Podcast Summary
Winter Solstice and Top Crime Series Recommendation: During the winter solstice, enjoy longer days and consider binge-watching 'Gomorrah', an Italian crime series with exceptional writing, acting, and visual storytelling, despite language barriers.
The winter solstice marks the end of the shortest days and the beginning of longer days, bringing comfort and relief during the holiday season. Additionally, the podcast host recommends the Italian crime series "Gomorrah" as a top-notch binge-watch during the Christmas break. Unlike typical crime dramas, "Gomorrah" focuses on the Camorra, a separate crime syndicate in Naples, and the police are hardly present in the story. The series, based on real events, boasts excellent writing, acting, and visual storytelling, making it a must-watch despite the Italian language and subtitles.
A post-apocalyptic view of Naples' Scampia housing estate: 'Gomorrah' explores the lawless community of Scampia, where Kamara gangs thrive in the chaos, offering a binge-worthy, unsettling crime drama experience available on Now.
The Italian crime drama "Gomorrah" sets itself apart from typical crime dramas with its portrayal of the real-life, lawless community of Scampia. Built after a earthquake in Naples in the 1960s, Scampia is a housing estate with unfinished tower blocks that left its residents isolated and disenfranchised. The Kamara gangs took advantage of the chaos and lawlessness, making the series feel like a post-apocalyptic science fiction despite being based on real events. The lack of conventional good versus bad morality and the otherworldly atmosphere create an unsettling and surreal viewing experience. If you're looking for a binge-worthy series this holiday season, consider giving "Gomorrah" a try. It's available on the streaming service Now, and all five seasons are there.
Misunderstandings and unique traditions from cultural differences: Cultural differences can lead to misunderstandings and urban myths, but also unique traditions. In Japan, there's a popular Christmas tradition of eating Kentucky Fried Chicken.
Cultural differences can lead to misunderstandings and urban myths, but also unique traditions. In Japan, there's a common urban myth about nailing Santa Claus to a crucifix due to a lack of understanding about Christmas. However, this isn't true. Instead, Christmas in Japan is recognized as a winter festival with no religious association, and eating Kentucky Fried Chicken on Christmas day is a popular tradition. This tradition started with the aggressive marketing campaign of Takeshi Okawara, who envisioned KFC being associated with Christmas in Japan in a dream. The image of Santa Claus in Japan is different from the western depiction, which was constructed by Coca-Cola in the 1930s. Despite the urban myth, it's fascinating how corporations have influenced the image of Santa Claus in different parts of the world.
The History and Origins of Christmas: Christmas traditions, including Santa Claus and the December 25th celebration, have historical roots beyond religious observances. They may have originated from ancient sun worship practices and were popularized by corporations.
Many aspects of Christmas, including the popular image of Santa Claus and the celebration on December 25th, are socially constructed and have historical roots beyond religious observances. Santa Claus, as we know him today, was largely popularized by corporations like Coca-Cola. The date of Christmas itself, however, has no basis in the Bible and may have originated from ancient sun worship practices. The winter solstice, which occurs around December 21st, was a time of great importance to early civilizations as it marked the return of the sun and the promise of longer days and new harvests. The ancient site of Newgrange in Ireland, built over 4000 years ago, is a testament to the importance of this astronomical event and the human desire to understand and predict the natural world.
Winter Solstice Celebrations as Scientific Centers: Newgrange and similar structures marked the winter solstice, celebrating the sun's rebirth and longer days, which were later adopted by the early Christian church as Christmas.
Newgrange in Ireland, and similar structures across the northern hemisphere, were not just religious sites but also centers of science. These structures, like Newgrange, were designed to mark the winter solstice, the sun's rebirth, which was celebrated across Europe and possibly the Americas. The early Christian church later adopted the 25th of December as the birthday of Jesus, likely due to the existing solstice celebrations. The church saw an opportunity to assimilate the story of Christ into these preexisting traditions, making the transition smoother for the population. Today, we can celebrate Christmas as a reminder of the sun's rebirth and the approaching longer days, regardless of religious beliefs. Additionally, there was a Roman festival called Saturnalia, which celebrated the return of the sun around the 23rd of December, predating Christmas. This shows the historical significance of the winter solstice and its impact on various cultures.
Supporting Independent Podcasts: Consider becoming a patron to keep passionately produced, independent podcasts free and thriving. Support various means including monetary contributions, sharing, and leaving reviews.
