Critical Nonsense

Which CCU team should get our backing?  In the latest installment of Nonsense VC!, Jess pitches Cereal Cinematic Universes to Joey. They talk about Kellogg's vs. General Mills, character strength, biome corners, villains, tummy troubles, and the rampant commingling of ice cream and cereal. They don’t talk about  cereal commas .  references  The lineup card:  Kellogg's vs. General Mills   Yesterwor...

How far can we take malicious compliance? And what happens when a nothing turns into a need? [26:12] This week, Joey and Jess talk about Florida's "Don't Say Gay" law, rules, Originalism, lip balm, deodorant, and skin care routines. They don’t talk about  Judas Priest . references A look back at Teen Beat   Selena + Chef  on HBO Max  Selena Gomez & The Scene "Un Año Sin Lluvia"   Critical Nons...

How dead is Rock and Roll? And how are we tied to our genetic identity? [28:31] This week, special guest Harmand Ponder joins Joey and Jess to talk about Tame Impala, Rock subgenres, Baroque Pop, genetics vs. culture, epigenetics, and beaches. They don’t talk about Bette Midler. references Hey, Dude   kumquats   List of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees   Baroque pop   Brian Falduto, gay life c...

How do you think different? And what office supplies do you miss? [45:20] This week, a rerun from Nonsense past! Again, Joey, Aaron, and Jess talk about aphantasia, internal monologues, learning styles, pilfering printer paper, binder clips, and ugly cups. They don’t talk about The Mind Palace. references Junkee on  aphantasia and visualizing apples   NPR on  how Jess's favorite apple, the Honeycr...

Is Goblin Mode a privilege? And how should we feel about pathologizing our behaviors? [27:24] This week, special guest Ilana Bondell joins Joey and Jess to talk about the versions of Goblin Mode, pandemic nihilism, identity politics, repressing trauma, the western medical industrial complex, and "The Man." They don’t talk about  Jareth . references "Iris"  and the  City of Angels   The  doobily-do...

Why do we keep doing things that don't make any sense at all? And is youth culture always the same? [24:34] This week, Jess and Joey talk about Pi Day, songlines, dead reckoning, Billy Joel, the Flynn effect, and the global mean hat size. They don’t talk about the Tau of Pooh. references Give Me  ...  the Beach Boys?   NPR:  Ways to support humanitarian efforts in Ukraine   "We'll do it live!"   V...

What do we do about disposability culture? This week, Joey and Jess talk about fast furniture, Shein, quality-assurance signaling, direct-to-consumer mattresses, darning, and nubby sherpa chairs. They don’t talk about  Dres and Mista Lawnge . references Salt-N-Pepa's here, and "here" appears to be a veterinary office   NPR:  Ways to support humanitarian efforts in Ukraine   Helen Rosner's Twitter...

When did Instagram get so boring? This week, Jess, Aaron, and Joey talk about Facebook/Meta business strategy, The Viola Davis Orbit, positive affirmation, and creators vs. lurkers. They don’t talk about  Smell-O-Vision . references THX   NPR's  Planet Money on sound branding  (excerpted from Twenty Thousand Hertz's original two-part series on HBO and sound branding:  Part One  |  Part Two )  Eure...

If we think of fraudsters as the hackers of social psychology, what can it teach us about the weaknesses of our society so we can strengthen them and make them better? And how should we feel about being left behind by a vibe? [28:57] This week, special guest Trevor Larry joins Joey and Jess to talk about catfishing, Inventing Anna, desperation and risk analysis, vibe shifts, "youth culture" as a c...

Where is the line between the honor of minding your own business and the honor of speaking up? And why do we buy things we know are trash? [28:49] This week, Joey, Aaron and Jess talk about bowling within your bumpers, preference vs. morality, misplaced concern, the persistence of old candy, utility vs. nostalgia, and fidget spinners. They don’t talk about why black licorice is actually insanely g...

How do you think we as individuals can help a country like India decolonize their values and move in a direction of sexual liberation? This week, special guest Payal Pereira joins Jess and Joey to talk about British colonization, transgenerational cultural drama, kink subcultures, coded branding, sex education through dance, and the F-word. They don’t talk about the American Beekeeping Federation...

When should you keep going when all you see ahead of you are troubles? And why do tennis players grunt? [23:52] This week, Jess, Aaron and Joey talk about the ever-elusive vanilla cookie, nuance and complexity, imagining beyond your means, kinetic linking, mirroring, and tennis culture. They don’t talk about Monica Seles. Or Maria Seles. Or even Martina Seles. (They don't talk about Jimmy Connors...

