In this episode, Dara wants to know what vulnerability looks like. He talks about his own sense of feeling vulnerable at this time in his life and tries to contextualise that feeling in terms of age, time spent, and time left. He also reflects on fear, threat identification, and the conviction that one can be ‘got’.
Having started watching the provocative 2019 series Euphoria, Dara recognises that spending time in the company of beautiful young people doesn’t do much for his sense of vitality and relevance, but he has a lot of time for the central performance of Zendaya. In spite of her excellence, he wonders about the next generation of Hollywood actors and whether they’re all that.
Responding to the scenes of debauchery played out in Euphoria, Dara thinks about parenting fears and what dangers lie in wait for his daughter a few years from now. He shares his approach to preparing for those threats and hopes he isn’t kidding himself. He also mentions a recent viewing experience with his daughter that was less than perfect.
At the end of the episode, Dara reads something he has just written in response to a very enjoyable photoshoot he took part in with the excellent Sharon Smith. Sometimes, things just work out beautifully.
Find Sharon’s work here: https://hippyandbloom.ie/