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‘Believe the Hype’ Column: Black History Month & African Art Museums

Christine Stoddard on January 31, 2024

By Christine Stoddard | cstoddard@queensledger.com

It is February, which means it is Black History Month, and in Brooklyn of all places, that must be observed. On the website Brooklyn.org, run by the Brooklyn Community Foundation, bold text declares that the borough is home to the second-largest Black population in the United States. Who’s in first place? Chicago. And despite Atlanta having a higher percentage of Black folks (47.6 vs. 38. 8 percent, per Census.gov), Brooklyn has more Black residents than Atlanta and Detroit combined. Brooklyn’s Black population is more than 730,000 people, which is bigger than the entire population of Washington, D.C. How does this compare to the national percentage of Black people? 13.6 percent of the U.S. population self-identifies as Black. Stats—they’re fascinating!

Bedstuyfly

There’s a clothing shop called Bedstuyfly (styled like that, all as one word) that opened when Ralph Ave. was my C stop. It has a second location that I have come to know on Fulton St., closer to the Kingston-Throop stop on the C. The flashy designs, with bright colors and memorable slogans celebrating Brooklyn and Blackness caught my attention from first glance. The style seems to be Hip-Hop Meets Hipster and, when in doubt there’s the aesthetic choice of “put a pigeon on it” à la Portlandia’s “put a bird on it.” One ball cap that especially stands out bears the words “There should be more Black billionaires.”

Side note: If you are curious about which African-American entrepreneurs, athletes, and entertainers are billionaires, don’t worry, I found you the answer: Tyler Perry, LeBron James, Tiger Woods, Tope Awotona, Alexander Karp, Michael Jordan, Jay-Z, Oprah Winfrey, David Steward, and Robert F. Smith. Notice that I specified African-American, not African or Black more broadly.

Black Billionaires

One argument for why there are not more Black billionaires is colonialism and its lasting legacy. The notion of “post” in the pop academic term “post-colonialism” is false if disparities based on race and ethnicity, steeped in colonial hierarchies, still exist. The challenge is, how can Black people build wealth if they are still coping with such socio-economic inequity?

Museums’ Reckoning

When you think of colonialism, it’s natural to turn your mind to museums. Right now museums are undergoing a major reckoning. The Biden administration changed the 1990 Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGRPA), making it so that museums must have consent to display items from Indigenous cultures. This has meant a big upheaval at the American Museum of Natural History, where the admissions of guilt flooded a letter from President Sean Decatur to his museum staff. This letter is publicly available on the AMNH website. In it, the president of the museum admitted that the institution holds remains from five enslaved African-Americans. Their bodies had been extracted from a burial ground in Inwood during a city road construction project in 1903-1904.

In the letter, Decatur writes, “Enslavement was a violent, dehumanizing act; removing these remains from their rightful burial place ensured that the denial of basic human dignity would continue even in death. Identifying a restorative, respectful action in consultation with local communities must be part of our commitment.” You can say that again!

Cultural Museum of African Art

One museum that has piqued my curiosity, though not yet my attendance, is the Cultural Museum of African Art. You will find it in Bedford-Stuyvesant at 1360 Fulton St., 2nd floor. You probably know this shopping complex, which is home to Restoration Plaza, for its Applebee’s and the post office. In 1971, a Brooklynite named Eric Edwards purchased a maternity female statue of Senufo-Bambara origin from Mali; the rest, as they say, was history. I’m skipping a few steps to fast-forward to 2023: Edwards eventually curated more than 3,000 artifacts from all 54 countries of Africa. The museum, which opened in February of last year, houses his collection spanning 4,000 years. The opening was scheduled to coincide with Black History Month. Now you can visit Tuesday through Saturday, 10am to 5:30pm.

Museum of African Art & World Cultures

Being a journalist makes me a naturally inquisitive and observant person, and these qualities have only been strengthened through training and experience. Every time I walk out the door, there is potential for a new discovery. On Bedford Avenue, on the Bed-Stuy/Clinton Hill border, perhaps you, too, have noticed the banner that reads “COMING SOON! Museum of African Art & World Cultures.” You will see it between Madison St. and Putnam Ave.

Now, running errands this past week, the banner caught my eye mainly because I have only recently started sojourning to that area regularly again but also because it was bright white on a gray day. It triggered a memory: a smaller museum called the Bedford Stuyvesant Museum of African Art (BSMAA) from years ago. I had these nagging questions. When was that? Where had this museum been exactly? Was it in this same spot or farther east? The pandemic has blurred my sense of time and place. Besides, I have to be honest: I never stepped inside of that museum.

