This episode is as on the nose as a John Lee Hancock film! No ambiguity, no grey areas, it’s a celebration of the career of Emma Thompson. After recently rewatching 1995’s Sense and Sensibility, Dara was reminded of how much he has always admired Thompson and her work. So he decided to dedicate an hour to her (almost) entire filmography.
It’s Emma Thompson, Stupid! (She’s a Dame, Don’t You Know…) – Episode 214 Read More »
This week’s episode is all about men and their flawed humanity. Reflecting on his childhood and adolescence, Dara is struck by the fact that he cannot identify a single serious, or substantial man. He wonders if this is a reflection of his unrealistic idealism or whether it is an indication that men embrace a certain model of infantilisation that is tantamount to self-sabotage.
The Assumption of Imperfection, or Where Are the Serious Men? – Episode 213 Read More »
In this episode, Dara has historical wrongs on his mind. He went to see In Plain Sight at the weekend, a striking and confronting piece of site-specific documentary theatre that addressed the history and legacy of the Mother and Baby homes in 20th century Ireland. He watched it with his wife and with his sister, who was born in one of the homes featured in the work. To say it was a powerful experience would be a gross understatement.
Out of Sight, Out of Mind – The Cruelty and Arrogance of Power – Episode 212 Read More »
In this episode, Dara picks up a point from last week and wonders if we can simultaneously be and not be our thoughts and emotions. He asks of what use our emotions are to others. Are we just being self-indulgent when we unload on others or is there room for more self-regulation? He also offers a way into better understanding relational estrangements and resentments.
I Am Not my Thoughts and Emotions! Or Maybe That’s All I Am? – Episode 211 Read More »
In this episode Dara is trying to disembed some of his thinking in an attempt to do better. The well-worn pathways in his brain contribute to narratives that he can’t stop regurgitating and which are no longer serving him. Time for change – but that’s easier said than done.
In this episode, Dara is concerned about egos getting out of control, and he has two specific case studies in mind – one playing out presently in the Middle East, and one that played out a long time ago on a little Japanese island.
Stop Laughing at Me, I’m a Very Important Person! – Episode 209 Read More »
Dara kicks off this episode celebrating the extraordinary story of Tina Turner and how she overcame the worst adversity to reinvent herself as an iconic figure of 80s and 90s popular music. Having recently seen the astonishing stage musical based on her life, he has renewed enthusiasm for Tina’s inspirational girl power narrative.
The Intimacy of Male Connection, or What Do Men Need to Talk? – Episode 208 Read More »
In this week’s show, Dara talks about his experience of fatherhood and his ever-evolving relationship with his daughter. He continues to fall at the same hurdle on a regular basis – will he, or can he change? He shares a personal father moment that made him cry and wonders why it can be so difficult to cry for oneself.
Fathers’ Day Episode – Stopping the Rot and Staying in the Lovelight – Episode 207 Read More »
This episode has something for everyone. Dara kicks off with an acknowledgement of the show’s 4th birthday before breaking down his fandom of Tottenham Hotspur in the wake of their recent Europa League triumph – the trophy monkey is finally off the collective backs of long-suffering Spurs fans. Thanks be to the Gods of Football!
Monkey? What Monkey? – Catharsis, Fandom, and the Owning of Self – Episode 206 Read More »
In this week’s episode, Dara reviews Ryan Coogler’s rip roaring ‘Sinners’, a movie that defies easy categorisation but is infused with the director’s characteristic heart, immersive world-building, and brilliant lead performances. Of particular delight was a thread of Irishness that leant the movie an unexpected and resonant depth. There’s also an Irish connection to the movie that Dara recommends as a double bill partner for ‘Sinners’.
‘Sinners’ and ‘Moonstruck’ – Movie Pleasures of the Old and New School – Episode 205 Read More »
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