Episodes

How to make Sh*t Happens? We're back! (Kind of). We're kicking off 2022 with a quick intro to our new Shark Tank-like segment: Nonsense Venture Capital. This week, special guest Nora Mestrich joins Joey and Jess to talk about public restrooms, toilet paper, and two-dollar bills. They don’t talk about the impressively maintained public bathroom in Bryant Park. references Shark Tank Not quite a TikTok public restroom access account, but here are some sink reviews We want our two dollars!

What debt do we owe to '90s action movies? And how can we clean digital house in the new year? [22:08] This week, one more from the Nonsense Wellspring (archive)! Again, Aaron and Joey talk about the most progressive movie genres, Atomic Blonde, Sigourney Weaver, ideas on Twitter, deep cleaning our feeds, and "the holey sock problem." They don't talk about how Joey is definitely 1000% wrong about Hitch. references The 2014 MIT study on Twitter feeds and quality ideas and the full report What...

How does purpose lead us astray? And when is it okay to talk about aliens? [24:52] This week, another rerun from the Nonsense Wellspring (archive)! Again, Aaron and Joey and Jess talk about Disney Pixar's Soul, fridge magnets, the Princess Diaries Series of novels, the Drake Equation and other UFO/UAP talk, tranches, and the science behind wombats' cube-shaped poop. They don't talk about owls relate to any of this conversation. references Elle: People react on Twitter to Soul Also, that Roge...

What do Mortal Kombat "fatalities" tell us about the American psyche in 2019? And how valuable is the comfort and familiarity of watching old TV shows? [28:27] This week, reruns from the Nonsense Wellspring (archive)! Again, Aaron and Joey talk about quirky horror icons, the allure of "punchy-kicky," gladiators, "22-Minute Worlds," the comfort TV business model, and several Gilmore Girls spoilers. They don't talk about the (yet unproven) health benefits of vegging out in front of endless New G...

How did our predictions play out in 2021? This week, Aaron, Jess and Joey review their "frog-nogs" from Episode 109, discussing pop wellness and plant-based meat [4:58]; Eurocentric interior design and breakfast [14:01]; and, the WFH pendulum and fucc bois [27:34]. They don’t talk about dinner ennui. references Jezebel: The Commodification of the Wellness Industry ADWEEK: Every Brand Should Be Thinking Like A Wellness Brand Forbes: Purpose At Work: Amy’s Kitchen Recipe For Prodigious Growth A...

This week, Aaron, Joey and Jess talk about SYLVAIN's new Impact Report, chocolate chips, openness, honoring intentions, digital passivity, and accountability. They don’t talk about what puffin tastes like. references All Grown Up! SYLVAIN's Impact Report: A Developing Story: Self Reflections of a Progress-Guided Consultancy Guittard's Super Cookie Chocolate Chips Porgs!

How do we take a break? And why is the average American retailer so bad at Hanukkah? [26:29] This week, Joey, Jess and Aaron talk about the feeling of wasted opportunity, the down-shift, accounting for transitional time, Hanukkah ignorance, the secularization of holidays, and uniquely designed menorahs. They don’t talk about HAIM and/or Adam Sandler. references Who is Suzanne Somers? RuPaul: What's The Tee episode with Suzanne Somers Heading into the holiday break, are you more of a Biz Mark...

How do we stop being so pre-emptive? This week, Joey, Aaron, and Jess talk about fear validity, empathy, directness, Minnesota nice, grin-fucking, and the consequences of the public forum. They didn't bless your heart. references  Podcast: You're Wrong About "Cancel Culture" Alex Contell's labor of love: Grain IGN's Guardians of the Galaxy game review

What do we want from a dad? And how should companies be held accountable? [44:37] This week, special guest Chandler Saunders joins Joey and Jess to talk about paternity leave, movie dads, inputs and outputs, legal backlash, collateral consequences, and unchecked systems. Sadly, they don’t talk about Sade. references  Because we're never gonna dance again ... Why is the flute a woodwind? Bagpipes are indeed a wind instrument. The Ezra Klein Show: Why Adults Lose the ‘Beginner’s Mind’ Mr. Mom...

What is a celebration without gifts? This week, Aaron, Jess, and Joey talk about ongoing gift lists, gift paralysis, better wish lists, the curiosity of good gift-giving, "leaving room," and The Instant Present. They don’t talk about the sweet stamp suite available at USPS right now: Star Wars? Mon Stars? references Once limited edition, could still disappear at any moment: the Critical Nonsense merch store

When it comes to digital vigilanteism, what ultimate wages will we have to pay? And how do you feel about mediocrity? [25:37] This week, Aaron, Joey and Jess talk about rousing public attention, the celebrity amplification effect, the undercurrent of distrust in justice, the fear of being medium, a refrain of the Impressionist problem, and wrestling with workism. They don’t talk about what are party pants. references How Discover Magazine compares the earth to a billiard ball (micro-correctio...

How come we're now calling this time of year "Spooky Season"? And what makes a Halloween costume special? [29:44] This week, special guest and SYLVAIN Halloween expert Xahra Gilbert joins Joey and Jess to talk about candy corn, Cuffing Season, Fill-in-the-Blank Season, Halloween costumes, recognizability vs. the exclusive club of getting it, and facial contouring. Thankfully, they don’t talk about Korn. references Slate: When Did This Time of Year Become “Spooky Season”? Last Week Tonight's A...