So I did some Googling. It turns out that the Bedford Stuyvesant Museum of African Art shut down due the pandemic, unsurprisingly, but it did not do so permanently. It has been renamed the Museum of African Art & World Cultures. The address–for when that reopening eventually comes–is 1157 Bedford Ave., Suite 2.

On Oct. 15, 2023, user @path_1873 posted a comment on the museum’s last Instagram post: “Is this museum permanently closed?” So I know I am not the only one who was wondering about it. The Instagram account is called @bedstuymaa, so it has not been updated to reflect the museum’s new name. Maybe that will change. The current account does not have a particularly large following: 474 followers as of Jan. 28, 2024. For comparison, @queensledger, the account for the Queens Ledger, the flagship newspaper of BQE media group, which owns the Brooklyn Star and other hyperlocal titles, has 6.8K followers. (Meanwhile, @brooklynstarweekly has a lowly 525 followers. Trust me, we are working on it! Just started this job.) If you think I’m getting hung up on numbers this column, I really am not. It is important to measure and compare things from time to time. Looking at numbers makes that possible. With the museum’s 474 followers, it may be possible to start fresh without too much hassle.

I have reached out to the Museum of African Art & World Cultures via email and made phone calls to both numbers listed on the website (office and cell) to no avail. Do you have intel? Let me know: cstoddard@queensledger.com. I am eager for updates, as I am sure the community is, too.

Brooklyn Poetry Feature: Miranda Dennis, Emily Hockaday & Jiwon Choi

Brooklyn Star on January 25, 2024

This was originally printed in the Jan. 25, 2024 edition of the newspaper.

Photo by Christine Stoddard.

In December 2023, the New York Times Magazine announced that it was ending its poetry feature after nine years. We asked Brooklynites to submit their poems to be published here. This week’s poets are Miranda Dennis and Emily Hockaday. This is the last installment in this series.

“The Lights Under Essex Street”

By Miranda Dennis

At the mouth of the sky

now that the trolleys are dead

each bulb a constant star

a forest of light

a low hum

  lulled by

the cost of doing business

fixed parameters:

a city growing taller

but not always braver

a skyline made of glass

and steel

  the sand that makes both

a full moon hangs low

its ear to the ground

for the secrets you are thinking

quietly, or so you think:

the tropes of married men

or gas rumbling low in your belly

your tender eyes unblinking

to the shifting light

I hold a space for you

it attracts moths furious

banging their soft heads

 

“Olivia Benson”

By Miranda Dennis

Cool cop I love you / mythic, a sainted nun in a cellar / a burnt down house brittle on the lips of a politician / I’m alive at dawn and grateful / I’m collared and treated gingerly and grateful / I toast my bread but suffer for it / and must I now lay my head across cool tile floor / and must I now stoke this fever and be dragged over my own coals / here in the flickering box that media built / here we are intermediaries with plummy bruised lips / and cool cop give me the icebox to curl into / and your jaw is a mountain range scalable as a defense / but you, too, are softer than this / you trim my nails when I cannot even read my own palm / you give me grace / you give me calm

Miranda Dennis’s previous work includes essays published in Granta, Witness Magazine, Quail Bell Magazine, and Hypertext Magazine, with a short story recently out in Allium. Her poetry has been previously published in storySouth, the Hollins Critic, Meridian, Cold Mountain Review, and others, with poetry reviews in the Hollins Critic and Quail Bell Magazine. She lives in Park Slope with an ancient, immortal cat.

Photo by Christine Stoddard.

“Live in this Body”

By Emily Hockaday

It was my mother who spotted the nighthawk

perched on the rail. A sort of hawk, she said.

Dark wings and sharp beak stood out

against the rushes and reeds. Even in the face

of bitter wind, I didn’t want to leave: the Sun

lit the hills of tall grass a flashy pink; the clouds

gathered at the edges of the day; nighthawks

were waking. Beyond this former landfill,

Brooklyn rose in sandstone peaks and glittering

glass windows. I have seen something ugly

transformed by beauty. I don’t know how many batteries

lie below the surface, left to leach into the bay

and surrounding vegetation. A city’s worth?

