In an interview with CBC Radio, Université de Montréal History Professor Dominique St. Arnaud tells Diane about her new book, ''Variations on the Idea of Happiness'', which discusses her thesis that modern society's fixation on self-indulgence is indicative of its decline, predicting a collapse in the "American imperialism," of which Quebec is on the periphery. Several of Dominique and Diane's friends, mostly intellectual history professors at the university, prepare for a dinner later in the day, with the men at work in the kitchen while the women work out at the gym.