The Snark on Alchemy Podcast "Join Club Confusion… Contradictions and the Human Condition"
- The Snark
- Apr 17
- 4 min read
Confusion Reigns Supreme—But So Does D.C. Traffic
Well, well, well, folks, if you haven’t already joined the wild ride that is Alchemy, you’re in for a treat. In this episode, Tim and LeeAnna take us on a delightful detour from rational thought straight into the heart of human paradoxes. If you thought your life was full of contradictions, just wait until you hear about the ones that shape our behavior, beliefs, and emotions—and how these two make you think they might just be the world’s most hilariously confused philosophers.
Let’s talk about this podcast’s non-linear journey through the human condition. Tim and LeeAnna promised an examination of paradoxes, and somehow, we ended up talking about Sophocles complaining about the invention of writing (seriously, buddy?), Tim’s unsolicited commentary on Washington D.C. commuting, and a “Third Fake Spring” (yes, that’s a thing now), before Tim recommends a comedy-drama from BritBox that has a slow start but a “brilliant second half” and an unexpected twist. You can’t make this stuff up.
But then, they finally get to the heart of the episode. They break down 11 paradoxes, each explored with dramatic readings of their invented dialogue (where Tim plays “James” and LeeAnna plays “Alice,” for reasons still unclear—though LeeAnna does suggest a touch of stereotyping in his casting). From freedom vs. control to love’s contradictory nature, you’ll be nodding in confusion and horror (mostly confusion) as you digest their colorful takes.
Okay, So Here’s How It All Plays Out!
1. The Paradox of Freedom and Control
Humans crave freedom but love the security of rules and structure—what a delightful mess. Tim’s dramatic reading of “James” planning a weekend getaway while trying to keep everything locked down will make you think, “I do need a plan for my spontaneous weekend.” And yes, Tim serenades us with a nod to Charlene’s 1982 hit. Freedom’s great, but have you ever tried to escape your own plans? Ouch.
2. The Paradox of Knowledge and Ignorance
The more you know, the more you realize how little you understand. Deep, right? And somehow, Tim manages to drag a mouse brain scanner into this one. Really, that’s about as paradoxical as it gets—learning more only to find out you still know nothing.
3. The Paradox of Strength and Vulnerability
James tries to build his inner macho man. But a camping disaster makes him confront feelings he’d rather avoid. Get it together, James!
4. The Paradox of Happiness and Suffering
Ah yes, happiness: only achievable when you’ve suffered through the dark side of life. Alice thinks she might need to open a plant shop and sell ‘soul-nourishing suffering’ while James supports her by saying she’s “got the whole ‘sad guru’ thing down already.”
5. The Paradox of Change and Constancy
We want change, but we crave stability. Tim and LeeAnna dive into everything from job changes to a fully automated toilet that needs an app to flush (no, not kidding you). Embrace growth, but seriously, do you really want to go to Japan?
6. The Paradox of Time
Time’s fleeting! But you’re still binge-watching Succession instead of writing 300 words a day. Who hasn’t been there? You know you’re wasting time, but that next episode is so tempting. #ProcrastinationGoals
7. The Paradox of Choice
More choices = more stress, according to LeeAnna’s overwhelming shopping strategy (buy all the coats!). It’s a real existential crisis every time you open a clothing store website. Do you buy one? Do you buy ten? In the end, you’ll buy them all, and still regret it.
8. The Paradox of Success and Failure
You need failure to succeed, but damn, that failure stings. James’ work proposal seems to have defeated him, but in fact he’s just living a metaphor: sometimes authenticity and success are built on failure; and that failure, while painful, becomes part of the process. So just fail gloriously, everyone.
9. The Paradox of Security and Risk
We want security but seek out risk, because who doesn’t love a good adventure—especially when it involves things like job changes and exotic chicken breeding? LeeAnna’s unsolicited chicken enthusiasm reminds us all that a little discomfort leads to growth.
10. The Paradox of Independence and Connection
We want connection but fear losing ourselves. Our fictional Alice is worried about her friends limiting her—how relatable! But in the end, she’s probably still going to be tied to their expectations. Sound familiar? Well, you’ve got one more paradox to deal with.
11. The Paradox of Love
And now, we get to the final paradox: Love. That beautiful, contradictory mess of joy and pain. What better way to end the podcast than with a paradox that has been confusing humanity for centuries? Love – something none of us understand, but we all get to experience (more or less). Tim and LeeAnna leave us hanging on the complexities of love and its mysterious ability to tear us apart and put us back together again. Love—so complicated that no one has fully figured it out, but damn, we keep writing about it.
So, What Have We Learned?
This episode’s takeaway? Life is full of contradictions, and no one—certainly not Tim or LeeAnna—can make sense of it all. The truth is, as writers, we’re often tasked with embracing these contradictions in our characters, stories, and, let’s face it, our own lives. So here’s the challenge: create characters who have no idea how to live with their paradoxes—because, spoiler alert, neither do we.
And if all else fails, just go ahead and breed some exotic chickens.
The Snark
Official podcast name: "Alchemy... from Effigy Press" (don't forget the ellipsis, folks)
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