The Common Room Couch: Recent Episodes
Essence Perry and Maddie Wessell
Essence and Maddie, on the surface, are unlikely best friends. However, the “common room” brought them together and until the pandemic they have been inseparable. Listen to them continue their engaging “croom” conversations ranging from their personal lives, social justice, art, politics, global events, and the latest pop culture drama.
Maddie asks Essence to define “big banks,” how banks contributed to the 2008 Recession, and some of the long-term effects of the Recession. Essence asks Maddie to talk about her favorite movie– The Big Short, and how movies about historical events can be useful for understanding difficult topics like the Recession.
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Episode’s resources and bonus material:
Big Banks
- https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/06/black-recession-housing-race/396725/
- https://www.businessinsider.com/what-caused-the-great-recession
- https://sgp.fas.org/crs/misc/IN10853.pdf
- https://irle.berkeley.edu/files/2018/09/IRLE-What-Really-Caused-the-Great-Recession.pdf
- https://ftp.iza.org/dp4934.pdf
The Big Short:
- https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/jan/27/the-big-short-financially-accurate-adam-mckay-subprime-money-bale-gosling-pitt
- https://www.thirdway.org/memo/your-cheat-sheet-for-the-big-short
- https://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/11/movies/review-in-the-big-short-economic-collapse-for-fun-and-profit.html
- https://www.vox.com/culture/2015/12/12/9947796/the-big-short-review-movie-ryan-gosling
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008%E2%80%932011_Icelandic_financial_crisis
- https://www.bbc.com/news/business-35485876
- ttps://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/06/17/the-miraculous-story-of-iceland/
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Essence asks Maddie all about her favorite dystopian novels and movies, the evolution of dystopia over time, and why there has been a revival of dystopian literature among teens. Maddie asks Essence about #DefundthePolice, the goals of criminal justice reform, and why privileging marginalized experiences is essential for social movements!
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Episode’s resources and bonus material:
Dystopias:
- https://www.mindymcginnis.com/blog/why-do-people-find-dystopian-novels-so-appealing#:~:text=Dystopian%20novels%20are%20incredibly%20popular,people%20can't%20understand%20why
- https://electricliterature.com/the-rise-of-dystopian-fiction-from-soviet-dissidents-to-70s-paranoia-to-murakami/
- https://www.abebooks.com/books/best-dystopia-books/
- https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/dystopian-movies/best-dystopian-movies-of-all-time-1/
- https://www.theguardian.com/books/2011/oct/23/dystopian-fiction
- https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/06/05/a-golden-age-for-dystopian-fiction
Defund the Police:
- https://defundthepolice.org/
- https://civilrights.org/wp-content/uploads/Toolkit.pdf
- https://m4bl.org/defund-the-police/
- https://www.mpd150.com/
- https://www.nonewjails.nyc/
- https://www.blackvisionsmn.org/
- https://open.spotify.com/episode/2QlieFSgKl1zzdqrjNloUK
- https://open.spotify.com/episode/3rlXRvKMInY6siTVAKXmJ5?si=PM-aMcpwQzKS2i5NvrExEQ
- https://www.politico.com/news/2021/10/14/democrats-suburbs-lets-fund-the-police-515966
- https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/10/us/dallas-police-defund.html
- https://www.brookings.edu/blog/fixgov/2020/06/19/what-does-defund-the-police-mean-and-does-it-have-merit/
- 13th (Netflix Documentary)
Theory books to nerd out on abolition:
- Michel Foucault’s Discipline and Punishment
- Angela Davis’s Are Prisons Obsolete?
- Michelle Alexander’s The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness
- Alex Vitale’s The End of Policing As We Know It?
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Maddie asks Essence to discuss the role of Vice President and Kamala Harris, our Vice President. Essence asks Maddie to explain why RomComs are so popular. This episode was recorded while VP Harris was still the president-elect.
