Serious Nonsense

Today's game: would you describe the following items/ideas/things as best done wet, soggy, damp, or dry? Clammy? Moist? David Roth of Defector.com breaks it all down for us, from doggy doors to books. If you want to learn more about David Roth, you should visit Defector.com, the last good website, and you can learn more about Serious Nonsense at JoyfulAmazing.biz/podcast/ Sign up for the show’s Pa...

If you've ever wanted to see a robot and feel like the entire world is one sweaty palm, apparently, you've got to attend the Consumer Electronics Show. At least that's how David Roth put it in a piece for Defector.com a while ago (you'll need to subscribe, but trust me, you should). It's election day in the USA the day this is being published and aside from everything costing a fortune the other s...

Amy's invited back to talk about bloopers, blunders and missed fact-checks that have caused wars and social media flamewars. Patrick Stewart (RIP) makes a cameo. Which outlet spread mistruth about our dear Jean-Luc Picard? Also, Star Wars fans: are you ready to find love in Alderaan places? Listen and find out! You can read Amy's writing at her site here , and you can learn more about Serious Nons...

Are you worried about consuming garbage media? Well, you've tuned into this podcast so there's one issue. But Amy Alexander was kind enough to join, and she's pretty sharp, so maybe you're doing OK and has some *beef* with the medial landscape as it stands. She joins to tell us about how we got here, the Kerner Commission, and what we all need to do to be better about sorting through vibes-oriente...

Serious Nonsense returns with a new batch of shows, featuring Myron Kaplan telling us why songs make us sad, the worst thing to ever happen to dinosaurs, and the meaning of "gnarly." Find Myron at Their Patreon: Your Frenetic Friend. They're also very good at juggling and write amazing music. You can learn more about Serious Nonsense at JoyfulAmazing.biz/podcast/ Sign up for the show’s Patreon and...

I ask my dear friend, musician, playwright, producer and everyone's uncle/auntie/guru Myron Kaplan all of life's most important questions. Included: turtle kisses, whether I am Jewish, and where I was before I was born. Find Myron at Their Patreon: Your Frenetic Friend. They're also very good at juggling and write amazing music. You can learn more about Serious Nonsense at JoyfulAmazing.biz/podcas...

Coming up in the new batch: questionable parenting advice, conversations about Blackness, Wet, Soggy, Damp or Dry?, one man's encounter with famed actor Wallace Shawn, and the questionable origins of NBC. And so much more. But first, I gotta beg. If you want all of this, click this link and become a Patreon member. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at ht...

Gabe is serious about making life difficult for himself. So much so that he moved to Switzerland and is now learning German. Can he distinguish between real German words and the ones I've made up? Can you? (Not a question directed to native German speakers, sorry). If you want to learn more about Gabe you can visit gabebullard.com, and you can learn more about Serious Nonsense at JoyfulAmazing.biz...

I talk to Gabe Bullard, a great writer and thinker and fun guy about why he wants things to be more difficult. That's his problem. Follow him at https://www.gabebullard.com/ and find a place to buy his book here . You can send this podcast to your friends via PocketCasts | Apple | Spotify . Enjoy! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/pr...

Sam Jones entertains a bunch of silly questions sort of related to chemistry, including fictional metals and solving a problem about cleaning coffee-making devices. Useful! If you want to learn more about Sam Jones you follow the American Chemical Society's podcasts (they're Tiny Matters and Chain Reaction, and they're *great*). You can learn more about Serious Nonsense at JoyfulAmazing.biz/podcas...

Sam Jones of Tiny Matters and Chain Reaction tells us about the Mandela Effect, death in space, death on Earth, and what we might want to misremember. If you want to learn more about Sam Jones you can visit the site for the American Chemical Society's podcasts (they're Tiny Matters and Chain Reaction, and they're *great*). You can learn more about Serious Nonsense at JoyfulAmazing.biz/podcast/ Sig...

Ever try to break up with someone and it just didn't take? How about trying to get fired? Dana Gartland has got your guide to doing it right. Or wrong. Or something. If you want to learn more about Dana you can visit her Instagram here and you can learn more about Serious Nonsense at joyfulamazing.biz/podcast. Sign up for the show's Patreon and get a free sentence read out loud on the show as well...

