Episodes

Why isn't everyone in love with Sharknado? And why do we crush? [30:11] This week, Aaron and Joey and Jess talk about B-Movies, a Sharknado notes slam poetry reading, soap operas, the "crush vessel," crushing pain, and #WCW (Woman Crush Wednesday). They don't talk about Jess's now defunct girlband, called Next Crush. references Background on the B-Movie More opinion on why folks might want to take Sharnado more seriously Zac Efron Bros Down to Grow Up A little history on XY Magazine The Tiger...

Why is Thirst-vertising such a thing right now? And how are superheroes adapting to 2020? [22:06] This week, Aaron, Jess, and luminary guest Dylan Fowler talk about risqué instagram advertising, WAP, Porn Hub's data analytics team, Watchmen, the idea of "protection," and She-Ra. They don't talk about the now defunct Isaiah Mustafa Voicemail Message Downloader site that left us far too soon. references Leggings: for men! Some thirsty ads: Paris Hilton's Carl's JR Commercial and Old Spice with ...

How do we feel about the ultra rich? And what is going on right now with spices? [27:25] This week, Joey, Jess, and Aaron talk about microschools, income inequality, "unfairness," the different kinds of cinnamon, "elevating comfort foods", and spicing up your life. They don't talk about how Bill Gates actually was pretty darn close guessing the price of floss. references Microschooling in a tweet Vice: Bill Gates estimates the market price of groceries (Corrections Department: the Totino's p...

Why does culture seem to move so quickly? And how do we keep up with the speed of internet speak? [24:00] This week, Joey and special guests Steven Ebert and Nora Mestrich talk about all things speed: B-Boys, being "passé aggressive," being "extremely online," Nora's One Direction blog, and important initialisms. They don't talk about how Extremely Online Cakes don't have novelty paper clips with fun shapes or colors: just regular paper clips. references The Japanese Cake meme "Angry Baby" ak...

What can waffles tell us about in our lives that we might not otherwise see? And how do you make room for an open-mind? [23:45] This week, Aaron and Jess and Joey talk about the Waffle House Index, the best kind of floss, the trap of spurious correlations, lots of longform, doomscrolling, and making the most out of openness. They don't talk about dinosaur floss, though they definitely, DEFINITELY should have. references Our Aaron is famous and so is his op-ed on Black Fandom. If you didn't ch...

What's the cost of bullsh*t? And what can black fandom tell us about rebuilding modern creative businesses? [28:44] This week, Joey and Aaron talk about Brandolini's Law, Hillary Clinton, what we don't know, Aaron's AdAge Feature (hello!), Gullah Gullah Island, and the Black Church. They don't talk about how the Gullah Heritage Corridor is in its 14th program year managed by the U.S. National Parks Service. references Don't sleep on The Progress Report [code: HAMSTER]. Check out last week's e...

What can we learn from games in designing a just society? And how do you keep cohesion with distributed teams? [26:56] This week, Aaron and Joey and Jess talk about the Mario Kart blue shell (it's blue, Joey), what makes a good game, the equity v. equality debate, cohesion at work, what makes a virtual meeting, and sheep sounds. They don't talk about *why* sheep sounds—our secret to keep.) references Our shiny new *!* cOnTeNt PlAtFoRm *!* is officially live: go check out The Progress Report a...

Who returns the shopping cart? And what values do we actually want to take away from our heroes? [18:59] This week, Joey and special guest Cole Nielsen talk about our Social Contract, TFW someone holds the door for you, mask participation, The Last Dance, WWBD (What Would Beyonce Do?), and Michele Obama. They don't talk about how Dads are equally liable to breathe down our necks too. references The tweet on Shopping Cart Theory

Who is Karen and why do we hate her? And what does it mean to "come out"? [26:02] This week, we're back. Joey and Aaron and Jess talk about Joey's grandma, overreactions, female stereotypes, pride-washing, otherness, and committing ourselves to fighting shame. They don't talk about how yes, you can expect your regularly scheduled nonsense programming to resume here and now. references Urban Dictionary: "Karen" and other useful definitions Using "Karen" in a sentence: exhibit A, exhibit B Whe...

Thanks for your patience during this pause, folks. This week, we're not releasing a new episode: Joey leaves a short voicemail in your podcast-inbox to explain. references Take a listen to Trevor Noah talking about George Floyd and racial injustice Of the resources we've seen circulating around here are two that have stood out to us: a) if you're looking for ways you can help... b) and this spreadsheet guide to anti-racist allyship is also a great resource and includes some excellent reads.

How are cancel culture and stan culture related? And how do we rage in public and in private? [22:36] This week, Joey and Aaron talk about the gentle breezes of Twitter, social currency, fan empowerment, one rude dentist, "angry black men," and escalating a game of work-league volleyball. They don't talk about the origins of "uncomfortable fuddy-duddiness." references On how Grimes's mom cancels Elon "Hype House" drama The "Call Her Daddy" fight and all that jazz The Jeffree Star "cremated" p...

silver linings™ How much content is too much? And what experiments are you running on yourself RN? [19:19] This week, Joey and voodoomamajuju Hannah Jegart talk about the overwhelming volume of boredom, watching Jeopardy, dopamine detoxing, Baby Foot, leg hair, and separately, helmet hair. They don't talk about how the second half of this episode deserves a Content Warning for gross bodily references. references Baby Foot Martha Stewart's jacket

