Part Two: Behind the Bastards Q&A: Year's End Edition

Summary

Behind the Bastards: New Year Q&A Part Two - Detailed Summary

In the "Behind the Bastards New Year Q&A Part Two" episode, hosts Sophie and Robert engage with their audience by addressing a variety of questions submitted through Instagram. This episode, released on January 2, 2025, delves into topics ranging from substance use and favorite hobbies to future podcast plans and personal anecdotes. Below is a comprehensive summary of the key discussions, insights, and conclusions from the episode.

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1. Kratom Lemonade Recipe and Substance Use Discussion

Timestamp: [00:33] - [01:04]

The episode kicks off with a listener's request for a Kratom lemonade recipe. Robert provides a candid and unfiltered response:

Robert [00:47]: "I don't have a nice Kratom lemonade recipe. I have been doing kratom so long that I don't give a shit. I just pour it in water, I pour it in soda. You do, I mix it. I don't give a fuck. Don't do that. It's gross."

He further elaborates on responsible Kratom use versus potential dependency, emphasizing its role in alleviating opiate withdrawal:

Robert [01:04]: "The responsible advice is that Kratom is something that can and that in the vast majority of cases, will be used responsibly... Kratom stops you from being dope sick."

2. Future Episodes and Research-Intensive Topics

Timestamp: [03:43] - [05:12]

Sophie inquires about future episodes that require extensive research. Robert expresses interest in covering complex historical topics, such as:

Robert [03:49]: "The Bush administration and the war on Iraq... It's been covered, but maybe now's the time to delve deeper for newer generations."

He discusses the challenges of covering multifaceted figures like John Ashcroft or Dick Cheney without getting bogged down by interconnected historical events.

3. Favorite Episodes and Series Highlights

Timestamp: [05:12] - [05:50]

When asked about the episode he is most proud of, Robert highlights the "Lawrence of Arabia" episodes. Sophie counters by expressing pride in James Stout's series on "It Could Happen Here," particularly the reporting from the Darien Gap:

Robert [05:21]: "Probably the Lawrence of Arabia episodes."

Sophie [05:23]: "I'm deeply proud of James series that he did. Reporting from the Darien Gap."

4. Personal Journeys and the Genesis of Cool Zone Media

Timestamp: [05:50] - [16:52]

A significant portion of the discussion revolves around how Sophie and Robert transitioned from their individual backgrounds to becoming leaders at Cool Zone Media. Robert shares his unconventional path to becoming a warzone journalist without formal training:

Robert [06:00]: "No one paid me. I just bought plane tickets to places and reached out to people who lived in the area on the Internet before I landed."

Sophie adds her perspective, highlighting her empathetic nature and progressive ideologies as key factors in shaping Cool Zone Media's direction:

Sophie [08:18]: "I grew up with a Republican dad, a moderate Democrat mom... I think what radicalized me was my insane empathy."

They discuss the challenges of sustaining a media platform focused on nuanced political commentary and the decision to expand their team to prevent burnout:

Robert [16:36]: "We need to bring in other people and develop them... to cover the next big things without just burning out."

5. Working Relationship Between Sophie and Robert

Timestamp: [19:57] - [21:10]

The hosts reflect on their collaboration dynamics, showcasing mutual respect and complementary skills:

Robert [20:05]: "You know what you're doing and handle all of the things that I would never be able to handle that."

Sophie [20:43]: "You are the best business partner that anybody could ever ask for."

They emphasize the importance of division of labor in maintaining a healthy working relationship and ensuring the sustainability of their media projects.

6. Hobbies and Personal Interests

a. Favorite Animals and Dinosaurs

Timestamp: [19:21] - [19:57]

Robert shares his enthusiasm for dinosaurs, particularly the Iguanodon:

Robert [19:26]: "My favorite dinosaur was always an iguanodon... it's the dinosaur equivalent of like a fucking guido pulling a switchblade in a New York alley."

b. Favorite Firearms

Timestamp: [13:11] - [14:36]

Robert discusses his favorite firearms, balancing historical appreciation with practical use:

Robert [13:11]: "The very first gun I ever bought was a 1917 Lee Enfield Mark III... I really like the gun that I carry. A P365XL SIG Sauer."

c. Favorite Ska Bands

Timestamp: [25:31] - [26:26]

Sophie and Robert delve into their love for ska music, with Robert citing Streetlight Manifesto as his top choice:

Robert [25:31]: "Streetlight Manifesto is my favorite band, probably. Thomas Kalnacki is probably my favorite songwriter."

