Haus of Decline

I am joined by writer Michelle Perez to discuss her and Remy Boydell's incredible 2018 graphic novel, The Pervert. I reacted VERY strongly to this book as do most people who read it, so it is a great thrill for me to have Michelle on to answer some of the questions that were lingering in my mind after I finished reading it. ~~~ Michelle Perez Links Michelle Perez on Bluesky Get The Pervert ~~~ Sup...

I am joined by Rob DenBleyker of Cyanide & Happiness to discuss our current, bizarre age of webcomic distribution and monetization. We also discuss the incongruous nature of having been given a platform through crude jokes but then feeling compelled to use it to comment on serious matters like the genocide in Gaza.  ~~~ Cyanide and Happiness Links Explosm.net Rob's Twitter C&H on Instagram...

I am joined by journalist Séamus Malekafzali to discuss the potential future of the genocide in Gaza, whether Israel's military will expand further into countries outside of Palestine, and the Biden administration's continued infuriating obliviousness.  ~~~ Séamus Malekafzali Links Séamus Malekafzali's Website Séamus Malekafzali's Twitter ~~~ Support Haus of Decline on Patreon! Visit hausofdecline...

A giant of Canadian independent media is faltering, so we are cynically picking up the slack and pivoting to Canadian politics. As such, the show will now be called Good Canadaland. Our first guest on Good Canadaland is journalist Jeremy Appel who discusses his new book, "Kenneyism: Jason Kenney's Pursuit of Power" and takes us through an oral history of a singularly fascinating and pivotal figure...

I am joined by Palestinian-American writer and game dev Nadia Shammas to discuss the ongoing genocide in Gaza, her experience in the Palestinian diaspora, and the need to create histories that reflect events as they actually happened in the face of false counter-narratives by prevailing authorities.  ~~~ Nadia Shammas Links Nadia Shammas on Twitter https://twitter.com/Nadia_Shammas_ Nadia Shammas...

I am joined by Dono and Audrey of the Radio Free Tote Bag podcast to discuss the ego-satisfying but inherently depersonalizing and potentially depraved act of turning yourself into an online media 'brand.' While attractive because it means you can be self-employed through your dumb thoughts alone, it also means contributing to our nightmare world of endless distraction. Still, we do it 'cause it's...

In this episode, I talk about a comic I did delightfully and unexpectedly becoming a meme format so ubiquitous I lost authorship over it, and how this loss of authorship was the fulfillment of a long held life goal. ~~~ Support Haus of Decline on Patreon! Visit hausofdecline.com Nostalgia is fleeting, but @hausofdecline is forever Please email complaints, suggestions, or requests to hausofdecline@...

I talk about the terrible feeling of burning out on something you actually enjoy doing, why that burnout can occur, and potential solutions for mitigating it. That's right, this is a wellness podcast now. ~~~ Please email complaints, suggestions, or requests to hausofdecline@gmail.com   Thank you for listening. Explicit Content Warning . You WERE warned.  That's what the little E signifies.    ★ S...

I am joined by cartoonist Rory Blank to discuss the recent sperm retrieval cartoon that was produced by Israel as well as the concept of using the simplified appeal of cartoons to launder politically monstrous ideas. ~~~ RORY BLANK Rory Blank Twitter https://twitter.com/BoneJail Rory Blank Instagram https://www.instagram.com/roryblank/ Rory Blank Store https://roryblank.bigcartel.com/ ~~~ Support...

I talk about trying to get over your natural laziness and desire for a tainted comfort in order to do more effective activism for issues you care about. I don't think I've been too successful yet in my own attempts, but I have some thoughts on it. ~~~ Please email complaints, suggestions, or requests to hausofdecline@gmail.com   Thank you for listening. Explicit Content Warning . You WERE warned. ...

For this year's Halloween episode, I am joined by writer/director Kyle Edward Ball for a long conversation about his wonderful film Skinamarink, which leads us into a broader discussion about the theories and philosophies which animate the best genre, Horror.   ~~~  KYLE EDWARD BALL LINKS Kyle on Twitter https://twitter.com/kyleedwardball Skinamarink on Shudder https://www.shudder.com/movies/watch...

How can you tell if your rationality is informing your qualitative, axiomatic understanding of history and world events or if it's the other way around? I don't really know for sure, but I talk about it for a while from a pro-Palestine perspective in the context of recent events. Medical Aid for Palestinians ( https://www.map.org.uk/ ). Palestinian Children's Relief Fund ( https://www.pcrf.net/ )....

