Ep 86 - Anti-Capitalist Sci-Fi Decoded: Andor, Hunger Games, and Severance

Rae and Jeremy sit down with Nathan from Schizophrenic Reads to talk about anti-intellectualism, radical empathy, and the ways in which our consumer culture turns us into hedonistic assholes. You can sign up at Patreon where you get access to early release episodes, study guides, the aforementioned bonus episodes, TheoryBeats, and MORE! YOU CAN DO SO FOR FREE, which will get you the study guides, merch, and other random drops. Please subscribe on your favorite podcast catcher and rate or review to help extend our reach. Like and rate us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @prolespod and Tiktok @proles.pod. If you have any questions or comments, email us at [email protected]. May the spectre haunt your streets, and solidarity forever. You can find Nathan HERE!    Intro Music:  "ProlesPod Theme" by Ransom Notes Outro Music: "Eastern Bloc Beats" by DJ DTA

The Stalin Eras: Sources & Supplemental Material: https://www.patreon.com/posts/141308561 The Stalin Eras: Bonus Episodes: https://www.patreon.com/collection/798550 The Stalin Eras: Link Tree with Playlist https://linktr.ee/thestalineras  

ATTENTION THEORY HEADS: this one's for you. Tony is subjected to misandry (JK, JK) as he, Rae, and Jen do a deep dive into Alexandra Kollontai's 1923 essay, "Winged Eros." They discuss misconceptions about Kollontai as a person, dating under capitalism vs socialism, the family unit, and much more. You can sign up at Patreon where you get access to early release episodes, study guides, the aforementioned bonus episodes, TheoryBeats, and MORE! YOU CAN DO SO FOR FREE, which will get you the study guides, merch, and other random drops. Please subscribe on your favorite podcast catcher and rate or review to help extend our reach. Like and rate us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @prolespod and Tiktok @proles.pod. If you have any questions or comments, email us at [email protected]. May the spectre haunt your streets, and solidarity forever. Text Version of Winged Eros Audio Version of Winged Eros   Intro Music:  "ProlesPod Theme" by Ransom Notes Outro Music: "Eastern Bloc Beats" by DJ DTA

In this episode, we sit down with Jon and Frank to talk about their newly published edited collection, The Revolutionary Psychologist's Guide to Radical Therapy. We explore what "radical psychological practice" means, the ways capitalism undermines mental health, and why therapy without a class analysis risks hitting a dead end. Along the way, we touch on the possibilities and limitations of mainstream therapy, how radical approaches can open up new paths to collective well-being, and much more. CounterPsych Reddit Jon's Other Project: The TTRPG Surreal Punk Sources: Gruba-McCallister, F. P. (2019). Embracing disillusionment: Achieving liberation through the demystification of suffering.University Professors Press. Gruba-McCallister, F. P. (2025). Radical healing: No wellness without justice. University Professors Press. Hook, J., & Gruba-McCallister, F. P. (Eds.) (2025). The revolutionary psychologist's guide to radical therapy. Palgrave Macmillan. To be released 11-30-25. Available for pre-order on Amazon. Link to Order Book Friere, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the oppressed. Herder and Herder. Fromm, E. (1955). The sane society. Fawcett Publications, Inc. Parker, I. (2018). Marxist theory and psychotherapy. In B. Cohen (Ed.), Routledge international handbook of critical mental health (pp. 244-250). Routledge.

Tony abandons the rest of the crew to their devices, and things predictably go off the rails. We talk about the weak chins of continuing series, whether or not there are encoded messages in Rian Johnson movies, and discuss the futility of anti-capitalist messaging without a political program to back it up. You can sign up at Patreon where you get access to early release episodes, study guides, the aforementioned bonus episodes, TheoryBeats, and MORE! YOU CAN DO SO FOR FREE, which will get you the study guides, merch, and other random drops. Please subscribe on your favorite podcast catcher and rate or review to help extend our reach. Like and rate us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @prolespod and Tiktok @proles.pod. If you have any questions or comments, email us at [email protected]. May the spectre haunt your streets, and solidarity forever. Intro Music:  "ProlesPod Theme" by Ransom Notes Outro Music: "Eastern Bloc Beats" by DJ DTA

