Hello Everyone,

We will no longer be updating Loud Murmurs. Due to some very personal changes that happened recently, we decided to pull the plug on Loud Murmurs and sincerely hope that everyone can respect our decision. 

Given the sudden nature of this announcement, we will keep our RSS feed up for another week. If you like a certain episode, feel free to download it onto your own devices within this timeframe. We ask that you respect our decision to shut down the podcast and not repost our content anywhere. 

In addition to shutting down our RSS feed, we will delete our social media presence in the coming weeks. Our Patreon and Aifadian will be closed as well. 

We want to thank you for all of your time and support in the past 4 years. We couldn’t have done it without you. While this podcast will no longer exist, our obsessions with  movies and TV shows remain. The Internet is big: in the vast universe that is millennials-making-podcasts, watch out for a similar frequency out there. When you do, catch it. 

Always, 

Loud Murmurs

In our annual holiday special, our four hosts (minus Diaodiao) and our editor Joshua look back on our favorite LMM episodes, as well as TV shows and movies that made us laugh, made us think, and got us through the year. 

• 2:47 Afra’s favorite: time travel trilogy (part I, II, III)
• 4:07 Ina’s favorite: ‘Sound of Metal’ (part I and II) and a window into the deaf and hard of hearing community (and their representation in pop culture, e.g. The Bachelor) 
• 8:20 Joshua’s favorite: ’Shang Chi’ (episode here)
• 11:57 Juan’s favorite: We are all 'Minari' 
• 21:48 Afra discusses ‘Spencer’
• 36:25 Ina discusses her favorite shows of the year: ‘Succession’ (worry not, we are making an episode on it)，HBO's ‘Sex Life of College Girls’ and the girls’ authentic friendship; wholesomeness of ‘Great British Bake-off’; ‘Ted Lasso’; ‘Hospital Playlist’ (embracing the urban friendships that have become family)
• 41:52 Joshua discusses his favorite from this year: creating characters and writing your own plot with TTRPG
• 48:15 Juan and Ina finally learn to appreciate audiobooks via: ‘How much of these hills are gold’, ‘The Cult of We’, ‘Empire of Pain’
• 55:37 Listener voice memos (thank you to those who submitted and thank you all for the support) 

[Audio editor]

Joshua Ogden-Davis

[Links & resources]

• Cathy Park Hong, “Minor Feelings”
• Michelle Zauner (singer Japanese Breakfast), “Crying in HMart”
• Jay Caspian King, “The Loneliest Americans”
• C Pam Zhang, ”How much of these hills are gold“
• Eliot Brown, Maureen Farrell“The Cult of We: WeWork, Adam Neumann, and the Great Startup Delusion ”
• Patrick Radden Keefe, “Empire of Pain”

Please consider supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/loudmurmurs. 

Reach out to us at loudmurmursfm@gmail.com for any business inquiries. 

Find Loud Murmurs in the iTunes podcast store, Google Play, Spotify, and wherever you listen to podcasts (e.g. Pocket Casts, Overcast)! Please subscribe, enjoy, and feel free to drop us a note and leave us a review. 

• RSS feed: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/258327.rss 
• Itunes: https://apple.co/2VAVf0Z 
• Google play: goo.gl/KjRYPN 
• Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2IWNuRB 
• Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=544416&refid=stpr 
• Pocket Cast: http://pca.st/nLid 
• Overcast: https://bit.ly/2SL7MNJ 

[Episode theme]

Loud Murmurs is finally boarding the Dune train. We invited interpreter William White and our listener and ecology PhD Luojun Yang to join the four hosts. 

We dive into a couple of themes, like the significance of imagining a feudalistic society in the far far future, the technological developments of a post-Butlerian Jihad world, the socio-historical background of Frank Hubert’s novel, spice harvesting and our relationship with natural resources, the white savior complex and colonialism embedded in the book and movie, and last but not least, why we want to see more characters like Jessica. 

This episode is brought to you by NEIWAI, a lifestyle brand that aspires to create lingerie & loungewear that free wearers' bodies and minds. NEIWAI celebrates women everywhere and strives to be a constant companion on every adventure in their life – in every precious moment. Our hosts are users of their products and we talk about our experience in the middle of this episode. Use our code LMM20 for 20% off NEIWAI products, or shop via this link.  

