PODCAST · society
The Bullshit Artists
by Rory Varrato
Two philosophers—or what comedian Mel Brooks fondly refers to as “bullshit artists”—from different generations join in deep yet casual conversation covering a wide range of topics, including especially politics and the human condition.Jack Crittenden—professor emeritus of political theory at Arizona State University—and Rory Varrato—PhD candidate in the Philosophy and Education program at Teachers College, Columbia University—have known each other for more than ten years, first as teacher-student and later as friends. During that time, they have had countless conversations together (usually over coffee), and some of those chats have even been interesting.The purposes of this biweekly podcast, then, are to provide a new venue for these conversations (especially now, during the pandemic) and to enable these dialogues to reach an audience of more than two.Both interlocutors hope that—at their best—they can offer to each other and to their listeners something like the lighthearted verba
Episodes
-
Encounter #16 — Young v. Spotify, Psychopathologies of COVID-Era Politics, and Questioning the Existence of Elite Universities
In this episode, Jack and Rory begin the conversation by dissecting the current state of public discourse regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in light of the recent dispute about misinformation between Neil Young and Spotify, the platform that hosts Joe Rogan’s popular podcast. Among…
more -
Encounter #15 — Social Media, the Art of Living Beautifully, and a Generational Call to Arms
In this episode—their final encounter of 2021—Jack and Rory begin the conversation with a brief discussion of the current state of the COVID pandemic. Then, Jack poses a question to Rory about his social media use, particularly regarding the kinds of posts Rory makes on Instagram and the purpose…
more -
Encounter #14 — Rory‘s New Project, Existentialism and Absurdism, and Nondual Phenomenology
In this episode, the discussion begins with Rory wriggling out of Jack's earlier demand that he come prepared with at least one joke to tell; to compensate for this failure, Rory explains to Jack a new social media project he has been developing, tentatively titled 'Philosophy in a New York...
-
Encounter #13 — Student Assessment, the Death of the Author, and Riffing on Comedy
In this episode, the conversation begins with a brief exchange about jazz music before turning to a consideration of the recent television series Only Murders in the Building. From there, the interlocutors return to a topic that has been of considerable interest in recent encounters—best…
more -
Encounter #12 — Time Perception, the Proper Way to Lecture, and Plato‘s ”City for Pigs”
In this episode—their first after a three-month long hiatus—Jack and Rory begin the conversation by discussing the nature of time perception. In particular, Rory reflects on the phenomenological differences between Sedona and New York—the former a quiet, sleepy village; the latter, a dense,...
-
Encounter #11 — Near-Death Experiences and Consenting to Metanoia
In this episode, the conversation begins with an exploration of Jack’s thoughts on near-death experiences (NDEs) and similar phenomena, about which he has written extensively, including in his book, 'Stalking White Crows.’ Rory then raises the case of Pam Reynolds, a woman who claims to have had…
more -
Encounter #10 — The Imposition of Autonomy and the Prospect of a Transformative Rite of Political Passage
In this episode, Rory initiates the conversation by informing Jack that, during the time between their last encounter and this one, he has had an intriguing thought that he’d like to explore together now. To that end, he begins by digging into an issue from Jack’s published work that, he says…
more -
Encounter #9 — Capitalist Hyperrealism, Transformative Education, and Sinema & 'The Squad'
In this episode, the conversation begins with a few brief forays into topics relating to the ongoing wildfires near Sedona, AZ (where Rory is located); the soulless hyperreality of Las Vegas; and the corporatization of Arizona State University specifically and higher education generally. From...
-
Encounter #8 — Speaker Trump, Israel & Palestine, and The Great ‘Russiagate’ Debate Begins
In this episode, Rory begins the conversation by mentioning to Jack what he says is the most terrifying political news he’s heard in some time: the possibility that Donald Trump may run for Congress in Florida in 2022 with the intent of becoming Speaker of the House of Representatives. Rory sees...
