Centered Subject
42 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 3 years ago - ★★★★★ - 20 ratingsA podcast about current events, moral circles, alienation, the algorithm, and being a body in digital times.
Two friends, an artist and a therapist, spend an hour discussing a topic – while it varies from episode to episode, Jenny's insight into human behavior and Yelena's post-Soviet-ness reliably make an appearance.
by Yelena Zhelezov and Jenny Campbell
music by Julia Holter
Follow: https://www.instagram.com/centeredsubjectpodcast
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Episodes
Springtime on Mars: a Year Later
March 14, 2021 15:50 - 36 minutes - 50.7 MBWhat can we do but lament and watch the snow melt, count buds, and discuss: the end of Covid-world, loss, perfume, and boiling milk. Plus much more! Say hello: https://www.instagram.com/centeredsubjectpodcast/
Solaris Episode
December 16, 2020 16:13 - 47 minutes - 108 MBAre we cyborgs yet? Is it all just an episode of Solaris (by A. Tarkovsky, not G. Clooney) and if so, where is our invitation to the Space Federation Lunar Fashion Show? How to mine Mars, are we ready for aliens, and why go to the philharmonic if your skull provides plenty of acoustic architecture – all these vital questions are covered in our new episode. PS. keep an ear out + subscribe to Yelena's new podcast of animal news, Hare Bear and Everywhere: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...
From Belarus with Love and Internet
August 20, 2020 17:56 - 47 minutes - 59.4 MBSeason Two of Centered Subject begins with Yelena in Belarus and Jenny in New York. We discuss Belarusian post-election protests, tell a Trump/Lukashenko joke, consider the pacifying-while-manipulating force of the internet, look at social connection and isolation, and wonder how the Covid-world is changing us.
Crying and Laughing, with Special Guest Flora Wellesley Wesley
May 05, 2020 02:36 - 49 minutes - 61.1 MBA dream-state episode in which emotional, physical, and cinematic spaces overlap. Jenny and Yelena reflect on what they learned in solitude: Jenny tunes in to the bean soak clock, Yelena overcomes the fear of being alone (not really) and takes a laughing workshop with Flora Wellesley Wesley, a dance artist based in London. Flora then joins in for a chat about the nature of forced vs natural laughter and shares a recent experience of dancing in the park. Also mentioned: Picnic at Hanging Rock...
The Body Erotic and the Body Social in Quarantine, with Special Guest Daniela Seitz
April 17, 2020 01:14 - 1 hour - 83.2 MBPart 1: Jenny and Yelena consider the body’s erotic insistence by casting their gazes to the sexiest of the pandemic classics, The Decameron by Giovanni Boccaccio and the Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer. J and Y wonder about the nature of vibrators in the Middle Ages, and provide an overview of recent news involving medical fetish gear, missing condoms, and long-awaited panda copulation. Part 2: While happy that pandas finally got their special alone time, Yelena looks forward to t...
Zoom Rooms, Comforts of the Screen, and Quarantine Ads with Tanya Brodsky
March 30, 2020 08:49 - 40 minutes - 50.8 MBJenny and Yelena look at the body physical in the infinite digital room (zoom) that collapses distance and makes everything cinematography. Despite the omnipotent 21st century technology, we remain surprisingly fragile humans, though just from the waist up. The phone as oracle returns (we discuss this regularly) but does not glow with the same comfort as before. Artist Tanya Brodsky stops by the pod with notes on the Soviet past and weighs in on advertising in the corona era – follow and s...
Corona-socialism? Managing our restless bodies and casting economic predictions in self-isolation
March 22, 2020 18:41 - 32 minutes - 42.2 MBJenny and Yelena report on respective self-isolation in NYC and LA. Yelena compares the gutted supermarkets of LA to the empty shop shelves in the former USSR, and reflects on the concepts of corona-socialism and corona-capitalism. Jenny assesses the state of language in the times of coronavirus (how many times have you said the word ZOOM in the past week?) and shares her experience of weathering a hurricane. The problems of doing laundry, finding toilet paper, and charting a new apartment...
