Tag Archives: politics

Supercontext: Chapo Trap House


This political comedy podcast makes over a million dollars a year from its Patreon subscribers alone. We try to unpack how it gets made while learning more about the personal values associated with the “dirtbag left.”

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Supercontext: Distant Star by Roberto Bolaño


This 1996 novella is about the dark history of Chilé, merged with a detective story about poets. We look at Bolaño’s career, while taking into account criticisms of his authenticity and his representation of Chileans from the vantage of his security in Europe.
 

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Supercontext: The Trouble with Reality: A Rumination on Moral Panic in Our Time, by Brooke Gladstone


This long-form essay by one of the hosts of On the Media argues that our current sociopolitical conflicts stem from a dissolution of facts and reality. We look at Gladstone’s manifesto for producing her radio show to unpack her project here, while considering her advice for bolstering our own personal realities.

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Supercontext: The Divided States of Hysteria by Howard Chaykin


This controversial comic series about terrorism and identity politics predicts a dystopia that not everyone is willing to agree with. We look at the angry arguments from both Howard Chaykin and his detractors about whether this is artistic expression or just shock value. And… we ask what no one else seems to address. Does Chaykin’s story successfully meet its intended goal?

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Supercontext: 2017 Inauguration Day Special: PREZ


It’s Inauguration Day for Donald Trump… so is a comic book about the first teenage president essential reading for American citizens now? We look at both the 1973 and 2015 versions of PREZ from DC Comics while discussing the cyclical nature of politics and satire.

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Supercontext: Bruce Sterling @ SXSW 2016


Every year science fiction writer and futurist Bruce Sterling gives a “state of the world” presentation at SXSW Interactive. We consider his remarks from this year and what they mean for politics, social media, and surveillance. 

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