May 8, 2024 • 55 mins
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When a shy novelist's life intertwines with a stray cat, you'd expect chaos, but what unfolds is a tale of unexpected companionship that tugs at the heartstrings. Our chat with Niba, not just a science content creator but also a cat enthusiast, takes us through the charming anime "My Roommate is a Cat," and we marvel at the therapeutic bonds it portrays. Our talk isn't confined to the world of animation, though; we dive into lively scientific tangents like cicada pee velocity, all while contemplating our connection with the natural world around us.
Have you ever wondered what your pets are thinking? Together with Niba, we muse on the insights "My Roommate is a Cat" provides into our furry friends' minds and discuss the endearing way it captures the essence of human-animal relationships. We reminisce about discovering new media gems and the emotional journey they take us on, including the shared joy and sorrow that pets bring into our lives. It's not all furry tales, as we also reflect on our personal experiences that resonate with the universality of loss, belonging, and the quest for connection.
Notey Notes:
The Unique Urination of Cicadas
Niba's Instagram
Niba's TikTok
Niba's other links
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Taylor D. Adams (00:00):
he can't refuse this.
Clip (00:04):
Oh, finally decided to come out.
What the hell?
What is your deal?
If you don't eat, you won't beable to move.
That means you can't get away.
If you need to stopinterrupting my hey human, are
you all right?
Niba (00:21):
the love that you get from an animal is so, so different
because it's so freaking pure,Like I can't say that enough and
I feel like this show does sucha good job of depicting like
the animal perspective and itmakes you like relate a little
bit more, especially if you're aperson who has like a dog, cat,
snake, iguana, whatever thatlikes to like sit on you while
(00:42):
you watch things.
This is like the perfect showfor that.
Taylor D. Adams (00:49):
Hi, I'm Taylor and welcome back to the Film
Nuts podcast, a show about whywe love what we watch.
I'm so glad you decided to joinus today.
We've covered plenty of lovestories on the show before
romantic love, platonic love,familial love.
Love stories can be about twopeople falling for each other,
or one person in pursuit oftheir passion, and today we're
(01:11):
adding another type of love tothat long list the love we have
for our pets.
My Roommate is a Cat is aJapanese anime about a shy
novelist who takes in a straycat.
After it inspires the idea forhis next book.
In the 12-episode limitedseries, it showcases our need
for connection when we feelisolated, as well as our
(01:32):
relationships to our furry,feathered and scaly friends.
It's incredibly wholesome andfunny while still able to tug on
those heartstrings, and thisshow served as a source of
therapy and comfort for my guesttoday.
Neba is a science contentcreator, making fun and
informational videos aboutplants and the environment.
(01:52):
Neba also loves cats, obviously, and she even has some cats
named after scientific termslike osmosis and homeostasis.
Neba and I chat about how mediacan explore different types of
happiness, the connection weshare with animals and how the
velocity of cicada urination isimportant to science.
(02:13):
Yes, you heard that correctly.
While my Roommate is a Cat is aJapanese show, all the clips
today are dubbed in English foraccessibility, but if you want
to check out the show, pleasewatch it in its original
language with subtitles.
Anyway, let's get started rightmeow.
Here's Neva talking about myRoommate is a Cat on the Film
Nuts podcast.
Niba (02:38):
Hi, I am so excited.
I haven't dressed up like apink cat ever before, but I'm
into this.
Taylor D. Adams (02:44):
Well, what do you have that for if you've
never worn it?
Niba (02:47):
well, I wear it to sleep.
You know, I all my pajamas arepink because, like I don't know,
it's just nice to have pinkfuzzy things around you when you
sleep and like adult pajamaskind of suck.
So I tend to just buy like xxlkid pajamas because, like you're
not going to find this in theadult section, you know what I I
mean.
Taylor D. Adams (03:04):
Yeah, that is.
That is awesome.
I was going to say I don't.
I wouldn't think of it aspajamas automatically, just
seeing a giant pink thing withcat ears, Like I just thought it
was like just something fun,but that does sound like
something so cozy to wear.
Niba (03:18):
Oh yeah, it's like blanket material too.
Um, but yeah, I'm good.
This is homeostasis.
I've been doing a lot ofcreative stuff so I'm doing kind
of like okay-ish, but I'm inthat like frantic creative
energy.
That's like really nice andlike workflow vibes.
But you're also like reallytired at the same time because
you're staying up late editingand you're going down rabbit
(03:38):
holes about like I don't knowcicada pee velocity at like two
in the morning and it's justlike so much energy and I know
at some point I'm going to belike man.
I'm really tired.
I should be like brought in bedfor a second, but the last like
month or so has just been goingdeep down.
That yeah.
Taylor D. Adams (03:54):
Oh my God, okay , hold on.
Niba (03:55):
You have to go back and tell me about the velocity of
cicada pee no-transcript, justempty everything out all at once
(04:33):
and these researchers literallymeasured like the escape
velocity and like the angle ofthe cicada pea and in 2024 we're
gonna have like double theamount of cicadas we normally do
because of the way that theyhatch and their life cycle works
um and so we're gonna have morecicadas?
Taylor D. Adams (04:50):
17 years.
Is that the it's prime numbers?
Niba (04:53):
13, 17, 19, yeah, wow I, I love skaters.
Taylor D. Adams (05:00):
everybody like everybody in north carolina like
hates them because it makes somuch noise.
I love them.
I think they're so cool, Ithink I actually love it.
Niba (05:07):
I really liked them when I was living there too, yeah.
Taylor D. Adams (05:10):
They kind of freak people out, like when
they're on the ground and theylook dead and then you like
touch them and then they likefreak out.
Yeah, people don't like that.
I don't know, I like.
Niba (05:20):
One of the classic things that anime does is they'll play
the sound of cicadas in thebackground to make people really
feel like immersed in justwhatever environment is going on
.
It's like a classic, that onethat's a good noise.
They don't do like planesdroning overhead too often and I
appreciate that.
I like that their likeenvironmental noises are like
actually from the environment,because I would like to hear
(05:41):
more birdsong and less sirens.
Taylor D. Adams (05:44):
Yeah, yeah, environment, because I would
like to hear more bird song andless sirens.
Yeah, that, yeah that any kindof nature ambience always kind
of like, puts me in in the righthead space.
So, man, sorry, I'm stillcontemplating.
I'm still thinking aboutcicadas, uh, but you mentioned
that they, uh, so they get.
Most of their diet is primarilyfrom plants and they ingest it
(06:08):
pretty quickly.
Um, so you're someone who'smaking a lot of cool videos
about nature, specifically likekind of like plant science, so I
have to ask, like, what got youinto that and why do you?
I assume you love doing that,so why do you love it so?
Niba (06:23):
much.
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,totally.
Look at all these plants I havehere and all these plants I
have here.
These are empty cause I'mwatering them at the moment.
Taylor D. Adams (06:29):
but, yeah, you have actual plants, and then
pictures of plants, and then thecats roaming around back there
somewhere.
Niba (06:35):
Whatever room you're in I got to visit.
I got to visit sometime causethat room looks like a vibe.
Oh, totally, totally, Um, I meanokay.
Well, first of all, like cicadapeeing, I ended up there
because of plants and I feellike that's just such a great
question for so many reasons.
So like, because plants don'tmove, they have all these like
really different ways of copingwith life, so they'll be like
(06:55):
creating toxins and they'll belike warping their body to
adjust to the environmentconstantly.
And us animals, we just sort ofhave this like predetermined
body plan that, like every dogwill have four legs, every like
kangaroo will have like a pouch,you know, and so, but with
plants, since they don't havethis like your body needs to
look like this kind of vibe,they can just adjust.
(07:17):
So there's actually like a pinetree.
That's pretty cool that, like he, normally pine trees, like you
know, there are trees that growupwards, but he had some sort of
mutation that makes it gosideways.
And so now, you know, in ananimal that would just be like
you're dead, that's it, you'reunalived, instantly, like no
more.
But like with this plant, he'slike oh, it's fine, I'm just
gonna grow sideways now, and nowit's basically like a pine bush
, but still technically a pinetree, and I feel like there's
(07:39):
something so zen about that, thefact that they're like
constantly adapting to theenvironment and like being
flexible to the environment andlike all throughout, like day,
night, every single moment oftheir entire life.
They're always doing their best, like at night they're
perspiring, at day they'rephotosynthesizing and they're
doing it all in like a nicesteady, even way.
(08:00):
And I find that like so zen,because I'm a person who, like
you know, me and everyone out,like shout out to everybody who
like cannot work at an evensteady pace and instead just
like oscillates between likehyper fixated, crazy manic
energy and then just parallelparalysis over so many things to
be done.
Taylor D. Adams (08:18):
I'm not going to do anything at all because
that is totally me but I feellike with plants they're even
exactly right, right, yeah.
Niba (08:25):
And I'm like, oh, how nice would it be if I had like a
chill little vibe, a chill,little steady, like Zen, like
always doing my best and notpushing myself too hard, just
like a plant.
We're aspiring, we're aspiring.
Taylor D. Adams (08:39):
Yeah, so we should all be more like plants.
Niba (08:42):
Yeah, truly, if you're sad , have you had water?
Have you been in the sun?
We'll probably solve most ofyour problems.
Taylor D. Adams (08:49):
The sun does fix it for me.
Like if I'm on a funk, I'll gofor a walk, and after the walk I
, you know, might not be ahundred percent back to normal,
but I'll feel better than I did.
So that makes total sense.
Niba (09:01):
Straight up.
Oh my God, like in the winter.
I'm like I'll go outside duringlike the brief two seconds that
the sun exists and I'm like,wow, crazy how that works.
I don't even want to die nomore.
Like love that.
Clip (09:13):
If only that was the answer to all of our problems
yeah.
Niba (09:18):
The reason I really like this room is because it has
south facing windows, so I doall of my work in here.
When I have people over, wetend to hang out in here.
We have film in here, like I'mon third floor as well, so I get
just like all the sunlightdirectly to my face.
That's why I'm like sittingright here.
Normally I would sit right here, sunlight directly on the face,
but filming purposes, workingthat's awesome.
Taylor D. Adams (09:42):
Um, okay, so when I, when you agreed to be on
the show thank you, by the way,for coming on the show Um, I
wasn't quite sure what you wouldwant to talk about, because we
haven't known each other thatlong, but we have gotten to know
each other enough to I've got ageneral sense of kind of the
media that you're into.
So I was very curious to seewhat you would want to talk
(10:02):
about.
And when you just said thisanime called my roommate is a
cat, I was very curious to seewhat you would want to talk
about.
And when you just said thisanime called my Roommate is a
Cat, I was like I am in way overmy head.
I don't know what the hell I'mgoing to get into, but I watched
it and I texted you and I waslike I love this show.
I was like so surprised that Idug it so much, but I want to
know why you wanted to talkabout my roommate as a cat.
Niba (10:26):
Oh my gosh.
Well, first of all, thank youfor having me on your show.
I'm so stoked.
I feel like you know, like theshow it's the, the, the anime is
wholesome, it's fun.
It's about like that humananimal connection and I really
like, just like human natureconnection stories.
Clip (10:44):
Something bit me.
Oh, just a cat.
I thought a zombie had leaptout of the grave to attack me.
Now that I've gotten a goodlook, its mouth does remind me a
little bit of mom's.
Oh, come on, that's ridiculous.
(11:05):
My mind's just messing with me.
I've got an idea for my nextbook.
Niba (11:14):
I love that the concept of just like you know they bop
between the human perspectiveand the pet perspective and
seeing how pets look at things.
Like you know it's probably notlike accurate, but it's like
pretty close.
Like you know there's notthinking at the same level or
the same way we do and like theartwork is great, which is like
a really big draw for me.
I love that anime is soartistic.
(11:36):
There's some anime that likeleans too far into the like
surrealness of it and I'm like Ican't suspend my disbel
disbelief anymore.
But if you like manage to hitthat like artsy vibe, you know,
kind of like like Rick and Mortyis more fun for me to watch
than something that's liveaction because you can do more
crazy shit in a like animatedthing, you know you can send
them to space, no big deal.
You can like have space aliens,whatever, and if you're doing
(11:57):
that live action, it's like partof the.
The artistry is like a littlebit gone because everything's
just like CGI and that's cooland whatever, but also like,
give it a year and we're goingto have text to video, ai
generation and it's going tomean nothing because, like you
could just do that at home foryourself, so like whatever.
