Episode 1 of Individual Thoughts by Trusted Knower is complete. The episode title was “Standing Up to Wrongheaded Authority.” In part one, we interviewed Jan Helfeld, ‘the Socratic Assassin’ and in part two, we interviewed Michael Strong, Socratic innovator. The overall theme is that developing the ability to think for one’s self is critical for personal happiness and to stand up to poor decision-making.
We have also created an addendum show, Cover Story, embedded above, that explores the context and meaning of the creative materials we included as references. This includes the music and short clips of TV shows and movies. Each selection has a history and context of its own, and the meaning contributes to the theme of Individual Thoughts by Trusted Knower show.
Thematic Elements
Episode 1 has a very science-fiction heavy theme. We reference shows such as The X-Files, Star Trek, Babylon 5, the movie Contact starring Jodie Foster, and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Deadpool and Mugato from Zoolander help us properly react to bizarre comments by politicians Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid. We also make sure to properly identify ourselves by including Cheech in The Love Machine (from Up In Smoke) to the tune of “Low Rider” by WAR. The history of “Black Betty” by Ram Jam is also explored.
Featured References
Psychostick, “Obey the Beard!”
Meg Myers, NPR Tiny Desk Concert
Kate Bush, “Running Up That Hill”
T1J’s video essay about SNL’s “Black Jeopardy” skit
Ram Jam, “Black Betty”
Cheech and Chong, Up in Smoke