Talk Description to Me
Where the visuals of current events and the world around us get hashed out in description-rich conversations. J.J. Hunt is an innovative Audio Describer and a natural-born storyteller. Christine Malec is a perpetually inquisitive member of the blind and partially sighted community who’s always wondering about something. In Talk Description to Me, their discussions plunge into current events and topical issues to explore the content of important images, and help place vivid descriptions in their cultural context. Lively, hard-hitting, witty, vibrant, and fun, this is conversation with a view!
Episodes
128 episodes
Episode 127 - The Rocky Horror Description Show
It's no secret that Christine and JJ love their work, and when they get a fun and interesting gig they want to share it with everyone!This Halloween, JJ had the pleasure of describing the Rocky Horror Picture Show, and Christine was in ...
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Season 4
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Episode 127
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4:50
Episode 126 - A Trip to the Fair
What better way to keep summer vibes alive than a trip to the fair? In this special, on-location episode, Christine and JJ explore the wonders of the Canadian National Exhibition, better known to locals as the CNE or the Ex! Join the two friend...
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Season 4
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Episode 126
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55:55
Episode 125 - Radio Lumi
For several years Christine and JJ have been working with Toronto's Luminato Festival, presenting live art, theatre, and dance performances to Blind and Low Vision audiences through the online radio program Radio Lumi. This year, Radio Lumi is ...
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Season 4
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Episode 125
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40:22
Episode 124 - AI Description Part 2
Part 2 of 2. Love them or hate them, AI writing tools like Chat GPT have the potential to change the way we write, communicate, and learn. One group looking to harness the technology with, and for, the Blind community is Be My Eyes...
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Season 4
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Episode 124
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37:25
Episode 123 - AI Description Part 1
Love them or hate them, AI writing tools like ChatGPT have the potential to change the way we write, communicate, and learn. One group looking to harness the technology with, and for, the Blind community is Be My Eyes, an outfit which con...
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Season 4
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Episode 123
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37:54
Episode 122 - Warden Woods Ravine Walk
Ravines are a distinctive part of the urban landscape of Toronto. They create a network of natural green space that is one of the city’s defining features. Edited by Christine and introduced by JJ, you’re about to experience a descr...
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Season 4
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Episode 122
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51:52
Episode 121 - Backyard Trek Talk
The Star Trek universe is alive, well, and moving at warp speed. To celebrate Star Trek Day JJ joins Christine in her backyard for a casual conversation about the visuals of two Trek shows, the animated series Lower Decks, and the live ac...
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Season 4
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Episode 121
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51:07
Episode 120 - The Grinch!
Christmas is a wonderful time to get in touch with old friends, to catch up over a warm mug of hot chocolate, to say "How have you been? I've really missed you!" Well, we've really missed you! This year, to celebrate the season, we'd li...
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Season 4
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Episode 120
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11:07
Episode 119 - Toronto and the Toronto Islands
Talk Description to Me is hitting pause -- for the time being! To mark their final episode in this two-year run, Christine and JJ packed a picnic, hopped on a ferry, and headed to the Toronto Islands. Sitting on a park bench, facing the Toronto...
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Season 4
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Episode 119
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42:13
Episode 118 - River Systems
Fuelled once again by Christine's insatiable curiosity, today Talk Description to Me explores the visuals of river systems. How do rivers form? Are the headwaters obvious? Are stream networks visible in satellite images? Does a river in the Ama...
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Season 4
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Episode 118
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31:43
Episode 117 - Virtual Reality Part 3
Back in May, Christine and JJ began examining and describing the world of virtual reality. Today the intrepid pair wraps up the three-part series, exploring surreal spaces and fantastical experiences, including a trippy meditation realm, and a ...
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Season 4
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Episode 117
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36:18
Episode 116 - Spy Movie Tropes
Spy movies are perfect for Audio Description. There are subtle clues to describe, exotic and seedy locations to expound on, and often great visual storytelling for the Describer to work with. But what about those moments that whip by too fast f...
