It's Pretty OK

You’ve maybe seen articles about millennial burnout in the New York Times or on BuzzFeed . The job market is still often brutal to navigate for young people, combined with rapidly-inflating costs of living and not-so-rapidly-inflating wages. And through all of it, there’s a chorus of Elon Musks and Gary Vaynerchuks shouting about “hustling,” “grinding,” and how if you’re not working 100 hours a we...

Kevin joins Pierce and Sean for a discussion of college basketball’s longtime loathsome villains, the Duke Blue Devils. Has Duke become less hatable in the 2010s? And what the hell is Coach K doing playing a zone? As always, Pierce apologizes. And Sean shouts out a fantastic new book on A Tribe Called Quest. MUSIC: “Jazz (We’ve Got)” - A Tribe Called Quest ADDITIONAL MATERIAL: Go Ahead in the Rain...

Ugh, it’s a rough time to be a New Orleans sports fan. Not only are the loathsome New England Patriots champions after beating the Los Angeles Rams in an all-around terrible Super Bowl that Sean feels like the Saints were shafted out of, but now the best player to ever suit up for his NBA team wants out — and he wants to go to the damn Lakers . He talks to Max and Pierce about Anthony Davis’s trad...

Last time we dove deep into a TV episode, Sean and Pierce dissected Mad Men ’s “The Suitcase.” This time, Max is present as well for a discussion of “Ozymandias,” the Rian Johnson-directed Breaking Bad masterpiece. Pierce gives a stirring reading of the original Shelley poem before the gang talks about the sights and sounds of “Ozymandias” and explores how this is the episode where everything fall...

The gang opens the show with a tribute to Vanguard founder Jack Bogle. Then, an announcement of new price hikes by Netflix brings up the question of whether cord-cutting is actually more expensive than cable packages and a discussion of Netflix’s impending content crisis. MUSIC: “Pain Killer” - Iceage ADDITIONAL MATERIAL: Netflix’s upcoming content crisis, in one chart (Vox) Hosted on Acast. See a...

These days, it seems like all the food is going into bowls. Between Chipotle and Sweetgreen and Chopt and Cava and all of the other places that make mildly-to-egregiously-overpriced lunches for America’s millennial workforce, the focus appears to have shifted from the humble sandwich to salad bowls, burrito bowls, Mediterranean bowls, and on and on and on. Why is this happening? And, as we often a...

Last night, No. 2 Clemson took a big lead early and never let up, cruising to a dominant 44-16 national championship win over No. 1 Alabama behind three passing touchdowns from true freshman Trevor Lawrence (two to wideout Justyn Ross) and three scores from tailback Travis Etienne. It was the fourth year in a row that the two squads met in the College Football Playoff, and the third in that span w...

Short-shirt company Untuckit has ridden the casual-workplace trend all the way to a search for funding that would value the company at a staggering $600 million . That valuation is nothing compared to what investors decided logoless shoe mavens Allbirds was worth. So how did we get here? And does middle school maybe have anything to do with it? MUSIC: “Nameless, Faceless” - Courtney Barnett Hosted...

Merry Christmas! Hopefully you’re enjoying the holidays in the company of family and friends. And maybe, if you’re lucky enough to still be off work/school/etc., you’ll be settling in on Wednesday to watch some Boxing Day Premier League action. This week, the gang discusses the “Festive Fixtures” blitz that sees every club in England’s top league playing four matches in a blistering 14-day span. M...

It’s Christmas party season, which means it’s time to remind you that you should probably be leaving parties (especially work ones) early . It’s also time to discuss a gesture that has as many names as there are lazy ethnic stereotypes about European nationalities. You might know it as the Irish goodbye, the French exit, or maybe something else. Why do people leave social gatherings without saying...

The year-end rankings list: Is it the definitive guide to what mattered in culture this past year? Or is it just an exercise in the perpetual need to crank out more and more content faster and faster? And why are they released so long before the year actually ends? That’s what Sean, Pierce, and Max are discussing this week. MUSIC: “Love It If We Made It” - The 1975 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/p...