For now, I live in this body and try to forget

the destruction we wreak on this one, unlucky

ecosphere. How the lines of clouds light up

different colors. How the wind shakes the dry stalks

and moves ripples through the bay. How predators

take to the sky in the early winter dusk, unaware

of the land’s history.

Emily Hockaday’s latest collection, In a Body, was published by Harbor Editions in October 2023. She writes about ecology, chronic illness, parenthood, grief, and the urban environment. She’s on the web at www.emilyhockaday.com.

 

“I Am the Robot of the Situation”

By Jiwon Choi

Inside the coldest supermarket on Fifth Avenue

next door to the Spanish language daycare

brown mouse in-a-beret decal ambassador on the door

that is now the electric bike shop

is where you tell me how ready you are to hear all the answers

to the inquiring questions you are ready to ask

is it so easy to trust me in front of this bin of shiitake

mushrooms? Because who wouldn’t trust somebody ready

to plunge their hand into a gomorrha of fungi, but I am only good

at saying things you don’t want to hear:

marriages end in divorce or when one of us dies

veggie hot dogs are really 1000 pencil erasers hammered together

plastic roses are bad for the environment

no, I don’t want to visit your parents over Christmas

and though my advice will sound like a reckoning, consider:

if there’s a two-for-one sale on deli meats, just say no.

Jiwon Choi is the author of One Daughter is Worth Ten Sons and I Used To Be Korean. Choi’s third poetry collection, A Temporary Dwelling, will be forthcoming in June 2024.  She started her community garden’s first poetry reading series, Poets Read in the Garden, to support local writers. You can find out more about her at iusedtobekorean.com.

‘Stolen Dough’ Docudrama Details Bensonhurt Inventor’s Legal Battle with Pizza Hut

Christine Stoddard on January 24, 2024

By Christine Stoddard | cstoddard@queensledger.com

The next time you are salivating over a stuffed crust pizza, consider its origins. It just might be another Brooklyn invention.  A new docudrama, Stolen Dough, directed by Stefano Da Frè, tells the story of Bensonhurst native Anthony Mongiello, claiming him as the real inventor of the stuffed crust pizza at the tender age of 18.

According to that same narrative, his patent was stolen by Pizza Hut, who brands the dish as Original Stuffed Crust® Pizza. The controversy stems from Mongiello’s history of communication with the company, including pitching his patent, which dates back to 1987.

The film, now streaming on Amazon Prime, tells the story of Mongiello’s one-billion-dollar lawsuit against the famous pizza franchise. At its heart, Stolen Dough is a story about capitalism, competition, and theft.

Prior to inventing the stuffed crust pizza, Mongiello worked at a local pizzeria that his friend’s father owned.

“I had a lot of respect for the small business owners, who put in 15-16 hours each day, with all the preparation of ingredients, and running a small business,” wrote Mongiello in an email forwarded to the Brooklyn Star by his media rep, Ryan McCormick of Goldman McCormick Public Relations. “However, most importantly, the person I respected  the most was my father. He worked in the manufacturing of cheese products and held several patents all related to manufacturing inventions.”

Mongiello continued crediting his father in saying, “My father was a guiding force in my life as an inventor. He was the man who invented the actual Polio String Cheese stick that was sold as snacks to families across America. We were extremely inventive as a family. My father taught me to never take anything for granted and that supplied me with the values I still hold to this day.”

Mongiello has more than 30 years of experience in the cheese industry, most notably as CEO of Formaggio Cheese.

Getting Stolen Dough from concept to streaming was a years-long process. In 2022, director Da Frè, working in collaboration with Laura Pelligrini from Rosso International Films, won a grant from the Russo brothers, known for directing four Marvel films. The brothers, Anthony Russo and Joseph Russo, who are active members of the Italian Sons and Daughters of America (ISDA), fund the The Russo Brothers Italian American Film Forum Grant, which is administered by the National Italian American Foundation.

Mongiello said, “Stefano had pitched my story to them, and they loved the aspect of a true Italian American drama. The rest is history! Stolen Dough was only 1 out 7 features chosen to get funding and support from the Russo Brothers out of 1, 200 submissions.” The project won an additional grant from the Sons and Daughters of Italian American Foundation in May 2023.

Stolen Dough runs 46 minutes and is shot in a crime-suspense style. The film mixes interviews with stylized re-enactments of a young Mongiello inventing the stuffed crust pizza, pitching the idea to Pizza Hut and other major pizza franchises, and bonding with his brother over family history and pride.

