Episode Notes

Episode 6: Mafarka / Novecento (1900) Pt 2

Filippo Tommaso Marinetti – Mafarka the Futurist: An African Novel (Italian novel, France 1909 / Italy 1910)

Novecento AKA 1900 (dubbed film, Italy 1976) dir. Bernardo Bertolucci

*TW: rape, murder, war, torture, sexual coercion, child sexuality, adult sex, excrement

In Part 2 of a 3-part series, Rachel describes herself as a bubble baby; Anna explains how curiosity killed the cat; and Frank recklessly traipses through 100 years of Italian history; we dig into the dis/content of both Mafarka and Novecento and all fall in love with a badass socialist schoolteacher named Anita. Our TeePublic site will be launching soon.

The Pointless Crew: Rachel Hamele (she/her/hers) – History, Humanities, Queer Studies, Fandoms Anna Wendorff (she/her/hers) – Communications, Rhetorics of Sci & Tech, Feminism Frank Fucile (he/him/his) – Lit & Theory, Film & Media, Genre, Enviro & Tech Studies

References / Further Information:

Antifada, “History is a Weapon” 8.1, 15 July 2020. [On Italy’s 1948 election]

Behind the Bastards. “The Man Who Invented Fascism,” iHeartRadio, 21-23 Jan. 2020. [On the life of Gabriele d’Annunzio]

“Mafarka: Summary & Analysis plus all the controversial passages.” Books On Trial. https://www.booksontrial.com/mafarka-the-futurist/

Marinetti, F.T. “The Founding and Manifesto of Futurism,” Le Figaro, 20 Feb. 1909. Italian Futurism: Events, Exhibitions, Scholarship. https://www.italianfuturism.org/manifestos/foundingmanifesto/

MUSIC: Refused – “Damaged III” and “The Infamous Left” from War Music (Spinefarm/Search & Destroy, 2019)

ART: Gustave Moreau, Helen at the Scaen Gate, oil on canvas (Paris, 1880s)

Giuseppe Pellizza da Volpedo, The Fourth Estate (a.k.a. The Path of Workers), oil on canvas (Turin?, c.1901)

Find out more at https://the-pointless-century.pinecast.co

Episode Notes

Episode 5: Mafarka / Novecento (1900)

Filippo Tommaso Marinetti – Mafarka the Futurist: An African Novel (Italian novel, France 1909 / Italy 1910)

Novecento AKA 1900 (dubbed film, Italy 1976) dir. Bernardo Bertolucci

*TW: rape, murder, war, torture, child sexuality, adult sex, coercion, excrement

In a mere introduction to the topic, Frank tells a long story about staring at an old television; Anna considers the hidden meanings of an angry nonsense; Rachel laughs at boners; we all agree that Mafarka is an absurd novel but somehow manage to avoid engaging with its horrific content. Future episodes will continue with more detailed considerations of the text. Our TeePublic site will be launching soon.

The Pointless Crew: Rachel Hamele (she/her/hers) – History, Humanities, Queer Studies, Fandoms Anna Wendorff (she/her/hers) – Communications, Rhetorics of Sci & Tech, Feminism Frank Fucile (he/him/his) – Lit & Theory, Film & Media, Genre, Enviro & Tech Studies

References / Further Information:

Behind the Bastards. “The Man Who Invented Fascism,” iHeartRadio, 21-23 Jan. 2020.

“Mafarka: Summary & Analysis plus all the controversial passages.” Books On Trial. https://www.booksontrial.com/mafarka-the-futurist/

Marinetti, F.T. “The Founding and Manifesto of Futurism,” Le Figaro, 20 Feb. 1909. Italian Futurism: Events, Exhibitions, Scholarship. https://www.italianfuturism.org/manifestos/foundingmanifesto/

MUSIC: The (International) Noise Conspiracy – “Last Century Promise” from New Morning…Changing Weather (Burning Heart/Epitaph, 2001)

Refused – “Damaged III” from War Music (Spinefarm/Search & Destroy, 2019)

ART: Gustave Moreau, Helen at the Scaen Gate, oil on canvas (Paris, 1880s)

Photo of Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, Hulton Archive/Getty Images (Paris, 1893?)

