Critical Nonsense

When it comes to digital vigilanteism, what ultimate wages will we have to pay? And how do you feel about mediocrity? [25:37] This week, Aaron, Joey and Jess talk about rousing public attention, the celebrity amplification effect, the undercurrent of distrust in justice, the fear of being medium, a refrain of the Impressionist problem, and wrestling with workism. They don’t talk about what are par...

How come we're now calling this time of year "Spooky Season"? And what makes a Halloween costume special? [29:44] This week, special guest and SYLVAIN Halloween expert Xahra Gilbert joins Joey and Jess to talk about candy corn, Cuffing Season, Fill-in-the-Blank Season, Halloween costumes, recognizability vs. the exclusive club of getting it, and facial contouring. Thankfully, they don’t talk about...

How do we teach each other how to relinquish our power? This week, Aaron, Joey and Jess return to topic of relinquishing power from Critical Nonsense Episode 124 and talk about DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion), loss aversion vs. creation, collective amplification, looking beyond recruiting, allyship, and collaboration. They don’t talk about Aaron's dentist. references "Drogba (Joanna)" , whe...

What does it say about us that we have this love/hate relationships with institutions but never want to follow through disrupting them? And how do we all figure out the same rules for naming things at the exact same time? [29:29] This week, Jess and Aaron talk about Ozy, sparkling water, astrophysics, the current rules of naming, creating and erasing tethers, and Black names. They don’t talk about...

Why do we need to be 100% in on everything? And what do you want the future of cities to be? [22:19] This week, Joey and Jess talk about social media likes, consumed-content as identity, Ryan Reynolds, urban density, crisis-inspired city experimentation, and Retrofuturism. They don’t talk about how much more Michael likes semifreddos than he does whole Fredos. references Dudes Posting Their W’s Re...

How should we be viewing research in a world where social scientists are going through a replication crisis? And what do our childhood favorites reveal about us today as adults? [32:57] This week, Joey and Aaron talk about evaluating research, truthiness, Game of Thrones, intense interest, dinosaurs, and persistent preferences. They don’t talk about Diplo . references Vox on the replication crisis...

Do we even need etiquette anymore? And what are the rules around decorating for the holidays? [28:25] This week, special guest Hannah Jegart joins Jess and Joey to talk about conscientiousness vs. responsibility, policing behavior, who makes the rules, wreaths, self-designated holidays, and decorating indoors. They talk a lot about soup, but they don’t talk about what's wrong with the soup ! refer...

How do you check in on your journey? And is the external presentation of our processing a photo negative of our neuroprint? [27:30] This week, Aaron, Joey and Jess talk about the naiveté of youth, old journals, showing grace toward yourself, Artificial Intelligence, people as patterns, and neuroscience. They don’t talk about whether the late U.S. Army Brigadier General John Thompson had a sister o...

Can we talk about boundaries? And what is the solo-creator economy doing to us? [27:42] This week, Joey, Aaron, and Jess talk about the limits of the entrepreneurial mindset, yo-yo thinking, figuring out and articulating your needs, influencers, the mirage of individualism, and the myth of meritocracy. They don’t talk about the next great cicada influencer, Lil Brood X. references An Internet Pers...

Why do we have such a tough time trusting the teenage girl's opinion? And why do we have to go to extremes around differentiating between people with the same name? [27:33] This week, Cutie Corner returns! Special guests Nora "Not No-No" Mestrich and Ash "Jean" Casper join Jess "Jessie" Vander to talk about One Direction, the power of teenage girls and their feelings, shared commonality, nicknames...

What are the hidden politics of Hello? And what are the faces that we've lost in COVID? [24:24] This week, Aaron, Joey and Jess talk about hollow statements, emotional synchronization, bro energy, putting on faces, responsibilities and expectations, and monogamy. They don’t talk about how pineapples come from shrubs, not trees. references Critical Nonsense on YouTube "Picture it ..." A Beginner's...

What is the state of competition in our culture today? And what are some life lessons that everybody needs to know? [29:18] This week, Joey, Jess, and Aaron talk about sports as allegory, the shifting restaurant review scale, Sha'carri Richardson, casual wedding attire, packing extra underwear, and pit stains. They don’t talk about Earthships . references The most important thing to know about pea...

Why do people fall in love with new things in their 30s? And what communities are you a part of? [19:53] This week, special guest Hannah Jegart, Joey, and Jess talk about Regina-George-ing on MacroBars, playing the recorder, syncing up having babies, the ritual head nod of community, fellowship, and getting invited to a stranger's seder table. They don’t talk about how sorry we are for breaking th...

