Near Dark Radio: Recent Episodes
Jon Gower
The apocalypse will be broadcast on Near Dark Radio. Tune in, drop trow, and hang on for dear life. Subscribe for bonus episodes: https://anchor.fm/jon-gower/subscribe
Bridget joins the pod to discuss Chinese culture, its politics, the degradation of both under the current Communist regime, and the culinary cleavages between the East and West.
Support the podcast on Patreon: https://patreon.com/neardarkradio
Subscribe on Substack: https://neardarkradio.substack.com/
Kiko returns to the podcast to discuss the political biases of academia, the impotence of liberal activism and the hegemony of our two-party duopoly.
Support the podcast on Patreon: https://patreon.com/neardarkradio
Subscribe on Substack: https://neardarkradio.substack.com/
Riley joins the pod to discuss the purpose of education, the role of the state in modern schooling, whether an education degree can make a good teacher, and the need for faith-based education in America.
Support the podcast at https://www.patreon.com/neardarkradio
Subscribe on Substack at https://neardarkradio.substack.com/
Ray is back to discuss the many ways our attention is being captured - by murals, awards ceremonies and bad news - and how we can reclaim our right to not give a shit.
Support the podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/neardarkradio
Support the podcast on Spotify: https://anchor.fm/jon-gower/subscribe
Jack joins Jonny to discuss Elon Musk's purchase of Twitter, a new musical about BDSM culture, and Johnny Depp's defamation lawsuit.
Support the podcast on Patreon: https://patreon.com/neardarkradio
Subscribe on Spotify: https://anchor.fm/jon-gower/subscribe
Mike Maimone joins the podcast to discuss the relationship art has with politics, religion, sexuality and social media algorithms. Oh, and the adverse effects that "science" can have on us all.
Find his latest release here: https://youtu.be/kMg6AS7rh0k
Support the podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/neardarkradio
Subscribe on Spotify: https://anchor.fm/jon-gower/subscribe
Ray Fox is back to explore the evolution of human consciousness. We give our thoughts on Internet fitness bloggers and a dating site for the unjabbed before plunging into a spirited discussion of esotericism, magic, the industrialization of the arts, and the ways in which modern man leaves himself open to manipulation by forces beyond his control.
Support the podcast on Patreon for bonus episodes: https://patreon.com/neardarkradio
Subscribe on Spotify to unlock bonus episodes: https://anchor.fm/jon-gower/subscribe
Laura and Jonny discuss witchcraft, Palm Springs' new UBI program for trans people, the Daily Wire's excursions into children's content and razor blades, and the fall of the religious cult that goes by the name of Hollywood.
Subscribe for bonus episodes: https://patreon.com/neardarkradio
Or unlock bonus content on Spotify: https://anchor.fm/jon-gower/subscribe
Ray Fox is back to discuss the dark arts of marketing, the lost art of the jingle, and the lack of finesse in American culture.
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Become a patron to listen to bonus episodes on Patreon: https://patreon.com/neardarkradio
Laura Mayo is back to discuss America's collective failure to understand the war in Ukraine. We then review Dasha Nekrasova's new film, The Scary of Sixty-First, and discuss Roman Polanski's influence on the Belarusian director.
Support the podcast on Spotify for access to bonus episodes: https://anchor.fm/jon-gower/subscribe
Support the podcast on Patreon for access to bonus episodes: https://patreon.com/neardarkradio
Watch "Why Russia Invaded Ukraine": https://youtu.be/If61baWF4GE
Jack Strong joins the podcast to discuss our ignorance of the events unfolding in the Ukraine, voice our concerns with the rapid growth of real estate in Nashville, and reminisce about growing up in rural Tennessee. Listen to the full episode at https://www.patreon.com/neardarkradio
Ray Fox is back to kick off the new season. The boys discuss the thickening cloud of war in Eastern Europe and the increasing clownification of American culture before revisiting Paul McCartney's second solo album, Ram.
Support the show and get bonus content at www.patreon.com/neardarkradio
The big bad Ray Fox is back to wrap up the plague years of Near Dark Radio. We discuss the anthropological theology of René Girard, the troubling trend of identifying oneself with one's medical diagnoses, and the vast vista of brainwaves available to the common man.
Support this station at https://www.patreon.com/neardarkradio
Sky is back to discuss the nature of Good and Evil, the problem with Internet anonymity, and why Miss America shouldn't be relevant anymore.
