Critical Nonsense

What happened to the dinner party? And what's the value of storytelling? [16:38] This week, Aaron and Joey talk about Betty Draper, "instagram tables," the only reason we clean, "narrative economics," seed libraries, and data translation. They don't talk about Ina, though she really deserves a mention for her venerable dinner hosting prowess. references Vox on the status of the dinner party WaPo :...

What is our responsibility to pigs? And what are we doing with the void of organized religion? [21:10] This week, Jess, Joey, and magical guest Ilana talk about octopus gratitude, k-type versus r-type animals, "the PR crisis of raccoons", the Jewish New Year, thick and thin love, and our susceptibility to cults. They don't talk about how humans recently recorded  pigs using tools for the first tim...

How is the LGBTQ community shaping modern comedy? And how do you manage a company's values in a global economy? [22:47] This week, Joey and special guests Dylan Fowler and Osei Kwakye talk about Bowen Yang, "beefing down," Los Espookys, Daryl Morey's 7-word tweet, the forsaken Hearthstone player, and the time test of Space Jam. They don't talk about how Jess is actually afraid of 1993 Jurassic Par...

How do we manage life state transitions? And why do we compare ourselves to things? [19:34] This week, Aaron and Joey talk about Aaron's new puppy, "dog state," equilibrium, yarning weaves, Pablo Picasso's classical training, and misinterpreting the implications of certain excellence. They don't talk about whatever CBD thing Aaron hinted at—maybe next time? references " Barkley, Shut Up and Jam: G...

What are the boundaries of ethical travel? And what's the difference between a colleague and a friend? [19:23] This week, Joey and Aaron talk about Sylvain Labs's "Jaunt" to Puerto Rico, enjoying vacation, holding a baby alligator, flatness, and a lot of sappy mushy appreciation. They don't talk about how Captain Planet is in fact blue with green hair. references The intro to Captain Planet Chef J...

What's the point of fatalism? And why is everyone a picky eater now? [17:35] This week, sort-of special guest Katie Sadow joins potentially-lactose-intolerant Joey and congested-robot Jess to talk about Jonathan Franzen, total resignation, OptimistOptimistOptimists, eggs, eating education, and the different types of bitternesses. They don't talk about how Oatly has been holding out on the USA. ref...

When will the speculative VC bubble pop? And what do we do without the school year? [21:25] This week, Joey and Jess talk about Adam Neumann, rocketships, Dutch Tulip Mania, synchrony, the PSL, and antici-. They don't talk about the fall of MoviePass and related morals of that VC story. references WSJ : "What WeWork's Worth," a podcast on WeWork's valuation The No Mercy / No Malice newsletter WeWo...

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? [27:50] This week, 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. They don't talk about the (yet unproven) health benef...

What are the Top 3 Reusable Startup Hacks? This week, Live Clickbait! In our new segment, special guest Greg Kubin of CoFounder Weekly shares his picks: the founder mindset, using Twitter for networking video conferencing over in-person meetings Along the way, we talk about FAANG, permissions structures, Joey's Twitter Identity, the Beyond Meat IPO, Dark Forest theory, and a most uncomfortable phr...

What can we learn from Missy Elliott? And what is the role of cultural critique today? [19:49] This week, Aaron and Joey talk about Iconology, timelessness, the Rain, Rotten Tomatoes, Tan France, and Content. They don't talk about the future of Misdemeanor's career...maybe another episode? references Missy's "The Rain" video Busta's surrealistic "Gimme Some More" video Vox on Cultural Criticism Bi...

What does it look like when we merge with tech? And how do we get people to solve the world's biggest problems? [21:56] This week, special guest Matt Ward, Joey, and Aaron talk about Jack Horner, "our fat, lazy selves," the Bystander Effect, a series of extremely bleak world problems, hamburgers, and great robes. They don't talk about which host would match to which Hogwarts house if they were wiz...

What is an organization's responsibility to its members? And what impact will memes have on language? This week, Aaron and Joey talk about work-life balance, the making of Red Dead Redemption 2, golden handcuffs, raiding Area 51, phatic expressions, and inside jokes. They don't talk about how the Greek emphatikos is why 'phatic,' like 'emphatic,' sounds familiar. references Leadership paper on pac...

How can we evolve our expectations of aging professionally? And why don't we like vanilla more? [21:17] This week, Joey and Jess talk about peaking, Paul Dirac, second careers,  vanilla planifolia , "real vanilla experiences," and redefining 'basic'. They don't talk about how much accidental shade Jess throws at chocolate this episode while standing up for vanilla justice. references The somewhat...

