Jamie is joined by Indica Dominant (@DominantIndica) a.k.a. Olive, adult performer/sex worker and co-host of the Dysphoria podcast, to discuss director Sean Baker’s anti-Cinderella story Anora (2024), which just won the Oscar for Best Picture. Is it possible to combine a screwball comedy, a hooker exploitation film, and a twee Sundance indie into one movie? What does Anora have to say, or not, about sex work, class, and capitalism? And what’s up with Zoomers and ketamine? Spoilers, obviously.
Check out Olive’s podcast (with fellow friend of the show Maxelle Talena), Dysphoria at dysphoria.info and patreon.com/dysphoriathepodcast
NOTE: Cultural Marxism is usually a premium series, but this week it’s free! Sign up as a supporter at patreon.com/partygirls or youtube.com/@partygirlspod to get the rest of the series, plus all other bonus content, access to our Discord community, and a shout out on the pod!
00:00:00 Intro
00:02:43 “Anora” recap starts
00:13:20 Surface level worship of wealth or critique of capitalism?
00:18:19 Dehumanization, creative characterization, or subversive anti-work queen?
00:22:51 Real world relationships to sex work
00:25:20 Scene analysis: Ani gets tied up by Igor
00:29:36 Chasing the American Dream
00:38:14 Scene analysis: finding Vanya at the strip club
00:43:47 Disagreement about the ending
00:58:32 Should we hold stories about SWs to higher standards?
01:03:04 Where’s that oligarch money from Vanya??
01:08:01 You can’t escape the imprisonment of capitalism thru a Gilded Cage
01:13:51 Humanizing public perception of sex work
01:19:04 "Anora" and “The Florida Project,” strip club v. survival
01:23:21 Criminalization of trans sex workers
01:25:31 Defanged drug use in “Anora”
01:29:54 “It’s a Cinderella story”
01:34:32 Plugging Patreons!
***
SIGN UP NOW at https://patreon.com/partygirls to get all of our bonus content, Discord access, and a shout out on the pod!
Join our YouTube channel as a member to get access to bonus videos (the same one's you'd find on Patreon!):
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0T-lzkTsMt1tBSvp958UGQ/join
Follow us on ALL the Socials:
Instagram: @party.girls.pod
YouTube: @partygirlspod
TikTok: @party.girls.pod
Twitter: @partygirlspod
BlueSky: @partygirls.bsky.social
Leave us a nice review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify if you feel so inclined: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/party-girls/id1577239978
https://open.spotify.com/show/71ESqg33NRlEPmDxjbg4rO
***
Executive Producer: Andrew Callaway
Producers: Charlotte Albrecht, Jon B., Ryan M.
