Who needs women when you've got AI? That seems to be the position of AI porn providers who seem pretty confident of their feminist credentials. How could they not be when they're taking the messiness out of porn consumption. And while men are licking their lips over their fembot fantasy, female customers are enjoying committed relationships with AI partners. Welcome to love and sex in the 21st century!
Latest Episodes
This week's episode couldn't be simpler - it's an hour of Paul Thomas Anderson adulation. More specifically, it is sixty minutes dedicated to his new film, One Battle After Another. A propulsive story of revolution and retreat, of obsession and resignation, of manipulation and resistance.
In this episode, Dara is reflecting on the killing of the prominent Christian Right thought leader, Charlie Kirk. Hailed by his followers as their Martin Luther King Jr i.e. a spiritual martyr and presumably, man of peace, it seems irresponsible not to discuss the tensions and contradictions that arise from the comparison. Kirk's documented racism, homophobia, transphobia and misogyny seem to fly in the face of Christian values, but that is allegedly what he represented.
In this very straightforward episode, Dara marks the passing of Hollywood icon Robert Redford by revisiting his career as an actor and director. From his true arrival as a Hollywood A-lister in 1969's Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, all the way to his last leading role in The Old Man and the Gun (2018), Redford held the screen with an effortless charisma and presence, only enhanced by his matinee idol good looks.
Embattled by consecutive migraines, Dara is reckoning with a system under pressure. He attempts to own the state he's in while advocating for a deeper connection with what lies beneath all the turbulence. This line of enquiry leads to thoughts on observing a month's mind for Pepper, the family dog. A phrase used by the Venerable Bede in relation to that tradition inspired a new poem, which is shared.
In this episode, Dara is thinking about what comes next. Prompted by an article about Irish people signing up for their bodies to be preserved at death in the hope of waking up in the distant future, he finds himself perplexed by the desire to outlive a natural lifespan. While it is tempting to dismiss the participants as deluded fantasists, he recognises that something deeply anxious lurks beneath the aspirant futurism.
In this episode, Dara admits to being a bit exhausted after moving house for the fifth time since the pandemic. It is not the most fun he has ever had and the ongoing grief ripples over Pepper the dog are adding to the load. However, the glass is (probably) half-full and at least the nickname for the new home has come very quickly and easily.
In this episode Dara is reflecting on masculinity for a couple of reasons. One is the continuing aftershock of the death of Pepper the dog, the other is because of the continuing presentation of a narrow version of masculinity that seems somewhat inadequate for purpose.
In this episode Dara is stepping carefully as he negotiates a painfully recent family tragedy - the sudden death of Pepper, the beloved family dog. Still too soon to fully unpack the depth of his grief, he nonetheless attempts to convey Pepper's importance and unique brand of loveliness.
In this episode, Dara is looking at women's bits and how they continue to exert such a hold on so many onlookers, many with cash in hand, some holding other things. If the names Sydney Sweeney and Bonnie Blue are not instantly familiar to you, you have not been keeping abreast of things topical and pertinent this week. Sweeney is a Hollywood hot property who has made no bones about her need to make money to keep the show on the road. Blue is an English porn star who has just been the focus of a Channel 4 documentary following her facilitation of a jaw-dropping sex stunt.
About the Podcast
Welcome to the turbulence!
Join Dara Clear, a domesticated Irishman who is trying to work out the best ways to cope with what life throws at him.
Husband, father, actor, writer, teacher, karate instructor, and sea swimmer, Dara wants to take the wuss out of wellness.
Mixing storytelling, philosophy, humor, psychology, and emotional honesty as a recipe for increased wellness, positivity, and resilience.
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