The American Age

051 – C. Travis Webb, Seph Rodney, and Steven Fullwood apply some critical reflection to role modeling. Can one reject one's status as a role model, as Charles Barkley famously did? Is there a difference between following a role model, and being inspired by one? Tune in and join the conversation.

050 – C. Travis Webb, Seph Rodney, and Steven Fullwood discuss surveillance. Apps that track their users and government access to their data is much discussed, but surveillance isn't new. Marginalized communities have been tracked for centuries, and powerful individuals have always had access to privacy, so what does privacy mean in the twenty-first century?

049 – C. Travis Webb, Seph Rodney, and Steven Fullwood discuss the media's reaction to the death of the 41st President, George H.W. Bush. Did mainstream outlets "white wash" Bush's legacy, or is there something to be said for speaking well of the recently departed? What is the role of public mourning and public anger in the establishment of community?

048 – C. Travis Webb, Seph Rodney, and Steven Fullwood begin an ongoing conversation about pornography. James Joyce said that the difference between pornography and art was desire. Pornography, in short, is the provocation of desire. What do our desires say about us as a nation and as a species? How do pornography and religion interact? What does pornography say about our relationship to our bodies? Join us for the first of many conversations on the topic.

047 – To celebrate the holiday, C. Travis Webb, Seph Rodney, and Steven Fullwood offer thanks. The hosts recount some of the things they've each been thankful for this year, and also offer reflections on the challenges of artistic creation and the difficulty of doing foolishly ambitious things.

046 – C. Travis Webb, Seph Rodney, and Steven Fullwood continue their discussion about veterans. They expand the topic by exploring the ways sexuality and potency are intertwined with violence. Why are "men in uniform" so often the object of sexual desire? How are our identities constrained by these roles? Join us for another wide-ranging exchange.

045 - In honor of Veterans Day, C. Travis Webb, Seph Rodney, and Steven Fullwood discuss military service. No country, empire, or religion in the history of the world has existed without some kind of military service, even if it was temporary or forced. What kind of things are we taught to believe about veterans, the military, and war? The hosts discuss what is sacred about organized, sanctioned violence, and what is dangerous.

044 – C. Travis Webb, Seph Rodney, and Steven Fullwood discuss information. To live responsibly in a democracy requires access to knowledge about the world we inhabit. But acquiring that knowledge can be difficult. Where does it come from, and who can be trusted to dispense it? How does ideology interfere with or enhance our ability to make sense of the world? The hosts discuss their media diets, and how they can be improved.

043 – In honor of Halloween, C. Travis Webb, Seph Rodney, and Steven Fullwood discuss their favorite horror films. They explore why some movies affect them more than others, and what those susceptibilities say about their world views. Some of the films discussed include: Carrie, The Changeling, Prince of Darkness, The Skin I Live In, Ringu, and Cabin in the Woods.

042 – C. Travis Webb, Seph Rodney, and Steven Fullwood discuss their social media profiles and what their profiles both reveal and conceal about their identities. Is it possible to remain nuanced and effective on Twitter or Facebook? Can one use social media without being leveled by it, or reduced to a caricature?