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Episode’s resources and bonus material:
The VP:
- https://constitutioncenter.org/interactive-constitution/interpretation/amendment-xii/interps/171
- https://www.brookings.edu/blog/fixgov/2020/07/07/picking-the-vice-president/
- https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2020/08/11/kamala-harris-vp-background-bio-biden-running-mate-2020-393885
- https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/07/us/politics/kamala-harris.html
- https://www.npr.org/2020/10/13/923369723/lets-talk-about-kamala-harris
- https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2019/1/23/18184192/kamala-harris-president-campaign-criminal-justice-record
- https://www.marieclaire.com/politics/a28571249/kamala-harris-attorney-general-controversy/
- https://www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2020-53770654
Rom Coms:
- https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/guide/best-romantic-comedies-of-all-time/
- https://www.glamour.com/story/why-is-it-so-wrong-to-love-romantic-comedies
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Essence asks Maddie to analyze the privilege surrounding self-care and the importance of everyone needing to engage in self-care practices. Maddie asks Essence to describe and discuss the political and social impacts of the “Squad” or the new and progressive Congresswomen elected in 2018.
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Episode’s resources and bonus material:
#SelfCare:
- https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/click-here-happiness/201812/self-care-12-ways-take-better-care-yourself
- https://psychcentral.com/blog/what-self-care-is-and-what-it-isnt-2#1
- https://www.flare.com/beauty/luxury-of-self-care/
The Squad:
- https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2019/08/the-squad-donald-trump
- https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/4/8/18272072/ilhan-omar-rashida-tlaib-alexandria-ocasio-cortez-racism-sexism
- https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/15/politics/who-are-the-squad/index.html
- https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/aoc-squad-are-getting-some-company-here-s-who-joining-n1250958
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Maddie asks Essence to discuss how the Black Lives Matter Movement has changed throughout the years and analyze its impact over the years. Essence asks Maddie to evaluate social media activism and discuss whether it helps bring about lasting social change.
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Episode’s resources and bonus material:
BLM:
- https://campaignzero.org/
- https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/07/03/us/george-floyd-protests-crowd-size.html
- https://undergroundrailroadhistory.org/the-black-lives-matter-movement-an-origin-story/
- https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/03/14/where-is-black-lives-matter-headed
- https://www.hrw.org/report/2020/09/30/kettling-protesters-bronx/systemic-police-brutality-and-its-costs-united-states
- https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/movement-slogan-rallying-cry-how-black-lives-matter-changed-america-n1252434
Social Media Activism:
- https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/the-second-act-of-social-media-activism
- https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2018/07/11/public-attitudes-toward-political-engagement-on-social-media/
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Essence asks Maddie to discuss if TikTok is a great new social media or the bane of our existence. Maddie asks Essence to discuss the misnomers of sex trafficking and sex work more broadly.
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Episode’s resources and bonus material:
- TikTok
- https://www.forbes.com/sites/tomtaulli/2020/01/31/tiktok-why-the-enormous-success/?sh=4594b9b365d1
- https://brandastic.com/blog/what-is-tiktok-and-why-is-it-so-popular/
- Sex Trafficking
- https://www.theverge.com/21273768/section-230-explained-internet-speech-law-definition-guide-free-moderation
- https://www.state.gov/reports/2021-trafficking-in-persons-report/
- https://theconversation.com/sex-trafficking-isnt-what-you-think-4-myths-debunked-and-1-real-world-way-to-prevent-sexual-exploitation-158852\
- https://www.vox.com/culture/2018/4/13/17172762/fosta-sesta-backpage-230-internet-freedom
- https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2019/03/04/why-laws-fight-sex-trafficking-often-backfire/
- https://www.hrw.org/news/2019/08/07/why-sex-work-should-be-decriminalized
- https://www.aclu.org/news/topic/its-time-to-decriminalize-sex-work/
- https://www.vox.com/2019/8/2/20692327/sex-work-decriminalization-prostitution-new-york-dc
- https://repository.law.umich.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1358&context=mjlr
- https://www.thenation.com/article/society/sex-workers-coronavirus/
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Maddie asks Essence to describe the larger decriminalize drugs ballot measures and the larger policy proposals meant to rectify the War on Drugs. Essence asks Maddie why there is such a class distinction in leisure activities, especially ones like art.
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Episode’s resources and bonus material:
- Art Prices:
- HBO Documentary: The Price of Everything
- https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2018/10/31/18048340/art-market-expensive-ai-painting
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_most_expensive_paintings
- https://www.feelgoodnow247.com/7-reasons-why-some-art-is-so-expensive/
- Decriminalizing Drugs
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Essence asks Maddie to discuss and analyze the cult of personality surrounding the Kardashian family. Maddie asks Essence to discuss the evolution and erosion of the Middle Class throughout the 20th century and the power having a Middle Class may bring.
