Episode 166: Make Believe: On the Power of Pretentiousness

Episode 166: Make Believe: On the Power of Pretentiousness

Author: SpectreVision Radio April 3, 2024 Duration: 1:13:49
In culture and the arts, labeling something you don't like (or don't understand) "pretentious" is the easy way out. It's a conversation killer, implying that any dialogue is pointless, and those who disagree are merely duped by what you've cleverly discerned as a charade. It's akin to cynically revealing that a magic show is all smoke and mirrors—as if creative vision doesn't necessitate a leap of faith. In this episode, Phil and JF explore the nuances of pretentiousness, distinguishing between its fruitful and hollow forms. They argue that the real gamble, and inherent value, of daring to pretend lies in recognizing that imagination is an active contributor to, rather than a detractor from, reality. Pierre-Yves Martel's EPHEMERA project It isn't too late to join JF's upcoming course on the films of Stanley Kubrick, which goes until the end of April, 2024. Support us on Patreon. Buy the Weird Studies soundtrack, volumes 1 and 2, on Pierre-Yves Martel's Bandcamp page. Listen to Meredith Michael and Gabriel Lubell's podcast, Cosmophonia. Visit the Weird Studies Bookshop Find us on Discord Get the T-shirt design from Cotton Bureau! REFERENCES Brian Eno, A Year with Swollen Appendices Dan Fox, Pretentiousness: Why it Matters Ramsay Dukes, How to See Fairies Johan Huizinga, Homo Ludens Gilles Deleuze, Difference and Repetition Weird Studies, Episode 49 on Nietzsche’s idea of “untimely” Sokal Affair, scholarly hoax Weird Studies, Episode 75 on ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ Stanley Kubrick, “Notes on Film” Friedrich Nietzsche, On the Uses and Abuses of History Vladimir Nabokov, Think, Write, Speak Mary Shelley, “Introduction to Frankenstein” Matt Cardin, A Course in Demonic Creativity Playboy interview with Stanley Kubrick Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At the heart of Weird Studies, a podcast from SpectreVision Radio, you’ll find long-form conversations between Professor Phil Ford and writer J. F. Martel. Their discussions aren’t simple reviews or straightforward analyses; instead, they wander through the tangled undergrowth where art and philosophy meet, giving generous time to concepts that resist easy understanding and to creative works that fracture our ordinary sense of the world. This podcast deliberately lingers in that ambiguous space, treating the “weird” not as a genre but as a particular mode of experience-one that reveals the cracks in what we comfortably assume is real. Each episode feels like joining a deep, meandering dialogue between two friends who are both deeply knowledgeable and endlessly curious, covering a vast terrain that includes literature, film, music, and esoteric thought. It’s a show for anyone who suspects that the most profound truths are often found in the shadows, the anomalies, and the strangely beautiful. As part of the SpectreVision Radio network, which specializes in content that explores the uncanny edges of creativity, Weird Studies builds a unique community of listeners who are eager to think differently. You won’t find pat answers here, but you will encounter compelling questions and a shared sense of exploration that makes each installment a distinctive journey.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 230

Weird Studies
Podcast Episodes
Episode 210  – Angels & Daimons, with Cristina Campo and M.C. Richards [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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