[Timecode]

• 4:53 First impressions of Dune: “I’m one with the music”, “isn’t this just a trailer?”, “this is just the beginning”
• 11:05 Denis Villeneuve versus David Lynch’s version 
• 13:05 The World of Dune: feudalism in a futuristic world, the Butlerian Jihad and why there aren’t smart phones in this world
• 15:52 soft versus hard Sci-Fi
• 16:45 if this story didn’t include aliens, would we still think it’s Sci-Fi? 
• 18:10 Counter culture movement — socio-historical background of Frank Hubert’s Dune 
• 20:56 the dual meaning of spice: hallucinogen and valuable resource (not unlike fossil fuel 
• 22:26 harvesting spice and how it relates to environmental crises stemmed from exploitation of resources 
• 24:51 we want to see more narratives that explore the human-nature relationship as climate change is becoming more urgent 
• 27:34 the course of resources and how Hubert’s approach to ecology is very human-centered 
• 31:08 AD TIME: our four hosts talk about our experiences with NEIWAI products and how “one size fits all” reduces body/cup size anxiety. Use LMM20 for 20% off your purchase or shop via this link.  
• 37:34 white savior complex, colonialism, and cultural appropriation in Dune 
• 42:52 culture adaptation in the original novel
• 45:15 how the movie treated the Fremens, Lawrence of Arabia, and Paul’s fate as a white savior 
• 48:28 William White sharing his personal experience growing up in a pop culture they glorified the white savior narrative 
• 51:32 strong female characters in Dune — Jessica, and how her portrayal differs in the David Lynch version
• 55:44 David Lynch’s Dune and it’s homophobic elements 
• 57:10 the portrayal of the Baron in the two versions
• 59:02 strong female characters in Dune: Chani 
• 1:02:17 what’s the value of Dune being made into a movie in 2021  

[Host]

Diaodiao
Ina
Afra
Juan

[Guests]

白威廉 (William White)

Luojun Yang

[Audio editor]

Josh Ogden-Davis

[Be our sponsor]

Please consider supporting us on Patreon.

[Episode theme]
Who's the real bad art friend? Well, it depends on who you ask. Our hosts each share their own perspectives on the hottest Internet discourse and dive into a myriad of related topics. 

[Timecode]

2:57 what is the NYT Magazine’s “Who is the Bad Art Friend” really about

6:30 Diaodiao’s perspective: it’s about the power dynamics behind an act of kindness

11:00 Afra’s perspective: the story highlights the gap between the societal impact and the literary nature of a work of fiction; Sonya Larson’s “The Kindest” portrays highly imperfect characters’ stories. 

14:00 Ina's perspective: her bias against Dawn (a white female author) influenced her viewpoint and reading experience, but ultimately agrees donating a kidney is the ultimate act of kindness-

18:00 Juan’s perspective: this is a story about beating someone when they’re already down, stresses Dawn’s identity as a yet-to-be-published author and Larson’s identity as a writer; Larson’s prejudice and othering of Dawn shouldn’t be excused by the reason of creating a work of art

26:30 Additional context behind live donors for donating organs and how this context changes our thoughts

33:30 In the ultra-connected social media environment of today, what privileges are afforded to those who are kind? Is it bad to doubt the motive behind an act of kindness? Perhaps. 

35:33 How did this story become a story about “two female authors pitting themselves against each other”？ How are “Cat Fights” and “mean girls” influencing our behavior and becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy? How are female authors repressed in the publishing and writing world? 

46:00 POCs being hyper-aware of white feminism and its faults 

49:00 The context around American society and politics that the Chinese Internet discourse missed 

1:02:00 - An original song! Bonus easter egg!

Original song by our editor Joshua Ogden-Davis 

Well I gave away my kidney but my friends don’t even care

I said I gave away my WHOLE kidney and my friends don’t seem to care an appropriate amount

But I know up in heaven White Jesus is saving me a chair

Well I plagiarized a rando but she says she knows me

Well I plagiarized this rando and she says she knows me

But she ain’t cool enough for the group chat so she ain’t get no apology

[Hosts]

Diaodiao, Ina, Afra, Juan

[Audio editor]

Joshua Ogden-Davis

[Be our sponsor]

Please consider supporting us on Patreon (in USD, suitable for listeners who live in the U.S.): https://www.patreon.com/loudmurmurs. 

Please consider supporting us on Patreon (in RMB)：

https://afdian.net/p/e0a54e82ebd111e9bd2d52540025c377

【Business collab】

Please reach out to us at loudmurmursfm@gmail.com for any business inquiries. 

【Listen to LMM】

Find Loud Murmurs in the iTunes podcast store, Google Play, Spotify, and wherever you listen to podcasts (e.g. Pocket Casts, Overcast)! Please subscribe, enjoy, and feel free to drop us a note and leave us a review. 