Corona-socialism? Managing the Body Restless & Casting Economic Predictions in Self-Isolation
March 22, 2020 18:41 - 32 minutes - 42.2 MBJenny and Yelena report on respective self-isolation in NYC and LA. Yelena compares the gutted supermarkets of LA to the empty shop shelves in the former USSR, and reflects on the concepts of corona-socialism and corona-capitalism. Jenny assesses the state of language in the times of coronavirus (how many times have you said the word ZOOM in the past week?) and shares her experience of weathering a hurricane. The problems of doing laundry, finding toilet paper, and charting a new apartment...
On Eternity
March 02, 2020 14:15 - 48 minutes - 59.9 MBZoe Aja Moore stops by the pod and things get transcendental as we unravel the notion of an eternal object. Yelena finds wooden boxes on the internet and experiences spiritual panic induced by a selfie stick. Jenny channels Marianne Williamson and is sure she has met you before, and Zoe refuses to let apps change her eternal behavior. We cast our gaze to medieval times to get pointers on surviving coronavirus and heatedly debate the history of menswear. Also, life is easier to manage when d...
Who You Know...
February 21, 2020 17:09 - 48 minutes - 48.2 MBInspired by research that connects neurobiological development to social networks in adolescence, Jenny and Yelena trace the history of their friendship and discuss how friends make a difference in life through time. Parsed: differing friend finances, friends with bens, bullies and allies, disappearing friends, death dates, and birth dates. Cheburashka sings a comforting, wistful sad song. Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/centeredsubject Useful reading: https://www.theatlantic.com/famil...
Staged and Confused
February 11, 2020 21:34 - 32 minutes - 41.1 MBA brisk episode wherein Jenny and Yelena examine the performative qualities of public and private lives. Props and settings covered: border wall drop, car as costume, coronavirus mask, selfie filters, oratory politics props, giving birth to objects, and putting them on one’s head. Bonus: Yelena meets Hunter Biden but discloses little.
Why robot?
January 31, 2020 01:00 - 42 minutes - 43.1 MBIn this episode cobots Jenny and Yelena vacation in the uncanny valley and discuss stars for cars and crackers so rustic they are supernatural. Also considered: corporate surveillance of worker health, Marx’s grave livestream, and the ontology of robots. Bonus - Yelena is actually baby yoda.
Cyber Chat, with special guest Stephen van Dyck
January 19, 2020 10:59 - 1 hour - 62.8 MBIn the first episode of 2020, Stephen van Dyck stops by the pod to read from his book, People I've Met From the Internet. S, J, Y and friends remember Y2K, Chatroulette, message boards and ye olde modem screech. Also discussed: personalization and anonymity, oral discourse versus texting, emotions, and the shapes of robots. Reading List: People I've Met From the Internet by Stephen van Dyck Duty-Free Art by Hito Steyerl
Bohemian?
December 27, 2019 18:26 - 53 minutes - 64.8 MBBrigitte Nicole Grice joins Jenny and Yelena for a final party episode of 2019; together we take an immersive plunge into the notion of Bohemian. From dadaists, constructivists, and vagabonds to fast fashion floppy hats, love triangles, and OG tubercular Parisian artists, we cover all. Bonus commentary from Patina the dog.
On Time
December 13, 2019 15:04 - 50 minutes - 61.3 MBListen in for timeless reporting on the memories of learning about politics in Soviet and Texan elementary schools; reflecting on the way that pants and jackets carry us through the years; studying history with films/series – how does it feel to be one of the royal horde and watch oneself on “The Crown”; looking for outfit solidarity on YouTube. Dreaming vs longing explained, and apocalyptic sex Olympics described. Yelena forgets her birthday; Jenny shows off her foot and provides instruct...
On Animals Again
December 02, 2019 21:21 - 46 minutes - 56.2 MBYelena and Jenny turn to animals once again to discuss human relations and emotional self-expression – why do we use animals as metaphors for our behavior? Featured: elephant gossip, button-pressing dogs, turtle and octopus interactions, human in a monkey mask, Zeus in swan form, and centaurs. Bonus: discussion of residential architecture in Athens (polykatoikia) and election predictions.
Astrothoughts
November 16, 2019 15:08 - 46 minutes - 56.8 MBJenny and Yelena contemplate the rising popularity of astrology as a way to navigate the times of chaotic uncertainty and interview Elina Tsvadari, an Athens-based psychological astrologer and columnist for the "Athens Voice". Discussed: Astrology apps as a social connector, advisor, and divider, “star wars” aka sun-sign shaming, historical antecedents in star-based forecasting, and Centered Subject’s very own horoscope, revealed! follow ✴ https://www.instagram.com/centeredsubjectpodcas...
