The Broski Report with Brittany Broski

Episode 113: "I Reject Heaven and Hell, It’s BORING"

Date: October 14, 2025
Host: Brittany Broski

Episode Overview

This episode is a deep dive into Brittany Broski’s latest philosophical obsession: the tension between order and chaos, spiritual transcendence, and the enduring fascination with Dionysian (Bacchanalian) madness. With her signature irreverent, intellectually curious tone, Brittany weaves together book talk, Greek mythology, Victorian trivia, and musings on human nature. The conversation is a whirlwind journey through history, literature, and existential inquiry, peppered with Broski’s comedic flourishes.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Victorian Weirdness and Historical Oddities

[02:00 - 09:00]

• Brittany opens with a caffeine-fueled monologue and dives into bizarre Victorian era facts.
  • Taxidermy as art and morbidity (e.g., Walter Potter’s kittens’ tea party and 100-bird tableaux).
    • Brittany’s take: “It’s so fucking morbid though. Like, what? Potter wanted 50 baby rabbits... The pupils are about a month old. Did he really use baby rabbits? Like, stop. Like they’re holding pencils. This is making me feel... they’re cute. Are they real? Oh, maybe I don’t like this. This is nuts.” [04:20]
    • Broski’s discomfort with the popularity and value of taxidermied animals: “Why is it some weird conquest over nature thing?”
• The compulsory smallpox vaccination act of 1853:
  • Discusses Victorian health reform, parallels to COVID-19, and the anti-vaccination movement.
  • Ponders public and governmental responses to pandemics: “Was it considered successful? Was it considered blase? Was it too much?”

2. Order vs. Chaos and the Bacchanal Concept

[09:50 - 29:50]

• Introduction to Bacchus/Dionysus:
  • Brittany’s fascination with bacchanals inspired by "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt.
  • Explanation of Bacchus (Roman) / Dionysus (Greek) as the god of wine, revelry, and ecstasy.
  • Difference between fauns (gentle) and satyrs (wild).
  • Literary references and the thin line between order and chaos:

    “It's not heaven and hell. It's not good and evil. It's rather order and chaos. These are two opposing ideals that control a lot of the concepts and stories around Greek gods and... Greek myths and Greek culture at the time. Order versus chaos.” [13:30]

  • Observes how Greek mythology doesn’t provide clear-cut morality tales like Abrahamic religions—often stories are “just entertainment.”
• The human need for spiritual transcendence, beyond physical pleasure:

  “What is it about humans where we're not satiated with like the physical pleasures? We will never be solely satiated by what is tangible and pleasurable. Like this spiritual transcendence that they're talking about. We will always yearn for that.” [27:30]

3. Dionysian Madness – Literary and Mythological Interpretations

[31:30 - 50:30]

• Deep dive into Dionysian ritual madness (borrowing heavily from Reddit, book quotes, and podcasts):
  • Shares an extended quote from "The Secret History," describing Dionysian ecstasy:

    “It was heart shaking, glorious torches, dizziness singing, wolves howling around us and a bull bellowing in the dark... the universe expands to fill the boundaries of the self.” [35:00]

  • Broski reflects: The madness is less about losing yourself, and more about the universe “raging within you.”
  • Discusses the dual nature of wine and the fine line between liberation and violence.
  • The necessity of “safe outlets” for primal chaos—pouring it into art, role-play, dancing, etc.:

    “We should find safe outlets for that primal energy. Dionysus advises taking your sanity off like a mask so that you don't really go crazy trying to keep it all in. Let the madness express itself healthily...” [33:30]

  • Myth retelling: Dionysus’ tragic birth, Simile and Zeus, the twice-born god, and the recurring theme of death, rebirth, and spiritual transcendence.
  • Broski muses on societal boundaries: “In what cases can you get away with madness?...When is it criminalized? When is it shat upon? When is it considered a disability?...And is it failure or is it unlocking?” [46:15]
  • Highlights Dionysian spirituality as a challenge to traditions emphasizing restraint and detachment:

    “Dionysian spirituality is about surrendering to that desire, to raw emotion, passion, carnality, savagery. And in that, we find the divine. So what's the... You know what I mean?” [47:10]

  • Contrasts Christian religious constraints with Greek myth’s embrace of the base, passionate, and “sublime.”

