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PODCAST

Park Bench Ontology

is a low-stakes existential crisis disguised as a comedy podcast for people quietly losing faith in the script of modern life. Each week, comedian and writer Gavin Stephens dissects the absurd machinery of capitalism and culture — from sitcoms to wealth inequality, Baudrillard to people who talk in the movies — exposing the broken myths, invisible rules, and slow-motion collapse we all pretend isn’t happening.Presented by The Chonilla Network. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more

comedy philosophy

All Episodes

17:54

Freedom From Freedom: To Be Free of Freedom

Park Bench Ontology ·

2025/10/27

Everyone loves to talk about “freedom” — but what kind?The freedom we’re sold isn’t liberation; it’s consumption. It’s “freedom” as brand — the right to choose between identical prisons.In this episode of Park Bench Ontology, I talk about how control got cute — how social media, the market, and even self-help language turned freedom into obedience.Because under capitalism, the illusion of choice is the control.Originally uploaded as ‘Necropolitics.’ Correct title: Freedom From Freedom.🔗 Watch full

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15:16

Psychopolitics: How Control Got Cute

Park Bench Ontology ·

2025/10/20

In this episode of Park Bench Ontology, Gavin dives into the strange world of psychopolitics — where control doesn’t come from force anymore, it comes from vibes. From influencer culture to “mental health awareness” campaigns, the systems of power learned how to smile while keeping you compliant.Why are we all marketing ourselves while pretending it’s freedom? How did surveillance turn into self-expression? And why does every form of rebellion now come with a brand kit?This episode explores how

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16:25

Hauntology - The Future Isn't Coming

Park Bench Ontology ·

2025/10/13

The future isn’t coming — it’s being rewritten. In Episode 4 of Park Bench Ontology: Hauntology, I explore how capitalism erases anything that doesn’t produce value, from WWE’s most absurd gimmicks to the mistakes that make life human. We also unpack how older generations insist theirs was the “best era,” when really culture just keeps repeating itself — sanitized, packaged, and sold back to us.Listen & Subscribe: https://pod.link/uncolonizedWatch on YouTube:

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20:12

Capitalist Realism & My Old Navy Malcolm X Shirt

Park Bench Ontology ·

2025/10/06

In this week’s episode of Park Bench Ontology, we dive headfirst into capitalist realism—the idea that capitalism is the only system that feels “real” and inevitable—and what it means when our identities, style, and culture are co-opted by the market. I share my own bizarre experience buying an Old Navy Malcolm X shirt, and why it made me rethink how we consume revolutionary imagery while participating in the very system it critiqued.We talk symbolic violence, brand culture, and the absurdity of

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19:09

Racecraft: The Making of Whiteness

Park Bench Ontology ·

2025/09/29

Some guy once told me he was proud to be white. But “whiteness” was never a culture — it was manufactured as a team sport by the people in power. In this episode of Park Bench Ontology, I break down how the invention of whiteness became a tool of control, division, and identity politics that still shapes our world.This is existential comedy for the collapse: part history, part philosophy, part absurd truth-telling.🎧 Listen, share, and subscribe to Park Bench Ontology for more deep dives into

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16:48

The Sopranos & The Denial of Death

Park Bench Ontology ·

2025/09/22

Tony Soprano’s panic attacks aren’t just mob stress — they’re existential dread. In this episode of Park Bench Ontology, we dive into Ernest Becker’s The Denial of Death and how it explains Tony’s breakdowns, projection, and the absurd ways people cope with mortality.🔗 Follow & Support:🌐 Website: http://gavinstephens.ca🎙️ Podcast: https://podbio.me/parkbenchontology📷 Instagram: countgavin🐦 Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/gavinbstephens.substack.com📼 YouTube:

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0:38

Welcome to the Collapse

Park Bench Ontology ·

2025/08/18

Uncolonized is Evolving…New Season. New Ontology.From Uncolonized → Park Bench OntologyFor years, Uncolonized has been our space to challenge culture, identity, and power. That work isn’t ending — it’s mutating.We’re evolving into Park Bench Ontology: a lo-fi philosophy podcast about collapse, comedy, and the strange theatre of being human. Think zine-brained philosophy meets Adult Swim absurdity — sitting on the park bench, staring at capitalism’s weird machinery, and laughing so we don’t

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32:27

Episode 25: Narratives, Existential Dread & The Spook...

Park Bench Ontology ·

2025/05/26

Uncolonized host Gavin unpacks the weaponization of narratives, existential dread in capitalist culture, and the revolutionary symbolism of The Spook Who Sat by the Door. Listen now + bonus episode on Patreon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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38:21

S16E25: Sinners & Andor – A Deep Dive into Discourse

Park Bench Ontology ·

2025/05/19

This week on the Uncolonized Podcast, Gavin and Daniel tackle the cinematic and cultural complexities of the film Sinners and the hit series Andor. Join us as we explore the narratives, themes, and the surrounding discourse that movies like these always seem to attract.In our bonus Patreon episode, we dive into the bizarre incident involving a woman who used a racial slur against a five-year-old and the concept of "vice signalling." http://pateron.com/theuncolonized Hosted on Acast. See

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54:05

S16E24: Election Aftermath Instagram Live/ with Derek...

Park Bench Ontology ·

2025/05/12

In this week's episode of Uncolonized, we dive deep into the recent Canadian federal election outcomes with special guest Derek Forgie from @Partiesoverproject. Join us as we discuss the implications of the election results, the shifting political landscape, and what it means for Canadians moving forward. This insightful conversation, recorded live on Instagram, offers a fresh perspective on the political climate in Canada. Tune in to gain valuable insights and engage with our community!Check out

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32:49

S16E23: Polling Stations, Power Trips & the Myth of...