How do we teach each other how to relinquish our power? This week, Aaron, Joey and Jess return to topic of relinquishing power from Critical Nonsense Episode 124 and talk about DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion), loss aversion vs. creation, collective amplification, looking beyond recruiting, allyship, and collaboration. They don’t talk about Aaron's dentist. references "Drogba (Joanna)", where Afro B wonders why Joanna is playing him like Didier Drogba, the superstar soccer/football play...

What does it say about us that we have this love/hate relationships with institutions but never want to follow through disrupting them? And how do we all figure out the same rules for naming things at the exact same time? [29:29] This week, Jess and Aaron talk about Ozy, sparkling water, astrophysics, the current rules of naming, creating and erasing tethers, and Black names. They don’t talk about what baby names nerf herders prefer. references Like Ra-i-ain NYT's DealBook: Balancing Honesty ...

Why do we need to be 100% in on everything? And what do you want the future of cities to be? [22:19] This week, Joey and Jess talk about social media likes, consumed-content as identity, Ryan Reynolds, urban density, crisis-inspired city experimentation, and Retrofuturism. They don’t talk about how much more Michael likes semifreddos than he does whole Fredos. references Dudes Posting Their W’s Revisiting Critical Nonsense #121, when we last talked about Tressie McMillan Cottom and thick conv...

How should we be viewing research in a world where social scientists are going through a replication crisis? And what do our childhood favorites reveal about us today as adults? [32:57] This week, Joey and Aaron talk about evaluating research, truthiness, Game of Thrones, intense interest, dinosaurs, and persistent preferences. They don’t talk about Diplo. references Vox on the replication crisis Maesters? Live Science: Trains, Dolls and Dinosaurs: Why Do Kids Get Obsessed?

Do we even need etiquette anymore? And what are the rules around decorating for the holidays? [28:25] This week, special guest Hannah Jegart joins Jess and Joey to talk about conscientiousness vs. responsibility, policing behavior, who makes the rules, wreaths, self-designated holidays, and decorating indoors. They talk a lot about soup, but they don’t talk about what's wrong with the soup! references Whatever tomorrow brings, Brandon Boyd will be there. Emily Post Etiquette, a family busine...

How do you check in on your journey? And is the external presentation of our processing a photo negative of our neuroprint? [27:30] This week, Aaron, Joey and Jess talk about the naiveté of youth, old journals, showing grace toward yourself, Artificial Intelligence, people as patterns, and neuroscience. They don’t talk about whether the late U.S. Army Brigadier General John Thompson had a sister or cousin or close friend named Tammy, and why in the wacky Critical Nonsense universe a gun might b...

Can we talk about boundaries? And what is the solo-creator economy doing to us? [27:42] This week, Joey, Aaron, and Jess talk about the limits of the entrepreneurial mindset, yo-yo thinking, figuring out and articulating your needs, influencers, the mirage of individualism, and the myth of meritocracy. They don’t talk about the next great cicada influencer, Lil Brood X. references An Internet Person's Office Neighbor's Door Policy Isaiah Berlin's Positive and Negative Liberty Gary Shteyngart'...

Why do we have such a tough time trusting the teenage girl's opinion? And why do we have to go to extremes around differentiating between people with the same name? [27:33] This week, Cutie Corner returns! Special guests Nora "Not No-No" Mestrich and Ash "Jean" Casper join Jess "Jessie" Vander to talk about One Direction, the power of teenage girls and their feelings, shared commonality, nicknames, the SYLVAIN Katie/Cate Conundrum, and the flexibility of middle names. They don’t talk about *ble...

What are the hidden politics of Hello? And what are the faces that we've lost in COVID? [24:24] This week, Aaron, Joey and Jess talk about hollow statements, emotional synchronization, bro energy, putting on faces, responsibilities and expectations, and monogamy. They don’t talk about how pineapples come from shrubs, not trees. references Critical Nonsense on YouTube "Picture it ..." A Beginner's Guide to Bro-Speak The New Yorker: An Epic Takedown of Élite Brospeak Washington Post: The strang...

What is the state of competition in our culture today? And what are some life lessons that everybody needs to know? [29:18] This week, Joey, Jess, and Aaron talk about sports as allegory, the shifting restaurant review scale, Sha'carri Richardson, casual wedding attire, packing extra underwear, and pit stains. They don’t talk about Earthships. references The most important thing to know about peachicks Jesse Owens at the Berlin Olympics in 1936 Diarrhea at the Slip-N-Slide: "The network is wa...

Why do people fall in love with new things in their 30s? And what communities are you a part of? [19:53] This week, special guest Hannah Jegart, Joey, and Jess talk about Regina-George-ing on MacroBars, playing the recorder, syncing up having babies, the ritual head nod of community, fellowship, and getting invited to a stranger's seder table. They don’t talk about how sorry we are for breaking the uke-transition-tradition. doo-doo-doo-doooo... doo-doo-doo-doooooo... doot. There. references N...

Who was Carlton Banks foolin'? And why does "cringe" never go away? [32:07] This week, Aaron, Joey and Jess talk about sitcom pilots, the multitudes of Blackness, blerds, the cringe and shame parfait, lacking valuable perspective, and ... body chocolate? They don’t talk about Berhana and his clever, non-cringy ode to Janet Hubert. references Whatchu talkin' about, Willis? Spinning an Olympic yarn The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Reunion "Will ... you ... marry ... m—" What makes one a blerd? Three...