity, by moi* Straight Outta Chappaqua: How Westchester-bred lefty prof Corey Robin came to loathe Israel, defend Steven Salaita, and help cats, by Phoebe Maltz Bovy* Online Fracas for a Critic of the Right, by Jennifer Schuessler* Scholar Behind U. of Illinois Boycotts Is a Longtime Activist, by Marc ParryA few years ago, I got this text from a friend after my guest on this episode of the podcast, Corey Robin, said something nice about my book on Facebook: “When Corey Robin is praising you on Facebook, you've arrived, my friend.”He was being funny, but also just saying a true thing. Corey Robin is a big deal on the intellectual left in America, and for the better part of a decade, from about 2012 to 2019, his Facebook page was one of the most vital and interesting spaces on the American intellectual left. Back in 2017, I wrote this about Corey and his most influential book, The Reactionary Mind: Conservatism from Edmund Burke to Sarah Palin:The Reactionary Mind has emerged as one of the more influential political works of the last decade. Robin himself has become, since the book's publication, one of the more aura-laden figures on the intellectual left. Paul Krugman cites him and the book periodically in his New York Times columns and on his blog. Robin's Facebook page, which he uses as a blog and discussion forum, has become one of the places to watch to understand where thinking on the left is. Another key node of the intellectual left is Crooked Timber, a group blog of left-wing academics to which Robin is a long-time contributor, and another is Jacobin, a socialist magazine that often re-publishes Robin's blog posts sans edits, like dispatches from the oracle.I've long been fascinated by Corey's Facebook page, in particular, because it was such a novel space. It couldn't exist prior to the internet, and if there were any other important writers who used the platform in that way, as a real venue for thoughtful and vigorous political discussion, I'm not familiar with them. It didn't replace or render obsolete the magazines, like The Nation and Dissent, that were the traditional places where the left talked to itself. It was just a different thing, an improvisational, unpredictable, rolling forum where you went to see what people of a certain bent were talking about, who the key players were, what the key debates were. And Corey himself, in this context, had a charismatic presence. To even get him to respond seriously to a comment you made on one of his posts was to get a little thrill. To be praised by Corey, in the main text of a post, was to feel like you were a made man. Over the past few weeks I've spent some time dipping into the archives of his page, and while there I compiled a list of notable names who showed up as commenters. My list included: Lauren Berlant, Matt Karp, Tim Lacy, Miriam Markowitz, Annette Gordon Reed, Doug Henwood, Jeet Heer, Freddie Deboer, Raina Lipsitz, Elayne Tobin, Scott Lemieux, Paul Buhle, Jedediah Purdy, Jodi Dean, Alex Gourevitch, Tamsin Shaw, Rick Perlstein, Greg Grandin, Katha Pollitt, Joel Whitney, Liza Featherstone, Andrew Hartman, Rebecca Vilkomerson, Samuel Moyn, Tim Lacy, Yasmin Nair, Bhaskar Sunsara, Keeanga Yamahtta Taylor, Gideon Lewis Kraus.This is just the people I recognized (or googled ) in my brief time skimming. The full list of eminent leftist Americans who populated Corey's page over the years would surely run to hundreds of names, which is to say that a significant portion, maybe even a majority, of the writers and intellectuals who comprised the intellectual left in those years was reading and participating in his page. How this came about, and what it meant, is one of the topics we cover in the podcast, which ended up being a kind of stock-taking of sorts of the very recent history of the American left. We also talk about Corey's involvement as an organizer with GESO, Yale's graduate student union, when he was getting his PhD in political science; his retrospective thoughts on why he over-estimated the strength of the American left in the mid-2010s; what he got right about Trump and Trumpism; and why Clarence Thomas may be corrupt, but is at least intellectually honest about it. Corey is a professor at Brooklyn College and the author of three books: Fear: The History of a Political Idea, The Reactionary Mind: Conservatism from Edmund Burke to Sarah Palin (revised and re-issued as Reactionary Mind: Conservatism from Edmund Burke to Donald Trump), and most recently The Enigma of Clarence Thomas. He has written for The New Yorker, The New York Review of Books, the London Review of Books, and Jacobin, among many other places. Eminent Americans is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Eminent Americans at danieloppenheimer.substack.com/subscribe
As much as we like to rag on Twitter, it's a fact that Plan A was largely built off of it. So with Twitter on a decline (even pre-Musk takeover), what's an alternative way to share our writings and meet like-minded people? Returning guest Yasmin Nair (writer, activist, academic,) joins Chris to discuss her piece, Twitter Is Not Your Writing Life, and get into a larger discussion about how and why we should write in these times. To listen to part 2, please join us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/planamag Chris' Substack: https://salieriredemption.substack.com/ REFERENCED RESOURCES: Twitter Is Not Your Writing Life by Yasmin Nair: https://yasminnair.com/on-writing-part-1-twitter-is-not-your-writing-life/ The Party's Over by Freddie deBoer: https://freddiedeboer.substack.com/p/the-partys-over LINKS TO YASMIN'S WORK: The Writer as Magazine: https://yasminnair.com/the-writer-as-magazine/ The Publishing World Is Like Fyre Fest: https://yasminnair.com/the-publishing-world-is-like-fyre-fest/ A Manifesto: https://evergreenreview.com/read/a-manifesto/ What Really Happened at Current Affairs? https://yasminnair.com/march-what-really-happened-at-current-affairs/ THEME MUSIC: EFPA Theme: "Escape From Plan A" by Ciel (@aerialist)
California Governor Gavin Newsom and ex-Mayor of Chicago Lori Lightfoot owe their political lives to gay wealth. A conversation with cultural critic Yasmin Nair (yasminnair.com) on politicians who never fail to disappoint. | Show Notes: “How Gay Money Became Gay Wealth: A Fable” by Yasmin Nair: https://yasminnair.com/how-gay-money-became-gay-wealth-a-fable | "American Gay: Pete Buttigieg and the Politics of Forgetting" also by Yasmin Nair: https://yasminnair.com/american-gay-pete-buttigieg-and-the-politics-of-forgetting | Support the show at patreon.com/sadfrancisco | twitter.com/sadfrancisco69 | instagram.com/sadfrancis.co | tiktok.com/@sadfrancisco
Lyle Jeremy Rubin is a veteran of the U.S. Marines who served in Afghanistan. He is the author of the new memoir Pain is Weakness Leaving the Body: A Marine's Unbecoming, which documents his evolution from a Young Republican patriot into a socialist critic of U.S. empire through direct exposure to the front-line realities of the U.S. “war on terror.” He shows how the “politics of overcompensation” convinces young men who want to feel secure and masculine to submit to oppressive hierarchical systems and is astute in showing the connection between toxic masculinity and U.S. foreign policy.“At the time I told myself there were purely rational intellectual reasons for why I was being drawn to these certain types of politics but in retrospect I think it's clear that there was a deeper need to no longer feel defenseless, to feel strong, to feel secure … While I was talking to my friends and family members and others about this kind of neoconservative vision of humanitarian intervention, it was clear when I was being honest with myself that I wasn't all that dissimilar to a lot of my comrades-in-arms who just wanted to see action and feel like a man.” — Lyle Jeremy RubinShorter writings from Lyle on some of the subjects discussed in the book can be found in The Guardian and The Nation. (He has also written for Current Affairs.) The books Lyle mentions are Bring the War Home: The White Power Movement and Paramilitary America by Kathleen Belew and Reign of Terror: How the 9/11 Era Destabilized America and Produced Trump by Spencer Ackerman. The song is, of course, the Bush-era classic “Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue” by Toby Keith.This interview pairs well with our recent interviews with W.D. Ehrhart (about Vietnam), Yasmin Nair (about Western views of Afghanistan), Craig Whitlock (about the Afghanistan war), and Chris Hedges (about war in general).“If you're an occupying power, there's no way you can really win the hearts and minds of the people. You are by definition a force of domination, an oppressive force. You're an outsider force that is doing things without the express permission of the people there and the people themselves in one way or another have to submit to whatever your whim at any given moment is. ... The counterinsurgency ideal itself is an impossible ideal. This quickly becomes clear to front line troops. … Violence is guaranteed and required to ensure the maintenance of an occupying regime no matter how culturally sensitive it is.” — Lyle Jeremy Rubin
Current Affairs editor at large Yasmin Nair and editor-in-chief Nathan J. Robinson have both written articles that deal with the country of Afghanistan. Yasmin's Evergreen Review piece, "Sharbat Gula Is Not Lost" is about the woman pictured in the iconic "Afghan Girl" photo that appeared on the cover of National Geographic. Nathan's essay "What Do We Owe Afghanistan?" (co-authored with Noam Chomsky) appears in Current Affairs and is a history of the American war from 2001 to 2021, looking at the hideous consequences of U.S. actions for the Afghan people.In this conversation, we talk about how stories and photos shape Western perceptions of Afghanistan and how Americans came to believe that they were part of a noble endeavor to help Afghan people even as their actions actually severely damaged the country. The "Afghan Girl" of National Geographic is Sharbat Gula, who didn't want her photo taken and tried to cover her face. We discuss the photographer, Steve McCurry, whose work exoticizes (and sometimes even fabricates) the lives of non-Western people. We discuss how the aspirations and wishes of Afghans themselves are left out of Western depictions of the country.Laura Bush's speech using Afghan women's rights as a justification for the war is here. A critique of the way Afghan women were cynically invoked to justify U.S. geopolitical goals is here. A scathing New York Times review of McCurry's "astonishingly boring" pictures is here. The photo of Gula covering her face is here. The photo of the adult Gula holding the magazine is here. Photographer Steve McCurry with the portrait that changed his life (although not the life of the anonymous child depicted, who did not wish to be photographed).