7. Favorite and Recommended Books

Timestamp: [23:48] - [24:59]

Both hosts recommend a selection of impactful literature. Robert highlights works by Ursula K. Le Guin and Octavia Butler:

Robert [23:55]: "The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin... Octavia Butler."

Sophie recommends Julia Serrano's "Whipping Girl" and Amanda Montel's "Koltish," adding:

Sophie [24:26]: "It's an incredible book."

8. Non-Mainstream News Sources

Timestamp: [26:30] - [27:37]

Robert provides a nuanced perspective on non-mainstream news outlets, suggesting sources based on specific interests:

Robert [26:35]: "Jenrahan's popular front... Fight the QAnon Anonymous people are good."

He emphasizes the importance of understanding each outlet's strengths and limitations, advocating for a diverse media consumption approach.

9. Current Events: Developments in Rojava

Timestamp: [22:53] - [23:48]

Robert shares his concerns regarding the geopolitical situation in Rojava, particularly the ongoing conflicts involving Turkey and Israel:

Robert [22:53]: "It looks like the Turks are going to be allowed to continue to bomb as Israel has been bombing Rojava... It's a scary time."

He underscores the complexities of the region and the uncertain future amidst ongoing turmoil.

10. Podcast and Media Production Insights

Timestamp: [17:55] - [19:21]

When asked about their research and episode formatting, Robert outlines his meticulous process:

Robert [17:55]: "I have a doc I read through... I highlight shit, I copy and paste the highlighted shit... I try to make sure I quote every source that gives me a significant amount of info."

This method ensures accuracy and transparency in their content creation, reinforcing the podcast's credibility.

11. Upcoming Plans and Guest Appearances

Timestamp: [21:10] - [27:57]

The hosts discuss potential future episodes, including more content on South African figures and Rhodesian leaders like Ian Smith. They also express interest in bringing back past guests such as Paul F. Tompkins and Lacy Mosley, while humorously addressing the challenges of attracting high-profile guests who might find their content too radical.

Robert [28:02]: "Is there an unfair burden to place upon someone who I'm going to assume is mostly known for singing and dancing."

12. Closing Remarks and Humor

Timestamp: [27:37] - [29:14]

The episode concludes with light-hearted banter between Sophie and Robert, reinforcing their dynamic and rapport. They touch upon quirky questions like "What's cracking my peppers?" and respond with humor, maintaining an engaging and personable tone until the end.

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Notable Quotes:

• Robert on Kratom Use [01:04]: "Kratom stops you from being dope sick."
• Robert on Favorite Dinosaur [19:26]: "It's the dinosaur equivalent of like a fucking guido pulling a switchblade in a New York alley."
• Sophie on Working with Robert [20:43]: "You are the best business partner that anybody could ever ask for."
• Robert on Non-Mainstream News [26:35]: "Fight the QAnon Anonymous people are good."

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This episode of "Behind the Bastards" exemplifies the hosts' commitment to transparency, depth, and a touch of irreverent humor. Through their candid responses and engaging discussions, Sophie and Robert offer listeners a behind-the-scenes look into their creative processes, personal interests, and the future direction of Cool Zone Media.

For more insights and episodes, visit Cool Zone Media or find "Behind the Bastards" on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and other major platforms.

Transcript

[Sophie]

Coal Zone Media. Hey, Robert.

[Robert]

Hey, Sophistopheles. Softer Dammerung. The Ring of the Softerngen. I was trying to do like the Ring of the Nibelungen, but Sophie, I don't actually know how to. How to make that work. Also not really a joke, just me putting your name into things. How are you doing? Are you good?

[Sophie]

I was doing well.

[Robert]

Okay, that's good.

[Sophie]

I was doing well. Anyways, we're back with another Q and A episode. Thank you to those who ask questions on the Instagram. Robert, can you start the folks out with a nice, nice Kratom lemonade recipe? People want to know.

[Robert]

I don't have a nice Kratom lemonade recipe. I have been doing kratom so long that I don't give a shit. I just pour it in water, I pour it in soda. You do, I mix it. I don't give a fuck. Don't do that. It's gross.

[Sophie]

Literally any liquid substance at the airport, I'll say this.

