Wake The F Up!: Recent Episodes
101.5 UMFM
A feminist talk show whose foundation lies in intersectionality and anti-colonialism, speaking on issues concerning identity, personhood, and current feminist debates, hosted by Karan and Christina. @wakethefupumfm
In this episode we mourn the loss of our favourite music artist, Kelly Fraser. We go on to discuss internalized colonial responses to art, history, and media. Current events in US politics are discussed, and we mourn the loss of life in the Iranian plane crash.
The lovely Dana returns and we expand upon our conversation on neurodiversity, talk about a local ADHD support group, and mental health over the holidays.
This week Christina reviews conversations had at a Winnipeg event called the Ethics Café — where various questions were raised surrounding the ethics of voting. As International Mens Day just passed, positive ways to reformulate masculinity are suggested. And as Trans Day of Remembrance just passed, we remind you of some solid ways to be an ally (share your pronouns!!!)
We discuss Laverne Cox’s visit to the University of Manitoba; we cover many discussions had surrounding the Remembrance Day poppy and specifically the rainbow poppy fake news; and we discuss the Millennial versus Boomer divisiveness. Specifically, that intergenerational divisions are a political tool to prevent people from banding together.
In this episode Karan and Christina make a feminist analysis of the power dynamics in service jobs. Thoughts behind whether all of one’s friends/partners should be feminist are discussed; and the stance of “getting along with everyone regardless of political belief” is criticized.
We are thrilled to bring you your first episode recorded entirely live — straight to the radio waves!
It is PLEDGE-O-RAMA, the fundraiser that makes it possible to bring you all of the wonderful programming on 101.5 UMFM! Call 204−474−6610 before 8pm tomorrow (Oct 25 2019) to make your donation.
We’re not done talking about the election. We discuss our thoughts on our electoral system (viva la revolution)! Karan reacts to tweets posted by politicians.
The brilliant Dana joins Christina and shares with us his experience and personal understanding of neurodiversity. He encourages us to avoid pathologizing or tokenizing neurodiverse people — and instead embracing the reality in all its complex glory.
The lovely Tira joins Christina for a frank discussion on how we respond to problematic media. We refuse to “separate the man from the art.” We discuss the place these pieces of media hold in our identity. Later in the episode we also hit you with some positive polyamorous representation.
Join Christina and passionate animal rights activist Clara for a thorough discussion on how veganism can be intersectional.
Wake the F Up’s one-year anniversary! Thank you to our listeners, new and loyal!!
Punishment is not an effective motivator, and a justice system that assumes that it is will always fail. Restorative justice is briefly discussed as an alternative.
Right-wingers have compassion towards their family, yet don’t extend that compassion to those they have Othered. The cognitive dissonance of this ideology is discussed, and is criticized as a less cohesive worldview than that of the left wing.
Karan discusses healthcare with a front line healthcare worker from Winnipeg, in the midst of the discourse on the cuts being faced leading to poor healthcare system versus the need to heal our healthcare — between the NDP and the PCs. Are we listening to our healthcare workers? What are they going through? Find out as Will (name changed) tells us his experience.
Christina’s back from forest firefighting and definitely has some analyses on right-wing mentality to share. When left-wingers versus right-wingers are asked the question “What makes a country great?” the answers differ strongly. These differing values lead to different motivations and goals in daily life — these differences are discussed. Your hosts refuse to accept that the exploitation of some is permissible collateral damage in our journey for a good life.
There is certainly a rosy picture of Canada painted to outsiders. Karan and our guest Parisa discuss their experience as immigrant settlers. The Western idea that the world is there for our exploring is criticized; as under colonialism, nothing is sacred.
Indigenous students at the University of Manitoba stand in solidarity with Hawaiian Indigenous people who oppose our university supporting the construction of a telescope on sacred Indigenous Hawaiian land.
