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Red Scare Interviews Slavoj Žižek

Published by marco on

This is a wonderful, intelligent, open, wide-ranging, and funny/friendly interview. It’s about 100 minutes long.

The Pervert's Guide to Podcasting w/ Slavoj Zizek by Red Scare Podcast (YouTube)

Anyone who disparages Žižek doesn’t listen to him or doesn’t understand him or misunderstands him or deliberately misunderstands him or is incapable of understanding him. He has no pretense; he’s honest. He’s brilliant, he’s well-read, and he draws often-brilliant connections between philosophies, modern media, history, and current events. His insight is always interesting. You may pick up a good joke or two (some of which he mentioned in this video, but didn’t tell).

He has a unique style, well-known among his fans. Separate from his physical tics (which he mentions in the last quote), he has a way of expressing himself that is immediately recognizable.

For example,

Anna: Are you a morning or a night person?
Žižek: It’s an interesting point, it’s quite a tragedy…”

As one commentator wrote, “lol, such a Žižek response.”

He is self-deprecating and funny—and he means it; it’s not a false modesty.

Anna: You give me hope personally.
Žižek: If I give you hope, you must really be in deep shit.”

Near the end, he was legitimately concerned that they would be able to keep doing what they’re doing, earning enough money to run their podcast.[1] He asked,

Žižek: How do you survive?
Dasha: Patreon, people pay us 5$ a month
Žižek: Really, that’s wonderful, you get other idiots to exploit
Anna: Yeah, were using you!
Žižek: No, no, thats wonderful!”

His last request to them was, of course, a joke, asking them to edit the whole interview to make him look less “stupid” with “benevolent censorship”.

“Don’t make me appear too nervous and stupid. If you can do some benevolent censorship when I am looking stupid. Thanks for very much and go on, please (raises fists). Thanks. And let’s hope that we will survive this feat, you know, […] all the best to you and [raises fists again] survive!”

Just an absolutely authentic guy, happy to spend 90 minutes talking about philosophy and current events and communism with intelligent people, not interested in remuneration, interesting in spreading knowledge, in learning more. Truly a global treasure. Don’t let anyone tell you different.


[1] At almost $39,000 per month, the ladies seem to be doing just fine.