Dana Gartland tells us her tale of breaking through on stage in a uniquely British tradition. Caveat: this episode is not suitable for children or people who have dealt with sexual abuse, so please be aware. If you want to learn more about Dana you can visit her Instagram here and you can learn more about Serious Nonsense at joyfulamazing.biz/podcast. Sign up for the show's Patreon and get a free...

I did my best to creep out Zach. Maybe you have a better two-sentence horror story? If so, send it to me! acvaldez@joyfulamazing.biz. You can find out more about Zach at his website and more about Serious Nonsense at joyfulamazing.biz/podcast. Sign up for the Patreon and get a free sentence read out loud on the show as well as a free card game that I made up myself. See Privacy Policy at https://a...

Zach tells us about the scariest building ever, which you might remember from a favorite movie. Definitely download this one with a VPN. You can find out more about Zach at his website and more about Serious Nonsense at joyfulamazing.biz/podcast. Sign up for the Patreon and get a free sentence read out loud on the show as well as a free card game that I made up myself. See Privacy Policy at https:...

We talk about snacks, choices, and rankings. WHAT IS THE BEST SNACK? Listen and find out. You can find out more about Negar Ahkami's art at her website. Negar is making history here by writing me post-interview with a caveat: I realize my Tortilla vs KooKoo Sabzi required a more nuanced response! I needed to give the question the seriousness it deserved and not be so impulsive! Tortilla just happe...

Negar Ahkami tells me about why she makes dance floors as art. You can learn more about Negar at her website and you can find out more about Serious Nonsense at JoyfulAmazing.biz/podcast/ Also! If you like the show and want to support it, consider joining the Patreon . For just five bucks a month, I'll say any sentence you want on the show, and for $10/month you'll receive a free copy of one of my...

David and I discuss the virtues and problems with various weird symbols and titles and evaluate whether we'd use any of them. You can find more of David's comics at Wondermark.com and you can find out more about Serious Nonsense at joyfulamazing.biz. By the way, if you want to support the show, consider signing up at our Patreon page. For $5 a month, you'll get a single sentence of your choice on...

David walks us through the process of coming up with funny collages, as he does at Wondermark.com , a wonderful collage comic. You can find out more about David at the link above or about Serious Nonsense at joyfulamazing.biz/podcast. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Ryan's written a comic about things that don't exist. But he's also written an entire book on how to invent everything. Can he explain himself? Let's find out! You can learn more about Ryan at the links above, and more about Serious Nonsense at joyfulamazing.biz/podcast. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

In which Ryan and I discuss dialogue, the socratic method, and more about writing comics and dialogue. You can find out more about Ryan at dinosaurcomics.com or ryannorth.ca. Like Serious Nonsense? You can find out more about it at joyfulamazing.biz/podcast. <3 See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

In which I challenge Alex to tell us whether certain quotes are from Lena Dunham's "Girls" or some other place. A personal favorite: just because I don't care doesn't mean I don't understand! You can find more of Alex's writing at Defector.com or the latest season of her podcast Try Hard here. Want to know more about Serious Nonsense? Visit JoyfulAmazing.biz/podcast. Catch you soon! See Privacy Po...

Alex Sujong Laughlin of Defector.com and I break down the reasons why Girls hits and Dunham's latest memoir doesn't. In brief: everyone needs an editor. You can find more of Alex's writing at Defector.com (truly, I mean it, the last great website). You can also find out more about Serious Nonsense at JoyfulAmazing.biz . Gosh I need an editor. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and Cal...

Ronald's (very good!) podcast Weight for It discusses self-image, being a fat person, and all sorts of nuance. This game is much more shallow because I basically tortured him with questions about Gravity. You can find out more about Ronald at ohitsbigronstudios.com or just search for OhItsBigRon on your social media of choice. To find out more about Serious Nonsense, visit joyfulamazing.biz See Pr...

Sometimes I'm simply charmed by a person, their ideas, their work, their ability to self-criticize (complimentary). It's for these reasons I kind of got over myself and reached out to Ronald Young, Jr. to discuss a whole lot of things, his approach to interviewing and just how far you can get by yourself. Stick around for the game next episode, it's one of the funnest ones I think I've done so far...