inspireland podcast

There's too much pop culture to possibly keep track of. There are so many podcasts, apps, boxsets, books, and movies clamouring for your attention that it's hard to know which are worth exploring. That's where Pop Filter comes in.

The producer/editor behind the Inspireland Podcast, Wil McDermott, and Wil's friend, Lorraine Harton, (and sometimes Dave from Inspireland), sit down every couple of weeks to discuss some of the latest popular culture.

In this episode Wil & Dave discuss their favourite Pop Culture from 2017. Enjoy.

Kliph Nesteroff joins me on the show to discuss his bestselling book The Comedians; Drunks, Thieves, Scoundrels and the History of American Comedy. The Comedians chronicles the evolution of comedy from interval acts in burlesque shows, through its growth on radio and tv, to the glory days of Las Vegas and the comedy clubs, before finishing on the comedy of the new millenium.

The Comedians expertly blends deep research, anecdotes, and gossip to give us the definitive history of comedy and comedians but it also a social history of the US since the early 20th century. Kliph was a brilliant guest and his own origins are as fascinating as many of the people he chronicles.

During our conversation we discuss;

• How Leo Tolstoy saved his grandparents from the gulags.
• His first experience of live comedy.
• His years as a stand-up comedian.
• His love of counterculture.
• The time he worked in a halfway house for heroin, crack, and meth heads.
• Why Richard Pryor is so important to modern comedians.
• Why comedy is full of white, middle-aged guys.
• The types of personalities that are attracted to comedy (narcissistic personality disorder).

Kliph was a brilliant guest and it was great having him on the show. Enjoy, Dave.

For full episode notes, including a list of Kliph's recommendations visit the inspireland podcast blog.

***THERE WILL BE SPOLIERS***

In episode #3 of Pop Filter I join Wil and Lorraine to discuss the first few episodes of Netflix's bleak but brilliant Black Mirror. Black Mirror was written by the always excellent Charlie Brooker and the current 6 episodes are the first installment of a 12 part season 3 commissioned by Netflix.

Black Mirror paints a pessimistic picture of a dystopian,technology driven, near-future that will make you want to smash all your connected devices. Dave

In this episode of the podcast I was delighted to be joined in the studio by professional Irish poker player, Dara O'Kearney. Dara, or Doke as he's known in the poker world, gave a wide ranging and fascinating interview that's definitely one of my favourites to date. It's a long one but a good one! Enjoy, Dave.

Some of the areas we spoke about were:

1. Dara's late entry and rapid ascension in the professional poker world.
2. His experience as an ultra runner, including representing Ireland, and completing a 24 hour race.
3. We chat about Dara's unlikely online friendship with David Bowie from the mid 1990s, a friendship initiated by Dara's online criticism of Bowie's online project.
4. We chat about the psychology of endurance based high-performance.
5. We discussed Dara's experience in dealing with his son's autism.

For full episode notes visit the inspireland podcast blog. Thanks, Dave

In episode #2 of Pop Filter Wil and Lorraine discuss the first few episodes of HBO's Westworld. Westworld is based on a 1973 film of the same name that was written and directed by novelist, Michael Crichton.

Westworld blends the Western and Sci-Fi genres and has a stellar cast. The reviews for the show have been overwhelmingly positive with IndieWire saying that it is: "Ambitious to the edge of a cliff."

There will be SPOILERS! Enjoy. Dave

I've read books and think pieces about the internet but none have come close to describing the web's awesome yet terrifying power as well as Magic And Loss by Virginia Heffernan. Heffernan, who has been described as "...one of the mothers of the internet.", views the web as a massive work of art favouring speed, wit, and versatility.

Virginia's work sidesteps the cliches rife in analysis of online life (decreased attention spans, trolls, obsession with appearance, etc) by taking a highly original, and at times searingly personal, account of the web's rules, aesthertics, and values.

Some of the topics covered in our conversation were;

1. The recent US election and the role social media may have played in it's outcome.
2. The fact that the web is now a part of our humanity, an expression of it, rather than merely an addendum to it.
3. How virtual reality may create a deeper desire for real-world experience.
4. A lot of what we think os as new, isn't; self-portraits, memes, pithy wisdom, the use of symbols to express ideas etc.
5. The hipster revolt.
6. How hard it is keeping up with young people in whatsapp groups.
7. Virginia tells us some of her favourite internet things and places.

It was great talking to Virginia and I hope to have her back on the show soon. You can check the full episode notes out at inspireland podcast. Enjoy the show, Dave

We break from the norm for this episode as Wil McDermott, editor of Inspireland Podcast, sits down with our mutual friend, Lorraine Harton to discuss something from popular culture. In this episode they discuss Netflix's Amanda Knox documentary. Enjoy. Dave

In episode #48 I was joined by Ireland's first lady of surfing, Easkey Britton. Surfing is so deep in Easkey's DNA that she was named after a famous wave off Ireland's west coast. More recently, Easkey has shifted her focus from competitive big wave surfing to using her training and research to help bring surfing to communities with no experience of the sport. If all this wasn't enough Easkey also writes, paints, and speaks.

During our conversation we discussed;

1. The legendary story of Easkey's grandmother bringing the first surfboard to Ireland in the 1960s.
2. Easkey's earliest memories of surfing and the start of her deep relationship with the sea.
3. The ability of surfing to help people live in the moment.
4. The introduction of surfing to a group of women in a remote part of Iran.
5. How the environment and society are inextricably linked.
6. The power of exposure to nature to improve our mental well being.

Easkey was a superb guest and I know you'll enjoy listening to her as much as I enjoyed speaking to her. Dave

For full episode notes please check out the Inspireland Podcast blog.

For episode #47 I was joined by the economist Dr Constantin Gurdgiev. When the Irish economy crashed and everybody was desperately searching for answers and solutions I often heard Constantin on the radio and was instantly attracted to his knowledge of economics and his ability to communicate complex ideas in simple ways.

When we met in June to record this episode I was delighted to find that his ability to explain economic ideas wasn't limited to the shorter bursts radio generally provides but easily transferred to the longer podcast format.

During the episode we discussed:

1. What it was like to be a Russian in the US when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991.
2. Why economics is as much art as science.
3. The difference between micro and macroeconomics.
4. Why attempts to speedily and drastically redistribute wealth fail, and what the alternative is.
5. Why Ireland is good at attracting, but bad at keeping, human talent.
6. The distinction between risk and probability.
7. Constantin had difficulty recommending a good primer on economics but relented and suggested a few!

For full episode notes go to the inspireland podcast blog and click on the episode.

Thanks for listening. Dave

In episode #46 I was joined by journalist and author, James Bloodworth. James's book, The Myth Of Meritocracy, is a detailed investigation of the inequalities at the heart of how society works. Bloodworth has found that if you're born poor you'll stay poor in spite of the widely-held belief that hard work and intelligence will see us rewarded with a better quality for ourselves and our family.

Topics covered during the conversation:

1. What Meritocracy is and why it's a myth.
2. Why political parties have embraced it as an ideal worth pursuing (or at least talking about pursuing).
3. Why there is so little social mobility in society.
4. The role of genetics in social mobility.
5. The failure of education to address inequality of opportunity and income.
6. What we can do to make society more egalitarian.

James was a brilliant guest and his book is an excellent, concise read. In a lot of ways The Myth Of Meritocracy confirms something you've probably always felt to be true but does it better than you ever could.

Enjoy the episode. Dave

For full episode notes, including links to where you can get James's book, please visit my blog at inspireland podcast.