Critical Nonsense

About what men isn't Hollywood writing? And how do we design a more focused work environment? [23:50] This week, Aaron and Joey talk about somebody they made up named "Noah Centino" who's perpetually in a hot tub, "YA (Young Adult) Cinema", "the Man Box," "the Slack-ening," "Slow Thinking," and "WFH because productivity." They don't talk (much) about how Alex Contell makes his show debut as Correc...

How much "I" is TMI at work? And what does it mean to sell-out in 2019? This week, special guest Ilana and Joey talk about being tired, vulnerable leadership, embarrassing yourself, "sponcon," The Chopra-Jonas Wedding, and FitTea. They don't talk about how the best kind of Doritos is actually Roulette. references UC Berkeley's experiment on how embarrassing yourself makes you seem more trustworthy...

Why do we rewrite perfectly good words? And what is the power of offense? [18:50] This week, "Captain of Efficiency" Aaron and Joey talk about idioms, Shakespeare, Backpfeifengesicht, monoculture, sh*t, and emotional vigilance. They don't talk about some of the rewritten words in this episode: sportsball, netherspaces, megaword, gajillion, and battlestargalactokaybai. references Froebel Gifts , or...

Why can't women be funny at work? And what drives our latest beauty obsessions? [15:57] This week, Joey, Jess, and special guest Katie talk about work playfulness, foraging, knee-slappers, Korean eyebrow masks, the beauty obsession pendulum, and Malala Yousafzai's perfect unibrow. They don't talk about the technical terms for 18th century "butt shelf" pads: "bums," "bumrolls," "rumps," or "culs."...

How do you travel when you only feel safe at home? And what is the appeal of a hero? [18:12] This week, Aaron and Joey talk about feelings that conflict with safety facts, getting struck by lightning, Aaron's tips for venturing into uncharted territory, Zion Williamson, the hero's burden, and Han Solo (sort of). They don't talk about the great foremother of the "Cone of Possibility": the rather te...

What is our responsibility with our emotion? And how are we dealing with the reality that nowadays, everyone meets online?[19:00] This week, Jess, Joey, and special guest Steven talk about feelings as a virus, male emotion, choosing joy, serendipity engines, Joey's Meet Cute, and how the algorithm knows your type. They don't talk about the power ranking of modern dating apps. references NPR on the...

What do the rules we break say about us? And why are video-game movie adaptations so bad? [21:00] This week, Joey and Aaron talk about Montessori school, spam calls, rebellious doctors, The Witcher, Harry Potter, and maybe too much Milla Jovovich. They don't talk about the cringe-worthy nonsense that are this—and most of our other—post-credits cookies. references The Atlantic (not Quartz) on the t...

What will influence look like in 2020? And what’s so valuable about the institution of college? [20:28] This week, Joey and special guest host Hawa talk about American Meme, status, "piercing the veil," the recent admissions scandal, German craft schools, and meritocracy. They don't talk about their SAT scores. references NYTimes: the college admissions cheating scandal . Hasan Minhaj on college a...

How does one be a neighbor? And when are we old? [18:56] This week, Joey and Aaron talk about segways, friendship, moving in, being old longer, feeling old younger, and Boston Dynamics' Spot. They don't talk about the sheer quantity of fence types we missed: electric, wrought iron, pool, chickenwire, garden, vinyl panel, the list goes on. references Vox on Housing and  Adult Friendship . See the h...

When should we "cancel" an artist? And how long should we put up with the negatives of social media? [18:57] This week, Aaron and Joey talk about Michael Jackson, redirecting royalties, Picasso, Facebook moderators, flat-earthers, and internet librarians. They don't talk about how "cancelling" by this use has not yet made it into Merriam Webster. references Clips from Leaving Neverland (and presum...

What makes a generation "soft"? And what makes something luxurious? [18:36] This week: Joey and Jess and special guest commentator Camille talk about adversity, erring on the side of caution against abuse, NBA contracts, fine leather goods, stopping time, and instagram-worthy icecream. They don't talk about the technical cut-off year for being "Millennials." references That original HuffPost artic...

Whom does the gig economy benefit? This week, Joey and Aaron talk about the privilege of flexibility, benefits, and big a$$ spears. They don't talk about the extremely dark past of ears on belts. references Claudia Goldin's Harvard  study on the pay gap .

