Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

Experts at pop culture storytelling, social movements and fan organizing joining me to discuss the final Star Wars movie, Rise of Skywalker.

Porshéa Patterson-Hurst is the public opinion research associate for The Opportunity Agenda, a social justice communication lab in New York. She consults with allies in the field to identify and obtain pertinent research needs in the areas of immigration, criminal legal reform, and poverty. She is also the Director of Strategic Partnerships for Black Girls Create, volunteers with the Harry Potter Alliance, and co-hosts CastleBlackPod. https://twitter.com/Porshea_obvi

Rafael Shimunov is an artist and political activist from Queens. He was a HIAS refugee as a child from Russian-dominated Uzbekistan. Shimunov serves on the executive board of Jews for Racial and Economic Justice (JFREJ), is a co-founder of The Jewish Vote and has worked with IfNotNow, Michael Moore and The Center for Constitutional Rights. His work has been covered by Rolling Stone, Newsweek, The Washington Post, NowThis News and Haaretz. https://twitter.com/rafaelshimunov

Discussed:

• Muppets, puppets and metaphors
• Babu Frik and the tech worker insurgency
• “There can be another Snoke in a minute” (thank you Beyonce)
• Redemption arcs vs Restorative Justice
• How Star Wars' handling of queer rep is like a Bill Clinton speech
• Spin-offs both real and imagined (and Rogue One, the best Star War)
• And https://twitter.com/elana_brooklyn quotes the Hagadah like its Passover