Ever felt like the odd one out? As if
you're the one whose views and opinions are wholly at odds with
the
people around you?
That's the position the guest on Lea
Thau's show Strangers found herself in – a liberal in a community
of Republicans, but the outcome was very different from what you
might expect.
The anonymous guest is a teacher who
was going through the process of trying to secure tenure at a US
school and in her daytime job, she found herself surrounded by
people
of a generally similar outlook on life, but felt utterly isolated
and
unvalued. Where others were acknowledged by their titles, such as
professor, she was always referred to by her first name, making
her
feel as if she wasn't taken seriously. More than that, there's an
emphasis on publishing work in that environment, which is
something
she struggled with.
She found her escape, strangely, in a
computer game, an online strategy game where she found herself
part
of a community who, for the first time, valued her. Except this
was a
community with a heavily right-wing leaning, and the guest found
it
amazing how accepted she was despite her opposing political
beliefs.
The host handles this well, even as
all
her own expectations of where the story is going are confounded.
She
thinks this is going to be a story of someone disappearing down
the
rabbit hole because of gaming, losing connection with the real
world
and finding her work foundering. But that's not what happens.
Instead, the guest reveals how the acceptance helped her, how she
published in respected outlets, and how, in turn, she found
herself
finding the acceptance she discovered in the game eventually in
the
real world.
The show focuses on the political
divide – but there's something more here, about how we set aside
such beliefs when we make a personal connection, and what is of
more
value to us as people.
The Thinking Atheist
The idea of two different belief sets
rubbing against one another can be found in The Thinking Atheist
podcast too – but in a very interesting way.
Host Seth Andrews is a former
Christian
broadcaster and believer for 30 years – but now he has become host
of a regular show from an atheist perspective.
He says he “escaped the bonds of
superstitious thinking to embrace the more satisfying explanations
that science provides”.
His most recent show looks at
religious
exemption with regard to medical treatment – and he cites cases of
children denied medical treatment because parents turned to faith
and
not doctors.
Along with guest Rita Swan, of Child
Inc, they host a compelling discussion of what should be done in
these cases – and how children can be protected. As a debate,
though, it feels as if there's only one side represented and while
I
wholeheartedly agree with their stance, I wanted to hear the other
voices in the discussion, I wanted to hear the full width of
views.
The cases they highlighted couldn't possibly have a justification
–
but still, it felt like hearing only one side of the story.
It's a good show, though, full of
challenging ideas – and occasional diversions through other
provocative ideas.
The Truth
Lastly, a bit of whimsy – The Truth
is just a good bit of fun. They describe themselves as making
“movies
for your ears: short stories that are sometimes dark, sometimes
funny, and always intriguing.”
The shows are short and sweet – the
latest lasting just half an hour and containing two different
stories, one reimagining dating as a video game and the other
titled
The Big Prawn about a girl's obsession with... yes... a big prawn.
Light and fun, it's the ideal kind of show to listen to while you
cook dinner. Just steer clear of the prawns.
Website:
http://www.thetruthpodcast.com/
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