Humor And The Abject Podcast

I think that Christin Bailey is the funniest person on all of Twitter. She joined me over Skype this week from sunny San Diego to talk about her recent visit to Europe, her outrageous astrology column, the Animaniacs, why The Departed is the most complicated piece of cinema in the 21st century, her family bonds, and more. The outro music is “Bells of Dublin/Christmas Eve” by the Chieftains.

Matt Christman of Chapo Trap House drops by this week to talk about his humble Midwest origin story, what gets him riled up most, the unending quest to post, whether political satire is dead, the millennial move towards socialist politics, why sophistication is stupid, and his morbid predictions about the supposedly imminent Blue Wave. The outro music is “I Love My Shirt” by Donovan. Buy The Chapo Guide to Revolution here: http://chapotraphouse.com/book/ Get tickets to the release event at The Strand in NYC here: https://www.strandbooks.com/event/chapo-trap-house

You’re probably already following Jenson Leonard on Instagram. He’s Cory in the Abyss, the hilarious and pointed poet, digital artist, and meme producer. Jenson dropped by the kitchen this week to talk about antiblackness in meme culture, the ways in which vernacular is appropriated for material capital, building layers and layers of comedy into his work, the tragedy of the comments section, studying creative writing at Pratt, why he wouldn’t want to be Robin Williams, and a whole lot more. Shout out to the dude Andrew Shuta for introducing us. Artist and writer manuel arturo abreu did a really, really great interview with Jenson for AQNB a while back which we talked about on the episode, and was instrumental in helping me to form my questions for the podcast this week. Give it a read and share: http://www.aqnb.com/2017/12/12/still-i-shitpost-cory-in-the-abyss-on-a-communism-of-the-visual-antiblackness-in-the-meme-o-sphere-with-manuel-arturo-abreu/ The outro music is “Summer Holidays vs. Punk Routine” by t

Artist Lex Brown makes videos, drawings, sculptures, and performances that mix science fiction with a healthy dose of dark humor. Recently, she and Aaron Fowler collaborated on a performance work called “C.E.” that debuted at the New Museum. After getting the chance to see it, I just had to invite her over for a conversation! Lex dropped by to talk about her writing process, her fascination with cartoons and slapstick, the types of science fictions she wants to put into the world, the mystery of power, the end of the fucking world, having cool parents who actually love and support you, collaboration, and much more. You can catch one of Lex’s videos in the group show “Elastic Behavior” curated by Memory Foam at Java Project in Greenpoint that opens up on July 7th: https://www.facebook.com/events/1051927431621697/

Exactly what it says in the title. Nice.

Ross Simonini’s debut novel, “The Book of Formation,” is a fascinating exploration of the cult of personality in an age where mass media has replaced traditional spirituality. But Ross isn’t just a writer, he’s also an accomplished visual artist, a musician, and a gifted interviewer. And his novel, appropriately, is told almost entirely through the format of interview transcripts. Splitting his time between Northern California and New York City, he stopped by the kitchen this week to talk about the book. We also discussed his literary influences, his experimental teaching, how the music he produces owes a lot to a fascination with writers and mythology, our collective nostalgia for the golden age of cults, “digressive” sitcoms, the art of the interview, and his somewhat-but-not-entirely useless study of astrophysics. The outro music is “Bad Past Gone Away” by Ross’s band, NewVillager.

Happy Knife Month, screedlers! On this episode of the DSA Podcast, Darcie, Sean, and Azikiwe got together to talk about their shared love of knives, and further covered topics as diverse as parental sex, what’s in the fucking news, why Thomas J Gamble is a style icon, Mystic River, the greatest breakups of 2013, astrological signs, True Detective, Eminem’s sobriety, Darcie’s recent hangout with the Greenpoint police, Cartman impressions, and brrrrrup-a-ting-wah! The outro music is “Carpe Diem” by Nerve Agents.