“Seeing my story on the big screen and now streaming, is a dream come true,” wrote Mongiello. “I wanted to share my story with people for a very long time.”

A Brooklynite’s Quick Museum Guide to Mexico City

Christine Stoddard on January 24, 2024

By Christine Stoddard | cstoddard@queensledger.com

Right now, local museum-lovers gushing over the Spike Lee exhibition, which was recently extended at the Brooklyn Museum. But what if you are a museum nerd who longs for warmer locales? You might consider a trip to Mexico City, which is in some ways comparable to New York City for its size, cultural touchstones, and diversity in arts and entertainment.

A round-trip flight from JFK to MEX is typically $400-600 this time of year, and I swung a private Airbnb for just under $40 a night during my six-night, mid-January stay. During the day, temperatures reached highs in the 70s and, at night, the lows hit the mid-40s. With a currency exchange rate 16 times in our favor as Americans, the cost of eating out (and just about anything else!) is a gift to a Brooklynite’s wallet.

A view of Teotihuacan, a pre-hispanic archeological complex northeast of Mexico City.

Here are some of the Mexico City museums you might visit:

Museo Nacional de Antropología/National Museum of Anthropology: A massive museum full of Indigenous and ancient, pre-Hispanic wonders. Lose hours here.

Castillo de Chapultepec/ Chapultepec Castle: The Viceroyalty of New Spain lived here, so the visit feels like a mini escape to Europe. You will find many artifacts from the 1700s and 1800s. Think Hamilton-era but Spanish.

Teotihuacan: Not technically within the city, but nearby (and worth the hour drive), this archeological wonder is unlike anything in the Tri-State area. Giant pyramids call for your comfiest sneakers!

Museo Mural Diego Rivera/Diego Rivera Mural Museum: You have probably seen it in a thousand art history textbooks, but here you can soak in its full splendor: the sweeping Sueño de una Tarde Dominical en la Alameda Central mural.

Museo Frida Kahlo/Frida Kahlo Museum: This cobalt blue house museum is sometimes referred to as la Casa Azul. A must-see for Frida fans.

Museo de Arte Moderno/Museum of Modern Art: A unique collection of Mexican Modern art (roughly 1860s-1970s), including work by Rivera and Kahlo in its permanent collection, but also artists less frequently known to Americans. It is similar to the Mexican version of our MoMa. The gorgeous sculpture garden truly distinguishes the experience.

Museo de Tamayo/Tamayo Museum: The contemporary art museum, full of exciting work by international artists working today. It is our equivalent of the New Museum or the Whitney Museum of Art.

‘Believe the Hype’ Column: Caring For Yourself and Others, Come Clay or Snow

Christine Stoddard on January 24, 2024

By Christine Stoddard | cstoddard@queensledger.com

The following was originally published in the Jan. 25, 2024 print edition:

On yet another teeth-chattering morning, I found myself yanking on my snow boots and burying myself under an annoying amount of clothing. In less than 20 minutes, I was due at Artshack, where I would begin my first-ever wheel-throwing class. It was just enough time to walk, I realized as I double-checked Google Maps, but I didn’t want to risk slipping on the ice. I remembered walking through NYCHA’s Red Hook Houses earlier on in the week. The largest public housing project in Brooklyn has been under construction since 2020, and I found myself sliding on its frozen paths like a penguin. Such frustration would not be repeated that week. On a clear spring day, I could bolt over to Artshack, located on Bedford Avenue in Bed-Stuy, in a quarter of an hour. So into the car I went.

Warming up the car adds to the list of tasks that require winter’s slower pace. This is not a pace most New Yorkers seem to appreciate. We want to get moving, fast. Yet the reality is that we live in a place that demands extra prep on a typical January day. After we go through the annoyance of bundling up, maybe with a warm thermos in hand, we arm ourselves with ice scrapers, snow brushes, salt bags, and shovels. Then we brave the cold and all of its inconveniences. The upside is that we live in a place that experiences changes in season and snow, when it first falls, is a sight to behold.

Artshack, a Haven

Though I had never been to Artshack prior to that class, from the moment I entered, I felt at peace. Started in 2008 by McKendree Key, this non-profit community ceramics studio offers classes to children and adults, but, this being the heart of Brooklyn, it has a progressive slant. The studio, which moved to its current location in 2016, brands itself as anti-racist and queer-affirming, and claims a strong belief in “the healing powers of clay.” Classes are affordable, with opportunities for scholarships and free and subsidized programming for low-income members of the community. (Benefitting from such financial aid allowed me to take my pottery class here.) In addition to there being studio space, there is a gallery and café. The café seems to be an ecosystem of its own, with folks chatting or clacking away at their laptops.

