Sam White is a writer living in Brockton Village. As one of Barry’s best friends and lover of podcasts, we could think of no better human to talk about Hogtown in 2014. We spoke with Sam about growing up in Roncesvalles Village, meeting Barry at the Etobicoke School of the Arts, and why Lansdowne’s ugliness makes it good. Sam also argued with Barry about gentrification, the Election, and he unveiled his three favourite Toronto restaurants.
Tag Archives: Canada
IT’S A GOOD TIME FOR THANKS
Celebrity therapist Dr. Phil Stutz has a magnificent exercise to calm down anxious people: Shut the fuck up for a second, and think about all of the things that you’re thankful for—not the big things like being alive—the little things like having clean laundry or seeing a traffic light turn Green. And it works. Eventually you reach a place of calm where you’re not the Last Man On Earth and reason prevails.
So, as I enter the most sentimental time of the year, I know that I am thankful for little things. I’m thankful that people who are not my Mom listen to the show; that my guests have been so kind and candid; that I can record this podcast in my apartment and drink beer while doing it.
And I’m thankful to people who made this show possible just because I asked them to. The brilliant artist Shannon Jager designed my site. My friend since we were fucking fourteen years old Chris MacDonald drew our logo. Sam White and Bronson Allen provided moral support and alcoholism.
We’ve got a lot of great episodes coming up. Non-white male guests included. I’m not getting tired of this, so you better stick around, too.
So, Happy Holidays, to you, the people that care! I love you all.
In short, as Seth (please come on the show) has said: “It’s a good life if you don’t weaken.”
It really is.
Love,
Barry.
EPISODE 13: PHILOSOPHER MARK KINGWELL
Mark Kingwell is a philosopher at the University of Toronto. His work in political theory, ethics, aesthetics, and criticism has made him one of Canada’s most renowned public intellectuals. And he’s the reason Barry became a philosophy major. (We’ll see how that turns out.) We spoke with Mark about his childhood obsession with Trudeau-era nationalism, living in Kensington Market as an undergrad, and the intersection of philosophy and pop culture. Mark also spoke about the tension of working within elitist institutions, civility’s relationship with political violence, and how it’s kind of hard to beat what we got going on in Hogtown.
EPISODE 11: JOURNALIST JOHN LORINC
John Lorinc is a lifelong Torontonian and current midtowner. John’s words have appeared in the Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, and The Walrus, and he’s a senior editor at Spacing. John spoke with us about his Hungarian Jewish roots, how he became a Hogtown expert by accident, and what it was like to suffer cover four years of the Fords. He also talked about being independent in a Left and Right world, whether some version of John Tory will rule Toronto for eternity, and why, despite all of our faults, he still loves Toronto.
EPISODE 10: MAYORAL CANDIDATE MORGAN BASKIN
Morgan Baskin is a Corktown resident who ran for mayor of Toronto when she was 18 years old. Morgan’s 19 now, and though she didn’t win the election, she’s still committed to making Hogtown a better place. Morgan spoke with us about protesting Mike Harris as a toddler, overnight fame, and how being a public servant is anything but private. She also talked about how she hates issue-based campaigns, debating Doug and Olivia, and what she plans on doing now that the circus has left town.
EPISODE 9: AUTHOR STEPHEN MARCHE
Stephen Marche is a columnist at Esquire, novelist, and doctor of Early Modern Drama. He’s written about sex, hockey, and Megan Fox, among many things. Stephen spoke with us about his lifelong obsession with the novel, being labelled a misogynist and idiot, and why writing is not for whiners. He also talked about how Americans could give two shits about the CBC, why writing fiction takes courage, and Toronto’s future. (It won’t be boring.)
EPISODE 8: WRITER JOHN SEMLEY
John Semley is a freelance writer living in West Queen West. The former city editor of the A.V. Club Toronto, his writing has appeared in the Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, and The Walrus. John and Barry also share the same barber. John spoke with us about why he hates self-identifying as a writer, reading for pain and pleasure, and The Onion‘s failure in Hogtown. He also talked about the fine line between being an asshole and a contrarian, NOW Magazine’s knack for survival, and why you don’t have to leave Toronto to be successful.
EPISODE 7: ACTRESS BRITTANY ALLEN
Brittany Allen is an actress, singer, and entertainer. She’s starred in All My Children, and appeared in numerous films and TV shows. And she graduated from Barry’s favourite circus, the Etobicoke School of the Arts. Brittany spoke with us about growing up in Scarborough, acting as therapy, and how Mirvish Productions can break hearts. She also talked about winning an Emmy, the ordeal of auditions, and the joy of rediscovering her hometown.
EPISODE 6: THE FILM BUFF’S SCOTT WORSLEY
Scott Worsley is the co-owner of The Film Buff, one of Toronto’s premiere movie stores, and gem on the Roncesvalles strip. When Barry heard that The Film Buff East at Queen and Greenwood was shutting down, he had to speak with Scott and pay tribute to an institution that had given so much joy to Hogtown cinephiles. Scott spoke with us about opening his small business all those years ago, curating Toronto’s best film collection, and the virtues of art house entertainment. He also talked about championing a more personal retail experience, whether Toronto deserves to call itself a movie town, and why we need a Toronto-Montreal film summit.
EPISODE 5: ENTREPRENEUR BRUCE CROXON
Bruce Croxon is Managing Partner of Round13 Capital and a former star of CBC’s Dragons’ Den. A Scarborough boy, Bruce co-founded Lavalife, a company that pioneered online dating and social media. And aside from being the most successful person that Barry’s interviewed, Bruce is a pretty happy guy. He spoke with us about growing up in a mixed race family, dealing with loss, and how being ethical makes you money. Bruce also talked about why he would be a bad mayor, the uncertainty of Tinder, and fighting off retirement.
Hogtown Talks 