Find out more at https://the-pointless-century.pinecast.co

Episode Notes

Episode 4: Amiri Baraka vs. T.S. Eliot

T.S. Eliot – “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” (poem, 1910/1915) https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poems/44212/the-love-song-of-j-alfred-prufrock

Amiri Baraka – “An Agony. As Now.” (poem, 1964) https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/52777/an-agony-as-now

Amiri Baraka – “Dope” (poem/performance, 1978?) https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/58015/dope

Amiri Baraka – “Somebody Blew Up America” (poem, 2002) https://www.counterpunch.org/2002/10/03/somebody-blew-up-america/

In our first examination of poetry, Anna is stunned by Baraka and annoyed by Prufrock; Rachel promotes intersectional feminism; Frank praises spite, meaninglessness, and stupidity; we all agree that Baraka’s poems are better than Eliot’s but struggle against the black-hole gravity of a million interpretations. Audio is balanced yet dynamic; this episode is again separated into two parts.

Correction: At some point in the discussion of “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,” Frank says “metaphor” when he means to refer to the simile of the “patient etherized upon a table.” In that same segment of the discussion, he also says “sunrise” when he means to say “sunset.”

The Pointless Crew: Anna Wendorff (she/her/hers) – Communications, Rhetorics of Sci & Tech, Feminism Rachel Hamele (she/her/hers) – History, Humanities, Queer Studies, Fandoms Frank Fucile (he/him/his) – Lit & Theory, Film & Media, Genre, Enviro & Tech Studies

WORKS CITED:

Drew, Elizabeth. T.S. Eliot: The Design of his Poetry. Scribner, 1949.

Eliot, T.S. “The Social Function of Poetry,” (1945) On Poetry and Poets. Noonday, 1961, pp. 3-16.

Fussell, Paul. The Great War and Modern Memory. Oxford, 1975.

Horkheimer, Max & Theodor Adorno. The Dialectic of Enlightenment, ed. Gunzelin Schmid Noerr, trans. Edmund Jephcott. Stanford, 2002.

Whyte, Ron. “Civilized Antisemitism.” Oak: a Journal Against Civilization vol. 1 (spring 2020), pp. 37-49.

FURTHER LISTENING:

Behind the Bastards. “Bill Cooper: The Man Who Killed Truth,” Pt. 2. iHeartRadio, 16 July 2020.

The Canon Ball. “Intelligent Speech Conference Preview.” Agora, 14 June 2020.

Poetry Off the Shelf. “Amiri Baraka is Back in the Building.” Poetry Foundation, 25 Feb. 2015.

MUSIC: The (International) Noise Conspiracy – “Last Century Promise” from New Morning…Changing Weather (Burning Heart/Epitaph, 2001)

Refused – “I Am Not Me” from Everlasting (Startrec/Burning Heart, 1994)

ART: Gustave Moreau, Helen at the Scaen Gate, oil on canvas (Paris, 1880s)

Capt. William Kidd, gibbeted near Tilbury in Essex, following his execution in 1701, print from The Pirates Own Book by Charles Ellms (London, 1837)

Find out more at https://the-pointless-century.pinecast.co

Episode Notes

Episode 4: Amiri Baraka vs. T.S. Eliot

T.S. Eliot – “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” (poem, 1910/1915) https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poems/44212/the-love-song-of-j-alfred-prufrock

Amiri Baraka – “An Agony. As Now.” (poem, 1964) https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/52777/an-agony-as-now

Amiri Baraka – “Dope” (poem/performance, 1978?) https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/58015/dope

Amiri Baraka – “Somebody Blew Up America” (poem, 2002) https://www.counterpunch.org/2002/10/03/somebody-blew-up-america/

In our first examination of poetry, Anna is stunned by Baraka and annoyed by Prufrock; Rachel promotes intersectional feminism; Frank praises spite, meaninglessness, and stupidity; we all agree that Baraka’s poems are better than Eliot’s but struggle against the black-hole gravity of a million interpretations. Audio is balanced yet dynamic; this episode is again separated into two parts.

Correction: At some point in the discussion of “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,” Frank says “metaphor” when he means to refer to the simile of the “patient etherized upon a table.” In that same segment of the discussion, he also says “sunrise” when he means to say “sunset.”