-
Encounter #7 — Third Parties, Reconstituting the United States, and Political Vision
In this episode, Rory starts by sharing with Jack that he has submitted a self-nomination to the Movement for a People’s Party, an emergent third party that is currently soliciting its first crop of candidates for the 2022 midterm elections. This initiates a conversation about the viability of...
-
Encounter #6 — The Necessity of Revolution, Models for Social Reorganization, and the Importance of Storytelling
In this episode, Rory begins by asking Jack for his thoughts on what Rory had previously suggested as the ‘necessity’ argument for political revolution in the face of impending climate catastrophe. Out of that discussion emerges a two-pronged conversation about, first, how the Mondragon worker...
-
Encounter #5 — COVID-19 and Systems-Level Thinking, the Classroom as Polity, and an Army of Socrateses
After some housekeeping and a brief revisit of police violence, Rory and Jack begin this episode with a consideration of COVID-19, especially focusing on its possible origins and the widespread resistance in the US to vaccination. This topic then segues into a larger discussion of systems-level...
-
Encounter #4 — Nuclear Holocaust, Police Violence, and Authority
In this episode of The Bullshit Artists, Jack and Rory begin the conversation by considering the connections between what Noam Chomsky has identified as the twin existential threats facing humanity: climate breakdown and nuclear holocaust. Then, Rory raises the issue of police violence in the...
-
Encounter #3 — The Anthropocene, the 'Benevolent Despot,' and Transformational Education
In this episode of The Bullshit Artists, Rory begins the conversation by detailing his recent therapeutic experience with psilocybin mushrooms. Then, Jack inquires about some of Rory's research interests—including his position regarding the likelihood of human survival in the Anthropocene—as well...
-
Encounter #2 — Cancel Culture, the Golden Rule, and Psychedelics
In this episode of The Bullshit Artists, Jack begins the conversation by pressing Rory on his use of the ideological label "anarcho-communist." Then, the interlocutors turn to a long, winding discussion of what Rory had previously called the 'epistemic divide' in America, which includes aspects…
more -
Encounter #1 — Introductions and Ideologies
In this inaugural episode of The Bullshit Artists, Rory and Jack begin with some passing comments on Neera Tanden's recently-failed nomination for the Biden Administration's Office of Management and Budget directorship, then move into deeper conversation about their biographies and ideologies....
We're indexing this podcast's transcripts for the first time — this can take a minute or two. We'll show results as soon as they're ready.
No matches for "" in this podcast's transcripts.
No topics indexed yet for this podcast.
Loading reviews...
ABOUT THIS SHOW
Two philosophers—or what comedian Mel Brooks fondly refers to as “bullshit artists”—from different generations join in deep yet casual conversation covering a wide range of topics, including especially politics and the human condition.Jack Crittenden—professor emeritus of political theory at Arizona State University—and Rory Varrato—PhD candidate in the Philosophy and Education program at Teachers College, Columbia University—have known each other for more than ten years, first as teacher-student and later as friends. During that time, they have had countless conversations together (usually over coffee), and some of those chats have even been interesting.The purposes of this biweekly podcast, then, are to provide a new venue for these conversations (especially now, during the pandemic) and to enable these dialogues to reach an audience of more than two.Both interlocutors hope that—at their best—they can offer to each other and to their listeners something like the lighthearted verba
HOSTED BY
Rory Varrato
Loading similar podcasts...
Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The Bullshit Artists have?
The Bullshit Artists currently has 16 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The Bullshit Artists about?
Two philosophers—or what comedian Mel Brooks fondly refers to as “bullshit artists”—from different generations join in deep yet casual conversation covering a wide range of topics, including especially politics and the human condition.Jack Crittenden—professor emeritus of political theory at...
How often does The Bullshit Artists release new episodes?
The Bullshit Artists has 16 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to The Bullshit Artists?
You can listen to The Bullshit Artists on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The Bullshit Artists?
The Bullshit Artists is created and hosted by Rory Varrato.
URL copied to clipboard!