Critical Nonsense

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...

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 Mil...

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...

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" a...

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'" tr...

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...

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...

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 Va...

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 z...

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 b...

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 :...

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 fo...

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,...

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...

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...

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 a...

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 t...

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...

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). refere...

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...

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, No...

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...