DeepSummary
The episode features an interview with Stephanie Monahan, a writer, illustrator, and socialist, discussing the concept of "gothic Marxism." Gothic Marxism is described as a framework that allows for examining the fantastical, irrational, and marginalized aspects of social relations and culture through a Marxist lens. The discussion covers topics such as how horror films reflect the political climate of their times, the idea of solidarity with "monsters" or those deemed monstrous by society, and the value of reclaiming discarded or marginalized cultural artifacts and practices.
Monahan provides examples of how gothic Marxism can be applied, such as analyzing ghost stories and conspiracy theories as reflections of people's alienation under capitalism. She also discusses specific works of horror literature and film that exemplify gothic Marxist themes, like "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" and its depiction of deindustrialization and abandonment of the working class. The conversation also touches on the radical potential of the horror genre as a transgressive space for exploring class relations and violence.
Throughout the episode, the hosts and guest explore how gothic Marxism offers a lens for understanding the irrational, affective, and seemingly fantastical elements of culture and society as inextricably tied to material conditions and class relations under capitalism. The framework is presented as a way to take these marginalized aspects seriously and find value in examining them as expressions of broader social and economic forces.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- Gothic Marxism is a framework for examining the fantastical, irrational, and marginalized aspects of culture and society through a Marxist lens.
- The horror genre holds radical potential as a transgressive space for exploring class relations, violence, and solidarity with societal "monsters."
- Cultural artifacts like ghost stories, conspiracy theories, and horror films can be interpreted as expressions of people's material conditions and alienation under capitalism.
- Taking seemingly irrational or discarded cultural phenomena seriously can provide insight into the ways history, trauma, and class struggle manifest in society.
- Horror films in particular often reflect the political climate and anxieties of their historical moment through metaphor and allegory.
- Works of horror and the supernatural allow for envisioning alternatives to the capitalist status quo by making space for the fantastic.
- Gothic Marxism recognizes the irrationality and affect that pervades human behavior and social processes beyond just material needs.
- The framework encourages reclaiming marginalized cultural practices and analyzing them as potential sites of resistance against capitalist alienation.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “Finding solidarity with the monsters, I think, is a useful tool for us and is something that emerges over and over again, especially in the genre of horror, which I'm sure we'll talk more about later. But this is a perpetual theme that's running throughout the gothic and gothic Marxism.“ by Stephanie Monahan
- “Horror is the people's genre and it's the pro genre in a, in a few ways. And I think, you know, it's been said over and over again by film writers and people who write about horror film in particular, that it's, it's the genre that always, it reflects our historical moment back at us.“ by Stephanie Monahan
- “I think as a genre, what horror allows creators to do is transgress more than any other form that I know of. So I think if you have the baseline of, of a genre just being a transgressive space, it's just not, it's not conservative as a form in the same way as other things.“ by Stephanie Monahan
- “Even though that there is this sort of, you know, somewhat cathartic but problematic women empowerment, seeking revenge on your rapist element to the movies that I do find cathartic and enjoyable, even if I have problems with it. This is a movie that is, you know, directed by a woman that takes that idea and does some really interesting things with it.“ by Stephanie Monahan
Entities
Movie
Podcast
Person
Book
Website
Episode Information
Season of the Bitch
Season of the Bitch
10/9/20