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Aaron Lanton, Keith Dennie, and Tim Molloy look at pop culture through a racial lens, focusing on the low-key things some people might miss to discuss their deeper meanings. Hosted on Acast. See ... more
FAQs about Low Key:How many episodes does Low Key have?The podcast currently has 212 episodes available.
February 08, 2019Episode 22: Liam Neeson's Confession and What We Can Learn From ItLiam Neeson admits that for a time, he walked the streets looking for an excuse to kill a random black man because of his anger over a friend's rape. On this episode, we talk about the deep history of insidious and deadly lies that fed his mindset, and what we can all learn from his admission.We go from Neeson to Trayvon Martin to Jussie Smollet to why growing up on an island that's 96 percent white might make you susceptible to some backward views on race. And we also talk about some of the ways the media coverage of Neeson's admission could have been better.Just when we're about to sign off, we instead go into a deep dive about the long, long history of white people using accusations of aggression by one black man to justify horrific behavior against large numbers of African-Americans. If this subject interests you, we'd recommend reading up on Rosewood, Florida and the Scotsboro case, to start. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....more57minPlay
January 30, 2019Episode 21: Does 'Black Panther' Deserve Its Best Picture Nomination?We love "Black Panther," but we're kind of stunned it has an Oscar nomination for Best Picture.We want to believe Ryan Coogler's film was nominated just by being great, but as Keith puts it: "Don't give us handouts, Oscars."Are Oscar voters making up for past snubs of superhero films, like "Dark Knight"? Or past snubs of African-American films? Could it be that Oscar voters simply love "Black Panther" as much as we do?With nearly a year of hindsight, we also talk the true meaning of "Black Panther." The key figure may not be Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman), but rather his antagonist, Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan). Does Killmonger symbolize radical revolutionaries, as it might appear at first glance? Or is "Black Panther" really a film about survivor's remorse?If you like this, please share it with someone else who loves Black Panther. And review us on iTunes to tell us what you think about the Oscar nomination. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....more36minPlay
January 18, 2019Episode 20: When 'Beale Street' Hits Close to Home: 'It Was Terrifying'Barry Jenkins' "If Beale Street Could Talk," based on the book by James Baldwin, uses an almost deliriously beautiful love story to show how the criminal justice system unjustly targets black men. This week, Aaron Lanton and Keith Dennie talk about how much the film hit home (and not just because they both grew up in Memphis, the home of Beale Street.) One scene in particular -- when our hero, Fonny (Stephan James), realizes how easily he could be framed for a crime he didn't commit -- reminded Keith of a horror movie. He says a speech from Bryan Tyree Henry's character, who has just returned from prison, recalled moments in a horror story when someone tells a ghost story that foreshadows something terrible will happen to the lead character. Aaron adds: "You realize... I keep having this conversation, too."You should probably see the movie before listening to this episode. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....more44minPlay
January 10, 2019Episode 19: 'Black Mirror: Bandersnatch,' Sex Robots and Your PhoneWas "Black Mirror: Bandersnatch" more like a fun "Goosebumps" book? Or a way for a massive corporation to gain insights into your private viewing habits?This episode, we wonder if "Bandersnatch" will open the door to a future in which entertainment companies will be able to tell not just whether we prefer Frosties or Sugar Puffs, but also our attention spans and tolerance for violence. Just imagine how "choose your own adventure" technology will evolve in an age of sex robots and "Blade Runner 2049"-style hologram boyfriends and girlfriends. Everyone's weirdest secrets will be carefully tracked.Also, here's a great story about how anyone can track your movements for $300: https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/nepxbz/i-gave-a-bounty-hunter-300-dollars-located-phone-microbilt-zumigo-tmobile Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....more45minPlay
December 24, 2018Episode 18: The Low-Key Racial Subtext of 'Into the Spider-Verse'"Into the Spider-Verse" is a masterpiece, but it's especially special for black and Latino audiences who've been underrepresented in super hero movies. This episode, we talk about why certain lines and moments in the film may resonate more with Spider-fans of color. As Ava DuVernay tweeted over the weekend, "You’re the best of us, Miles. You’re on your way. Just keep going.”If you like us, throw us some stars on iTunes, okay? And happy holidays. We love you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....more56minPlay
December 11, 2018Episode 17: Satanism, Feminism, and SabrinaThe critically acclaimed Netflix hit "The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina" has been a hit in more ways than one - the streaming giant recently settled in a lawsuit brought by the The Satanic Temple for $150 million for an alleged depiction of the Baphomet statue. We were shocked that the lawsuit held so much merit which caused us to think about the use of Satanic imagery allusions in other American pop culture and its depiction of women as the great threat to male purity.It sounds haughty but it's a hilarious conversation. Come join us! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....more52minPlay
November 21, 2018So DC's 'Titans' Is Pretty Great, and We're Pleasantly SurprisedWe were pretty skeptical of DC's "Titans" at first. That promo where Robin says "f--- Batman" didn't exactly win us over. But now that the show is live on DCUniverse.com, we think it's actually worth watching, even for a few bucks a month."Titans" had a lot to overcome in our minds: a lot of superhero shows feel cheap, and we're kind of tired of the de facto gritty feel of so many comic book projects. But this one somehow works, and on this episode of "Low Key," we talk about why.Happy Thanksgiving! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....more36minPlay
October 30, 2018Let's Discuss 'The Conners,' the Roseanne Universe Sans RoseanneThis week on "Low Key," Aaron, Keith and Tim discuss "The Conners," the Roseanne-free version of "Roseanne." We talk about how bad Roseanne Barr's "Planet of the Apes" tweet was and whether it should have gotten her kicked off her show. And how realistically "The Conners" handle problems like the opioid crisis. And who is the better "The Conners" character: DJ, or the couch.Also: Why there can never, ever be a "Sonic the Hedgehog" movie without the great Jaleel White.If you like it, put five stars on it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....more44minPlay
October 24, 2018Episode 14: Halloween Rules - Can White Kids Dress as Black Panther?The day before Megan Kelly's defense of blackface at Halloween, we this episode about some rules for white people at Halloween. Little did we suspect he would have to again remind people: NO BLACKFACE.On this episode of "Low Key," we discuss the racial rules of Halloween, and why a black child playing Spider-Man for Halloween doesn't include as many potential pitfalls as a white kid playing Black Panther.Rule No. 1: No blackface. Rule No. 2: Don't do voices.For the other rules, listen to the episode.We also talk about which superheroes' whiteness or blackness is essential to who they are. Is Batman's super power white privilege? Maybe. But there's no arguing that T'Challa's African heritage is essential to his strength. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....more44minPlay
October 15, 2018Episode 13: CBS's "The Neighborhood": The Bad, The Ugly, and the Surprisingly Good PartsNew CBS sitcom "The Neighborhood" about a white family moving into a black neighborhood - a bold choice that has mixed results. Critics and audiences have panned the show after just two episodes have aired, but is it worth giving a shot for the long haul?Keith, Tim, and Aaron give a review of the first two episodes (what worked, what didn't, where it is likely to go), and learn a lot about each other's cultural differences (did you guys know white people don't use wash cloths in the shower?!?!) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....more1hPlay
FAQs about Low Key:How many episodes does Low Key have?The podcast currently has 212 episodes available.