Centered Subject

In this episode cobots Jenny and Yelena vacation in the uncanny valley and discuss stars for cars and crackers so rustic they are supernatural. Also considered: corporate surveillance of worker health, Marx’s grave livestream, and the ontology of robots. Bonus -  Yelena is actually baby yoda.

In the first episode of 2020, Stephen van Dyck stops by the pod to read from his book, People I've Met From the Internet. S, J, Y and friends remember Y2K, Chatroulette, message boards and ye olde modem screech. Also discussed: personalization and anonymity, oral discourse versus texting, emotions, and the shapes of robots.

Reading List:
People I've Met From the Internet by Stephen van Dyck
Duty-Free Art by Hito Steyerl

Brigitte Nicole Grice joins Jenny and Yelena for a final party episode of 2019; together we take an immersive plunge into the notion of Bohemian. From dadaists, constructivists, and vagabonds to fast fashion floppy hats, love triangles, and OG tubercular Parisian artists, we cover all. Bonus commentary from Patina the dog.

Listen in for timeless reporting on the memories of learning about politics in Soviet and Texan elementary schools; reflecting on the way that pants and jackets carry us through the years; studying history with films/series – how does it feel to be one of the royal horde and watch oneself on “The Crown”; looking for outfit solidarity on YouTube.

Dreaming vs longing explained, and apocalyptic sex Olympics described. Yelena forgets her birthday; Jenny shows off her foot and provides instruction for dealing with moments to oneself. Technology hurdling forth adding Bluetooth to various objects, wasting time, dating around the world and themes for the year 🐌

Yelena and Jenny turn to animals once again to discuss human relations and emotional self-expression – why do we use animals as metaphors for our behavior? Featured: elephant gossip, button-pressing dogs, turtle and octopus interactions, human in a monkey mask, Zeus in swan form, and centaurs. Bonus: discussion of residential architecture in Athens (polykatoikia) and election predictions.

Jenny and Yelena contemplate the rising popularity of astrology as a way to navigate the times of chaotic uncertainty and interview Elina Tsvadari, an Athens-based psychological astrologer and columnist for the "Athens Voice".

Discussed: Astrology apps as a social connector, advisor, and divider, “star wars” aka sun-sign shaming, historical antecedents in star-based forecasting, and Centered Subject’s very own horoscope, revealed! 

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Jenny and Yelena gather in the middle of the night to discuss privacy and intimacy in digital times. Considered: the ethics of sharing screenshots, Trump’s proposal to re-enact the Ukraine transcript, playing bad tricks with a dog spy, genes and crimes, and the semiotics of sending nudes.

Bonus: The moon as psychic mediator and an oral report from the National Archaeological Museum in Athens.

Centered Subject is Jenny Campbell (NYC) and Yelena Zhelezov(LA/Athens) opining on tech, politics, fine arts, the perils of capitalism, human behavior and Soviet memories. Sounds by Julia Holter. Edited by Julio Hashem.

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The internet wants to help but do we need its suggestions? Discussed: octopuses on MDMA, Parisian blob with 730 sexes, unhelpful objects rankings, leaf chore worship and oppression, wormholes, AI for email tone, Cronenberg and the uncanny, online therapy and fleshy phones.

Centered Subject is:
Jenny Campbell (NYC) and Yelena Zhelezov(LA/Athens) opining on tech, politics, fine arts, the perils of capitalism, human behavior and Soviet memories. Sounds by Julia Holter. Edited by Julio Hashem.

Subscribe! And follow: https://www.instagram.com/centeredsubjectpodcast/

Jenny and Yelena convene to discuss magical thinking in uncertain economic  times. Yelena reflects on being surrounded by marble in Athens, Jenny reflects on embodiment of thoughts and prayers and magma. Both are probably never buying crystals again.

Referenced:

The value of thoughts and prayers

https://www.pnas.org/content/116/40/19797

Dark crystals: the brutal reality behind a booming wellness craze

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/sep/17/healing-crystals-wellness-mining-madagascar

Keywords: The New Language of Capitalism by John Patrick Leary 

Jenny, Yelena and special guest Emily Curtin discuss insidious advertising techniques, troubling couch subscription, Freud and advertising, algorithms pretending to be human, humans pretending to be algorithms, 19th century robots, Jenny and the unpredictable scale of the buffalo, subscriptions to bathwater and tears, how to un-ring the bell. Production note: we are live and there is a mysterious hum but the ep is worth it!