• RSS feed: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/258327.rss 
• Itunes: https://apple.co/2VAVf0Z 
• Google play: goo.gl/KjRYPN 
• Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2IWNuRB 

This episode is brought to you by 7or9 heels — an innovative brand that’s dedicated to making more comfortable high heels for women. Our podcast was invited to participate in their brand campaign with the theme “from pain to joy.” In this episode, we discuss the feminist awakening of female protagonists — specifically Harley Quinn and Black Widow. In the context of Hollywood’s movie-making industrial complex, paired with the awakening of the female consciousness, these two have evolved and became beloved characters that suit the female audience’s requirements. From the design of their storylines to their motives, to the clothes they wear when fighting — everything reflects the current gender dynamics, and we dive right into this discourse. Listen till the end for an Easter egg about our hosts’ fashion ideals. 

Our Editor

Valerie 

Support Us

Please consider supporting us on Patreon (in USD, suitable for listeners who live in the U.S.): https://www.patreon.com/loudmurmurs. 

Please consider supporting us on Patreon (in RMB)：

https://afdian.net/p/e0a54e82ebd111e9bd2d52540025c377

Read More

• Check out 7or9 heels: https://7or9.com/

Collaborate with Us

Please reach out to us at loudmurmursfm@gmail.com for any business inquiries. 

Find Loud Murmurs in the iTunes podcast store, Google Play, Spotify, and wherever you listen to podcasts (e.g. Pocket Casts, Overcast)! Please subscribe, enjoy, and feel free to drop us a note and leave us a review. 

• RSS feed: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/258327.rss 
• Itunes: https://apple.co/2VAVf0Z 
• Google play: goo.gl/KjRYPN 
• Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2IWNuRB 
• Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=544416&refid=stpr 
• Pocket Cast: http://pca.st/nLid 
• Overcast: https://bit.ly/2SL7MNJ 

Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/loudmurmurs)

[Episode theme]

In this episode, we talk about the latest Marvel blockbuster, “Shang-Chi: legend of the ten rings.” At the time of publishing, Shang-Chi has become the first pandemic film to gross over $200M at the box office. We dive deep into what we love and appreciate about this film — the various styles of fight scenes, Tony Leung, care paid to language and dialect. And where we find the movie to be falling short — the ambiguity of Taluo, the tired narratives when it comes to womanhood, motherhood, and a woman’s role in the marriage. 

[Timecode]

• 1:19 — Guest intro and first impressions 
• 8:00 — How Marvel creates an “anti-hero” the audience loves (Wenwu) 
• 15: 00 — Are the Chinese dialogue and dialects in this film legit?
• 26: 24 — The references of Wuxia style in this film, and a smart appropriating of Chinese fantasy elements  
• 32: 21 — Awkwafina is the first female Asian character whose main use is to be a getaway driver (we dig) 
• 34: 11 — Is the story of Taluo holding up under scrutiny? What are the weaknesses of world-building in this film, when compared with “Black Panther”? Do we need this type of ambiguity in geography and history? Do we need an Asian “Wakanda”? 
• 49: 00 — Marvel commoditized the identity movement of Asian Americans but did not dig deep into their stories in this film 
• 51: 20 — The movie’s polite but ultimately inadequate nod to feminism 
• 56: 16 — Are we tired of the same old narrative of a woman sacrificing herself for a relationship 
• 59: 00 — As a part of the Chinese audience, how should we understand cultural creations that belong to Chinese Americans? 

[Guest introduction]

 Frankie: Chinese American illustrator 

 Kao: Host of the podcast “Overcooked” https://overcooked.typlog.io/ 

[Audio editor]

Joshua Odgen-Davis

[Be our sponsor]

Please consider supporting us on Patreon (in USD, suitable for listeners who live in the U.S.): https://www.patreon.com/loudmurmurs. 

Please consider supporting us on Patreon (in RMB)：

https://afdian.net/p/e0a54e82ebd111e9bd2d52540025c377

【Links & resources】

越烤越糊

https://overcooked.typlog.io/

清醒梦播客救母那集https://hekukaixin.com/2021/05/22/%e6%b8%85%e9%86%92%e6%a2%a6-e18%ef%bd%9c%e4%b8%ad%e5%9b%bd%e6%96%87%e5%8c%96%e7%9a%84%e6%95%91%e6%af%8d%e4%bc%a0%e8%af%b4/

【Business collab】

Please reach out to us at loudmurmursfm@gmail.com for any business inquiries. 