[Robert]

Here's what I'll say. I'm gonna give you first the responsible advice, and then I'm going to give you the person who uses Kratom advice. Right? The responsible advice is that Kratom is something that can and that in the vast majority of cases, will be used responsibly. It is not easy to become problematically addictive to. For most people. If you are someone who is inclined to abuse painkillers, it is very easy to develop a dependency on Kratom. Now, a dependency on Kratom is not nearly the monster that a dependency on opiates, especially heroin, is. And if you are dependent on opiates or heroin, Kratom can allow you to get off of that. Because if you stop taking heroin, you get horribly dope sick. Kratom stops you from being dope sick. And it is, I think, critical to remain widely available largely as a result of that. However, if you start taking Kratom and you take it every day, you will need to take more. And you will notice potentially this has never really been my case. Cause I take breaks regularly. I've never had any issue going overseas for a couple of weeks and not taking it. You know, taking three or four days off every week or two. Some people do. You should be aware that that's a thing and that it is a capital D drug. I would say it's not as safe as marijuana, although if you have a family history of, like, schizophrenia, it certainly does not seem to have any of the kind of, like, ability to incite psychotic breaks. That. That does. But it's harder on your body, you know, than particularly like, consuming marijuana in a way that doesn't involve smoking. But it's not as hard on your body based on all of the evidence that exists. For example, drinking, particularly, like, if you're talking about someone who's using Kratom daily versus drinking daily, you're almost certainly better off using Kratom daily. I think that's a generally responsible way to categorize it. The ways that you can do it is you take a powder that is just the ground up flour. It is very hard to hurt yourself with just the powder. You would have to take such a massive quantity of it. However, just like with marijuana, people now make extracts, and those extracts are extremely concentrated. It is much easier to harm yourself if you are using an extract or to take much more than you want. Now, Kratom, an overdose does not tend. Like, if you take far too much Kratom, it doesn't do what like heroin does and cause central nervous system depression. That'll stop you from breathing, at least not in any of the quantities that, you know, I've seen documentation on. But it can be really bad and unpleasant. So I would say, if you're going to do it, do something like get a T. Stay away from the extracts. Once you start going down that road, it's very easy to develop much more of a dependency on it. That's my Kratom speech. Okay, Robert. Mm.

[Sophie]

What's one episode you really want to do but would require a fuckload of research and 4 million episodes to cover.

[Robert]

The Bush administration and the war on Iraq? And part of why I haven't is just like, it's been covered. I do think maybe now, because there's a lot of, like, Gen Z people who listen who maybe weren't around for that. I'm probably overestimating how familiar people are with the shit around that. So maybe that is the kind of thing to get onto now. There's just so much to talk about in so Many Bastards, but it's one of those things. I've gone back and forth, should I just do a John Ashcroft episode? Should I just do a Dick Cheney episode? Well, how do you do that episode and then, like, not cover the rest of it? I just haven't yet. I just haven't yet. Like, Nixon is the same way. And this was. That's not really an excuse, what I just said, because the same is true when talking about, like, Kissinger's crimes. Because those Kissinger episodes were also, like, partly Nixon episodes because you can't talk about what Kissinger did that was evil without talking about a number of other evil guys. So I will and should do that. It's just episodes like that are always so much work and I've picked by battles. Usually every now and then I will based on like, oh, I think this is really important for a specific reason to get at this time. Right. Like a lot of the fascism focused ones we've done, but usually it's more like, what do I want to read about right now? What am I interested in? Because if I don't do it that way, if I don't let the primary thing that drives me week to week be what do I want to read about and write about, then I will burn out.

[Sophie]

Sure. What episode are you most proud of from this year?

[Robert]

Probably the Lawrence of Arabia episodes.

[Sophie]

Really good. I'm deeply proud of James Stout series on. It could happen here. From where?

[Robert]

I thought you were talking about my episode.

[Sophie]

No, we are, but I'm just saying.

[Robert]

Okay.

[Sophie]

I'm deeply proud of James series that he did. Reporting from the Darien Gap.

[Robert]

From the Darien Gap. Excellent stuff.

[Sophie]

Yeah.

[Robert]

Yeah. Some of the best work anyone's done for us. I love those apps.

[Sophie]

Yeah. I also. They were the hardest for me. But your episodes on troubled teen wilderness camps were.

[Robert]

Yeah, love me some troubled teen wilderness camps.

[Sophie]

How did you get from being a Texas ROTC kid to an active war zone journalist to a gas station drug reviewer and avid podcaster? Wow. Wow.