Ford and GM are both significantly scaling back development and production of cars —not as in automobiles generally, but specifically non-truck/SUV vehicles. Sean, Pierce, and Max talk about what’s driving that change (no pun intended) and who is still buying American-made sedans. MUSIC: “Velvet Elvis” - Kacey Musgraves Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Are you still enjoying your Thanksgiving leftovers? Pierce (who is) and Sean (who is not) talk this week about what to do with the post-Turkey Day turkey. Is microwaving your leftover mashed potatoes disrespectful to your parents/grandparents/aunts/friends/yourself? And if you must nuke, is there a way to nuke that keeps your food from drying out? As always, Pierce apologizes, and Sean gets emotio...

Kevin joins Max and Pierce this week to discuss the greatest event in sport. No, not the Rams’ thrilling 54-51 win over the Chiefs on Monday Night Football. They’re talking, of course, about the 2018 World Chess Championship…which, as you listen to this, is still going on! MUSIC: “Soft Stud” - Black Belt Eagle Scout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’re not saying the Food Network is dying, but maybe it’s in need of an injection of a little something new. We’re a little tired of watching a zillion Chopped reruns a day. Meanwhile, Vice is struggling with some high-profile talent departures , a string of sexual harassment allegations , and some significant financial woes . Does Pierce have an idea that weaves those things together? He sure do...

It’s Election Day, so the gang gives one last reminder of how important it is for you to go vote today. After that, they chat about meal-prep services like Blue Apron and Bon Appetit’s sub-site Basically, which recently launched 10x10, “a series of 10 simple, essential recipes that will make you a better cook.” Who are these offerings aimed at? How are they different? And, as always, the question...

Tomorrow is Halloween, so the gang got together to talk about scary movies. Why do we like them so much? How have they evolved since the days of Freddy and Jason? And what happens when you watch them multiple times? MUSIC: “Quick” - Tank & the Bangas Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From Chocolate Chip Cookie Week (The Takeout) and Evil Week (Lifehacker) in the Gizmodo Media Group universe to Good Bad Movies Week and Patriots Week on The Ringer, the “____ Week” has become a major trope on millennial-focused websites, so the gang is talking about them this week. Where did they start? What is the purpose they serve? And are they any good? MUSIC: “Geyser” - Mitski Hosted on Acas...

About two years ago, the gang talked about festivals . For the first time since that episode, Sean went to a music festival—specifically, Austin City Limits. He talks to Pierce, Max, and Kevin about the bands he saw (many excellent ones), his appreciation of city-based festivals (explore the city in the morning, go to the festival in the afternoon), and whether his perspective on festivals has cha...

It’s October, which means it’s time for playoff baseball. Kevin joins Pierce and Sean to reminisce on their childhood relationships with baseball, how those relationships have changed, and whether it’s acceptable to have a 5-hour game. MUSIC: “Slow Rider” - Cuddle Magic Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Max is still off with the kangaroos and the kookaburras, but Sean and Pierce got together to talk about the changes they’ve made to try to be more eco-conscious about food storage, etc. They talk about why reducing and reusing are every bit as important as recycling and share some small steps they’ve taken that might work for you too. Then Pierce apologizes, as always, and Sean shouts out a surpri...

Kevin joins the pod this week, and the gang is talking about a person who found that a movie he purchased on iTunes had disappeared from his computer. Turns out he didn’t really buy it, he just “bought” it. Why is “buying” something digitally different from buying something physically? And more importantly, who stands to benefit from that difference? MUSIC: “Rock the Reaper” - Bat Fangs ADDITIONAL...

Are memes an improvement on the way we express ourselves and communicate with other humans? That’s the question Pierce brings to the table this week, and Sean, Max, and Kevin are here to discuss subtlety, sincerity, and internet trolling. MUSIC: “Universal Sound” - Tyler Childers ADDITIONAL MATERIAL: Highly Questionable - Papi Handshake Fake Out Compilation (YouTube) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com...

Max moved for work, and that means he has a new commute. That sparks a conversation about commutes, how moving out to the suburbs affects other people, and a new way to think about the elusive concept of work-life balance. MUSIC: “I Can’t Do Without You” - Clarence Carter Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pierce joins Sean in Charlottesville this week to talk about "The Suitcase," the episode of Mad Men (Pierce's favorite TV show) chosen at No. 2 in The Ringer's list of the 100 best television episodes of the 21st century . They talk about the parallels between the Don-Peggy relationship and the iconic Liston-Clay fight that features prominently in the episode, whether Don is the worst manager ever...