And so being able to like, see,like artistic ways of
(12:19):
expressing it, even like liveaction, but especially animation
, is like so much moresatisfying for me.
Um, and so the storyline ofthis is just like I don't know.
It just really gets you in yourfeels, whether you're like a
cat owner or a dog owner, orjust you just like pets in
general, or you're just likegoing through some sort of like
grief loss or if you just like,don't like, humans, and I feel
(12:41):
like, like you said, like thisis an anime.
That's perfect for people whodon't watch a ton of animes
because they don't try and belike really over the top this
way some animes do, and likethose are the ones that I
watched them, and I'm like Idon't know anime was a mistake.
Why am I in here?
Um, but this one is like oh, Ican recommend this to like
pretty much everybody.
It's one of my.
I would say it's probably likemy top favorite show ever.
(13:03):
Um, and maybe maybe Avatar.
The last airbender likecontends with that for the top
spot.
Taylor D. Adams (13:09):
Okay, Um, how did you?
How did you first stumble uponthe show or discover it?
Niba (13:14):
Oh gosh, uh, I think, um, I had a friend in grad school,
my best friend in grad school.
Um, he was even more of ananime nerd than I am like like,
like so much in so deep.
Um, he was even more of ananime nerd than I am Like, like,
like so much in so deep.
Um, he has found every singleamazing anime ever and
recommends them to me.
And I swear like, trying tofind shows to watch online is
(13:34):
such a shit show.
There's just so much content,so much stuff out there.
I want someone to give me anice curated list of stuff that
Nebo would watch and like andlike I.
It's kind of like what you'redoing here right On the podcast.
Where you're like I like thisperson.
They will probably give me somemedia that I enjoy.
Taylor D. Adams (13:50):
Yeah, I don't think anybody has recommended
anything that I haven't liked,so that's been great.
I think I think it's uh, theodds might be against me soon, I
don't know.
I feel like there's going to besomething along the line where
somebody recommends something tome that I haven't seen, when I
watch it and I'm like, oh man, Idon't really like this, but
(14:10):
it's not about me, which isgreat.
Um, so, yeah, this was, yeah,definitely Thank you for
recommending this.
Um, so when your friendrecommended it to you, like what
was kind of your initialreaction to watching it?
Was there like a part of itthat hooked you?
And the other thing is too likewhen did you see it?
(14:30):
Like what was going on in yourlife when you first saw it?
Niba (14:33):
Oh man, oh man, that's good, okay.
So context, um, I am in gradschool.
I am like miserable becausejust so many things, grad school
, being in the South, being aBrown person in the south, being
a brown person in the south,being a woman in the south uh,
things are like mentally notreally good.
But the one shining point of mylife is my plant research is
(14:55):
really fun.
And two, I have a cat for thefirst time ever and so um this
is like I got crisper um, likeright after college, and she was
like the reason that I got abadge.
She was the reason that I didpretty much anything on the days
where things were like reallyrough, and so I've always been
really into cats.
But since getting her I waslike, oh, like this cat and I
(15:17):
have like a special bond.
Sometimes you just meet peopleor animals or whatever that just
like you guys are on the samewavelength and like she would
act so different around meversus other people and I have
osmosis and homeostasis as catsnow.
But I feel like if I wasn'ttheir person, by the way thank
you, um, but I feel like forosmosis and homeostasis, like if
(15:39):
I wasn't their person, theywould be fine, like they would.
They would be bummed, probably,but like they would be fine,
crispy would they would.
They would be bummed, probably,but like they would be fine.
Crispy would be like devastated.
So Chris Burr and I had like areally, really tight bond.
We were really close, and soshe.
I've always been really intocats, but obviously this show,
like the premise, is cat, and soI'm like instantly.
I'm like, yes, let's watch this.
(16:00):
As far as initial reaction goes, I loved it and every single
episode made me cry, like when Iwatched it like the first time,
every single episode.
I was shocked.
I cry like relatively easy atlike movies, cinema, TV,
podcasts, whatever, but this onewas intense.
(16:20):
I was crying like sad tears,happy tears, frustrated tears.
Like I loved having the bothviewpoints of like the cat and
the cat owner and I feel likebeing able to like see the cat
slowly fall in love with theowner.
Just hit me really hard in thefeels every time.
Clip (16:37):
I was really starting to worry about you Crap.
I can't get it to shut.
It's not him, then where is he?
He's in trouble.
(17:01):
I have to go help him.
Huh, was that haru?
I?
Niba (17:16):
screwed up and as I was watching, like every time,
anytime I watched anything, mycat would like sit on me, she
would sit like near.
She was always following meroom to room and all three of my
cats like follow me from roomto room.
They like like me a lot andsometimes people will comment
like wow, your cats look, really, seem into you, and I'm like
thanks, it's called giving themattention and love.
Really not too hard, but yeah,it was.
(17:40):
It was such a hook.
And I like that there's dogsand cats and all the different
animals in this show too,because dogs are really fun in a
different way and they have thedog's perspective Exactly how I
imagine a dog would talk, justlike hi, I love you, please play
with me.
Clip (18:01):
That was a living hell.
No, what now?
Who are you?
Are you trying to start a fightwith me?
Hey kitty, I've seen you before.
I know you.
Huh, you live in the house nextdoor, don't you?
I've always wanted to meet you.
I hope that we could be friendssomeday.
I've been watching that housefor a very long time.
(18:21):
There used to be a nice oldlady who lived over there too.
I loved her.
She would always give me pets.
I haven't seen her recently.
It's been a long time.
I think I wonder where thatnice lady went.
Niba (18:35):
You know dogs are just bred to love humans and you know
we love that.
But with cats you've got tolike earn their affection.
You know it's, it's effort,because they still have
personalities and like.
The difference in a likegenetically between a
domesticated dog and a wild dogis so huge and the difference
between like a domesticated catand a wild, like feral cat
(18:56):
there's like nothing.
So like cats are just with usbecause they're choosing to be
and so like I think thatwarrants like a different kind
of.
We got to give them a littlebit more respect and patience
when we're trying to earn theirlove.
Taylor D. Adams (19:11):
So sorry for the interruption, but I will be
brief.
I am so grateful that youdecided to listen to the Film
Nuts podcast today.
If you are enjoying what you'rehearing, please consider
supporting the show on Patreon.
With a small monthly amount,you can get access to behind the
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(19:32):
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The Nuthouse itself is free tojoin and is full of other film
and TV lovers, so you'll fitright in.
You can check out info on allthese things in the show notes,
and if all of this sounds like abit too much, that's totally
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But if you want to keep up todate on all our episodes, please
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(19:52):
rating and review so we can getin front of other awesome people
like yourself.
Okay, enough of me ramblingback to the good stuff.
I'm a dog person.
I like cats, but like I'm moreof a dog person just because I
grew up with dogs, and one ofthe things that is like one of
my favorite memes I've seenonline is like a wolf next to a
(20:14):
picture of a pug.
Niba (20:17):
And like both of these are the same animal, oh yeah, right
, you're like, you're telling methis is supposed to be able to
mate like wild.
Yeah, no.
I feel you, you, there's a lotof really cool stuff with dogs,
just because they like I don'tknow they, since they've been
bred alongside us.
They're the only animal thatunderstands pointing, like even
with apes you have to teach anape pointing, but dogs will just
(20:37):
like innately understand point,and so I think that's kind of
cool.
Um, there's also like a I wasrecently reading about this
startup that is putting likelittle chips on the olfactory
neurons for dogs and so they canlike tell, like, what nerves
light up when a dog smells likebanana or like I don't know
(20:58):
AirPods oh, wow, sorry, catsmake a sick noise.
And so the idea is, likethey'll train the dog on, like
you know, smell all thesedifferent things.
They'll see what all theneurons like light up as, and
then they'll release the doginto the wild and like have it
sniff all these different thingsand be able to tell, preferably
like, what these things are,even with, like trained dogs
(21:19):
that are trained to sniff stuff,like you know, for, like,
finding objects or whatever,whatever, like you can only
train a dog to tell you aboutlike nine or ten scents, but you
know, obviously they can smelllike hundreds of things.
Um, I don't love the idea oflike dogs being used as narcs
even more so.
This is the nice thing aboutcats cats will never narc on you
, but like at the same time theyjust get stitches yeah exactly,
(21:43):
exactly, um, but actually thisis really cool for people who
use dogs for, like, vision, forseeing eye dogs or for guide
dogs or that kind of thing.
So there's a lot of cool likeimplications there and, as a
result, I just think, like thedog human interactions there's
different things that you can dowith cat human interactions.
(22:04):
Interactions there's differentthings that you can do with cat
human interactions.
Like you're trying to earntheir love and most cats are not
like super, super easy to trainbecause they're not living
their life trying to please you,um, so, that being said, I
really like dogs too.
My uh brother recently got agolden and I just tackle him
every time I see him.
Now, that's awesome.
Taylor D. Adams (22:22):
So when you were uh watching my Roommate is
a Cat with your cat.
Um, you said that like, though,like your cat and the work you
were doing in school were kindof like the highlights of your
life at that time.
Was this show kind of, uh, anescape, or was it helpful or
therapeutic at all?
Like, did it help your day getbrighter when you're watching?
Niba (22:43):
oh yeah, oh yeah.
It was very therapeutic.
I feel like I felt so validatedin my love for my cat because,
you know, 90, maybe 99 of mediais about like heteronormative
cis love relationships and Ilove being able to see media
(23:03):
that explores like other ways ofhappiness, um, whether that's
through like someone beingreally satisfied from their work
or from, uh, you know, the lovewith a pet.
Like one of the things I loveabout legally blonde is that
it's all about her like findingherself and like working really
hard.
Like that movie was so ahead ofits time.
I love it like I want moremovies like that, where I can
(23:26):
just see a montage of likesomeone working really hard,
achieving their dreams and likethat's the, that's the goal, you
know um and like, yes, there'sa romance thing, but that's like
very much a subplot of theentire movie and like I want
more media like that Cause Ifeel like we've all been sold
this like Disney romance stuffjust shoved down our throats in
(23:47):
terms of media, and I want to beable to see stuff that's like.
You know, a big part of thismovie is about like how this uh
protagonist like reallystruggles to like connect with
other people.
And I felt like in California Inever had that problem, but
living in the South I suddenlydid.
And I felt like in California Inever had that problem, but
living in the South I suddenlydid.
And I wasn't like you know, Iwasn't white, I wasn't black, I
(24:09):
wasn't an international student,I wasn't Latino, and so I was
like the only person who likekind of was in this category and
it just it just felt kind oflike bizarre because, like my
experience is very differentfrom an international student
from India, which is verydifferent from being white in
the South.
And I remember like within my,the day I arrived in North
(24:30):
Carolina, there was a KKK rallyin like downtown Durham and I
was like, oh my god, what have Idone?
Why did I move from California?
Clip (24:38):
That was my sign.
Sorry sorry, I really shouldn'thave said that.
Taylor D. Adams (24:42):
Someone who lives 20 minutes from Durham,
sorry.
Niba (24:45):
Oh my gosh.
I mean, you know, at leastthere was like a counter protest
, so like that's nice I guess.
But just the fact that it evenexisted, I was like, oh my God,
like I was so sheltered, youknow, in California, like that
that would never happen herebecause people would counter
protest so hard that like peoplewouldn't do that kind of KKK
rally in the first place, youknow.
And so I was super sheltered inCalifornia and you know, some
(25:09):
people prefer macroaggressionsover microaggressions.
I want microaggressions.
My skin is thin and.
I don't really want to likespend my energy developing my
tolerance to racism.
Um, I had someone tell me thatlike when I was complaining
about this.
Taylor D. Adams (25:22):
You shouldn't need to do that, yeah.
Niba (25:25):
Right, oh my God.
But people told me they werelike, oh, you'll get used to it,
like this is really not thatbig a deal, this is so small.
And I was like, what do youmean?
I'll get used to it.
I don't want to get used to it,I just want things to be like
nice to me.
I'm just trying to like hangout in my like fuzzy cat outfit
and watch cat anime, like I'mtrying to go live that like
chill, soft, cozy life.
Taylor D. Adams (25:43):
I want to touch on something that I I
personally find fascinating.
As someone who is almost 37.
I'm fascinated by the fact thatthere is a growing trend of
content creators who areextremely comfortable with being
vulnerable on camera.
I'm very much like Nope I'm.