The podcast you enjoy may require financial support from its listeners to remain independent and allow the creator full creative control. The speaker in this podcast expresses the importance of becoming a patron to ensure the continuation of passionately produced, independent content. The Patreon model also keeps the podcast free for those who cannot afford to contribute. The speaker encourages listeners to support all independent podcasts, not just their own, through various means including monetary support, sharing, and leaving reviews. The concept of the Carnivalesque, inspired by ancient Roman festivals like Saturnalia, represents the importance of allowing a temporary reversal of societal norms and rules, providing a much-needed break from stress and allowing for creative expression.
The carnivalesque: a historical phenomenon of rebellion through humor and mockery: During specific festivals or carnivals, people were allowed to challenge societal rules and power structures through humor, mask-wearing, and breaking societal norms, protecting themselves from backlash afterwards.
Throughout Western history, there have been oppressive power structures that have maintained their authority through seriousness and solemnity. However, during specific festivals or carnivals, people were allowed to let off steam and challenge the status quo through humor, mask-wearing, and breaking societal rules. Mikhail Bakhtin, a renowned literary theorist, called this phenomenon the carnivalesque. During these times, people could drink, eat, and even mock their rulers without fear of repercussions. The wearing of masks and costumes was crucial to protect individuals from backlash once the carnival ended. Bakhtin's theories influenced the artist's master's degree project, where they used a clown costume and sincere speech to discuss serious topics, subverting societal expectations and increasing emotional resonance. This historical context sheds light on the significance of Christmas, which shares carnivalesque elements with the ancient Roman Saturnalia festival.
Carnivalesque Christmas traditions: Christmas incorporates ancient pagan customs, turning societal norms upside down for a brief moment of rebellion and relaxation
Christmas is a continuation of ancient carnivalesque traditions where rules are turned upside down, allowing people to subvert societal norms for a limited time. Originating from Roman Saturnalia and German Yule, among other pagan festivals, Christmas incorporates elements like the crowning of a false king, cross-dressing, and excessive eating and drinking. Despite the serious nature of Christianity, these pagan traditions were assimilated into Christmas celebrations during the Middle Ages, resulting in the adoption of symbols like the Christmas tree, which has its roots in evergreen pagan traditions. Overall, Christmas serves as a carnivalesque escape from the rigid societal structures and religious hierarchy, providing a brief moment of rebellion and relaxation before returning to normality.
Carnivalesque Christmas Origins: Christmas origins rooted in carnivalesque celebrations, allowing societal norms to be turned upside down, but gave way to more solemn observances, with absurdist elements like Santa and tree still present
Christmas, as we know it today with its traditions like giving gifts, family gatherings, and festive meals, actually has its roots in the carnivalesque celebrations of the past. These pre-Victorian Christmas celebrations were a time when societal norms were turned upside down, allowing people to let go of their daily struggles and indulge in pagan traditions and merrymaking. However, as society industrialized and urbanized, these carnivalesque celebrations became unsustainable and gave way to more solemn, religious observances. Yet, even today, the absurd and playful elements of Christmas, such as Santa Claus and the Christmas tree, serve as reminders of its carnivalesque origins.
A subversive act of luxury during Christmas: Originally, Christmas subverted societal norms with pagan rituals and individualism. Now, it subverts modern capitalism's rules of exploitation and disconnection with acts of generosity and connection.
The modern definition of Christmas has shifted from its carnivalesque traditions of subversion and rebellion against societal norms, to a subversive act of luxury and connection in the context of modern capitalism. Originally, the rules of society that were turned upside down during the carnival tradition included taking off clothes, engaging in pagan rituals, and mocking the king. However, in the industrial revolution and Victorian period, the emergence of modern capitalism created a toxic environment of exploitation, disconnection, and individualism. As a result, spending time with loved ones, being generous, and enjoying a good meal became a subversive act of luxury only possible during the holiday season. Today, Christmas continues to be a carnivalesque tradition, but the rules that get turned upside down are those created by modern capitalism.
Creating a song live on Twitch: Improvised music and lyrics can lead to unique and creative works, even during a live stream
Creativity can strike at any moment, even during a live stream on Twitch. The artist in this discussion created a song called "I was up a mountain tying up a priest" on the spot, inspired by a video game. The entire process, from music to lyrics, was improvised in real-time. You can watch the live creation of this song on the artist's Twitch channel, twitch.tv/forward/playingbypodcast. The song, which was originally around 20 minutes long, has been condensed into a 3-minute version for this presentation. The lyrics revolve around themes of rebellion and secrecy, with the artist warning listeners to keep quiet about his identity if they encounter him on a plane or with guards. This demonstrates the power of creativity and the unexpected inspiration that can come from unexpected sources.
