Good Is In The Details

A farmhouse. A cellar. A growing horde outside. What does George Romero's Night of the Living Dead (1968) have to say about despair, freedom, and what it means to grow up? In this episode, we're joined by philosopher Lewis Gordon (University of Connecticut) for a philosophical analysis of the original zombie classic. We dig into the film's nihilistic horror, its existential dread, and the absurdity of trying to make meaning when the world offers none. Along the way, we bring in the thinkers who help illuminate it: Schopenhauer, Simone de Beauvoir, and Simone Weil. We also explore: The psychoanalytic reading: the cellar as womb, the outside as life, and the unavoidable truth that to live is to face death. At some point, we must become adults and go outside. Limitation as creativity: how a tiny budget shaped the film's haunting look and feel. That ending: why, according to Professor Gordon, it transforms the film from horror into a work of art. Perfect for fans of philosophy of film, horror, and existentialism, and for anyone who's ever wondered why zombies still haunt us. GoodIsInTheDetails.com Learn more about Professor Gordon's work Get your "Contemplation Mode On" mug Join our Patreon: Patreon.com/GoodIsInTheDetails Check out Dolske's favorite mystery/thriller books.  

A year ago, a simple question took over TikTok: if you were alone in the forest, would you rather encounter a bear or a man? Women overwhelmingly chose the bear. Some found it funny, some found it offensive, and many missed the point. In this episode of Good Is In The Details, we start with the bear and follow it somewhere bigger with Soraya Chemaly, journalist, activist, and author of All We Want Is Everything: How We Dismantle Male Supremacy. Why did that answer resonate so widely? What gender assumptions shape how we read women's caution, and how we dismiss it? And what does it mean that women still navigate bias in ordinary moments, like the walk to the car at night or a solo trip to an unfamiliar city, while many men never have to think about it? In this episode: Why the bear-or-man question struck a nerve The gender assumptions hiding in everyday situations The mental load of safety that often goes unnoticed How online spaces foster hostility towards women About the guest: Soraya Chemaly is a journalist, activist, and author whose work focuses on the words we use, the images we make, and how to act to build a better world. Her books include All We Want Is Everything and The Resilience Myth. Learn more at sorayachemaly.com Philosophy Resources, Media, and Contact: GoodIsInTheDetails.com Bonus content, Philosophy deep dives, and Behind-The-Scenes: Patreon.com/GoodIsInTheDetails Previous episodes mentioned: "Masculinity, Red Pill, and The Anger Economy" with Raphael Gomez and "The Hidden Resume" with Kate Mangino Book Recommendation mentioned in this episode (GIID Amazon Affiliate link): The Trajedy of Heterosexuality by Jane Ward  Get your "Contemplation Mode On" mug by Good Is In The Details

The First Amendment protects you from the government, not from your boss, your university, or a social media platform. J.P. Messina, philosophy professor at Purdue and author of Private Censorship (Oxford University Press), joins us to untangle what "free speech" actually means when most modern censorship isn't coming from the state at all. We dig into cancel culture, the difference between government censorship and private consequences for speech, why professors increasingly self-censor in the classroom out of fear of public backlash, and what John Stuart Mill's On Liberty still has to teach us about the value of open inquiry. A conversation about philosophy, ethics, and free speech in the age of deplatforming. Hosted by Gwendolyn Dolske, Ph.D. and Rudy Salo Click here to learn more about Professor Messina's work. Philosophy Resources, books, media, and more at GoodIsInTheDetails.com  

How do we build stronger relationships with our children, especially when we're tired, overwhelmed, or simply seeing a situation through adult eyes? In this special Podapalooza mini-episode, Gwendolyn talks with speech-language pathologist and The Language of Playhost Dinalynn Rosenbush about how our understanding of child development is changing the way we parent. Dinalynn shares practical ways parents can use play, curiosity, and connection to better understand what a child is communicating. What happens, for example, when we resist telling a crying child that something is "no big deal" and become curious about why it feels like a very big deal from their perspective? And what can an exhausted parent do when a child asks to play at the end of a long workday? The conversation also takes a philosophical turn. We examine the assumptions inherited from previous generations, the danger of treating "that's how I was raised" as sufficient evidence for how children should be raised, and the generalizations we make about who children are supposed to be. Instead, what happens when parents remain open to new research about children's brains, communication, and development—and remain curious about the unique little human in front of them? A warm, practical conversation about parenting, child development, family relationships, emotional wellness, communication, and the surprising power of play. Learn more about Dinalynn's work: The Language of Play More Philosophy Resources, Media, Books, and Podcasting Tools: GoodIsInTheDetails.com Get your "Curiosity Mode On" mug inspired by Good Is In The Details. 

We're taught that perseverance is always a virtue, but what if the very trait we celebrate is quietly costing us our sense of meaning? Michael Scarano, a healthcare veteran turned speaker and coach, joins us to unpack what he calls "toxic perseverance": pushing forward not from purpose, but from unexamined beliefs formed by trauma and unmet needs. We dig into the real difference between healthy resilience and burnout, how to tell if you're persevering toward something or just running from stopping, and what Aristotle's idea of eudaimonia, a genuinely flourishing life, not just a productive one, has to do with any of it. The conversation also opens up into a candid discussion of ADHD, how the condition shapes the brain differently, and why it's finally getting more accurate attention in medicine and media.  Check out Michael Scarano's Ted Talk Learn more about Michael's work and his book on Toxic Perserverance Philosophy Books, Resources, Recommendations: GoodIsInTheDetails.com Get your "Contemplation Mode On" mug