Providence-based artist and activist Sheida Soleimani was recently in town for her solo exhibition “Medium of Exchange” at the CUE Foundation. She stopped by the kitchen to talk about how this recent body of work uses comedy and queer identities to critique the relationship between oil production in the east and military industrialism in the west. We also gabbed about multiple other things like teaching, writing screenplays, Flat Earthers, why arts administrators suck, the Creation Museum, baby boomers, death threats from Iran, why military people are such fucking nerds, the graphic design of OPEC.org, some of her all-star students, her family’s history of political radicalism, and more. The outro song is “Weave & Unravel” by Tilt. Sheida’s show is up at the CUE Foundation in New York through July 14th: http://cueartfoundation.org/sheida-soleimani

Hollywood Handbook’s best co-host, Hayes Davenport, happened to be in New York recently on a trip back from Italy and stopped by the kitchen. First of all, I’m SORRY about the scrappy audio quality. I explain what happened in the intro. ANYWAYS, this was a really fun and informative episode. Hayes and I talked about the origins of Hollywood Handbook and why certain guests have trouble on it, his new local politics show the LA Podcast with Scott Frazier, writing for Danny McBride and Jody Hill, the impossibility of ethical consumption under late capitalism, being a YIMBY vs a NIMBY vs a PHIMBY, whether or not dunking on libs by rose emoji Twitter accounts is an effective route to social revolution, problematic policing of the homeless population in Los Angeles, and being a realist about socioeconomic compromise. The outro music is “Ouroboros” by the Mars Volta. Scope below for links to the books that Hayes recommended on the episode. “Down, Out, and Under Arrest” by Forrest Stuart: http://press.uchicago.edu/

Writer Erin Schwartz drops by the kitchen this week to talk about her new gig as assistant editor at VICE imprint Garage. We also talked about why the Jersey Shore reboot is a Greek tragedy, the nonfiction publication she co-produces called Natasha, writing about culture using a lateral but rigorous approach, class appropriation in high fashion, the nuanced layers in the lyrical playground that is Limp Bizkit’s catalogue, her favorite contemporary writers, the current existential crisis in journalism, why writing fiction is terrifying, vanity plates, and New Jersey in general. The outro song is “Stokin’ the Neighbors” by Lagwagon. Check out Erin's work for Garage here: https://garage.vice.com/en_us/contributor/erin-schwartz

We've UNLOCKED the latest episode of The DSA Podcast (Darcie, Sean, and Azikiwe), the podcast within the podcast, usually only available to our Drip subscribers. On this very public episode, we discussed Darcie's new dog psychic, explored the lyricism of the Mars Volta and At the Drive-in, learned about what Azikiwe's been eating, and staged a heated debate on the politics surrounding parental leave. To hear all other DSA episodes, subscribe on Drip! The outro music is the first four minutes of the thirty-two minute Mars Volta song "Cassandra Gemini." LMAO.

Live from their exhibition “Everything Speaks” at Geary Contemporary in New York City, artists Kristen Jensen and Ben Dowell join Humor and the Abject for a fun conversation on making art for non-art audiences, gravity, growing up in flyover states, studio techniques, intuitive color, caricature in material choices, skepticism, and the price of pants. “Everything Speaks” is on view through Saturday, May 19th. Check out documentation here: http://www.geary.nyc/exhibitions/everything-speaks The outro music is “Heliotrope” by At the Drive-in.

The Philadelphia Tapes Part II: Alex Da Corte. It was a real treat during my trip to Philly to have the opportunity to swing by Alex Da Corte’s studio and record an episode. He’s one of the sweetest and hardworking artists out there. On this episode, we talked about fear, his intense love of books, the time he stalked his family in New Jersey as Michael Myers from “Halloween,” his recent solo exhibition called “C-A-T Spells Murder” at Karma in NYC, what it’s like to be penpals with painter Sam McKinniss, collaboration as a matter-of-fact, the history of the “Easternsports” exhibition he produced with Jayson Musson at ICA Philadelphia, directing a Dev Hynes music video-turned-Gap-ad, making art without knowing what you’re doing or even what it’s about, why video art is so difficult, and why every single thing that he makes is really just a bong. The outro music is “Familiar Patterns” by Toronto punk band PUP.

