New Thoughts Podcast
The N*ew* Thoughts Podcast is ready for your ears! It's about the ew in the new. The cast explores why we both do and do not want (to) change.
Articles for author: twhoshaw
April 29, 2025
Gender Politics & the Indoctrination of Boys
Democrats fight to secure and defend a boy's right to become a man who desires like a woman/mother. That's the maternal politics we need.
Does the resurrection of the dead make sense?
The resurrection makes sense as an expression of sentient animal desire for uninterrupted thriving.
On (the Reign of) Insignificant Speech
Thomas Hobbes is rolling over in his grave. Today, insignificant speech--a train of meaningless words--reigns supreme. And we enjoy it. Why?
In Praise of the Superficial
Getting or going deep may make you a fascist. White Lotus (Season 3) encourages us to celebrate and enjoy superficial pleasures.
March 31, 2025
Jesus Lacked the Rights of a Citizen
Caravaggio's *Ecce Homo,* misattributed and nearly sold for €1,500, was rediscovered and eventually auctioned for €30 million. Caravaggio depicts Pilate as conflicted. He asks the crowd, "Are you sure you want Jesus killed?" As one without the rights of a citizen, Jesus's fate is once again in our hands.
March 26, 2025
Fixated on Masculinity
In episode 3 of Netflix's "Adolescence," Jamie Miller, accused of murder, meets psychologist Briony Ariston, who takes extra time to assess him, realizing he cannot accept his actions. The episode highlights the complexities of social media's influence and parental responsibility, questioning societal narratives around victimization and empathy.
March 24, 2025
What is a “cute Asian girl”? On Desire & Love in Real Life
Sam Rockwell’s monologue on White Lotus: Season 3 (E6), wherein he plays a mercenary named Frank, is a beautiful, surprising, and captivating moment. Why? What is it about? Love.
March 5, 2025
Ash Wednesday & the Animal Body
This reflection on Ash Wednesday juxtaposes the solemnity of receiving ashes with the harsh realities of animal death and decay, evoked by images of animal bodies. It challenges the readers to confront their animal vulnerability. It concludes with a recommended practice that contemplates Carolee Schneemann's Meat Joy.
March 4, 2025
AI and Miracles: On Protestant & Catholic Turtles
Jessica Riskin's essay, "Turtles All the Way Up," examines free will versus determinism in and through a critical review of Robert Sapolsky's book, *Determined: A Science of Life Without Free Will* (2023). She links determinism to Christian theology. The 2024 film *Conclave* parallels this discourse through characters and symbolism, particularly using turtles to represent agency, transformation, and the potential for surprise within material reality.
