Riley and Lorenzo continue their discussion on enchantment – what is it, what is it not, how does technology ruin it, and where can we get some? Topics include myth, liturgy, literature, and cynicism.

References:

Popular book on enchantment 

Joseph Campbell’s “Power of Myth”

Karl Ove Knausgaard’s “The Re-Enchanted World”

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Riley and Lorenzo discuss enchantment – what is it, why should we care, and what does it mean for something to “have juice”? Topics include hireophany, writing as (failed) sacrament, air conditioning as numbing one’s senses.

Digressions include pet pigs and why it’s cool, actually, to say “TGIF.” 

Authors discussed: Max Weber, Charles Taylor, Katherine May, and Jane Bennett

Riley and Lorenzo watch and discuss Paul Schrader’s 2017 film “First Reformed.” Riley loves it, Lorenzo thinks it does theology right but has other gripes.  Digressions include fall vibes, devotion, whether or not Amanda Seyfried would be Lorenzo’s friend, Riley’s interest in purchasing a Stanley (!?).

What do Noah Kahan, smutty romance novels, and search engine optimization (SEO) have in common? Riley and Lorenzo dive into why so much popular art and media feels so thin. We chat about our recent media favs, Niel Postman’s Epistemology of Technology, and “Rich Men North of Richmond.”

Reading:

NYT “Why Has Culture Come to a Standstill”

Riley and Lorenzo discuss Disneyland, Satanism, treat acquisition, TikTok microtrends, climate change and purchasing massive SUVs, the imperative to buy, and what we owe each other. Part two of a two-part miniseries on convenience and consumption. 

References:

Cushvlog ‘Polypocalypse’

“Against Convenience” 

“The Easy Way Out”

Riley and Lorenzo discuss their new mic, ASMR, TikTok “haul” trends, single-use plastic, Christmastime and Advent (Riley doesn’t know the difference between the two), overconsumption, LARPing prosperity, and class consciousness. Part one of a two-part miniseries on convenience and consumption. 

References:

Operation Niki TikTok

Chelsea Fagan TikTok

De-influencing TikTok

Eula Biss’ “Having and Being Had”

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Riley and Lorenzo catch up to complain about what has been bothering them in their two months away from the pod: science, acronyms, the internet, women, etc. Let’s call it cultural criticism.

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In what critics are calling “the coziest episode of Misenchantments yet,” Riley and Lorenzo discuss J.D. Salinger’s short novel Franny and Zooey. Lorenzo reads it as an articulation of his own materialist theology, while Riley reflects concernedly on TikTok conspiracy theories and joyfully on little slices of the good life. We also conclude that we’re both big-time snobs, though Lorenzo more-so for his apparent distaste for commercial romance novels. 

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Riley & Lorenzo have 2 beers each and discuss tech-bro stoicism (aka broicism), the horrors of The Daily Stoic, why quotes don’t = wisdom, why whimsy is important, and why feeling your feelings is good, actually. Digressions include the taxonomy of church wokeness and the documentaries “Shiny Happy People” (Duggars) and “The Secrets of Hillsong.”

Readings:

“The Obstacle is the Way” by Ryan Holiday

“Why Silicon Valley Fell in Love With and Ancient Philosophy of Austerity,” Jacob Rosenberg

“Carceral Capitalism” by Jackie Wang

Riley & Lorenzo explore the wild world of Peacock comedy/drama Mrs. Davis, a show about a nun who has to fight a world-controlling AI program (we’re also excited to announce our new sponsors!). We do our best to connect this zany show to the ongoing developments in generative AI and predictive algorithms, plus speculate about what lessons we can learn from the development of the printing press that might apply to AI today. 

Readings:

Sublation: The AI Delusion

The New Yorker: Will AI Become the New McKinsey?