With the British monarchy at its lowest ebb of popularity since the week after Diana's death, we consider these two moments within the context of the wretched institution's ignoble history. We watch Christopher Hitchens' documentary DIANA: THE MOURNING AFTER (1998) - a controversial dissenting take on the Diana myth - and also discuss Netflix's THE CROWN and the Harry/Meghan phenomenon. In the process, we speculate how the existential threat facing this frankly worthless institution might lead to an unholy reinvention. PLUS: a rueful look back at James Berardinelli, the most popular web-based critic of the '90s.

"The British Monarchy Will Not Survive Late Capitalism — And Harry and Meghan Are Proof" by Luke Savage - https://www.jacobinmag.com/2021/03/british-monarchy-neoliberal-age-prince-harry-meghan-markle

Michael and Us

#222- Guillotine in Piccadilly

This week: a college football edition of Great American Hall of Name, some airborne feminism, a cow who can see things beyond our ken, and (you guessed it) the Shipping Report.
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EPISODE 201: Centuries Of Teats

Bonus Episodes

Australian Celebrity Chef/Conspiracy Theorist Pete Evans is back and he's crazier than ever! You'd need a state of the art Biocharger NG to cure what's making him post white supremacist memes! We've also got Monster Wolf Robots, Redditor wedding trouble and another installation of Dutchwatch.

EPISODE 175: How To Kill Your Baby In Ten Days Or Less

Get bonus episodes

The harrowing story of a VA long-term care facility where veterans watched friends die of Covid, then sentenced to a solitary-confinement lockdown. Special guest Spencer Ackerman joins to discuss this story, his new book Reign Of Terror, and more.

The VA Covid Prison & The Reign of Terror

Journalist Federico Fuentes reports on Venezuela's recent parliamentary elections and his article "Why Venezuela’s National Assembly elections matter" for Green Left.

https://www.greenleft.org.au/content/why-venezuelas-national-assembly-elections-matter

1273: Venezuela parliamentary election report / Federico Fuentes

Historian Gerald Horne on the intertwined histories of boxing and Black men in America, and his book “The Bittersweet Science: Racism, Racketeering and the Political Economy of Boxing” from International Publishers.

https://www.intpubnyc.com/product/the-bittersweet-science-racism-racketeering-an-the-political-economy-of-boxing/

1278: Boxing and Blackness / Gerald Horne

Historian Marcia Chatelain on the economic and social dynamics of fast food corporations and Black American life, and her book "Franchise: The Golden Arches in Black America" from Liveright. 

https://wwnorton.com/books/9781631493942

1283: McDonald's in Black America / Marcia Chatelain

William Callison and Quinn Slobodian on their article "Coronapolitics from the Reichstag to the Capitol" for Boston Review.

https://bostonreview.net/politics/william-callison-quinn-slobodian-coronapolitics-reichstag-capitol

1285: Crisis diagonalism / William Callison + Quinn Slobodian

Lucy, Andrew, and Ben talk about getting parenting advice from the man who stole your car, the cow that stayed at-large from authorities for far too long, big fish dicks, and living at the airport Kirbying the security guards.

Read Jesse's paper here: https://www.int-res.com/abstracts/meps/v658/feature/

Outro music: Fish - Mr Scruff
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Support our show and get exclusive bonus episodes by subscribing on Patreon: www.patreon.com/BoontaVista
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Email the show at mailbag@boontavista.com! Call in and leave us a question or a message on 1800-317-515 to be answered on the show!
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Website: boontavista.com
Merchandise: boontavista.com/merchandise
Twitch: twitch.tv/boontavista

EPISODE 183: Fuck Around And Find Trout

Peter Bloom and Carl Rhodes on their article "Beware Corporate ‘Democracy Washing’: Twitter, Trump, and the Danger of Privatizing the Fight Against Fascism" for Common Dreams.


https://www.commondreams.org/views/2021/01/23/beware-corporate-democracy-washing-twitter-trump-and-danger-privatizing-fight

1292: Corporate platforms, corporate censorship / Peter Bloom + Carl Rhodes

Abby Martin responds to the outcry against Michael Che's joke on last night's episode of Saturday Night Live about medical apartheid in Israel. 

WATCH more Empire Files episodes on Palestine :: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKFPL9JtA3b-TKAVthwayG6xk_7UG6p6p

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1283: McDonald's in Black America / Marcia Chatelain

This Is Hell!