PLAY PODCASTS
Disaster Artist writer Tom Bissell on bogus authenticity and violence in art

Disaster Artist writer Tom Bissell on bogus authenticity and violence in art

“If you go through your life expecting moral purity from every artist you love, you’re going to have a very lonely life, aesthetically.” – Tom Bissell Tom Bissell is an American author, journalist, and critic. He co-authored the book The Disaster Artist, which has been adapted into a movie starring James Franco, Seth Rogen, Dave Franco, and Alison Brie. In this episode of Deviate, Rolf and Tom discuss Metallica and thrash metal (5:25); violence in music and video games (23:30); how one’s relationship to one’s own writing transforms over time (28:10); the shallowness of cultural criticism in social-media (33:55); the dubious concept of “authenticity” as applied to food, music, and travel (42:00); co-writingThe Disaster Artist with actor Greg Sestero, and making sense of The Room (58:50); and finding joy and contentment within the creative process (1:06:00). Articles, books and movies: The Geto Boys, by Rolf Potts Slayer’s Reign in Blood, by D.X. Ferris Some Kind of Monster (documentary film about Metallica) The Defiant Ones (documentary about Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre) Straight Outta Compton (movie about N.W.A) “My Holy Land Vacation,” by Tom Bissell “Euphorias of Perrier: The Case Against Robert D. Kaplan,” by Tom Bissell “One Man’s Odyssey into ‘Eat, Pray, Love’,” by Rolf Potts Masters of Doom: How Two Guys Created an Empire and Transformed Pop Culture, by David Kushner Deep South: Four Seasons on Back Roads, by Paul Theroux “The Mystical High Church of Luck,” by Rolf Potts (about Las Vegas) “Humor Doesn’t Translate Internationally,” by Rolf Potts (about The Asylum) Bands, songs, and albums mentioned Metallica (thrash-metal band) Anthrax (thrash-metal band) Slayer (thrash-metal band) Testament (thrash-metal band) The Exploited (punk band) Public Enemy (rap group) NWA (rap group) “Angel of Death” (song, by Slayer) “

Deviate

December 5, 20171h 8m

Audio is streamed directly from the publisher (episodes.castos.com) as published in their RSS feed. Play Podcasts does not host this file. Rights-holders can request removal through the copyright & takedown page.

Original episode page

Show Notes

“If you go through your life expecting moral purity from every artist you love, you’re going to have a very lonely life, aesthetically.” – Tom Bissell

Tom Bissell is an American author, journalist, and critic. He co-authored the book The Disaster Artist, which has been adapted into a movie starring James Franco, Seth Rogen, Dave Franco, and Alison Brie.

In this episode of Deviate, Rolf and Tom discuss Metallica and thrash metal (5:25); violence in music and video games (23:30); how one’s relationship to one’s own writing transforms over time (28:10); the shallowness of cultural criticism in social-media (33:55); the dubious concept of “authenticity” as applied to food, music, and travel (42:00); co-writingThe Disaster Artist with actor Greg Sestero, and making sense of The Room (58:50); and finding joy and contentment within the creative process (1:06:00).

Articles, books and movies:

Bands, songs, and albums mentioned

Other Links:

Tom Bissell’s favorite Metallica albums:

Other books by Tom Bissell:

This episode was sponsored by the Paris Writing Workshop, an intensive one-month course in the artistic heart of Europe.

The Deviate theme music comes from the title track of Cedar Van Tassel’s 2017 album Lumber.

Note: We don’t host a “comments” section, but we’re happy to hear your questions and insights via email, at [email protected].

← All episodes of Deviate