Episodes

Why do we feel the need to humanize brands? And the great debate: vertical or horizontal? This week, Joey and special bird Hannah talk about a Ritz-sponsored magazine, Lil Miquela, burger offsets, some Landscape mode science words, sizzle videos, and how it would be to watch The Revenant in a vertical orientation. They don't talk about how the Sistine Chapel ceiling was not actually commissioned by the Medici: only the altar wall fresco, The Last Judgement. references Lil Miquela's instagram ...

How should we deal with the plot twists in our own personal narratives? And a hot take: "gifting is a selfish act." [20:34] This week, Joey and Aaron go rogue talking about Cincinnati chili, fairness, traumatic experiences, giving people puppies, the value of gift utility, and the role of love languages. They don't talk about how Jess did not endorse the contents of this episode. references HBR: on stress and naming your anxiety patterns A refresher on The Brave Little Toaster The Lexus Dece...

How do we mourn a parasocial relationship? And how do identity politics affect music genres? [17:34] This week, Aaron, Joey, and Jess talk about Kobe, 1996, Titus Burgess, the new cowboy in town, appropriation, and "Daddy Lessons." They don't (enough) about Billy Porter's grammy look. references "My Complicated Reaction to the Death of Kobe Bryant." Felicia Sonmez's suspension and reinstatement following her tweets about "remembering a public figure in their totality." The look Lil Nas X ser...

What does the movie Parasite tell us about culture? And what are the consequences of all these drops? [18:20] This week, Cultural Horoscopes! with our very own cultural astrologer Osei Kwakye. He, Joey, and Jess talk about subtitles, our categorization-machine tendencies, Good Boys, the Cosmic Crisp apple, social scarcity, and fat times. They don't talk about how that Frasier episode is Season 10, Episode 11: "Door Jam." references Despite the skeptics, Jess is all in on the Cosmic Crisp apple...

What's to come in 2020? This week, Wild Prognostications! Special guest Ben Vander joins Jess, Aaron, and Joey to rank topics on a Goldilocks scale from "too wild" to "not wild enough." To be tracked through this year: culture war, modern asceticism, the tide turning on cars, bling, starter homes, hoaxes, and the appeal of pantries. They don't talk about the metrics behind "just wild enough:" it's more like a feeling. references Ben's newsletter, The Link, is actually really good. Also, emoji...

How has nostalgia affected musical theater? And why is dying so hard? [23:19] This week, mystical guest Dylan, Joey, and Jess talk about Shakespeare, Waitress, mandarins v. clementines [19:59], the symbiosis between old and young people, observando el Día de los Muertos, and #folkwisdom. They don't talk about Kimiko Glenn's knockout delivery of "When He Sees Me." references CNN: the declining US life expectancy. Rapidly aging countries. On intergenerational programs. NPR on Día de los Muer...

What debt do we owe to '90s action movies? And how can we clean digital house in the new year? [21:41] This week, 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 Whatever you feel about Malcolm Gladwell: thoughts on what gu...

What happened in 2019? This week, a special end of the year episode! Joey, Aaron, and Jess talk about "Made in anywhere-but-America," Jim Carrey's Trump art, the Lancet paper, unicorn mac and cheese, and purpose-washing. They don't talk about the title of their Zuckerberg Lion King remake. references "I'm Old Gregg." WaPo: on our protest music SNL: families at the end of the year Bon Appetit: "I tried the Climate Diet..." Also, the Bon Appetit cinematic universe.

Why are we obsessed with year-end wrap-ups? And when does performance on social media go wrong? [17:26] This week, special guests Steven Ebert and Nora Mestrich join Joey to talk about Spotify Wrapped, Dunbar's Number puns, rebirth, vague-booking, trauma, and Walden. They don't talk about how we never edit out things in post that we say we will. Book recommendation: Atomic Habits, by James Clear See your Spotify Wrapped here. Spotify Wrapped: the Fallout (from The Guardian) Metro on Sadfishi...

What should or could Thanksgiving music be? This week, a special! Joey, Aaron, and Jess sing about crooning, country crooning, the elbow that keeps going, Heartstrings, Aaron's cornbread pro-tip, and the green bean casserole divide. They don't talk about how "pipette" translates to "little pipe" in English.

How much greatness is hiding in plain sight on the internet? And what if we took Thanksgiving more seriously? [17:29] This week, Joey and Jess talk about 9M9H9E9, future Kafka, penny press newspapers, the Thankanator (coming soon to theatres), the Duchenne smile, and the Gratitude Turkey. They don't talk about which poultry cut is superior: white or dark meat (hint: there's a right answer). references Referenced books from Joey's Book Club if you need some holiday weekend reads: Chuck Kloster...

How do we fix customer service? And why do we make up work? [18:04] This week, Aaron and Jess talk about Jess's new friend, Jonah, their worst flight ticketing blunders, Amazon's silver lining, fabric swatches, entry level usefulness, and allowing for agency. They don't talk about what a snerfherder (sp?) is. references "Poison Control": the Radiolab episode Jess was talking about "BS Jobs: How Meaningless Work Wears Us Down" NPR's Hidden Brain episode Blanchard and Johnson's "One Minute Ma...