Astrothoughts
November 16, 2019 15:08 - 46 minutes - 56.8 MBJenny and Yelena contemplate the rising popularity of astrology as a way to navigate the times of chaotic uncertainty and interview Elina Tsvadari, an Athens-based psychological astrologer and columnist for the "Athens Voice". Discussed: Astrology apps as a social connector, advisor, and divider, “star wars” aka sun-sign shaming, historical antecedents in star-based forecasting, and Centered Subject’s very own horoscope, revealed! follow ✴ https://www.instagram.com/centeredsubjectpodcas...
On Privacy
November 07, 2019 19:11 - 40 minutes - 49.6 MBJenny and Yelena gather in the middle of the night to discuss privacy and intimacy in digital times. Considered: the ethics of sharing screenshots, Trump’s proposal to re-enact the Ukraine transcript, playing bad tricks with a dog spy, genes and crimes, and the semiotics of sending nudes. Bonus: The moon as psychic mediator and an oral report from the National Archaeological Museum in Athens. Centered Subject is Jenny Campbell (NYC) and Yelena Zhelezov(LA/Athens) opining on tech, politic...
Unhelpful Episode
October 31, 2019 14:33 - 55 minutes - 66 MBThe internet wants to help but do we need its suggestions? Discussed: octopuses on MDMA, Parisian blob with 730 sexes, unhelpful objects rankings, leaf chore worship and oppression, wormholes, AI for email tone, Cronenberg and the uncanny, online therapy and fleshy phones. Centered Subject is: Jenny Campbell (NYC) and Yelena Zhelezov(LA/Athens) opining on tech, politics, fine arts, the perils of capitalism, human behavior and Soviet memories. Sounds by Julia Holter. Edited by Julio Ha...
Geomagical Thinking
October 18, 2019 10:57 - 52 minutes - 62.6 MBJenny and Yelena convene to discuss magical thinking in uncertain economic times. Yelena reflects on being surrounded by marble in Athens, Jenny reflects on embodiment of thoughts and prayers and magma. Both are probably never buying crystals again. Referenced: The value of thoughts and prayers https://www.pnas.org/content/116/40/19797 Dark crystals: the brutal reality behind a booming wellness craze https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/sep/17/healing-crystals-wellness-m...
Rent-a-Life
October 04, 2019 23:55 - 56 minutes - 81.1 MBJenny, Yelena and special guest Emily Curtin discuss insidious advertising techniques, troubling couch subscription, Freud and advertising, algorithms pretending to be human, humans pretending to be algorithms, 19th century robots, Jenny and the unpredictable scale of the buffalo, subscriptions to bathwater and tears, how to un-ring the bell. Production note: we are live and there is a mysterious hum but the ep is worth it! Adam Curtis, Century of Self https://www.youtube.com/watch?...
The Limited Guide to the Anthropocene
September 27, 2019 17:22 - 49 minutes - 71.4 MBLive in NYC, Jenny and Yelena are joined by philosopher Brian Irwin who reports on “Designing a Green New Deal”, a conference that took place at UPenn on Sept. 13th. Also discussed: the climate strike, ways to effect political change, Jonathan Franzen (is he a dick?), anthropogenic urban planning, and 'ge-stell'. . Of relevance: “Designing a Green New Deal” https://mcharg.upenn.edu/events/%E2%80%9Cdesigning-green-new-deal%E2%80%9D “US politics is stuck. Can the climate mo...
Oh, cult
September 18, 2019 22:48 - 52 minutes - 63.2 MBJenny and Yelena reunite to discuss 1960’s LA, Kenneth Anger, Marjorie Cameron, Edgar Cayce, drones, too fast a service at 7/11, instructions for collective humanity, will power, becoming a pixel, patience, materiality, immediacy, boredom, and country houses. Centered Subject is Jenny Campbell (NYC) and Yelena Zhelezov (LA). Frequent themes: harrowing news, smart objects, nature, fine arts, Jenny's insight into human behavior, Yelena's Soviet memories, and the perils of capitalism. So...