(26:05):
I will portray what I want youto see Like I'll be like honest,
but yeah, maybe, yeah,vulnerable is something that I'm
not as strong at being to acamera as someone who has done
projects anywhere from coolscience-y stuff to the trauma
(26:26):
and process that comes alongwith trying to like achieve
certain goals, like working onpersonal projects for yourself,
like, did that?
Did you have to work onbecoming more vulnerable to a
lens, or is that something youkind of always have been open
about?
Expressing your emotions?
Niba (26:46):
Yeah, I mean that's a really great question.
I think people definitely wantrealness, people definitely want
to be inspired.
Um, the authenticity andinspiration are like the two
things I strive to give in everysingle video, and I guess the
question, the thing I have tolike remind myself, is, like you
(27:07):
know, a person can still beauthentic if they're showing you
one part of themselves, and soI don't think vulnerability
means like if you have a hundredparts, showing all hundred of
those.
It just means like showingwhatever is true to you and that
part is like authentic.
You can be vulnerable withouthaving to like expose every
(27:27):
single thing.
You know, there's tons of stuffthat happens in my life that
I'm like maybe this isn't forthe internet, and I see some of
the larger content creatorsshare like every single thing on
their life.
And recently, about like a yearago I still remember this there
was an interaction betweenLaverne Cox and Dylan Mulaney.
(27:49):
Dylan is a woman who's beendocumenting their like trans
experience, like from MTF, andkind of like posting about it on
social, and she's been a reallyawesome like advocate for all
things like gender and sexinclusivity, and they ran into
each other at a red carpet eventand Dylan kind of like has her
phone out and is like recordingthe event and sharing it with
(28:11):
her followers and she goes up tolike you know, laverne, and is
like, oh my gosh, like I'm sucha huge fan, like you're so cool,
blah, blah, blah, like clearlyjust like super stoked, and then
asks, like you know, what issome advice that you have for me
?
And uh, her response she likelooks at the camera with this
like side eye and then looksback and is like it's important
(28:33):
for you to learn what sort ofstuff is just for you and not
for the camera and says it inlike this, really like kind of
serious tone and uh, dylantotally just like does not pick
up on that at all and just likeit in like this, really like
kind of serious tone.
And uh, dylan totally just likedoes not pick up on that at all
and just like it's like oh yeah, absolutely, I totally like
she's still like in her likeexcited, like creative, like you
know on camera personality,like on kind of thing, and uh,
(28:55):
then just sort of like brushesher off and like seeing like
effectively like a white womanbrush a black woman off, like so
casually.
After, like you know, laurenhas like gone through all kinds
of stuff to be in a positionshe's in and give like very good
advice.
I was like something about thiswhole interaction really rubs me
the wrong way.
I think they're both incrediblepeople, but like you really do
(29:19):
got to think about like whatparts you want to put online and
what parts are just for you,and I think it's totally fair
that it's like hard for you tobe vulnerable on camera.
The way I kind of like getaround it sort of is like when
I'm feeling strong emotions andI'm debating if I want to like
put it in a video or if I wantto like remember it for the
future, for myself or whatever,I'll just take my camera out and
(29:42):
record it and then, like a dayor two or whatever week later,
um, that's when I decide like,oh, is this actually something I
want to share or is thissomething I just want to keep
for myself?
Um, and so that way, like theoption is there because I don't
know about you, but it's hardfor me to like fake intense
emotion, like I am not an actor,I am a person who's just really
(30:03):
jazzed about like plants andlike nature and just like.
I just nerd out about stuffthat's really it, um, and so
like spontaneously crying, Ican't do that.
Like, maybe if I think aboutlike sad things for like 10
minutes I could do it.
Or if I'm like already likeminorly depresso espresso, I
could do it.
Um, but uh, depresso espresso.
Taylor D. Adams (30:22):
I could do it.
You say depresso espresso.
Is that what you said?
I haven't heard that before.
Niba (30:29):
Oh, it's a good one.
Taylor D. Adams (30:30):
What a fun way to talk about depression.
Niba (30:32):
It lightens the darkness.
It does Turns it into, like youknow, black coffee, into a
latte a little bit.
But yeah, so like I think beingemotional on camera is like
it's just a skill, right.
So like, if you want to developit, which I definitely do like
bringing out your camera andrecording those moments.
(30:52):
And there's a lot of momentsthat I have recording myself
being really emotional during,like dark days during grad
school, and like a week after Irecorded them, I was like this
is a video meant for me andmaybe like Like a week after I
recorded them, I was like thisis a video meant for me and
maybe like a friend or two orsomething like that but, not for
the entire world.
And then back actually, Idebated quite a bit about making
a video about my experiencedeciding to like end my grad
(31:15):
school early and leave with amaster's instead of a PhD, and
that video has like in my head.
I was like you know, if thishelps someone else figure out
what the heck to do, like evenone person, that's good.
But that video is like my mosthighest viewed video on my
channel and I got I get and gotso many messages about it.
People will write me likeessays, being like you know,
(31:35):
this is my situation.
I saw your video about likedebating to leave and it really
resonated with me because youknow, when you're in grad school
, um, people, you the onlypeople you're surrounded by are
people who are staying right.
You don't get the perspectiveof someone who's left.
And one thing I did in thisvideo is I interviewed a bunch
of different people who decidedto leave and it's interesting
(31:57):
because every single person didnot regret it.
Every single person was likethat was the right choice.
I'm so happy I did it.
Some people were like I wishI'd done it sooner and I was
like, wow, if I had had thisinformation in grad school.
I think this would have like Idon't know if I would have left
sooner, but I think it wouldhave made the process of leaving
much less painful and likefeeling I would feel less guilt
(32:20):
over it.
And so that video was superemotional and vulnerable and I
am so grateful that, like, it'sbeen able to like resonate with
so many people and that it'sbeen something that people like
make more like raw emotionalstuff.
But then you know, you seethose like youtube likes where
(32:43):
it's just like the person in awhite room and they're like all
crunched up in a little fetalposition.
It's like clearly, yeah, I didthe thing, or like I'm sorry
guys, or like apology right yeahand I'm like nah, I I want to
share the stuff that like I wantto share, you know, and like
maybe that's going to be likesad, emotional, but like a lot
of the times it's not.
(33:04):
Like the things I'm reallystoked to share about with
people are usually like thingsthat are exciting for me and,
like you know, you meet someonenew.
You don't go and tell themabout your deep, dark trauma.
You tell them about cicada peevelocity.
Taylor D. Adams (33:17):
Yeah, I think I my the cynic side of me is
always like, always takes theopinion that, uh, videos that
are like vulnerable, likeespecially like in in this age
of content creation whereanybody with a phone can make
(33:39):
stuff which is super cool andempowering.
But yeah, the cynic side of meis always like, oh, they're just
doing that to like contentcreation where anybody with a
phone can make stuff which issuper cool and empowering.
But yeah, the cynic side of meis always like, oh, they're just
doing that to like getattention.
Then the optimist side of me islike no, but they're also.
There are also people who outthere who feel the way this
person feels, but and they feelthat they're alone.
So, and then when they seesomeone else experiencing the
(34:00):
same thing, then they feel likethey're not alone, so it's
beneficial, and so I always goback and forth with it, and I
think you brought up a goodpoint about this kind of like
finding the right blend ofvulnerability and authenticity,
like as long as those things arelike true to each other, like
(34:21):
you're, people aren't puttingout emotional things for the
sake of putting out emotionalthings, or putting out things
that are emotional because ofyou know the like idea behind it
.
Like if you're stoked, like theemotion you would promote about
plants is like you're superexcited about plants, then the
emotion about struggling withthe academic program you're in,
(34:44):
like that comes from theauthentic place of actually
struggling with it.
And so I'm always going backand forth.
But I feel like my cynic side ismore and more being quieted,
which I'm more leaning towardthe optimistic side.
The more I see stuff like this,I'm like, okay, yeah, all right
, yeah, people out there.
(35:05):
Just they don't realize thatthey might, that other people
might be experiencing the samething that they are.
So when they see peopleexperiencing what they're
experiencing, they feel likethey're not all in the world.
Which I think is really greatabout this show is that when
you're brought up it's not likea true like kind of romance
thing, like it's very much likea community show, like everybody
(35:28):
is like helping each other out,which I thought was like one of
the my favorite parts about myroommate as a cat is like
everybody helps to try and findthe cat, like at the end, and
that that was one of my favoritemoments.
Just cat is like everybodyhelps to try and find the cat,
like at the end and that thatwas one of my favorite moments,
just the montage of everybodyhelping each other hello,
mikazuki, where are you?
Clip (35:45):
are you all right?
Taylor D. Adams (35:46):
kawase.
Hey, hirodo told me what'sgoing on.
I want to help any way I can.
Clip (35:52):
I'm on the way to your house as we speak hiroto
probably knows the area betterthan me, so I'll hold down the
fort and he can help you search.
Thank you so much.
Try to stay calm.
Everything's gonna be all right.
Niba (36:06):
We'll find her okay, I know it's so wholesome.
I think, uh, especially like,if you think about people who
are wanting to be contentcreators and cultivate an
audience and all that good stuffIf every single video you put
out is motivated by an emotion,that is just one single emotion,
(36:27):
that's going to be kind ofchallenging to do.
And especially if that emotionis some sort of negative thing,
where it's like if, if someoneis like building their entire
content career on just liketrauma, dumping and like you
know, spicy story time, that'sonly going to last so long
before people are like, allright, maybe it's time for
something else.
Um and so like.
(36:48):
I guess my cynic side is always.
Like you know, I've seen thisvideo of someone crying over
like XYZ concept and I'm like,wow, that really sucks.
I'm so sorry.
Um, and if I go to their pageand their entire page is just
various videos of them crying,I'm like I really hope you have
something else in your life,like, genuinely like I hope
there's some other emotions thatyou're feeling, some other
things going on, cause like, ifthat's all you got, like I feel
(37:12):
sorry for you, that's that sucks.
Taylor D. Adams (37:20):
Yeah, um, what was your?
Niba (37:21):
yeah, what was your favorite moment or scene from my
roommate as a cat?
Oh gosh, you're like.
Enough negativity, um, same I,I think.
Um, let's see, I'm trying notto give spoilers, but I think we
can kind of give a little bit.
Taylor D. Adams (37:32):
Oh no, this is.
This is a spoiler.
This is a spoiler show.
Niba (37:35):
Oh, okay, great, great, great, um.
So there's an episode where sohe adopts this cat.
That's like a stray right.
And there's an episode wherethe stray cat like goes over to
a friend's house to like have aplay date with the other cat and
realizes, like the other whoworks at the pet store, big sis,
I can't believe it.
Clip (37:52):
I thought I'd never see him again.
It is you, isn't it?
I missed you so much.
Niba (38:18):
And I'm like, oh my God, all these like cute little
connections between everybodyand like I don't know, just like
seeing that the sister, likethe strays, were going through
it, Like when they were outthere.
You know, they're likescrounging around for food and
they're like getting picked onby like the birds, and I'm like
my God, my heart, like sort ofcrying every time I saw that
Because, like I don't know, justlike the concept of stray cats
(38:42):
just makes me really sad ingeneral, just stray animals that
don't have a home.
In certain areas around theworld you have like dogs and
cats that like run aroundoutside but they have a home,
they have like a family and acommunity and like whenever I go
to india there's like just dogslike everywhere and like they
they're all like pretty well fed, they just like hang out
(39:04):
together, they hang out outside.
Like you feed them a littlethey'll guard your house.
Like it's a very like symbioticrelationship.
It's different from what's inamerica, but that doesn't make
it like bad per se.
But I think just sort of theglow up that these two cats had
from like being on the streetjust scrounging to like oh, we
(39:24):
just like live in this house nowand get food brought to us and
our job is to just sit here andlook pretty, what a vibe.
Taylor D. Adams (39:33):
How often do you go to India?
Niba (39:39):
When I was growing up I went every year, and then it
became every two years and nowit's every four years, so I went
last summer, okay how has what?
Taylor D. Adams (39:46):
what is that experience like?
I mean that's a broad question,but I mean like because you
were, you were you were born incalifornia, right, okay, and so
like the connection you havewith your ancestry, with your
family that are in India, likeyou see them periodically but
you've seen in the gaps inbetween visits has grown wider
(40:06):
as you've gotten older, likewhat has that experience been
like?
Each time you've kind of goneback with the maturation of who
you are.
Niba (40:14):
It's surreal.
I think I have like a prettyclose connection to India
because I've been fortunate tobe able to like go back and
visit a lot and my mom has likeseven siblings, all of whom have
kids, and you know it's apretty big family.
