North Gate Radio

March 10, 2016

Show Theme: Subcultures

Welcome to North Gate Radio’s first show of 2016. In this week’s episode, we’re talking about subcultures and people breaking the norm. We’ll hear a variety of stories about unusual games, sports and medical treatments. We’ll meet a woman taking a new approach to death and visit an Oakland pro-wrestling show performed in drag. We also have a story about a decades-long live action role-playing game and an audio postcard from Elko, Nevada, examining the LGBT voting population there.

PRODUCER:

Marylee Williams

CREDITS:

Intro music credits: “Do My Thing” by Estelle featuring Janelle Monae

Outro music credits: “Bye, Bye, Bye” by NSYNC

Assistant Producer: Ted Andersen

Anchors: Graelyn Brashear, Matt Beagle

Reporters: Marylee Williams, Lacy Roberts, Sam Omar Hall, Bonnie Chan, Teresa Cotsirilos

Engineer: Laura Klivans

Executive Producer: Ben Manilla

Individual Stories From This Show

For 35 Years, a Parallel Life

Janyce Hall is a gamer. Not video games, but tabletop role-playing games – just think Dungeons and Dragons. Since 1981, she’s been a game master, the god-like leader of one particular game: Call of Cthulhu. For many years, Janyce was the only woman at the table, but she’s been able to create a game that’s unlike any other. Lacy Roberts has the story.

PRODUCER:

Lacy Roberts

CREDITS:

Caption: At the game table at Janyce Hall’s home in Oakland.

Photo: Lacy Roberts

Death Eaters

Rachel James is a “death nerd” who studies and does public speaking about death-related topics, including suicide culture and end-of-life decisions. Earlier this year, she co-founded a project called Posy-Filled Pockets in response to a series of big life events that brought her work closer to home. Bonnie Chan reports from Grass Valley, Calif.

PRODUCER:

Bonnie Chan

CREDITS:

Music credits: “Accralate” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)

“Eat Until I Die” from Walt Disney’s “Jack and the Beanstalk”

Caption: Piano still life at Chapel of the Angels, a mortuary in Grass Valley, CA.

Photo: Bonnie Chan

Hoodslam Pro-Wrestlers Throw Down in Heels

If you’ve lived in Oakland long enough, your weirdest friend might have already told you about Hoodslam. This monthly, independent pro-wrestling show once performed a fake abortion on stage, and don’t even get us started on the actual gay marriage that they officiated once in the ring. Last month, the group continued to test gender and sexual norms with its second annual Femmed Out show”Óthe only wrestling show in the nation performed in drag. You can catch Hoodslam’s next smackdown at the Oakland Metro Operahouse on the first Friday of next month. Appropriately enough, that’s April Fools Day. Teresa Cotsirilos reports from ringside.

 

PRODUCER:

Teresa Cotsirilos

CREDITS:

Caption: Pro-wrestler Taylor Correa, dressed as Wanda from In Living Color, confronts the ref at Hoodlam’s annual Femmed Out show.

Photo: Teresa Cotsirilos

Honey Bees as Medicine

The CDC estimates there are around 300,000 cases of Lyme Disease in the United States annually. Although this aliment is commonly documented on the East Coast, the West Coast has fewer cases. In 2014, there were only 31 cases in the Bay Area. But those numbers may not be accurate because Lyme can be difficult to diagnose. In August 2014, Jennifer Lanett, a chiropractor in Berkeley, started experiencing an onslaught of symptoms that varied from jaw numbness to heart palpitations. Jennifer saw 25 doctors over six months until she was diagnosed with Lyme Disease. But the diagnosis was just the start. Jennifer was given antibiotics, but she said she wasn’t seeing improvement. Then she found out about Bee Venom Therapy to treat Lyme Disease. Now Jennifer stings herself with 10 bees three times a week. Reporter Marylee Williams gives us a closer look.

PRODUCER:

Marylee Williams

CREDITS:

Caption: Bee stings are a remedy for Lyme Disease for one Bay Area woman.

Photo: Marylee Williams

Fighting for LGBT Rights in Rural America

In June 2015 in San Francisco, it seemed the gay rights movement had finally achieved victory. The U.S. Supreme Court announced its decision legalizing gay marriage as the city threw its 46th Pride Parade. But in Elko, Nevada, the pace of change has been much slower. That city just held its first gay parade last year. North Gate Radio spoke to two activists in Elko who are working on LGBT issues in this rural Nevada town. Sam Omar Hall reports from Elko.

PRODUCER:

Sam Omar Hall

CREDITS:

Caption: In the heart of downtown Elko, Nevada, J.M. Capriola Company sells saddles, hats, boots, spurs, ropes and other supplies to cowboys and tourists. Elko held its first gay pride parade last year.

Photo: Sam Omar Hall

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