The Pointless Crew: Anna Wendorff (she/her/hers) – Communications, Rhetorics of Sci & Tech, Feminism Rachel Hamele (she/her/hers) – History, Humanities, Queer Studies, Fandoms Frank Fucile (he/him/his) – Lit & Theory, Film & Media, Genre, Enviro & Tech Studies

WORKS CITED:

Drew, Elizabeth. T.S. Eliot: The Design of his Poetry. Scribner, 1949.

Eliot, T.S. “The Social Function of Poetry,” (1945) On Poetry and Poets. Noonday, 1961, pp. 3-16.

Fussell, Paul. The Great War and Modern Memory. Oxford, 1975.

Horkheimer, Max & Theodor Adorno. The Dialectic of Enlightenment, ed. Gunzelin Schmid Noerr, trans. Edmund Jephcott. Stanford, 2002.

Whyte, Ron. “Civilized Antisemitism.” Oak: a Journal Against Civilization vol. 1 (spring 2020), pp. 37-49.

FURTHER LISTENING:

Behind the Bastards. “Bill Cooper: The Man Who Killed Truth,” Pt. 2. iHeartRadio, 16 July 2020.

The Canon Ball. “Intelligent Speech Conference Preview.” Agora, 14 June 2020.

Poetry Off the Shelf. “Amiri Baraka is Back in the Building.” Poetry Foundation, 25 Feb. 2015.

MUSIC: The (International) Noise Conspiracy – “Last Century Promise” from New Morning…Changing Weather (Burning Heart/Epitaph, 2001)

Refused – “I Am Not Me” from Everlasting (Startrec/Burning Heart, 1994)

ART: Gustave Moreau, Helen at the Scaen Gate, oil on canvas (Paris, 1880s)

Capt. William Kidd, gibbeted near Tilbury in Essex, following his execution in 1701, print from The Pirates Own Book by Charles Ellms (London, 1837)

Find out more at https://the-pointless-century.pinecast.co

Episode Notes

Episode 3: ACABx3 Part 2 *TW

Do the Right Thing (film, 1989) Thelma & Louise (film, 1991) Queen & Slim (film, 2019)

Due to software constraints, this episode was divided into two parts. *TW: murder, rape, sexual coercion

In this very special episode, Rachel stresses over what she can and can’t claim to understand; Anna is further disgusted by the film industry patriarchy; Frank haphazardly outlines a century of Black culture and yells more than he probably should; we all agree that cops are bastards but note that plenty of ordinary men are too. Morbid chuckles fill the void. The sound mix is better except for Frank’s yelling.

The text of Frank’s introductory reading is from the poem “An Agony. As Now.” by Amiri Baraka, which will be discussed in depth in Episode 4: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/52777/an-agony-as-now

Corrections/Clarifications: 1) The main audio was recorded almost a month ago, so Frank’s reference to “more than a dozen” people killed by police since the murder of George Floyd has become inaccurate. Though is it hard to get an accurate number, at this point a figure of between 75 to 100 seems more likely, and any official stats still wouldn’t account for the numerous vigilante killings and apparent lynchings of protesters and bystanders in the past month. 2) Frank may accidentally refer to Do the Right Thing as Spike Lee’s “first feature film,” but this unfortunately ignores She’s Gotta Have It and School Daze. Do the Right Thing might more accurately be described as Spike Lee’s first film to achieve mainstream success and acclaim. 3) Frank uses the term “progressive” too vaguely when speaking of “resistance to progressive politics” where he should have more accurately said, “resistance to anti-racist politics.” Because he is attempting to broadly summarize the evolution of political discourse over the span of the 20th century, this use of the term “progressive” would be inaccurate in the early 20th century, when most self-described white, middle-class progressives were actually extremely racist, especially in the US. The comment makes more sense if interpreted as the term “progressive” is used in the 21st century. 4) Frank uses outdated terminology when referring to the destruction of Black Wall Street in 1921 as the Tulsa Race Riot; historians increasingly prefer describing this event as the Tulsa Race Massacre because the term “race riot” suggests a disorganized fight between two mobs rather than the coordinated effort to exterminate and expel the Black population of Tulsa that actually occurred. 5) The discussion of the genre increasingly called “copaganda” is limited in this episode because Frank is mainly interested in pointing out the “one good cop” trope of the 1990s against a background of ACAB action/crime movies from that era; his comments are focused on films where criminals are the protagonists. Of course, this ignores most of the history of copaganda, from early examples like Dragnet in the 1950s through the vigilante movies of the 70s and 80s. Examples from the 90s like Law & Order and Cops are mentioned, as is the “troop worship” tendency after 9/11, but the monologue shouldn’t be interpreted as claiming that police are usually the bad guys in movies, merely that they were commonly accepted as bad guys in certain subgenres of crime stories, especially at the end of the 20th century. Examples of the copaganda genre will be examined more closely in future episodes; see the last episode of Behind the Police for a quick rundown of its history. Significantly, both the TV shows Cops and LivePD have been canceled since this episode was recorded.

