Hotel Bar Sessions

 This week, we're unpacking the Trump administration’s war on so-called “radical ideology”—a campaign targeting what it calls “gender ideology” and “equity ideology.” We explore what these terms are meant to signal, what work they do rhetorically and politically, and how they function to delegitimize trans and BIPOC lives. Drawing from Marxist accounts of ideology, we examine how ideology obscures injustice by presenting hierarchies as natural and dissent as dangerous. We also discuss the increasingly viral framing of ideology as something one can “catch,” especially in classrooms, and what’s really at stake when education, protest, and critical thought are labeled as threats. This episode asks: What counts as ideology? Who gets to decide? And what can philosophy offer when reality itself is under assault? Full episode notes available at this link:https://hotelbarpodcast.com/podcast/the-war-on-radical-ideology-------------------If you enjoy Hotel Bar Sessions podcast, please be sure to subscribe and submit a rating/review! Better yet, you can support this podcast by signing up to be one of our Patrons at patreon.com/hotelbarsessions! ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Who or what rules the world today? And by what right?In this episode, your favorite philosophers-on-tap—Talia Bettcher, Rick Lee, and Leigh M. Johnson—pull back the curtain on one of political theory’s most enduring (and most elusive) concepts: sovereignty. From dusty monarchs and divine right to corporations, constitutions, and contested rights, they explore how sovereignty continues to shape the world we live in—often in ways we no longer recognize. What is sovereign power? Can it be shared? Is the individual sovereign over themselves—or is that just a liberal fantasy? And in an age of global crises—climate catastrophe, AI proliferation, corporate overreach—does the nation-state still make sense at all?Drawing on thinkers like Jean Bodin, Hobbes, Rousseau, Agamben, and Judith Butler, this lively and rigorous conversation confronts the paradoxes at the heart of sovereignty, including the terrifying possibility that we’ve inherited concepts that no longer serve us… if they ever did.Grab a drink and settle in for a provocative, globe-spanning conversation on what it means to rule, obey, resist—and live together.Full episode notes available at this link:https://hotelbarpodcast.com/podcast/sovereignty-------------------If you enjoy Hotel Bar Sessions podcast, please be sure to subscribe and submit a rating/review! Better yet, you can support this podcast by signing up to be one of our Patrons at patreon.com/hotelbarsessions! ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

The hosts dive into the philosophical depths of interpretation, challenging whether it underpins every communication. Talia argues for the significance of ethical authority in expressing emotions, while Leigh suggests that even basic clarifications are interpretive acts. They explore the playful complexities of language, the nuances of emotional understanding, and how context can shift meaning dramatically. Expect spirited debates and personal anecdotes, all over a relaxed atmosphere—perfect for pondering life's big questions.

Ira Allen, an Associate Professor at Northern Arizona University and author of 'Panic Now', joins the bar to discuss the necessity of panic in times of crisis. He reframes panic from a sign of weakness to a vital response to challenges like climate change and late capitalism. The conversation touches on concepts such as the 'CaCaCo assemblage' and how panic can foster collective action and emotional engagement. With humor and depth, they explore panic's transformative potential, urging listeners to embrace it wisely.