Karan plays Alvvays, Kacey Musgraves, Willie Dunn, and Snail Mail to keep his folk fest spirit alive and also just celebrate some female artists, queer artists and Indigenous artists and display his vulnerable chaotic energy by not being at capacity to discuss politics.
Christina’s back from firefighting !!! Yes, only for like a day, but tune in as Karan and Christina catch up and talk about Canada Day (or Stolen Land Day), what it means to be a settler on this land who still benefits from colonialism and neo-colonialism, and what political apathy is (spoiler alert: it is trash!)
Karan also gives a huge shoutout to his Hali-famous friend Masuma Khan, who is an excellent activist and the leader we all need. Trigger warning for discussion on blatant Islamophobia!
Agata’s back, and this time, she’s got some very scary stuff to talk about — climate change. We talk about the carbon tax, the complicity of the Liberals in perpetuating neo-colonialism and disproportionately harming Indigneous people once again, and the way that the “Progressive” Conservative government of Manitoba is yet again undermining Métis rights in the HOMELAND of the Métis nation. Tune in to listen Karan rant about how he will exclusively use plastic straws to kill the environment; because apparently corporate greed won’t.
Tune in as Can We Hang’s Myles Erickson comes back to discuss our collective frustrations with current news and the western media, ranging from a variety of topics from hypocrisies between Sudan relief funds and those going towards Notre Dame to Kyle Kashuv and his racist comments which led Harvard to rescind his admission.
Tune in as the co-host of Can We Hang (Sundays 4 – 5pm) Myles has an honest conversation with Karan about the new university logo, pride month, capitalism, and inclusion of queer youth versus their exploitation for profit (essentially — capitalism).
Karan talks to a recurring guest Agata who is just as left-wing as he and Christina are if not more. On this episode, Agata talks about the radicalization of people towards the alt-right, the very problematic YouTube mechanisms that make this a reality, and how 4 chan / 8 chan and other websites also perpetuate fascist / alt-right ideas. Trigger warning as we talk about the Christchurch massacre and how the terrorist who killed many innocent people was driven into this incident. Remember the time when white supremacists plastered “It’s okay to be white” on our campus? Tune in to find out where these ideas come from!
Tune in as Karan’s coworker Agata talks about right wing politics, populism, and how the world is… well… effed.
Tune in as Karan talks to his pal Efwah — a Ghanian-Canadian student at the university about accents, code switching, and their never ending love for Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
The university semester has just ended so your hosts, having just endured one heck of a whirlwind, would like to take some time to reflect on the amazing conversations we’ve had so far.
We had a lot of fun making this episode on some hilarious and also really deep and memorable moments from September — December 2018. With love, enjoy!!
Christina and Shannon have a sweet convo all about nonbinary identity, presentation, and representation (in sci fi?!!!!).
You do not have to be “look” “androgynous” to be nonbinary. Also, please normalize the hell out of introducing your name AND pronouns — every time, everywhere. Including, and especially, cis folks.
We continue our discussion on callout/call-in culture, and radical tenderness. We must create room for radical tenderness — but this also does not mean that we will step back and allow people to walk all over us.
We also break down reactions to Blackspace calling for a change to the “Whiteout” hockey street party name.
The brilliant Jack returns for an episode all about Indigenous representation in film and media!! Basically, every film ever needs to have a women’s council and BIPOC council.
This episode is dedicated to Misty Upham.
In this episode we made reference to:
Wind River
Hostels
Hold the Dark
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
Saints and Strangers
The Ridiculous 6
Bone Tomahawk
The Homesman
The Manitoban newspaper
That 70s Show
The Office
One Day at a Time
Master of None
Dear White People
Black Panther
The Big Bang Theory
The Pop Culture Detective Agency
All My Relations — podcast by Matika Wilbur and Adrienne Keene. Matika has a photography project called 562.