The Pointless Crew: Rachel Hamele (she/her/hers) – History, Humanities, Queer Studies, Fandoms Anna Wendorff (she/her/hers) – Communications, Rhetorics of Sci & Tech, Feminism Frank Fucile (he/him/his) – Lit & Theory, Film & Media, Genre, Enviro & Tech Studies

Some Recommendations: Behind the Police, a miniseries of Behind the Bastards. iHeartRadio, 16-30 June 2020.

The Breakfast Club “talks with Rush Limbaugh.” iHeartRadio, 1June 2020.

The Breakfast Club. “Do You Know Your White Privilege?” iHeartRadio, 2 June 2020.

Minion Death Cult. “This is a leftist movement towards creating a national police force…” 9 June 2020.

Minion Death Cult. “Get in the Zone.” 15 June 2020.

On the Media. “No Justice, No Peace.” WNYC, 5 June 2020.

On the Media. “It’s Going Down.” WNYC, 12 June 2020.

Pod Damn America. “All Bikes Are Shields.” 1 June 2020.

Popular Front. “Clashes Following the Murder of George Floyd.” 28 May 2020.

Trillbilly Worker’s Party, Ep 149. “One Million Realities.” 4 June 2020.

Trillbilly Worker’s Party, Ep 150. “Cop Dialectics.” 11 June 2020.

The Vast Majority. “Defund the Police.” Jacobin Radio, 9 June 2020.

What a Hell of a Way to Die. “Time to Pick a Side.” 3 June 2020.

Worst Year Ever. “Minneapolis Uprising: Updates from the Ground and Sky.” iHeartRadio, 1 June 2020.

Worst Year Ever. “What You Need to Know About the Minneapolis Protests.” iHeartRadio, 27 May 2020.

Worst Year Ever “talks Antifa with a Lawyer.” iHeartRadio, 23 June 2020.

Yo, Is This Racist? “Black Lives Matter – George Floyd Protests.” Earwolf, 2 June 2020.

Episode Notes

Do the Right Thing (film, 1989) Thelma & Louise (film, 1991) Queen & Slim (film, 2019)

In this very special episode, Rachel stresses over what she can and can’t claim to understand; Anna is further disgusted by the film industry patriarchy; Frank haphazardly outlines a century of Black culture and yells more than he probably should; we all agree that cops are bastards but note that plenty of ordinary men are too. Morbid chuckles fill the void. The sound mix is better except for Frank’s yelling. Due to software constraints, this episode was divided into two parts.

The text of Frank’s introductory reading is from the poem “An Agony. As Now.” by Amiri Baraka, which will be discussed in depth in Episode 4: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/52777/an-agony-as-now

