Deep Americana

This was not the first film that Cecil B. DeMille titled "The Ten Commandments." An earlier version in 1923 was purely a morality play. While we know on paper in the 1956 version who the 'good' and 'bad' guys are, the specifics become more ambivalent. In this episode I take a deep dive into DeMille's 1956 film, particularly how it influenced me both as a child and later as an adult. I see in the film a desire to propagandize the importance of the adoptive mother. On reflection I find this a strange choice, given that the Egyptians were, in every sense of the word, the villain of the original text.

We adoptees are compartmentalized by those around us, compartmentalized by the legal status of our identity-washing, compartmentalized by religious and cultural traditions, and ultimately we are internally compartmentalized, taught (unintentionally) to mask our differences, to mimic, to mock, to maintain and participate ‘as if’ we are identical to biological offspring. We are commodities that aren’t meant to be noticed except as an act of charity, or civic obligation… or perhaps penance. Please know that to understand why oneself is adopted is likely never enough for that adoptee… the reason why one was ‘put up for adoption’–and how that came about–that is the nugget around which one’s internal psychic landscape accretes. I ‘came out of the fog,’ which is to say, I started deeply questioning the value and intention of my adoption. I found myself in opposition on nearly every political and religious perspective imposed by my adoptive parents. The lives of my peers who aren’t adopted, as opposed to those who I have known who are adopted, were so clearly divergent that I have become convinced that there is a traumatic core to the adoptee experience that is shared by all of the adoptees I’ve met and known. (I refer to this as identity trauma throughout this podcast.)

My current name is Wes Unruh, but I was born Boy Harper in 1974, in Twin Falls, Idaho, at the Magic Valley Regional Medical Center, and I spent most of my life trying to learn that fact. I'm grateful that for this season of Deep Americana, Ray Carney has stepped aside as host to let me serialize my story. If you have to know it all right away, it's available in full at my site wesunruh.com/unrelated

Pour a nice cold beverage and take an hour to catch a breath and hear a beautiful love story on our last episode of this season.

Ray interviews master printmaker Tom Huck on art, politics, satire, prints, and business. This is a raw interview presented because sometimes the conversation is more important than the quality of the audio.

Oren Lomena of the podcast The Whole Hard Truth talks through the events of this summer with Ray. This podcast explores political and social issues, as well as creativity, performance, and using podcasting as a way to spread empathy in diverse communities.

In this laid-back conversation, Josh and Stu discuss American Football, the 2026 World Cup, global politics, and the importance of live music events.

This interview explores Vermin Supreme's direct action playful protest style, real world branding tactics he's developed, and how he's deployed responsive performances of his political persona as an art form.

This is the second half of our interview with renowned artist, ecological mechanic, transformer Willie Cole.

This is the first half of our interview with contemporary American sculptor, printer, and perceptual engineer Willie Cole.