Jack Smith, a renowned underground filmmaker, joins to explore the fascinating 'trash stratum.' The conversation reveals how seemingly kitschy art can reclaim value, flipping the narrative of cultural artifacts. They discuss the enchanting performances of Maria Montez, emphasizing authenticity in art amidst a backdrop of ironic detachment. Smith and the hosts delve into spiritual themes in California's consumer culture, pondering the quest for meaning in a chaotic landscape. They ultimately discover that even within trash, divine shimmer can emerge.
The podcast explores how tabletop RPGs like Dungeons & Dragons serve as cultural touchstones for subverting genre clichés and narratives.
Through Jack Smith's work, the hosts emphasize the potential for lowbrow art to reveal beauty and transformative power in neglected cultures.
A discussion on the paradox of California as a 'spiritual supermarket' highlights the tension between pluralism and consumerist desires for transcendence.
Deep dives
Cultural Innovation in Tabletop Role-Playing Games
Tabletop role-playing games, particularly Dungeons & Dragons, are viewed as a significant cultural innovation of the late 20th century. Despite their seemingly generic fantasy elements, they provide an avenue for players to explore and subvert clichés within the genre. The hosts argue that the cultural impact and innovation of these games remain largely unrecognized, even by avid players. This disconnect between perception and reality highlights the need for a deeper understanding of the cultural narratives presented in such games.
Exploring the Nature of Clichés and Kitsch
The podcast delves into the concepts of clichés, kitsch, and the broader implications of dead art within contemporary culture. Clichés are seen not merely as artistic failings but as starting points for creative exploration and reinterpretation. The hosts discuss how even films considered kitschy or formulaic, like Avatar, can gain new significance once their original ideological frameworks are stripped away. This transformation showcases the potential for even tired tropes to become artifacts with new meanings and emotional resonances.
The Legacy of Jack Smith and the Aesthetic of Loss
Jack Smith, a pioneer of queer cinema, is celebrated for his ability to find beauty in forgotten and lowbrow art. His film Flaming Creatures, despite being labeled as obscene, exemplified an experimental vision that challenged conventional artistic standards. Smith's adoration for the charm of 'moldy glamour' reflects a profound appreciation for the 'losers' of the art world, viewing them as sources of vibrant, imaginative power. This aesthetic suggests that even the most exhausted forms of cultural expression can possess transformative qualities if approached with sincerity and belief.
Borges and the Quest for the Divine in the Trash Stratum
Jorge Luis Borges's short story, The Approach to Al-Mutazim, serves as a philosophical exploration of finding the divine within the most mundane and degraded environments. The narrative follows a law student who, amidst chaos and degradation, learns to perceive profound beauty and clarity within the vilest of circumstances. This journey signifies the belief that even within the trash stratum of art and life, glimpses of something transcendental can emerge. The story underscores a non-linear pursuit of truth and divinity, where one may find reflections of greatness in the most unexpected places.
California as a Spiritual Marketplace
California is portrayed as a 'spiritual supermarket,' a place where diverse esoteric philosophies become mainstream yet often sell singular visions of transcendence. The juxtaposition between the promise of pluralism and the pressure toward monism illustrates the paradox of seeking spiritual fulfillment in a consumerist culture. The podcast highlights how the act of shopping for spiritual experiences often leads to a sense of FOMO, where the act of choosing one path can result in regrets about the alternatives left behind. This complex dynamic raises questions about authenticity and commitment in the quest for personal and collective spiritual understanding.
The writings of underground filmmaker Jack Smith serve as a starting point for Phil and JF's second tour of the trash stratum. In their wanderings, they will uncover such moldy jewels as the 1944 film Cobra Woman, the exploitation flick She-Devils on Wheels, and (wonder of wonders) Hitchcock's Vertigo. The emergent focus of the conversation is the dichotomy of passionate commitment and ironic perspective, attitudes that largely determine whether a given object will turn out to appear as a negligible piece of garbage... or the Holy Grail. By the end, our hosts realize that even their own personal trash strata may give off shimmers of the divine.