S8E28: Windmills

Christian Eden

@Bee I dont think Matteo despises Bret. Conversely imagine Bret was a philanthropic hippie - I guarantee you his work would be totally boring

J Hay

What? Where did you get that info about Walz?

Thomas Edwards

Found the zero gravity food in 2001 fascinating as a kid. Ditto other sparse SciFi meals such as the cafeteria in The Andromeda Strain.

R. M.

I don't play nice, I just block a b*tch. I'm not here to listen to people disrespect Bret.

Patrick

You can just “say” cunt here. ;)

Patrick

Play nice, girls. 🤜🤛

Bee

@christianeden yes thank you, I’m aware or else I wouldn’t like the majority of art that I do. But I don’t despise the artists whose work I like and I don’t fundamentally misunderstand their character.

Graeme

I feel dumber for listening to that climate change conversation

Max

Do you smell burnt toast?

FlyingWaffle

He's indeed quite high on the Childless Cat Lady scale.

Adam Skorupskas

David Schur

Every time Brett mentions the “simulacrum” I vomit just a bit

Charlie C

Hearing Bret vividly recount a movie going experience from over 20 years ago is always a treat. Looking forward to his film book

Alex Bielovich

Bret’s sixty and has no kids - climate apathy is not a shocker. If his favourite food/booze suddenly became unavailable then I think he’d care more.

Christian Eden

that mindset got him writing Imperial Bedrooms! You never make great art being happy

Lukas

The paragraph about Haneke was lovely! He really is one filmmaker that knows how to evoke strong feelings in his audience. My favourite film of his has to be Cache. The opening shot alone - the camera just standing still, quietly observing, as the opening credits roll - is so damn great. Thanks for the episode!

FlyingWaffle

That would put him too high on the "childless cat lady" scale.

Patrick

😂

Sodaheiress

Loved this episode, agree with Bret

Sodaheiress

(Whisper) “fuck yeah” 😂

Collin Myers

not you erik, sorry meant that as a reply to adam skorupkus

Collin Myers

dude. are you serious?

turtleboy

Looks like it.

FlyingWaffle

Lol, that R.M. guy deleted all his posts?!

turtleboy

Also, are you the R.M. that has delivered nothing of substance to what was a climate discussion? Rather just frothing at the mouth attempts to defend Bret's asinine position and really weird attempts at "gotcha"ing your way into something substantive? I can smell the MAGA all over you.

turtleboy

Different one. My friends and family got a good laugh out of that article too. Peculiar that you're such a sycophant that you're trying to do background on anyone criticizing his dumb take on climate change. He's not gonna fuck you bro.

R. M.

Also, are you the Erik Carollo that struck 4 parked cars while drunk driving in April and was charged with DWI, reckless driving, and open container? The climate crisis is an existential threat, but driving drunk, endangering innocent peoples lives, hitting parked cars, not so much?

R. M.

We can meet up in person anytime you want and you can find out if I'm a snowflake or not anon climate c*nt. You two are a couple of clown trolls who deserve to be blocked, not for your opinion, but for your lack of respect for Bret and your condescending. disingenuous engagement. Being canceled is something different then blocked I thought you were smart you fuckin idiot? "Sycophantic?" No I actually just have a lot of respect for Bret as an artist and hate seeing little ankle biting c*nts trolling and being disrespectful in the comments.

turtleboy

This is sycophantic as hell. You've done nothing here but tone policing.

FlyingWaffle

Oh boy... "PLEASE, ADAM, CANCEL HIM! CANCEL HIM, NOW! HE'S BEING...RUDE!" Jeez, we found ourselves a genuine millennial snowflake.

R. M.

You have no idea what you are talking about and should stop talking, or don't, and keep making yourself look even more stupid. I'm not triggered I just think your rude and the worst type of troll, the kind that pretends they're not trolling, and says insulting things while feigning concern. You're not being honest and respectful to Bret, so you really shouldn't be here. Hopefully Adam starts deleting soft trolls like you.

