I know what you’re thinking: Tertiary posts new episodes on Tuesdays, right?

Well, our first episode (“Decolonization is Not a Metaphor”) sparked so much debate, we decided to introduce an entirely new series to respond to listener feedback, circle back to particularly hot topics, and reserve for other special occasions.

We’re calling them “Side Quests.” (Don’t worry, Episode 2 is still coming out tomorrow!)

To kick things off, we revisit the timeless “Dumbledore versus Gandalf” debate, featuring a surprise guest … who shall not be named. Then we spiral into a conversation about cancel culture and censorship, inspired by the controversy surrounding HBO’s revived Harry Potter series. We consider the ways nostalgia and wishful thinking can conflict with where we “draw the line,” á la Amazon, Trump, and J.K. Rowling. We also started bleeping occasional profanity so Justin’s mom will finally listen.

Want to be a part of the Tertiary community? Follow us on Instagram, send us an email at tertpod@gmail.com or fill out our Google Form to submit a question that we’ll answer in a future episode. We want to hear from you!

If you noticed a brief clip of Bennett Wyler (@bennettwyler) on guitar, riffing the LOTR theme song, you heard right. Don’t miss his brand new album, “More Human,” wherever you listen to music.

Our intro and outro music comes from “Cloud Dancer” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0.

Assigned Reading:

• Read J.K. Rowling’s article, “J.K. Rowling Writes about Her Reasons for Speaking out on Sex and Gender Issues,” here
• Read u/Nestramutat-’s Reddit rant here
• Watch Stephen Colbert’s interview with James Talarico here