[Robert]

People say, I love that. I guess there's a few ways to talk about that. So the first thing I'll just note on the war zone stuff, people make a much bigger deal of that. It comes up because war comes up and particularly some of the wars that I've covered come up. So I bring it up when I think it's relevant. But becoming a warzone journalist, no one paid me. I just bought plane tickets to places and reached out to people who lived in the area on the Internet before I landed. That's all it was not like a. I think people talk about it as if there's some Special Forces training you've gotta do. And no, I was just like a guy who landed with his girlfriend and a camera. And that's how we did most of it until, like, you know, outside of like, Syria and Myanmar, that's how I did most of my war zone reporting. In terms of, like, how I stopped being a conservative kid from North Texas who wanted to be in the military. I mean, a lot of it was Encountering drugs at age 19 and then also starting to make friends with young women my age and slightly older than me, who I realized were much more fun to spend time around than the Army.

[Sophie]

Sure.

[Robert]

And, yeah, all of that, you know, kind of collaborated in a radicalization process. You know, not even much of a rat. Just, like, stop me from being, like, a proto fascist little kid. I was mostly just sort of like, in terms of temperament, a libertarian, But I would always vote Democrat because the Republicans were obviously maniacs. And I was just like, I don't agree with the Democrats about everything, but I guess I'll vote for them because these other people are crazy. And I didn't really think a lot about politics until, I mean, it was Ukraine and following the Syrian refugee trail in 2015, and then Iraq in 2016 and Standing Rock in 2016. I'd been at Occupy in New York in 2011 for a little while, but it was really. I mean, Standing Rock was kind of one of the most radicalizing single things I experienced, where I started being like, yeah, I'm generally a progressive, I guess, with some libertarian tendencies to, you know, and I wouldn't say I was an anarchist at that, but I started, like, reading more and thinking more and recognizing, like, well, I agree with a lot of this analysis, you know, more.

[Sophie]

Sure.

[Robert]

It was still years before I really, like, identified strongly in that direction.

[Sophie]

Yeah. A couple people kind of asked me with my upbringing how somebody said, like, basically, how did I become in charge of Cool Zone Media and, like, leftist podcasts? And, you know, the short of it is I grew up with a Republican dad, a moderate Democrat mom, and I grew up in an area where most of the people were your standard libs with a lot of. A lot of Zionism, honestly. And I think what radicalized me was my insane empathy. I'm like, a very, very empathetic person. And so consuming content and reading history and meeting people, it just. The more that I consumed and the more people I got to meet, the more left I became. And I feel like we approach a lot of our content from a place of empathy, and that's the kind of things I want to put out in the world. I got deep. I'm sorry. Yeah, I'm sorry. I got deep.

[Robert]

Yeah. I just. Obviously, the people with the most money in the world are the kind of folks who volunteer at Food Not Bombs and, you know, for their local libraries. So I decided I wanted to really cash in on that demo, you know?

[Sophie]

Yeah, for sure.

[Robert]

Those idiots like Ben Shapiro trying to get money from broke Oil billionaires, You know, it's the librarians who really have walking around money. That's how you get rich.

[Sophie]

And speaking of getting rich, it's time for Ad break.

[Robert]

Yeah.

[Sophie]

And we're back. Robert. Sylvie, how you doing?

[Robert]

Oh, you know, pretty good.

[Sophie]

It's cool. Do you think that Most of the USA's divisive issues and over manipulated economy would be solved by breaking up into smaller individual countries by region, example, north, south.

[Robert]

No. Yeah. That sounds like a fucking disaster. Look up the partitioning of India. Just look up the partitioning of India and then think about the fact that India was not a massive part of the global economy as opposed to something going the way the partition of India went in terms of the violence, the death, the political upheaval and also it being the entire center of the world's economy and a significant amount of its like food and medicine and. Yeah, seems like it would be bad.

[Sophie]

Robert.

[Robert]

Mm.

[Sophie]

Favorite Warhammer Legion Legions characters.

[Robert]

Okay, so if we're talking about like they use the term legion, so I assume they're talking about like great Crusade through Horus Heresy era. Let's see. I really like the paint scheme and the look of like the Legion era Iron Warriors a lot. So I would have to say from aesthetics them, but I don't really find any of the fiction that focuses on them particularly interesting. And I guess then I'd have to go with Dark Angels or the Space Wolves. Yeah.