Frontier
The Revenant
Woman Walks Ahead
Twilight
Atanarjuat — The Fast Runner
Sterlin Harjo — filmmaker of This May be the Last Time and Mekko
Missy Whiteman — director/organizer of Indegenesis Film Festival
Jesse Wente — film critic
Tantoo Cardinal
Reza Aslan — scholar
Ste Anne (movie Jack is in) — directed by Rhayne Vermette
Smart Guy
The Office
Parks and Recreation
Family Guy
Sister Sister
I Love Lucy
Stranger Things
Longmire
Not in the episode but we recommend: https://www.earwolf.com/episode/wow-youre-native-american-too-with-joey-clift/
Karan and Christina spend most of this episode crying.
And having productive conversations about callout culture and heteronormativity in lesbian dating.
And more crying. Enjoy!!
In this episode we made reference to:
song: @macklemore @ryanlewis @marylambertsing Same Love — Macklemore & Ryan Lewis ft. Mary Lambert
song: @hayley kiyoko Girls Like Girls — Hayley Kiyoko
Join Christina for a chill one-on-one (one-on-…audience?) where we discuss some frequently-cited feminist literature.
If you’ve ever been a woman seeking a woman, perhaps you’ll be able to relate to some of the experiences Christina describes, in terms of how heteronormative narratives play out in lesbian interactions.
In this episode we made reference to:
book: Sister Outsider — Audre Lorde
book: Feminism is for Everybody — bell hooks
book: The Lesbian Erotic Dance: Butch, Femme, Androgyny, and Other Rhythms — JoAnn Loulan, Sherry Thomas
song: @tashsultanaofficial Jungle — Tash Sultana
Say hello to our philosophical friend Nicholai!!
The dominant masculine narratives are silencing men in our society into quite an empty existence. Nik opens up about his experience and how his understanding of masculinity has developed over time… white boi culture involves a lot of alcohol and ski-doos.
We discuss possible positive iterations of masculinity — such as being a good father, husband, romantic or sexual lover, or friend.
Tell your bros you love them <3
In this episode we made reference to:
@nicholai.l (Nik’s insta)
song: Little Boxes — Malvina Reynolds
Christina and our returning guest Elizabeth have a sweet discussion on labour!!
Carrrying things at a physical job, managing your household, and sex work are all extremely valid forms of labour that our capitalistic society values and compensates in very different ways — if at all.
The conversation gets extremely moving when Elizabeth breaks down why capitalistic society teaches us to abandon everything in the pursuit of your own wealth.
In this episode we made reference to:
@bitterelizabeth (Elizabeth’s insta)
Sex Workers of Winnipeg Action Coalition (SWWAC)
song: Stand Up (Let’s Get Murdered) — P.O.S.
song: The Power Won’t Be Staying on For Long — The Arrivals
The feminists at the University of Manitoba were indescribably excited to welcome S.H.E. (Striving for Humanity and Equality), a feminist high school group in Thompson, MB.
We got a chance to sit down with Taylar and Chenelle of the group, and tell you all about the struggles, initiatives, and future directions of the group. Let’s just say, the fourth wave of feminism is in good hands, folks!!
We also had Morgan on the show to tell us about the experience of the S.H.E. group here on our campus!
In this episode we made reference to:
@taylarhanson_ (Taylar’s insta)
@chenellepreston (Chenelle)
@morgan.h.o. (Morgan)
@she_rdpc (S.H.E.‘s insta)
@zolita (song: Fight Like a Girl — Zolita)
Be true to yourself, be honest and reclaim your identities.
Recognize your privilege, and be accountable.
Having a hard time finding the balance between these two? Sometimes we’ll find something called the race to the margins occurring. Oppression is a beast and affects us all — but if you’re only identifying your intersectionalities when it benefits you and not your community — there’s probably an issue there.
Also, what’s up with the white cis male oppression within the LGBTTQ* community?
In this episode we made reference to:
@iskell (song: Parachutes — Kelly Fraser)
@cupcakkeafreakk (song: LGBT — CupcakKe (clean))
We are warmly welcoming our dear friends, who share a deeply emotional story with us. We truly cannot find the words to introduce it to you — you will just need to listen.
