Laura Kennedy, who holds a doctorate in philosophy and also works as a beauty editor, has started her own podcast, Second Self. Second Captains fans might remember Kennedys fascinating discussions with Ken Early on Conor McGregor and Jordan Peterson (check your archives if not - I always thought they should start a philosophy-type podcast together).
She says Second Self is a podcast about the self we inherit and the one we create. Released fortnightly, the first episode is a conversation with Blindboy, which touches on everything from the state of Limerick, Limerick accents in media (or lack thereof), mental health, constructing personas (while wearing a plastic bag on your head), a little bit of Freud, and lots more. Its a great start to the series.
We talked to Kennedy about why the podcast started, what she has planned for it, and what shows shes listening to and would recommend.
Where did the idea for Second Self come from?
That the first version of ourselves is handed to us. The second one is ours to create until the day we die. I'm fascinated by people who aren't afraid to change their minds (and themselves), and how they do it in a world that discourages both. As an ex-philosopher and a writer, I'm lucky to meet unusual people and talk with them. Recording the conversations seemed like a good idea.
What do you hope to get from the podcast and what do you hope the audience gets?
I think that we are living in a particularly polarised time in our culture. We are experiencing a crisis of meaning, and there are a lot of incentives to politicise everything, or take positions on issues and refuse to consider the humanity or motivations of people who think differently. I find that boring and insufferable. Nuanced conversation and changing your mind are a part of being an intellectually developed adult, so I wanted to create something that represented that. Every guest is someone who owns their ideas and doesn't conform to expectations in some way or other - we can all benefit from hearing from these people.
You said you've been working on this for a long time - what took so long?
Even though I've interviewed plenty of people as a journalist, I'm not naturally a big talker, so fear that I'd be shite at talking with people put me off for a while, as did horror at the prospect of listening to my own voice. So I had to get over myself, and then I had to figure out the technological aspects of it (not my forte).
Blindboy was the first guest on the podcast. Was it almost a challenge to talk to such a seasoned podcaster who's so out there already, trying to get something new or different out of him?
No. We come from the same place and have a lot in common, and I went into it knowing he's great at this and I, being new to it and generally less of a legend, don't have his skill, so I just accepted that and enjoyed the conversation anyway. I hate overly produced content, and I haven't approached the project as someone with a background in legacy media (even though I am one). I'm not interested in trying to engineer juicy information or a good 'get' out of guests. I just want to have the sorts of conversations about life and ideas that people don't often get to hear or have. I go in with questions the guests haven't heard before precisely because these aren't traditional interviews. When you ask clever people unusual questions, interesting responses are inevitable.
What other guests have you lined up for Second Self?
At the moment, we're doing one episode every two weeks. Guests I've talked to so far include well-known writers, public intellectuals, people in sport, and some interesting people listeners might not yet know, but should. We touch on challenging topics and concepts that people don't often hear nuanced conversations about in the public forum, like race, gender, class and art, as well as lighter stuff. The aim is to discuss these things in a way that is accessible - neither haughty nor patronising. Every conversation is conducted in friendliness and good faith, and I like talking with people I don't agree with - homogeneity is boring and there's enough of that already.
What podcasts influenced Second Self?
None directly - I created it because I wanted it to exist but it didn't yet. There are a lot of high-brow academic podcasts touching on some of the same ideas, but many alienate people who don't find technical conversations peppered with specialised lingo inclusive or fun. There are also fluffier podcasts that don't dig far enough into the stuff I find interesting. I wanted a podcast where you can laugh about whacking a broken smoke alarm off a ceiling with a hurley, and also discuss surrealism, power and the philosophical concept of solemnity in one episode. Now we have one.
What other podcasts have you been enjoying lately?
I always get hooked on investigative podcasts. Where Is George Gibney was one of the best of the last two years I think. I've been enjoying new episodes of Bad Blood: The Final Chapter about Elizabeth Holmes and the Theranos scandal. Philosophize This and You Must Remember This are among my all-time favourite podcasts for sheer enjoyment.
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Podcast Corner: Laura Kennedy on Second Self, and creating a new you - Irish Examiner