logo
episode-header-image
Jul 2024
1h 30m

Episode 288: The Despised Foot (The Deni...

Tamler Sommers & David Pizarro
About this episode

David and Tamler conclude their discussion of Ernest Becker's The Denial of Death. We talk about Becker's philosophy of science (does he have one?), his sweeping explanations for strongman leaders, neuroses, mental illness, sexual fetishes, and the refreshing absence
of an answer or resolution to the existential paradox at the heart of being human. Plus, a special Pod Save the Wizards intro - we have a political gabfest about Biden, the infamous debate, Kamala Harris, and more…

The Denial of Death by Ernest Becker [amazon.com affiliate link]

The Denial of Death [wikipedia.org]

Let us know where we should hold our 300th episode listener meet-up [surveymonkey.com]

Up next
Nov 11
Episode 320: Forgive Me (Kafka's "A Hunger Artist")
David and Tamler return to one of their favorites, Frans Kafka, this time on his beautiful and distressing short story "The Hunger Artist," a story that brims with metaphorical possibilities but also implores us to accept it on its own mysterious terms. Plus gooning. The Goon Squ ... Show More
1h 29m
Oct 28
Episode 319: The Shadow of the Object (Freud's "Mourning and Melancholia")
David and Tamler transfer their libidinal energy to Freud's 1917 article "Mourning and Melancholia," in which he tries to understand what's going on with depression, attempts to distinguish it from normal grief, and arrives at some ideas that laid the groundwork for his later the ... Show More
1h 35m
Oct 14
Episode 318: A PTA Meeting
David and Tamler share some brief thoughts about Paul Thomas Anderson's latest masterpiece One Battle After Another before going deep on his most underrated movie Inherent Vice. We explore the many connections between the two movies - Pynchon adaptations, shadowy forces, snitches ... Show More
1h 48m
Recommended Episodes
Dec 2024
The Edge of Death: Exploring Mortality w/ Sebastian Junger
Rainn Wilson sits down with acclaimed journalist, author, and war correspondent Sebastian Junger to discuss his harrowing near-death experience, the mysteries of consciousness, and the human connection to mortality. Sebastian recounts his brush with death caused by a ruptured ane ... Show More
1h 25m
Jul 2024
SHORT SESSIONS: Carol & the End of the World
Alright, we’re trying something different, a brand new monthly – or thereabouts – PATREON series on the podcast called SHORT SESSIONS…This week we're talking disaster films and the 2024 Netflix American adult animated apocalyptic comedy drama Carol & The End of the World. Is it s ... Show More
33m 48s
Mar 2022
Near-Death Experiences and the Afterlife with Gregory Shushan
<p>Gregory Shushan, PhD, is the leading authority on near-death &nbsp;experiences and the afterlife across cultures and throughout history. He &nbsp;is the author of Near-Death Experience in Indigenous Religions, &nbsp;Conceptions of the Afterlife in Early Civilizations, and The ... Show More
1h 22m
Aug 2024
Ep. 257 – Perspectives on Death
<p><strong>How can we learn to live by changing our relationship to death? Ram Dass addresses the staff at a hospital and shares his vast perspectives on death, not getting caught in the drama of dying, and dealing with burnout.</strong></p><p>Ram Dass Here &amp; Now is brought t ... Show More
39m 5s
Nov 2024
Building Bridges, Not Walls: Tim Shriver on Dignity that Transcends Disagreements
Let’s be honest: there are seasons in life when things feel heavy and hard and the thought of breaking through the noise and negativity seems impossible. But with a little retooling of perspective, you can shift the conversation to one that is more productive and more hope-filled ... Show More
1h 1m
Mar 2025
Episode #225 ... Albert Camus - The Plague
We look at Albert Camus' The Plague. We talk about a common misreading from the Myth of Sisyphus. We talk about different cycles of his work from his earlier individual confrontation with the absurd to a more community focus. We talk about solidarity. Absurd heroes. Empathy and m ... Show More
30m 7s
May 2025
#415 — The Cover-Up
<p dir="ltr">Sam Harris speaks with Jake Tapper about Jake's new book (with Alex Thompson), <em><a href= "https://amzn.to/3Fe9kOw">Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again</a></em>. They discuss how the mainstream media failed ... Show More
24m 14s
Nov 2024
Sam Harris's "The End of Faith"
<p>Peter and Michael discuss the book that launched the phenomenon of New Atheism and asked the question: What if we hated Muslims, but in a secular way?</p><p><b>Where to find us: </b></p><ul><li><a href='https://www.fivefourpod.com/'>Peter&apos;s other podcast, 5-4</a></li><li> ... Show More
1h 9m
Oct 2022
Surviving Narcissism and a Murder in Mansfield with Dr. Dennis Marikis - Re-Broadcast
In this episode of Moving Past Murder, Collier is joined by Dr. Dennis Marikis, who served as his psychologist in the aftermath of his mother's murder and was featured in the documentary "A Murder in Mansfield". They discuss the challenges of the foster care system, Collier's res ... Show More
1h 14m
Nov 2024
408 Joe Rogan Experience Review of JD Vance Et al.
<p>Useful links to books related to the episodes:</p> <p><strong>Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by JD Vance</strong></p> <p><strong><a href= "https://amzn.to/48ztT22">https://amzn.to/48ztT22</a> (Amazon)</strong></p> <ul> <li> <p>Explores Vance's earl ... Show More
47m 28s