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Season 4
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Episode 116
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30:15
Episode 115 - Urban Wildlife
If you live in a city, you have lots of animals as neighbours; squirrels, raccoons, rats, skunks, maybe even foxes or coyotes. But what do they look like? How do they move, eat, and interact? This week, Christine and JJ describe the visuals of ...
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Season 4
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Episode 115
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31:48
Episode 114 - Cartoons and Animation
Slide whistle falls off of cliffs, and twinkle toes powering Stone Age cars were just a few of the sound effects that made Saturday morning cartoons popular with Blind and Low Vision kids in the days before Audio Description. Today, Christine a...
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Season 4
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Episode 114
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37:16
Episode 113 - Women's Suffrage
Women had been excluded from voting in ancient Greece, republican Rome, and in emerging European and North American democracies. By the mid 19th century, many had had enough and began demanding suffrage; the right to vote in political elections...
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Season 4
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Episode 113
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36:41
Episode 112 - Graduation and Convocation
The school year is wrapping up, and students everywhere are gleefully donning their caps and gowns, eager to graduate. This week, to honour the hard work and dedication of students who are Blind and Low Vision, Christine and JJ describe the vis...
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Season 4
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Episode 112
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32:02
Episode 111 - Cooking
The visuals of food prep and cooking can be kind of a mystery, so this week Christine and JJ are donning their jaunty chef's hats and stepping into the kitchen to demystify fancy flambéing, precarious pizza tossing, and curious candy making. Bo...
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Season 4
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Episode 111
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37:34
Episode 110 - Stonewall and LGBTQ Activism
It's time for our second annual Pride episode! Last year, in episode 57, we described the visuals of Toronto's Pride Parade. This year we take a look at the historical event that led to the first political (and celebratory!) Pride Marches...
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Season 4
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Episode 110
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33:20
Episode 109 - Forests and Fairs
Summer is upon us, so it's time to get outside and do summery things. Today, Christine and JJ take their cues from the weather, the season, and some listener requests, and put their summer hats on. First, they head to the cabin to explore the f...
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Season 4
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Episode 109
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38:03
Episode 108 - School Shootings
On this podcast, we have tasked ourselves with "Describing the visuals of the world around us." Right now, the world around us includes mass school shootings. After consulting with Blind and Low Vision community members on various social ...
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Season 4
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Episode 108
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35:48
Episode 107 - Star Wars Part 2: Obi Wan Kenobi
Christine and JJ just couldn't fit all of their Star Wars talk into a single episode, so today they circle back in their X-Wing to describe ships in the Star Wars universe. Then, having started the new Obi Wan Kenobi series, Christine and...
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Season 4
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Episode 107
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42:40
Episode 106 - Virtual Reality Part 2
A few weeks back, Christine and JJ began exploring and describing the world of virtual reality. Today, that exploration continues. First they discuss the connection between the visual and physical, then giggle about childhood dreams of a real-l...
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Season 4
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Episode 106
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37:29
Episode 105 - Star Wars Part 1
With the new Obi-Wan Kenobi series about to drop, Christine and JJ finally dive into the world of Star Wars! First, they go way back to the 1977 film that started it all to describe the aesthetics of the Star Wars Universe. Then they break down...
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Season 4
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Episode 105
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43:21
Episode 104 - The Circus
With theatres opening up again and big productions rolling into town, JJ recently got to see Cirque du Soleil live in the big tent. In hearing about it, Christine remembered a workshop the pair held a few years back, where they described ...
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Season 4
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Episode 104
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39:16
Episode 103 - Virtual Reality
When an Oculus Quest Virtual Reality headset arrived at JJ's house, his first call was to Christine! In this, the first of three VR episodes we will air in the coming months, the pair describes the headset, the experience of donning it for the ...
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Season 4
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Episode 103
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29:36