Who was Carlton Banks foolin'? And why does "cringe" never go away? [32:07] This week, Aaron, Joey and Jess talk about sitcom pilots, the multitudes of Blackness, blerds, the cringe and shame parfait, lacking valuable perspective, and ... body chocolate? They don’t talk about Berhana and his clever, non-cringy ode to Janet Hubert . references Whatchu talkin' about, Willis? Spinning an Olympic yarn...

How do we decide who gets to craft the story of us? And what is the weirdest fringe thing that you have personally encountered? [36:54] This week, special guest Osei Kwakye joins Joey and Jess to talk about The 1619 Project, cultural literacy, the Cold War and civil rights, experimental archeology, meat glue, and the counter-fringe. Sadly, they don’t talk about Bronies . references The New York Ti...

What might change if companies freaked out about their employees' transgressions against them before they went public? And why are we still missing the point with psychedelics? [34:49] This week, special guest Meron Medhanie joins Joey and Jess to talk about internal activism and accountability, nap pods, organizational sensory systems, the therapeutic aspects of psychedelics, Western and pop cult...

How powerful is Dungeons & Dragons? And how are smooth jazz and chill electronica different? [33:25] This week, Joey, Aaron, and Jess talk about the educational benefits of D&D, the changing status of "The Nerd," platforming Tolkien, low cognitive load, pleasant white noise, and anti-pop. They don’t talk about how Tears for Fears isn't yacht rock, smooth jazz, or electronic chill—they're j...

Hey, what about rituals? And when is it time to get rid of fireworks? [33:21] This week, Joey and Jess talk about learning from mindless routines, Millennial Rumspringa and the exhaustion of novelty, the mental efficiency of habit, fireworks and gentrification, moderation vs. cancelling, and drones. They don’t talk about using pyrotechnics to ward off heathens. references The late, great Karen Car...

How does purpose lead us astray? And when is it okay to talk about aliens? [24:22] This week, a rerun from the Nonsense Wellspring (archive)! Again, Aaron and Joey and Jess talk about Disney Pixar's Soul , fridge magnets, the Princess Diaries Series of novels, the Drake Equation and other UFO/UAP talk, tranches, and the science behind wombats' cube-shaped poop. They don't talk about owls relate to...

What is the state of Pride in 2021? This week, special guest Dylan Fowler joins Aaron and Jess to talk about the diversity of the queer experience, George Floyd, Harvey Milk, Carl Nassib of the Las Vegas Raiders, police participation, and more inclusive Pride flags. They don’t talk about how Dylan met Kacey Musgraves the other day. references Megan Stalter on what corporations are doing right now...

When and how can cute and powerful co-exist? What is the scale of cute to kitsch, and who gets to decide when things become kitschy? [21:31] Cutie Corner returns! This week, special guests Nora Mestrich and Ash Casper join Jess to talk about the paradoxical expectations of women's behavior, how cuteness humanizes people, Japanese mascot culture, kitsch vs. tacky, being eclectic, and the shift from...

This week, our inaugural expert guest Dr. Charles R. Chaffin stops by to talk about his new book, Numb: How the Information Age Dulls Our Senses and How We Can Get Them Back . Dr. Chaffin joins Joey to discuss the attention economy, compassion fatigue vs. empathy fatigue, finding empowerment to combat helplessness, the problem when tools become destinations, designing for addiction, Section 230, a...

What is our responsibility as consumers and brands to source products locally and support local economies? And what's the theme of this summer? [33:30] This week, special guest Fabian Castro joins Joey and Jess to talk about how volume and demand affect supporting local, being a responsible tourist/consumer, monocultures, Chet Hanks, pandemic-influenced summer expectations, and liminal spaces. The...

Why are we gravitating toward magic against technology, and is magic winning the cultural conversation? And what's your worst possible ghost food? [30:55] This week, Joey, Aaron, and Jess talk about the difference between fantasy and SciFi, magic as Big Tech's foil, the Waves of Pocahontas, WandaVision, silphium, ghost foods we currently live with (thanks again, allergies!), and the ultimate pear....

How do we fight more? And how will we strike a balance between simplicity and complexity? [24:42] This week, special guest Jenny Cavaioli joins Joey and Jess to talk about the positive outcomes of conflict, disagreeable givers, psychological safety, the powers of subtraction, Marie Kondo, and allergies. THEY DON'T TALK ABOUT FIGHT CLUB. (Well, they do a little bit, but please please please don't t...