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Cobra Lily

Cobra Lily

Cobra Lily is a self-published art and literary magazine created by Ella Simone that explores contemporary life through art and writing. The Cobra Lily podcast extends that universe into cultural commentary, drawing on psychology, sociology, and philosophy to examine the glitchy, sprawling reality of a hyper-connected world. Every other week, friends Maria and Ella observe culture and human behavior as they unfold both on and off the screen.

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  • 4 episodes
  • Avg 1 hr 12 min
  • English

Episodes 4

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  • #4
    Thursday · 1 hr 9 min

    Reality Surf

    Is artificial intelligence bound to break the human mind? Is there an objective reality, or is it all just perception? Can you really manifest your greatest wishes, or is that just confirmation bias? Ella and Maria explore the impact of artificial intelligence on people’s grasp of objective reality and chart the dramatic increase in Internet content centered around manifestation since the COVID-19 pandemic. Topics include: Emily Hart, the AI-generated MAGA influencer The troubling phenomenon of AI-induced psychosis Simulation theory and its predecessors in Ancient China and pre-Enlightenment France A deep dive into manifestation as a practice and an arm of pop spirituality: does the universe really care about your vision board? Follow Cobra Lily on Instagram and TikTok Check out the Cobra Lily website Check out Ella's poem and collage about phones and reality, "Divine Machinery,” Explore Ella's Substack Intro song by Ivy Frey at Shirkerism zine

    • Transcript
  • #3
    September 6 · 1 hr 18 min

    Pretty Boys Like Trap Music

    Why do suburban white kids fantasize about the storied struggles of rap music? What happened when war lost its meaning? What is the path forward in today’s matrix of porn, sports betting, and misogynistic online content? Ella, Maria, and their Straight Male Correspondent Guy continue their discussion of bell hooks’ groundbreaking The Will to Change: Men, Masculinity, and Love with a focus on how patriarchy makes for good business. Topics include: How The Sopranos, Succession, and Animal Farm beg the question: why should men want to compromise their privilege? How low-status, exhausting work can make masculine authority feel more appealing The relationship between boys and mothers in places of heightened male domination The nuances of commercialized female sexuality in a capitalist patriarchal framework Follow Cobra Lily on Instagram and TikTok Check out the Cobra Lily website Read Ella’s essay, “Leaving Love to the Market,” which inspired the episode Explore Ella's Substack Intro song by Ivy Frey at Shirkerism zine

    • Transcript
  • #2
    August 28 · 1 hr 17 min

    Fear and Loathing at Marine Corps Boot Camp

    Why are we obsessed with sex and violence? Why has feminism failed to land with so many men and women? How much is it testosterone and how much is it social conditioning? Maria, Ella, and their Straight Male Correspondent Guy crawl through the thickets of modern gender wars using visionary cultural icon bell hooks' The Will to Change: Men, Masculinity, and Love as a guide. Topics include: The relationship between testosterone, natural selection, and patriarchal conditioning What 2010's feminist messaging got wrong The Byzantine psychodrama of Marine Corps Boot Camp What does a good man look like to an avowed feminist? Follow Cobra Lily on Instagram and TikTok Check out the Cobra Lily website Read Ella's essay, "I Actually Want to Live in a Society," which inspired the episode Explore Ella's Substack Intro song by Ivy Frey at Shirkerism zine

    • Transcript
  • #1
    August 16 · 1 hr 4 min

    Croc Nation

    When did Crocs and sweatpants become restaurant attire? Why do people seem louder and ruder than ever? Should we bring back shame? In the debut episode of Cobra Lily, Maria and Ella discuss the collapse of shared behavioral standards in public American life. They connect this to the history of individualism, from Enlightenment ideas and Cold War politics to the human potential movement, self-help culture, and the rise of neoliberalism. Topics include: How funeral etiquette, movie theater behavior, and restaurant manners reveal a bigger cultural shift Why authenticity can become an excuse for selfishness in public spaces The dichotomies of individualism versus collectivism, and shame vs guilt cultures Why capitalism, neoliberalism, and the burnout economy leave people with no energy for social graces Follow Cobra Lily on Instagram and TikTok Check out the Cobra Lily website Read Ella's essay, "I Actually Want to Live in a Society," which inspired the episode Explore Ella's Substack Intro song by Ivy Frey at Shirkerism zine

    • Transcript
Showing 1–4 of 4 episodes