Podcast Archives - Page 18 of 20

Walking in the Shadow and Keeping her Light – Episode 21

In this episode Dara stays firmly in mental health territory and discusses at length our fear of the dark side of ourselves. He talks about the unexpressed and the uncomfortable and argues for disciplined, non-hysterical acceptance of the parts of ourselves that make us turn away.

Big Bad Daddies! From Tony Soprano to My Father in Several Easy Steps – Episode 20

In this episode Dara explores the American father as captured in TV sensations The Sopranos and Breaking Bad. He also looks at Arthur Miller's theatre masterworks Death of a Salesman and All My Sons before briefly visiting old Hollywood depictions of idealised fathers, both with and without collars!

The Thrum of the Machine, or The Beautiful Irreducibility of Character – Episode 19

In this episode Dara explores the concept of character and how its uncovering might lie at the heart of true strength, happiness and resilience. He places it in firm counterpoint to the litany of reductive names, labels and titles and other identifiers we have put on us. That prompts a reflection on the tyranny of the word 'Mother'.

Such big feelings!, or Learning masculinity from the movies – Episode 18

In this episode Dara asks the question - what movies really do it for you? Before giving his own answer, he explores the types of masculinity that he has been attracted to on the big screen since he was a child. From the days of Spencer Tracy, through the Star Wars and Indiana Jones era, to the modern emotional landscape of 'men's movies', he covers a lot of ground and a lot of movies that all capture a certain type of bruised masculinity.

If I can’t get love, I’ll take acceptance – Episode 17

In this episode, Dara reflects on body image and the objectification and commodification of female beauty and sexuality. He discusses the sexist rhetoric and dynamics that he has always found pervasive among many of the men he has known. Along the way, he revisits his own introduction back in the day to the sexualised female iconography of Playboy magazine.

The weight of expectations and accepting loss of control – Episode 16

In this episode, Dara gets stuck into expectations and how imposing they can be if they are too rigid. He draws a connection between unmet expectations and the loss of control, and the anger that results from that.

The travellator express to nowhere, or Put down that cereal, old man! – Episode 15

In this episode Dara touches on sugar consumption and gut health and warns of the danger of big lunches if your afternoons are going to be demanding. He talks about using social media to promote his stuff and realises he can barely remember how his points of view evolved, which leads to him confessing an inability to retain information.

The nostalgia shark is coming for my squirrels! – Episode 14

In this episode Dara walks the corridors of nostalgia and explores the underpinning emotion that informs that longing for the past. The journey takes him to the movies of his childhood and starts him thinking about when childhood ends and adulthood begins.

Conflict and the Place Where You Live – Episode 13

In this episode, following some thoughts on Afghanistan and the Taliban, Dara reflects on conflict in his own life and looks particularly closely at his marriage and the diverging paths that have emerged there.

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Latest Episodes

Walking in the Shadow and Keeping her Light – Episode 21

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Big Bad Daddies! From Tony Soprano to My Father in Several Easy Steps – Episode 20

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The Thrum of the Machine, or The Beautiful Irreducibility of Character – Episode 19

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Such big feelings!, or Learning masculinity from the movies – Episode 18

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If I can’t get love, I’ll take acceptance – Episode 17

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The weight of expectations and accepting loss of control – Episode 16

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The travellator express to nowhere, or Put down that cereal, old man! – Episode 15

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The nostalgia shark is coming for my squirrels! – Episode 14

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Conflict and the Place Where You Live – Episode 13

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Why De Niro is a gangster, not a lover or The case for greatness – Episode 12

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