Oh This World

In this special episode, Lucas looks at how Wendy Davis and Chip Roy - the Democratic and Republican Congressional candidates in TX21 - have responded to COVID-19, and the strategies Rep. Roy and other Republicans are using to distract from their failures to lead during this pandemic.

For a timeline of how the candidates responded, including screenshots from social media and links to the articles referenced in this episode, go here.

Welcome to Season Two of OH THIS WORLD!

This season, we're focused on the big picture: for the rest of 2020, we'll be dedicating each month to an urgent issue facing Texas, and America.

We'll interview activists, thinkers and citizens about how to engage on the biggest challenges facing the country. And we'll spotlight a book at the start of the month that will help inform our discussion going forward.

But this isn't just a book club between our two hosts and our guests. We also want to hear from you, which is why we've set up a call-in line for you to comment on each episode and to answer some of the same questions we've explored on the show.

The number is (702) 907-RAGE. That's (702) 907-7243. Call us anytime, and we may play some or all of your comments on air.

This month our focus is on white privilege and fragility, and the book that kicks off our discussion is one that's been getting a lot of press lately: Robin DiAngelo's "White Fragility."

On today's episode, Antoinette and Lucas talk about and reflect on the book, and connect it back to what's happening in the news right now.

For Austin listeners, "White Fragility" is available on eBook and audiobook from APL, or buy it here. For a look at some of the criticism of "White Fragility" we discuss on today's show, check out this Daniel Bergner profile of Robin DiAngelo and other anti-racism educators from the New York Times Magazine, and this Carlos Lozada review of the book from the Washington Post. 

And to comment on the book or the issues we talked about today generally, give us a ring or email us at [email protected]. We'll have our first guest of the season next week. Thanks for listening! 

This episode was recorded on Saturday, August 15, 2020.

Antoinette and Lucas give a preview into Season 2 of OH THIS WORLD, coming August 2020! 

In our final episode of season 1, we take a look at the week in numbers, talk about what we learned and what surprised us during this inaugural Oh This World season, and share our recs for what we're listening to, reading and watching to stay grounded in this unsettling time.

The Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center dashboard is available here. You can read the Kyle Swenson story on the origins of the dashboard in the Washington Post. The Texas Tribune has more on coronavirus in Texas and on Gov. Abbott's mask mandate.

The NBC News story on the end of the federal unemployment benefit is here. Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò's Washington Post column on the need for a Truth and Reconciliation Commission in America is here.

Our weekend recs?

Antoinette suggests Knives Out, while Lucas recommends the must-see documentary Welcome to Chechnya on HBO, about the anti-LGBT atrocities happening there, and the activists who are fighting back. He also suggests the horror podcast Radio Rental.

We've had a great time Oh This World-ing with you this season. See you in August for Season 2!

This episode was recorded on Friday, July 3, 2020.

Lucas read every single one of his far-right Congressman's tweets for a year. On today's episode he talks about why he did it, what he learned, and how citizen-activists across the country can use those lessons.

Before we dive in, Antoinette follows-up on Monday's Confederate monuments episode with a story from the UK via Smithsonian Magazine. Then Lucas offers nine lessons he learned from following Rep. Chip Roy on Twitter for a year, and how citizen-activists outside of TX21 can use those lessons in their own districts.

You can read the 2011 Barry Meier story from the New York Times about the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons here. The 2016 San Antonio Express-News piece on Chip's health care hypocrisy can be found here.

Your calls to action:

1. Follow an elected representative in your community on social media for a week. Be cognizant of how they interact with the taxpayers who subsidize them, and whether or not the information they're sharing with constituents is accurate.

2. Think creatively about how to spread the word if an elected rep is playing fast and loose with the facts, spreading disinformation, or treating constituents inappropriately on social media. Journalists can't monitor every politician's social media feed 24-7. It's on us citizens to stay informed and to keep our communities informed.

This episode was recorded on Wednesday, July 1, 2020.

On today's episode, Antoinette explores ideas that museum curators, journalists and historians have proposed for what to do with Confederate monuments after they've been taken down.

After a brief follow-up on disinformation and social media nonsense, Antoinette leads us into our main topic, starting with examples of controversies over monuments and street names (and more street names) here in Austin. You can find the 2015 University of Texas report on campus statuary that we discuss on today's podcast here.

Guiding the rest of our discussion today: this New York Times piece on finding homes for "toxic monuments," this super informative Q&A with historian Annette Gordon-Reed, and this from the American Alliance of Museums on whether or not museums are the right place for Confederate monuments. We also look at this Atlantic piece by Graeme Wood, who offers a more unconventional solution to the problem.

Your call to action? Keep up to date with what is happening with Confederate monuments in your own community. Get involved in local conversations about what do to next. A key first step: take inventory of monuments displayed in your area, and if you don't know who the person is who is being honored, find out.

This episode was recorded on Monday, June 29, 2020.

We start our grab bag episode, as we do each Friday, with a look at the week in numbers, and the numbers aren't good, especially here in Texas.

After reopening too quickly and without adequate testing, Gov. Greg Abbott is now backtracking: closing bars he once allowed open, but still refusing to make masks mandatory. Over at Living Blue in Texas is a useful timeline of the governor's (non)-response to the pandemic. Don't forget: many Texas cities, like Austin, were handling COVID-19 responsibly until the governor overrode the decisions of local officials.

