16: Reality TV: A Poison and a Pox?

"I don't keep the most valuable things. I keep the things that sing to me." — Evan MichelsonWhat makes an object into a portal for memory, grief, beauty, and the sacred?This week, Joanna Ebenstein is joined by Evan Michelson—collector, curator, television personality and co-founder of the legendary Obscura Antiques & Oddities—to explore a lifetime spent discovering meaning in the overlooked, the uncanny and the beautiful.Known to many from the Discovery Channel series Oddities, Evan reflects on how collecting is, for her, far more than an appreciation of unusual objects. Together, she and Joanna discuss cabinets of curiosity, anatomical models, relics, mourning artefacts and the stories objects carry across generations. They consider why we're drawn to beautiful things that remind us of mortality, and how collections can become emotional maps of our lives rather than displays of monetary value.The conversation wanders through the history of curiosity collecting, the blurred boundaries between science, spirituality and art, and the profound experience of encountering eighteenth-century Anatomical Venuses, objects that inspire wonder while confronting us with our own impermanence.Evan also reflects candidly on her years in television, describing reality TV as "a poison and a pox," while exploring what can be lost when genuine curiosity is reshaped for entertainment, as well as what can be gained when niche worlds and overlooked histories are brought to a wider audience. Warm, insightful, and full of humour, Evan shares how learning to trust what "sings" to her has shaped both her collection and her understanding of herself. In doing so, she invites us to look differently at the objects surrounding us, not simply as possessions, but as companions in our lives. As she puts it, "It's sort of like a big memory box.""Beauty can be a doorway into mortality." — Evan Michelson📢Listeners! You are invited to share your own offerings: voice notes on death, dying, ritual and the beauty of finitude. Include your first name and location if you want them shared- you might be featured in an upcoming episode. Send your offering via WhatsApp to +44 2921 690468🖤 Enjoying Memento Morbid? Explore our collection of apparel and accessories in the Memento Morbid shop: mementomorbidmerch.dashery.com   ☕ Help us to keep going!  buymeacoffee.com/mementomorbidpodcast  💀 Memento Morbid is produced by Overcoat Media in partnership with Morbid Anatomy.Host: Joanna EbensteinSeries Producer: Jess GunasekaraStudio Engineer: Fernando Velazco VargasAdditional Production & Sound Design: Katie HillProduction Coordinator: Janice JardineExecutive Producer: Steven RajamArtwork: Lauren Seeley substack.com/@mementomorbid