My grandmother so I mygrandmother and her husband like
(40:35):
a brother and a sister marrieda brother and a sister, and
that's how my mom's side kind ofhas like two sets of
grandparents and so, um,whenever I go back, I like see a
lot of people and eat a lot offood and just sort of like vibe
a lot, and there's like allthese aspects of me that I get
that I feel like, you know,surprisingly, like just just
(40:55):
really seen and reallyunderstood, and I love being
able to just I don't know feelso comfortable.
And you know some people findthe sounds of the chaos like
really chaotic like obviously,but like for me it's like, oh,
this is like.
It's like kind of a white noisebackground kind of thing, and it
just feels like I've returnedto a place kind of vibe.
(41:17):
But at the same time, there'sall these things that are like
very much separating me from myfamily in India, and so like,
for example, in one of the areasI visit, no one wears makeup at
all and it's like frowned uponto do that.
And me, as a person who lovesexpressing myself with my makeup
, I sort of like adapt to thearea and I just don't wear
(41:39):
anything while I'm there.
But it sort of makes me feellike a little sad that I can't
express myself the way I wouldlike to.
But I also I'm like, you know,I'm not trying to like draw that
kind of attention to myself.
Like what point am I trying toprove here?
I'm just trying to like visitmy family, you know, um, and
then when I visit like family inthe city, like obviously that's
very different.
But there's also, uh, thislatest time when I went back was
(42:02):
a little surreal Cause uh, nowI'm in my like late twenties and
they're like why don't you havea child?
Why aren't you married?
And I'm like, oh man, yeah, andI'm like, oh, haha, like I just
, you know, no big deal I'll.
I'll worry about it later.
Taylor D. Adams (42:19):
I don't know, I'm just trying to like deflect,
for now, um, we'll see.
Niba (42:29):
Let me tell you about Cicada P, and they don't like
ask me this stuff.
They don't worry about it.
I think, like I don't know,it's not something that I'm not
really too keen on.
Having kids, that's kind of achoice that I've made for myself
, so I don't feel like any timepressure to do anything which is
really liberating, and so.
On the downside, though, itdoes mean that like I don't have
(42:53):
like a fuel under my butt tolike get married and whatever,
and, as a result, I'm sure thatthe next time I go to India,
they're probably going to belike so what do you think of
this boy?
And I'll be like ah ah, ah, ahah ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah,
ah, I don't know.
(43:16):
So, yeah, that'll be that.
I think one of the nice things,though, about like going back
more than anything else is just,oh my God, being able to feel
at home.
Like that's just, that's really.
There's a, there's a vibe ofbeing at home, but it's also
very much not at home.
So my body physically cannothandle being in India too long
because I get really sick.
But yeah, I don't know it's,it's a good experience.
(43:43):
It's a good experience to beable to go back, because I feel
like a lot of people who, um, alot of people, just don't have
like that kind of likebicultural experience, like
going back and forth between twoextremely different, culturally
different places, and so, froma young age, like seeing the way
that, like certain people hadto live, or the way certain
people could live, or the waythat like monkeys and dogs and
(44:04):
like just sort of traverseeverywhere all over India, and
like I just kind of like it wasreally formative and I think I'm
really grateful to have such acontrast, because, like I think
people who don't get to travellike that, you get kind of like
a little bit more of a narrowworldview and I'm very, very
lucky to be able to havetraveled like that.
(44:25):
And also there's a lot of reallyawesome programs for people who
are interested in traveling forcheap.
There's this thing calledDressed House Sitters, where you
can go somewhere and travelsomewhere and take care of
someone's cat or dog and yourstay is free.
You pay like a one time, likeone year subscription or
whatever.
Oh, wow, yeah, and there's atrusted house sitter somewhere
(44:48):
in like, I think, arizona orTexas, where this person has 13
cats and a dog and I've neverreally been interested in going
to that part of like Texas, butlike I might be tempted because
like where else could I get?
Taylor D. Adams (45:01):
to take just for that experience.
Yeah, that might be worth it.
I did.
I did know someone who um, Iforgot the exact circumstances
that led them to this, but theydog sat for a family in, uh,
amsterdam and they just spent aweek out there dogs and they're
they're based here in NorthCarolina and they just spent a
week out there dog sitting andthey're they're based here in
North Carolina and they justwent out there and did that and
I thought that was wild.
That was really cool.
Niba (45:22):
Um, I love that yeah.
Taylor D. Adams (45:23):
I like, I like those ideas about traveling.
I I I really appreciate it.
I've started to use the word umvisit when I refer to traveling
, um cause it used to be, youknow, vacation, then travel, but
I've come to like the termvisit more um, because I feel
like I want to um treat anyplace that I visit with the same
(45:49):
amount of respect as my friendwho lives across town, like I
don't want to treat it as thisdestination will now fulfill my
needs, like kind of thing.
Yeah totally and over a coupleyears I haven't been to that
many places, but the places thatI have been outside of the us,
I've, like started adopting thatphilosophy and it's felt more
(46:12):
satisfying to do so, even thoughsome parts of it is does feel
like a vacation like if I go tolike Belize, which is one of my
favorite places to go like hell.
Yeah, I'm going to hang out onthe beach and drink beer and eat
chips and salsa, but also, likeI'm going to talk to people
that I know and like be friendlyand not be the asshole American
who demands everything you know.
I just kind of like treateveryone that you see with
(46:33):
respect.
Niba (46:34):
I love that.
Yeah, totally.
This is kind of why I'm likewhenever I go to India, I like
pick and choose what my battles,quote unquote, are going to be,
you know, cause I know I'mvisiting and I'm like as much as
I'm like, you know, going home,quote unquote, or like seeing
my family like there's.
There's only so many things Iwant to get into and getting
into like the patriarchy, orlike capitalism or colonialism.
Taylor D. Adams (46:56):
Hot topics Not necessarily Hot broad,
unsolvable topic.
Niba (46:59):
Exactly, you know like I'm not going to debate this with
like an 80 year old who camefrom like the neighboring
village to like come to chatwith me and see me for the first
time in four years.
You know like that's not theplace I'm visiting.
I really like that terminology.
Yeah, I've been planning a tripto.
Vietnam, and one of the thingsI've been doing has been like
(47:20):
looking up like sort of likecustoms and politeness and
there's all these rules aroundlike different ways to hold
chopsticks and stuff like that.
And turns out like a lot of themdon't translate, like I'm
familiar with the rules forJapan because I used to live
there, but then the rules forchopsticks in Vietnam are a
little bit different, obviouslybecause many different histories
(47:41):
, colonialism and all the lovelystuff that comes with it.
I think if you're ever visitinga country that's very many
degrees culturally separated,just Googling country name and
then polit, politeness or likepolite rules, or like customs or
something like that that's agood just learning like the top
(48:02):
five, you know.
So you don't like questionsomething you know like, or just
like try and tip someone whogets offended by tipping, or you
know you don't tip someone whoexpects a tip, that kind kind of
thing.
Taylor D. Adams (48:14):
Did you get into anime before or after you
lived in Japan?
Niba (48:19):
Before.
Yeah, I was like I watched alot of anime in like middle
school, high school.
That's when they, that's whenthey get you, and so I I don't
know I was already it was theywere both through like school
programs while I was in highschool, and so I was there for
like a summer both times and itwas like extremely like, amazing
(48:40):
, very much like I feel very,very privileged to be able to
have done that, like in highschool, no less, um, but so
France was because I was likestudying French, and then Japan
was because we were doing aculture exchange thing and uh,
yeah, it was really awesome.
There was a lot more to japaneseculture than anime, which I
sort of like mentally knew andyou know, I had kind of like an
(49:03):
idea of it, but you don't reallyget the idea of it until you go
there and you're like oh, thisis the amount that, like the
things in anime are just sort ofuh, stereotypes or things that
are not really representations.
Like, anime always has thisclassic like the ramen shop
that's like a little stalloutside with like three seats
(49:23):
and it's like delicious andwhatever.
That's like pretty rare, prettyrare.
It's kind of seen as like atouristy thing in parts of Tokyo
and the parts of Japan that Ilearned about became I'm just
like really fascinated bythere's.
Oh, I really want to go backthere because there's a world
heritage site that's a hotspring, an onsen, and you can
(49:46):
still use this onsen so like youcan go and like pay to be in
this world heritage site thatpeople have been like on sending
in for the past like 2000something years and it's's a
really small one.
It only fits like two, threepeople or something like that.
But there's like a hike you cando to get there and then you
just like chill in this, likehot spring, and that region is
(50:06):
famous for a special littlebanana treat, and so all the
travel guides I've been lookingat have been like try and get
banana treats at all differentplaces and I love banana treats.
Taylor D. Adams (50:15):
So yes, okay, um, I'm going to have to go
there.
That sounds amazing.
What would you say to someoneto get them to watch the show If
they didn't have a podcast toask you to be on about it?
Niba (50:28):
Yeah, totally.
Um, if you are someone who'sever lost anyone animal human
otherwise, ever lost anyoneanimal human otherwise, if you
are someone who, like, neverwatches anime, if you are
someone who likes pets, this islike the perfect show for you.
It's pretty short, there's only, I think it's like four hours
(50:48):
total.
Um, so, as far as shows go,it's not like you're not getting
into a game of thronessituation, but it deals with all
these like really heavyconcepts, but also really
light-hearted concepts, and thisidea of like being a person
who's isolating but also aperson who's being taken care of
by the community, and alsobeing a person who's, like, just
loved and the different waysthat you can be loved.
(51:10):
And I feel like it's so easy toto forget that and the love that
you get from an animal is so,so different because it's so
freaking pure.
Forget that.
And the love that you get froman animal is so, so different
because it's so fricking pure,like I can't say that enough.
It's so pure and so, like youknow, losing an animal obviously
becomes then like a singlesharp needle directly into your
heart and then out the otherside and through every other
(51:32):
organ in your entire body.
Versus like with people.
There's like so much messinessinvolved.
There's all these like variousemotions and like different
things that are going on andlike, but with an animal it's
gone now and that just it justflat out sucks and it's just so
raw and I feel like this showdoes such a good job of
(51:56):
depicting like the animalperspective that it makes you
like relate a little bit moreand especially if you're a
person who has like a dog, cat,snake, iguana, whatever that
likes to like sit on you whileyou watch things, this is like
the perfect show for that.
If anyone is watching the showand feels inspired, I would love
for you to send me a reallyfunny photo of your cat, dog,
(52:20):
iguana, pet, whatever.
My socials are at notesbynebaon everything and people have
like the absolute, likeridiculousest photos of their
pets, but I feel like all thestuff that gets posted online is
not necessarily always they'relike trash photos.
Taylor D. Adams (52:34):
So all my contact photos for people are
always like Do you want thetrash photos?
Do you want trash photos?
Clip (52:37):
Yes, yes, yes, yes Okay.
Taylor D. Adams (52:40):
Yeah, we'll drop, I'll drop your-.
Niba (52:41):
All my contact photos for people are the trash photos of
their pets and I'm like, oh,this is the funniest way to
remember them.
Taylor D. Adams (52:48):
My roommate is a cat portrays the connection we
have to animals both from thehuman and animal perspectives.
But even if you aren't a cat ordog or turtle person, the
issues at the core of theserelationships are easily
relatable to the connections wehave with other human beings,
and in those connections we canbecome frustrated by either
misunderstandings or confusion.
(53:09):
But while we may not ever fullyunderstand everything about
each other, that shouldn't stopus from loving and supporting
one another.
A huge thanks to Neva forchatting with me today and a
soft and cuddly thank you to youfor listening.
Please check out the show notesfor links to some of Neva's
work as well as her socialhandles.
She's making some really coolstuff.
(53:30):
Please don't miss out.
If you enjoyed the show today,please go ahead and subscribe to
stay up to date on all of ourepisodes on your favorite
podcast platform of choice.
And if you happen to belistening on Apple Podcasts, go
ahead and leave a rating andreview so we get in front of
more awesome folks like yourself.
If you really love the showtoday and you're loving all the
episodes that you're listeningto, please go ahead and consider
(53:52):
supporting us on Patreon.
Becoming a patron of the showhelps us out immensely, even if
your donation is just a smallamount, and you get some really
cool perks to go along with it.
For more info on that, checkout the show notes or visit
patreoncom.
Slash film nuts.
Our theme this season isbrought to us by the Deep End.
Our artwork is designed byModongo Sibuhudi, and all
episodes of the Film Nutspodcast are produced and edited
(54:14):
by me, Taylor D Adams.