【Listen to LMM】

Find Loud Murmurs in the iTunes podcast store, Google Play, Spotify, and wherever you listen to podcasts (e.g. Pocket Casts, Overcast)! Please subscribe, enjoy, and feel free to drop us a note and leave us a review. 

• RSS feed: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/258327.rss 
• Itunes: https://apple.co/2VAVf0Z 
• Google play: goo.gl/KjRYPN 
• Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2IWNuRB 
• Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=544416&refid=stpr 
• Pocket Cast:

Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/loudmurmurs)

In this ambitious three-part series, we want to talk about time travel through some of our favorites ---- Tenet, Loki, and Interstellar. As viewers, we experience movies frame by frame; as human beings, we experience time through the relentless one-way time arrow. Through subverting our familiar narrative structures and disrupting causality, time travel can raise important questions about the universe we live in and its physical rules.

Time Code

• 2:07 A cool anecdote about Chien-Shiung Wu, the female Chinese-American particle and experimental physicist
• 7:14 Our third category of time travel stories, as presented in Interstellar 
• 11:16 Fascinating understandings of time and space that came from the elegant principles of Special Relativity
• 19:00 "High-dimensional creatures" in pop culture and in religion
• 21:10 The inherent tragedy in time -- Eternalism vs. Presentism
• 26:48 The sincerity and fragility of "Interstellar" -- is Sci-fi telling us to be more afraid to face our own vulnerabilities than exploring the end of the universe?

Our Guest

Shelly Shi - Ph.D. candidate in UCSD, with research interest in Philosophy of Physics

Edited By

Valerie Chen

Support Us

Please consider supporting us on Patreon (in USD, suitable for listeners who live in the U.S.): https://www.patreon.com/loudmurmurs. 

Please consider supporting us on Patreon (in RMB)：

https://afdian.net/p/e0a54e82ebd111e9bd2d52540025c377

Business collab

Please reach out to us at loudmurmursfm@gmail.com for any business inquiries. 

Listen to LMM

Find Loud Murmurs in the iTunes podcast store, Google Play, Spotify, and wherever you listen to podcasts (e.g. Pocket Casts, Overcast)! Please subscribe, enjoy, and feel free to drop us a note and leave us a review. 

• RSS feed: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/258327.rss 
• Itunes: https://apple.co/2VAVf0Z 
• Google play: goo.gl/KjRYPN 
• Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2IWNuRB 
• Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=544416&refid=stpr 
• Pocket Cast: http://pca.st/nLid 
• Overcast: https://bit.ly/2SL7MNJ 

Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/loudmurmurs)

In this ambitious three-part series, we want to talk about time travel through some of our favorites ---- Tenet, Loki, and Interstellar. As viewers, we experience movies frame by frame; as human beings, we experience time through the relentless one-way time arrow. Through subverting our familiar narrative structures and disrupting causality, time travel can raise important questions about the universe we live in and its physical rules.

Time Code

• 1:45 Our second category of time travel stories, as presented in Loki 
• 4:45 The quantum mechanics behind the multiverse theory, which contrary to popular belief, has more to do with Schrödinger's than Rick Sanchez
• 9:26 What is the Tesseract stolen by Loki? Why can it help Loki travel through time and space?
• 14:23 The existential philosophical question raised by Loki in the multiverse narrative: What makes a Loki Loki, and what makes me me?
• 25:08 Loki’s redemption arc makes for a perfect multiverse story
• 31:44 "Time" under the capitalist system and "nowness" as the way out

Our Guest

Shelly Shi - Ph.D. candidate in UCSD, with research interest in Philosophy of Physics

Edited By

Valerie Chen

Support Us

Please consider supporting us on Patreon (in USD, suitable for listeners who live in the U.S.): https://www.patreon.com/loudmurmurs. 

Please consider supporting us on Patreon (in RMB)：

https://afdian.net/p/e0a54e82ebd111e9bd2d52540025c377

Business collab

Please reach out to us at loudmurmursfm@gmail.com for any business inquiries. 

Listen to LMM

Find Loud Murmurs in the iTunes podcast store, Google Play, Spotify, and wherever you listen to podcasts (e.g. Pocket Casts, Overcast)! Please subscribe, enjoy, and feel free to drop us a note and leave us a review. 

• RSS feed: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/258327.rss 
• Itunes: https://apple.co/2VAVf0Z 
• Google play: goo.gl/KjRYPN 
• Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2IWNuRB 
• Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=544416&refid=stpr 
• Pocket Cast: http://pca.st/nLid 
• Overcast: https://bit.ly/2SL7MNJ