Žižek And So On

Ryan Engley, a cultural critic and co-host of the Why Theory Podcast, dives into the fascinating world of television. He explores how shows like Seinfeld and Severance use audience forgetting to enhance narrative twists. Engley also reveals the intricate role of laugh tracks, treating them as a form of rhythm that deepens meaning rather than just prompting laughs. Additionally, he shares insights from a classroom exercise that uncovers how viewers subconsciously process TV episodes. Tune in for a thought-provoking discussion on the aesthetics of television!

Ryan Engley, a television theory scholar and co-host of the Why Theory Podcast, dives into the fascinating world of TV aesthetics and history. He explores how laugh tracks and studio audiences create an imagined community for viewers. Engley contrasts the fluid storytelling of TV with the structured nature of film, discussing how shows like Twin Peaks and The Sopranos revolutionized serial narratives. He also examines how the commercial nature of television has influenced audience engagement and memory in storytelling.

In this engaging discussion, Matthew Flisfeder, a communications professor and author, delves into Žižek’s take on Eurocentrism and concrete universality. He explains how universality arises from conflicts within particulars and examines the political implications of these ideas. The conversation also covers Žižek's 'super-anthropocentrism' and critiques on Althusser's anti-humanism. Flisfeder wraps up with a compelling discussion on geoengineering, emphasizing the necessity for global legal coordination in environmental action.

Russell Sbriglia, Associate Professor of English and co-editor with Slavoj Žižek, dives into his innovative album, 'Critique of Pure Desire.' He explores the intersections of philosophy, psychoanalysis, and literature, touching on Lacanian theory and the concept of desire. The discussion includes thought-provoking analyses of classics like Antigone and Hamlet, examining duty and fate. They also reflect on cinema's evolution, the Gothic allure of 'Vertigo,' and the intriguing blend of music and narrative in artistic expression.

Todd McGowan, Professor of English at the University of Vermont and author of The Cambridge Introduction to Jacques Lacan, dives deep into Lacanian theory. He details the vital distinctions between concepts like the master signifier and the quilting point. The conversation touches on the 'Joy Machine' at airports as a metaphor for consumer desire, alongside insights on gambling theory. McGowan also explores modern identity's tensions, the role of AI as the ultimate big other, and the fascinating interplay of authority and desire in today’s world.

Todd McGowan, a Professor of theory and culture at the University of Vermont, dives deep into Lacanian theory while discussing his book, The Cambridge Introduction to Jacques Lacan. He challenges conventional views on Lacan as merely a psychoanalyst, presenting him as a philosopher. The conversation highlights Lacan’s ideas on the non-relation and the Borromean knot, the interplay between psychoanalysis and quantum mechanics, and critiques traditional interpretations of his concepts, emphasizing inclusivity and accessibility for new learners.

Alright this is a PATREON PREVIEW & this week we’re back again with our series on Slavoj Žižek’s Against Progress with PART TWO of the long-awaited conversation with theorist and friend of the show Michael Downs, author of the Dangerous Maybe Blog on Medium and his new book Capital Vs Timenergy: A Žižekian Critique of Nick Land to discuss Žižek’s essay Accelerationism.LISTEN TO THE FULL EPISODE HERE!We’re talking Lacan’s theory of language and the co-evolution of the brain and the Big Other, Žižek’s dialectical method, the difference between Land’s and Žižek’s conceptions of the death drive, Cute Accelerationism and so on and so on. See you in Paris,Ž&...Also check out Pods Against Tomorrow hosted by Hugh Manon Professor of Screen Studies at Clark University and Abe Doubleday-Bush where they reinvestigate the noir genre one film at a time. I joined them the other day to discuss Joseph Losey and Dalton Trumbo's down-and-dirty 1951 cult noir, THE PROWLER. Which you can listen to...HERE!

Michael Downs, an insightful theorist and author of the Dangerous Maybe Blog, joins to delve deep into accelerationism and its implications. He discusses Žižek's critique of progress, contrasting accelerationism with degrowth communism. The conversation touches on cyber-positivity, the zero point of modernity, and the philosophical horror of AI. They explore the tensions of nostalgia in politics and examine how accelerationism is reshaping ideology in our tech-driven world, probing the complex relationship between modernity and humanity’s future.

Joining the discussion is Jack Black, an associate professor and author of 'The Psychosis of Race,' known for his unique Lacanian approach to racism. The conversation dives into Slavoj Žižek's insights on quantum physics and history, unraveling how these ideas challenge conventional narratives of progress. They explore the complexities of language, authority, and swearing, revealing how they shape identity and social structures. Jack also shares intriguing stories likening philosophical musings to the quirks of his mother’s expressive language, making for a thought-provoking dialogue.

LISTEN TO THE FULL EPISODE HERE!Alright, we’re back with another Patreon SHORT SESSION and this week Tim is at the shops buying a Tickle Me Elmo and we’re taking a look at some aspects of laughter in a few different ways.SHORT SESSIONS, variable length sessions, however you wanna put it, in these episodes we’ll wrap them up because of something that is said, rather than the tyranny of the clock.So what’s so ticklish about the ticklish subject? Can it tickle itself?We’re talking Žižek’s totalitarian laughter, Adam Phillips on the erotic grammar of tickling, Trump as the David Brent of Empire, Romanian orphanages and Rhesus monkeys, and the dialectic of cringe and tickling.Whatever you do, don’t google "competitive tickling".Check out Aaron Schuster's piece on tickling here.Jamil Khader's RELOADING LAUGHTER: ŽIŽEK AND A THEORY OF COMEDYSee you in Paris,Ž&...