"I will never again spend money on a Minion movie. ... I surprised myself. I went into this a huge fan of the Minions. And I thought 'Oh, they're so popular, we should talk about them on the left.' And I don't regret this conversation at all. It has deepened my understanding. But I have come out of it as an anti-fan." — Yasmin Nair Current Affairs podcasts have been deadly serious lately, with many shows devoted to U.S. foreign policy, including episodes on Palestine (Part I, Part II), Afghanistan, U.S. empire, and the threat of nuclear war. Today we take a break from eating our vegetables and indulge ourselves in a bit of dessert, with a much lighter subject (some might say a frivolous one): the "Minions" from the Despicable Me series. Films featuring the Minions have been hugely successful, being some of the top-grossing animated films of all time and spawning a multi-billion-dollar franchise with a vast range of products, from toasters that will imprint a Minion onto a piece of bread to toothpaste dispensers and Minion-shaped tic-tacs. On Etsy, one can choose among dozens of different crocheted Minion hats. The Minions have become ubiquitous in memes and a 2015 article called "How Minions Destroyed The Internet" argues that Minions have become a "template onto which we project ourselves." But can we learn anything from the Minions films? Today, Current Affairs editor-in-chief Nathan J. Robinson is joined by editor-at-large Yasmin Nair and managing editor Lily Sánchez for a discussion about the Despicable Me and Minions films, probing such questions as:In depicting unfree and uncompensated labor by a mass of nondescript fungible workers, do the films implicitly affirm a Marxist critique of capitalism? (Answer: not really.)Should children actually watch Minions films, or will they be corrupted in various ways? (Answer: Do not let your child watch Minions films unless you want them to start imitating Minions for weeks on end.)Are these films entirely stupid or do they have artistic merit?Do the films have some uncomfortable ethnic stereotypes and some stuff that is weirdly inappropriate for kids? (Yes and yes.)Does the fact that Minions have to "serve the most villainous master" explain why the films had to trap them in a cave for the years 1933-1945?Why has Yasmin gone from loving posting Minions memes to being an "anti-fan"?Does Hollywood's relentless search for giant profits mean we will be subjected to new Minions films for the rest of our natural lives?"I think I feel about the Minions the way I feel about shopping malls, which is that I can go to them or see them as sociological experiments mostly, as opposed to genuine enjoyment." — Lily"I am surrounded by ever-growing piles of Minions in my dreams." — NathanThe scene of Minions being tortured can be watched here. The full "banana song" can be heard (if so desired) here. Lily's article about families is here and Nathan's about J.K. Rowling is here. The Cracked article alleging that the film leaves open the possibility that the Minions have committed murder is here. The Vox article "Labor exploitation, explained by Minions" is here. A more basic Vox "explainer" on Minions is here. The academic article "Beautiful Exploitation. Notes on the Un-free Minions" is here. "Are children who watch the first three Despicable Me movies going to grow up to become laborers who don't understand their enslavement? Given the way capitalism is crushing the world, I seriously doubt it. ... It's a kids' movie about a bunch of yellow pills who like bananas and run around speaking gibberish. Those kids will grow up, they'll be fine." — Yasmin "No! The movie normalized and accustomed them to situations of exploitation by depicting the Minions as content with their condition!" — Nathan Please enjoy our detailed analysis of Minions. As Nathan promises at the end of the episode, we will never be revisiting the subject, no matter how many more of these films are released. Minions Being Tortured:
The world is filled with Pete Campbells – people whose wealthy families and social connections allow them to coast through life, easily opening doors that are locked tight for the rest of us. Doesn't that just burn you up? On this week's Gender Trap, Yasmin Nair and I talk about Episode 4 of Mad Men (“New Amsterdam”), in which we are forced to come to terms with the archetypal privileged son, and see him as but one part of a marvelous, odious machine that traps us all. Can we learn to love Pete Campbell? Listen to the whole episode and access all our weekly bonus traps
On our first episode after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade, Yasmin Nair and I take a moment to consider the implications: What does this mean for a newly emboldened right? And how can the left find new strategies of resistance? We also watch a particularly brutal episode of Mad Men (S1E3, “The Marriage of Figaro”), which brings our abortion discussion back to the early 1960s and connects concepts of “privacy” to houses, neighborhoods, and bedrooms. To listen to the whole episode, and access our massive library of bonus content, become a Nostalgia Trap subscriber for just $5 a month: patreon.com/nostalgiatrap
The bestselling novels of Sally Rooney have been subject to endless chatter. She has been hailed as the great millennial novelist by some, her work called "extraordinarily lucid, gorgeous and nuanced." (Washington Post) On the other hand, there are those who say that "Rooney and her readers hope to bask in the self-congratulatory glow of their supposed egalitarianism without ceding any of their accolades." Current Affairs editors Yasmin Nair, Lily Sánchez, and Nathan J. Robinson decided to sit down with Rooney's books and figure out where they stand, whether they "hate" Rooney or are part of the "cult."
