DiscoverSubtext: Conversations about Classic Books and FilmsThe Evil of Banality in “Rosemary’s Baby” (1968)
The Evil of Banality in “Rosemary’s Baby” (1968)

The Evil of Banality in “Rosemary’s Baby” (1968)

Update: 2025-05-18
Share

Description


<figure class="alignright size-medium"></figure>



On the surface, “Rosemary’s Baby” is a horror film about a woman who gets taken advantage of by a satanic cult and impregnated by the Devil. In the end, it seems to be a satire on the competing entrapments of domesticity and ambition, and the boring conventionality of people who hope that opposition to convention will allow them to retrieve their lost youth. Wes & Erin discuss Roman Polanski’s 1968 classic, and why it is that Satanic evil, when confronted with life’s very frightening realities—including pregnancy itself—turns out to be so banal.





Upcoming Episodes: Yeats: “Sailing to Byzantium,” “Leda and the Swan,” “An Indian to His Love.”





For bonus content, become a paid subscriber at Patreon or directly on the Apple Podcasts app. Patreon subscribers also get early access to ad-free regular episodes.





This podcast is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Visit AirwaveMedia.com to listen and subscribe to other Airwave shows like Good Job, Brain and Big Picture Science.





Email advertising@airwavemedia.com to enquire about advertising on the podcast.





Follow: Twitter | Facebook | Website

Comments 
In Channel
00:00
00:00
x

0.5x

0.8x

1.0x

1.25x

1.5x

2.0x

3.0x

Sleep Timer

Off

End of Episode

5 Minutes

10 Minutes

15 Minutes

30 Minutes

45 Minutes

60 Minutes

120 Minutes

The Evil of Banality in “Rosemary’s Baby” (1968)

The Evil of Banality in “Rosemary’s Baby” (1968)

Wes Alwan and Erin O'Luanaigh