Content warnings: Sexual violence, anti-LGBT rhetoric, mental health, child abuse, xenophobia, suicidal thoughts and attempts
In this episode we made reference to:
https://ca.gofundme.com/looking-out-for-love
@shreyaghoshal (song: Rozana — Shreya Ghoshal)
We are so excited to have Jack for a second week in a row!! Today we have an incredibly thought-provoking discussion on why some of us might feel a need to keep on moving.
Your degree of nomadism, among other things, can have a lot of influence from your past family. What talents or favourite things may you have developed from your past family?
In this episode we made reference to:
@bawaajige_mino_bimaadiziwin (Jack’s insta)
@kimtallbear (Kim TallBear, author of www.criticalpolyamorist.com)
@sjcrain (song: Red Sky, Blue Mountain — Samantha Crain)
Song: Redbone — Come and Get Your Love<>
We are so excited to introduce you to our guest Jack!! He is a brilliant Anishinaabe-Michif and Romanian 26 year old, who has many lifetimes worth of experiences and knowledge — not to mention stunned us both completely with his incredible words.
Today we talk about Indigenous masculinity, language revitalization, and a telling of what is easily the best reasoning we’ve ever heard for living in and loving Winnipeg.
In this episode we made reference to:
@bawaajige_mino_bimaadiziwin (Jack’s insta)
Indigenous Men and Masculinities — Legacies, Identities, Regeneration (2015), Innes & Anderson.
@micjordanmusic (song: #DearNativeYouth — Mic Jordan)
@tallpaul612 (song: Prayers in a Song — Tall Paul)
Today we take up some space by talking about… well, what we mean by taking up space!
We don’t recommend pouring bleach on men’s crotches on the subway for manspreading… but we do recommend you make a little more room for others in the hallway, thanks.
We also discuss what (the lack of) multiculturalism looks like, illustrated with some personal stories.
In this episode we made reference to:
Speaker sex and perceived apportionment of talk (1990), Cutler.
@officialboluaji (song: Omalicha — Bolu Ajibade ft. Lavish)
@theplug_ca
We are sorry to report that there is no ethical consumption under capitalism. In this episode we discuss commodification of feminism (socks that say “feminist af” — yay or nay?), commodification of cultures/cultural appropriation, and white veganism.
As a vegetarian myself (Christina), I can definitely say that you should be vegetarian or vegan if possible… however there are some vegan activists known as “white vegans” that are culturally and medically insensitive. Listen in to hear more!
Welcome to our guest Edgar, for an episode all about polyamory & feminism! Polyamory is the desire or practice of engaging in multiple romantic relationships with consenting adults. In what ways does oppression make its way into something meant to be so lovely?
Has anyone ever explained to you why it might not be a good idea to go seek out a bisexual woman for a threesome/triad? This episode goes into why this practice, known as unicorn hunting, isn’t always done in an ethical way. Other manifestations of mononormativity are also discussed.
Happy 2019!! Welcome back to our returning guest Shannon, and our new guest Serena!! These two fine folks are both ace — this whole episode is all about asexuality!!
In a heteronormative, colonial society, wouldn’t asexuals be the perfect picture of virtue? Not quite — this is very much a marginalized orientation… are you (rightfully) frustrated about the lack of ace representation? Search no further — this episode is just for you.
Feminism at the gym? At work? At the strip club? At the holiday dinner table? This week we discuss how feminism belongs in EVERY space, and provide some entertaining examples of spaces we’ve encountered where it’s not so welcome. Happy Holidays!!
For this episode we are so thrilled to introduce feminist author, stand-up comic, and overall gem of a person Shannon!! They take us through the normalization of fat-shaming in our culture, and remind us that fatness is not a diagnosis!! Fatphobia in our culture and particularly in our medical system has very real and serious consequences for fat people. Listen in for this important, and seriously underrepresented discussion.
This week we dive really… really deep into how compartmentalization plays into our lives and into our intersectionalities.