Laura returns to delve into the demonic aspects of AstroWorld, and how our society fuels conspiracy theories and their counterpart - legitimate Satanic and pedophilic concerns.
Ray Fox is back to discuss the future prospects of Kyle Rittenhouse and the developing story of agent provocateurs involved in the Jan. 6 riot. Jon recounts his recent trip to New Orleans, and his struggles with the Catholic faith.
Support the podcast at https://www.patreon.com/neardarkradio
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/neardarkradio
Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @neardarkradio
Justin Adams joins the pod to discuss the rapid centralization of our public school system and the negative results of that process. We get into the moral crisis in our country, the abject nature of modern marketing, and the ethical writings of C.S. Lewis.
Support the podcast at https://www.patreon.com/neardarkradio
Ray Fox is back to explore the nature of reality, culture and social justice. We question the official narrative of Jan. 6, discuss Nietzsche's Genealogy of Morals, and pick apart some of the big players in the racial justice movement.
Support the podcast at https://www.patreon.com/neardarkradio for exclusive access to bonus episodes.
Robert Bell is owner and director of Austin & Bell Funeral Home in Springfield, TN. He joins the podcast to tell the story of the Bell Witch, which haunted his ancestors in the early 1800s, and relate his own experiences with the spirit. He also tells the story of Bobby Wilks, another Robertson Co. funeral home director who was sent to prison for his unorthodox and disturbing treatment of the dead.
Listen to the full episode on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/neardarkradio
Adam Heffner of Maker Table joins the pod to discuss the tragedy on the set of Alec Baldwin's newest film, before launching into a lively discussion of the merits and demerits of consumerist capitalism.
Support the show at https://www.patreon.com/neardarkradio
You can find his products at https://makertable.com/
Satirical cartoonist 'madebyjimbob' joins the podcast to take our public intellectuals down a peg. We discuss the philosophical shortcomings of materialism, the ideological shortcomings of conservatives and liberals alike, and locate the seeds of the future in love, faith and intimate human connection.
You can find and purchase Jim Bob's work at https://madebyjimbob.com/
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/jon-gower/support
Laura is back to discuss the most recent cancellation attempt of Dave Chappelle, the conservative reaction to the Facebook whistleblower, and our mixed feelings about Netflix's autistic dating show Love on the Spectrum. Support the podcast at http://www.patreon.com/neardarkradio
John Kwamya joins the pod to report on the situation in America’s inner cities. We also address Morgan Wallen’s recent racist revival in the media, and Gloria Vanderbilt’s unorthodox approach to raising a gay CIA asset.
Nathan Knight joins the pod to discuss how panic is used to drive news cycles and political agendas, the criminalization of youth through technological surveillance, and why we should have a more sacred respect for ourselves and nature.
Roger joins the pod to talk about the psychology of America. We discuss America's addiction to psych drugs, the role of "experts" and big pharma in aiding and abetting that addiction, and we try to come up with some reasonable solutions.
Listen to his podcast, the Radically Genuine Podcast for more insightful talk.
Ray is back to recap the Robertson Co. Fair. We discuss the problem with Bonnarroo, the growing lack of respect for the craft of music, and the profit motives that keep Ivermectin and classical music out of the public dialogue.
Support the show at https://www.patreon.com/neardarkradio
Film critic Jason Shawhan joins the podcast to review the new Candyman film. We discuss racial and political subtext in horror films, and give our thoughts on the gayest horror movie ever made.
Laura is back to discuss the DHS's new warnings of terrorist threats, why women are identifying as queer, and a children's book about abortion.
Support Near Dark Radio at https://www.patreon.com/neardarkradio
Ray is back to explain how modern feminism has become a form of self-inflicted mental abuse. He and Jon also discuss the failings of the Boomer generation, and why people are so afraid of intimacy and commitment these days.
Jerry and I finish our conversation with a candid discussion of the N-word, and then proceed to take down American politics the way it should be done.
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/jon-gower/support
Writer Ray Fox joins the podcast to recap Le concert de Paris, discuss France's new "health pass" measures, and get to the bottom of why our billionaire class is so interested in escaping the planet.
Jerry "Kiko" Scruggs returns to the pod to discuss the controversy surrounding Critical Race Theory and its role in education. The second half of our conversation, about the N-word, will be available next week.
Laura returns to discuss Bill Cosby's surprising release, Netflix's new dating series, and the exhibition of kink at Pride festivals.