4. Nature, the Sublime, and the Fear/Awe Response

[51:00 - 53:00]

• Discusses the “romantic sublime” as the terror and awe inspired by nature’s sheer scale and unpredictability.
• Brittany’s self-aware fear of mountains, oceans, and natural disasters; the humbling of human arrogance:
  • “When I see a huge mountain, when I see a vast ocean, I genuinely get scared. This is so much bigger than me... I'm at its mercy. And that’s a terrifying idea to me.” [52:40]
  • Dionysus described as “eldritch” and “Lovecraftian,” a force both beautiful and terrifying.

5. Books, Literature, and Personal Recommendations

[53:00 - 54:45]

• Brittany’s Book Club Updates:
  • "Babel" by R.F. Kuang—praises its intelligence, accessibility, and depth of research.
    • “She tackles subjects and themes and topics that are very topical in such a strategic and fun way...a book like Babel is tackling things like Empire, colonialism, racism, destruction of language, preserving language.” [54:40]
  • Plans to read "Alice in Wonderland" and do background research on Lewis Carroll, contemplating the benefit of understanding an author's life and context.
  • Gushes over "The Poppy War" by R.F. Kuang and her excitement about the narrative structure and political themes in "Babel.”
• Song of the Week: Fontaines D.C. – “Death Kink,” “Is It Too Real For Ya?” and others.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the thin line between order and chaos:

  “Every single human right under the surface has chaos brewing, and it is a concerted effort to keep that chaos at bay.” [16:00]

• On humanity’s spiritual longing:

  “Why do each of us, at some point in the night, at some point in all of our lives, in a moment of solitude, why do all of us feel that loneliness, that emptiness of I am alone in the universe? You know, like, why is there that desire to connect with something that is Other?” [31:34]

• On Dionysian madness and the self:

  “Dionysian ecstasy is not a state of sinking into the universe, but rather feeling the universe suddenly rage within you.” [36:15]

• On the fear of nature:

  “I’m afraid of nature a little bit. I’m afraid of it because I’m in awe of it, because it is so much more infinitely powerful than I am. And ultimately I met its mercy.” [52:40]

• On borrowing the wisdom of Greek mythology:

  “Maybe they were right. Maybe we're like—they were all high on whatever they were smoking. I'm smoking on that Dionysian pack. I'm smoking on that Dionysian strand, and they're all high on red wine. It's like, yeah, but at the same time, right? What if they were cooking?” [32:40]

Timestamps for Crucial Segments

• [02:00] – Victorian taxidermy and dark facts
• [05:00] – British smallpox vaccinations & anti-vax history
• [09:50] – Introduction of Bacchus/Dionysus and the bacchanal
• [13:30] – Order vs. chaos in Greek myth vs. Christian good/evil
• [27:30] – Spiritual transcendence and human longing
• [31:30] – Dionysian madness: literature, myth, and reflection
• [35:00] – "The Secret History" extended quote and analysis
• [46:15] – Societal boundaries of madness and acceptability
• [51:00] – Sublime terror in nature and the “eldritch” Dionysus
• [53:00] – Favorite books and upcoming reading plans
• [54:40] – Praise for "Babel" by RF Kuang
• [54:45] – Song of the week and humorous closing remarks

Tone & Style

Brittany Broski’s voice is energetic, candid, and tangential, peppering philosophical and historical exploration with relatable humor and pop culture references. The episode combines intellectually curious rabbit holes with personal anecdotes and literary enthusiasm, pairing philosophy-class questions with Broski’s Gen Z internet personality.

Takeaways for Listeners

• Greek mythology offers a fascinating alternative to binary religious morality, centering on chaos vs. order.
• Dionysian rituals represent the human urge to experience ecstatic transcendence and confront our own darkness safely.
• Victorian history (and humanity more broadly) has always had odd, dark fascinations.
• Nature’s power is both awe-inspiring and terrifying; our attempts to control it are ultimately futile.
• It’s okay—and even necessary—to channel our inner chaos through healthy creative outlets.
• Become a curious reader! Dive into complex books; understanding an author’s life and context can enhance the reading experience.

Final Note from Brittany

“This was definitely a self-indulgent episode. This is something that I love to talk about. If I lost some of you guys and you stayed to the end—thank you so much. … Go, if you’re interested, research it on your own. I am not a historian. … You can use me as a trampoline to go and do your own personal research on any of this shit that interests you. Because I’m very interested in Bacchus, ultimately.” [54:30]