It's Pretty OK

Because everything is cyclical , this week, the gang is talking about tipping. The pandemic has changed our relationship with the practice, and it’s time to discuss it again — especially now that more places are starting to phase tipping out in favor of added service fees and the like. MUSIC: “Exhibit C“ – Jay Electronica Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Max, Pierce and Sean talk about the act of cultivating a home workspace — something so many of us have had to do in the last two years — and some of the ways that that process can maybe go wrong. Does Sean figure out in real time that he ought to rearrange a couple things in his apartment? Maybe! MUSIC: “Gimmie Shelter” – Merry Clayton Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more inf...

You’ve never heard that before, right? Apologies if the audio is glitchier than usual. MUSIC: “Kawasaki Backflip” – Dogleg Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, the gang gets together to talk about the foods that they ate frequently in their youth that they’ve had to grapple with as they’ve gotten older and started cooking for themselves. Spaghetti comes up a few times, as do the low-fat craze of the late ’80s and early ’90s and the fear of trichinosis that led every parent for multiple generations to cook pork way too long. MUSIC: “(I’m) Screw...

This week, the It’s Pretty OK Sports Brain Trust™️ convenes to talk about the Juan Soto situation. He’s turned down a contract from the Nationals that looks huge on paper but is not nearly as good as it might appear, and now the team is expected to trade him. Where does that leave Pierce, who has been clinging to his Nats fandom even after leaving the D.C. area, specifically because of Soto? MUSIC...

This week, the gang is back together for the first time in several weeks. What better way to celebrate than by revisiting a classic pod concept and seeing if we can’t make a rule for society to live by? This time, it’s about what is acceptable attire for a craft brewery — specifically, is it okay to wear another brewery’s T-shirt? MUSIC: “Gotta Let It Go” – Joyce Manor Hosted on Acast. See acast.c...

This week, Sean and Pierce talk conference realignment. Heads spin as they attempt to understand the concept of a college athletic conference that stretches from Piscataway, New Jersey to Los Angeles. MUSIC: “Elvis Is in the Freezer” – Ratboys Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, it’s just Sean and Pierce, and they’re talking about Stranger Things and the phenomenon of borrowed nostalgia. What’s different about this show as opposed to other prestige-TV period pieces like Mad Men or The Americans ? And why doesn’t Sean like the Kate Bush song as much as everyone else? NOTE: This episode was recorded before the release of the Stranger Things season 4 finale releas...

This week, the gang gets together to discuss what makes a college campus beautiful. Is it more than just having a picturesque quad and a few buildings designed in an aesthetically pleasing style of classical architecture? (Yes.) Pierce finally says something nice about Virginia Tech; how long will it be before he goes back to reflexively insulting them? (It’ll be less than a minute.) And we have p...

This week, the gang is talking about “stunt foods" — the parade of food challenges (like the Steak ‘n Shake 7x7) and ridiculous seasonal items (like Burger King’s black-bunned Halloween burger) that fast food customers find themselves bombarded with. Is this all the fault of Hardee’s and their risqué mid-2000s burger commercials? And will Sean take more stances that are probably more anticapitalis...

This week, the gang gets together to talk about the frozen delicacies that have sustained them through many a hot summer. Will Sean get overly regionally proud about the snowball and then rebut an argument about snowcones that no one actually made? You better believe it. Do multiple people on this podcast endorse the consumption of custard on scorching summer days? Incredibly, yes! And will Max be...

This week, the gang is talking about the fact that Max went to a midnight movie premiere (no matter what time zone he saw it in). They discuss the phenomenon of the special early release of movies/books/video games/etc. before the conversation unexpectedly turns into a referendum on Kevin’s approach to capitalism. You know, normal stuff. MUSIC: “Heavy Heart” – Bartees Strange Hosted on Acast. See...

This week, the gang gets together to talk about the fact that Pierce is still getting email updates from local businesses in a town he hasn’t lived in in nearly two full years. How has everyone’s inbox gone so crazy? Can Pierce convince us that he’s actually in the right somehow? And is Max ever going to check his damn email? MUSIC: “Intervention” – A Giant Dog Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/priva...

