The Madcast

Nate Tilton, Eliana Madera, Kindred, and Nicholas Escobar

The Madcast is a podcast that explores the intersection of disability, academia, and everything in between. From interviewing academics working towards disability justice to reviewing media portrayals of disability, the Madcast covers a wide range of topics for folks to tune into bimonthly (twice a month). Enjoy!
The podcast is hosted by the UC Berkeley Disability Lab and recorded at the Ethnic Studies Changemaker Studio at Cal.
UC Berkeley Disability Lab Linktree: https://linktr.ee/calradmadlab
Madcast Patreon:
patreon.com/themadcast
The Madcast © 2023 by Nate Tilton, Eliana Madera, Trisha Nguyen is licensed under Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International

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Top 10 The Madcast Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best The Madcast episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to The Madcast for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite The Madcast episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

Episode 5: Disability 101 - What is Academic Ableism?

The Madcast

04/15/24 • 38 min

Welcome back to this week's episode of the Madcast!
This week, Hosts Nate and El are trying out a new segment for the pod, "Disability 101." The segment will focus on one key disability concept, term, experience, and community folks may be unfamiliar and give a "101," or introductory explanation, on that concept/term/experience/community.
Moving onto today's episode, we'll be answering the question, what actually IS academic ableism? What does it look like in post-secondary education? And, how in the world are disabled folks supposed to navigate the hellscape that is getting academic accommodations?! Come join us to find out- you won't regret it.
Note: See episode transcript here

If you want to support us here on the Madcast, check out our Patreon!
If you want check out the lab, check out our linktree for our socials and media spotlights or our website to check out what new project we have going on!
Thank you all and enjoy the show!!
Credits:
Hosts: Nate Tilton and Eliana Madera
Producer: Nate Tilton and Eliana Madera
Production Assistance: Trisha Nguyen
Executive Producer: Karen Nakamura, PhD
Produced at UC Berkeley Disability Lab (or Mad Rad Lab)
Recorded at Ethnic Studies Changemaker Podcast, UC Berkeley
Copyright © 2023 by Nate Tilton, Eliana Madera, & Trisha Nguyen
License: CC-by-SA
Licenses List | Creative Commons

Episode 4: Shakespeare Bot w/ J Bui

The Madcast

03/29/24 • 43 min

On this week’s episode of the Madcast, Hosts Nate and El are joined by J Bui (They/them) to discuss a fascinating new project from the UC Berkeley Disability Lab: Shakespeare Bot. Join us as we discuss ethical issues surrounding Chat GPT and other Large Language Models (LLMs), LLM counter softwares, and the policing of normative writing at the expense of Neurodivergent students. It’s not an episode to miss!
Transcript: Here

Episode 3: CODA and d/Deaf Representation

The Madcast

03/16/24 • 43 min

Coming back from our winter hiatus, we’re back with another exciting episode of the our newly rebranded podcast, the Madcast.
This week, hosts Nate and El are discussing the award winning film CODA (2021). Tune in for an exciting conversation about disability representation in Hollywood, media depictions of d/Deaf folk and the Deaf community, what it’s like being stuck between two worlds, and so much more!
Note: See episode transcript here

Episode 10: Disability 101 - Principles of Disability Justice

The Madcast

04/22/25 • 49 min

Welcome back!
On this week’s episode of the Madcast, hosts El and lyn cover yet another key disability studies/activism term: disability justice. Defined by members of the BIPOC, queer, and disabled performance art group Sins Invalid, disability justice is concept/framework academics and laymen use often haphazardly, without fully understanding what it means “to practice” disability justice. So we’re here to unpack disability justice — What is it? What are its key principals? Why is it important?

Come find out the answer on this week’s episode of the Madcast!

See transcript here

Episode 2: Exploring Disability, Academia, and Climate Change

The Madcast

12/16/23 • 40 min

Hosts: Nathan Tilton, El, Trisha
Guest: Maddie Taylor (They/Them)

Episode Summary: In this episode, we delve into the intersections of disability studies, environmental justice, and the unique challenges within academia. Our guest, Maddie Taylor, a second-year PhD student, shares their journey and insights.
Link to Transcript
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pfys0IMYqtxrc6zEBYmCWgM_fe8OmxUXz0HjSPxmOwc/edit?usp=sharing

Episode 6: Disability 101 - What is Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)?