On the very first episode of Record Trap, Justin Farrar joins me to lay out our mission statement for the podcast: a regular series of conversations about music, counterculture, and radical politics. What better way to kick off this project than by talking about drugs and The Beatles? The world's greatest rock band didn't just put out classic albums; they also helped introduce a whole generation to the psychedelic experience through their playful artistic engagement with LSD, marijuana, and other tools of chemical adventure. We take a trip through the 1960s to explore how four lads from Liverpool journeyed to the outer reaches of their own minds and packaged the lessons for the masses. Subscribe to the Nostalgia Trap Patreon to access all our podcasts, including Record Trap w/ Justin Farrar, Gender Trap w/ Yasmin Nair, and Campus Trap w/ Ryan Boyd: patreon.com/nostalgiatrap
Stories about the past form the ideological foundation of the American project. This week's guest, Alicia Puglionesi, is a historian and writer whose work often focuses on “hauntings” – both real and imagined – in our collective history. Her latest book, In Whose Ruins: Power, Possession, and the Landscapes of American Empire, explores the fake narratives and mythologies created to justify land theft, genocide, and the endless extraction of natural resources for profit. In this conversation, she explains how fundamental elements like oil, water, and atomic power were harnessed by capital through processes of historical erasure and, above all, storytelling. Subscribe to the Nostalgia Trap Patreon page to access our whole universe of bonus content, including our newest podcasts Gender Trap w/ Yasmin Nair and Campus Trap w/ Ryan Boyd: patreon.com/nostalgiatrap
Grace Elizabeth Hale is a professor of history and American Studies at the University of Virginia whose work focuses on race, class, and culture in the 20th century, particularly in the American South. Her latest book, Cool Town: How Athens, Georgia Launched Alternative Music and Changed American Culture tells the story of how a small college town in Georgia became a center of indie and punk culture in the 1970s and 1980s, producing major bands like the B-52s and R.E.M. while maintaining a queer D.I.Y cultural scene that's become a significant legend in the annals of American rock. What makes Athens so special? And can that magic be recreated in other places? Subscribe to access all our bonus content, including our all-new podcasts GENDER TRAP w/ Yasmin Nair and CAMPUS TRAP w/ Ryan Boyd: patreon.com/nostalgiatrap
Carrie Conners is a poet, writer, and professor of English at LaGuardia Community College; her latest book Laugh Lines: Humor, Genre, and Political Critique in Late Twentieth Century American Poetry explores how American poets since the 1950s engage humor as a political and aesthetic tactic. In this conversation, we talk about the language games of standup comics from George Carlin to Dave Chappelle, and trace the wider shifts in poetry, comedy, and political culture since the invention of the atomic bomb. We also examine how Carrie navigates these ideas in her own poetry, with excerpts from her two excellent collections, Luscious Struggle (2020) and Species of Least Concern (2022). Subscribe to Nostalgia Trap for bonus content, including our newest podcasts GENDER TRAP w/ Yasmin Nair and CAMPUS TRAP w/ Ryan Boyd: patreon.com/nostalgiatrap
Writer, musician, and fellow Wilco-head Jason P. Woodbury returns to talk with me about the 20th anniversary of the band's eerily prophetic album Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Our conversation focuses on the process of making the album, as documented in the film I Am Trying to Break Your Heart (dir. Sam Jones, 2002), which captures not only Wilco's particular creative agony but the wider cultural moment, a time just before 9/11, just before the Internet swallowed everything, just before all the abstract existential anxieties layered into the lyrics and atmosphere of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot became permanent fixtures of our collective reality. Check out Jason's latest single, “Wealth of the Canyon”: https://soundcloud.com/jasonpwoodbury/wealth-of-the-canyon?utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing And hear him playing guitar w/ Kitimoto:: https://soundcloud.com/jasonpwoodbury/sets/kitimoto-vintage-smell/s-ttZ6VuJ3Qw8?utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing Subscribe to access our library of bonus content, including our all-new podcast with Yasmin Nair, Gender Trap: patreon.com/nostalgiatrap
Gender Trap is an all-new podcast series with me (David Parsons) and Yasmin Nair attempting to move the conversation forward on gender and sexuality in politics, economics, and popular culture. In our inaugural episode, we explore the different modes of performative masculinity available to American men, from Alan Alda to Jason Momoa, explain why Mad Men will be a central text for our discussions, and offer some ideas about new ideological frameworks for navigating the trap of gender. All future episodes of Gender Trap will be available exclusively for Nostalgia Trap subscribers at patreon.com/nostalgiatrap.
Today we have returning guests Yasmin Nair, Mtume Gant, and Chris Jesu Lee in the studio to talk about the new movie Death on The Nile. Breaking down the already broken movie, Yasmin, Mtume, and Chris join Trevor in a delightful romp of bashery asking the question, "when the book and original 1978 movie were so good, why change the formula?" This is Part 1 of a two-part episode. Part 2 is free to all paid subscribers over at www.patreon.com/posts/65299341. Become a paid subscriber for $5/month over at patreon.com/champagnesharks and get access to the entire archive of subscriber-only episodes, the Discord voice and chat server for patrons, detailed show notes for certain episodes, and our newsletter. Co-produced & edited by Aaron C. Schroeder / Pierced Ears Recording Co, Seattle WA (www.piercedearsrec.com). Opening theme composed by T. Beaulieu. Closing theme composed by Dustfingaz (https://www.youtube.com/user/TheRazhu_)
The always engaging Yasmin Nair returns to continue our survey of how COVID is fucking us up on multiple channels: politically, economically, and spiritually. From liberals cheering on the deaths of the unvaxxed to celebrities spinning off into NFT land—all while the Biden administration tells us to “Google it”—things are looking pretty grim. How do we find hope in this degraded social landscape? Listen to the whole episode: patreon.com/posts/episode-314-hope-62069216
Judge Judy Sheindlin has long been one of the highest-paid TV stars, earning a staggering $47 million per year for her show, Judge Judy. She is universally known and loved nationwide for her acerbic, "take no BS" style of dispute resolution. "Who doesn't love Judge Judy?" asked Barack Obama. Current Affairs editor-at-large Yasmin Nair does not love Judge Judy. In a new article for In These Times magazine, Nair reviews Sheindlin's new show for Amazon Studios, Judy Justice, and argues that Judge Judy's judgments are full of implicit disdain for the poor, contempt for dysfunctional and broken people, and "bootstraps" ideology.While many of the cases Judy judges are amusing and trivial disputes over the custody of adorable little dogs, others illustrate the tragedy of American financial struggles at the bottom of the class ladder. And the spectacle of an extremely wealthy person snapping commands at those with very little can come to feel grotesque. Nair writes:"Nearly all of the people who end up on the show are poor or close to indigency. [...] In exchange for their appearance, participants agree to be humiliated and berated for the supposed choices that landed them there. They are screamed at by a woman who only works five days a month and who, after the shooting is don, hops on her private jet to fly to her 23-acre home in Naples, Fla., to enjoy a daily lunch with her husband at the Ritz-Carlton."In this episode, Yasmin and Current Affairs editor in chief Nathan J. Robinson dive into the problems with Judge Judy. We discuss:- Typical Judge Judy cases and the strange way that the show pretends it's trying to sincerely resolve legal problems- The dubious ethics of the show's recruitment process and of pretending to be a judge - The ideology underlying Sheindlin's strict belief in Manners, Decorum, and Respect for Authority- Sheindlin's racism, including her despicable treatment of long-serving bailiff Petri Hawkins-Byrd - Her support for Michael Bloomberg and attack on Bernie Sanders, because of course Judge Judy loves Bloomberg and hates Sanders. (Judy: "[America] is the most perfect country in the world and those people that are trying to change it and revolutionize it, don't have a chance, because I'll fight them to the death.”)- Why, for all Judge Judy's repellent flaws, the actual American court system is even worse and more cruel Subscribe to In These Times today. Yasmin's article can also be read online at the In These Times website.Edited by Tim Gray.