Meanwhile, millions of Americans may face economic disaster when the enhanced unemployment benefits passed under the CARES Act run out on July 31.

We also give a brief update on the situation in #TX21 with Rep. Roy's chief of staff, who earlier this month went on an unhinged, vulgar rant on social media.

Next, Antoinette gives a 101 on the history of "dog whistles" in American politics. Some resources she recommends: this helpful piece from Ian Olasov at VOX; this story from CNN; and this excerpt from A People's Guide to Making All Black Lives Matter by Tehama Lopez Bunyasi and Candis Watts Smith over at LitHub. (You can find the dog whistle-heavy article Antoinette dissects on today's episode here).

Our weekend recs?

Antoinette just spearheaded a family viewing of Silence of the Lambs. Lucas, meanwhile, devoured Lenox Hill on Netflix, and recommends the new documentary "Bully. Coward. Victim. The Roy Cohn Story," now on HBO. He also offers a mini call-to-action at the end of the episode.

What are you watching, listening to and reading to stay grounded in this unsettling time? Let us know on Instagram or Twitter @OhThisWorldPod or drop us a line at [email protected].

This episode was recorded on Friday, June 26, 2020.

Today we look at consumer activism: what is it, does it work, and what actions can we all take to hold businesses accountable for their policies?

Before we dive into our main topic, Antoinette educates us on the origins of the term "cancel culture," we briefly dive into the recent Shack Shake conspiracy theory, and we look at an important new resource for Austinites: free COVID-19 testing.

We then turn our attention to the meltdown currently happening in Chip Roy's office in #TX21. The Congressman has gone full far-right extremist culture-warrior this week, with embarrassing and nonsensical statements about Black Lives Matter. Meanwhile, his Chief of Staff went on such a racist tirade last week that it made the San Antonio Express-News: Gilbert Garcia has a very good column explaining what happened.

Finally, we turn to consumer activism. Helping us understand the history, as well as the pros and cons of this form of activism, is this excellent Stephie Grob Plante piece from Vox, "Shopping has become a political act. Here's how it happened."

For more information on the Chick-Fil-A controversy we discussed on today's show, CNN has the basics covered. The Nadia Chaudhury story from Eater Austin about Unbarlievable is here. On Twitter, Chas Moore called attention to more recent Unbarlievable outrageousness here. Learn more about Sleeping Giants here.

What can you do today?

1. Do an inventory of the places you regularly shop: do you agree with their environmental stances? Consumer protections? Do they give their employees paid sick leave? If their values don't align with yours, is there an alternative place you can go for what they offer? 

2. Get to the root of the problem. If a company's environmental policies are preventing you from doing business with them, what else are you doing to address the issue? Donating to environmental causes? Volunteering with an environmental organization? Let's all work together to take the next step.

What are your thoughts on consumer activism and everything else we discussed today? Let us know @OhThisWorldPod on Twitter/IG or shoot us a message at [email protected].

This episode was recorded on Wednesday, June 24, 2020.

Today Antoinette leads a wide-ranging discussion on political accountability and the conservative obsession with "cancel culture."

First, an announcement: our first season of OH THIS WORLD wraps in less than two weeks, on Friday, July 3rd! We'll be off for the rest of July and back in August with S2.

A few quick follow-ups from previous episodes: Antoinette recommends a recent Roxane Gay column and revisits the question of who *can* fire the police chief, Lucas relays a disturbing story out of #TX21, and we look at the role teenagers played in the low turnout at Trump's rally in Tulsa.

For our main topic, we're talking accountability today: what it is, why it matters, and how we can hold our political leaders accountable. We also explore the related topic of "cancel culture" (which may be just another phrase for holding folks to account).

Among the resources Antoinette references: pieces on "cancel culture" from Religion News and the Spectator. You can find more about the The Civility Project here.

What can you do now?

In the spirit of holding our leaders accountable, Antoinette encourages Texas listeners to join our friends at Indivisible Austin in demanding that AG Ken Paxton drop the Healthcare Repeal Lawsuit. And, as we've said many times before, the time to get involved with a Democratic campaign is now. If you're in the Austin area, check out Wendy Davis in #TX21 and Julie Oliver in #TX25, and get volunteering and donating today!

This episode was recorded on Monday, June 22, 2020.

Every Friday, we take a look at the week in numbers and offer our recs for what to read, listen to and watch to stay grounded during this unsettling time.

To help us understand the numbers for the week we turn to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center, as well as this Texas Tribune piece on record hospitalizations in Texas.

(One correction: when discussing Hays County numbers of late, Lucas meant to say that the GOP has touted that no one under sixty has died, not over).

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has announced students will return to school in the fall without any masking or testing requirements, to which teacher associations in Texas are saying "hell no." For more on the governor's, er, not-exactly-straightforward proclamations, Antoinette recs this Christopher Hooks piece in Texas Monthly.

We also follow-up on Wednesday's Down-ballot Frenzy with some info on the local race for County Attorney.

Meanwhile, Antoinette and her family have been doing the 21-Day Racial Equity Challenge. She updates us on how it's going.

Weekend recs?

After devouring "Bluebird, Bluebird" a year ago, Lucas is reading "Heaven, My Home," the next in Attica Locke's highly addictive Highway 59 series.

Antoinette recommends Yvonne Orji's new HBO comedy special, "Momma, I Made It!" and puts in a plug for online classes.

Have a good weekend and stay safe, everyone!

This episode was recorded on Friday, June 19, 2020.