What would an ideal society that is congruent with our human psychology look like? We discuss how behaviourists like Skinner would argue that an ideal society would have much less alienation, and much stronger community. We discuss how understanding this might benefit the bleeding empathetic heart of a left-winger.
This week we have a frank conversation about mental health and asking for help.
Also — SUPER IMPORTANT to tune in if you are at all aware of what’s been going on with Indigenous activism on campus. We implore you to remember the big picture, and not to get caught up in tone policing.
Welcome our guest Elizabeth to our show! And welcome, listeners, to the fourth wave of feminism. Intersectional feminism, born in the third wave, gave us an accurate way to describe and understand how society defines us. In the fourth wave, or contemporary feminism, an important and growing movement of proletarian feminism arises. Listen in as we (enthusiastically) break down the successes and mistakes of the past, giving way to creation of prolet fem.
This episode, our friend Salima shed some light on what the politics are like in East Africa (hint: they’re less polarized than here…). We discuss the purpose of civil discourse, and how productive it may (or may not) be to engage in tone policing.
We also address the misguided belief that being a centrist means being neutral… we beg the question, what is halfway between moral and immoral?
This campus has been called to action to speak against harmful and in-factual propaganda from anti-abortionists. If you are pro-choice and unsure of how to respond, we highly recommend you listen.
It’s been a wild few weeks… cultural appropriation at a recent Halloween event is discussed. We also touch on the white supremacist posters that were posted in our university, among others last week. Discussion on white supremacy to be continued.
How should sexual assault on campus be handled? Many students are familiar with the wild goose chase the university tends to send us on whenever we need anything done. Unfortunately, for this case, it is no different. In this episode we talk about what we need to see instead.
Also, should students and professors be allowed to have relationships? Controversial… we share some ideas on our stance on this.
Updates on action against anti-abortionists, who seem to be having some kind of reproductive autonomy-attacking marathon in this city. How to deliberately and effectively combat their tactics in the effort to protect your fellow citizens from their harmful messages. Additionally, Halloween is coming up! Let’s have a serious conversation about how not to be an oppressive jerk with your costume.
PLEDGE-O-RAMA is happening!!
Have you ever thought about how we value ourselves based on our productivity? You can thank capitalism for that one. In the midst of a busy fall season, in this episode we remind you of some harmful, ubiquitous capitalist social constructs that you might find relief in distancing yourself from.
Representation matters. We know just a small percentage of the population is represented (and glorified) in media — that is — cis, heteropatriarchal able-bodied middle-class monogamous white men. We’ve heard every iteration of every personality and circumstance they can face. Hollywood writers express concern that everything has been done, but that’s probably because they have been and continue to be extremely unwilling to have main characters with complex story arcs that are anything other than their beloved stereotypical man. What might it look like if we actually begin to diversify our media?
During Healthy Sexuality week at the U of M, an anti-abortion group appeared on campus with a banner saying “Bloody Sexism — 92% of Canadians are against sex selective abortion. What’s your opinion?” Christina and Karan describe the pro-choice vs. pro-life debate, argue for why pro-choice is actually the most neutral stance (it’s literally in the name), and the specific problems with this group’s approach to anti-abortionism.
In light of Orange Shirt Day recently passing, the harms caused by residential schools are acknowledged. Also we give a shout-out to Inuk singer Kelly Fraser whose music doesn’t just sound incredible, it’s anti-colonial. Everything we need more of in music, to be honest.
A brief description of the history and foundational ideology of intersectional feminism — which is Black feminisim, is given. Power and Othering as they operate to perpetuate oppression are described. A brief description of how rape culture operates is given, and finally the counter-narrative of consent culture is introduced.
Most feminists have been accused of being extremists at one point or another, however many feminists were not raised on feminist ideology and therefore went through an “awakening” process. Christina and Karan speak on what led to their waking up, and describe how the way they perceive and interact with the world has been permanently altered.