Happy Christmas one and all! Treat yourself to an early Christmas gift by listening to the latest episode of Casement's Leftovers, in which we discuss one of our favourite topics: gay identity. 

Have you ever wondered: if Glen is really from Tallaght, then why does he talk like THAT? Then wonder no more. We dive deep into the social construction of gayness and its interaction with class through discussion of two books, listed below. We finish up by asking: this Christmas, is it possible for us all to be happy?

Warning: We get surprisingly sincere (for us) about spirituality, sexuality, class, Christmas, and happiness in this episode. This sincerity may shock, disturb, or maim. 

Books discussed:

- Returning to Reims by Didier Eribon

- How To Be Gay by David M. Halpernin 

Support the show

Due to holidays and other commitments, you get your pod a week EARLY this month! Lucky you! 

There was so much political news to catch up on that we said "actually, fuck that" and did a movie pod instead. It's interesting though: 'Eddington' and 'One Battle After Another', two big "political" thrillers grappling in different ways with the modern world, have come out this year to much fanfare and controversy. We discuss both and ask: what makes a film Marxist? Does it matter? 

There are light spoilers for both films in here, so here's a timestamp guide if you wanna avoid:

00:00 - supermarkets, the presidential election, Olly Murs.

24:08 - One Battle After Another

35:42: Eddington

53:53 onwards: we discuss the big twist at the heart of Eddington 

Support the show

That's right folks. Leo Varadkar — neoliberal prince of darkness, lover of packed lunches, and all-round messy bitch — has written a memoir. Helen and Matt read it so you (and Glen) don't have to. And you really, really don't have to. 

Listen in for all the goss on Leo's very normal childhood, the tough decisions he had to make in office, and his unabashed hatred and suspicion of all poor people! Truly a relatable masterpiece written by a regular, down to earth fellow. Not a damning indictment of the soul-sucking neoliberal mind virus at all! 

Support the show

2000s nostalgia is en vogue at the moment, so we decided to take a trip back in time to the golden era of the internet, and the time of 'New Atheism'. We talk Dawkins, Harris, and Hitchens, and discuss how edgy attacks on religion swerved so seamlessly into right-wing populism and "defending Christian society". We then turn our attention to religion in Ireland, before spilling the proverbial on Mother Teresa and highlighting leftist currents of Catholicism in Latin America. 

Promise this episode is a lot more fun than the topic might suggest! 

Thank you again to all of our devoted followers who donated to the GoFundMe. This ep was recorded in person with brand new state-of-the-art equipment, so mucho thanks to ye xx

"But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.” - Revelation 21:8. 

Support the show

What is the state of feminism today? What are the movement’s goals, aims, and demands? Is it even right to speak of a feminist “movement” at all?

This one gets pretty feisty as Helen, Glen, and Matt debate the different strains of feminist thought of the past 50 years. We talk about TERFs, obviously, but also try to point modern feminism in a more socialist, materialist direction. We discuss Silvia Federici and the Wages For Housework movement, and Glen and Helen have a fight. 

Also, we forgot to mention on the pod, but thank you to everyone who donated to our GoFundMe for podcast equipment. The whole process was incredibly embarrassing for us but we were genuinely humbled by your generosity. You can all look forward to (hopefully) better audio quality in the near future. Love you lots xx

Support the show

Two episodes this month because you've all been so good. It's a loosey one today. Topics covered: Lena Dunham, Epstein and Israel, Tucker Carlson, Conor McGregor's shlong, the CATU protest, trans pride, and much much more. In the back half — for our real fans — we categorise our least favourite races, before standing up for the most discriminated against group of all: bald men. I love the em dash (—) and am sooooo mad that it's become a tell-tale sign of AI. Like when I used one earlier in this paragraph I got soooo self-conscious you would all think this episode description was written by AI. Isn't that horrible

Support the show

So, we've made it: the series finale. It's been a long road, but after two gruelling medium-length episodes, our exhaustive anthropological study of Dublin's illicit gay underground is finally complete. 

Our resident cruisologist Glen dusts himself off from whichever filthy alleyway he recorded yesterday's podcast, and takes a trip to the comparatively idyllic surrounds of the gay sauna. His guide is world-famous pop-star and filmmaker PureGrand who, fresh off the heels of the release of his hit new single, drops by to spill the proverbial on one of Dublin's hottest hook-up spots. 

Thanks for tuning into our Dickovery Channel series, and thanks again for not sending these ones to our families. 

Outro music is, of course, 'Seven Up' by PureGrand, out on YouTube and all problematic streaming platforms now x 

Support the show

Desperately running out of different ways to mark Pride Month, this year we decided to throw caution to the wind and do a two-part series on Illicit Gay Sex. We sent our intrepid reporter Glen deep into Dublin's gay underground to speak to the most sordid, depraved individuals he could find, asking the questions you've been far too scared to ask. 

First up is world-famous drag queen Goblins Goblins Goblins, who agreed (NOT under duress) to speak to Glen about his dirty little exploits. Listen in for a tell-all exposé of what really goes on in our capital city's parks, under her bridges, and down her darkest, grimiest alleyways. 

Tune in again TOMORROW (editor's note: our release schedule is hilarious) for a chat about saunas and clubs with pop icon PureGrand. 

Outro music is the fab new single from PureGrand, 'Seven Up'. 

Support the show

Socialists in the 1920s were part of a global, interconnected network of hope and solidarity. For a brief period, the locus of this transnational movement was the Hotel Lux in Moscow, where international communists — including Irish men and women — lived, hung out, and fell in love. To really capture the hopes and desires of these disparate friends and lovers requires moving beyond dry socialist history, and into the personal lives of these friendship networks. The historian Maurice J. Casey joins us on the pod to discuss his new book Hotel Lux: An Intimate History of Communism's Forgotten Radicals. We ask all the big questions: what drew these people to Moscow? How did these people navigate questions of love, friendship, and family? And would Glen get laid in the Hotel Lux lobby? 

Support the show

Helen and Glen have Beef.

They have beef with each other, they've got beef with Israel, they've got beef with Terfs. They've beef with fascists, they've beef with people who get duped on Facebook but most of all they've got beef with Matt. 

Join a one third lighter, castrated Casement's Leftovers as they shameless call out their haters and have the last laugh. 

Buy us a mixer!

Email: [email protected]

Insta: @casementsleftovers

@casementsleftovers.bsky.social

Support the show