What Would Gramsci Do (plus NBA drama) with book critic Jennifer Wilson

Hello from a Korean sublet! 

This week, our friend Jennifer Wilson joins us to discuss the art of cultural criticism and test out some takes on James Harden, Gramsci, and Russia. 

First, we discuss Boston Celtics coach Ime Udoka’s suspension and the ongoing fallout. What can fans’ reactions teach us about today’s top sports commentators and the proliferation of meme culture? 

Then, we glide seamlessly into a discussion of Italian communist Antonio Gramsci. Jen talks about furthering his mission to decode capitalist values in mass culture, and argues for the return of the true pan. We also explore the restraints of representation, the joy of grappling with stuff in messy ways, and what it means when POC content is a hit with privileged white audiences (the “Get Out” effect). Jen also discusses her Indian husband’s lack of interest in “Indian Matchmaking” and her interview with ​​”Luster” author Raven Leilani. 

Finally, Jen, a Ph.D.-holding Russianist, briefly discusses what she’s hearing about this stage of the war. 

We have a few fun events coming up for TTSG listeners and subscribers: 

This Saturday, October 1st: TTSG subscriber picnic in Seoul! Subscribe via Patreon or Substack to join our Discord and get the details. 

Thursday, October 13 (see below): A virtual talk on the U.S. military presence in Asia with Tammy in Korea, journalist and unionist Jonathan de Santos in the Philippines, and author Akemi Johnson (on Okinawa) in California. Register here! 

Thursday, December 1: TTSG LIVE with Hua Hsu, in NYC! The free RSVP will drop soon, but in the meantime, save the date.  

Also: Pre-order the paperback of Jay’s book, “The Loneliest Americans.” And as always, feel free to email us ([email protected]) and follow us on Twitter!

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