Maureen Farrell is a business reporter with the New York Times and co-author of the book The Cult of We: WeWork, Adam Neumann, and the Great Startup Delusion, which documents one of the most bizarre stories in 21st century capitalism: the staggering rise (and subsequent collapse) of WeWork, an office space rental company that presented itself as a game-changing "technology company" that was going to revolutionize the world and change the way humans interacted with each other. Led by a strangely charismatic founder, Adam Neumann, who had sought his fortune in the baby clothes industry before pivoting to real estate, the company ascended to stunning heights, attracting investment from some of the most sophisticated capitalists in the world. Neumann successfully convinced legions of followers that WeWork was offering more than just co-working spaces, and developed what Farrell and co-author Eliot Brown call "the cult of We," infusing the company's culture with quasi-religious belief in a destiny to change the world and earn a trillion dollars.But it was a house of cards, and it eventually came tumbling down. When WeWork attempted to go public, it came under heavy scrutiny and Neumann's grandiose claims and messianic vision were widely mocked. And yet: Neumann himself came out of the situation rather well, showing that in the 21st century U.S. economy, failure can be incredibly lucrative.In this lively conversation about a fascinating story, Farrell and Current Affairs editor-in-chief Nathan J. Robinson discuss:- How Neumann, despite being manifestly full of shit, managed to charm seemingly everyone who met him (and got them to ignore such personal idiosyncrasies as his habit of being drunk at work) - How WeWork successfully branded itself as a "technology company" when it was, in fact, quite obviously a real estate company- How the company evaded scrutiny and managed to hoodwink so many supposedly smart investors for so long- Why Elizabeth Holmes of Theranos is going to prison while Adam Neumann, who in many ways was similarly misleading, is still a multi-millionaire who is now going back into the very industry he failed in- How the WeWork story illuminates broader trends in contemporary capitalism, namely the ability to pass off grandiose and delusional visions as viable companies - How the stories of Adam Neumann and Donald Trump both show that there is no justice in the worldFor more on WeWork, check out Current Affairs editor-at-large Yasmin Nair's article on it.
Hillary Clinton has just released an online course on "The Power of Resilience" through the website MasterClass, where celebrities teach their skills. The course has made the news because in it, she delivers the speech she would have given had she won the presidency in 2016, which she did not. We were curious what else is in Hillary Clinton's MasterClass, so Current Affairs editors Yasmin Nair, Nathan J. Robinson, and Lily Sánchez paid the fee and took the class. In this episode, we reveal all of the class's secrets, so that you can take Hillary's MasterClass without actually taking Hillary's MasterClass. Her useful lessons on resilience, negotiation, and more are helpfully summarized in this delightful conversation. We discuss:- Why the class seems to be more about helping Clinton process her loss to Donald Trump than a good faith attempt to teach anyone anything- How the class rewrites history and leaves out all of the horrible things the Clintons have done over the course of their political careers- How Clinton presents politics as the struggle of ambitious people to achieve personal goals and fulfillment rather than as a collective struggle that necessitates social movements- Why it's necessary that nobody ever take the lessons of this class seriously, since the last thing we need is a new generation of vacuous Clintonian politicians- Why it's strange to get lessons on political success from someone whose decisions led to a catastrophic political failure (campaign in Wisconsin is not one of the class lessons) Yasmin's Baffler article on Clinton's dystopian elite feminism is here. Her article "Dynasties of Neoliberalism" also discusses Clinton. Nathan's book on Bill Clinton, Superpredator: Bill Clinton's Use and Abuse of Black America, is available here. His article dissecting the Clinton campaign is here. The quote from Bill Clinton about Obama is from a 2012 New Yorker article.
Is there a deeper, more powerful nostalgia trap than the Christmas season? In this conversation, Yasmin Nair helps me work out my mixed emotions about the holidays, as we watch the Billy Wilder movie The Apartment (1960) and consider how its dark vision of philandering married men and “other women” in mid-century New York City shows us the Christmas season as a theater of sexual pathos, performative sentiment, and relentless cynicism. Subscribe for all our bonus treats: patreon.com/nostalgiatrap
Today we have all-star guest Yasmin Nair back on the show to get her take on the Bad Art Friend, the cost of being an artist who wants to be successful as well as the issues that plague the literature world in general. Yasmin is a co-founder of the radical queer editorial collective Against Equality, and the Policy Director of the Chicago queer radical collective Gender JUST. Her work has appeared in publications like The Baffler, In These Times, Vox, and Electronic Intifada as well as in several anthologies including Captive Genders: Trans Embodiment and the Prison Industrial Complex, False Choices: The Faux Feminism of Hillary Rodham Clinton, and Queer and Trans Migrations: Dynamics of Detention, Deportation, and Illegalization. This is Part 1 of a two-part episode. Part 2 is free to all paid subscribers over at [Patreon link to Part 2]. Become a paid subscriber for $5/month over at patreon.com/champagnesharks and get access to the entire archive of subscriber-only episodes, the Discord voice and chat server for patrons, detailed show notes for certain episodes, and our newsletter. Co-produced & edited by Aaron C. Schroeder / Pierced Ears Recording Co, Seattle WA (www.piercedearsrec.com). Opening theme composed by T. Beaulieu. Closing theme composed by Dustfingaz (https://www.youtube.com/user/TheRazhu_)
What is “trauma porn” and what role does it play on the left? Yasmin Nair joins us to discuss her recent piece, “AOC and the Weaponization of Trauma,” which explores the uncomfortable dynamics of race, gender and class at play in the public thirst for graphic stories of trauma, abuse, and suffering, and the toxic place that “trauma” holds in American political culture.
Part Two of our conversation with Yasmin Nair on death and grief in the COVID era. Check out Yasmin's incredible archive of writing, including many of the pieces discussed in this episode, here: yasminnair.com.
The one and only Yasmin Nair joins us this week for a wide-ranging discussion on a topic near and dear to all of us: death. In Part One of our conversation, we talk about how the politics of COVID have created a cruel public theater that showcases American culture's deeply weird, and deeply disturbing, attitudes about death, grief, and what we owe to each other. This two-parter is quite openly a Nostalgia Trap therapy session, as Yasmin and I each process the loss of close friends in the context of intense global heartbreak. Listen to Part Two here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/57076725
This is Part 1 of a two-part episode. Part 2 is free to all paid subscribers over at www.patreon.com/posts/52816595. Become a paid subscriber for $5/month over at patreon.com/champagnesharks and get access to the entire archive of subscriber-only episodes, the Discord voice and chat server for patrons, detailed show notes for certain episodes, and our newsletter. Today we're joined by Yasmin Nair (twitter.com/NairYasmin). Dr. Yasmin Nair is a freelance writer, activist, academic, and commentator. The bastard child of queer theory and deconstruction, Nair has numerous critical essays, book reviews, investigative journalism, op-eds, and photography to her credit. She has appeared in publications like Current Affairs, where she is also an editor at large, The Baffler, Evergreen Review, In These Times, and Maximum Rock'n'Roll. Yasmin's website can be found at www.yasminnair.net . Co-produced & edited by Aaron C. Schroeder / Pierced Ears Recording Co, Seattle WA (www.piercedearsrec.com). Opening theme composed by T. Beaulieu. Closing theme composed by Dustfingaz (https://www.youtube.com/user/TheRazhu_)
Chicago-based writer and activist Yasmin Nair speaks with Radio Free Galisteo about the website www. againstequality.org and the subsequent book that derived from its existence - Against Equality: Queer Revolution Not Mere Inclusion. Yasmin also speaks about gay marriage and the state of "Woke" culture in the US.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/radiofreegalisteo?fan_landing=true)
