What's That Smell?
They call this city a melting pot—or is it more of a tossed salad? Either way, food is being made. 19 billion lbs. a year in fact. In this episode, Brian explores where food is coming from and where it’s going. First up: a tale of 2 fish. Brian finds out why one Sunset Park fish market charges so much less than its Greenpoint equivalent. Next, Cannabis consumption: it's not just dry brownies anymore. Meet some the ganja-preneurs changing the edible game with specialty food and feel-good cannabis dinners. Lastly, we go in on composting in NYC. Organic Outreach, a part of the NYC Department of Sanitation, wants to make the most of your food waste, rather than just having it end up in a landfill.
Brooklyn Raised
This week on Going In with Brian Vines, it's all about growing up in Brooklyn. We look at stories about those moments in life where we move into a new phase, especially as they reflect how our backgrounds and cultures can shape those journeys. Brian pays a visit to Bed-Stuy YMCA to take an aqua-fitness class with some very fit seniors. Next, the Sheppard sisters show us that speed and grace can keep you grounded. Tai, Rainn, and Brooke Sheppard grew up in the borough with issues ranging from homelessness to bad haircuts. Watch as these three hurdle their way to the top of the country's largest women's track and field event without missing a beat. Finally, we meet Naimul Islam, a first generation Muslim-American who struggled to to find a role model as a newcomer in the city. Now he leads a support group for teens like him, so they can gain guidance and inspiration from each other.
Documenting Brooklyn
On this episode, we're going in on documenting Brooklyn. Jennifer Egan, author of best-selling novel MANHATTAN BEACH, tells us what she uncovered through her research on New York during WWII. We meet two Chinese immigrants who find daily artistic inspiration in Prospect Park, and their son who photographs their work. A Brooklyn Photographer known as @visually_conscious on Instagram takes us through his process and talks about going against the grain.
Has Tech Gone Too Far In Brooklyn?
Good or bad, how is the growing role in technology playing out in our lives? Is it changing the way we relate to the city itself – or how our city government relates to us? Is it bringing jobs to Brooklyn or handing them over to robots? We talk with Adina Miles, a.k.a. "Flatbush Girl," who's bringing tech to Orthodox Jewish communities. Then, we meet the gene editing populists at GenSpace, who are bringing biohacking to the community. Lastly, we look at the technology behind predictive policing.
Law and Disorder
According to one study, the average American inadvertently commits an estimated 3 felonies a day. In this episode of Going In, Brian investigates laws that should be dropped, laws that should be enacted, and laws that just don’t make any sense. First up, meet one man whose defense is blindsided by the blindfold law. Next: one attorney Tweets A Crime A Day, and shows that what's considered a federal crime might surprise you. Finally, we look at the Child Victims Act, a proposed change to the current statute of limitations for victims of child abuse.
The Long Wait for Justice
This week on Going In with Brian Vines, Brian follows two stories on Brooklynites advocating for fairness within the criminal justice system. A cold case is re-opened in Brooklyn, and we meet the family of the late Rashawn Brazell, whose body was found in a trash bag on a subway platform in 2005. For thirteen years the case went unresolved, but with modern detective work and forensics, the Brazell family, along with the families of other victims of unsolved cases, gets the justice they deserve. Next, we meet Carl King, a man who has taken it upon himself to prove the innocence of his friend, Colin Warner, who he believes was wrongfully accused of murder. With no former investigative or legal training, Carl has put in decades of work—but proving the law wrong is especially difficult for poor and minority defendants.
This Neighborhood Has Changed
On this week's episode of Going In with Brian Vines, Brian visits 3 Brooklyn addresses where gentrification has made its mark. First, we head to an apartment building in Bed-Stuy where one tenant is on a mission to meet all those who lived there before her. A group of the building's tenants meet regularly to share their renter's rights and stay informed. Next stop: Bushwick, where a group of renters made of mostly immigrants are on a rent strike, as their neglectful landlord seems eager to muscle them out. Finally, we bike over to where Red Lantern bike repair once was in Fort Greene. We see how rent hikes have made it near impossible for small businesses to compete with big developers in gentrified neighborhoods.
The City Never Sleeps
This week on Going In with Brian Vines, we venture into Brooklyn after dark. First, meet the Nocturnals, a group with one rule: you’re a buttoned-up professional “adult” from Mon-Fri and a spandexed tech-rave fiend all weekend. Then, come with us to a sex party with the group 'Chemistry' where consenting patrons are free to express themselves (sexually and non-sexually) without the stigma around hypersexuality and polygamy. Finally, join us at 7th Avenue Donuts & Diner in Park Slope where you'll meet the true ambassadors of the night: the dedicated service industry workers who'll bring you what you're hankering for no matter the time.
Another Day, Another Dollar
Delve into the variety of ways New Yorkers are making ends meet on this episode of Going In With Brian Vines. Visit the Sure We Can redemption center with Brian and meet dedicated canner Pierre who believes can and bottle collecting is a lesson in humility. We meet psychologists deep in debt from earning their PhD and unable to properly care for themselves or their patients. Finally, go underground with three young dancers earning wages break-dancing on the subway.
Finding The Antidote for Toxic Masculinity
If toxic masculinity is learned, can't consideration and respect be taught? On the season 2 premiere of Going In With Brian Vines, Brian zeroes in in on toxic performativity and what we can do to combat it. Mark Pagán, one of BRIC Community Media's own and host & creator of the podcast, Other Men Need Help (http://othermenneedhelp.com/), unpacks some of his ideas of masculinity and what informed these ideas starting as early as childhood. He also delves into the performance of masculinity, and what happens when the performance is threatened.
Brian goes to a cuddle party where consent comes first.Through clear communication and developed language around consent, the cuddlist community neutralizes the hierarchy of want and desire by the exercise of consent. Through the creation of this safe space, the cuddlists empower those to use communication that is based in consent and explore their own boundaries through healthy touch.
Tatyana Fazlalizadeh, Jonathan Metxl, Quentin Walcott, Anthonine Piette, and Omowale Adewala walk us through the pervasiveness of learned performative masculinity, the dangers of this performance, and each propose their own creative solutions.