The Exploding Head

By Justina Poskeviciute

"I think my head's about to explode" is what I say to myself when something too grotesque, absurd, horrible, or insanely hypocritical is happening - and I think it's how many of us feel when witnessin... more

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FAQs about The Exploding Head:

How many episodes does The Exploding Head have?

The podcast currently has 91 episodes available.

The Exploding Head episodes:

June 03, 2021 What Do We Talk About When We Talk About Palestine? Part 7: Impunity
I've covered this topic before but it's time to put it at the very centre of my episode.
Gaza might not be bombed anymore yet so much remains. The blockade, the occupation with all of its mechanism, apartheid, and so many questions.

One of these questions sounds simple but it so important to ask:
Who can hold Israel accountable?
And if the answer is 'no-one', we have to talk about impunity.

In this episode, I summarise several thematic areas of where we find that impunity in Israel and Palestine (the recent bombing of Gaza being just one of them), I point to the lack of accountability in the past, I ask which organisations would have any power here, and remind us why this topic is such a big one.

Find all the references and two vidoes I mention here: https://wp.me/pc6sQr-kM
...more
23min
May 17, 2021What Do We Talk About When We Talk About Palestine? Part 6: Gaza and The Fake Security vs. Equality Dichotomy
As I'm recording this, Gaza is being bombed by the Israeli forces.
In short, a lot has happened since last week. A lot needs to be unpacked.

In this episode, trying to further answer the question I have asked myself in this series - what do we really talk about when we talk about Palestine? - I talk about the abstract but often used concepts of security and self-defence.

What I do exactly is the following:
use the concepts from my previous episodes as prisms to analyse this situation,

talk more about the mainstream media narrative and, more importantly, where it starts,

explore the concept of security and self-defence by mentioning what the International Humanitarian Law has to say about it,

point to potential hypocrisy that might surround any talks about Gaza.

Give it a listen. Join the debate. Check my references and more here: https://wp.me/pc6sQr-jo
...more
25min
May 09, 2021 What Do We Talk About When We Talk About Palestine? Part 5: Colonialism
What is happening in East Jerusalem?

Or, rather, what has been happening in East Jerusalem?
Depending on your location, political interests, and what media you consume, you might have heard the name of Sheikh Jarrah.
If anything, you might have seen some hashtags at least, like #SaveSheikhJarrah.

Sheikh Jarrah is a neighbourhood of East Jerusalem and what is happening there gives me an (unfortunate) opportunity to further explore my own question:
What do we really talk about when we talk about Palestine?
In light of current events, today's topic simply has to be colonialism.

It's...strange to be using this word to describe something that we're witnessing in the 21st century, I know. Yet, just like with other concepts that have actual definitions, we shouldn't be afraid to use them where these definitions fit.

It's a dense episode. I hope you enjoy it and check my references here: https://wp.me/pc6sQr-iG

...more
22min
May 02, 2021 What Do We Talk About When We Talk About Palestine? Part 4: International Organisations
It's a system of apartheid.

This is how Human Rights Watch has summarised its extensive report documenting how the Israeli government treats Palestinians living both inside of Israel and the Occupied Territories.
In my episode, I talk about this report and what broader questions we should ask when it comes to how international organisations assess any Israeli policies.

You can find an article surrounding this episode (with photos and references!) here: https://wp.me/pc6sQr-gg
...more
19min
April 22, 2021 Black Lives Still Matter, And (Y)our Discomfort Still Doesn't
It's a rather reflective episode with a simple message:

Black Lives still matter, and (y)our discomfort still doesn't.

I launched my personal page with my article on shame and my own journey from ignorance to...less ignorance.
It was June 2020, and Black Lives Matter had just exploded.
(the movement, not the issues, obviously)

In this episode, recorded just two days after David Chauvin was found guilty of the murder of George Floyd, I aim to engage you in a personal reflection of how this year of protests has been for you.

I quote Glennon Doyle, I talk about bravery, and I remind myself and, hopefully, you, what is and what isn't at the centre of this issue.
...more
10min
April 15, 2021 How Free Is Media in Your Country, Really?
I start my episode by revealing to you how irresponsibly I would go on motorbike rides when I was living in Thailand.

Why do I do that?

To juxtapose it with a certain strict law Thailand has regarding its media.

Media freedom is the topic of this week's episode.

But in addition to lèse-majesté (laws prohibiting criticism of the Royal family, and something I cannot pronounce correctly) and other types of censorship structures, we have to talk about something else. Something that is easier to miss.

That is media plurality.

What's the difference between internal plurality and external plurality?

A quick answer: that difference is huge, and it has to deal with media ownership consolidation levels.

Listen to this episode to learn more about it.

Find all the references and recommendations here: https://wp.me/pc6sQr-f8
...more
14min
April 08, 2021 Political Turbulence in Jordan: What Framework Can Political Science Provide?
On the day I moved to Jordan, a big thing happened.

The country's monarchy was apparently threatened.
Although not much is known about exactly what happened, it presents to us a good opportunity to talk about different types of political change - something I've been doing in multiple episodes of this podcast.
I also talk about the refugee crisis, mention my episode on a parliamentary coup (!) in Brazil (https://spoti.fi/3cxKhVk), promote my series on Palestine, and reveal to you that I have, in fact, another podcast (https://spoti.fi/3pWUJsR)!

Check it out. For an episode recorded on a hilly street of Amman, it's surprisingly quiet!

You can find the article on this episode with all the links and a table I mention here: https://wp.me/pc6sQr-eO
...more
15min
April 01, 2021 The New Zealand's Miscarriage Leave Law and Beyond
You might have heard about the new law that was passed in New Zealand.

That is definitely great and it should be celebrated. But we should also ask further questions.
Why are we only seeing this law now and how come is it only India that has had a similar law since decades ago? What would be needed to see a change like this around the world?

We can't talk about it without talking about - drumroll please! - political representation. One of my favourite topics, it seems.

You can find references to some of the things that I mention in my episode here: https://wp.me/pc6sQr-eH

...more
10min
March 25, 2021 Can We Celebrate Our Independence Days Without Being Jerks? Part 2
Can we turn something as exclusive as an independence day into something else?
And why should we want that anyway?
In this episode, I talk about a very personal experience of being from "a small country no-one knows about" and what dilemmas it has resulted in.

Those dilemmas - how not to be a jerk when I talk about our independence days - can be solved, it turns out, moving from that personal experience to something way more beautiful. And needed!

Check it out.

For more content, see www.justinaposkeviciute.com
Or this same podcast!

...more
11min
March 17, 2021 Brazil: How to Weaken Democracy from Within
The dance between democracy and authoritarianism can take different forms. And Brazil presents to us yet another one.
What the hell has been happening in Brazil for the past five years and what recent event sparked this episode?
In short, it’s an alarming situation that involves large-scale corruption.
For a longer story, listen to this episode! It’s a dense one.

You can find the article on Dilma’s impeachment that I mention together with all of the episodes I refer to here: https://wp.me/pc6sQr-eh
In this quick article, I also share with you an independent media outlet recommendation where you can find all the quality news about Brazil.
...more
18min

FAQs about The Exploding Head:

How many episodes does The Exploding Head have?

The podcast currently has 91 episodes available.