R. M.

You are trying to correlate his ennui with his view on climate change. Would you like some red yarn and a cork board to go with your theory? Correct, you're not a shrink, and your attempt at it isn't going well. Bret just turned 60, is struggling with that milestone and just had a traumatic domestic situation with his long time partner who is severely mentally ill and has been in a mental facility for over 6 months. He is now living alone without his partner and still has all his normal responsibilities to deal with. Insinuating that Bret's mental state has something to do with his views on climate change is rude, disrespectful, inappropriate, and you should stop before you embarrass yourself further. No one that has read your comments believes for one second you are commenting in good faith or out of legitimate concern for Bret. You’re just a soft troll.

R. M.

The way you are approaching your difference of opinion with Bret is just making his point on why he can't talk to people like you.

TheRealAudreyHorne

It’s not really a conspiracy theory to understand how COVID was a huge power grab and full of misinformation, but okay. Are you a “shrink”?

FlyingWaffle

Depression is FAKE, it's a MONEY GRAB. If you don't agree with this, I can't talk to you.

Christian Eden

One of the best descriptions of Bret as a writer I have seen so far! @Bee You can disagree with someones politics and still think their work and taste is cool. I think that distanced view is what works about his books

R. M.

Bret has heard your feedback and is currently imbedded with Green Peace in an inflatable dingy in the middle of the ocean ramming oil tankers and later in the day he and Adam will be throwing Campbells cream of mushroom soup on a Van Goh to bring awareness to the climate crisis.

turtleboy

"The electric car companies wanna make money. Climate change is a lie" People who think that the fossil fuel industry is a philanthropic sector, apparently

FlyingWaffle

1985 - Carl Sagan, the biggest money grabber of all time, mansplaining to Congress how global warming works, with zero graph: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wp-WiNXH6hI

turtleboy

The science behind this issue has been widespread and unequivocal. If you want to edgelord contrarian your way into denial, enjoy. I'm not engaging.

slimshadyfan666

Eat my shit you barely literate loud mouthed motherfucker.

Adam Skorupskas

Covid was fiction.

Adam Skorupskas

Do you really believe humans can measure the temperature of the planet?

Adam Skorupskas

Bret is right. CLIMATE CHANGE IS FAKE. IT IS A MONEY GRAB!

slimshadyfan666

Shut the fuck up.

Phoenix

Bret needs a cat. The dread goes away with a little furry snuggle buddy.

turtleboy

Absolutely dying at these two dismissing climate change. Of all the "conventional narratives" to dismiss, this one is particularly odd because there are so many moneyed interests that want you to believe that nothing is wrong. I never walked away from this podcast feeling dumber before.

Bee

This is such an uncharitable description of Bret’s beliefs about Covid or the “Climate Crisis” and his character in general. It’s surprising that someone who earnestly believes any of this about him would enjoy this podcast.

R. M.

Wow, the "love your books but" crowd, the arbiters of truth, righteousness, and intellect, are really out in force in the comments this week spinning their wheels.

Collin Myers

yeah those parts of the convo are hard on the ears to be honest BUT i still love these guys and enjoy the pod.

Justin Gerber

“I saw a graph.” Adam sounds like the stereotypical uncle on Facebook sometimes.

Justin Gerber

Adding a second “heart” to this.

Justin Gerber

Sometimes these two say the most asinine shit. Love the books, though. Lol

Ryan Peck

I respect Bret because he doesn’t write the books & stories other people want him to write, he writes what he wants to write. As an artist & (so far, unpublished) writer myself, I pretty much operate the same way

Ryan Peck

I don’t recall Bret ever saying COVID was a scam, what he points out is the fact that trust in media & institutions has eroded because of their over-sensationalized, emotion-based narratives, much of which we saw during COVID. The media & institutions aren’t entitled to our trust; they have to earn our trust

James__

I feel like you’ve been honing this insight for quite a while and, bang: here we have it.

Matteo Persivale

Fascinating that people who listen to his podcast and — one assumes — have read his books think BEE might somehow be affected by things — politics, foreign policy, climate — that don’t directly affect him, and possibly his boyfriend. The whole point of BEE — of a lot of novelists frankly — is the way he reacts to things that affect him. He didn’t die of covid, therefore covid was a scam. 1.2 million Americans died? He didn’t. But it interfered with his social life — movies, restaurant. That’s what makes him interesting as a writer and so bad as a commentator on things outside cinema and books and LA. Writing — the kind of writing he does, at least — is mostly self absorption.

