What Ho...A Rat!!

The boys are back with our favorite RADICAL FAR LEFT LUNATIC, Dr. Robin Kello, in our final discussion of Coriolanus, Shakespeare's fascist Roman play beloved by the Nazis. We discuss hearts and assholes, homoeroticism, and whether or not we can ever be "authors of ourselves" apart from a community. Rey and Mikey take the time to narrate the entirety of First Blood again, because Robin hadn't seen it and these are the things we think are important. 

Rey and Mikey sit down with scholar, writer, and teacher Paul Franz to discuss Shakespeare's Coriolanus and its unlikely parallels with First Blood. The boys imagine Glenn Danzig arguing with his Homeowner's Association, and a definitive answer is reached about whether Hamlet or Coriolanus would win in a fight.

This is the last episode in THE RAMBO OF ROME, which covers the end of Act Five. The women of Rome arrive, and Coriolanus' mother tries to end his rampage with an epic guilt trip. Will she succeed? Will he cry at the end like John J. Rambo? Also, Rey recalls an old friend who he hasn't seen in years. 

In the penultimate episode of the season, Rey and Mikey enter Act 5 of Shakespeare's Coriolanus, and witness the Roman nobility scrambling to save their city as a war-mad Coriolanus bears down on them with his new Volscian allies. The moral of the story: treat your veterans well, or they may just return to destroy the nation they once helped protect. Or maybe the moral is: democracy doesn't work. Or maybe it's: always listen to your mother. We're still trying to figure out exactly what this play is about. But it sure has a lot in common with First Blood, that's all we know for certain. 

Things are getting hot and heavy in Antium, as Coriolanus has a surprisingly homoerotic bro-down with his arch-nemesis Tullus Aufidius. After joining forces, Coriolanus leads the Volscian army on the warparth toward Rome, and his previous friends and enemies scramble to do damage control. This episode covers the end of Act 4.

Coriolanus faces the tribunes and the rabble they represent, only to be banished from his beloved Rome. The end of Act 3 and beginning of Act 4 are discussed, along with digressions about hot dogs, The Road Warrior, and, once again, Warrior Milk.  

Coriolanus prepares for his big public apology in Act 3, Scene 2 of Shakespeare's play. Will he insult his own nobility by kneeling before the filthy, ignorant commoners? Derril weighs in. New products are imagined, for both moms and bros.

The boys get political in this one, as they discuss Act 3, Scene 1 of Shakespeare's Coriolanus. Coriolanus is accosted by a mob on his way to the capital, and tells them what he really thinks about representative government. Rey goes on a tirade about onions.

In this episode, Rey spends a lot of time wondering what Romans ate. Coriolanus Act II, Scenes 2-3 are discussed. Coriolanus' ascension to a consulship is approved by both the senate and the people, though the Tribunes may have other ideas about the matter. (Note: our apologies that the audio on this episode got a little fucked up).

Rey and Mikey get into Act 2 of Coriolanus. Menenius provides a Shakespearean insult fest, and Rey pines for a hot dog with relish. Not much ground is covered.