Gript Media Podcasts

We discuss the housing market, and the news that 18% of all newly built houses are being bought by the parts of the Irish state; a new report that says nearly 70% of women currently outside the workforce are perfectly happy to continue being outside the workforce; and news that the mortuary at the centre of the scandal involving bodies being left to rot in corridors will no longer be used by the state pathologist.

We discuss Facebook's newest round of bans of public figures; a new court ruling that may inadvertently kill off medical screening in the country; the revelation that the female Olympic runner Caster Semenya, who was just banned from running, is genetically male, possesses internal testes, has no womb or ovaries; and the long-awaited death of the Dublin skyline.

We discuss Fred Zinneman's adaption of Robert Bolt's play on Sir Thomas More.

We discuss Timmy Dooley's new plan to make every household in the country pay more tax; Michael Martin's argument that part of the Good Friday Agreement should be suspended to bring gay marriage into the North; The Venezuelan coup/anti-coup; and a new acid attack in Waterford.

Gary sits down with Bo Winegard, essaying and Professor of Psychology at Marietta University, to discuss his recent article, 'The Twilight of Liberalism?' which asks if liberalism is dying.

They discuss the nature of liberalism; what freedom actually means; the use of shame in maintaining social cohesion; the breaking apart of overarching identities and the rise of identity politics; technology and social sorting; what can be done to strengthen liberalism and stop its apparent death spiral; and if UBI is a complete solution to increased automation.

We discuss news that senior civil servants are calling for the national broadband plan to be scrapped; Billy Keane's article calling for Billy Vunipola to be sacked; President Higgins' response to the massacre of Christians in Sri Lanka; a new poll from the Irish Times showing 69% of people think Ireland is too politically correct; and Greta Thunberg, the child prophet of the environmentalist movement.

Michael reviews Never Look Away, the first German film since Das Boot to be nominated for an Oscar in multiple categories, whilst Gary spends 30 minutes complaining about artists as 'most aren't terribly impressive people'.

We talk politicals polls and how two polls, taken at the same time, can give massively different results; Facebook banning right-wing and populist groups; and the new homophobia scandal in rugby, which saw Israel Folau sacked for saying gays would burn in hell, and has seen other players, both Australian and European, taken up for liking his statement. We ask to what extent off the field behaviour should be taken into account for players, and where the limits are.

00:00 - Political Polls

19:15 - Facebook bans

34:30 - Israel Folau

In this episode of Low Culture we hide a discussion about Notre Dame Cathedral behind a 17:00 minute long review of Shazam!

"I would guess the reaction of the French government to the news that Noter Dame was on fire came in two parts. Firstly, 'Oh no', swiftly followed by, 'I hope to God it wasn't Muslims'."

We talk about the Turkish election, and why Turkey needs to ban hats again; news that a drag act that was invited to do a library reading for 3-7 years old has been cancelled following media queries and an outcry from parents; and the recent housing conference held by Sinn Fein.