Stereoactive Media

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Channel • 5 Shows

Music Interviews

Music Interviews

Updated Sep 8
Comedy

Comedy

Updated Weekly
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Society & Culture

Updated Mar 24
Film History

Film History

Updated 03/07/2024
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Health & Fitness

Updated 08/17/2021

SEP 8

Book Club, Vol. 3: ‘Here in the (Middle) of Nowhere’ by Anastacia-Reneé

Nikkiesha McLeod is joined by Iman Carter and Christopher Silverberg to discuss author Anastacia-Reneé’s ‘Here in the (Middle) of Nowhere,’ a bold hybrid collection of poetry, flash fiction, and Afrofuturism sci-fi. === Iman and Christopher are participants, along with Nikkie, in writing workshops organized by Cave Canem, a nonprofit organization committed to cultivating the artistic and professional growth of Black poets. Visit https://cavecanempoets.org/ for more information on the organization. === ABOUT ‘HERE IN THE (MIDDLE) OF NOWHERE:’ The book explores what happens when god is a Black woman in a town. What happens when there are multiple universes in the middle of nowhere? What if in each universe there reigned other Black woman gods? One million versions of god, and one million saints to watch over us? And what if this Black woman god were placed here on earth? These are just a few of the questions Anastacia-Reneé asks in this daring and mind-bending hybrid collection. Hers is a universe of striking variety—monsters, nontraditional saints, witches, zombies, the couple in the apartment next door, the wise elders from down the block, and gods watching over us all—as well as community and connectedness. With a prose storyline and characters that connect through family, time, and place, Anastacia-Reneé paints world(s) rich with wonder and the paranormal as she peers into the lives of everyday people and spectacular creatures inhabiting not just our neighborhoods, but other dimensions. ‘Here in the (Middle) of Nowhere’ is about interstellar ancestry, community and spirituality. It is about the things we invoke, conjure, and rely on to maintain joy as we keep it moving through difficult eras. Anastacia-Reneé’s power imbues her spellbinding storytelling with lovingly rendered characters brought to life in lyrical poetry. She builds worlds within worlds and dares us to fully see and love ourselves in all our complexity. Get the book at https://www.harpercollins.com/products/here-in-the-middle-of-nowhere-anastacia-renee - Produced and hosted by Nikkiesha McLeod - Produced and edited by Jeremiah Lee McVay - Released and distributed by Stereoactive Media

Sep 8

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1 hr
05/04/2023

Ep 15 // Tucker Carlson: The Truth is a Terrible Business Model

Fox News recently settled their lawsuit with Dominion Voting Systems for nearly $800 million, then fired Tucker Carlson. But let’s face it: Fox is unlikely to change its ways and will probably just install another Tucker-like cog in their machine. And will that new cog actually be that different? Why would you take a nuanced, middle-of-the-road stance when you see all your edgy, hot-taking peers gaming the algorithm with a bunch of bullsh*t? Produced by Stereoactive Media

05/04/2023

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16 min
AUG 7

Ep 2.6 - Vahn Black

Host Nikkiesha McLeod dives into an enlightening discussion with Vahn Black, a multifaceted vocalist, producer, and memory worker whose artistic journey reflects a rich tapestry of musical influences and personal identity. The conversation covers everything from the current sociopolitical climate to the intricate process of musical creation. Vahn shares her personal journey of emotional resilience, drawing strength from the historical context of jazz music as a source of defiance and solace. This leads to a broader discussion about the intersection of art and social justice, illustrating how Vahn’s creative expression is both a personal and collective act of resistance. Vahn elaborates on the importance of joy as an integral part of that resistance, allowing music to act as a refuge amidst adversity. The episode provides a glimpse into Vahn’s early inspirations and musical pedigree, notably how her upbringing in Detroit—a city vibrant with musical history—shaped her artistic path. Vahn recounts the pivot point in her life when she realized music could be a profession and the transformative journey she undertook in her music education. She reflects on how attending the Detroit School of Arts solidified her passion for music, leading to an exploration of various instruments including guitar, bass, and baritone ukulele. She reveals the intricacies of how she develops her music—ranging from initial ideas captured in voice memos to elaborate arrangements. Vahn’s storytelling often reflects personal experiences intertwined with wider socio-cultural themes, with the aim of representing underrepresented narratives in music. In particular, Vahn shares about their decision to create a trilogy inspired by Gladys Bentley, a black lesbian drag king from the Harlem Renaissance, detailing how their story has profoundly resonated with Vahn’s own reflections on gender fluidity and identity. - Produced and hosted by Nikkiesha McLeod - Produced and edited by Jeremiah Lee McVay - Released and distributed by Stereoactive Media === Support the artist: https://www.vahnblack.com https://www.vahnblack.bandcamp.com/ https://www.soundcloud.com/vahnblack https://www.youtube.com/@thevahnblack https://www.instagram.com/vahnblack https://open.spotify.com/artist/4RzNMvH3WP11GHpgqWjRw7 https://tidal.com/browse/artist/37015224

