Second Bananas

The Banana Boyz touch on the exodus of workers from major urban centres, how it's touched their own lives, what it means, and the implications of it all.

SECOND BANANAS NEWS:

Brian Jean vs Jason Kenney

MAIN ARTICLE:

Here’s the income you need to afford rent in major Canadian cities (Globe and Mail

Groups you can get involved with:

Vancouver Tenants Union

Rent Strike Bargain

Vancouver For All Listening Circles - Municipal Elections.

The Banana Boyz learn about actor, musician, businessman and philosopher-mogul Terrence Howard and his quest to teach the world about Terryology, his unique formal language of logic.

Wes learns the other Banana Boyz about Dr. Katalin Kariko, who spent decades researching mRNA, facing setbacks both personal and professional. Despite this, she persevered, and her research made COVID Vaccines possible.

Because of her, science is already using mRNA to explore a number of exciting new treatments for a universal coranavirus vaccine, sickle cell immunity, a cure for malaria, and even vaccines for peanut allergies! And mRNA is now seriously being considered as a potential treatment for pretty much every known illness.

 

SOURCES:

Dr. Katalin Kariko on Wikipedia

 

The story of mRNA: How a once-dismissed idea became a leading technology in the Covid vaccine race (STAT Magazine)

 

Kati Kariko Helped Shield the World From the Coronavirus (NY Times)

 

The Unlikely Pioneer Behind mRNA Vaccines (The Daily Podcast)

 

How COVID-19 mRNA Vaccines Work (YouTube)

 

The Story Behind mRNA COVID Vaccines: Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman (YouTube)

The Banana Boyz dig into the Anti-Woodstock that was the Altamont Free Concert. Considered by some "The Day the Music Died", it was a Free Concert put on by The Rolling Stones in Northern California.

Wary of cops, they hired The Hells Angels to do security, and last-minute changes to the venue resulted in unsafe stages, bad acid trips & massive overcrowding. 4 people died, including Meredith Hunter, a young black man, who was stabbed to death by the Hells' Angels.

SOURCES:

Selvin, J. (2016). Altamont: The Rolling Stones, The Hells Angels, and the Inside Story of Rock’s Darkest Day. HarperCollins.

Austerlitz, S. (2018). Just A shot away: Peace, love, and tragedy with The Rolling Stones at Altamont. Thomas Dunne Books. 

Barger, S.(2000). Hell’s Angel: The Life and Times of Sonny Barger and The Hell’s Angels Motorcycle Club. Fourth Estate.

The Rolling Stones Disaster at Altamont: Let It Bleed (Rolling Stone)

Altamont Free Concert (Wikipedia)

Rock N Roll Archaeology - Episode 19: 1969 Part II (Pantheon Podcasts)

The Banana Boyz revisit one of Joe's favorites, Dillinger Four - a pop-punk band comprised of four beer-swilling, bartending, butt cracking dudes from Minneapolis, Minnesota, and compare their underground success as a "bands' band" to punk rock super stars Green Day! It's really a jumping-off point for a discussion about DIY Punk scenes in North America, the roots of pop punk, and why Joe just loves D4 so damn much!

 

Sources/Further Reading:

In Dillinger Four We Trust (Vice/Noisey)

The Official Dillinger Four Angelfire Page

Dillinger Four's 'Midwestern Songs of the Americas' Spawned a Scene of Copycats (Vice/Noisey)

25th Anniversary Interview (Scene Point Blank)

Situationist Comedy Release Interview (Lollipop Magazine)

Erik Funk Interview (PunkNews)

Patrick "Paddy" Costello Interview (PunkNews)

Dillinger Four Pandemisode (Us!)

The Banana Boyz have Ricochet Editor, Organizer, Former Vancouver City Council Candidate & Socialist Dad Derrick O'Keefe on the pod to talk about the life & times of Rosemary Brown; the first Black Woman elected to a Canadian provincial legislature; first Black Woman to serve as Speaker of the House in a provincial legislature, and the first Black Woman to run for leadership of a Canadian Federal Party - coming in second to Ed Broadbent for leadership of the Federal NDP in 1975!

 

Rosemary was also an open socialist who was unafraid to criticize her own party and its white, male leaders. She spoke openly of how poverty disproportionately affected women, particularly Black & Elderly women. In her 1975 bid for the leadership of the NDP, she advocated for socialism, anti-imperialism, and feminism. Despite being recognized as a trailblazer & advocate, her radicalism is often downplayed or softened in official records. 

 

Please also check out this list of Black Organizations & Fundraisers in British Columbia you can support!

 

SOURCES/FURTHER INFO:

Rosemary Brown on Wikipedia

Rosemary Brown on Black Past

Section 15 Biography on Rosemary Brown

Rosemary Brown Obituary

Historica Canada Video on Rosemary Brown (YouTube)

Rosemary Brown on Royal BC History Museum

INTERVIEW: The Task Force on Aging Women - 1980 (YouTube)

DOCUMENTARY: No Way, Not Me! (YouTube)

CBC Archive: Rosemary Brown Makes Leadership Bid in 1975 (CBC Video)

(EPISODE UPDATED TO FIX AUDIO ISSUE)

Assistant director, story artist, and comic artist Tess Eneli Reid brings the truly fascinating world of Bratz Dolls (Second Bananas to reigning Doll Queen Barbie) This episode delves into the sexual & racial politics swirling around the Bratz dolls, their absolute circus clown CEO, and the many times they've left us and come back. This one's a banger, folks!

Sources/Further Reading:

A Brief Investigation Into the Complicated History of Bratz (W Magazine)

When Barbie Went to War With Bratz (The New Yorker)

The Toy Mogul Who Became A Billionaire Through His Fight To The Death With Barbie (Forbes)

Bratz CEO Apologizes For Racist Rant (Buzzfeed)

Bratz Dolls Released A Statement on George Floyd's Death (Teen Vogue)

The Strange Phenomenon of L.O.L. Surprise Dolls (The Atlantic)

The Bratz Movie (IMDB)

Animator, Director & Comic Creator Alexis Sugden talks Cinderella III and other direct-to-video Disney Sequels with the Banana Boyz!

 

Cinderella (The Folk Tale) on Wikipedia

Cinderella (The Movie) on IMDB

Cinderella III: A Twist In Time on IMDB

Part 2 of The Banana Boyz going HAM on the many Second Bananas of Vladimir Ilyich Ulianov, aka V.I. Lenin.

 

Joe - Julius Martov

Craig - Leon Trotsky

Wes - Joseph Stalin

To celebrate their 25th episode, The Banana Boyz each took on one of the many Second Bananas of Vladimir Ilyich Ulianov, aka V.I. Lenin.

 

Joe - Julius Martov

Craig - Leon Trotsky

Wes - Joseph Stalin

 

Part 2 comes out in 2 weeks!