Homemaker’s Guide to Cars, Sex and Convents
September 07, 2019 00:05 - 49 minutes - 59.5 MBIn this truly existential ep, Jenny and Yelena contemplate the nature of belonging and alienation, drive-in brothels, living in one’s car, the gendered nature of modernist architecture, and the Millennial nun trend. Tune in for guidance on intimate housework and being your own pet. References: Drive-thru brothels: why cities are building 'sexual infrastructure' by Nate Berg https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2019/sep/02/drive-thru-brothels-why-cities-are-building-sexual-infrastructu...
The New Medievalism?
August 29, 2019 19:20 - 1 hour - 90.2 MBA time-travel episode with special guest Julia Holter. Jenny moves to the Middle Ages and reports from the scene, Yelena draws contemporary parallels, and Julia provides the allegorical counterpoints. Discussed: emoji as modern iconography, area 51 Facebook group meet up vs peasant riots, plague era graffiti, tawdry tales from Decameron, YouTube rituals, medieval dinner parties, jester politics and again Marianne Williamson. Bonus: Julia leads us in a purifying ritual and we sing a wistful...
I R L
August 24, 2019 04:27 - 49 minutes - 67.7 MBJenny and Yelena get discursive about perfectionism, work ethics, envy, social media, and dick pics in the age of digital reproduction. Special appearances by Henry VIII, Anne of Cleves, and Greenland! ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Centered Subject is Jenny Campbell (NYC) and Yelena Zhelezov (LA), parsing harrowing news from the Internet every Thursday. Frequent themes: tech, nature, fine arts, Jenny's insight into human behavior, Yelena's Soviet memories, and the peril...
Sage and Self-Scare
August 16, 2019 01:15 - 49 minutes - 58.9 MBModerately personal episode in which Yelena and Jenny consider going off the rails. Discussed: smoking, disgrace insurance, Epstein, Kanye’s Tattooine architecture, bystander effect, Trump’s emoji diplomacy, ability to be alone and finding community through your smart fridge. DM/Follow us: https://www.instagram.com/centeredsubjectpodcast/ Centered Subject is Jenny Campbell (NYC) and Yelena Zhelezov (LA), parsing harrowing news from the Internet every Thursday. Frequent themes: tech...
The Innovator’s Guide to Haunted Magma
August 12, 2019 20:34 - 53 minutes - 73.7 MBArtist Robbie Nock joins Jenny and Yelena to ponder the relationship between innovation, hysteria, and the supernatural. We take a short trip to the center of the earth, read from books by John Patrick Leary and Jeffrey Sconce, and debate capitalism ONCE AGAIN. Bonus: Yelena goes rogue and performs Keywords*. Required reading: *Keywords: The New Language of Capitalism, by John Patrick Leary Haunted Media: Electronic Presence from Telegraphy to Television, by Jeffrey Sconce Pattern R...
The Crystal, the System
August 02, 2019 01:55 - 1 hour - 78.8 MBArtist Nicolas Grenier joins Jenny and Yelena for a conversation on systems that propel the growth-oriented economy. Broached: Jack Burnham’s “System Esthetics”, Individualism vs Collectivity, Marianne Williamson’s appeal, Boris Johnson’s calculated clown act, contemporary medievalism, propaganda, mushroom sculptures and more. Refs: Margaret Levi: Creating a New Moral Political Economy https://casbs.stanford.edu/projects/projects/creating-new-moral-political-economy Future of Huma...
Pornographie?
July 25, 2019 03:17 - 51 minutes - 71.2 MBZoe Aja Moore joins Yelena and Jenny for rock hard hammering, philately fetish, desire construction, consent and the bohemian, AOL chatrooms, object relations, and a meta review of Quinn and Dipsea audio erotica apps. Moan. Clinging to humanity despite harrowing news from The Internet, Jenny Campbell (NYC) and Yelena Zhelezov (LA) make a podcast every Thursday. Frequently discussed: tech, nature, fine arts, human behavior, relationships, Soviet memories, and sharing economy - with so...