Tony and Jeremy sit down with Alex Z (Southern Catholic Worker) to talk about John Brown and Co, their raid on Harper's Ferry, the aftermath, and the legacy of John Brown on politics and the Civil War. You can sign up at Patreon where you get access to early release episodes, study guides, the aforementioned bonus episodes, TheoryBeats, and MORE! YOU CAN DO SO FOR FREE, which will get you the study guides, merch, and other random drops. Please subscribe on your favorite podcast catcher and rate or review to help extend our reach. Like and rate us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @prolespod and Tiktok @proles.pod. If you have any questions or comments, email us at [email protected]. May the spectre haunt your streets, and solidarity forever. Sources: John Brown, Abolitionist: The Man Who Killed Slavery, Sparked the Civil War, and Seeded CIvil Rights by David S. Reynolds Midnight Rising: John Brown and the Raid that Sparked the Civil War by Tony Horowitz The Old Man: John Brown at Harpers Ferry by Truman Nelson John Brown by W.E.B. Du Bois Anti-Racism in US History: The First Hundred Years by Herbert Aptheker   Intro Music:  "ProlesPod Theme" by Ransom Notes Outro Music: "Eastern Bloc Beats" by DJ DTA

Tony and Jeremy sit down with Alex Z (Southern Catholic Worker) to talk about John Brown's early life, along with his trials and tribulations as a worker, father, and husband. This episode takes us all the way up to the period before he begins planning for the raid on Harper's Ferry (which means many skirmishes with and some broadsword swinging on pro-slavery dorks). You can sign up at Patreon where you get access to early release episodes, study guides, the aforementioned bonus episodes, TheoryBeats, and MORE! YOU CAN DO SO FOR FREE, which will get you the study guides, merch, and other random drops. Please subscribe on your favorite podcast catcher and rate or review to help extend our reach. Like and rate us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @prolespod and Tiktok @proles.pod. If you have any questions or comments, email us at [email protected]. May the spectre haunt your streets, and solidarity forever. Sources: John Brown, Abolitionist: The Man Who Killed Slavery, Sparked the Civil War, and Seeded CIvil Rights by David S. Reynolds Midnight Rising: John Brown and the Raid that Sparked the Civil War by Tony Horowitz The Old Man: John Brown at Harpers Ferry by Truman Nelson John Brown by W.E.B. Du Bois Anti-Racism in US History: The First Hundred Years by Herbert Aptheker   Intro Quote: An excerpt from a speech given by Malcolm X in 1965.   Intro Music:  "ProlesPod Theme" by Ransom Notes Outro Music: "Eastern Bloc Beats" by DJ DTA

What do Andor, The Hunger Games, and Severance really say about capitalism and socialist revolution? In this episode of Prolespod, we critically examine these popular sci-fi and dystopian series through a socialist lens. We unpack the anti-capitalist themes, revolutionary narratives, and class struggle depicted in each — and ask how far these shows can really go while being produced by profit-driven corporations. Support the show and listen to the bonus episode which focuses on Sinners at patreon.com/prolespod  

In this two-part Theory Episode, the ProlesPod Squad takes on one of the most influential texts in socialist history: "Reform or Revolution" (1898) by Polish-German Marxist Rosa Luxemburg. Whether you're new to political theory, find socialist texts hard to get through, or just want to hear our unique take—this deep-dive is for you. We break it down, debate its meaning, and explore why this revolutionary classic still matters today.

In this two-part Theory Episode, the ProlesPod Squad takes on one of the most influential texts in socialist history: "Reform or Revolution" (1898) by Polish-German Marxist Rosa Luxemburg. Whether you're new to political theory, find socialist texts hard to get through, or just want to hear our unique take—this deep-dive is for you. We break it down, debate its meaning, and explore why this revolutionary classic still matters today.