I am joined by journalist Jeremy Appel for a long conversation about the current conflict in Palestine and how we both came to believe in Anti-Zionism despite Jewish upbringings which taught us to support Israel. Support Palestinian Relief Organizations. Medical Aid for Palestinians ( https://www.map.org.uk/ ). Palestinian Children's Relief Fund ( https://www.pcrf.net/ ). UNRWA ( https://donate.un...

The Bing AI Image generator has set off a new wave of people using the technology. While I am still revulsed by AI image generators, it's clear to me it's going to be a more permanent fixture than something like NFTs, so I talk about how I'm dealing with the machines. ~~~ Support Haus of Decline on Patreon! Visit hausofdecline.com Nostalgia is fleeting, but @hausofdecline is forever Please email c...

I watched the Barbie movie. It is an excellent, perfectly executed piece of film. But in this perfection lies an ulterior purpose, one that makes me question its admittedly strong claim to artistic value. ~~~ Support Haus of Decline on Patreon! Visit hausofdecline.com Nostalgia is fleeting, but @hausofdecline is forever Please email complaints, suggestions, or requests to hausofdecline@gmail.com  ...

On this episode, I talk about the difficulties of living your life when you are always under some degree of physical pain. I discuss my own experience with living this way and outline a few methods that help me get through it. ~~~ Support Haus of Decline on Patreon! Visit hausofdecline.com Nostalgia is fleeting, but @hausofdecline is forever Please email complaints, suggestions, or requests to hau...

In this episode, I talk about the pervasive notion that people nowadays are trapped in a perpetual adolescence, unwilling to take on the responsibilities that defined the adults of earlier generations. Is this true? I have no idea, but we sure seem to not be able to shut up about it. ~~~ Support Haus of Decline on Patreon! Visit hausofdecline.com Nostalgia is fleeting, but @hausofdecline is foreve...

In this episode, I talk about The Beatles for over an hour. Have you heard of them? They're pretty good. ~~~ Support Haus of Decline on Patreon! Visit hausofdecline.com Nostalgia is fleeting, but @hausofdecline is forever Please email complaints, suggestions, or requests to hausofdecline@gmail.com   Thank you for listening. Explicit Content Warning . You WERE warned.  That's what the little E sign...

I am joined by posting phenom and podcaster June (@JUNlPER) to discuss the intricacies, nuances and dangers of going online and saying stuff for attention. We also talk about being raised religious, right wing joylessness and its interaction with art, and those horrible Matt Walsh baby dolls.  ~~~  JUNE/WESTERN KABUKI LINKS June's Twitter https://twitter.com/JUNlPER June's BlueSky https://staging....

I talk about my love of turn-based JRPGs that take place in urban settings. I mount a defence of turn-based combat before discussing three of my favourites in the genre: Final Fantasy VII, Shadow Hearts Covenant and Shin Megami Tensei V. ~~~ Support Haus of Decline on Patreon! Visit hausofdecline.com Nostalgia is fleeting, but @hausofdecline is forever Please email complaints, suggestions, or requ...

I talk about Ween, my favourite band of all time (except maybe The Minutemen). I review their nine studio albums in chronological order and discuss how their humour, often criticized for detracting from a sense of emotional honesty, actually does the opposite, and enhances the unexpectedly beautiful intimacy of their work. ~~~ Support Haus of Decline on Patreon! Visit hausofdecline.com Nostalgia i...

I talk about how overconsumption of cringe and drama content destroys your brain and how building your personality around constantly passing judgement on others leads you down a path of poor mental health. ~~~ Support Haus of Decline on Patreon! Visit hausofdecline.com Nostalgia is fleeting, but @hausofdecline is forever Please email complaints, suggestions, or requests to hausofdecline@gmail.com...

I talk about past video games that use large swathes of emptiness in their design and how it contributes to an almost meditative emotional quality that is lacking from current mainstream games whose design philosophy instead emphasizes massive amounts of content. Games mentioned include: The Wind Waker, Dark Souls, Kingdom Hearts, Penn and Teller's Desert Bus, Ico and Shadow of the Colossus. ~~~ S...

I talk about the media subgenre that was termed "The Millennial Parental Apology Fantasy" by Vox writer Emily St. James and how I think Steven Universe may be the most significant progenitor of this trope. ~~~ Support Haus of Decline on Patreon! Visit hausofdecline.com Nostalgia is fleeting, but @hausofdecline is forever Please email complaints, suggestions, or requests to hausofdecline@gmail.com...

This week, I am joined by Shannon Strucci (@plentyofalcoves) to discuss everyone's favourite goopy, viscerally disgusting genre. That's right, it's Body Horror. From Cronenberg, to Sweet Home, to Silent Hill 2, to the Old Testament, we do a broad survey of the genre's best offerings, while touching upon how formative personal experiences shaped our curiosity about the world of eyeballs in places w...