Critical Nonsense

How do we learn to relinquish our power? This week, Aaron, Joey and Jess talk about racial inequity in corporations, Basecamp and Coinbase, the necessity of pain for progress, the wisdom of Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears, power accumulation and perceptions of scarcity, and yachts. They don’t talk about Petunia's power over The Man . references Polaris and the Pete and Pete theme song today'...

How much room is there for emotional granularity at work? And what is "cheugy"? [35:05] This week, special guests Katie Sadow and Ilana Bondell join Joey to talk about the connection between specific language and feelings, physical responses to emotions, the benefits of emotional intelligence, the inherent cringe of social media, generational earnestness and youthful pushback, and the metabolism o...

What can waffles tell us about in our lives that we might not otherwise see? And how do you make room for an open-mind? [23:45] This week, a rerun from the Nonsense Wellspring (archive)! Again, Aaron and Jess and Joey talk about the Waffle House Index, the best kind of floss, the trap of spurious correlations, lots of longform, doomscrolling, and making the most out of openness. They don't talk ab...

What trade-offs are we willing to make for our privacy? And what is Jess? [35:16] This week, Joey and Jess talk about Apple's AppTrackingTransparency, the social graph, individual vs. collective impacts, personal narratives, seeking validation, and determining what you value. They don’t talk about which would win in a death match: Tevas or Crocs. references Mona-Lisa Saperstein, an introduction BG...

What are the dangers when coming out becomes outdated? And what is the role of nuance in an increasingly media-/sound-bite-oriented culture? [30:32] This week, Aaron, Joey, and Jess talk about Colton Underwood, the business and real work of coming out, gauntlet types, Tressie McMillan Cottom, "tell me more," and nuance as poetry. They don’t talk about Lance Bass. references Paula Deen's Butter Sle...

How do we reorient our ambitions toward intrinsic rewards? In which grocery store aisle does peanut butter belong? [28:34] This week, Joey and Jess talk about intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivators, the need to satisfy a craving, effortless ambition, hoarding butter, grocery store organization, and confusion by design. They don’t talk about how far away the Oort Cloud actually is . references The Atla...

As traditional institutions crumble, what do we gain and what do we lose? And what technology do you need but hate? [35:52] This week, special guest Katie Sadow again joins Joey and Aaron, this time to talk about Substack, gatekeeping, standards, cellphones, smart homes, and social media. They don’t talk about which Girl Scout Cookies are vegan . references The New Yorker: Is Substack the Media Fu...

What is the relative value of contribution versus creation? And what is your ideal pasta shape? [19:22] This week, special guest Katie Sadow joins Jess and Joey to talk about Dan Pashman's cascatelli, the food industry caste order, rappers and basketball players, sauce pairings, mouth feel, and noodles. They don’t talk about at what point rice becomes pasta. references What in God’s Name Was Muzzy...

How do you think different? And what office supplies do you miss? [45:20] This week, 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 Honeycrisp, changed the world Jess's dreams as...

What if we could cancel ideas without cancelling people? This week, Joey and Jess talk about cancel culture, “catching” bad ideas, conspiracy theories, helpful propaganda, Jess’s favorite story about languages, and dim sum. They don’t talk about which is better: the Portuguese egg tart or strawberry shortcake? references The origin of the word “meme” Richard Dawkins’ The Selfish Gene Also Richard...

How can we fix knowledge work? And what’s the deal with all these cinematic universes? [33:58] This week, Joey, Jess, and Aaron talk about fadoodling, hyperactive hive minds, Betamax and LaserDiscs, the initial conditions of a good universe, the MCU, and WandaVision. They don’t talk about how you can print money that smells like maple syrup . references Our first conversation in May 2019 on Deep W...

How do we cure the disease of rugged individualism? And what wouldn’t you put on a waffle? [25:20] This week, Joey and Aaron talk about the American ideal of self-reliance, the story of Survivor Bias, how hard it is to be a man and ask for help, a framework to decide if something should/should not be a topping, "The Maple Syrup Standard", and Aaron's new waffle iron. They don't talk about the powe...

How do we move Black History Month forward? And when will "sheltering in work" stop? [27:25] This week, Aaron and Joey talk about the inexplicably truncated history of Black people, Black in 2040, celebrating the great richness of Black-ness today, when jobs make us feel safe, all of our other tethers getting disrupted, and the thaw at work most companies won't see coming. They don't talk about th...

