Jason Stanley, a Yale philosopher and expert on fascism, shares insights on the alarming parallels between Donald Trump's rhetoric and historical fascism, emphasizing the need for awareness in today's political climate. Nina Nesseth, a science writer, delves into the intricacies of horror films, explaining why we are drawn to fear. She discusses the mechanics of jump scares and the psychological impact of horror, revealing how these films tap into our innate fears while offering a unique communal experience. This engaging conversation melds politics and the art of fear.
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insights INSIGHT
Fascism in America
Focus on the entire fascist social and political movement, not just Trump.
America's history of embracing fascist solutions, like Jim Crow, is crucial context.
insights INSIGHT
Fascism as Methodology
Fascism isn't just an ideology; it's a political methodology fueled by propaganda.
This methodology targets vulnerable groups to maintain the dominant group's power.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Stanley's Family History
Jason Stanley's father escaped Nazi Germany at seven with his grandmother.
His mother survived Stalin's Gulag, returning to Poland at five to find her family gone.
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This book provides a chronological analysis of Black horror films, examining how the genre has been used to challenge racist portrayals and showcase diversity within Black culture. It covers a wide range of films, including mainstream Hollywood, Blaxploitation, and independent films, highlighting the resurgence of Black horror in recent years with films like Jordan Peele's 'Get Out' and 'Us'.
The Unforgotten
The Unforgotten
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Jason Stanley's grandmother
Nightmare Fuel
Nina Nesseth
Nightmare Fuel by Nina Nesseth delves into the science of fear, examining how horror films affect viewers psychologically and physiologically. The book covers various horror subgenres, from jump scares to creature features, and includes interviews with industry professionals. It explores why people are drawn to horror despite the fear it evokes.
Erasing History
How Fascists Rewrite the Past to Control the Future
Jason Stanley
In *Erasing History*, Jason Stanley exposes the true danger of the authoritarian right’s attacks on education, identifying their key tactics and funders, and tracing their intellectual roots. He illustrates how fears of a fascist future have become a present reality, with hearts and minds being won in schools and universities. Stanley shows how democratic societies are ill-prepared to defend against these fascist assaults, which aim to erase historical memory and critical inquiry. The book is a global call to action to preserve democracy by understanding and combating these authoritarian efforts.
Donald Trump is being called a fascist – by his former appointees, as well as by his opponent Kamala Harris. On this week’s On the Media, a historian of fascism explains why he sounded the alarm back in 2018. Plus, the science behind why horror films make your skin crawl.
[01:00] Host Brooke Gladstone speaks with Jason Stanley, a professor of Philosophy at Yale University and who has written several books on fascism. He first warned about Trump’s fascist rhetoric in 2018, and explains why it's more important than ever to call it by its name.
[20:05] Host Brooke Gladstone sits down with science writer Nina Nesseth to explore how horror filmmakers make our skin crawl, the anatomy of a jump scare, and why all screams aren’t created equal. Her book Nightmare Fuel: The Science of Horror Films delves into question – why do we crave being scared senseless in the movie theater?
[32:50] OTM producer Rebecca Clark-Callender dives into the history of Black horror to see what it is and who it's for, ft: Robin R. Means Coleman, professor of Media Studies and of African American and African Studies at the University of Virginia and co-author of The Black Guy Dies First: Black Horror Cinema from Fodder to Oscar; Tananarive Due, author, screenwriter, and lecturer on Afrofuturism and Black Horror at University of California, Los Angeles; Rusty Cundieff, writer and director of Tales from the Hood (1995);and Betty Gabriel, actor widely known for her acclaimed performance as "Georgina" in Jordan Peele's blockbuster Get Out (2017).
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