[Sophie]

Someone asked. The same person asked my current favorite hobby that is just for fun. Well, it happens to be the NBA season and I play fantasy basketball and I take it very seriously.

[Robert]

Warhammer for Nerds, as I call it.

[Sophie]

Sure. And I take it very seriously. And I love it. I fucking love it. It's amazing.

[Robert]

She does. She's unhinged about it. It frightens me.

[Sophie]

It does frighten him. And I got LeBron on my team this year. As he gets older, it's just I needed him on my team one more time. Robert, what's a journalism story that you didn't have to do your day job that you would love to cover if.

[Robert]

Tomorrow aliens came down and said, we're getting rid of all of the fascism and authoritarianism and giving y'all free energy, fixing the climate, making sure every refugee has food and water. There are no more problems. I am going to spend the rest of my life trying to kill Bigfoot.

[Sophie]

This is not a question, but I've seen this a couple times. People want to know if you're going to do any Australian bastards.

[Robert]

I don't Think anyone in Australia has ever done anything bad? Yeah, seems like an island that never made a bad person. So not worth looking into probably. Yeah, yeah, I assume we will. It's just like there's a lot of countries we haven't done Bastards on.

[Sophie]

Sure.

[Robert]

But definitely we'll get an Aussie. Don't worry folks. Part of why I haven't is the Dollop guys do such a good job of hitting Australian weird pieces of shit. So I do think like there's a good place for people who like the kind of thing I do to find that the Dollop has a lot of great fucked up Australia stories.

[Sophie]

Any plans to do an Oprah series or episodes?

[Robert]

Yeah, working on them now.

[Sophie]

Yep, that was asked a couple times. Robert, what's your favorite firearm?

[Robert]

I don't know. Like they all do such different things. Like in terms of the one I own, I guess the one that I shoot deer with. In terms of like from a, I guess emotional standpoint, the very first gun I ever Bought was a 1917 Lee Enfield Mark III. Beautiful old World War I era bolt action rifle. Just like an actually attractive like piece of history. I have a Mauser C96 that is enjoyable for the same reason. Although not a gun that can safely be used unless you are directly on a range. Because sometimes when you attempt to take it off safety it fires. So it is not allowed to be in the same room as bullets unless we are at a gun range. But is a very fun piece of history as well. I really like the gun that I carry. A P365XL SIG Sauer. Great handgun. Super comfortable, super easy to conceal. I shoot it almost every week and feel very comfortable with it. You know, I think I could handle most of its basic functions in the dark with my eyes closed. Aside from aiming, I feel good about that. In terms of like what I enjoy shooting most recreationally. Nothing beats an AK 74. I've got an AK 74 with a wooden foregrip and a wire folding stock. That thing is a hoot.

[Sophie]

The people want to know how did we start Cool Zone Media. What's the Cool Zone Media story?

[Robert]

Just kind of us constantly being behind on everything and then it happened by accident.

[Sophie]

No, that's not true. I resent that.

[Robert]

Part of the genesis of it would be that when 2020 was going on, you and I had not really envisioned much beyond. You know, we've got Worst year Ever that's doing well. We've got Bastards that's doing well.

[Sophie]

We had finished the Women's War Yeah.

[Robert]

We'Re going to keep doing. Probably every year we'll do one or two. Robert will go travel somewhere or two places, do one or two limited 10 episode series and we'll keep doing Bastards and you know, that'll be it, That'll be good. Then the riots happened. And one of the things that occurred with that is I covered that very heavily, both in terms of articles that I wrote for a variety of publications, in terms of stuff for what was at the time our regular news show and in Bastards. And by the end of the year I was absolutely burnt out. And to the extent that I became aware of, I won't be able to do this the next time something big happens. Enough of me has been spent and also it shouldn't be me. Like I'll go crazy. I'll develop even worse takes. Like, it's just bad. Like one of the things I have an issue with and I'm not gonna like bring up names or critique people, but I think it's always a mistake when you build a news network centered or like a news platform centered around a guy.

[Sophie]

Yeah.

[Robert]

So what we were started talking, you know, late in 2020, early 2021, and like, we need to bring in other people and develop them and give them platforms so that whatever the next big things are, we have people who are able to cover them with the dedication they deserve without just burning me or another individual person out by putting, you know, too much on their shoulders at once. So that was kind of the thinking that led us there.