Donations to Artshack are collected year-round and very tangibly broken down on the website at ArtshackBrooklyn.org. A $50 donation, for example, will pay for one child to come to Open Clay Time. On Jan. 27, Artshack will offer a free clay workshop in honor of Gun Violence Survivors Week as one of its regular Community Days. Participants will “create, connect, and shape symbols of peace with clay.”

My wheel teacher is Ivan Samuels, a talented artist whose pottery depicting coral reef motifs called to me. From my first interactions with him, I found him to be patient and good-humored. Any teacher will tell you that these can be difficult qualities to cultivate and maintain. Still, I didn’t detect even the slightest strain in Ivan’s voice, no matter how much I bumbled. In a society that emphasizes perfection, it was a relief to have a space to try and fail among encouragement. Clay is messy, figuratively and, of course, literally.

As I cleaned up, I remembered that working with clay sucks the moisture out of your skin. On a wintery day, that means applying even more lotion than usual. I personally prefer cocoa butter, though I must admit I have not tried any of the local Brooklyn brands. (Of course, I am open to suggestions.) You have to take care of yourself in the studio, much as you do in the rest of your life. There are consequences for neglecting what your body needs.

Severe Cold Tips For Everyone

NYC’s Severe Weather web page outlines snow safety because, depending on where you grew up and how long you have lived in the Tri-State area, it is not necessarily common sense. Our city has recently welcomed more than 100,000 new arrivals. Many come from warmer parts of the world; at this time the top countries of origin for New York City’s asylum seekers are Venezuela, Ecuador, and Colombia. Can they really be expected to know how to dress for the weather? After all, how many New Yorkers neglect to layer up? How often do I see people of all kinds not wearing hats, hoods, or scarves, despite the fact that most of our body heat escapes through the head? Proper winter attire is not common knowledge across America; even so, having knowledge does not mean having access. Thanks to that blast of Arctic air from Canada, more than 90 people died due to weather-related causes this past week. At least three of those deaths occurred in New York state.

Floyd Bennett Field Migrants

You may be aware that many asylum seekers live at a shelter at Floyd Bennett Field in Marine Park. According to ardent complaints in a Facebook group called “STOP FLOYD BENNETT ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS” (which I found because of a recent New York Post article), some of these migrants are going door to door not only asking for food and money but for warm clothes. Calls for donations to the “tent city” families have filled my social media.

While writing this column, I saw @southbrooklynmutualaid post a call for donations on Instagram. On the list were gently used or new winter coats, warm layering clothes (sweaters, heat tech, jackets), winter shoes, and ponchos. Advertised drop-off locations include Roots Cafe (639 5th Ave.), Community Bookstore (143 7th Ave.), Van Alen Institute (303 Bond St., Tues.-Thurs., 10am-5pm), and Brooklyn Army Terminal (with a filled out form, available on @southbrooklynmutualaid’s Instagram bio link). Inquiries for joining up the organizing work can be sent to southbkmutualaid@gmail.com.

Savvy Snow Removal

Now back to NYC’s Severe Weather tips. In perusing the list, I was reminded to stretch before going out; shoveling snow especially is a work-out. Another tip is to cover your mouth so brutally cold air does not enter your lungs. Shoveling snow can be a major heart attack risk, so take breaks and guzzle your H20. Also, keep dry, which means going back inside and changing your clothes if you get wet from lots of sweat, melting snow, or who knows what. And let’s not forget our neighbors! If someone is a senior citizen or has disabilities, they may need assistance. We may not always have the patience for kindness, but looking out for each other is part of what makes New York City liveable.

The City of New York also has a whole Snow Response webpage on the New York City Department of Sanitation site. Did you know that you can track snow plows in the city? There is a feature called PlowNYC that supposedly lets you see where plows are working in real-time. Of course, I found out about this feature after it snowed, so I cannot tell you how well it works. I will have to wait until the next snowfall to investigate.

