Us

When HBO series Watchmen premiered in October 2019, the show—a dramatically different take on Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’s original comic book/graphic novel—was noted for its direct confrontation of racism in America. Systemic racism, police brutality, collective trauma, and vigilante justice are all central themes to the TV remix. In light of ongoing deaths of Black Americans at the hands of police, nationwide protests, and calls for reforms, the show is now getting a second look with many calling it eerily prescient. 

Tune in to a conversation, originally held on June 25th, 2020, about how Watchmen and other popular entertainment can highlight and help us understand critical issues around race and policing. Speakers include: 

• Chris LeBron, Associate Professor of Philosophy, Johns Hopkins University 
• Leah Wright Rigueur, Associate Professor of Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School, Brandeis University 
• Deva Woodly, Associate Professor of Politics, The New School 
•  Christopher Robichaud (Moderator), Senior Lecturer in Ethics and Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School

⚠ Spoiler alert! This discussion will reveal key moments from the show, if you haven't seen it already and plan to, we highly encourage you to watch before listening. 

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Chris Lebron, Associate Professor of Philosophy at Johns Hopkins University, returns to talk about the HBO TV series based on the 1980s comic.

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We kick off season three of This Week in Dystopia with a discussion of The Joker. From the DC Comics’ character to Heath Ledger and then Joaquin Phoenix portrayal of the super villain, host Chris Robichaud and guest Lauren Spohn discuss the charter we love to hate. Is the Joker the product of society? An inevitable part of Gotham? Can you have Batman without the Joker? Tune in for this and more. 

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When Beyoncé gives you Lemonade, make a reader (and a podcast episode). We close out season 2 of This Week in Dystopia with a discussion of Beyonce's audio-visual experience and album.

Host Chris Robichaud is joined by The Lemonade Reader co-authors Kinitra Brooks, Audrey and John Leslie Endowed Chair in Literary Studies in the Department of English at Michigan State University, and Kameelah Martin, Professor of African American Studies and English at the College of Charleston in South Carolina. The discussion covers why Lemonade is so popular and ends with a conversation about pop culture's role in education.

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Despite the persistent threat of video game domination, board games are still here and gaining popularity. And people aren't just dusting off their boxes of Monopoly and Life. New games are pushing the boundaries of how fun, engagement, and empathy intersect.

Host Chris Robichaud talks to Co-Founders of Magpie Games Mark Truman and Marissa Kelly about how the game industry is changing and what we can expect out of the next-generation of tabletop games. Questions around how social justice and gaming can intersect are answered, and of course, D&D is mentioned.

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The devil may be in the details, but Satan also has a home in Salem Massachusetts, the headquarters of the Satanic Temple. The Temple, both self-described and now labeled by the IRS as a religious organization, is growing in popularity. The recent premiere of Hail Satan? at the Sundance Film Festival propelled the religious organization even more into the spotlight. Host Chris Robichaud sits down with Lucien Greaves, Cofounder of The Satanic Temple, to talk about the Temple's mission and why the movement has seen such an uptick in fame and following.

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Winter is here. Sunday, April 14th, 17.4 million viewers tuned in to watch the battle for the Iron Throne continue when the final season of Game of Thrones premiered. Ilya Somin, Professor of Law at George Mason University, joins host Chris Robichaud to talk about how the power struggle at the heart of this extremely popular show relates to governance.

🚨 This episode does NOT contain any season 8, episode 1 spoilers. However, we do briefly discuss some important scenes from earlier seasons.

Intro music credit: KSHMR & The Golden Army https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=no2dG9OlXZo

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This podcast is brought to you by the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation at the Harvard Kennedy School.

Baseball has long been called America's pastime, but some feel the pastime is just that, past. Do conversations happening in and around the NFL and NBA better reflect America today? Or is the game of baseball just too long for the 21st-century sports fan? This week, we sit down with Liz Bloom, current Harvard MBA/MPP and former Pittsburgh Pirates beat reporter at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, to talk about how baseball has historically been a petri dish for society's issues and where the league is today.

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This podcast is brought to you by the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation at the Harvard Kennedy School.

🚨 SPOILER ALERT: If you haven't already seen Us, listen at the peril of your movie-going experience. Better yet, go see the film and come right back to this episode!

Jordan Peele may fear his doppelgänger, but he isn't afraid of melding horror with social commentary. This week, Kinitra Brooks, Hutchins Fellow at Harvard University and co-editor of the forthcoming volume, The Lemonade Reader (yes, that Lemonade!), joins host Chris Robichaud to discuss the Peele's newest thriller Us.

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This podcast is brought to you by the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation at the Harvard Kennedy School.

The theatre has influenced political thought since at least the days of the Athenian Democracy. Today, the tradition of theatre as a medium to spark political debate is alive and well. Now, contemporary artists are more than ever contemplating how the theatre can not only convey their thoughts but truly reflect and engage the lived experiences of their communities. 

This week, host Chris Robichaud sat down with two artists who actively straddle the worlds of theatre and social justice. Ilana M. Brownstein, director of new work at Company One, and David Valdes Greenwood, nonfiction author and playwright, join in a discussion about the role of theatre in society and a new project that is working to convey the experiences of Boston's undocumented community.

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This podcast is brought to you by the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation at the Harvard Kennedy School.