[Sophie]

Yeah. And iheartradio asked us if we wanted to have our own imprint. Remember?

[Robert]

Yeah, yeah. Oh yeah. I mean, and then the company was like, hey, we'll offer you more money if you do this thing that sounds like a nightmare and have a daily news show.

[Sophie]

Hey, you wanna make a daily show?

[Robert]

And we said, I would rather kill myself. And then they said, but you can hire your friends. And then we said, well, actually that sounds a lot better.

[Sophie]

They were like, hey, you've been pumping out content multiple times a day for the last. You're just like, end of 2020, early 2021. They're like, hey, you've been doing this thing. Want to do it times a million? Yeah, that seems healthy. We did, but we got to hire a bunch of our friends and that's nice. And you know, a lot of the people we love have salaries and health insurance. So a win is a fucking win. It's time for fucking ads. Oh, we're back. Got a lot of people asking your how you approach Research and how you format your episodes. If you have a template, if you put something into. I know the answer to this, which is why you're half smiling. If you make some kind of a guide for your episodes or what's your process?

[Robert]

The gist of it is I have a doc I read through. So first, if there's a book, and there usually is, or more than one book, I read through the book or relevant portions of the book. Sometimes you don't have to read the whole book because, you know, it just deals with your guy for a couple of chapters. And I highlight shit, I copy and paste the highlighted shit. And I organize it by. Generally if I, if I have my shit together and I will have like a childhood, you know, young adulthood, early career, major crimes, yada, yada, yada. And I'll paste in the different parts, you know, with a list of, like, which source it's from. And I do the same thing with like highlighted and cut and pasted portions of articles. And I organize that by time frame. And then I have that doc in one window and I have a word doc in the other. And I go through it and I like, write it. I look through like, okay, it's early life. Here's all the different sources on his early life. Here are all. And I look through them and I'm like, these are the different things that I find most interesting from every source. And I just kind of write them out in a way that makes sense. I try to make sure I quote every source that gives me a significant amount of info one or more times so that I'm making it very clear this is where the original info came from. Because I'm very rarely doing all of the original research on these guys. So I want to make it clear that like, you know, if I'm, you know, this portion where I'm talking about this part of his life, it, you know, generally came mostly from this source or for this source and this source. Right. You know, that's how I try to do it.

[Sophie]

Robert, what's your favorite animal and or dinosaur?

[Robert]

My favorite dinosaur was always an iguanodon. Big iguanodon guy, Huge iguanodon fan. Love him. Love him. Because like, it's the dinosaur equivalent of like a fucking guido pulling a switchblade in a New York alley. Like, that's just cool that there were dinosaurs who had that vibe where they're just like, hey, motherfucker, I'm just gonna cut your ass. You know, I love a fucking iguanodon. Look em up Big, sharp knife, thumbs, cool dinosaur.

[Sophie]

Robert, what's your favorite part about working with Guido?

[Robert]

Is it okay for me to say Guido? I'm a Guido. I think I'm allowed to say Guido, Yeah.

[Sophie]

I have no idea.

[Robert]

I'm allowed to say Guido.

[Sophie]

Robert.

[Robert]

Look at how Italian I am. Look at how much of a unibrow I grow if I don't shave for a day and a half. Look, I get to say Guido, okay? I have to deal with all this grease in my hair. I get to say guido. I'm allowed. You don't know me.

[Sophie]

I have no say in this. Robert, what's your favorite part about working with Sophie? That is an actual question.

[Robert]

Oh, my favorite part. I guess that you know what you're doing and handle all of the things that I would never be able to handle that. Yeah. Is that a sensible thing to say, Sophie?

[Sophie]

I have no idea. I don't know the answer to that question.

[Robert]

I only know how to do the one thing.

[Sophie]

So I get asked all the time by people what it's like working with you. And I say, you are the best business partner that anybody could ever ask for.

[Robert]

Oh, that's nice.

[Sophie]

That's what you were supposed to say, by the way. That I'm a perfect angel baby.

[Robert]

I was just trying to be specific about the nature of our working relationship, which is that I do one thing and you do many things.

[Sophie]

So true. So true. Robert, would you consider doing more South Africa episodes?