How can we talk, or think, about "private parts" in a philosophical way?In this provocative and unexpectedly tender episode of Hotel Bar Sessions, co-hosts Leigh M. Johnson, Rick Lee, and Talia Mae Bettcher unpack the philosophical complexities of “private parts.” What starts as a playful premise quickly becomes a deep exploration of bodily privacy, modesty, and the moral and social codes that govern our most intimate physical boundaries. Drawing from cultural history, personal anecdotes, and ethical theory, the hosts ask why some body parts are marked as “private,” what makes them morally charged, and why euphemisms often stand in for anatomical accuracy in public discourse.The conversation traverses the gendered policing of exposure, the politics of public breastfeeding, the different textures of shame and vulnerability, and the legal and ideological battles over trans access to public bathrooms. Talia introduces a key distinction between boundary transgression and boundary traversal—highlighting how intimacy requires consented crossings of private lines, while violations mark moral failure. Leigh and Rick connect these questions to broader cultural scripts of modesty and the performance of decency, noting how certain bodies—especially trans, fat, Black, and disabled bodies—are denied privacy altogether.As the episode unfolds, the hosts reflect on how “private parts” are not just physical zones, but sites of personal storytelling, social construction, and erotic creativity. Drawing on insights from queer and trans subcultures, the trio explores the ways that intimacy, vulnerability, and even pleasure are shaped by the boundaries we erect and the ones we dare to cross. What makes a body part private, they ask, and what possibilities for connection—ethical, emotional, political—open up when we reimagine the limits of privacy itself?Full episode notes available at this link:https://hotelbarpodcast.com/podcast/private-parts-------------------If you enjoy Hotel Bar Sessions podcast, please be sure to subscribe and submit a rating/review! Better yet, you can support this podcast by signing up to be one of our Patrons at patreon.com/hotelbarsessions!Follow us on Blue Sky @hotelbarpodcast.bsky.social, on Facebook, on TikTok, and subscribe to our YouTube channel!  ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Can the University be saved? Should it be saved? In this sobering and timely episode of Hotel Bar Sessions, co-hosts Leigh M. Johnson, Rick Lee, and Talia Mae Bettcher tackle the existential crisis facing higher education in the U.S. and beyond. Nothing is off limits in this conversation!  From the increasing defunding of universities to their alignment with neoliberal capitalism, we're looking at the deeper values and societal roles that universities are meant to serve—and how far many institutions have strayed from that mission.  The metastasis of administrative bloat. The erosion of shared governance. The complicity of universities in sketchy politics and business. It's all on the table. Talia laments the pressure to sell philosophy as a vocational asset;  Rick draws a poignant line from medieval liberal arts education to today’s hyper-quantified outcomes-based models;  Leigh reminds us that universities are increasingly inaccessible, both financially and ideologically, especially for those who have been sold college as the “next step” with little clarity on its value or purpose. All three of our hosts are also here for a critique of recent state interventions in University operations, of course, particularly those tied to the elimination of DEI programs and the suppression of student protest. In a climate where both the left and right are disillusioned with Higher Ed, we're asking the hard questions: Is the university still worth saving? And if so, what would it take to rebuild it from the inside out? From indictments of NCAA excess to calls for renewed commitment to general education and moral formation, this episode dares to imagine what universities should be—and who they're really for.Full episode notes available at this link:https://hotelbarpodcast.com/podcast/the-future-of-the-university-------------------If you enjoy Hotel Bar Sessions podcast, please be sure to subscribe and submit a rating/review! Better yet, you can support this podcast by signing up to be one of our Patrons at patreon.com/hotelbarsessions!Follow us on Blue Sky @hotelbarpodcast.bsky.social, on Facebook, on TikTok, and subscribe to our YouTube channel!  ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

The hosts tackle the squirmy realm of cringe, discussing everything from disastrous wedding speeches to awkward icebreakers. They explore how these moments reveal societal norms and power dynamics, blending humor with discomfort. Delving into philosophy, they unpack cringe as a critique of authenticity and social performance. The conversation highlights how laughter can serve as a coping mechanism, and challenges the audience to consider who defines cringe. Ultimately, it's a playful yet profound reflection on our shared cringe-worthy experiences.