How does cuteness help broach real talk? And why we do think small things are so cute? [15:02] This week, Cutie Corner! Jess and Designer/Cutie-in-Chief, Nora Mestrich, invent a new segment about all things cute. This time, talking about Disney Pixar's  Burrow, lite consumption, seeking "Deep Cute" vs "Superficially Cute", what exactly is a Mini Brand, *the* feta pasta, and knick knacking. They do...

How does purpose lead us astray? And when is it okay to talk about aliens? [24:22] This week, 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 any of this conversation. references Elle: People reac...

What's so interesting about Gamestop and this whole "Stonks" saga? This week, Joey with esteemed and Extremely Online special guests (Cultural Astrologer, Osei Kwakye and Dude-on-Reddit, Adam Hirschberg) talk about THE talk of the town [5:55], the unique opportunity of r/wallstreetbets [12:10], everyone's least favorite: the second wave [19:27], the demystifying power of pop culture [24:10], and t...

What's to come in 2021? This week, Wild Prognostications! Jess, Aaron, and Joey make their annual predictions (and explore the "Wilderness" around them): the plant-based schism [5:23], going back to the office [17:19], sit-down frozen breakfast innovation [29:28], the death (or not) of the fucc boi [38:32], the pop wellness holiday [47:15], and the fall of the Eurocentric design blueprint [58:57]....

What's the future of unconventional innovation when geography is disrupted? And why is people watching so satisfying? [26:20] Aaaaaand we're back! This week, Joey and Aaron and Jess talk about San José-sized places, people sharing knowledge, the crosswalk in Downtown Napa, mirror neurons,— A Classic Joey Camire Maneuver —the challenge with ethnography, and Lego Santas. They don't talk about how yo...

Why does culture seem to move so quickly? And how do we keep up with the speed of internet speak? [24:44] Given the events of this last week and getting back into the new year, one bonus week of reruns from the Nonsense Wellspring! Again, Joey and special guests Steven Ebert and Nora Mestrich talk about all things speed: B-Boys, being "passé aggressive," being "extremely online," Nora's One Direct...

Who is Karen and why do we hate her? And what does it mean to "come out"? [28:39] This week, reruns from the Nonsense Wellspring (archive)! Again, Joey and Aaron and Jess talk about Joey's grandma, overreactions, female stereotypes, pride-washing, otherness, and committing ourselves to fighting shame. They don't talk about how we hope you've been enjoying your break and we'll be back next week! An...

How are cancel culture and stan culture related? And how do we rage in public and in private? [24:55] This week, reruns from the Nonsense Wellspring (archive)! Again, Joey and Aaron talk about the gentle breezes of Twitter, social currency, fan empowerment, one rude dentist, "angry black men," and escalating a game of work-league volleyball. They don't talk about the origins of "uncomfortable fudd...

What happened in 2020? This week, a special end of the year episode! Joey, Aaron, and Jess talk about the part where a pandemic ensued, bubbling dangers, a reappraisal of what matters, reluctantly buying all of the cars, the luxury of having a home, and the take Jess still believes is an indisputable slam-dunk. They don't talk about how it's time to submit your 2021 wild prognostications to critic...

How do you pay closer attention to "the Meta Deck"? And how can we evolve our way of viewing others to include more charity of interpretation? This week, Jess, Joey, and Aaron talk about car singing, listening better, our little mantras, giving grace, Lindy West, and the off-chance Aaron takes a sharp alignment turn. They don't talk about how next week is the return of our 2020 Wild Prognosticatio...

What is the role of comedy in setting the boundaries of acceptable speech? This week, Joey, Cultural Astrologer Osei Kwakye and Grand Comedienne Hannah Jegart talked about saying the funny thing loud, what's allowed when 'the parents' are out of town, the guilt of laughing, more on the Culture Wars, holding on to our hahas, and the Comedian Code. They don't talk about Alex's incredible intro. refe...

How do you make a podcast episode about Thanksgiving in 2020? This week, a special! Aaron, Joey, and Jess talk about the weirdness of this week, the Busyness Olympics, poor mouthing, the logical proofs of gratitude, how to find things to be grateful for, and an extended special thanks. They don't talk about how this week of online shopping frenzy is the perfect time to get your Critical Nonsense m...