Support the podcast and get access to bonus episodes here: https://www.patreon.com/neardarkradio
Blake Smith of the University of Chicago joins the pod to explore Foucault's concept of biopower, the antagonistic relationship between public health services and liberal democracy, and the role of experts in a free society. Blake's relevant articles are linked below:
Biopolitics
Lockdown and Punish
The Unwoke Foucault
Geoff Schullenberger's article: How We Forgot Foucault
Christian Hayden joins the pod to discuss the recent HatWRKS controversy, the new respect for the COVID lab-leak hypothesis, and the monopolization of American media.
Support the podcast at http://patreon.com/neardarkradio
Jon goes solo to discuss the problems of pop culture, Milo Yiannopoulos's conversion to straightness and how the elites have co-opted the Woke movement.
Historian and Roberston Co. native Rick Gregory joins the podcast to discuss his upcoming book "A Story Heard Around the World: The Bell Witch Legacy," in which he explores how a small piece of local folklore became a worldwide phenomenon. We discuss the Bell Witch story itself, its various manifestations in print, television, music and film, and the relationship between folklore and religion.
Laura is here to console Jon over his recent loss of respect for comedian Sarah Silverman. We discuss the Nashville mayor's attempts to squash a referendum on his property tax increase, and then review Robert Altman's 1975 masterpiece Nashville.
Historian and park manager David Britton joins the pod to recount the history of Port Royal, a once thriving community in Middle Tennessee that has since become a ghost town. We also discuss the power of historic narratives, the usefulness of deconstructing those narratives, and the pros and cons of critical history.
Laura's back to discuss Tariq Nasheed's latest blunder, recap the Oscar contenders we've seen, and speculate about Caitlyn Jenner's gubernatorial campaign.
Ryan Whitney joins the pod to explain how big tech companies use our personal data, what the future of data privacy may hold - and for patrons only, we discuss the issues surrounding speech and censorship online.
Get the full episode by becoming a patron: https://www.patreon.com/neardarkradio
Laura is back to discuss the banality of the Lil Nas X controversy, Biden's vaccine passport, and the sociopaths who run the world.
Caitlin Johnstone's article can be found here
Caleb Woodard is in the bunker to discuss his experience in the contemporary art market. Find his work on Instagram at @calebwoodardfurniture
Full episode available for Patrons: patreon.com/neardarkradio
Laura Mayo is back to recap the Grammies, and it's a harrowing experience for the both of us. We also address the case of a middle-aged Pennsylvania woman who allegedly harassed her daughter's cheerleading enemies, which is a new concept for me.
Composer and conductor Ryan Middagh joins the pod to discuss the relationship between music and language, and how music theory has really nothing to do with race.
You can find his big band's album here
Laura returns to discuss the Dr. Seuss controversy, before we do a deep dive on pornography, Internet dating and the real question of the day: whether straight men can have sex with other men and still be straight. We also revisit our early years as Internet users, which entails a lot of lying and posturing, and it was all worth it.
Burlesque bombshell Freya West joins the pod to discuss internet censorship, the dynamics of sex work in the 21st century, and the impact of social media on our democracy.
Laura Mayo returns to discuss John Weaver's sexual indiscretions, Marilyn Manson's history of abuse and the confusing mess that people are calling "Qanon."
Filmmaker and entrepreneur James Thayer joins the pod to discuss conservatism in the arts, the reduction of art to propaganda, and why Hillbilly Elegy is actually a good film.
Read Kay Clarity's article "The Plight of the Conservative Artist"
Defense attorney Amanda Gentry joins the pod to discuss criminal justice reform, the legal status of marijuana and her experience as a street lawyer.
Adam brought over a bottle of whiskey to hash out the intersection of religion and politics, and how Jordan Peterson fits into all this.
Chef and restaurant owner Mitchell Murphree drops by the bunker to discuss food, the restaurant business and the struggle with COVID-19.
You can find his restaurants at https://www.fivesensesdining.com/ and https://www.steakhousefive.com/
Matt joins the pod to discuss the First Amendment debate, the problems with modern schooling and the possible future of education.
Books reviewed:
Weapons of Mass Instruction by John Taylor Gatto
Deschooling Society by Ivan Illich
Sky returns to the pod to discuss the recent events at the Capitol, the futility of cancel culture and the future of conservative politics in America. Jordan Alexander Quill's article can be found here: https://quillette.com/2021/01/03/return-of-the-strong-gods-understanding-the-new-right/
Laura Mayo and I give you our most hated people of 2020, laugh at the homosexuals, and offer our take on the state of advertising.