If you want to get in touch,you can email filmnutspodcasts
at gmailcom or follow us onInstagram, TikTok and Twitter at
filmnutspodcast.
And don't forget to join theNuthouse Discord community
absolutely free by checking outthe link in the show notes.
Thank you all again.
So much for joining us today,and until next time, please be
(54:34):
kind to your pets.
They deserve the best.
he can't refuse this.
Clip (00:04):
Oh, finally decided to come out.
What the hell?
What is your deal?
If you don't eat, you won't beable to move.
That means you can't get away.
If you need to stopinterrupting my hey human, are
you all right?
Niba (00:21):
the love that you get from an animal is so, so different
because it's so freaking pure,Like I can't say that enough and
I feel like this show does sucha good job of depicting like
the animal perspective and itmakes you like relate a little
bit more, especially if you're aperson who has like a dog, cat,
snake, iguana, whatever thatlikes to like sit on you while
(00:42):
you watch things.
This is like the perfect showfor that.
Taylor D. Adams (00:49):
Hi, I'm Taylor and welcome back to the Film
Nuts podcast, a show about whywe love what we watch.
I'm so glad you decided to joinus today.
We've covered plenty of lovestories on the show before
romantic love, platonic love,familial love.
Love stories can be about twopeople falling for each other,
or one person in pursuit oftheir passion, and today we're
(01:11):
adding another type of love tothat long list the love we have
for our pets.
My Roommate is a Cat is aJapanese anime about a shy
novelist who takes in a straycat.
After it inspires the idea forhis next book.
In the 12-episode limitedseries, it showcases our need
for connection when we feelisolated, as well as our
(01:32):
relationships to our furry,feathered and scaly friends.
It's incredibly wholesome andfunny while still able to tug on
those heartstrings, and thisshow served as a source of
therapy and comfort for my guesttoday.
Neba is a science contentcreator, making fun and
informational videos aboutplants and the environment.
(01:52):
Neba also loves cats, obviously, and she even has some cats
named after scientific termslike osmosis and homeostasis.
Neba and I chat about how mediacan explore different types of
happiness, the connection weshare with animals and how the
velocity of cicada urination isimportant to science.
(02:13):
Yes, you heard that correctly.
While my Roommate is a Cat is aJapanese show, all the clips
today are dubbed in English foraccessibility, but if you want
to check out the show, pleasewatch it in its original
language with subtitles.
Anyway, let's get started rightmeow.
Here's Neva talking about myRoommate is a Cat on the Film
Nuts podcast.
Niba (02:38):
Hi, I am so excited.
I haven't dressed up like apink cat ever before, but I'm
into this.
Taylor D. Adams (02:44):
Well, what do you have that for if you've
never worn it?
Niba (02:47):
well, I wear it to sleep.
You know, I all my pajamas arepink because, like I don't know,
it's just nice to have pinkfuzzy things around you when you
sleep and like adult pajamaskind of suck.
So I tend to just buy like xxlkid pajamas because, like you're
not going to find this in theadult section, you know what I I
mean.
Taylor D. Adams (03:04):
Yeah, that is.
That is awesome.
I was going to say I don't.
I wouldn't think of it aspajamas automatically, just
seeing a giant pink thing withcat ears, Like I just thought it
was like just something fun,but that does sound like
something so cozy to wear.
Niba (03:18):
Oh yeah, it's like blanket material too.
Um, but yeah, I'm good.
This is homeostasis.
I've been doing a lot ofcreative stuff so I'm doing kind
of like okay-ish, but I'm inthat like frantic creative
energy.
That's like really nice andlike workflow vibes.
But you're also like reallytired at the same time because
you're staying up late editingand you're going down rabbit
(03:38):
holes about like I don't knowcicada pee velocity at like two
in the morning and it's justlike so much energy and I know
at some point I'm going to belike man.
I'm really tired.
I should be like brought in bedfor a second, but the last like
month or so has just been goingdeep down.
That yeah.
Taylor D. Adams (03:54):
Oh my God, okay , hold on.
Niba (03:55):
You have to go back and tell me about the velocity of
cicada pee no-transcript, justempty everything out all at once
(04:33):
and these researchers literallymeasured like the escape
velocity and like the angle ofthe cicada pea and in 2024 we're
gonna have like double theamount of cicadas we normally do
because of the way that theyhatch and their life cycle works
um and so we're gonna have morecicadas?
Taylor D. Adams (04:50):
17 years.
Is that the it's prime numbers?
Niba (04:53):
13, 17, 19, yeah, wow I, I love skaters.
Taylor D. Adams (05:00):
everybody like everybody in north carolina like
hates them because it makes somuch noise.
I love them.
I think they're so cool, Ithink I actually love it.
Niba (05:07):
I really liked them when I was living there too, yeah.
Taylor D. Adams (05:10):
They kind of freak people out, like when
they're on the ground and theylook dead and then you like
touch them and then they likefreak out.
Yeah, people don't like that.
I don't know, I like.
Niba (05:20):
One of the classic things that anime does is they'll play
the sound of cicadas in thebackground to make people really
feel like immersed in justwhatever environment is going on
.
It's like a classic, that onethat's a good noise.
They don't do like planesdroning overhead too often and I
appreciate that.
I like that their likeenvironmental noises are like
actually from the environment,because I would like to hear
(05:41):
more birdsong and less sirens.
Taylor D. Adams (05:44):
Yeah, yeah, environment, because I would
like to hear more bird song andless sirens.
Yeah, that, yeah that any kindof nature ambience always kind
of like, puts me in in the righthead space.
So, man, sorry, I'm stillcontemplating.
I'm still thinking aboutcicadas, uh, but you mentioned
that they, uh, so they get.
Most of their diet is primarilyfrom plants and they ingest it
(06:08):
pretty quickly.
Um, so you're someone who'smaking a lot of cool videos
about nature, specifically likekind of like plant science, so I
have to ask, like, what got youinto that and why do you?
I assume you love doing that,so why do you love it so?
Niba (06:23):
much.
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,totally.
Look at all these plants I havehere and all these plants I
have here.
These are empty cause I'mwatering them at the moment.
Taylor D. Adams (06:29):
but, yeah, you have actual plants, and then
pictures of plants, and then thecats roaming around back there
somewhere.
Niba (06:35):
Whatever room you're in I got to visit.
I got to visit sometime causethat room looks like a vibe.
Oh, totally, totally, Um, I meanokay.
Well, first of all, like cicadapeeing, I ended up there
because of plants and I feellike that's just such a great
question for so many reasons.
So like, because plants don'tmove, they have all these like
really different ways of copingwith life, so they'll be like
(06:55):
creating toxins and they'll belike warping their body to
adjust to the environmentconstantly.
And us animals, we just sort ofhave this like predetermined
body plan that, like every dogwill have four legs, every like
kangaroo will have like a pouch,you know, and so, but with
plants, since they don't havethis like your body needs to
look like this kind of vibe,they can just adjust.
(07:17):
So there's actually like a pinetree.
That's pretty cool that, like he, normally pine trees, like you
know, there are trees that growupwards, but he had some sort of
mutation that makes it gosideways.
And so now, you know, in ananimal that would just be like
you're dead, that's it, you'reunalived, instantly, like no
more.
But like with this plant, he'slike oh, it's fine, I'm just
gonna grow sideways now, and nowit's basically like a pine bush
, but still technically a pinetree, and I feel like there's
(07:39):
something so zen about that, thefact that they're like
constantly adapting to theenvironment and like being
flexible to the environment andlike all throughout, like day,
night, every single moment oftheir entire life.
They're always doing their best, like at night they're
perspiring, at day they'rephotosynthesizing and they're
doing it all in like a nicesteady, even way.
(08:00):
And I find that like so zen,because I'm a person who, like
you know, me and everyone out,like shout out to everybody who
like cannot work at an evensteady pace and instead just
like oscillates between likehyper fixated, crazy manic
energy and then just parallelparalysis over so many things to
be done.
Taylor D. Adams (08:18):
I'm not going to do anything at all because
that is totally me but I feellike with plants they're even
exactly right, right, yeah.
Niba (08:25):
And I'm like, oh, how nice would it be if I had like a
chill little vibe, a chill,little steady, like Zen, like
always doing my best and notpushing myself too hard, just
like a plant.
We're aspiring, we're aspiring.
Taylor D. Adams (08:39):
Yeah, so we should all be more like plants.
Niba (08:42):
Yeah, truly, if you're sad , have you had water?
Have you been in the sun?
We'll probably solve most ofyour problems.
Taylor D. Adams (08:49):
The sun does fix it for me.
Like if I'm on a funk, I'll gofor a walk, and after the walk I
, you know, might not be ahundred percent back to normal,
but I'll feel better than I did.
So that makes total sense.
Niba (09:01):
Straight up.
Oh my God, like in the winter.
I'm like I'll go outside duringlike the brief two seconds that
the sun exists and I'm like,wow, crazy how that works.
I don't even want to die nomore.
Like love that.
Clip (09:13):
If only that was the answer to all of our problems
yeah.
Niba (09:18):
The reason I really like this room is because it has
south facing windows, so I doall of my work in here.
When I have people over, wetend to hang out in here.
We have film in here, like I'mon third floor as well, so I get
just like all the sunlightdirectly to my face.
That's why I'm like sittingright here.
Normally I would sit right here, sunlight directly on the face,
but filming purposes, workingthat's awesome.
Taylor D. Adams (09:42):
Um, okay, so when I, when you agreed to be on
the show thank you, by the way,for coming on the show Um, I
wasn't quite sure what you wouldwant to talk about, because we
haven't known each other thatlong, but we have gotten to know
each other enough to I've got ageneral sense of kind of the
media that you're into.
So I was very curious to seewhat you would want to talk
(10:02):
about.
And when you just said thisanime called my roommate is a
cat, I was very curious to seewhat you would want to talk
about.
And when you just said thisanime called my Roommate is a
Cat, I was like I am in way overmy head.
I don't know what the hell I'mgoing to get into, but I watched
it and I texted you and I waslike I love this show.
I was like so surprised that Idug it so much, but I want to
know why you wanted to talkabout my roommate as a cat.
Niba (10:26):
Oh my gosh.
Well, first of all, thank youfor having me on your show.
I'm so stoked.
I feel like you know, like theshow it's the, the, the anime is
wholesome, it's fun.
It's about like that humananimal connection and I really
like, just like human natureconnection stories.
Clip (10:44):
Something bit me.
Oh, just a cat.
I thought a zombie had leaptout of the grave to attack me.
Now that I've gotten a goodlook, its mouth does remind me a
little bit of mom's.
Oh, come on, that's ridiculous.
(11:05):
My mind's just messing with me.
I've got an idea for my nextbook.
Niba (11:14):
I love that the concept of just like you know they bop
between the human perspectiveand the pet perspective and
seeing how pets look at things.
Like you know it's probably notlike accurate, but it's like
pretty close.
Like you know there's notthinking at the same level or
the same way we do and like theartwork is great, which is like
a really big draw for me.
I love that anime is soartistic.
(11:36):
There's some anime that likeleans too far into the like
surrealness of it and I'm like Ican't suspend my disbel
disbelief anymore.
But if you like manage to hitthat like artsy vibe, you know,
kind of like like Rick and Mortyis more fun for me to watch
than something that's liveaction because you can do more
crazy shit in a like animatedthing, you know you can send
them to space, no big deal.
You can like have space aliens,whatever, and if you're doing
(11:57):
that live action, it's like partof the.
The artistry is like a littlebit gone because everything's
just like CGI and that's cooland whatever, but also like,
give it a year and we're goingto have text to video, ai
generation and it's going tomean nothing because, like you
could just do that at home foryourself, so like whatever.
And so being able to like, see,like artistic ways of
(12:19):
expressing it, even like liveaction, but especially animation
, is like so much moresatisfying for me.
Um, and so the storyline ofthis is just like I don't know.
It just really gets you in yourfeels, whether you're like a
cat owner or a dog owner, orjust you just like pets in
general, or you're just likegoing through some sort of like
grief loss or if you just like,don't like, humans, and I feel
(12:41):
like, like you said, like thisis an anime.
That's perfect for people whodon't watch a ton of animes
because they don't try and belike really over the top this
way some animes do, and likethose are the ones that I
watched them, and I'm like Idon't know anime was a mistake.
Why am I in here?
Um, but this one is like oh, Ican recommend this to like
pretty much everybody.