Aug 7

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1h 14m
08/03/2022

Ep 4.4 // Persona

It’s Mia’s 4th pick: Persona, the 1966 film directed by Ingmar Bergman. Persona is a film that is open to much interpretation about its themes, meaning, and maybe even its plot. In the most basic way, it’s the story of a well known Swedish actress who suffers an emotional shutdown and is put in a hospital. It’s explained that there is nothing wrong with her either mentally or physically, but she is completely unwilling to move or speak. A nurse is assigned to her, but a lack of any progress soon leads the attending doctor to send the actress, with her nurse, to a seaside cottage. With the actress still not speaking, but beginning to otherwise take part in life, the nurse finds a willing set of ears to spill her thoughts and secrets to. This eventually leads to a seeming betrayal of confidence. Meanwhile, both for the nurse and for the audience, the identities of the women become increasingly blurred. Persona was Ingmar Bergman’s 27th film as a director and was released 20 years after his first. It also came about a decade after The Seventh Seal firmly established him as a well-known name of world cinema. The experimental opening moments of the film effectively set up an experience that is harder to pin down than other, more mainstream films. Discussion and debate about how to interpret Persona tend to follow several different lines, from identity, gender, and sexuality to Jungian psychology, art, and even vampirism. For our purposes, Persona only appeared in the top 10 of Sight & Sound’s critics poll once, in 1972, when it was ranked 5th. In 2012, it was tied with The Seventh Samurai at number 17 on the wider critics poll, and it was ranked number 13 on the directors poll. Produced by Stereoactive Media

08/03/2022

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1h 6m
09/16/2024

Caring About Reproductive Health vs. Believing Immigrants Eat Pets // a politics discussion

Jeremiah and Joe discuss the evolving 2024 election landscape, reviewing key events like the Democratic National Convention, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s endorsement of Trump, and the Harris-Trump debate, analyzing their potential impact on voter sentiment. Joe shares his fatigue and mixed feelings on the campaign’s warped timeline, following President Biden's dropping out and VP Harris dropping in. They also delve into the debate performances, particularly Harris's assertiveness and Trump’s controversial moments, and discuss the importance of moderators in upholding journalistic standards such as, you know, fact-checking. As we near the election on November 5th, they reflect on the unpredictable nature of the race and the significance of the upcoming VP debate and whether there may be any further Presidential debates. === 0:00 - Introduction to the 2024 Election 1:28 - Overarching Thoughts on the Race 4:34 - Impact of the Democratic National Convention 6:57 - Harris's Campaign Strategy 11:54 - The Big Tent Democratic Party 17:24 - Analysis of the Recent Debate 32:14 - Fact-Checking and Moderator Dynamics 47:10 - Importance of Vice Presidential Debates 49:58 - Conclusion and Final Thoughts === Episode Credits: Producer/Host - J. McVay Guests - Joe Virgillito Music - Hansdale Hsu Produced by Stereoactive Media

09/16/2024

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52 min
04/05/2021

Ep 1.6 // Rashomon

It’s Jeremiah’s pick… ‘Rashomon,’ the 1950 film by Akira Kurosawa, the premise of which has been emulated often over the decades. The film has appeared twice on Sight & Sound magazine’s decennial poll of the “greatest films” as voted on by directors – #10 in 1992 and #9 in 2002. 00:00 - Intro + the last good movies we saw09:14 - About the show / expectations for ‘Rashomon’12:48 - About the film / open discussion55:15 - Favorite scenes or moments / the test of time / influence or relevance today59:28 - Bonus question: Which international/non-English language film is either your favorite or first made you want to explore more from that country or region?55:59 - Next week on Stereoactive Movie Club… / OutroProduced by Stereoactive Media

04/05/2021

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1h 7m
TRAILER

Stereoactive Movie Club Trailer

The Stereoactive Movie Club is discussing some of the greatest movies ever made. Who says? Sight and Sound magazine says. Every ten years, since 1952, Sight and Sound has surveyed critics and directors to determine which films, according to those surveyed, might be considered the best. The five film-loving friends take turns picking movies that have appeared on the list and then dig into them with an eye on their cultural impact, how they stand up today, and just whether they’re actually as good as all those critics and directors say they are. Listen at stereoactivemovieclub.com or anywhere you get your podcasts. And follow/subscribe to Stereoactive Media.

