Vegan Warrior Princesses Attack!

This week in off-brand topical timeliness, we went to see Ad Astra in the theaters and are here to talk about it. Part movie review, part movie analysis, we do a spoiler-free section before moving into spoiler-full about our conflicting thoughts and feelings about this beautiful but frustrating film.

In This Episode

Joke

Why did the nonbinary prospector head west? Thanks, Tina!

Main Topic

Inspired by a listener’s post in the VWPA Society, we headed out this weekend to see Ad Astra in theaters and then sat down to talk about it. We were both confused as to our feelings about the movie when we left the theater but we read some good articles about it and talked it out.

We do a spoiler-free section for the first big chunk of the episode, and then warn y’all when we get to spoilers so those who haven’t seen it but are planning to can still listen without finding out any plot points.

Overall, the movie is b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l but bland. Brad Pitt’s acting is phenomenal; the movie is well-acted and gorgeously filmed, but the overall narrative is missing a clear viewpoint. Many interesting, unique threads are introduced and not followed through at all, only to end the film with a pretty basic and well-worn message. However, this movie did have the nerve to do a totally different take on colonization and space, and for that we give it a lot of credit and hope that it inspires a new generation of space odyssey films. Worth it to see it in theaters if you like slow, atmospheric movies that don’t necessarily say much but take you on a beautiful journey.

Some articles we loved (spoilers ahead!):

* Where Ad Astra went right and where it went very wrong (USA Today)* Ad Astra is about lonely Brad Pitt in space. It’s also about an absent God. (Vox)* ‘Ad Astra’ and Refuting the Rules of Sci-Fi (Hollywood Reporter)* What the Hell Is Going on in Ad Astra? James Gray Explains Himself (Vulture)

We had a few loose but important threads this week to pluck and ponder that were all united along the theme of context; something that we’re often told doesn’t matter by rigid SJW scripts or, conversely, is exploited by oppressors out to avoid criticism.

In This Episode

Advice Question

From Ana (she/her)

My “good intentions” lead to me assaulting an intoxicated stranger by violating their consent and bodily autonomy (not in a sexual way, but it was still really bad). They called me out on it, I apologized and took appropriate action. They forgave me. I know better and I still did something terrible like that. What do I do to make sure this never happens again and also to restore justice?

If you want to submit a question to the show, please email or call us via info on our Contact Page!

Main Topic

Ana’s question is actually part of the main topic today, as we felt it was a great example of context. We take a deep dive into “SJW Ally Scripts” and how they fail us from not accounting for context or for treating other humans as, well, actual people and not tokens.

We also talk about the way men exploit the context of a situation to get permission and immunity from the people with less power or privilege around them, a blank check, if you will, for their behavior that might be oppressive, offensive, or inappropriate (and how this can and is done by any group that has this power over those around them and can be situational) by using an example from Conan O’Brien’s podcast’s interview with Dana Carvey.

We talk about comedy, and chase down a few stray thoughts along the way.

We’re switching up our format to replace news with an advice question, so this week we’re doin’ all news and other random stuff we’ve pinned to talk about that’s not enough for a full episode.

In This Episode

News

* California bans private prisons – including Ice detention centers (The Guardian)* Cattle farmers campaign to lower age cows can be killed and sold as beef (Telegraph UK)* Water found on a potentially life-friendly alien planet (National Geographic)* Work is good for you — but only one day a week, scientists say (CNBC)* Beauty Brand Lush Closes 250 Stores to Join Greta Thunberg In Climate Strike (VegNews)

Joke

Why shouldn’t you tell secrets in a cornfield?

Main Topic

Welp, the news IS the main topic but to add a little detail, we dig into some articles we found on the interwebs that we found interesting but were not enough for an episode on their own.

Due to crushing news depression (not even joking) we’re going to scrap the news segment for now and replace it with a listener question. If you want to submit a question for us to talk about, please send us an email or voicemail (contact information on our Contact page).

We’re continuing our efforts to model and practice good self-care so we hope y’all will be supportive and we hope this format is equally, if not more so, enjoyable. Hope to hear from you, we love love love answering listener questions! <3

Per a listener request in the VWPA Society, we watched Hail Satan? this week and were inspired by it to talk about Satanism, our views on religion and blasphemy, and how the actions of The Satanic Temple and their philosophies relate to vegan activism.

In This Episode

News

* When Transgender Travelers Walk Into Scanners, Invasive Searches Sometimes Wait on the Other Side (Pro Publica)* Sending unsolicited dick pics is now illegal in Texas, and could result in a $500 fine (Insider)* Google Contractors Vote to Unionize Given Company’s Track Record of Crappy Treatment (Gizmodo)

Joke

Who was the best financier in the Bible?

Main Topic

You can find the Hail Satan? documentary on Hulu, or for rent on Amazon, Vudu, YouTube and Google Play.

The documentary inspired conversation around the ethics of trolling as an activism strategy, defining yourself by your opposition to oppressive institutions, our positions on religion and blasphemy, Christian privilege in the United States, and other related thoughts.!

We answer a host of amazing listener questions this week; including how to make friends in a new city when you’re radical AF, complimenting women, and many more. Thank you to everyone who submitted questions!

In This Episode

No news or questions today as Nichole had to fly out to the East Coast at the crack of dawn; we just get right into our awesome listener questions!