Corrections/Clarifications: 1) The main audio was recorded almost a month ago, so Frank’s reference to “more than a dozen” people killed by police since the murder of George Floyd has become inaccurate. Though is it hard to get an accurate number, at this point a figure of between 75 to 100 seems more likely, and any official stats still wouldn’t account for the numerous vigilante killings and apparent lynchings of protesters and bystanders in the past month. 2) Frank may accidentally refer to Do the Right Thing as Spike Lee’s “first feature film,” but this unfortunately ignores She’s Gotta Have It and School Daze. Do the Right Thing might more accurately be described as Spike Lee’s first film to achieve mainstream success and acclaim. 3) Frank uses the term “progressive” too vaguely when speaking of “resistance to progressive politics” where he should have more accurately said, “resistance to anti-racist politics.” Because he is attempting to broadly summarize the evolution of political discourse over the span of the 20th century, this use of the term “progressive” would be inaccurate in the early 20th century, when most self-described white, middle-class progressives were actually extremely racist, especially in the US. The comment makes more sense if interpreted as the term “progressive” is used in the 21st century. 4) Frank uses outdated terminology when referring to the destruction of Black Wall Street in 1921 as the Tulsa Race Riot; historians increasingly prefer describing this event as the Tulsa Race Massacre because the term “race riot” suggests a disorganized fight between two mobs rather than the coordinated effort to exterminate and expel the Black population of Tulsa that actually occurred. 5) The discussion of the genre increasingly called “copaganda” is limited in this episode because Frank is mainly interested in pointing out the “one good cop” trope of the 1990s against a background of ACAB action/crime movies from that era; his comments are focused on films where criminals are the protagonists. Of course, this ignores most of the history of copaganda, from early examples like Dragnet in the 1950s through the vigilante movies of the 70s and 80s. Examples from the 90s like Law & Order and Cops are mentioned, as is the “troop worship” tendency after 9/11, but the monologue shouldn’t be interpreted as claiming that police are usually the bad guys in movies, merely that they were commonly accepted as bad guys in certain subgenres of crime stories, especially at the end of the 20th century. Examples of the copaganda genre will be examined more closely in future episodes; see the last episode of Behind the Police for a quick rundown of its history. Significantly, both the TV shows Cops and LivePD have been canceled since this episode was recorded.

The Pointless Crew: Rachel Hamele (she/her/hers) – History, Humanities, Queer Studies, Fandoms Anna Wendorff (she/her/hers) – Communications, Rhetorics of Sci & Tech, Feminism Frank Fucile (he/him/his) – Lit & Theory, Film & Media, Genre, Enviro & Tech Studies

Some Recommendations: Behind the Police, a miniseries of Behind the Bastards. iHeartRadio, 16-30 June 2020.

The Breakfast Club “talks with Rush Limbaugh.” iHeartRadio, 1June 2020.

The Breakfast Club. “Do You Know Your White Privilege?” iHeartRadio, 2 June 2020.

Minion Death Cult. “This is a leftist movement towards creating a national police force…” 9 June 2020.

Minion Death Cult. “Get in the Zone.” 15 June 2020.

On the Media. “No Justice, No Peace.” WNYC, 5 June 2020.

On the Media. “It’s Going Down.” WNYC, 12 June 2020.

Pod Damn America. “All Bikes Are Shields.” 1 June 2020.

Popular Front. “Clashes Following the Murder of George Floyd.” 28 May 2020.

Trillbilly Worker’s Party, Ep 149. “One Million Realities.” 4 June 2020.

Trillbilly Worker’s Party, Ep 150. “Cop Dialectics.” 11 June 2020.

The Vast Majority. “Defund the Police.” Jacobin Radio, 9 June 2020.

What a Hell of a Way to Die. “Time to Pick a Side.” 3 June 2020.

Worst Year Ever. “Minneapolis Uprising: Updates from the Ground and Sky.” iHeartRadio, 1 June 2020.

Worst Year Ever. “What You Need to Know About the Minneapolis Protests.” iHeartRadio, 27 May 2020.

Worst Year Ever “talks Antifa with a Lawyer.” iHeartRadio, 23 June 2020.

Yo, Is This Racist? “Black Lives Matter – George Floyd Protests.” Earwolf, 2 June 2020.

Episode Notes

Episode 2: Three Jokers

Batman (film, 1989) The Dark Knight (film, 2008) Joker (film, 2019)

In Part II of our consideration of DC/Warner Bros movies, Anna complains about Christopher Nolan and stares into the void; Rachel mocks pointless rebellion and mindlessly performative fandom; Frank obsesses over various definitions of terrorism; we all agree Tim Burton’s Batman was the best effort of the franchise but appreciate all three versions of the Joker. Frank does a slightly better job editing and mixing.

The Pointless Crew: Anna Wendorff (she/her/hers) – Communications, Rhetorics of Sci & Tech, Feminism Rachel Hamele (she/her/hers) – History, Humanities, Queer Studies, Fandoms Frank Fucile (he/him/his) – Lit & Theory, Film & Media, Genre, Enviro & Tech Studies

Technical Point/Correction: Frank refers offhand to people who are “going to burn down a Target” in reference to the early phase of the Minneapolis rebellion. Later news reports clarified that the Target in question was looted rather than torched (unlike the 3rd Precinct). Keep in mind that most of this episode was recorded long before the riots and uprisings of the past three weeks, and the opening comments were added hastily during later recording sessions.