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Email us at thecommonroomcouch@gmail.com your comments/corrections/ideas/questions
Support us and access bonus content through our patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thecommonroomcouch
Episode’s resources and bonus material:
- The Kardashians
- https://www.lifeandstylemag.com/posts/why-are-the-kardashians-famous-150416/
- https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2016/02/102194/how-the-kardashians-became-famous
- https://time.com/6072750/kardashians-blackfishing-appropriation/
- https://www.standard.co.uk/showbiz/celebrity-news/top-10-biggest-kardashian-controversies-a4034501.html
- https://slate.com/culture/2020/09/watching-keeping-up-with-the-kardashians-as-a-black-woman.html
- The Middle Class
- https://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/publication/49116/2000178-How-are-Income-and-Wealth-Linked-to-Health-and-Longevity.pdf
- https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/11/nearly-1-in-4-americans-are-skipping-medical-care-because-of-the-cost.html
- https://courses.lumenlearning.com/alamo-sociology/chapter/reading-class-structure-in-the-united-states/
- https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/07/23/are-you-in-the-american-middle-class/
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Maddie asks Essence to explain what happened in Georgia’s last election cycle and the upcoming runoff elections. Essence asks Maddie to analyze the upcoming Grammy nominations. Transcript to follow.
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Support us and access bonus content through our patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thecommonroomcouch
Episode’s resources and bonus material:
- Georgia
- https://circle.tufts.edu/latest-research/election-week-2020
- https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/how-democrats-won-the-georgia-runoffs/
- https://theconversation.com/a-brief-history-of-georgias-runoff-voting-and-its-racist-roots-150356
- https://www.forbes.com/sites/tommybeer/2021/01/06/record-turnout-more-georgians-voted-in-senate-runoffs-than-2016-presidential-election/?sh=7e5caa225853
- https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/dems-feel-great-deal-urgency-ahead-georgia-runoffs/story?id=75015848
- The Grammys
- https://www.grammy.com/grammys/news/2021-grammys-complete-nominees-list
- https://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/art-books-music/a30647659/deborah-dugan-grammys-controversy/#:~:text=Rape%20Allegations,artist's%20performance%20at%20Carnegie%20Hall.
- https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/music/a30627815/grammys-scandal-joel-katz-neil-portnow-deborah-dugan-recording-academy-controversy-explained/
- https://studybreaks.com/culture/music/grammys-2021/
- https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/music/a34784734/the-weeknd-grammys-snub-corruption-response-controversy-explained/
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Essence asks Maddie why the TV show Euphoria is so popular right now and what the show may be signaling about TV more broadly. Maddie asks Essence to discuss American public school systems and the evolution of public and private schools over the years. Transcript to follow.
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Episode’s resources and bonus material:
- Euphoria:
- https://www.diggitmagazine.com/papers/hbo-s-euphoria
- https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/tv/a28005366/euphoria-hbo-sex-drugs-nudity-controversy/
- https://hpbagpipe.com/6803/entertainment-and-lifestyle/reviews/why-euphoria-is-best-high-school-commentary-we-have/#:~:text=Euphoria%20is%20rated%20mature%20because,high%20schools%20in%20the%20US.&text=Because%20of%20these%20reasons%2C%20Euphoria,our%20age%20at%20this%20time.
- Public Schools:
- https://www.publicschoolreview.com/blog/a-relevant-history-of-public-education-in-the-united-states
- https://www.ed.gov/k-12reforms
- https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED606970.pdf
- https://www.raceforward.org/research/reports/historical-timeline-public-education-us
- https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2021/07/how-covid-taught-america-about-inequity-in-education/
- https://www.teachforamerica.org/stories/educational-inequity-facts
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A brief introduction to the Common Room Couch and your hosts, Maddie and Essence! Welcome to the show!
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Preview of Maddie and Essence's podcast, the Common Room Couch, where best friends keep their loving, intellectual, and sporadic conversations alive, even though they have been separated by the pandemic. Each episode will consist of them asking the other a question on a topic that the other is interested in. Topics will include economics, politics, philosophy, pop culture, art, or anything that's relevant! Welcome to the croom.
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