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Deck the halls with boughs of … horror!

Joe and Mark are joined by Jeff Preston, PhD, an associate professor of disability studies at King’s University College. In addition to being a professor, Jeff is a webcomic creator, activist and co-host of the podcast Invalid Culture.

Jeff’s work is playful as well as scholarly. They discuss the satirical approach of his Ted talk, in which he spoofs the way that media pathologizes disability. (Check it out below.)

“The real story of disability is being able to bend the world around you to fit your needs, and about the real pain, angst and injustice you feel when the world refuses to bend, when the world refuses to change. That is the real disabling experience,” Jeff says.

That is also the topic of his podcast, and why he wanted the lads to take in the 1984 cult classic, Christmas Evil.

The film focuses on a man psychologically twisted as a child, when he caught his mother and St. Nick in an intimate moment. As an adult Harry eventually goes over the edge, and dressed as Santa, gives presents away to orphans, in between murdering those who have wronged him.

Jeff mentions that it is John Waters’s favorite Christmas movie. Mark admits to being strangely compelled by the flick, mostly because of the performance of the lead, Brandon Maggart. “But it is a frickin’ mess,” Mark adds.

Joe asks Jeff to make the case for watching the flawed film.

“I love crap movies,” Jeff admits. He says it’s worth watching bad movies that use disability as part of their narrative, because it’s easier to spot the tropes and how they don’t actually make sense.

Then the three get into the weeds of how badly the film represents mental illness and disability in an entertaining and illuminating conversation.

A merry (and evil) Christmas indeed!