On Place: In the Dopamine Playground
July 19, 2019 00:15 - 53 minutes - 62.2 MBIntrigued by the Amazon Nomads phenomenon, J and Y discuss the erosion of brick and mortar retail and uncanny nature of networked economy. Jenny talks about the notion of “third place”, and Yelena waxes about Victor Gruen, the socialist father of the shopping malls. Also mentioned: teenage dreamworld architecture, tales of out of work ghosts and zero gravity conflict management. Quoted and Referenced: Architechture as Participation, Brian Irwin, PhD. Victor Gruen, AIA Thinking L...
Press, Released
July 12, 2019 04:53 - 26 minutes - 36.4 MBA cacophonous mini-ep, in which Yelena calls Emily to read a press release for Y's upcoming show at Actual Size LA. The discordant mixture of sounds includes a fan, stifled laughter, and a brief discussion of being in/without nature and hybridization of art and academia.
Melted and Shook
July 05, 2019 22:07 - 49 minutes - 58 MBOn the 4th of July, Yelena reports from the scene of a 6.6 earthquake and Jenny returns with ice cubes as she starts her neoliberal penance for America. There is discussion of generational divide among the electorate, aging, and magical thinking. Proposed action items include a collective spell by Libras against surveillance capitalism and using customized Nike sneakers to bridge the polarized media divide. • Clinging to humanity despite harrowing news from The Internet, Jenny Campbell a...
Hide and Speak
June 27, 2019 06:38 - 58 minutes - 80.4 MBAnthropologist Emily Curtin joins Yelena as they travel through the 4th wall in Fleabag, cope with being addressed by inanimate objects, weigh in on the cultural milieu of the American smile and discover emoji porn. Emily reflects on doing fieldwork in Belarus and Yelena reads from "Dreamworld and Catastrophe: The Passing of Mass Utopia in East and West" by Susan Buck-Morss.
Rhizomes and Radiation
June 20, 2019 21:58 - 49 minutes - 67.9 MBWatching Chernobyl brings out Yelena’s recollections of radioactive Soviet childhood in 1986 Minsk. After considering socialism, climate change and Geiger counters, both J and Y get nervous. Jenny seeks solace in the language of mushrooms.
The Bodyguide (June edition)
June 13, 2019 18:00 - 43 minutes - 59.9 MBY and J get ready for the summer with a timely discussion of inflatable couture, glass bodies and parties. Jenny reminisces about zen retreat failure and discloses her sweaty Sophia Loren fantasy. Yelena shares an espionage tale involving Lenin, gluten and dairy. Follow us ––> @centeredsubjectpodcast
On Love and Port Authority
June 06, 2019 16:11 - 55 minutes - 128 MBDanielle Lessovitz stops by the pod to talk about Port Authority, her new feature film that just premiered at Cannes Film Festival (Un Certain Regard). A complex love story set in New York’s Kiki ballroom scene, Port Authority stars Leyna Bloom, the first trans actress of color in a Cannes selection. The episode gets personal as we discuss falling in love, waiting at train stations and class conflict; Jenny reads from “A Lover’s Discourse” and Yelena embodies “June gloom”. Bonus: Our take ...
Muted and Scammed
May 27, 2019 19:11 - 55 minutes - 128 MBJenny and Yelena consider electoral advertising tactics, lying, and the perils of sharing economy. Bonus! Fake blood and tales of Belarusian forests. Follow: @yezhel Follow: @jwcamps Trump's FB/IG ad library Belovezhskaya Pushcha, where bisons live Travels in Hyperreality : Essays by Umberto Eco The Precariat : The New Dangerous Class by Guy Standing Lying by Sam Harris
On Animals
May 13, 2019 05:05 - 1 hour - 86.3 MBReflecting on recent news of whale espionage, Jenny and Yelena human-shame, discuss sentience and prey fantasies, and cover everything in feathers. Quoted: Martin Buber, Henry Beston, Caitrin Kelper, Werner Herzog. The ghost of Susan Sontag makes a fleeting appearance.
The Lazy Woman’s Guide to Decadent Work Ethic
May 01, 2019 04:17 - 49 minutes - 68.3 MBJust in time for the International Workers' Day, Jenny and Yelena bring you another diligent conversation. Parsed: memories of parades, the Decadent Work Ethic, true leisure through shoes, play and political pyramids.
The Ultimate Guide to Roomba Sadness
April 23, 2019 02:34 - 1 hour - 72.2 MBEp 1, where we discuss AI therapists, networked objects, object relations, bourgeois philodendron, mass surveillance and furniture