In this episode, Dara reflects on some Jewish insights into the Israel-Palestine conflict which he found both helpful and inspiring. He posits that in the act of dehumanising Palestinians, Israel ends up dehumanising itself, which is its own kind of tragedy.
In this episode Dara reveals that he is unaccustomed to the comfort of pajamas. This fact is relevant to a very recent late-night incident that he shares. That same incident concluded with an inherent contradiction relating to the presence of both love and rejection.
Don’t Turn Off the Lights! or, Have You Made Room for Romance? – Episode 129 Read More »
In this cultural episode, Dara is in awe of two recent Shakespearean recitations he caught on small screens, delivered fifty years apart in almost identical settings by two masters of the form. He makes an effort of his own and is embarrassed by the resulting evidence of his lesser skill.
Killers of the Flower Moon – a Haunting Tale of White Evil – Episode 128 Read More »
In this episode, Dara is exercised by the things we don’t say. Why is it so difficult to express how we really feel to those we have known longest? Why do we communicate so tangentially and clumsily? What intricate layering process happens to put truth so far out of easy reach?
Getting the Words Out, or The Things We Find Impossible to Say – Episode 127 Read More »
In this pendulum swing of an episode, Dara is dancing between joy and pain. It is a journey that takes him from Ireland’s expulsion from the Rugby World Cup last week to the birth of his daughter 10 years ago.
In this episode Dara looks at dynamics of giving and receiving in relationships. He argues that having a true exchange with someone is impossible unless that dynamic is present and healthy.
The Receptive Mind and Men Who Don’t Talk – Episode 125 Read More »
In this episode Dara is agitated by an interview with a US politician that he has just listened to. He is frustrated by the public representative’s combativeness and disingenuous line of argument. He wonders why politicians are so incapable of being honest.
Sins of Omission, or Whose Stories Don’t Get Told? – Episode 124 Read More »
In this episode Dara is looking into the void and trying not to feel frightened. Thinking about the construction of identity and personality, he is curious about how comfortable or not we are with what lies beneath. He asks if you can handle being left alone with yourself.
A Hat is Not a Personality, or The Fear of Not Being There – Episode 123 Read More »
In this episode, Dara goes on a deep dive into Peter Ustinov’s 1962 film of Herman Melville’s Billy Budd. He recalls being struck by Terence Stamp’s remarkable performance and beauty when he first saw it over 25 years ago. A naval setting provides the battleground for innocence vs evil, but what was most memorable to Dara was the gay subtext and the grim denouement that it provoked.
Billy Budd, Russell Brand, and the Dark Corners of Male Desire – Episode 122 Read More »
In this episode, Dara argues that in the process of ‘othering’, many are guilty of thinking only in monolithic terms, i.e. attributing unchanging characteristics to all members of the othered party. This reduces people to stereotypes and cliches, and robs them of both their individuality and the presumption of no bias. He wonders if this isn’t a huge part of the problem with discourse around identity politics, woke culture and gender wars.
Why You Shouldn’t Bring an Axe to a Party, or How to Sit Down with Others – Episode 121 Read More »
Copyright © 2024 The ClearOut, All rights reserved.