It's one of my.
I would say it's probably likemy top favorite show ever.
(13:03):
Um, and maybe maybe Avatar.
The last airbender likecontends with that for the top
spot.
Taylor D. Adams (13:09):
Okay, Um, how did you?
How did you first stumble uponthe show or discover it?
Niba (13:14):
Oh gosh, uh, I think, um, I had a friend in grad school,
my best friend in grad school.
Um, he was even more of ananime nerd than I am like like,
like so much in so deep.
Um, he was even more of ananime nerd than I am Like, like,
like so much in so deep.
Um, he has found every singleamazing anime ever and
recommends them to me.
And I swear like, trying tofind shows to watch online is
(13:34):
such a shit show.
There's just so much content,so much stuff out there.
I want someone to give me anice curated list of stuff that
Nebo would watch and like andlike I.
It's kind of like what you'redoing here right On the podcast.
Where you're like I like thisperson.
They will probably give me somemedia that I enjoy.
Taylor D. Adams (13:50):
Yeah, I don't think anybody has recommended
anything that I haven't liked,so that's been great.
I think I think it's uh, theodds might be against me soon, I
don't know.
I feel like there's going to besomething along the line where
somebody recommends something tome that I haven't seen, when I
watch it and I'm like, oh man, Idon't really like this, but
(14:10):
it's not about me, which isgreat.
Um, so, yeah, this was, yeah,definitely Thank you for
recommending this.
Um, so when your friendrecommended it to you, like what
was kind of your initialreaction to watching it?
Was there like a part of itthat hooked you?
And the other thing is too likewhen did you see it?
(14:30):
Like what was going on in yourlife when you first saw it?
Niba (14:33):
Oh man, oh man, that's good, okay.
So context, um, I am in gradschool.
I am like miserable becausejust so many things, grad school
, being in the South, being aBrown person in the south, being
a brown person in the south,being a woman in the south uh,
things are like mentally notreally good.
But the one shining point of mylife is my plant research is
(14:55):
really fun.
And two, I have a cat for thefirst time ever and so um this
is like I got crisper um, likeright after college, and she was
like the reason that I got abadge.
She was the reason that I didpretty much anything on the days
where things were like reallyrough, and so I've always been
really into cats.
But since getting her I waslike, oh, like this cat and I
(15:17):
have like a special bond.
Sometimes you just meet peopleor animals or whatever that just
like you guys are on the samewavelength and like she would
act so different around meversus other people and I have
osmosis and homeostasis as catsnow.
But I feel like if I wasn'ttheir person, by the way thank
you, um, but I feel like forosmosis and homeostasis, like if
(15:39):
I wasn't their person, theywould be fine, like they would.
They would be bummed, probably,but like they would be fine,
crispy would they would.
They would be bummed, probably,but like they would be fine.
Crispy would be like devastated.
So Chris Burr and I had like areally, really tight bond.
We were really close, and soshe.
I've always been really intocats, but obviously this show,
like the premise, is cat, and soI'm like instantly.
I'm like, yes, let's watch this.
(16:00):
As far as initial reaction goes, I loved it and every single
episode made me cry, like when Iwatched it like the first time,
every single episode.
I was shocked.
I cry like relatively easy atlike movies, cinema, TV,
podcasts, whatever, but this onewas intense.
(16:20):
I was crying like sad tears,happy tears, frustrated tears.
Like I loved having the bothviewpoints of like the cat and
the cat owner and I feel likebeing able to like see the cat
slowly fall in love with theowner.
Just hit me really hard in thefeels every time.
Clip (16:37):
I was really starting to worry about you Crap.
I can't get it to shut.
It's not him, then where is he?
He's in trouble.
(17:01):
I have to go help him.
Huh, was that haru?
I?
Niba (17:16):
screwed up and as I was watching, like every time,
anytime I watched anything, mycat would like sit on me, she
would sit like near.
She was always following meroom to room and all three of my
cats like follow me from roomto room.
They like like me a lot andsometimes people will comment
like wow, your cats look, really, seem into you, and I'm like
thanks, it's called giving themattention and love.
Really not too hard, but yeah,it was.
(17:40):
It was such a hook.
And I like that there's dogsand cats and all the different
animals in this show too,because dogs are really fun in a
different way and they have thedog's perspective Exactly how I
imagine a dog would talk, justlike hi, I love you, please play
with me.
Clip (18:01):
That was a living hell.
No, what now?
Who are you?
Are you trying to start a fightwith me?
Hey kitty, I've seen you before.
I know you.
Huh, you live in the house nextdoor, don't you?
I've always wanted to meet you.
I hope that we could be friendssomeday.
I've been watching that housefor a very long time.
(18:21):
There used to be a nice oldlady who lived over there too.
I loved her.
She would always give me pets.
I haven't seen her recently.
It's been a long time.
I think I wonder where thatnice lady went.
Niba (18:35):
You know dogs are just bred to love humans and you know
we love that.
But with cats you've got tolike earn their affection.
You know it's, it's effort,because they still have
personalities and like.
The difference in a likegenetically between a
domesticated dog and a wild dogis so huge and the difference
between like a domesticated catand a wild, like feral cat
(18:56):
there's like nothing.
So like cats are just with usbecause they're choosing to be
and so like I think thatwarrants like a different kind
of.
We got to give them a littlebit more respect and patience
when we're trying to earn theirlove.
Taylor D. Adams (19:11):
So sorry for the interruption, but I will be
brief.
I am so grateful that youdecided to listen to the Film
Nuts podcast today.
If you are enjoying what you'rehearing, please consider
supporting the show on Patreon.
With a small monthly amount,you can get access to behind the
scenes goodies, early access tofull episodes and you can vote
on what movie we watch the firstMonday of every month on the
(19:32):
Nuthouse Discord.
The Nuthouse itself is free tojoin and is full of other film
and TV lovers, so you'll fitright in.
You can check out info on allthese things in the show notes,
and if all of this sounds like abit too much, that's totally
okay.
But if you want to keep up todate on all our episodes, please
be sure and subscribe on yourfavorite platform of choice, and
if you're listening on Applepodcasts, go ahead and leave a
(19:52):
rating and review so we can getin front of other awesome people
like yourself.
Okay, enough of me ramblingback to the good stuff.
I'm a dog person.
I like cats, but like I'm moreof a dog person just because I
grew up with dogs, and one ofthe things that is like one of
my favorite memes I've seenonline is like a wolf next to a
(20:14):
picture of a pug.
Niba (20:17):
And like both of these are the same animal, oh yeah, right
, you're like, you're telling methis is supposed to be able to
mate like wild.
Yeah, no.
I feel you, you, there's a lotof really cool stuff with dogs,
just because they like I don'tknow they, since they've been
bred alongside us.
They're the only animal thatunderstands pointing, like even
with apes you have to teach anape pointing, but dogs will just
(20:37):
like innately understand point,and so I think that's kind of
cool.
Um, there's also like a I wasrecently reading about this
startup that is putting likelittle chips on the olfactory
neurons for dogs and so they canlike tell, like, what nerves
light up when a dog smells likebanana or like I don't know
(20:58):
AirPods oh, wow, sorry, catsmake a sick noise.
And so the idea is, likethey'll train the dog on, like
you know, smell all thesedifferent things.
They'll see what all theneurons like light up as, and
then they'll release the doginto the wild and like have it
sniff all these different thingsand be able to tell, preferably
like, what these things are,even with, like trained dogs
(21:19):
that are trained to sniff stuff,like you know, for, like,
finding objects or whatever,whatever, like you can only
train a dog to tell you aboutlike nine or ten scents, but you
know, obviously they can smelllike hundreds of things.
Um, I don't love the idea oflike dogs being used as narcs
even more so.
This is the nice thing aboutcats cats will never narc on you
, but like at the same time theyjust get stitches yeah exactly,
(21:43):
exactly, um, but actually thisis really cool for people who
use dogs for, like, vision, forseeing eye dogs or for guide
dogs or that kind of thing.
So there's a lot of cool likeimplications there and, as a
result, I just think, like thedog human interactions there's
different things that you can dowith cat human interactions.
(22:04):
Interactions there's differentthings that you can do with cat
human interactions.
Like you're trying to earntheir love and most cats are not
like super, super easy to trainbecause they're not living
their life trying to please you,um, so, that being said, I
really like dogs too.
My uh brother recently got agolden and I just tackle him
every time I see him.
Now, that's awesome.
Taylor D. Adams (22:22):
So when you were uh watching my Roommate is
a Cat with your cat.
Um, you said that like, though,like your cat and the work you
were doing in school were kindof like the highlights of your
life at that time.
Was this show kind of, uh, anescape, or was it helpful or
therapeutic at all?
Like, did it help your day getbrighter when you're watching?
Niba (22:43):
oh yeah, oh yeah.
It was very therapeutic.
I feel like I felt so validatedin my love for my cat because,
you know, 90, maybe 99 of mediais about like heteronormative
cis love relationships and Ilove being able to see media
(23:03):
that explores like other ways ofhappiness, um, whether that's
through like someone beingreally satisfied from their work
or from, uh, you know, the lovewith a pet.
Like one of the things I loveabout legally blonde is that
it's all about her like findingherself and like working really
hard.
Like that movie was so ahead ofits time.
I love it like I want moremovies like that, where I can
(23:26):
just see a montage of likesomeone working really hard,
achieving their dreams and likethat's the, that's the goal, you
know um and like, yes, there'sa romance thing, but that's like
very much a subplot of theentire movie and like I want
more media like that Cause Ifeel like we've all been sold
this like Disney romance stuffjust shoved down our throats in
(23:47):
terms of media, and I want to beable to see stuff that's like.
You know, a big part of thismovie is about like how this uh
protagonist like reallystruggles to like connect with
other people.
And I felt like in California Inever had that problem, but
living in the South I suddenlydid.
And I felt like in California Inever had that problem, but
living in the South I suddenlydid.
And I wasn't like you know, Iwasn't white, I wasn't black, I
(24:09):
wasn't an international student,I wasn't Latino, and so I was
like the only person who likekind of was in this category and
it just it just felt kind oflike bizarre because, like my
experience is very differentfrom an international student
from India, which is verydifferent from being white in
the South.
And I remember like within my,the day I arrived in North
(24:30):
Carolina, there was a KKK rallyin like downtown Durham and I
was like, oh my god, what have Idone?
Why did I move from California?
Clip (24:38):
That was my sign.
Sorry sorry, I really shouldn'thave said that.
Taylor D. Adams (24:42):
Someone who lives 20 minutes from Durham,
sorry.
Niba (24:45):
Oh my gosh.
I mean, you know, at leastthere was like a counter protest
, so like that's nice I guess.
But just the fact that it evenexisted, I was like, oh my God,
like I was so sheltered, youknow, in California, like that
that would never happen herebecause people would counter
protest so hard that like peoplewouldn't do that kind of KKK
rally in the first place, youknow.
And so I was super sheltered inCalifornia and you know, some
(25:09):
people prefer macroaggressionsover microaggressions.
I want microaggressions.
My skin is thin and.
I don't really want to likespend my energy developing my
tolerance to racism.
Um, I had someone tell me thatlike when I was complaining
about this.
Taylor D. Adams (25:22):
You shouldn't need to do that, yeah.
Niba (25:25):
Right, oh my God.
But people told me they werelike, oh, you'll get used to it,
like this is really not thatbig a deal, this is so small.
And I was like, what do youmean?
I'll get used to it.
I don't want to get used to it,I just want things to be like
nice to me.
I'm just trying to like hangout in my like fuzzy cat outfit
and watch cat anime, like I'mtrying to go live that like
chill, soft, cozy life.
Taylor D. Adams (25:43):
I want to touch on something that I I
personally find fascinating.
As someone who is almost 37.
I'm fascinated by the fact thatthere is a growing trend of
content creators who areextremely comfortable with being
vulnerable on camera.
I'm very much like Nope I'm.
(26:05):
I will portray what I want youto see Like I'll be like honest,
but yeah, maybe, yeah,vulnerable is something that I'm
not as strong at being to acamera as someone who has done
projects anywhere from coolscience-y stuff to the trauma
(26:26):
and process that comes alongwith trying to like achieve
certain goals, like working onpersonal projects for yourself,
like, did that?
Did you have to work onbecoming more vulnerable to a
lens, or is that something youkind of always have been open
about?
Expressing your emotions?
Niba (26:46):
Yeah, I mean that's a really great question.
I think people definitely wantrealness, people definitely want
to be inspired.
