Tove Jansson – Moomin Trolls And Anti-Fascism

Alexander Kjerulf on September 8, 2022

The Moomin Trolls are nothing but cute, cuddly, innocent kids’ stories right? Wrong!

And the creator of the Moomins, Tove Jansson, was just a kids’ writer, right? WRONG! She was also a novelist, poet, painter and all-round badass and Alex shares 5 reasons why you should be enthusiastic about her,

BTWs include queer erasure, dancing and lesbian cottage core.

In the moment of meta Katie talks about saying “YES!” to new adventures.

Lise Nørgaard – Writer, feminist and UTTER BADASS

Alexander Kjerulf on May 11, 2022

Lise Nørgaard is a Danish journalist and author who discovered her superpower (writing) and has used it tirelessly to promote women’s rights and social justice.

She also created Matador, the best Danish TV show EVER, and (maybe most importantly) had a pastry named after her.

BTWs include implanted memories and swing dancing.

In the moment of meta Alex Katie shares a story of how she used enthusiasm to defuse an online feud.

The Wayfarer Series: Hopeful Sci-Fi For Squishy Marshmallows

Alexander Kjerulf on February 8, 2022

The Wayfarer Series is a trilogy of four(!) science fiction novels by Becky Chambers and Katie’s all-time favorites. They are a great example of Hope Punk, i.e. works that make you feel positive and optimistic about the world.

In the Moment Of Meta we introduce a new enthusiandment: You don’t have to be an expert in X to be enthusiastic about X. There’s also a corollary: But usually, diving into a topic only deepens your enthusiasm.

The Vorkosigan Saga: The EPIC Book Series by a Sci-Fi Grandma

Alexander Kjerulf on January 31, 2022

In this episode Alex talks about his absolute favorite sci-fi book series, The Vorkosigan Saga by American writer Lois McMaster Bujold.

This series is thrilling and creative but so is a lot of other science fiction. What really sets it apart is how progressive and ultimately hopeful Bujold’s books are. That and the amazing characters.

BTWs include Hope-punk, vegan gravy and the world’s longest running sci-fi series which started in 1961 and is still going strong.

In the moment of meta we talk about sharing your enthusiasm fully with no shame.

Piet Hein: Poet or pirate? Why not both!

Alexander Kjerulf on December 10, 2021

Piet Hein was a Danish philosopher, mathematician, designer, poet and all-round smart cookie who did amazing work in both science and arts. Be warned: This episode has POETRY!!!

BTWs include Piet Hein (the awesome pirate) and why Danish is the worst language.

In the moment of meta, Katie talks about closing feedback loops and proposes a new enthusiandment: Thou shalt always tell your friends what you like about them.

Links

Dune, The Novel: 1000 Times Better Than The Movie(s)

Alexander Kjerulf on October 20, 2021

Now that Villeneuve’s Dune movie is finally coming out in America, it’s time for Alex to try to convince Katie to read a book that is notoriously long and complex… but ultimately worth it.

Dune is the best-selling science fiction novel of all time. It was written by American author Frank Herbert, and came out in 1965, over 50 years ago, but contains themes and ideas that make it relevant to this day.

This episode has NO SPOILERS for either the book or the movies.

BTWs include:

  • What Tolkien thought of Dune
  • Connections between Game of Thrones and Dune
  • What went wrong with David Lynch’s AWFUL 1984 Dune movie
  • Why it’s a good thing that Ridley Scott’s attempt to film Dune failed

In the moment of meta we talk about the concept of FLOW and how it relates to enthusiasm.

Links


Modesty Blaise: 1000 Times Cooler Than James Bond

Alexander Kjerulf on September 21, 2021

Modesty Blaise kicks as much butt as 007 but she does it with way more style and way less borderline rape.

Meet the coolest action heroine of the 60s who began her adventures in newspaper comic strips before making her way into novels and some shockingly bad movies.

Hear about how feminist the stories are for their time (or any time), including sex positivity, nudity and consent-based sex and how incredibly rare and awesome it is that Modesty was the clear leader and Willie was her faithful follower (not slave).

Alex also delivers a heartfelt plea for Netflix (or someone… anyone) to make a Modesty Blaise show. Both so he can watch it but also to annoy the hell out of all the Men’s Rights Activists and conservative pundits.

BTWs include:

  • Pulp Fiction and what Vincent Vega was reading on the toilet in Butch’s apartment
  • What Katie’s mom and Quentin Tarantino have in common
  • Shoehorned romance subplots and why they suck
  • Beverly Hills 90210 and Buffy The Vampire Slayer
  • The trope where every time someone enjoys something, bad stuff often follows

In our Moment Of Meta, Katie talks about the doll called Electric Enthusiasm, which to Alex’s surprise is definitely not a sex doll.

Links