One of EFPA's favorite guests, writer and activist Yasmin Nair, joins Chris and Eliza to discuss the annual kink controversy at Pride parades, as well as the Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's fiery essay on social media opportunists, self-centered literary reviews, and other things wrong with the culture industries. Join us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/planamag CHECK OUT OUR LIVESTREAMS ON YOUTUBE (and subscribe!): www.youtube.com/channel/UCv1W1syiwY053urp-IH-OjQ Twitter: Yasmin(@NairYasmin) Chris (@JesuInToast) Eliza (@aesthdistance1) REFERENCED RESOURCES: On Kink at Pride by Yasmin Nair: https://yasminnair.com/on-kink-at-pride/ Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's essay (since taken down, sadly!): https://www.theguardian.com/books/2021/jun/16/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie-social-media-sanctimony SUBMISSIONS & COMMENTS: editor.planamag@gmail.com EFPA Opening Theme: "Fuck Out My Face" by Ayekay (open.spotify.com/artist/16zQKaDN5XgHAhfOJHTigJ)
Adam is joined by special guest Yasmin Nair (writer, academic and activist) to discuss the intimate relationship between celebrity and power in the realm of adoption, especially international, transracial adoption. They begin by discussing the famous and complex Farrow-Allen case which recently came back into focus because of the HBO docuseries "Allen v. Farrow". The discussion then broadens to talk about how power, in general, is central to the reality of adoption. Join us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/planamag CHECK OUT OUR LIVESTREAMS ON YOUTUBE (and subscribe!): www.youtube.com/channel/UCv1W1syiwY053urp-IH-OjQ Twitter: Yasmin(@NairYasmin) Adam(@snbatman) REFERENCED RESOURCES: Adopting Difference: Race, Sex, and the Archaeology of Power in the Farrow-Allen Case: https://yasminnair.com/adopting-difference-race-sex-and-the-archaeology-of-power-in-the-farrow-allen-case-3/ "Shattered Bonds" by Dorothy Roberts: https://www.google.com/books/edition/Shattered_Bonds/nWYfAQAAQBAJ?hl=en Article about domestic (American) adoption and the welfare system: https://theappeal.org/black-families-matter-how-the-child-welfare-system-punishes-poor-families-of-color-33ad20e2882e/ Article about Sandra Bullock's most recent adoption: https://people.com/parents/sandra-bullock-adopts-daughter-laila-people-exclusive-cover/#:~:text=Sandra%20Bullock%20is%20a%20proud,had%20been%20in%20foster%20care Dutch freeze international adoptions after abuses uncovered: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/2/8/dutch-freeze-international-adoptions-after-abuses-uncovered English language version of the Dutch report: https://www.committeeinvestigatingintercountryadoption.nl/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/COlA_Rapport_ENG_DlGlTAAL.pdf. Secondary link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nTO_LW8GhkSApf1KaSPsdkAUpH9hRwyC/view?usp=sharing SUBMISSIONS & COMMENTS: editor.planamag@gmail.com EFPA Opening Theme: "Fuck Out My Face" by Ayekay (open.spotify.com/artist/16zQKaDN5XgHAhfOJHTigJ)
Clare and BDM take a trip to New Penzance to discuss Wes Anderson's 2012 romantic drama, Moonrise Kingdom. Then they scrutinize a recent piece in Slate making the case for pandemic shaming. Along the way, they fail to pronounce any names correctly. Subscribe to our Patreon to teach us how to talk: https://www.patreon.com/stetpod Some pieces mentioned in detail or in passing: "In Support of Shame," Kendra Pierre-Louis (https://slate.com/technology/2021/04/shame-covid-restrictions-psychology-public-health.html) "Shaming / not shaming," BDM (https://notebook.substack.com/p/shaming-not-shaming) "Scabs: Academics and Others Who Write for Free," Yasmin Nair (https://www.thecut.com/2020/12/people-tell-me-i-seem-like-a-snob-whenever-im-quiet.html)
In this episode, Yasmin Nair talks to us about developments within queer politics since the AIDS epidemic. We cover Pete Buttigieg, the non-profit industrial complex, the politics of Against Equality, far-right gays, how to think about sex politically, anti-trans violence, and the neoliberal university. You can find Yasmin on Twitter @NairYasmin (https://bit.ly/3pMofCs) and read more of her work at https://yasminnair.com.
This week's exclusive features a casual but thoughtful conversation between Nashwa and Yasmin Nair. Enclosed is a preview, if you want to unlock the full episode you can by subscribing on Patreon or Substack. Together they chat about her article On Nostalgia, Sex Work, and the Dancing Girls of Lahore. They discuss how the courtesan has been and is viewed in Paksitan and how sex work is flattened in the neoliberalized versions of feminism here and elsewhere. They also discuss Armie Hammer and sex panic as well as the culture around how we discuss relationships (please note that this was recorded on January 15th before some additional information on the situation was disclosed—we clearly state in the episode we do not condone violence against women). The two also explore what feminism has become, who it has forgotten and question what we all long for. Yasmin also discusses helps us understand who is and was left behind in the fight for gay marriage. This episode features a short list of complementary readings on substack - we hope you check them out. Guest Information:Guest of the week: Yasmin NairYasmin Nair is a writer, academic, and activist currently based in Hyde Park, Chicago. She is, with Ryan Conrad, a co-founder of the radical editorial collective Against Equality and a member of the Chicago-based radical queer collective Gender JUST. She is currently working on her first book, Strange Love: How Social Justice Was Invented and Why It Needs to Die. Her work has been published in numerous publications and is linked to or found at www.yasminnair.com.You can follow her on Twitter here.Additional Resources:Some readings that compliment this episode : On Nostalgia, Sex Work, and the Dancing Girls of Lahore by Yasmin NairPolyamory Is Gay Marriage for Straight People by Yasmin NairRight to Work: Sex Workers in India Organize to Fight Discrimination by Sarita SantoshiniBDSM Can Provide Provide Healing Experiences by Sofia Barrett-Ibarria“Kink Helped My Mental Health” The Healing Benefits Of BDSM by Yasmin LajoieHow do we understand sexual pleasure in this age of ‘consent'? by Heidi Matthews Production Credits:Hosted by Nashwa Lina Khan Music by Johnny Zapras and postXamericaArt for Habibti Please by postXamericaProduction by Nashwa Lina Khan and Johnny ZaprasProduction Assistance by Raymond KhananoSocial Media & Support:Follow us on Twitter @habibtipleaseSupport us on PatreonSubscribe to us on Substack This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit habibtiplease.substack.com/subscribe
Our guest this week is Yasmin Nair, whose work has appeared in publications like the Baffler, In These Times, Vox, and Electronic Intifada. The post The Top Left Corner — 2021/02/03 appeared first on The Greylock Glass.
This week, Lyta Gold had an extra-long, two-part conversation with Current Affairs editor-at-large Yasmin Nair, in which they dissect the arts industry, media gossip, creative labor, why writing doesn't pay, and why the arts culture today feels so stagnant. This is a preview of two episodes available in full to our $5 Patreon subscribers. To listen to the whole episode, as well as lots of other brilliant bonus episodes, please consider becoming one of our subscribers at www.patreon.com/CurrentAffairs!
Yasmin Nair and Lyta Gold talk publishing scandals, "authenticity", cultural appropriation, feminism and more. This episode was recorded a little while back, but it doesn't devalue the conversation because variations on the specific events they describe occur over and over again, on a weekly basis, forever. This episode was edited by Dan Thorn of Pink Noise Studios in Somerville, MA.
How does the way we live reflect all the traps of American ideology? This week, one of our favorites, writer and activist Yasmin Nair, joins us for a wide-ranging conversation on the historical, social, and economic dimensions of U.S. housing policy. From current debates around gentrification and rent strikes to the romanticized image of suburban nuclear families in pop culture, we explore how ideas of home ownership are at the core of the national-imperial project.
Yasmin Nair returns to the Trap for a deep dive into the film Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011), a conversation that helps us frame ideas about prison abolition, animal rights, environmentalism, pandemics, and the tactical elements of a grassroots revolution.