What would it take for us to work in a vice industry? And how important is age to friendship? [29:28] This week, Aaron and Joey talk about the skills people need to sell drugs, dirty work, moral employment, being 25, the Indiana Jones Adventure ride, and whether or not Joey and Jess are actually friends. They don't talk about how important age is to having enemies. references Reply All #119 No More Safe Harbor Dax Shepherd and Dan Heath (Also sorry for my mic gain problem. xo, Jess)

Silver Linings™ Which GTA gang should we join? And how are we feeling right now? [25:14] This week, Joey and Aaron talk about Grand Theft Auto, more TikTok memes, getting creative, Inside Out life lessons, guilt, and finding little joys. They don't talk about how Jess forgot the last Buffalo. references The backstory on the Green vs. Purple debacle from Taylor Lorenz Some collective nouns

This week, Six Handshakes‽ (A new segment where we try to connect the dots between finds from far flung reaches of the internet.) Special guests Alex and Steven join Joey and Jess to talk about the six degrees of separation between this stay-at-home protestor investigation, the lovability of worms, enormous baby Then and Now, Bezos' wealth, muting on Zoom, and RuPaul's oil money. They don't talk about The Yolk Initiative. references We want to know: would you still love us if we were worms? Ex...

What is the future of food? And what are the pros and cons of having a dog? [26:47] This week, special guest Matt Millington joins Joey and Aaron to talk about stinging nettle soup, the UK's 'umami bomb,' milpas, Matt's dog Mr. Sid, Aaron's dog Rufio Cooper McFly, and Joey's dogs Ragamuffin, Gus, and Diablo. They don't talk about Jess's family dog Coco, nicknamed 'CocoNutButter.' references On Milpas: the diverse farming model of the Mayan empire. Small Robot Company. The Ringer: "Dogs on P...

What are the Top 3 Things Not to Do in Quarantine? This week, Live Clickbait! We and special guest Clarissa Pharr, deputy ideas editor at Quartz, discuss her picks: Don't text your ex. Don't call it "social distancing." Don't forget to tip the pizza delivery person. references Sign up for Quartz's "Need to Know: Coronavirus" newsletter The Daily Show on relationships in quarantine The Atlantic on "How to Maintain Your Relationship in Quarantine" Sociologist Dr. Eric Klinenberg on the NYT...

What impact will memes have on language? And why are Disney Princes so lame? [19:10] This week, reruns from the Nonsense Wellspring (archive)! Joey and Aaron talk about raiding Area 51, phatic expressions, inside jokes, lazy patriarchy, Mr. Mom-ism, and the inevitable queer Disney prince. They don't talk about sorghum flour. references Original episodes: "Taking Care of Business and Meme Speak" and "Deprivation, Excess, and Disney Princes"

silver linings™ How can we destigmatize—and democratize— mobile gaming? And how might we maintain the intimacy we've developed during quarantine? [20:30] This week, Aaron and Joey talk about Toon Blast, asking ourselves "am I the mayor?", how Dots is basically Candy Crush, small talk, Tom Figura's stand-up special, and doing "fine." They don't talk about whether Joey Tribbiani's "how you doin'" translates the same way. references The Impossible Quiz and all the answers.

silver linings™ How do we embrace boredom? And now that we have no excuses, when do we start doing all the things we've put off? [18:00] This week, Joey and guest-with-absolutely-nothing-else-going-on Cristina talk about Joey's latest think piece, Jared Leto, Jess's meditative extracurricular, choosing what to wear, Cristina's to-do list, and the ways we distribute labor. They don't talk about the bad Isaac Newton stuff. references Joey wrote a thing. Quartz: "How to Be Creative in the Coron...

How do you work from home? And what kind of pie is best? [21:36] This week, Aaron, Joey, and Jess talk about being "WFH Curious," multi-tasking, taking stock of things, sweet potato soufflé, salmon pie, and Chicken Voilá. They don't talk about why Jess's family is so big on singing the Jell-o jingle.

Why do we think we can predict the future with data? And how do we escape the confines of our algorithms? [16:11] This week, Joey and Aaron talk about weather radars, Lorenz attractors, picking a good restaurant, Janelle Monaé, ambivalent Spotify, and Netflix's Max. They don't talk about vegan Hamster Hams. references A video on Lorenz attractors and chaotic systems From the Aaron Powers book club (a competitor to the Joey Camire bookclub): Stumbling on Happiness Night of 1000 Stevies Max, N...

Where do we put our jargon? And what keeps us glued to exploitative television? [20:16] This week, Joey and Aaron talk about technical language, Strategic Bento Boxes, removing tension with new words, Judge Judy, [blank]sploitation, and Antoine Dodson. They don't talk about Big Jim's promise to all patrons: one beer, 75 tickets, unlimited taters. /glory. references Slate: Annie Wiener's Uncanny Valley and "garbage language" Judge Judy: ranked 43 in most television program episodes The compli...

How do we perceive time differently? And how can we tell people they're not queer? [20:10] This week, Joey and mystical-magical-sorcerer-wizarding Trevor also-magic-twice Larry talk about Kronos and Kairos, the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, incense timepieces, living in the margins, 2nd movements, and painting your nails. They don't talk about how Leap day is coming up or how there are almost 400 time zones. references Considering how different cultures experience time (and this video with epic Glo...