According to the DSNY site, it is up to residents and businesses to clear snow and ice from sidewalks. The path must be at least four feet wide; snow and ice must be removed from around fire hydrants, as well as sidewalk corner ramps. If the snowfall ends between 7am and 4:59pm, it must be cleared within four hours. If it ends between 5pm and 8:59pm, it must be cleared within 14 hours. Snowfall ending between 9pm and 6:59am must be cleared by 11am. Precise! Fines range from $100-250. Yikes. Let’s try to avoid those, shall we? And not just because of tickets, but again, to do right by our neighbors.

New Mural at Addabbo Family Health Center in Red Hook

Christine Stoddard on January 24, 2024

By Christine Stoddard | cstoddard@queensledger.com

On Jan. 17, the Joseph P. Addabbo Family Health Center unveiled a youth-led mural at its Red Hook location on Richards St. The outdoor mural was made possible with funding from the O’Connell Foundation and a partnership with Red Hook Art Project. After the clinic’s Pediatrics department hosted an art contest, young adult artists (ages 18-22) pulled from the children’s artwork to create a mural design. The muralists, identified by first name only, include: Angelly, Rosana, Jaden, Aspen, and Felix.

The Addabbo Family Health Center is a Federally Qualified Health Center, which means it serves a high-need community.

Group shot in front of the mural at the Jan. 17, 2024 unveiling.

Brooklyn Goofballs Release ‘Don’t Mind If I Don’t’ Episode on Bagpipes

Brooklyn Star on January 24, 2024

By Aaron Gold | news@queensledger.com

The following was originally published in the Jan. 25, 2024 print issue:

Do most people, when interviewed, write their own introduction to said interview? Well, Christine [editor of the Brooklyn Star and co-host of Don’t Mind If I Don’t] asked me to, so here I am, introducing you to your introduction to our team and my silly little venture outside of my comfort zone. I believe it was Rosa Parks who said, “This feels weird.” And, boy, does that sentiment still ring true today. But these are odd times, as the world continues to descend into about 14 types of madness, so what the hell? If there’s one thing I’ve learned through doing Don’t Mind If I Don’t, it’s that understanding often breeds interest. In our first episode, we tackled the most annoying instrument I have ever heard in the almighty bagpipe. What started as a fun way for me to rag on things I’m irritated by grew into an appreciation and, dare I say, respect for the noble honkbags. And with Burns Night [Jan. 25th Scottish holiday celebrating poet Robert Burns, during which there are lots of bagpipes piping] upon us, it feels right to reflect on all the growth we’ve had through doing this project. After all, I believe it was Robert Burns himself who said, “Stop misquoting people. You already did this bit in the intro already.”

Don’t Mind If I Don’t began as a podcast that ran four years. Last year, two people I greatly admire approached me about making it a TV show, which we could shoot at Manhattan Neighborhood Network and in the wilds of New York City. And speaking of people I admire, please enjoy getting to know the crew of Don’t Mind If I Don’t: me, creator/host Aaron Gold of Bed-Stuyvesant; director Thomas Dunn of Crown Heights; co-host/art director Christine Stoddard of Bed-Stuy (and, full disclosure, community editor of this newspaper); director of photography/editor Jacob Maximillian Baron, formerly of Crown Heights but now of Harlem (traitor); co-producer/production manager Nate Brown of Park Slope; and line producer Bridget Dennin of Bay Ridge.

As editor of the paper, Christine drafted all answers of the questions, dumped them in a Google Doc, and demanded that the rest of the team answer them. They mostly complied. Sometimes Christine answered her own questions because she’s weird.

I know this is painful, but I’m a sadist: What’s your one-sentence pitch for what this show is?

Aaron: Fans and experts of things I don’t like convince me why I am wrong.

Tom: It’s a show about using comedy to learn to (maybe) like something you once hated.

Jake: Aaron dislikes things for dumb reasons, experts like things for smart reasons, who will win?!

Nate: Aaron has a lot of things he doesn’t like, but he’s ready to learn about them from experts and enthusiasts who actually do like the things.

Um, why are you (we???) making this TV show?

Aaron: One part entertaining others through expanding my horizons, and one part this is the only way I would probably try these things so might as well make my pain the audience’s gain and pass the savings on to you!

Tom: Petty hatred and frustrations are the source of all good comedy. Using your knee-jerk jokes as a way to hate something a little bit less is just plain fun.

Christine: Aaron is my boyfriend and I felt like supporting his dreams and [insert more sappy stuff here.] Plus, I like being on camera and designing things.