When is communicating emotion bad for your health? And what is the culture of airports? [20:15] This week, Aaron and Joey talk about sharing feelings, outrage, asking for what you need, "non-places," “Business Men,” and Geert Hofstede. They don’t talk their big dreams for the future of airports. references HuffPost : "Feelings Not Facts" The Atlantic on overindulging versus taking action Marc Augé...

Do we own anything anymore? And when does dissecting culture ruin the magic? [18:44] This week, Joey and Aaron talk about ebooks, High Fidelity, the access business model, "where magic resides," reruns, and nuggets. They don't talk about Nuggs . references Audible's class action settlement . BBC: Microsoft eBooks books disappear. Vinyl sales growth. Radio Lab's Bit-Flip episode as you ponder the c...

Why is ghosting a thing? And why are we so obsessed with secret menus? [18:18] This week, Joey and special guests Steven and Nora talk about the three kinds of ghosting, 'the first few dates,' rejection, Starbucks orders and soda jerks, Panera's hidden menu flop, and Emma Chamberlain. They don't talk about their favorite secret menu items (they're secret, after all.) references Calling all New Yor...

This week, a special episode! Joey, Aaron, and Jess talk in lightning-round fashion about random events since the top of 2019: the Keanu Reeves renaissance, Billy Porter's style explosion, the black hole photo, the end of Game of Thrones (with no GoT spoilers, but serious Lost spoilers), paper straws, and Zion Williamson's exploding shoe. They don't talk about many other big things that happened i...

How do we deal with business trends like radical candor? And what values do we communicate through sports? [19:12] This week, special guest Muj, Joey, Aaron, and Jess talk about "the chasing mentality," "psychological safety," a bunch of other jargon, cricket, Lebron vs. Jordan, and personal optimization. They don't talk about all of the business trends (so please send us some of your favorites!)...

Why are we afraid of rewiring our brains? And why do we all smell like sticks? [15] This week, special guest Hannah, Joey, and Jess talk about the first seasons of Chuck, Victor of Aveyron, neuroplasticity, the local train through Brooklyn, Hwyl, and Septimus Piesse's contributions to perfumery. They don't talk about the many other ways Piesse changed the perfume industry. references The World Hea...

How do we make Pride better? And what kind of self-promotion isn't gross? [22:49] This week, Aaron and Joey talk about the Pink Dollar, "seeing rainbows," authenticity, The Wingman Phenomenon, the fear of the snakeoil salesman, and pop-up ads. They don't talk about how the title of this episode is the title of our yet unwritten, smash-hit mashup memoir: a composite of Joey and Aaron's personal sto...

Why are we bad at self-care? And why can't we sleep? [17:07] This week, Joey and Aaron talk about self-diagnosis, golfing, mani-pedis, hyper-productivity, napping, optimal sleeping temperatures. They don't talk about the superlative punning of pursuing "the American Dream." references The beginnings of Big Sleep Roger Ekrich and the myth of the 8-hour sleep

What is the relationship between compassion and creativity? And why are we so petty? [17:57] This week, Aaron and Joey talk about perceptiveness, the Crisis Text Line, geniuses, "Wig Gate," "spreading," and rounding on Venmo. They don't talk about whether the types of people who round are the same as the people who turn off read receipts. references The Crisis Text Line Time: "People Hate When You...

Why do I have to turn my hobby into a hustle? And how can mid-tier cities seize their moment? [14:47] This week, special guest Katie, Jess, and Joey talk about making cheese, intrinsic value, sock embroidery, late-night food, park culture, and "the Goldilocks Zone." They don't talk about how there is a great controversy over the birthplace of the pupusa. references A sample of Jess's sock embroide...

Are we killing Disney's magic? And why do we take personality tests? [18:02] This week, Aaron and Joey talk about Avengers End Game (no spoilers), The Pixar Theory, retro-futurism, MBTI, the Chinese Zodiac, and enneagrams. They don't talk about the beautiful world of grit size . references Pixar Theory and A113 . Aaron's reading/watching list all about Disney: The Carousel of Progress Spaceship Ea...

Why are we so dumb when it comes to nutrition? And why are MLMs a thing? [20:22] This week, a very hoarse Jess, special guest Steven, and Joey talk about whole milk, Big Sugar, Whole30Steaks, Rodan and Fields, hustle, and small business success rates. We don't talk about which is superior between plastic or glass food storage containers (but if you need a recommendation, we'd trust the research )....