Sean Kirkland unpacks living on the edge of "was" and "not yet."What if time isn’t just something we move through—but something that shapes us, wounds us, and makes us who we are? In this episode of Hotel Bar Sessions, Leigh and Rick sit down with philosopher Sean D. Kirkland (DePaul University), author of Aristotle and Tragic Temporality, to talk about what Aristotle can teach us about the tragic structure of human life. Together, they explore how ancient philosophy—and especially tragedy—reveals the limits of control, the inevitability of error, and the complicated beauty of living in a time that’s never fully ours.Expect reflections on fate, failure, and final causes, plus spirited detours into protest songs, pandemic philosophy students, and why Aristotle might be more existential than you think. If you’ve ever felt the weight of trying to do the right thing while knowing you might be wrong, this one’s for you.Full episode notes available at this link:https://hotelbarpodcast.com/podcast/tragic-temporality-with-sean-kirkland-------------------If you enjoy Hotel Bar Sessions podcast, please be sure to subscribe and submit a rating/review! Better yet, you can support this podcast by signing up to be one of our Patrons at patreon.com/hotelbarsessions!Follow us on Blue Sky @hotelbarpodcast.bsky.social, on Facebook, on TikTok, and subscribe to our YouTube channel!  ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

In this season-opening episode of Hotel Bar Sessions, Rick Lee and Leigh Johnson welcome new co-host Talia Mae Bettcher, a leading voice in trans philosophy and feminist theory, to dive into the deceptively simple but persistently perplexing question: What is philosophy?This wide-ranging conversation explores whether philosophy is defined by its methods (argument, critique, concept creation), its outcomes (or lack thereof), or the scenes and communities in which it takes place. Along the way, the hosts discuss credentialism in academia, gatekeeping in the discipline, and how philosophy might survive outside the university.Drawing on thinkers like Graham Priest, Gilles Deleuze, Wittgenstein, Richard Rorty, Kristie Dotson, and Pierre Hadot, the trio refuse to close the question. Instead, they ask: Can philosophy remain meaningful in a world that demands clear outcomes and fixed definitions? Is staying with the question itself the real task?Whether you’re a seasoned philosopher or new to the field, this episode invites you into an ongoing, unfinished conversation—over drinks, at the bar, where the real philosophy happens.Full episode notes available at this link:https://hotelbarpodcast.com/podcast/what-is-philosophy-------------------If you enjoy Hotel Bar Sessions podcast, please be sure to subscribe and submit a rating/review! Better yet, you can support this podcast by signing up to be one of our Patrons at patreon.com/hotelbarsessions!Follow us on Blue Sky @hotelbarpodcast.bsky.social, on Facebook, on TikTok, and subscribe to our YouTube channel!  ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

What can Frantz Fanon and Friedrich Nietzsche teach us about the Israeli/Palestinian conflict?[NOTE: This episode originally aired on October 11, 2024.]This week, we're joined by Zahi Zalloua (Whitman College) to discuss the final chapter of his most recent book The Politics of the Wretched: Race, Reason, and Ressentiment (Bloomsbury, 2024)-- entitled "Zionist ressentiment, the Left, and the Palestinian Question"-- which offers a fresh lens through which to understand the complex affects and power dynamics that continue to fuel this ongoing struggle by focusing on what 19th C. German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche called ressentiment—a deep-seated feeling of injustice and grievance.Zalloua unpacks how a collective sense of moral outrage on the part of Zionists has been deployed to shield Israel from criticism by accusing pro-Palestinian advocates, and the Left more generally, of a “new anti-Semitism.” He contrasts this with Palestinian ressentiment, which he frames as a legitimate response to the ongoing reality of settler-colonialism and displacement. His work both critiques the complicity of liberal Zionism in maintaining the status quo and challenges us to reframe the way we understand both Zionist and Palestinian anger.Full episode notes available at this link:https://hotelbarpodcast.com/podcast/episode-155-the-palestinian-question-with-zahi-zalloua-------------------If you enjoy Hotel Bar Sessions podcast, please be sure to subscribe and submit a rating/review! Better yet, you can support this podcast by signing up to be one of our Patrons at patreon.com/hotelbarsessions!Follow us on Twitter/X @hotelbarpodcast, on Facebook, on TikTok, and subscribe to our YouTube channel!  ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★