About this episode
Kevin Allison shares a personal story about a high school prank and reflects on the themes of vulnerability and connection in storytelling.
Kevin Allison, creator of the RISK! podcast, recounts a high school prank at an all-boys Jesuit school in 1986. After a crush teased him by repeatedly spitting on him, Kevin later mailed him a sealed container of feces labeled “enjoy the cookies.” In retelling the story, Kevin considers how the prank mixes humiliation and a possible form of intimacy, situated within his experience of growing up gay under Catholic doctrine. For Kevin, telling such stories has become an opportunity for self-reflection. Beyond this, Kevin argues that sharing what is usually considered “unmentionable” can create a distinct form of connection: moments of vulnerability tend to draw listeners in rather than push them away. Thus, the points of greatest risk are often where an audience leans in most. Chapters: [00:00] The Mailing Feces Prank [12:49] Why the "Unmentionable" Matters [14:20] Coming Out Under Catholicism [18:09] Starting RISK! [23:02] Teaching Storytelling [35:41] Revisiting Old Stories [42:22] Audience Backlash [47:36] What are "Safe Spaces" [56:09] How Memory Alters a Story [01:03:29] Closing Remarks Find the RISK! podcast here: https://www.risk-show.com/ Subscribe on…
People in this episode
Host: Brain in a Vat
Guest: Kevin Allison
Topics covered
- storytelling
- humiliation
- intimacy
- growing up gay
- Catholic doctrine
- vulnerability
- connection
Keywords
- Kevin Allison
- RISK!
- storytelling
- Catholic
- gay
- humiliation
- intimacy
- vulnerability
- connection
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: RISK!, Catholic
Books & works: Brain in a Vat
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