Darren

Bret sounds better this week. Great to hear The Shards show is developing positively. Can’t wait to see how Bret expands the show outside the book with new characters and scenarios. Come on HBO green light this project officially.

R. M.

Here's my vision to get Bret in the right mood for his Club Random appearance: Adam should be Bret's driver/handler/wingman/hype man for that day. Have a little guys day pre-Random. Start the day off light, some fruit salad, white tea, maybe a little honey dew. Then, something uplifting, maybe take Bret to cuddle puppies somewhere. Then to a farmers market so Bret can be titilated by the colors, textures, and smells of the fruits and vegetables, awaken his senses a bit. A light lunch at the farmers market, preferably a wrap sandwich containing alfalfa sprouts. Then they hit Starbucks drive-thru enroute for a couple of venti decaf java chip frappacinos with whip cream. Adam's driving Bret's Mercedes and driving a little too fast, but Bret doesn't mind, he's having fun. They're sipping the frappacinos and Adam surprises Bret and cues "My own Worst Enemy" and the opening guitar riff blares through the cars Bose sound system. Bret smiles. The hollow sound of them slurping the whip cream through their straws reverberates behind the power chords of Lit as they roll into Bill Maher's compound. Adam accompanies Bret and sits off camera for moral support, smoking Bill Mahers complimentary dank weed. Bill Maher and Adam fishbowl the room possibly giving Bret, who's drinking a gin, a contact high. Bret's relaxed, he has a good time. After, they hit Bret's favorite Burger joint drive-thru on the way home as a little din din reward. Sounds like a day to me.

R. M.

Agreed. CR is BS when BM is being a DB.

Justin Gillett

ndynojdboo

Justin Gillett

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Justin Gillett

hzrmo

Dave

Seattle’s equivalent to KROQ was the same in the early ‘80s. Musical genres weren’t as strictly defined. DJs seemed to have freedom in terms of choosing the playlist. Not unusual to hear the Doors followed by the Flying Lizards. A brief golden moment.

Dave

Agree that CR can be decent (ie interesting guests). BM doesn’t do himself any favors with his tendency to condescension. Did so with Oliver Stone this year. Stone was laying out some ideas worthy of serious thought. BM just dismissed him offhand.

Dave

Seymour Hersch has some interesting things to say about the candidate “hot swap”. Note that the full article is behind the Substack paywall.

R. M.

"The abyss of the windmills of your mind" I love that line. Just re-listened to THE SHARDS for the 4th or 5th time. Was Shingy OK or no? Fuck. "Climate crisis"... Yes, that must be why Bret is full goth and has week long Sunday scaries. The climate crisis is affecting Bret AND the polar bears. Amen your writer friend is 100% correct. Everything is a manufactured construct it seems now, so it makes life even harder to navigate, you question things that are real because the real and the construct are so interwoven now. Club Random is decent sometimes, though Maher often comes off as an arrogant, dismissive blowhard. The episode recently where he tried to big brain Bill Burr didn't end well for him. Bill Burr is also a helicopter pilot, a drummer and a bit of a readah. Bill Burr knocking Maher down multiple notches is a master class in subtle Masshole takedown roasting. See the highlight reel on You Tube.

richard owain roberts

am going to listen on my run. will say more later, after my run.

Harold B

I agree with you Brett Kamala is having a honeymoon period because people are so relieved it’s not Biden on the ticket. Come September it won’t be so easy for her and we will see what she’s made of

Harold B

I like dark negative anxious Bret from time to time… I mean he’s obviously really good at it

Brandon Cook

lol Bret’s musical taste will do that

N.M. Janice.

The Seventh Continent!!

Allan Sherwood

I always listen to Bret right before bed, as I am sorting out my antidepressants.

Patrick

“And cheered, right?!” Adam gets me every time. 😂

Steve

There is a positive vibe in Bret's voice today. He may have found his Emotional Rescue.

M. Nero Nava

I saw the KROQ question in the comments, and looked up old playlists from 81. Found The Stones, and The Doors played among the new wave stuff.