Trailer

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1 min
04/16/2021

Ep 2.1 // Round 1 Wrap Up / Round 2 Picks

It’s the end of Round 1 of the Stereaoctive Media Movie Club podcast! We’re revisiting the films we’ve discussed in the last 5 episodes and addressing comments from listeners and members of the Facebook group. Also, we’re picking our next round of movies to watch and discuss – but this time there’ll be 6 because we have a special guest joining us to make a pick and join us for the episode where we’ll discuss their choice! 00:00 - Intro + the last good movies we saw10:38 - About the show / Does ‘The Magnificent Ambersons’ belong on a greatest films list?16:15 - ‘Citizen Kane’ and cruel portrayal19:25 - ‘Kane’ and ‘Velvet Goldmine’23:45 - Which films have we thought about most since discussing them?28:22 - Our thoughts on the Sight & Sound poll after Round 143:24 - A pitch for a future round of movies…44:32 - Listener feedback: Women on the panel on the women in the movies so far52:14 - Listener feedback: how was ‘Ambersons’ supposed to end / Welles almost shot something years later57:13 - Has Lora watched ‘Bogus Journey’ yet?????59:30 - Our Round 2 picks… w/ a special surprise guest!64:45 - Final thoughts / wrapping up12:48 - About the film / open discussionProduced by Stereoactive Media

04/16/2021

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1h 7m
03/01/2021

Ep 1.2 // The Passion of Joan of Arc

For our first full-fledged movie chat is about Mia’s pick… ‘The Passion of Joan of Arc.’ Directed by Carl Dreyer, the movie depicts the final days of Joan of Arc, as she was held captive by the English and stands trial at the hands of clerics who doubt her claims of being an agent of God. In it, Maria Falconetti, as Joan, depicts a would-be saint struggling to keep her faith in the face of persecution and death. As a film, it's known for its heavy reliance on close-ups, especially those of Falconetti, as you see every raw emotion on her face from moment to moment. Dreyer, a Danish filmmaker, was invited by a French company to make the film – which was itself controversial among many of the French, who believed the story of such a hero of France should be told by a French filmmaker. Almost immediately, after the film was finished, it was compromised through censorship and fire, leaving versions of the film that Dryer was unhappy with as the ones that people mainly saw for years. Even then, though, it was still considered a critical success and even a quick classic. Produced by Stereoactive Media

03/01/2021

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1h 12m
08/12/2024

Harris/Walz = Normcore 2024 // a politics discussion

Back in 2020, J. McVay and Joe Virgillito did a regular series of discussions on the previous incarnation of this podcast, leading up to that year’s election between Joe Biden and Donald Trump. Now that the looming specter of a depressing rematch between those two is behind us, they’re now embarking on hopefully the first of a new series of chats leading up to this November’s election. So, here;s the state of the race so far: 1) Joe Biden did terribly in his June debate with Donald Trump; 2) Trump was shot at a rally; 3) JD Vance was announced as Trump’s running mate; 4) The Republican National Convention happened; 5) Democrats managed to convince Biden to drop out of the race and Vice President Harris immediately became the heir to the nomination; 6) Tim Walz was picked to be Harris’ running mate. With all of that as table setting, along with the looming possibilities of Project 2025 if Trump is elected, and the “uncommitted” movement showing Biden’s weakness in Democratic primaries earlier in the year, Joe and J tackle the following questions… How surprising was Vice President Harris’ quick ascension as Biden dropped out of the race, and how does she seem as a candidate now as compared to 2020? Where does JD Vance fall on the Palin Scale – is he more or less of a drag on the Trump ticket than Palin was for McCain in 2008? How does Tim Walz stack up as a running mate for Harris as compared to Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shaprio and Arizona Senator Mark Kelly? With Democrats adopting the messaging that the GOP is “weird,” and the Harris/Walz team seemingly presenting themselves as something like a “return to normalcy,” what are their prospects as they head into a Democratic National Convention where they’re probably going to be largely selling the idea of “Normcore 2024?” === Episode Credits: Producer/Host - J. McVay Guests - Joe Virgillito Music - Hansdale Hsu Produced by Stereoactive Media

08/12/2024

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59 min

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