What are the new rules of attribution in the age of the internet? And when will smart homes be smart enough? [17:47] This week, Joey and Aaron talk about the creative commons, remix culture, /r/ Showerthoughts, Janet, Hue lights, and the Guster meow mix. They don't talk about how /r/ Showerthoughts might just as well be another name for our show. references The Grey Album , by DJ Danger Mouse, for...

What makes baking special? And what could happen now that sports betting is (mostly) legal? [22:22] This week, Aaron and Joey talk about anxiety, chemistry, grandmas, predictive markets, Sir Francis Galton, and Mary Berry. They don't talk about which of Mary, Merry, and Marry sound the same. references The Atlantic on anxiety-baking. More on prediction markets . Predict it. Wiki's bio on Sir Franc...

Why is it so hard to take professional risks? And what will happen to the horror genre?? [23:11] This week, Joey and special guest host Osei talk about 'Oumuamua, tenure, risks and happiness, UFOs, the Golden Record, and Black Mirror. They don't talk about their up/down votes on Bandersnatch. references The scoop on 'Oumuamua. NPR: The story of NASA engineer Bob Ebeling and the space shuttle chall...

What's to come in 2019? This week, a special top of the year episode! Aaron, Joey, and Jess talk about their wild prognostications, involving Trump-era art, provenance in retail, the next fad diet, the next Facebook, brand values, and unicorns. They don't talk about what kind of animal Gritty is. references The Fiji water PR stunt that began with the Golden Globes. Pew on Americans and Facebook as...

Why hasn’t the FIRE movement taken off? And what's the point of Best Of Lists? [25:45] This week, Joey, Aaron, and special guest host Kelly talk about retiring early, time as a resource, healthy skepticism, total stock market funds, Beychella, and hispanic literature. They don't talk about Schrödinger's Yanni. Or is it Schrödinger's Laurel? references The Financial Independence, Retire Early (FIRE...

What do we lose when we lose nostalgia? And what is going to replace the NFL? [17:40] This week, Aaron and Joey talk about time in different cultures, Finesse, Norman Rockwell, the Kareem Hunt story, culture televised, and ideal NFL alternatives. They don't talk about the power ranking of early 2000s teen films. references The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows .Minnie Riperton's  Lovin' You in full. T...

What’s the role of deprivation in a time with so much excess? And why are Disney princes so lame? [16:57] This week, Joey and Aaron talk about fasting, hedonism, the most sinful cities in America, lazy patriarchy, Mr. Mom-ism, and the inevitable queer Disney prince. They don’t talk about how The Beast’s real name is Adam. Beep boop. references The dopamine fasting video from Joey’s feed of science...

This week, a special early episode! Aaron and Joey take on a handful of questions likely to come up over Thanksgiving dinner.

What’s special about board games? And how should we treat our pets? [17:33] This week, Aaron and Joey talk about hoop rolling, the Settlers of Catan, Sun Tsu, Modern Family, the health benefits of having a dog, and luxury chicken diapers. They don't talk about the hidden advantages of drawing the Split-Level card. references Understand why Gloomhaven actually weighs 20 lbs .Thoughts on The Player...

What is mystery in the 21st century? And why are teen soap operas so addictive? [17:30] This week, Joey and Aaron talk about the observer effect, deep fakes, guts that think, socially acceptable hyperbole, compassion fatigue, and the uncanny valley of drama (which is a thing we might've made up). They don't talk about soaps used by teens. references Adobe's Project Voco : text to voice replacement...

This week: Aaron asks Joey about being sexy on Halloween and Joey asks Aaron about the current state of intimacy. With special guest, Katie Sadow.

This week: Joey asks Aaron about how we connect to music and Aaron asks Joey about meaning in work. For all the songs referenced in the first conversation, we made a playlist of nostalgia, disco, and middle-aged saxophone. The Soul Glo song from Coming to America. Eric Erikson's stages of psychology. The Outline: Red Dead Redemption 2.

This week: special guest Ilana Bondell asks Joey about the culture around Sports versus Celebrity and Joey asks Ilana about the potential for climate change moonshots. Canelo Alvarez and the highest paying contract in history : $365M. Lebron's Laker's deal was $153M. Elon Musk's meltdown : a chronology. Taylor Swift getting out the Tennessee vote.