[Robert]

Yes. I mean, definitely. Sure. Yeah, we'll do more. I need to actually do probably before the next South Africa episode. I need to do, like, a. Maybe Ian Banks, like a more dedicated Rhodesia episode. Like, Rhodesia comes up a lot. But I haven't just done a. I mean, we did Cecil Rhodes, but I haven't just done, like. I think Ian Banks was his name, the last president dude of. Or Ian Smith. Sorry? Ian Smith, I always say. Ian Banks. Yeah. Ian Smith, the fucking. Yeah. Leader of Rhodesia. We'll do him soon. Yeah, we'll do another South African guy, too. But I think we're going to do Rhodesia next. First.

[Sophie]

We got asked if there was a guest we've had on that we'd love to have on again. Paul F. Tompkins.

[Robert]

Paul F. Tompkins. We'd love to have Paul back on. Would be happy to have Ed Helms back on for one. That's.

[Sophie]

I'd love to have Lacy Mosley back on, too. She's so funny.

[Robert]

I want to say something about Ed, because we get offers from, like, famous people a lot, and without, like, naming any names. Sometimes we make attempts that don't wind up as episodes because when they realize what the show is and how different this is, that they need to sit here for two or three hours, that we're going to be really going into detail, that often we're talking about things from, like, a more radical political lens, they get uncomfortable because it's, you know, maybe something they view as dangerous for their career or whatever. And Ed Helms, who I don't think really knew much about us coming into the show, he said.

[Sophie]

He said he listened to a couple episodes.

[Robert]

He listened to an episode, maybe, but he sat down and I come in with fucking a harder episode to be a fun guest on Curtis Yarvin, and it is immediately down to clown. So I was, you know, I have respect for that.

[Sophie]

Absolutely, yeah. Robert, what are your thoughts on the developments in Rojava?

[Robert]

It's too early to tell where things are going to end, but obviously, I mean, it looks like the Turks are going to be allowed to continue to bomb as Israel has been bombing Rojava, and the United States isn't going to do anything. It's unclear if the US Is going to even stand up for Kobani in any meaningful way. But it's also, I don't really want to say too much because all of this is happening right now. I'm very concerned. You know, obviously there's no chance of things getting better in Syria, period, without Assad gone. So I'm glad that he's gone. But what that means for Rojava is still very much unclear to this point. You know, it's. It's a scary time, I would say. The one thing that I can say that is comforting to those of you who are likewise scared is that it's really always been a very scary time. There hasn't been an easy or very safe period of the revolution, and they've continued holding on.

[Sophie]

So what are some of the most impactful books that you've read that you think listeners should read?

[Robert]

The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin. If you also haven't read the Ones who Walk Away from Omelas, which is a short story. Read that. Parable of the Sower and Parable of the Talents by. Oh, God, I'm spacing on a name right now. This is nothing against Octavia Butler. Octavia Butler. Sorry, I'm just bad with names, folks. I love Octavia Butler.

[Sophie]

I want to recommend Mia from our It Could Happen Here show. She recommended reading Whipping Girl by Julia Serrano and, oh, My God, it's an incredible book.

[Robert]

Yeah.

[Sophie]

Also. Oh, we both read this book. Who's the. Ah, I'm forgetting the author's name. Koltish, by, I want to say, Amanda Montel. Amanda Montel.

[Robert]

Koltish was quite good.

[Sophie]

Quiltish was quite good. Anything written by Margaret Killjoy. Ever heard of her? Oh, my God.

[Robert]

Oh, and you know what?

[Sophie]

Why are there so many feet questions people?

[Robert]

Here's one I haven't brought up in terms of books. Read the Water Knife by Paolo Bacigalupi. I'm saying his name wrong, I know, but the Water Knife is just excellent. Excellent book.

[Sophie]

I just want to say there is an absurd amount of feet questions in here. Why do you want to know my foot size, you fucking weirdos?

[Robert]

No, don't answer those. Nobody who asks you questions about feet on the Internet has a goofy what.

[Sophie]

Is wrong with you?

[Robert]

Don't do better. Jesus Christ, just go to Wikifeet like the rest of the freaks. I will say, I do think Wikifeet is one of the last bastions of, like, intellectual honesty left on the Internet.

[Sophie]

Robert, how did you get into ska? People want and like, what's your favorite ska band? That was asked a couple times.