Jake: Christine is my friend and Aaron is her boyfriend and I felt like supporting his dreams and [insert more sappy stuff here]. Plus I get to play with shiny film equipment.

Nate: Aaron’s such a people person, but there’s a lot of things that he doesn’t like. And in learning to understand why a person likes a thing, it’s an attempt to understand people that we don’t always agree with. Being able to learn and grow, and change your thoughts about something is one of the biggest things we can do as humans. Also, [insert sappy stuff here].

What was your favorite part of making the first episode on bagpipes?

Aaron: Actually playing the bagpipes was pretty fun! I didn’t expect to enjoy that, but hey, that’s the name of the game, right? Also, jumping through the paper at the beginning. What can I say? I like to make an entrance.

Tom: Having two pipists in our studio, holding their ears while the other one readied their bagpipes for the exhibition. They love their instruments, and the culture around them, but they acknowledge that they are still LOUD.

Christine: Our guests were such a delight! And I could ask them whatever I wanted—good news for a journalist.

Jake: The interview subjects were just really fun people behind-the-scenes and the set had a great vibe that day, despite the chaos of a first shoot.

Bridget: I personally loved learning the history of the bagpipes. As someone who went to school for music and has a family that is very proud of their celtic heritage; it was interesting to hear our guests talk about the musicology of the bagpipes.

Nate: I didn’t help with it, but I watched it! You could tell the enthusiasm that guests had for what they were trying to teach about it.

How is the experience of watching the TV show different from listening to the podcast?

Aaron: Hoo boy. Well, for starters, the editing is a lot more intensive. You can get away with a lot more rambling and pausing in the podcast format. Also, finding ways to keep interviews funny and lively can sometimes be a challenge, but Jake and the rest of the team do a great job finding visual jokes to plug in.

Tom: Podcasting is a much more forgiving medium. You can ramble, make faces, reference research notes…you can pretty much do anything and it will be condoned. Not so much with TV. There is a greater expectation to be entertained and you will be judged on your preparedness.

Jake: I don’t listen to podcasts other than having helped edit one about the sex lives of middle-aged divorcées, so I’m going to defer to the others on this one. Shoutout to “Women on the Remake,” though. I learned far too much.

Nate: The medium is the biggest difference for me. Podcasts are such a low-participation form of media. You can be doing anything else while listening to one. They can go on for hours, and it’s just people having a conversation. But TV is a visual medium. You have to be able to answer the question, “Why does this need to be seen and not just heard?” What about it makes it visually interesting? So it’s up to the producers and directors to figure out how to make that conversation at least a little visually dynamic.

What are your hopes and dreams and unicorn fliffy-fluffs for this show?

Aaron: A budget would be nice. One that doesn’t come from my bank account. Aside from that, I’d love to be on a streaming service with a regular production schedule. This stuff takes a lot of time and effort and getting paid to do it all would go down oh so smoothly.

Tom: There are so many things we all don’t like in this world and comedy is still the best way to talk about it without making people feel like they have to eat their vegetables at family dinner. I think it would be interesting to have guest costars with our hosts, so we could learn the petty hatreds of our favorite celebrities, athletes, politicians, etc…

Jake: This is the kind of show that I feel like has the potential to get bigger and more creative with each shoot, especially considering how creative and collaborative the whole team is. Oh, and getting paid more than Taco Bell and free office coffee would be a lovely bonus, but then again, I’d just be using the money on Taco Bell anyway.

Nate: I absolutely want to see Aaron out in the field doing Billy On the Street-style interviews with regular people, to see if he’s alone in his hatred of a specific topic, or if he’s a part of the general consensus. And maybe even a street segment after he’s learned about the subject, so maybe he can go do things like teach the world about how okay bagpipes are!

Do you believe in life after love?

Aaron: Yes, of course! I think getting your heart broken is a great way to shatter a lot of the illusions of a relationship and help crystallize what you actually like and don’t like in reality. I know that’s not a joke but I take Cher lyrics very seriously.

Tom: Very much so. Why just the other day someone ate the last half-sour pickle in the fridge. I still can’t bring myself to talk about it. My wife tells me I am brave to put my feelings out there like this, being so open.

Jake: My heart knows only hate.

Nate: Only if I could turn back time.

And now, dear readers, go watch the first episode of Don’t Mind If I Don’t on YouTube. The channel handle is @dontmindtheshow. So, that’s: youtube.com/@dontmindtheshow. You can do it! We believe in you!

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