Questions:

* Kelly (she/her)I was born and raised in SoCal (southern California) but in my 32 years my family has all either moved away or disowned my mother and therefore me by default (it was well earned by my mother, I don’t talk to her either). Because of all of this my main social group and place of support has become my in-laws.My wife as well as her family are Christian. When we got married I made clear that I do not, nor do I ever see a future where I would, identify as a Christian however my wife and her family accepted me in and love me regardless. 99% of the time they respect that I do not agree with them theologically.My problem is that when I find I am in need of support, my in-laws and to a lesser extent my wife will tell me that Jesus is the answer and that because I do not have “him” in my life I will not ever be able to truly be happy.I tried to communicate with her that it feels alienating and lonely when she throws “Jesus” at my problems instead of being supportive. My question is what would you say to someone who you love who throws “Jesus” at your problems?* Amanda (she/her)My question to you is how to start integrating your activism and or more radical views with your friends and family. I have found myself struggling how to deal with topics of conversation such of politics, human and animal rights, food waste etc without either getting ignored or pushed aside as invaluable. Any advice on how to stand your ground and know when to and not to continue the conversation * DanielWhat advice do you have for someone who is about to exit college or just for someone in their 20s like career wise, dream wise, living wise, etc.?* Natalia (she/her)I’m curious for you to do a media review on other podcasts. Particularly fitness-based ones. Or more generally your thoughts on health-based veganism. * Mohera (she/her)I have two questions… 1) How do you two feel about complimenting people (mostly women in particular) about their appearance? I remember you two discussing this on an episode one time, but I’m wondering how you feel about it now? Do you think it’s bad or anti-feminist to tell a woman that you love her hair or think her outfit is really cute? I’ve done some reading into body neutrality and I’m really on board with the idea, but I just really struggle with creating an atmosphere that places less importance on physical appearance while also just being like, “Hey girl I love what you did with your hair today!”2) I’m totally on board with anti-capitalism, but I want to hear more about anarchy and what that means to you two. Why do you feel that anarchy is a good idea/approach? It seems a little scary, but I want to hear what you two have to say before forming an opinion. I hear a lot about anti-capitalism on the show, but not a lot about anarchy and I just want to know more of why you both identify as anarchists.* Rose (she/her)How do you deal with lingering guilt? I don’t want to get into the details of it, but I still feel guilt about the worst abuser of my life. I broke off my friendship with her nearly 10 years ago for my own safety and sanity, but I still wonder how she is doing and hope that she is okay.She grew up in an abusive household and fell in with all the wrong crowds, leading to addiction of every kind you can think of. I was the only real “stable” (for lack of a better term) force in her life and despite all of ...

We’re continuing our conversation inspired by Hannah Gadsby’s Nanette on Netflix, and a ColdCrashPictures YouTube video critiquing harmful cliches in the art industry, particularly the film industry, around “rise and grind” culture and the idea of suffering for your art, starving artist syndrome, etc.

In This Episode

News

* Joe Biden Says ‘Poor Kids’ Are Just as Bright as ‘White Kids’ (NY Times)* The Supreme Court Will Decide Whether You Can Be Fired For Not Being Girly Enough (Vice)* Electoral college members not bound by popular vote, court rules (LA Times)* The Amazon Cannot Be Recovered Once It’s Gone (The Atlantic)* The Amazon is burning because the world eats so much meat (CNN)

Joke

Why can’t you trust atoms?

Main Topic

Today we talk about the dangers of believing that people should suffer for their art, that art is a luxurious and immature pursuit, and that anyone who works “hard enough” will make it, therefore anyone who hasn’t made it doesn’t want it enough.

We highly recommend watching this video before (or after) listening to the show, it’s great:

Talking about the themes brought up in Hannah Gadsby’s Netflix stand-up comedy special, Nanette, around an audiences entitlement to creative content, comedy, the creative process, our capitalist approach to art, and so much more. So much more, in fact, that we ended up only covering about half of what we wanted to, making this an unplanned part 1!

In This Episode

News

* Tiffany Cabán Concedes To Melinda Katz In Queens DA Race (Refinery29)* ICE raids 7 chicken processing plants in Mississippi, arresting 680 people in largest workplace sting in at least a decade (Chicago Tribute)* As Warren and Sanders Swiftly Condemned Israel for Barring Congresswomen, Pelosi and Biden Hesitated (The Intercept)

Jokes

In tribute to Mitch Hedberg:

Is a hippopotamus really a hippopotamus or…

Video for Part 2: “Rise & Grind” Film Culture: A Rant | ColdCrashPictures (YouTube)

We discuss when we should criticize things on an individual vs systemic level, inspired by a listener comment that has Nichole on 5. Maybe 6. Just amped enough for a few sassy comments.

In This Episode

News

* Climate change: 12 years to save the planet? Make that 18 months (BBC)* California becomes first state to bar Trump from 2020 ballot unless he releases his tax returns (Dead State)* Jared Polis, Colorado governer, RE: Arkansas ban on veggie-meat labels (Facebook)

Joke in the Middle

What do sea monsters eat for lunch?

Main Topic

In response to a listener comment about the first news item in episode 233, we talk about when we should critique individual actions vs when it’s more important to critique the systemic issues that caused the actions.

We dig into the next round of Democratic debates, this time hosted by CNN (aired on July 30th & 31st).

In This Episode

We talk abaout the second round of Democratic debates, plus a fantastic tangent at the end by Callie.

We are jet-lagged and cranky but excited to talk about our thoughts about this year’s Animal Rights Conference in DC.