Works Cited for DC/WB Series, Parts I-II FILMS: Batman. Dir. Tim Burton, Perf. Jack Nicholson, Michael Keaton, Kim Basinger. Warner Bros, 1989.

Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn. Dir. Cathy Yan, Perf. Margot Robbie, Rosie Perez, Ewan McGregor. Warner Bros, 2020.

Black Panther. Dir. Ryan Coogler, Perf. Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan. Disney, 2018.

The Dark Knight. Dir. Christopher Nolan, Perf. Heath Ledger, Christian Bale, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Caine. Warner Bros, 2008.

Joker. Dir. Todd Phillips, Perf. Joaquin Phoenix, Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz. Warner Bros, 2019.

Starship Troopers. Dir. Paul Verhoeven, Perf. Casper Van Dien, Denise Richards, Neil Patrick Harris. TriStar, 1997.

Taxi Driver. Dir. Martin Scorsese, Perf. Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster, Harvey Keitel, Cybill Shepherd. Columbia, 1976.

Wonder Woman. Dir. Patty Jenkins, Perf. Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Elena Anaya. Warner Bros, 2017.

LITERATURE & THEORY: Apollinaire, Guillaume. “The Sighs of the Gunner from Dakar.” Calligrammes, Poems of Peace and War, trans. Anne Hyde Greet. UC Berkeley, 1980. pp. 178-183.

De Landa, Manuel. War in the Age of Intelligent Machines. Zone, 1991.

Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. Herland. Serialized in The Forerunner, 1915. Republished by Pantheon, 1979.

Horkheimer, Max & Theodor Adorno. The Dialectic of Enlightenment, ed. Gunzelin Schmid Noerr, trans. Edmund Jephcott. Stanford, 2002.

Medhurst, Andy. “Batman, Deviance, and Camp,” 1989. PDF available from vastal.waag.org.

Mulvey, Laura. “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema.” Screen, vol. 16, no. 3 (Autumn 1975), pp. 6-18.

Russ, Joanna. “When It Changed,” Again, Dangerous Visions, ed. Harlan Ellison. Doubleday, 1972.

Sloterdijk, Peter. Terror from the Air, trans. Amy Patton & Steve Corcoran. Semiotext(e), 2009.

Wertham, Fredric. Seduction of the Innocent: The Influence of Comic Books on Today’s Youth. Rinehart & Co, 1954.

FURTHER LISTENING: “The Bad Show,” Radiolab. WNYC. 27 July 2018.

“Beware the Joker,” Struggle Session, ep. 193. 6 Sept. 2019.

Evans, Robert. “Fritz Haber: The Man Who Invented Chemical Warfare,” Behind the Bastards, ep. 81. iHeartRadio, 29 Aug. 2019.

Goldman, Emma. Anarchism and Other Essays. LibreVox Recording. LoyalBooks.com.

Smith, Thomas & Jamie Lombardi. “A Joker Review,” Serious Inquiries Only, ep. 212. 10 Oct. 2019. SeriousPod.com.

MUSIC: The (International) Noise Conspiracy – “Last Century Promise” & “Dead Language of Love” from New Morning…Changing Weather (Burning Heart/Epitaph, 2001)

Refused – “It’s Not OK… / Crusader of Hopelessness” from Songs to Fan the Flames of Discontent (Victory/Burning Heart, 1996)

ART: Gustave Moreau, Helen at the Scaen Gate, oil on canvas (Paris, 1880s)

Wonder Woman, film still feat. Gal Gadot (Warner Bros, 2017)

Batman, film still feat. Jack Nicholson (Warner Bros, 1989)

Episode Notes

Episode 1: Wonder Woman / Birds of Prey

Wonder Woman (film, 2017) Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn (film, 2020)

In Part I of our consideration of DC/Warner Bros movies, Rachel rants against the culture industry; Anna ponders the aesthetics of destruction; Frank shoehorns in some history of military technology; we all agree Harley Quinn and Wonder Woman are badass but wonder if it’s even possible for Hollywood to make a feminist movie. Audio difficulties abound.