Um, the authenticity andinspiration are like the two
things I strive to give in everysingle video, and I guess the
question, the thing I have tolike remind myself, is, like you
(27:07):
know, a person can still beauthentic if they're showing you
one part of themselves, and soI don't think vulnerability
means like if you have a hundredparts, showing all hundred of
those.
It just means like showingwhatever is true to you and that
part is like authentic.
You can be vulnerable withouthaving to like expose every
(27:27):
single thing.
You know, there's tons of stuffthat happens in my life that
I'm like maybe this isn't forthe internet, and I see some of
the larger content creatorsshare like every single thing on
their life.
And recently, about like a yearago I still remember this there
was an interaction betweenLaverne Cox and Dylan Mulaney.
(27:49):
Dylan is a woman who's beendocumenting their like trans
experience, like from MTF, andkind of like posting about it on
social, and she's been a reallyawesome like advocate for all
things like gender and sexinclusivity, and they ran into
each other at a red carpet eventand Dylan kind of like has her
phone out and is like recordingthe event and sharing it with
(28:11):
her followers and she goes up tolike you know, laverne, and is
like, oh my gosh, like I'm sucha huge fan, like you're so cool,
blah, blah, blah, like clearlyjust like super stoked, and then
asks, like you know, what issome advice that you have for me
?
And uh, her response she likelooks at the camera with this
like side eye and then looksback and is like it's important
(28:33):
for you to learn what sort ofstuff is just for you and not
for the camera and says it inlike this, really like kind of
serious tone and uh, dylantotally just like does not pick
up on that at all and just likeit in like this, really like
kind of serious tone.
And uh, dylan totally just likedoes not pick up on that at all
and just like it's like oh yeah, absolutely, I totally like
she's still like in her likeexcited, like creative, like you
know on camera personality,like on kind of thing, and uh,
(28:55):
then just sort of like brushesher off and like seeing like
effectively like a white womanbrush a black woman off, like so
casually.
After, like you know, laurenhas like gone through all kinds
of stuff to be in a positionshe's in and give like very good
advice.
I was like something about thiswhole interaction really rubs me
the wrong way.
I think they're both incrediblepeople, but like you really do
(29:19):
got to think about like whatparts you want to put online and
what parts are just for you,and I think it's totally fair
that it's like hard for you tobe vulnerable on camera.
The way I kind of like getaround it sort of is like when
I'm feeling strong emotions andI'm debating if I want to like
put it in a video or if I wantto like remember it for the
future, for myself or whatever,I'll just take my camera out and
(29:42):
record it and then, like a dayor two or whatever week later,
um, that's when I decide like,oh, is this actually something I
want to share or is thissomething I just want to keep
for myself?
Um, and so that way, like theoption is there because I don't
know about you, but it's hardfor me to like fake intense
emotion, like I am not an actor,I am a person who's just really
(30:03):
jazzed about like plants andlike nature and just like.
I just nerd out about stuffthat's really it, um, and so
like spontaneously crying, Ican't do that.
Like, maybe if I think aboutlike sad things for like 10
minutes I could do it.
Or if I'm like already likeminorly depresso espresso, I
could do it.
Um, but uh, depresso espresso.
Taylor D. Adams (30:22):
I could do it.
You say depresso espresso.
Is that what you said?
I haven't heard that before.
Niba (30:29):
Oh, it's a good one.
Taylor D. Adams (30:30):
What a fun way to talk about depression.
Niba (30:32):
It lightens the darkness.
It does Turns it into, like youknow, black coffee, into a
latte a little bit.
But yeah, so like I think beingemotional on camera is like
it's just a skill, right.
So like, if you want to developit, which I definitely do like
bringing out your camera andrecording those moments.
(30:52):
And there's a lot of momentsthat I have recording myself
being really emotional during,like dark days during grad
school, and like a week after Irecorded them, I was like this
is a video meant for me andmaybe like Like a week after I
recorded them, I was like thisis a video meant for me and
maybe like a friend or two orsomething like that but, not for
the entire world.
And then back actually, Idebated quite a bit about making
a video about my experiencedeciding to like end my grad
(31:15):
school early and leave with amaster's instead of a PhD, and
that video has like in my head.
I was like you know, if thishelps someone else figure out
what the heck to do, like evenone person, that's good.
But that video is like my mosthighest viewed video on my
channel and I got I get and gotso many messages about it.
People will write me likeessays, being like you know,
(31:35):
this is my situation.
I saw your video about likedebating to leave and it really
resonated with me because youknow, when you're in grad school
, um, people, you the onlypeople you're surrounded by are
people who are staying right.
You don't get the perspectiveof someone who's left.
And one thing I did in thisvideo is I interviewed a bunch
of different people who decidedto leave and it's interesting
(31:57):
because every single person didnot regret it.
Every single person was likethat was the right choice.
I'm so happy I did it.
Some people were like I wishI'd done it sooner and I was
like, wow, if I had had thisinformation in grad school.
I think this would have like Idon't know if I would have left
sooner, but I think it wouldhave made the process of leaving
much less painful and likefeeling I would feel less guilt
(32:20):
over it.
And so that video was superemotional and vulnerable and I
am so grateful that, like, it'sbeen able to like resonate with
so many people and that it'sbeen something that people like
make more like raw emotionalstuff.
But then you know, you seethose like youtube likes where
(32:43):
it's just like the person in awhite room and they're like all
crunched up in a little fetalposition.
It's like clearly, yeah, I didthe thing, or like I'm sorry
guys, or like apology right yeahand I'm like nah, I I want to
share the stuff that like I wantto share, you know, and like
maybe that's going to be likesad, emotional, but like a lot
of the times it's not.
(33:04):
Like the things I'm reallystoked to share about with
people are usually like thingsthat are exciting for me and,
like you know, you meet someonenew.
You don't go and tell themabout your deep, dark trauma.
You tell them about cicada peevelocity.
Taylor D. Adams (33:17):
Yeah, I think I my the cynic side of me is
always like, always takes theopinion that, uh, videos that
are like vulnerable, likeespecially like in in this age
of content creation whereanybody with a phone can make
(33:39):
stuff which is super cool andempowering.
But yeah, the cynic side of meis always like, oh, they're just
doing that to like contentcreation where anybody with a
phone can make stuff which issuper cool and empowering.
But yeah, the cynic side of meis always like, oh, they're just
doing that to like getattention.
Then the optimist side of me islike no, but they're also.
There are also people who outthere who feel the way this
person feels, but and they feelthat they're alone.
So, and then when they seesomeone else experiencing the
(34:00):
same thing, then they feel likethey're not alone, so it's
beneficial, and so I always goback and forth with it, and I
think you brought up a goodpoint about this kind of like
finding the right blend ofvulnerability and authenticity,
like as long as those things arelike true to each other, like
(34:21):
you're, people aren't puttingout emotional things for the
sake of putting out emotionalthings, or putting out things
that are emotional because ofyou know the like idea behind it
.
Like if you're stoked, like theemotion you would promote about
plants is like you're superexcited about plants, then the
emotion about struggling withthe academic program you're in,
(34:44):
like that comes from theauthentic place of actually
struggling with it.
And so I'm always going backand forth.
But I feel like my cynic side ismore and more being quieted,
which I'm more leaning towardthe optimistic side.
The more I see stuff like this,I'm like, okay, yeah, all right
, yeah, people out there.
(35:05):
Just they don't realize thatthey might, that other people
might be experiencing the samething that they are.
So when they see peopleexperiencing what they're
experiencing, they feel likethey're not all in the world.
Which I think is really greatabout this show is that when
you're brought up it's not likea true like kind of romance
thing, like it's very much likea community show, like everybody
(35:28):
is like helping each other out,which I thought was like one of
the my favorite parts about myroommate as a cat is like
everybody helps to try and findthe cat, like at the end, and
that that was one of my favoritemoments.
Just cat is like everybodyhelps to try and find the cat,
like at the end and that thatwas one of my favorite moments,
just the montage of everybodyhelping each other hello,
mikazuki, where are you?
Clip (35:45):
are you all right?
Taylor D. Adams (35:46):
kawase.
Hey, hirodo told me what'sgoing on.
I want to help any way I can.
Clip (35:52):
I'm on the way to your house as we speak hiroto
probably knows the area betterthan me, so I'll hold down the
fort and he can help you search.
Thank you so much.
Try to stay calm.
Everything's gonna be all right.
Niba (36:06):
We'll find her okay, I know it's so wholesome.
I think, uh, especially like,if you think about people who
are wanting to be contentcreators and cultivate an
audience and all that good stuffIf every single video you put
out is motivated by an emotion,that is just one single emotion,
(36:27):
that's going to be kind ofchallenging to do.
And especially if that emotionis some sort of negative thing,
where it's like if, if someoneis like building their entire
content career on just liketrauma, dumping and like you
know, spicy story time, that'sonly going to last so long
before people are like, allright, maybe it's time for
something else.
Um and so like.
(36:48):
I guess my cynic side is always.
Like you know, I've seen thisvideo of someone crying over
like XYZ concept and I'm like,wow, that really sucks.
I'm so sorry.
Um, and if I go to their pageand their entire page is just
various videos of them crying,I'm like I really hope you have
something else in your life,like, genuinely like I hope
there's some other emotions thatyou're feeling, some other
things going on, cause like, ifthat's all you got, like I feel
(37:12):
sorry for you, that's that sucks.
Taylor D. Adams (37:20):
Yeah, um, what was your?
Niba (37:21):
yeah, what was your favorite moment or scene from my
roommate as a cat?
Oh gosh, you're like.
Enough negativity, um, same I,I think.
Um, let's see, I'm trying notto give spoilers, but I think we
can kind of give a little bit.
Taylor D. Adams (37:32):
Oh no, this is.
This is a spoiler.
This is a spoiler show.
Niba (37:35):
Oh, okay, great, great, great, um.
So there's an episode where sohe adopts this cat.
That's like a stray right.
And there's an episode wherethe stray cat like goes over to
a friend's house to like have aplay date with the other cat and
realizes, like the other whoworks at the pet store, big sis,
I can't believe it.
Clip (37:52):
I thought I'd never see him again.
It is you, isn't it?
I missed you so much.
Niba (38:18):
And I'm like, oh my God, all these like cute little
connections between everybodyand like I don't know, just like
seeing that the sister, likethe strays, were going through
it, Like when they were outthere.
You know, they're likescrounging around for food and
they're like getting picked onby like the birds, and I'm like
my God, my heart, like sort ofcrying every time I saw that
Because, like I don't know, justlike the concept of stray cats
(38:42):
just makes me really sad ingeneral, just stray animals that
don't have a home.
In certain areas around theworld you have like dogs and
cats that like run aroundoutside but they have a home,
they have like a family and acommunity and like whenever I go
to india there's like just dogslike everywhere and like they
they're all like pretty well fed, they just like hang out
(39:04):
together, they hang out outside.
Like you feed them a littlethey'll guard your house.
Like it's a very like symbioticrelationship.
It's different from what's inamerica, but that doesn't make
it like bad per se.
But I think just sort of theglow up that these two cats had
from like being on the streetjust scrounging to like oh, we
(39:24):
just like live in this house nowand get food brought to us and
our job is to just sit here andlook pretty, what a vibe.
Taylor D. Adams (39:33):
How often do you go to India?
Niba (39:39):
When I was growing up I went every year, and then it
became every two years and nowit's every four years, so I went
last summer, okay how has what?
Taylor D. Adams (39:46):
what is that experience like?
I mean that's a broad question,but I mean like because you
were, you were you were born incalifornia, right, okay, and so
like the connection you havewith your ancestry, with your
family that are in India, likeyou see them periodically but
you've seen in the gaps inbetween visits has grown wider
(40:06):
as you've gotten older, likewhat has that experience been
like?
Each time you've kind of goneback with the maturation of who
you are.
Niba (40:14):
It's surreal.
I think I have like a prettyclose connection to India
because I've been fortunate tobe able to like go back and
visit a lot and my mom has likeseven siblings, all of whom have
kids, and you know it's apretty big family.
My grandmother so I mygrandmother and her husband like
(40:35):
a brother and a sister marrieda brother and a sister, and
that's how my mom's side kind ofhas like two sets of
grandparents and so, um,whenever I go back, I like see a
lot of people and eat a lot offood and just sort of like vibe
a lot, and there's like allthese aspects of me that I get
that I feel like, you know,surprisingly, like just just
(40:55):
really seen and reallyunderstood, and I love being
able to just I don't know feelso comfortable.