Jerry Scruggs joins the pod to discuss reparations, Ice Cube's 'Contract With Black America,' and how the racial discussion can move forward. Read David Mills' piece here Read Ice Cube's 'Contract With Black America' here
Laura Mayo returns to the pod to discuss the pseudo-controversy over Mayor Cooper's handling of COVID-19 before launching into a poorly-planned review of the 90s classic "Never Been Kissed" and the recently released Netflix documentary "The Social Dilemma." They introduce a new segment on targeted Instagram ads, and speculate as to why anyone cares about The Clash or the death of Ruth Bader Ginsberg.
Joe Jordan joins the podcast to discuss pop music, the industry behind it and the difference between celebrities and average citizens.
Support Near Dark Radio on Patreon
Social commentator and media critic Matt Christiansen joins the pod to discuss the state of the New Media, the relentless attacks and journalistic malpractice from the Old Media, and whether or not we're witnessing a genuine revolution.
Find Matt's videos and podcast on his website
Support Near Dark Radio on Patreon
Professor Mike Linton returns to tackle one of the most pressing questions of our times: in an age of information, how do we know what information to trust? Support Near Dark Radio on Patreon
Strength coach Sky Lemyng joins the pod to discuss strength training, the modern misconception of the American Dream and the role of the Troll in contemporary online discourse.
Dr. Thomas Klingler joins the pod to discuss the French languages of Louisiana, the differences between Cajun and Creole, and the forces that led to the disappearance of French in the South.
You can find his book on Louisiana Creole, "If I Could Turn My Tongue Like That," here
Courtney Somerville joins the pod to discuss the "woke" movement, Lady A's public relations failure and the usefulness of "lived experience."
Kelli McGuffey joins the pod to discuss the recent social upheaval, systemic racism in America and the corporatization of the "woke" movement
Support Near Dark Radio on Patreon
Raymond Woodard is a former educator, coach and school administrator in Robertson Co. He joins the podcast to discuss his experience with school integration in rural Tennessee, his coaching career, and the power of sports and education in the sphere of civil rights.
Support Near Dark Radio on Patreon for access to Full Dark episodes: https://www.patreon.com/neardarkradio
RaCarol Woodard joins the pod to discuss racial justice, the news media and her experience as a black woman in America.
Jeff Howard is a filmmaker and film festival programmer based out of Los Angeles. He joins Jonny to discuss the Waco docudrama and the use of military force against American citizens. NOTE: this episode was recorded on May 20, 2020, before the death of George Floyd, the subsequent protests, and the national conversation surrounding the militarization of the police. You can find his podcast on indie film at Discover Indie Film Check out his current digital festival, Film Invasion L.A.
Laura Mayo joins Jonny to discuss COVID-19, its implications for venues and musicians, and how everything generally sucks right now. Subscribe on Patreon to hear the full episode.
Layla Jean Ross joins Jonny for a brief review of 50 Shades of Grey, and an intimate discussion of her own experience within the BDSM community.
Evelyn Vinyl joins the podcast to explore the concept of Queer. She gives a personal account of her experience as queer, and we discuss the way queerness fits in our landscape of social norms. You can find her lingerie and costume design store here
Jonny is joined by Dr. James Lindsay, mathematician, social commentator and one of the authors of the "grievance studies affair." In this episode Lindsay explains this project, the motivations behind his new Social Justice Encyclopedia, and the two attempt to disentangle French philosopher Michel Foucault's troubled legacy. You can find Lindsay's podcast here You can support Near Dark Radio on Patreon
Prof of the pod Dr. Mike Linton joins Jonny to discuss the prospects for higher education, and we take a look at his Canon for Maundy Thursday. Linton's piece can be found here; his analysis of the piece can be found here
Friend of the pod Matthew Heller joins Jonny in the bunker to discuss the future of the music industry after the COVID 19 crisis. Washington Post article can be found here Washington Free Beacon article can be found here Billboard article can be found here
Lauren "Fatt Legs" Morris joins Jonny in the bunker to review the "coming-of-age" genre of cinema.
Films reviewed: The Breakfast Club, Stand By Me, Rushmore & Mean Girls
Friend of the pod Taylor Lonardo joins Jonny in the studio to reflect on the pandemic, and review the first albums they ever bought with their own money.
Albums reviewed: Human Clay by Creed and Bad Hair Day by Weird Al Yankovic.
Welcome to Near Dark Radio. Jon gives us an unscripted journal entry from the first days of the coronavirus shutdown.