The Pointless Crew: Rachel Hamele (she/her/hers) – History, Humanities, Queer Studies, Fandoms Anna Wendorff (she/her/hers) – Communications, Rhetorics of Sci & Tech, Feminism Frank Fucile (he/him/his) – Lit & Theory, Film & Media, Genre, Enviro & Tech Studies

Technical Point/Correction: In his explanation of the use of combined lethal/nonlethal chemical weapons, Frank makes it sound like anyone who was exposed to chlorine or phosgene would automatically die. However, even lethal gasses don’t kill 100% of their victims, and the chemical weapons used during the First World War actually had very low kill rates, though they caused many casualties. The nerve gasses developed in the run up to the Second World War were far more lethal and were used as pesticides and in the Holocaust.

Works Cited for DC/WB Series, Parts I-II FILMS: Batman. Dir. Tim Burton, Perf. Jack Nicholson, Michael Keaton, Kim Basinger. Warner Bros, 1989.

Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn. Dir. Cathy Yan, Perf. Margot Robbie, Rosie Perez, Ewan McGregor. Warner Bros, 2020.

Black Panther. Dir. Ryan Coogler, Perf. Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan. Disney, 2018.

The Dark Knight. Dir. Christopher Nolan, Perf. Heath Ledger, Christian Bale, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Caine. Warner Bros, 2008.

Joker. Dir. Todd Phillips, Perf. Joaquin Phoenix, Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz. Warner Bros, 2019.

Starship Troopers. Dir. Paul Verhoeven, Perf. Casper Van Dien, Denise Richards, Neil Patrick Harris. TriStar, 1997.

Taxi Driver. Dir. Martin Scorsese, Perf. Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster, Harvey Keitel, Cybill Shepherd. Columbia, 1976.

Wonder Woman. Dir. Patty Jenkins, Perf. Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Elena Anaya. Warner Bros, 2017.

LITERATURE & THEORY: Apollinaire, Guillaume. “The Sighs of the Gunner from Dakar.” Calligrammes, Poems of Peace and War, trans. Anne Hyde Greet. UC Berkeley, 1980. pp. 178-183.

De Landa, Manuel. War in the Age of Intelligent Machines. Zone, 1991.

Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. Herland. Serialized in The Forerunner, 1915. Republished by Pantheon, 1979.

Horkheimer, Max & Theodor Adorno. The Dialectic of Enlightenment, ed. Gunzelin Schmid Noerr, trans. Edmund Jephcott. Stanford, 2002.

Medhurst, Andy. “Batman, Deviance, and Camp,” 1989. PDF available from vastal.waag.org.

Mulvey, Laura. “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema.” Screen, vol. 16, no. 3 (Autumn 1975), pp. 6-18.

Russ, Joanna. “When It Changed,” Again, Dangerous Visions, ed. Harlan Ellison. Doubleday, 1972.

Sloterdijk, Peter. Terror from the Air, trans. Amy Patton & Steve Corcoran. Semiotext(e), 2009.

Wertham, Fredric. Seduction of the Innocent: The Influence of Comic Books on Today’s Youth. Rinehart & Co, 1954.

FURTHER LISTENING: “The Bad Show,” Radiolab. WNYC. 27 July 2018.

“Beware the Joker,” Struggle Session, ep. 193. 6 Sept. 2019.

Evans, Robert. “Fritz Haber: The Man Who Invented Chemical Warfare,” Behind the Bastards, ep. 81. iHeartRadio, 29 Aug. 2019.

Goldman, Emma. Anarchism and Other Essays. LibreVox Recording. LoyalBooks.com.

Smith, Thomas & Jamie Lombardi. “A Joker Review,” Serious Inquiries Only, ep. 212. 10 Oct. 2019. SeriousPod.com.

MUSIC: The (International) Noise Conspiracy – “Last Century Promise” & “Dead Language of Love” from New Morning…Changing Weather (Burning Heart/Epitaph, 2001)

Refused – “It’s Not OK… / Crusader of Hopelessness” from Songs to Fan the Flames of Discontent (Victory/Burning Heart, 1996)

ART: Gustave Moreau, Helen at the Scaen Gate, oil on canvas (Paris, 1880s)

Wonder Woman, film still feat. Gal Gadot (Warner Bros, 2017)

Batman, film still feat. Jack Nicholson (Warner Bros, 1989)