Yasmin Nair is a writer and activist who always says what’s on her mind, and the results are consistently some of the most refreshing and challenging takes on modern American politics and culture. In this conversation, we talk about her most recent work, her outlook on the 2020 Democratic primary, the carceral politics of #MeToo, and why the U.S. left is often so hopelessly lost on issues of sex, race, and class.
Yasmin Nair joins Teen to talk about the trope of navel gazing Asian American essay. We find it all the time these days in places like the New York Times -- politically limp-wristed writing about our childhood insecurities, cultural homelessness, all to appeal to white readers to 'understand' us. Some call it Mango Poetry. We also talk A LOT about Jason Momoa for some reason... JOIN THE PATREON! https://www.patreon.com/planamag TWITTER: Teen (@mont_jiang) Yasmin (@NairYasmin) (yasminnair.net) REFERENCED RESOURCES: 'Parasite' Won, But Asian Americans Are Still Losing: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/10/opinion/parasite-oscar-best-picture.html Jason Momoa, Aquaman, and the Art of Queer Friendship: http://www.yasminnair.net/content/jason-momoa-aquaman-and-queer-art-friendship SUBMISSIONS & COMMENTS: editor.planamag@gmail.com EFPA Opening Theme: "Fuck Out My Face" by Ayekay (open.spotify.com/artist/16zQKaDN5XgHAhfOJHTigJ)
This is part 1 of a two-part episode. Part 1 is free and available to all; part 2 is only available to $5/month subscribers over at. Show notes to this episode, if we decide to do any, will eventually be available to Patreon subscribers at https://www.patreon.com/posts/33867303. This episode is hosted by T. Today we have on Yasmin Nair (http://twitter.com/nairyasmin). Dr. Yasmin Nair is a freelance writer, activist, academic, and commentator. The bastard child of queer theory and deconstruction, Nair has numerous critical essays, book reviews, investigative journalism, op-eds, and photography to her credit. She has appeared in publications like Current Affairs, where she is also an editor at large, The Baffler, Evergreen Review, In These Times, and Maximum Rock’n’Roll. Yasmin’s website can be found at www.yasminnair.net . Co-produced & edited by Aaron C. Schroeder / Pierced Ears Recording Co, Seattle WA (piercedearsmusic@gmail.com). Opening theme composed by T. Beaulieu. Closing theme composed by Dustfingaz (https://www.youtube.com/user/TheRazhu_).
This is an epilogue to a recent two-part episode with Yasmin Nair (http://twitter.com/nairyasmin). We offer patrons who subscribe to our Patreon (patreon.com/champagnesharks) for $5/month and use our dedicated Discord voice and chat server the opportunity to get a preview of upcoming guests and suggest questions, which we then ask on their behalf. This time around there were so many questions and Yasmin went in such depth on her answers we decided to make the Q&A segment a dedicated episode on its own. Become a Patreon subscriber for $5/month to preview and pose questions to our future guests. Dr. Yasmin Nair is a freelance writer, activist, academic, and commentator. The bastard child of queer theory and deconstruction, Nair has numerous critical essays, book reviews, investigative journalism, op-eds, and photography to her credit. She has appeared in publications like Current Affairs, where she is also an editor at large, The Baffler, Evergreen Review, In These Times, and Maximum Rock’n’Roll. Yasmin’s website can be found at www.yasminnair.net . Co-produced & edited by Aaron C. Schroeder / Pierced Ears Recording Co, Seattle WA (piercedearsmusic@gmail.com). Opening theme composed by T. Beaulieu. Closing theme composed by Dustfingaz (https://www.youtube.com/user/TheRazhu_).
Jessa speaks with cultural critic, academic, and leftist thinker Yasmin Nair about the exploitative, dumbed down, and click-baity hot take culture in which we all consume. They discuss trying to write and think in a sea of opinion, the way leftist magazines take advantage of young writers, and how readers can take responsibility for the world created. Support this podcast: http://patreon.com/publicintellectual
Our podcast has hit 100 episodes and we couldn't be prouder to have the esteemed Yasmin Nair (writer, activist, and academic) as our guest to commemorate the milestone! With Teen and Oxford, the crew discusses the corporatization of woke politics, from Disney's casting choices (e.g. "The Little Mermaid") to how the identities of political candidates like Pete Buttigieg and Kamala Harris are packaged to serve status quo agendas. Yasmin's website: https://www.yasminnair.net/ Support us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/planamag TWITTER: Yasmin (@nairyasmin) Teen (@mont_jiang) Oxford (@oxford_kondo) REFERENCED RESOURCES: Believe in Something by Yasmin Nair: https://thebaffler.com/outbursts/believe-in-something-nair American Gay: Pete Buttigieg and the Politics of Forgetting by Yasmin Nair: https://www.yasminnair.net/content/american-gay-pete-buttigieg-and-politics-forgetting SUBMISSIONS & COMMENTS: editor.planamag@gmail.com EFPA Opening Theme: "Fuck Out My Face" by Ayekay (open.spotify.com/artist/16zQKaDN5XgHAhfOJHTigJ)
Current Affairs business manager Eli Massey and contributing editor Aisling McCrea are joined by three radical queer writers for a raucous, thought-provoking discussion on Pride, rainbow capitalism, the meaning of queer culture, the politics of desire, and so much else. You can find and support Yasmin Nair at yasminnair.net, Conner Habib at patreon.com/connerhabib, and Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore at mattildabernsteinsycamore.com. This episode was edited by Dan Thorn of Pink Noise Studios in Somerville, MA. To receive early access to episodes like these, as well as lots of other delicious exclusive content, consider becoming a Patron at patreon.com/CurrentAffairs.
Current Affairs business manager Eli Massey and contributing editor Aisling McCrea are joined by three radical queer writers - Yasmin Nair, Conner Habib, and Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore - for a raucous, thought-provoking discussion on Pride, rainbow capitalism, the meaning of queer culture, the politics of desire, and so much else. To hear this episode in full, and gain access to our exclusive 'Bird Feed', consider becoming a monthly patron at https://www.patreon.com/CurrentAffairs.
Peter Herman (@TweeterHerman) joined Dan Ackerman (@DarnArckerman) and Peter Ronson (@Parenthestein) a week or two or ten ago, and we're just getting the ep up now. It's been a tough couple of weeks, but we should be back to our regular schedule pretty soon. For now, enjoy this TNNE classic combo before the debate tonight, and we've got an exclusive Yasmin Nair interview for our loyal Galaxy Brain clubbers. Thanks for sticking with us! We owe you! Listen to Yasmin talk Mayor Pete on Overtime!: www.patreon.com/thenewsneverends Theme song credit: "Robobozo" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Jessa speaks with writer Yasmin Nair about the state of criticism, what it means for criticism to be dead, and what the changing relationship is between those who make and those who have opinions.--SUBSCRIBE to the #PublicIntellectual #Patreon page to access BONUS CONTENT, EARLY EPISODE RELEASES, SHOW NOTES, MERCH and more: www.Patreon.com/PublicIntellectualPLEASE SUBSCRIBE AND RATE US on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.PUBLIC INTELLECTUAL IS A FOREVER DOG PODCAST:http://foreverdogproductions.com/fdpn/podcasts/public-intellectual/
Yasmin Nair is a Chicago-based writer, activist, and founder of Against Equality, an anti-capitalist collective of radical queer and trans writers, thinkers, and artists. Her provocative, often polemical, and always entertaining writing takes on the political culture of neoliberalism, the pitfalls of left media, and the politics of gender and sexuality, among many other topics. In this conversation we talk about the material politics of Brooklyn™ socialism, the differences between social, cultural, and economic capital, and what the left can learn from radical queer culture.