Park Bench Ontology ·

2025/05/05

In this solo episode, Gavin unpacks his firsthand experience working at a Canadian federal election polling station—and why it left him more convinced than ever that capitalism and democracy are fundamentally incompatible. From authoritarian micro-behaviors to racial dynamics at play, this episode dives deep into the cracks in the illusion of “free and fair” elections.In the bonus episode on Patreon, Gavin discusses the 2022 film Sinners, exploring themes of guilt, power, and collective moral

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45:58

Episode 16: Museums, Deportations, and Colonial Déjà Vu

Park Bench Ontology ·

2025/04/28

This week on Uncolonized, Daniel and Gavin tear into the Royal Ontario Museum, where one of the board’s chairpersons is connected to a company making money off deportations from the U.S. Spoiler: colonial institutions don’t really change — they just rebrand. We also get into Martin Heidegger’s idea of enframing, and how museums, despite all their shiny updates, are still running on the same colonial operating system.On our Patreon bonus episode patreon.com/theuncolonzed, we break down how the

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29:43

The Silent Majoity...sort of.

Park Bench Ontology ·

2025/04/21

This week on Uncolonized, Gavin Stephens and Daniel Grant dive into the media’s favorite zombie narrative: the “silent majority.” Every election cycle, pundits and pollsters act like it’s a shocking new revelation—but this trope is as old as Nixon. We unpack the latest reincarnation of it, featuring the supposed shift of white male Gen Z voters to the right, particularly towards Trump. Are they really shifting—or just revealing who they’ve always been?Plus, in our Patreon-exclusive episode, we get

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34:53

Episode 20: Mickey 17, Race, and the Politics of...

Park Bench Ontology ·

2025/04/14

This week, Daniel and Gavin dissect Bong Joon Ho’s Mickey 17, using Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of cultural capital to examine who gets to be seen as an “auteur” in the public imagination — and who doesn’t. We explore how race, class, and symbolic capital shape legitimacy in the film world, questioning why specific creators are celebrated as geniuses while others are sidelined, regardless of the quality of their work.Through Bourdieu’s lens, we look at the cinematic “field” as a battleground, where

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34:05

Episode 19: You Can’t Take It With You

Park Bench Ontology ·

2025/04/07

Uncolonized - Episode 19: You Can’t Take It With YouThis week on Uncolonized, Gavin Stephens talks about losing his stuff in a fire—and not in a metaphorical, "finding yourself" way. Like, literally. Gone. Every DVD, vinyl, collectible—poof. So now I'm living in the future: a full-on subscription-based model for everything I used to own. Yay capitalism.I get into what it means to live in a consumer-based society where we don’t own anything anymore—except debt, anxiety, and maybe a Spotify playlist

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31:17

Uncolonized S16E18 – The Authoritarian Mindset &...

Park Bench Ontology ·

2025/03/31

This week, it's just me, Gavin Stephens, diving into a bizarre but growing phenomenon—Canadians who actually want the U.S. to annex Canada. I break down the authoritarian mindset behind this and why some Canadians are in complete denial about Trump’s influence (inspired by this article).This is just Part 1—get the full conversation by joining our Patreon. Plus, if you’re into deep dives on decolonial thought, politics, and society, join our book club on Fable. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

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1:04:05

S16E17: Finding Common Ground with Derek Forgie

Park Bench Ontology ·

2025/03/24

This week on Uncolonized, I sit down with comedian, activist, and host Derek Forgie (MTV, Just For Laughs, CBC) to discuss his new project, Parties Over. His podcast and show explore what it takes to bridge the growing divide between left and right in politics. Can real dialogue exist beyond the echo chambers? What does true common ground even look like? Derek and I break it all down in real-time.Follow Derek and Parties Over: 🔹 TikTok 🔹 InstagramSupport Uncolonized: 💰 Join our Patreon for

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36:57

S16E16: Ontario’s 2025 Election: What Now?

Park Bench Ontology ·

2025/03/10

This week on Uncolonized, Gavin and Daniel break down the results of the 2025 Ontario election. What do the numbers say? What does it mean for the future of the province? And most importantly—how does this impact the people living here? From campaign promises to political fallout, we dive into the winners, the losers, and the bigger picture.This is just Part 1! Catch the full conversation, including Part 2, exclusively on our Patreon. Join us at patreon.com/theuncolonized to support the show and get

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32:07

S16E15: Great Television

Park Bench Ontology ·

2025/03/03

In this solo episode, Gavin breaks down the latest political spectacle—Trump letting his mask slip and Zelenskyy failing to navigate the game of politics. Under late-stage capitalism, the pretension is gone, exposing the raw mechanics of power, media manipulation, and imperialism. What happens when the illusion of leadership crumbles? Gavin unpacks it all with his signature insight and humour.Catch the full unfiltered discussion in Part 2 on Patreon: patreon.com/theuncolonized Hosted on Acast. See

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36:08

Episode Title: S16E14 - Captain America: Brave New...

Park Bench Ontology ·

2025/02/24

In this episode of Uncolonized, Gavin Stephens and Daniel Grant dive into Captain America: Brave New World, breaking down the political and social implications of the film. What does it mean to have a Black Captain America in today's world? How does the film tackle race, power, and patriotism? We get into all of it, plus our expectations for Anthony Mackie’s take on the shield.Directed by Julius Onah, Captain America: Brave New World stars Anthony Mackie, Harrison Ford, Liv Tyler, Tim Blake Nelson,

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