This week, the Sports Bois™️ are together to talk about yet another NBA conference finals that finds itself without Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers. And while Sean would probably like to spend the entire pod taking a victory lap about that, it fortunately turns into a broader discussion about the dangers of sports teams taking an entirely long-term (or short-term, for that matter) approach....

This week, Sean talks to Pierce and Max about “the end of the iPod” and what it means. He also reveals that he is, in the year of our lord two thousand and twenty-two, the owner of a still-thriving (modified) iPod and tries to explain why he is the perfect target audience for the iPod modding craze. MUSIC: “Chaise Longue” – Wet Leg ADDITIONAL MATERIAL An Ode to the iPod Classic (The Ringer) iPod M...

This week, the gang gets together to discuss recommendations. Is it better to get a good recommendation or to give one? Does the decision change if it’s not about a good recommendation, but just any recommendation? And why are we all so self-centered? Plus, a Pierce apology and a trivia question about unlikely high school classmates. MUSIC: “Detective Lieutenant” – Drug Church Hosted on Acast. See...

This week, Sean is back and the full gang is talking about revisiting movies that you used to watch when you were a kid. Just how goofy is the Ewok storyline from Return of the Jedi ? Was his portrayal of the Scorpion King really what catapulted Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson towards becoming the biggest movie star in the world? And is the fact that Flubber is only about 90 minutes long enough to offse...

This week, the gang gets together (minus Sean) to talk about local celebrations. Not so much the big things that gain a national reputation like Mardi Gras or the cherry blossom festival in DC — more like your small-town strawberry fests and whatnot. Plus, as always, Pierce apologizes, and we have a rock trivia question. MUSIC: ”Now & Later Gators” – Freddie Gibbs, Curren$y and the Alchemist H...

This week, the gang convenes to talk about the various perks that are afforded to the modern knowledge worker by their employer — especially all the branded jackets and backpacks and such. How should we feel about being made walking billboards for our companies? And what happens when we don’t work there anymore? Somewhat predictably, Sean lashes out at corporate America, although it may just be be...

This week, the gang talks about the flood of entertainment content based around problematic tech CEOs like Travis Kalanick (Uber), Elizabeth Holmes (Theranos), and Adam Neumann (WeWork). Why are there so many books, shows, podcasts, podcasts based on books, shows based on podcasts, etc. about these people? MUSIC: “Halfway Out the Door” – Romero Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more infor...

This week, it’s just Sean and Pierce, and they’re trying to talk about the Academy Awards — and awards shows in general — while desperately avoiding any discussion of the only part of the Oscars that anyone really seems to be talking about. Did it work? Hard to say. MUSIC: “Change Your Mind” – BAD MOVES Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Unfortunately, the initial version of Episode 314 was lost to a technical issue. But in exchange for waiting it out for a week, you get an extra special version of the pod recorded LIVE from the triumphant return of the It’s Pretty OK “Corporate Retreat”/NCAA Tournament Trip! After a night of drinking many — and we do mean many — tiki drinks in Raleigh, first-time/long-time Robert joins the gang t...

This week, the gang is talking about what has certainly felt like the most hyped sporting event of our lifetimes: Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski’s final regular-season game against North Carolina. Are they talking about the game itself? Of course not. They explore why it feels so weird to have farewell tours for coaches — or for any individuals in team sports, for that matter — and how this...

This week, the gang is talking about Wordle and other games that don’t let you do infinite play. Does it turn into a minor squabble over Wordle “hard mode”? Sure does. Does it then segue into a grim look at the future of the ever-consolidating entertainment industry? You better believe it! MUSIC: “The Hardest Cut” – Spoon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, the gang is talking about Netflix and the explosion of approximately 8 billion new shows of varying quality, seemingly tuned to every possible combination of micro-interests. What’s the deal with that? And why does Sean hate the word “content” so much? MUSIC: “Amber” – 311 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.