Gracing us once again, Yasmin Nair (@NairYasmin) joins Peter Ronson (@Parenthestein) Dan Ackerman (@DarnArckerman) to talk about becoming Slavoj Žižek, the true tragedies around the Notre Dame fire, and the future of comedy before and beyond Nanette. Do as Yasmin says and give us money!: www.patreon.com/thenewsneverends Timestamps: 0:00: Richard Pryor self-deprecation on his self-immolation 0:21: Intro and election 5:30: Žižek/Peterson 17:43: Notre Dame 33:19: Hannah Gadsby and the future of comedy Links: Yasmin's Nanette article in Evergreen https://evergreenreview.com/read/your-laughter-is-my-trauma/ The original uncut http://www.yasminnair.net/content/your-trauma-your-passport-hannah-gadsby-nanette-and-global-citizenship Peter Moskowitz on "The Nanette Problem" https://theoutline.com/post/5962/the-nanette-problem-hannah-gadsby-netflix-review?zd=2&zi=fhiawrgl Gadsby image and art show https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2018/feb/19/hannah-gadsby-on-the-male-gaze-in-art-stop-watching-women-having-baths-go-away Pryor on setting himself on fire https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjD4PHojNBU The larger philosopher https://twitter.com/anarcish/status/1119420187940274181?s=21 Žižek's anti-feminine chaos https://twitter.com/sarahjeong/status/1120020689912680448 Žižek / Peterson debate https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78BFFq_8XvM Nathan Robinson piece https://www.currentaffairs.org/2019/04/live-commentary-on-the-zizek-peterson-debate Notre Dame Democracy Now! coverage https://www.democracynow.org/2019/4/22/headlines/france_weekly_yellow_vest_protests_channel_anger_over_notre_dame_donations Theme song credit: "Robobozo" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Today’s special guest is Yasmin Nair, a great writer based in Chicago. We talk about the non-profit industrial complex, why polyamory does not make you a radical, and the ballad of Jussie Smollet. Also: Content warnings matter and Greg Gutfeld gives Juan Williams a lesson on the “b word”. Twitter: @nairyasmin @benudashen Follow us on […]
Go to http://patreon.com/champagnesharks to become a Patreon subscriber for $5/month and get early access to free episodes and access to over 70 archived subscriber-only episodes not available on the main, free feed. Today we're joined by Yasmin Nair (https://twitter.com/NairYasmin). Dr. Yasmin Nair is a freelance writer, activist, academic, and commentator. The bastard child of queer theory and deconstruction, Nair has numerous critical essays, book reviews, investigative journalism, op-eds, and photography to her credit. She has appeared in publications like Current Affairs, where she is also an editor at large, The Baffler, Evergreen Review, In These Times, and Maximum Rock’n’Roll. Yasmin’s website can be found at http://www.yasminnair.net . Discussed in this episode: Yasmin Nair's articles "Your Sex is Not Radical" http://yasminnair.net/content/your-sex-not-radicaland "Your Trauma Is Your Passport" http://www.yasminnair.net/content/your-trauma-your-passport-hannah-gadsby-nanette-and-global-citizenship "Meet The Dominatrix Who Requires The Men Who Hire Her To Read Black Feminist Theory" by Amanda Duberman https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/mistress-velvet_us_5a822b50e4b00ecc923d4eba "#BREAKING: Journal Documents How Wealthy Democratic Donor Hooked Young Black Gay Man on Meth Before His Death" by Jasmyne Cannick http://www.jasmyneacannick.com/breaking-journal-documents-how-wealthy-democratic-donor-hooked-young-black-gay-man-on-meth-before-his-death/ Co-produced & edited by Aaron C. Schroeder / Pierced Ears Recording Co, Seattle WA (piercedearsmusic@gmail.com). Opening theme composed by T. Beaulieu, Closing theme produced by Dust Fingaz https://soundcloud.com/dustfingaz/
Go to http://patreon.com/champagnesharksto become a Patreon subscriber for $5/month and get early access to free episodes and access to over 70 archived subscriber-only episodes not available on the main, free feed. Today we're joined by Yasmin Nair (https://twitter.com/NairYasmin). Today we're joined by Yasmin Nair (https://twitter.com/NairYasmin). Dr. Yasmin Nair is a freelance writer, activist, academic, and commentator. The bastard child of queer theory and deconstruction, Nair has numerous critical essays, book reviews, investigative journalism, op-eds, and photography to her credit. She has appeared in publications like Current Affairs, where she is also an editor at large, The Baffler, Evergreen Review, In These Times, and Maximum Rock’n’Roll. Yasmin’s website can be found at http://www.yasminnair.net . Discussed in this episode: Yasmin Nair's articles "Your Sex is Not Radical" http://yasminnair.net/content/your-sex-not-radicaland "Your Trauma Is Your Passport" http://www.yasminnair.net/content/your-trauma-your-passport-hannah-gadsby-nanette-and-global-citizenship "Critic's Notebook: 'If Beale Street Could Talk' Is an Important Invitation to Feel Black Pain" https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/beale-street-could-talk-is-an-invitation-feel-black-pain-1167310 Birth of a Nation'hood: Gaze, Script and Spectacle in the O.J. Simpson Case edited by Toni Morrison https://amzn.to/2VMmjv8 Co-produced & edited by Aaron C. Schroeder / Pierced Ears Recording Co, Seattle WA (piercedearsmusic@gmail.com). Opening theme composed by T. Beaulieu, Closing theme produced by Dust Fingaz https://soundcloud.com/dustfingaz/
If the Lockheed Martin funding and the awards for Jeff Bezos at those yearly Human Rights Campaign National Dinners have left you with a pit in your stomach, let Dan Ackerman (@DarnArckerman) and Peter Ronson (@Parenthestein) fill you up with The News Never Ends's First Annual Takedown Takeout! Special guest star Yasmin Nair (@NairYasmin) joins the TNNE crew for an awards show of our own and a roast of the HRC and the role the Non-Profit Industrial Complex plays in contemporary LGBTQ movements. No need to microwave these takes! They stay lava-hot! Join the Galaxy Brain Club for even more show!: www.patreon.com/thenewsneverends Yasmin Nair & Eli Massey on “Inclusion in the Atrocious” https://www.currentaffairs.org/2018/03/inclusion-in-the-atrocious Nathan J. Robinson on the HRC https://www.currentaffairs.org/2018/09/the-human-rights-campaign-has-totally-betrayed-its-constituents Timestamps: 0:00: Introduction and chitchat 23:18: Some historical background 45:01: Takedown Takeout categories 48:31: The One-Party Rule Visibility Award 1:29:45: The Class Warfare Innovation Award 2:23:52: The Equality in Extinction Award 2:25:46: The Imperial Innovation Award 2:47:55: Play us off More links: JB doesn't tell dad jokes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-k0LmQLQbPY JB doesn't sing karaoke https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8HR52lP6RQ The HRC Bezos tweet out of time and space https://twitter.com/HRC/status/922606069364543488 When AIDS Was Funny by Scott Calonico https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2015/11/reagan-administration-response-to-aids-crisis Shots in the Dark https://www.worldcat.org/wcpa/servlet/DCARead?standardNo=0393050270&standardNoType=1&excerpt=true Obama https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZB-4ZHmt82Y& Bezos https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhQs5STtwUY BP https://www.bp.com/en/global/bp-careers/working-at-bp/diversity-inclusion.html#lgbt Chad Griffin on heroic trans troops https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cdGYCBKo1s Susan Collins https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lR3WajO-WwI Bloomberg http://gawker.com/5979679/id-do-her-a-brief-history-of-michael-bloombergs-public-sexism Urvashi Vaid http://urvashivaid.net Thrasher on the Military-Industrial Complex http://gawker.com/haaay-to-the-chief-the-military-industrial-complex-con-486133694 NAACP against Net Neutrality https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/31/net-neutrality-naacp-verizon_n_5630074.html Purvi Patel https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/purvi-patel-feticide-freed-released-prison-indiana-20-year-sentence-a7220251.html American Veterans for Equal Rights (AVER) http://aver.us/ http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/lgbt/LGBTQ-veterans-to-dedicate-Halsted-monument-celebrate-25-years-on-Memorial-Day-/59190.html Miriam Ben-Shalom's TERF present https://goo.gl/B4QrHK Michael Arria's memery https://goo.gl/SBoM6p Corporate Equality Index Archives https://goo.gl/dFkAAt 2018 Index https://goo.gl/sKtKpe 2002 Index https://goo.gl/yBEaWj “Thirteen companies achieved a score of 100 percent.” Kelly Winters Bilerico on index tools https://goo.gl/B4n8Yy More thereon: https://goo.gl/UECi1m Nike unboxing https://goo.gl/zQUL4j Coke in India https://goo.gl/z4doaZ Coca-Cola Pride https://goo.gl/MUiG8S Drone donors https://goo.gl/m8wBqs Yasmin's review of Jo Becker's Forcing the Spring https://goo.gl/xhh7EV Max Blumenthal on Michael Lucas's “Men of Israel” shoot https://goo.gl/2Zou1y David Rakoff on the space for gay porn in the erotic con https://goo.gl/XNU4MJ We owe Janet Jackson an apology… https://goo.gl/89Jt2Y … but Les Moonves is we https://goo.gl/Vp8Sqq Dean Spade on Jennifer Pritzker https://goo.gl/NFZfeV Theme song credit: "Robobozo" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
In this episode I speak with writer, activist, and academic Yasmin Nair, who is highly critical of liberal narratives of "diversity" and TLGBQ+ "inclusion" inside of violent and imperialist institutions like the US military. Recently, Nair co-wrote a piece with Eli Massey which gave a radical left and queer critique of the mainstream push for trans inclusion in the military, and that serves as the basis for our discussion. Then, we discuss the intentional erasing of the legacy of radical queer anti-capitalist/anti-imperialist organizing, the problematic nature of reactionary gay politics like "legalize gay" and how they serve a white/capitalist class. Finally, we discuss the book "Against Equality", which she co-wrote.
