Show Notes
Why are powerful people so concerned with what artists can and can’t say? Talia Schlanger sits down with comedian and free speech advocate Judy Gold to discuss censorship, comedy, and why attacks on artistic expression should concern everyone. Judy shares stories from her book “Yes, I Can Say That: When They Come for the Comedians, We Are All in Trouble.” She also reflects on what she learned working on The Rosie O’Donnell Show in the late 90s, and what it’s been like at this moment in history to feel abandoned by some of the communities she’s marched alongside.
And for Article Club, author and cultural critic Isaac Butler tells Talia about his piece “How 2 Live Crew Won the Right to Be As Nasty As They Wanna Be” for Slate Magazine, which details the very first time in US history that an album was deemed obscene by the courts. Isaac explores the long history of rap music being censored and what those efforts reveal about power, politics, and culture. Isaac’s article is adapted from his new book “The Perfect Moment: God, Sex, Art, and the Birth of America's Culture Wars.”
More from That Said with Talia Schlanger
Why are some of the world’s biggest boy bands choosing not to enter the Grammy Awards' new category for "Best Asian Pop Music Performance"? This week on That Said, Talia Schlanger explores K-pop’s global success, the artists who helped build it, and the debate over how that success is recognized.
This week, Talia Schlanger speaks with journalist and author Kathryn Jezer-Morton about her new book, The Story of Your Life: How Social Media Shapes the Way We Experience Everything. From the carefully constructed versions of ourselves we share online to the endless scroll that can leave us feeling inadequate, Kathryn examines how social media has changed the way we experience identity, comparison, and everyday life.
What do fathers pass down to their children—and what does it take to break the patterns we inherit?
A decade after The Tragically Hip's unforgettable final concert with Gord Downie, Rob Baker and Paul Langlois look back on one of the most emotional moments in Canadian music history. Freshly inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, the band's longtime guitarists reflect on saying goodbye to their friend and bandmate Gord, the pressure and purpose of that final tour, and the enduring mystery of Gord's songwriting.
What does Survivor reveal about human nature — and what happens when reality TV becomes more real than we expect?