Art History. Surrealism, Absurdism and Postmodernism
Summary
Blindboy reflects on the podcast’s nine-year anniversary and the industry’s forced pivot to video, arguing that apps prioritize video data for AI training over listeners’ preference for audio. He discusses the premiere of his play "Animals" at the Abbey Theatre, which received polarized reviews, and defends the work against a critic who misidentified Flann O’Brien and André Breton as surrealists. The episode also covers the impact of the pandemic on podcasting and the value of taking creative risks despite negative reception.
Topics discussed
Sponsor: Citizens Bank cash bonus offer
Reflections on approaching 500 episodes and 9 years
The rise of video podcasts and app-driven changes
AI data harvesting and the loss of text-based social media
Why audio podcasts are superior and streamer economics
Editing flexibility in audio vs. video continuity
Surviving the celebrity podcast flood of the 2010s
Promoting 'View From A Bridge' and feeling old
The play 'Animals' at the Abbey Theatre and its origins
Impact of a devastating review and advice from Johnny Marr
The necessity of risk and polarized artistic responses
Listener funding model and upcoming live tour dates
Sponsors: Midi, Pacific Life, Zyn, and Whole Foods
Critiquing the critic: background and authority issues
Deconstructing the reference to Andre Breton and Surrealism
Flann O'Brien as a postmodernist and hip-hop influence
Absurdism, Beckett, and the nature of the podcast format
Neurodivergence, autism, and the solemnity of theatre
Permanent records, audience response, and final thoughts
Sponsor: Katie Couric's Next Question podcast
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