[Robert]

You don't get into ska. Ska finds you, baby. And ska found me one beautiful day when I was 19 years. Well, 17 years old, something like that. When somebody posted I had become a fan of the band Real Big Fish because of the movie Basketball, which I enjoyed as a kid. And I posted about it online and someone said, kid, let me show you something better. And they sent me a link to where there was a torrent for Somewhere in the Between. I think it was Somewhere in the Between. Might have been Keesby Nights. That was my first Streetlight Manifesto album. I don't know. It was one of the two. But Streetlight Manifesto is my favorite band, probably. Thomas Kalnacki is probably my favorite songwriter. It goes back and forth between him and Warren Zevon. And in terms of bands, it goes back and forth between Streetlight and the Cat Empire. I don't know. It kind of depends on my mood sometimes.

[Sophie]

What are the best non mainstream news sources, free or otherwise?

[Robert]

Non mainstream news sources, free or other. I mean, it depends on kind of like what you're looking for.

[Sophie]

I always recommend J.K. and Rahan's popular front.

[Robert]

Yeah, of course, of course. Jenrahan's popular front. If you want to keep up with, like, the conspiracy. Right. You can't do better than knowledge.

[Sophie]

Fight the QAnon Anonymous people are good.

[Robert]

Outside of, obviously, Ed Zitron's great tech journalism. The guys at 404 Media do really good stuff. The defector I like as a. I'm interested in a lot of these new, you know, newer outlets. Yeah, that's some of what I'd suggest. Obviously, there's certain things that, like the BBC, there's certain things they do very well. War crimes in Africa. You can often find some really good coverage first on BBC's Africa Eye. There's certain things Al Jazeera does very well and obviously certain things that they don't. So there's no. Like, this is the best one place to go for all of the news in the world, because that really doesn't exist. It's more a matter of, like, coming to an understanding of, like, the shortcomings and also coming to an appreciation of, like, which specific journalists are worth following, following from place to place, you know?

[Sophie]

Yeah. And finally, Robert, what's cracking my peppers?

[Robert]

I don't have an answer to that. It's just a thing I said once on a podcast for reasons that elude me.

[Sophie]

It was one of your best, I have to say.

[Robert]

Thank you.

[Sophie]

I really enjoyed that. One last question. Chapel Rowan or Sabrina Carpenter? Do you know who either of those people are?

[Robert]

I've heard of Chapel Rowan. People are angry at her.

[Sophie]

For some reason, she didn't endorse Kamala Harris.

[Robert]

Okay.

[Sophie]

Because she didn't.

[Robert]

Are we reliant upon Chapel Rowan to fix American politics? Because I don't know her, but that seems like an unfair burden to place upon someone who I'm going to assume is mostly known for singing and dancing.

[Sophie]

Yeah.

[Robert]

Is that more or less what she does? I'm not saying that to be mean.

[Sophie]

My answer to that question is, robert, do you remember the concert I said I went to by myself, like, two days after the election results?

[Robert]

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Sophie]

That was Sabrina Carpenter. And that where you got sick. Yeah, I got sick after going because, you know, too many people crowd, even with masks. That was Sabrina Carpenter and she was great, and it restored my faith in girlhood. So. Okay, we'll take that.

[Robert]

Yeah, I guess I'll say Sabrina Carpenter too, then.

[Sophie]

Sure. Any final thoughts, or should we get the fuck out of here?

[Robert]

Yeah, let's fucking bounce, motherfuckers.

[Sophie]

Okay, Bye, friends.

[Robert]

Peace.

[Sophie]

Robert loves 40% of you. I love 32% of you.

[Robert]

You can't prove either of those things. Nope.

[Sophie]

Behind the Bastards is a production of Cool Zone Media. For more from Cool Zone Media, Visit our website, coolzonemedia.com or check us out on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Behind the Bastards is Now available on YouTube. New episodes every Wednesday and Friday. Subscribe to our channel, YouTube.com behindthebastards. This podcast is supported by BetterHelp, offering licensed therapists you can connect with via video phone or chat. Here's BetterHelp head of clinical operations Hes Yu Jo discussing who can benefit from.

[C]

Therapy I think a lot of people think that you're supposed to be going to therapy once you're like having panic attacks every day. But before you get to that point, I think once you start even noticing that you feel a little bit off and you can't maintain this harmony that you once had in relationships, that could be a sign that maybe you want to go talk to somebody. There's always a benefit in talking to someone because we can all benefit from improved insight about ourselves and who we are and how we behave with other people. So if you're human, that's like a good indicator that you could benefit from talking to somebody.

[Sophie]

Find out if therapy is right for you. Visit betterhelp.com today. That's betterhelp.com.