To discuss the intersectionality of race, gender, and colonized mentalities for the hour, we’re joined by Yasmin Nair, an academic,... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Yasmin Nair is a writer and activist based in Chicago, known as much for her dynamic political and cultural writing as for her contentious social media adventures. In this conversation we spend a good amount of time talking about her amazing piece in Evergreen Review, a manifesto for an apocalyptic moment that combines analysis of neoliberalism with ideas about gentrification, queer culture, dystopian science fiction, and so much more.
What is neoliberalism? In this episode we're looking at Yasmin Nair and her work that connects gay liberalism to the decades-long development and implementation of neoliberal policy. You Saved My Life is brought to you by: mask.fm (http://mask.fm), a podcast network from Mask Magazine. To support this show and others, visit our Patreon (http://patreon.com/maskfm). You can follow Phoenix on Twitter, @kcdanger (https://twitter.com/kcdanger) Please take a moment to rate and review You Saved My Life on iTunes, which helps others discover our show. You Saved My Life was produced by Yvette Hall & Tyler Reinhard for mask.fm, and recorded in Brooklyn, NY. Music provided by Lucky Cat Band (http://luckycatband.bandcamp.com). For announcements, follow the network Twitter, @maskdotfm (https://twitter.com/maskdotfm). For feedback and information, contact: fm@mask-mag.com
On this weeks installment of APEX Express: Contributor R.J. Lozada interviews Seng Alex Vang, Conference Co-Chair of the 16th Hmong National Development Conference. This years conference, themed The Journey Forward, is a three-day gathering of Hmong and their allies on three major threads: Education, Health & Wellness, and Economic Development. The United States Supreme Court is in the throes of two major proceedings in the Gay Marriage or Marriage Equality movement, Hollingsworth v Perry, and the legal challenges to the Defense of Marriage Act, or DOMA. In an effort to bring the complexity of the different conversations happening within the LGBTIQ movements regarding marriage equality, contributor R.J. Lozada has invited three speakers to shed some light on the subject. (photo courtesy of Lauren Quock) Lauren Quock is a queer third generation Chinese American artist and community leader. Lauren has been working with the Network on Religion and Justice for Asian Pacific Islander LGBTIQ People (NRJ, www.netrj.org) since 2004 and is currently the NRJ Coordinator. NRJ creates community and leadership development for API LGBTIQ people of faith and works to change the culture of silence around sexuality and LGBTIQ experiences in API Christian churches through education. Lauren is also an artist (www.laurenquock.com). Lauren appropriates industrial processes and materials to create Modified Bathroom Signs that challenge the gender binary and transform the public restroom from a site of anxiety and trauma into one of affirmation for queer people. (photo courtesy of Yasmin Nair) From the author's website: Dr. Yasmin Nair is a Chicago-based writer, activist, academic, and commentator. The bastard child of queer theory and deconstruction, Nair has numerous critical essays, book reviews, investigative journalism, op-eds, and photography to her credit. Her work has appeared in publications like GLQ, The Progressive, make/shift, Time Out Chicago, The Bilerico Project, Windy City Times, Bitch, Maximum Rock'n'Roll, and No More Potlucks. Nair's writing and organising address issues like neoliberalism and inequality, queer politics and theory, the politics of rescue and affect, sex trafficking, the art world, and the immigration crisis. Her work also appears or will appear in various anthologies and journals, including Captive Genders: Trans Embodiment and the Prison Industrial Complex, Singlism: What It Is, Why It Matters and How to Stop It, Windy City Queer: Dispatches from the Third Coast and Arab Studies Quarterly. Most recently, her work has appeared in the Lambda-nominated anthology, Gay Press, Gay Power: The Growth of LGBT Community Newspapers in America, edited by Tracy Baim. Nair is a co-founder and member of the editorial collective Against Equality; she contributed to their first book, Against Equality: Queer Critiques of Gay Marriage as well as the second, Against Equality: Don't Ask to Fight Their Wars, and the third, Against Equality: Prisons Will Not Protect You. She is also a member of the Chicago grassroots organisation Gender JUST (Justice United for Societal Transformation) and recently became its Policy Director (a volunteer position) and co-ordinator of the Chicago chapter of South Asians for Justice, a new group devoted to forging a radical South Asian-inflected political vision outside of electoral politics and Bobby Jindal. Nair was, from 1999-2003, a member of the now-defunct Queer to the Left. Her activist work includes gentrification, immigration, public education, and youth at risk. John Lewis and Stuart Gaffney (photo courtesy of Stuart Gaffney) Stuart Gaffney, Media Director and API Outreach Director with Marriage Equality USA and also as a founder of API Equality Northern California. From Huffington Post: Stuart Gaffney and his husband John Lewis are leaders in the freedom to marry movement. Together as a couple for 26 years, they were two of the plaintiffs in the historic 2008 lawsuit that held that California's ban on same-sex marriage violated the state constitution. On June 17, 2008, they married at San Francisco City Hall, surrounded by friends and family. Stuart and John are leaders in Marriage Equality USA, a national grassroots organization, and API Equality, a coalition targeting outreach and education to the Asian-American community. They have appeared extensively in local, national and international media. The focus of their work has been to foster connection between the general public and the lives of LGBTIQ people. Stuart is a graduate of Yale University and currently a Policy Analyst at the UCSF Center for AIDS Prevention Studies. With Host RJ. The post APEX Express – April 4, 2013 appeared first on KPFA.