And you know some people findthe sounds of the chaos like
really chaotic like obviously,but like for me it's like, oh,
this is like.
It's like kind of a white noisebackground kind of thing, and it
just feels like I've returnedto a place kind of vibe.
(41:17):
But at the same time, there'sall these things that are like
very much separating me from myfamily in India, and so like,
for example, in one of the areasI visit, no one wears makeup at
all and it's like frowned uponto do that.
And me, as a person who lovesexpressing myself with my makeup
, I sort of like adapt to thearea and I just don't wear
(41:39):
anything while I'm there.
But it sort of makes me feellike a little sad that I can't
express myself the way I wouldlike to.
But I also I'm like, you know,I'm not trying to like draw that
kind of attention to myself.
Like what point am I trying toprove here?
I'm just trying to like visitmy family, you know, um, and
then when I visit like family inthe city, like obviously that's
very different.
But there's also, uh, thislatest time when I went back was
(42:02):
a little surreal Cause uh, nowI'm in my like late twenties and
they're like why don't you havea child?
Why aren't you married?
And I'm like, oh man, yeah, andI'm like, oh, haha, like I just
, you know, no big deal I'll.
I'll worry about it later.
Taylor D. Adams (42:19):
I don't know, I'm just trying to like deflect,
for now, um, we'll see.
Niba (42:29):
Let me tell you about Cicada P, and they don't like
ask me this stuff.
They don't worry about it.
I think, like I don't know,it's not something that I'm not
really too keen on.
Having kids, that's kind of achoice that I've made for myself
, so I don't feel like any timepressure to do anything which is
really liberating, and so.
On the downside, though, itdoes mean that like I don't have
(42:53):
like a fuel under my butt tolike get married and whatever,
and, as a result, I'm sure thatthe next time I go to India,
they're probably going to belike so what do you think of
this boy?
And I'll be like ah ah, ah, ahah ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah,
ah, I don't know.
(43:16):
So, yeah, that'll be that.
I think one of the nice things,though, about like going back
more than anything else is just,oh my God, being able to feel
at home.
Like that's just, that's really.
There's a, there's a vibe ofbeing at home, but it's also
very much not at home.
So my body physically cannothandle being in India too long
because I get really sick.
But yeah, I don't know it's,it's a good experience.
(43:43):
It's a good experience to beable to go back, because I feel
like a lot of people who, um, alot of people, just don't have
like that kind of likebicultural experience, like
going back and forth between twoextremely different, culturally
different places, and so, froma young age, like seeing the way
that, like certain people hadto live, or the way certain
people could live, or the waythat like monkeys and dogs and
(44:04):
like just sort of traverseeverywhere all over India, and
like I just kind of like it wasreally formative and I think I'm
really grateful to have such acontrast, because, like I think
people who don't get to travellike that, you get kind of like
a little bit more of a narrowworldview and I'm very, very
lucky to be able to havetraveled like that.
(44:25):
And also there's a lot of reallyawesome programs for people who
are interested in traveling forcheap.
There's this thing calledDressed House Sitters, where you
can go somewhere and travelsomewhere and take care of
someone's cat or dog and yourstay is free.
You pay like a one time, likeone year subscription or
whatever.
Oh, wow, yeah, and there's atrusted house sitter somewhere
(44:48):
in like, I think, arizona orTexas, where this person has 13
cats and a dog and I've neverreally been interested in going
to that part of like Texas, butlike I might be tempted because
like where else could I get?
Taylor D. Adams (45:01):
to take just for that experience.
Yeah, that might be worth it.
I did.
I did know someone who um, Iforgot the exact circumstances
that led them to this, but theydog sat for a family in, uh,
amsterdam and they just spent aweek out there dogs and they're
they're based here in NorthCarolina and they just spent a
week out there dog sitting andthey're they're based here in
North Carolina and they justwent out there and did that and
I thought that was wild.
That was really cool.
Niba (45:22):
Um, I love that yeah.
Taylor D. Adams (45:23):
I like, I like those ideas about traveling.
I I I really appreciate it.
I've started to use the word umvisit when I refer to traveling
, um cause it used to be, youknow, vacation, then travel, but
I've come to like the termvisit more um, because I feel
like I want to um treat anyplace that I visit with the same
(45:49):
amount of respect as my friendwho lives across town, like I
don't want to treat it as thisdestination will now fulfill my
needs, like kind of thing.
Yeah totally and over a coupleyears I haven't been to that
many places, but the places thatI have been outside of the us,
I've, like started adopting thatphilosophy and it's felt more
(46:12):
satisfying to do so, even thoughsome parts of it is does feel
like a vacation like if I go tolike Belize, which is one of my
favorite places to go like hell.
Yeah, I'm going to hang out onthe beach and drink beer and eat
chips and salsa, but also, likeI'm going to talk to people
that I know and like be friendlyand not be the asshole American
who demands everything you know.
I just kind of like treateveryone that you see with
(46:33):
respect.
Niba (46:34):
I love that.
Yeah, totally.
This is kind of why I'm likewhenever I go to India, I like
pick and choose what my battles,quote unquote, are going to be,
you know, cause I know I'mvisiting and I'm like as much as
I'm like, you know, going home,quote unquote, or like seeing
my family like there's.
There's only so many things Iwant to get into and getting
into like the patriarchy, orlike capitalism or colonialism.
Taylor D. Adams (46:56):
Hot topics Not necessarily Hot broad,
unsolvable topic.
Niba (46:59):
Exactly, you know like I'm not going to debate this with
like an 80 year old who camefrom like the neighboring
village to like come to chatwith me and see me for the first
time in four years.
You know like that's not theplace I'm visiting.
I really like that terminology.
Yeah, I've been planning a tripto.
Vietnam, and one of the thingsI've been doing has been like
(47:20):
looking up like sort of likecustoms and politeness and
there's all these rules aroundlike different ways to hold
chopsticks and stuff like that.
And turns out like a lot of themdon't translate, like I'm
familiar with the rules forJapan because I used to live
there, but then the rules forchopsticks in Vietnam are a
little bit different, obviouslybecause many different histories
(47:41):
, colonialism and all the lovelystuff that comes with it.
I think if you're ever visitinga country that's very many
degrees culturally separated,just Googling country name and
then polit, politeness or likepolite rules, or like customs or
something like that that's agood just learning like the top
(48:02):
five, you know.
So you don't like questionsomething you know like, or just
like try and tip someone whogets offended by tipping, or you
know you don't tip someone whoexpects a tip, that kind kind of
thing.
Taylor D. Adams (48:14):
Did you get into anime before or after you
lived in Japan?
Niba (48:19):
Before.
Yeah, I was like I watched alot of anime in like middle
school, high school.
That's when they, that's whenthey get you, and so I I don't
know I was already it was theywere both through like school
programs while I was in highschool, and so I was there for
like a summer both times and itwas like extremely like, amazing
(48:40):
, very much like I feel very,very privileged to be able to
have done that, like in highschool, no less, um, but so
France was because I was likestudying French, and then Japan
was because we were doing aculture exchange thing and uh,
yeah, it was really awesome.
There was a lot more to japaneseculture than anime, which I
sort of like mentally knew andyou know, I had kind of like an
(49:03):
idea of it, but you don't reallyget the idea of it until you go
there and you're like oh, thisis the amount that, like the
things in anime are just sort ofuh, stereotypes or things that
are not really representations.
Like, anime always has thisclassic like the ramen shop
that's like a little stalloutside with like three seats
(49:23):
and it's like delicious andwhatever.
That's like pretty rare, prettyrare.
It's kind of seen as like atouristy thing in parts of Tokyo
and the parts of Japan that Ilearned about became I'm just
like really fascinated bythere's.
Oh, I really want to go backthere because there's a world
heritage site that's a hotspring, an onsen, and you can
(49:46):
still use this onsen so like youcan go and like pay to be in
this world heritage site thatpeople have been like on sending
in for the past like 2000something years and it's's a
really small one.
It only fits like two, threepeople or something like that.
But there's like a hike you cando to get there and then you
just like chill in this, likehot spring, and that region is
(50:06):
famous for a special littlebanana treat, and so all the
travel guides I've been lookingat have been like try and get
banana treats at all differentplaces and I love banana treats.
Taylor D. Adams (50:15):
So yes, okay, um, I'm going to have to go
there.
That sounds amazing.
What would you say to someoneto get them to watch the show If
they didn't have a podcast toask you to be on about it?
Niba (50:28):
Yeah, totally.
Um, if you are someone who'sever lost anyone animal human
otherwise, ever lost anyoneanimal human otherwise, if you
are someone who, like, neverwatches anime, if you are
someone who likes pets, this islike the perfect show for you.
It's pretty short, there's only, I think it's like four hours
(50:48):
total.
Um, so, as far as shows go,it's not like you're not getting
into a game of thronessituation, but it deals with all
these like really heavyconcepts, but also really
light-hearted concepts, and thisidea of like being a person
who's isolating but also aperson who's being taken care of
by the community, and alsobeing a person who's, like, just
loved and the different waysthat you can be loved.
(51:10):
And I feel like it's so easy toto forget that and the love that
you get from an animal is so,so different because it's so
freaking pure.
Forget that.
And the love that you get froman animal is so, so different
because it's so fricking pure,like I can't say that enough.
It's so pure and so, like youknow, losing an animal obviously
becomes then like a singlesharp needle directly into your
heart and then out the otherside and through every other
(51:32):
organ in your entire body.
Versus like with people.
There's like so much messinessinvolved.
There's all these like variousemotions and like different
things that are going on andlike, but with an animal it's
gone now and that just it justflat out sucks and it's just so
raw and I feel like this showdoes such a good job of
(51:56):
depicting like the animalperspective that it makes you
like relate a little bit moreand especially if you're a
person who has like a dog, cat,snake, iguana, whatever that
likes to like sit on you whileyou watch things, this is like
the perfect show for that.
If anyone is watching the showand feels inspired, I would love
for you to send me a reallyfunny photo of your cat, dog,
(52:20):
iguana, pet, whatever.
My socials are at notesbynebaon everything and people have
like the absolute, likeridiculousest photos of their
pets, but I feel like all thestuff that gets posted online is
not necessarily always they'relike trash photos.
Taylor D. Adams (52:34):
So all my contact photos for people are
always like Do you want thetrash photos?
Do you want trash photos?
Clip (52:37):
Yes, yes, yes, yes Okay.
Taylor D. Adams (52:40):
Yeah, we'll drop, I'll drop your-.
Niba (52:41):
All my contact photos for people are the trash photos of
their pets and I'm like, oh,this is the funniest way to
remember them.
Taylor D. Adams (52:48):
My roommate is a cat portrays the connection we
have to animals both from thehuman and animal perspectives.
But even if you aren't a cat ordog or turtle person, the
issues at the core of theserelationships are easily
relatable to the connections wehave with other human beings,
and in those connections we canbecome frustrated by either
misunderstandings or confusion.
(53:09):
But while we may not ever fullyunderstand everything about
each other, that shouldn't stopus from loving and supporting
one another.
A huge thanks to Neva forchatting with me today and a
soft and cuddly thank you to youfor listening.
Please check out the show notesfor links to some of Neva's
work as well as her socialhandles.
She's making some really coolstuff.
(53:30):
Please don't miss out.
If you enjoyed the show today,please go ahead and subscribe to
stay up to date on all of ourepisodes on your favorite
podcast platform of choice.
And if you happen to belistening on Apple Podcasts, go
ahead and leave a rating andreview so we get in front of
more awesome folks like yourself.
If you really love the showtoday and you're loving all the
episodes that you're listeningto, please go ahead and consider
(53:52):
supporting us on Patreon.
Becoming a patron of the showhelps us out immensely, even if
your donation is just a smallamount, and you get some really
cool perks to go along with it.
For more info on that, checkout the show notes or visit
patreoncom.
Slash film nuts.
Our theme this season isbrought to us by the Deep End.
Our artwork is designed byModongo Sibuhudi, and all
episodes of the Film Nutspodcast are produced and edited
(54:14):
by me, Taylor D Adams.
If you want to get in touch,you can email filmnutspodcasts
at gmailcom or follow us onInstagram, TikTok and Twitter at
filmnutspodcast.
And don't forget to join theNuthouse Discord community
absolutely free by checking outthe link in the show notes.
Thank you all again.
So much for joining us today,and until next time, please be
(54:34):
kind to your pets.
They deserve the best.
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