This week, our first ever live show! Joey, Aaron, Jess and special guest Daisy Walker (joined by Hot-Takers Osei, Hannah, Ilana, and Katie) talk about junk playgrounds, The Big Mike, the alternate and "maybe probably true" origin story of Santa, Heinz Mayomust, Dolly 'effin Parton, and sweatpants material. They don't talk about how we slyly convinced the whole audience to sing with us (in true, Nonsense fashion). To skip around: Hot take 1 and Adult Play [2:45], Hot take 2 and Fungi [23:50], an...

How new is this generational divide? And what good is fear? [20:46] This week, Joey and Aaron talk about "OK Boomers," the B.S. factory, Big Doorbell, a glissando of strings, Juice, and the effect of adrenaline on our brains. They don't talk about TikTok nor how a useful mnemonic for the generations could be Goop Slap But (Joneses) Xtremely Musical Zebra Appetites. references Taylor Lorenz on "OK Boomer" The TED talk with James Flynn on "Why Our IQ Levels are Higher Than Our Grandparents'"

What happened to the dinner party? And what's the value of storytelling? [16:38] This week, Aaron and Joey talk about Betty Draper, "instagram tables," the only reason we clean, "narrative economics," seed libraries, and data translation. They don't talk about Ina, though she really deserves a mention for her venerable dinner hosting prowess. references Vox on the status of the dinner party WaPo: "The world's top economists just made the case for why we still need english majors"

What is our responsibility to pigs? And what are we doing with the void of organized religion? [21:10] This week, Jess, Joey, and magical guest Ilana talk about octopus gratitude, k-type versus r-type animals, "the PR crisis of raccoons", the Jewish New Year, thick and thin love, and our susceptibility to cults. They don't talk about how humans recently recorded pigs using tools for the first time. references Reply All #149 30-50 Feral Hogs "The majority of the increase observed in CH4 result...

How is the LGBTQ community shaping modern comedy? And how do you manage a company's values in a global economy? [22:47] This week, Joey and special guests Dylan Fowler and Osei Kwakye talk about Bowen Yang, "beefing down," Los Espookys, Daryl Morey's 7-word tweet, the forsaken Hearthstone player, and the time test of Space Jam. They don't talk about how Jess is actually afraid of 1993 Jurassic Park microvillain, Dennis Nedry. references For more of Bowen Yang, check his podcast Las Culturista...

How do we manage life state transitions? And why do we compare ourselves to things? [19:34] This week, Aaron and Joey talk about Aaron's new puppy, "dog state," equilibrium, yarning weaves, Pablo Picasso's classical training, and misinterpreting the implications of certain excellence. They don't talk about whatever CBD thing Aaron hinted at—maybe next time? references "Barkley, Shut Up and Jam: Gaiden" the indie game plot you never knew you needed to read. Dan Gilbert's book, Stumbling on Ha...

What are the boundaries of ethical travel? And what's the difference between a colleague and a friend? [19:23] This week, Joey and Aaron talk about Sylvain Labs's "Jaunt" to Puerto Rico, enjoying vacation, holding a baby alligator, flatness, and a lot of sappy mushy appreciation. They don't talk about how Captain Planet is in fact blue with green hair. references The intro to Captain Planet Chef José Andrés and Dorian aid through his organization, World Central Kitchen Santiago Apostol is St...

What's the point of fatalism? And why is everyone a picky eater now? [17:35] This week, sort-of special guest Katie Sadow joins potentially-lactose-intolerant Joey and congested-robot Jess to talk about Jonathan Franzen, total resignation, OptimistOptimistOptimists, eggs, eating education, and the different types of bitternesses. They don't talk about how Oatly has been holding out on the USA. references Jonathan Franzen's New Yorker article on fatality Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation annual r...

When will the speculative VC bubble pop? And what do we do without the school year? [21:25] This week, Joey and Jess talk about Adam Neumann, rocketships, Dutch Tulip Mania, synchrony, the PSL, and antici-. They don't talk about the fall of MoviePass and related morals of that VC story. references WSJ: "What WeWork's Worth," a podcast on WeWork's valuation The No Mercy / No Malice newsletter WeWork's S-1 Tulip mania -pation.

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? [27:50] This week, 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 Girl reruns—not The New Girl, Joey, duh. references Th...

What are the Top 3 Reusable Startup Hacks? This week, Live Clickbait! In our new segment, special guest Greg Kubin of CoFounder Weekly shares his picks: the founder mindset, using Twitter for networking video conferencing over in-person meetings Along the way, we talk about FAANG, permissions structures, Joey's Twitter Identity, the Beyond Meat IPO, Dark Forest theory, and a most uncomfortable phrase passed down to Joey that we'll never forget. They don't talk about the new, hypothetical Cr...

What can we learn from Missy Elliott? And what is the role of cultural critique today? [19:49] This week, Aaron and Joey talk about Iconology, timelessness, the Rain, Rotten Tomatoes, Tan France, and Content. They don't talk about the future of Misdemeanor's career...maybe another episode? references Missy's "The Rain" video Busta's surrealistic "Gimme Some More" video Vox on Cultural Criticism Binge Mode on The Ringer The NYTimes review of Guy Fieri's restaurant