The Madcast

04/27/24 • 49 min

Welcome back to this week's episode of the Madcast!
On this week's episode, Hosts El and Lyn are bringing on two very special guests, Harry and G, to discuss Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). This episode we'll be discussing: What is OCD as both a diagnosis and as a lived experience? How do media representations of OCD perpetuate harm and misrepresentation for those with OCD? and- Wait, acrylic nails can help with some of my OCD behaviors?!?!
Tune in to see all these questions answered and more!
You can find the transcript to today's episode here.
Warning! This episode contains some material that may be sensitive to some of our audience. Please take care of yourselves and skip this episode if the following list may trigger you or make you uncomfortable.
Content warnings:

There will be discussion of
- In-depth descriptions of obsessive-compulsive thinking and themes
- Eating Disorders
- Dissociation/Dissociative Disorders
- Discussion of Skin-Picking/Dermatillomania
- Religious Trauma
- Fear of inflicting violence on others
- Fear of animal abuse
There are also brief mentions, by name, of
- R*pe
- P*dophilia

Episode 1: Academic Ableism & The Disabled Grad Student Experience w/ Andy King

The Madcast

12/01/23 • 45 min

Welcome! This is the first episode of our brand new show the Mad Reshuffle: Access Berkeley Radcast (Madcast for short) hosted by the UC Berkeley Disability Lab. Today's episode, were interviewing Andy King, a 2nd year Phd student at Cal studying English and a disability representative in the Cal Graduate Assembly, on his unique experiences as a disabled individual currently navigating through academia as both an employee and student of UC Berkeley.
In a compelling episode of RAD Mad Reshuffle: Access Berkeley, hosts Nathan Tilton and El Madera engage with Andy King, a second-year PhD student and disability representative at UC Berkeley. They discuss the unique challenges faced by disabled students in academia. Andy shares their journey, highlighting the transformative impact of self-awareness and access to disability resources on their educational experience, particularly in transitioning from undergraduate to graduate studies.

The episode also delves into a recent survey on inclusivity within the UC system. Andy critiques the survey's methodology, stressing the need for a deeper understanding of disabled students' experiences in academia. They emphasize the complexity of navigating academic spaces as a disabled individual, underscoring the importance of comprehensive support and meaningful inclusion.

Transcripts available here.
Thank you for your patience!

Episode 8: Autism Representation in the Media

The Madcast

03/22/25 • 47 min

Welcome back! On this week's episode of the Madcast, Hosts El, Nate, and lyn are discussing the good, the bad, and the ugly of autism representation in the media. Join us as we discuss Autistic-coded characters well-known Autistic-coded characters (Sheldon Cooper of The Big Bang Theory, Spock of the Star Trek franchise, Abed Nadir from Community), controversial yet confirmed Autistic characters (Rain man of Rain Man, Dr. Shaun Murphy of The Good Doctor, Music of Sia's Music), common archetypes (the autistic savant, the robot/alien, the child/infantilized individual), and so much more!

This topic is incredibly rich and incredibly close to us, so we hope you'll join us on this fascinating week of The Madcast !

See transcript here.

Episode 7: Who Gets To Define Disability? Self-Diagnosis, Institutional Barriers, and Community

The Madcast

03/09/25 • 47 min

Welcome back to a new season of the Madcast!! Back from a brief hiatus, Hosts El and lyn are bringing an exciting new line-up of episodes filled with new guests, new topics, and much, much more!

On this week's episode, we're discussing the issue of disability: disability as an identity, disability as a medical diagnosis, and disability as a deeply personal experience. We're unpacking how institutional power, community gatekeeping, and shame (as well as self-empowerment, community support, and disabled joy) dictates our identity.

There's a lot to cover this episode- you won't wanna miss a single second!

See transcript here

Episode 9: Cannabis w/ Marlo De La Mora

The Madcast

04/05/25 • 53 min

Welcome back! On this week's episode of the Madcast, hosts El and Mads are joined by a very special guest, Marlo De La Mora (she/her), to talk about the fascinating yet polarizing subject of cannabis. Marlo is an Anthropology undergraduate at UC Berkeley whose research focuses on the anthropology of cannabis. Join us as we discuss the stigma and misconceptions around cannabis, its value as an alternative to Western medicine, and Marlo's journey paving her own unique path in academia.

Marlo's an incredible guest and friend of the pod, so we hope you'll join us this week on The Madcast.

Check out Marlo's shop!

See Transcript Here

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FAQ

How many episodes does The Madcast have?

The Madcast currently has 10 episodes available.

What topics does The Madcast cover?

The podcast is about Society & Culture, Activism, Conversational, Podcasts, Social Sciences, Disability, Anthropology and Politics.

What is the most popular episode on The Madcast?

The episode title 'Episode 6: Disability 101 - What is Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)?' is the most popular.

What is the average episode length on The Madcast?

The average episode length on The Madcast is 46 minutes.

How often are episodes of The Madcast released?

Episodes of The Madcast are typically released every 14 days, 6 hours.

When was the first episode of The Madcast?

The first episode of The Madcast was released on Dec 1, 2023.

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The Madcast

Nate Tilton, Eliana Madera, Kindred, and Nicholas Escobar

Top 10 The Madcast Episodes

FAQ

How many episodes does The Madcast have?

What topics does The Madcast cover?

What is the most popular episode on The Madcast?

What is the average episode length on The Madcast?

How often are episodes of The Madcast released?

When was the first episode of The Madcast?

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