Artist James Allister Sprang is one of my favorite people in the whole wide world. On a recent weekend trip down to Philadelphia, I had the privilege of catching up with James on the very day that he completed his MFA at the University of Pennsylvania. Moments after his final critique, we popped into a small room on campus and recorded this interview. James and I discussed the birth and evolution of his performance persona GAZR, the politics of sampling and appropriation, his interest in language as material, tricksters, the exploitable failings of voice recognition technology, concrete in the literal and metaphorical senses, his history with poetry, and hot take music jokes that might be a decade late. The outro music is “Midnight Service at the Mütter Museum” by Murder City Devils.

Chris Oh is a painter’s painter. He loves wiggling a brush around on a canvas and has been weirding people out in New York for years with his photorealistic and psychedelic paintings. On this week’s episode, Chris dropped by the kitchen to talk about his recent solo exhibition at Sargent’s Daughters, his fascination with science fiction book covers, working on found materials, a love of the Dutch old masters, wrestling with making funny work, childhood terrors, mythologies, and the time he and his brother were driving a van and then it exploded. Chris told me on the episode that you could still order his book “CODEX” from Heavy Time Books in Australia, but their website says it’s sold out. LOL. I don’t know… maybe email them and see if they have an extra copy lying around? Here is the link: https://www.heavytime.com/collections/all/products/chris-oh-codex The outro song is “Running Out of Time” by Dead Moon.

Skyping in from her studio at the University of Texas at Austin, artist Ariel Jackson is my guest this week. She produces sculpture, video, performance, and installation works that are research-driven critiques of United States history and culture. On this week’s episode, we talked about science fiction and Afrofuturism, games, intuition and color, complications in comedy and her “Dave Chappelle” moment, accessing and synthesizing information versus emotion, her recent studio projects that engage the politics of education and the history of African American farming, intersectionality, a 2017 artist residency she did in Senegal, cooking, and her new obsession with Topo Chico since relocating to Austin. RSVP to the Live Humor and the Abject event at Kickstarter here: https://t.co/h2qpwQOxdH

To celebrate my big birthday, artistic and curatorial duo Loney Abrams and Johnny Stanish stopped by and talked about the history of their alternative exhibition platform, Hotel Art. We discussed the project’s formation, its various nontraditional installations, the recent construction of a shed-as-gallery in their backyard, finding primary audiences online, working with established and emerging artists, whether or not experimental physical gallery spaces have any future in New York, and the value of advocating for a presentation model that can be practiced by practically anyone regardless of their geographical location. We also caught up on their recent collaborative studio projects that are engaging ideas about genetic modifications in humans and the complicated future that these scientific breakthroughs present to the public. I made them play a new game called “What is the Critical Question This Sculpture is Posing?” and they were like okay at it, but rudely pointed out that these were just jokes I came up

From his bed in sunny Los Angeles, CA, comedian Yusef Roach joins Humor and the Abject to talk KoЯn, a recent visit to Idaho, libertarianism, the comedy scene in his former home of Austin, making friends without a car in LA, why New York is falling apart, getting rich so he can have babies, the phenomenon of leftist Twitter personalities, whether or not Brandon Boyd from Incubus is black, competitive cooking television, MoviePass, the endearing tolerance of Juggalos, hanging out with noise musicians, and quitting standup comedy.

Artist Carly Mark caught early attention for painting grotesque and comical renderings of Haribo brand gummy bear packaging. But she’s never been content just being known for a single approach to working, and in the last several years has branched out into elaborate sculpture, immersive installations, chaotic video pieces, and has quietly pursued acting, film production, modeling, writing, and publishing. She stopped by this week to discuss her new short horror film “Know Nothing,” as well as being from Michigan, developing a career longevity plan, her interest in camp and kitsch aesthetics, whether MoviePass is good or bad, the joy of prosthetics, comedy’s dwindling appeal as artistic approach in the age of Trump, being interdisciplinary as a matter-of-fact, internet art nostalgia, a new film that she co-wrote and stars in called “Puppet” that’s directed by her pal Adam Levett, and allowing herself to take the next two years off from exhibiting art to work on her own new feature-length film. Carly art direct

54: (Teaser) The DSA Podcast (Darcie, Sean, and Azikiwe) #4 by Sean J Patrick Carney