Are we actually passive victims to social media or do you see a future where we have some modicum of control? This week, Joey and Jess talk about the metaverse, Web3, public ledgers of information, entropy, "baroque speculative fiction," and nerds. They don’t talk about NFTs, weirdly enough. references  Neal Stephenson's Fall; or, Dodge in Hell, in  print  or as an  audiobook NYT's The Daily Podc...

What's to come in 2022? This week, it's Wild Prognostications time again! Joey, Jess, and Aaron chime in with their annual predictions for the new year. They talk about crypto crashing [5:59], the return of rollerskating [19:59], the low-rise revival [28:53], gap-year popularity [43:15], Home-Ec classes for adults [52:19], and psychedelics [1:01:28]. They don’t talk about Vince Chase, poor guy. re...

How to make Sh*t Happens? We're back! (Kind of). We're kicking off 2022 with a quick intro to our new Shark Tank-like segment: Nonsense Venture Capital. This week, special guest Nora Mestrich joins Joey and Jess to talk about public restrooms, toilet paper, and two-dollar bills. They don’t talk about the impressively maintained public bathroom in Bryant Park. references Shark Tank Not quite a TikT...

What debt do we owe to '90s action movies? And how can we clean digital house in the new year? [22:08] This week, one more from the Nonsense Wellspring (archive)! Again, Aaron and Joey talk about the most progressive movie genres, Atomic Blonde, Sigourney Weaver, ideas on Twitter, deep cleaning our feeds, and "the holey sock problem." They don't talk about how Joey is definitely 1000% wrong about...

How does purpose lead us astray? And when is it okay to talk about aliens? [24:52] This week, another 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 rela...

What do Mortal Kombat "fatalities" tell us about the American psyche in 2019? And how valuable is the comfort and familiarity of watching old TV shows? [28:27] This week, reruns from the Nonsense Wellspring (archive)! Again, Aaron and Joey talk about quirky horror icons, the allure of "punchy-kicky," gladiators, "22-Minute Worlds," the comfort TV business model, and several Gilmore Girls spoilers....

How did our predictions play out in 2021? This week, Aaron, Jess and Joey review  their "frog-nogs" from Episode 109 , discussing pop wellness and plant-based meat [4:58]; Eurocentric interior design and breakfast [14:01]; and, the WFH pendulum and fucc bois [27:34]. They don’t talk about dinner ennui. references Jezebel:  The Commodification of the Wellness Industry ADWEEK:  Every Brand Should Be...

This week, Aaron, Joey and Jess talk about SYLVAIN's new  Impact Report , chocolate chips, openness, honoring intentions, digital passivity, and accountability. They don’t talk about what puffin tastes like. references All Grown Up! SYLVAIN's Impact Report:  A Developing Story: Self Reflections of a Progress-Guided Consultancy Guittard's  Super Cookie Chocolate Chips Porgs!

How do we take a break? And why is the average American retailer so bad at Hanukkah? [26:29] This week, Joey, Jess and Aaron talk about the feeling of wasted opportunity, the down-shift, accounting for transitional time, Hanukkah ignorance, the secularization of holidays, and uniquely designed menorahs. They don’t talk about  HAIM and/or Adam Sandler . references Who is Suzanne Somers? RuPaul: Wh...

How do we stop being so pre-emptive? This week, Joey, Aaron, and Jess talk about fear validity, empathy, directness, Minnesota nice, grin-fucking, and the consequences of the public forum. They didn't bless your heart. references  Podcast:  You're Wrong About "Cancel Culture" Alex Contell's labor of love:  Grain IGN's  Guardians of the Galaxy game review

What do we want from a dad? And how should companies be held accountable? [44:37] This week, special guest Chandler Saunders joins Joey and Jess to talk about paternity leave, movie dads, inputs and outputs, legal backlash, collateral consequences, and unchecked systems. Sadly, they don’t talk about  Sade . references  Because we're never gonna dance again ... Why is the flute a woodwind? Bagpipe...

What is a celebration without gifts? This week, Aaron, Jess, and Joey talk about ongoing gift lists, gift paralysis, better wish lists, the curiosity of good gift-giving, "leaving room," and The Instant Present. They don’t talk about the sweet stamp suite available at USPS right now: Star Wars? Mon Stars? references Once limited edition, could still disappear at any moment: the Critical Nonsense m...

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...