Completely Conspicuous 398: All Over But the Shouting

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Matt Phillion as we discuss the problem with research studies. Listen to the episode below or download directly (right click and "save as").
 

Show notes:
- Order Matt's book The Entropy of Everything: The Indestructibles Book 3
- Don't get sick!
- Studies can be scary
- Apply some logic when reading studies
- People live in fear of everything
- We love to get worked up about studies
- Studies with no research on long-term effects
- Studies seem to have lost all value
- Outrage only lasts for about a week and we move on
- Nobody wants to take the time to verify
- Are cell phones dangerous? Let's hope not
- Studies: Everything gives you cancer
- We're all gonna die!
- Only thing Wall-e got wrong was everyone was happy
- Pixar wants to make you sad
- Near-death running experiences

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.

Completely Conspicuous 354: Rage in the Cage

Part 3 of my conversation with guest Matt Phillion as we discuss media-driven hysteria. Listen to the episode below or download directly (right click and "save as").


Show notes:
- Check out Matt's new book, The Indestructibles: Breakout
- What's the next big media story?
- Charlie keeps butting in
- It's amazing what gets people upset
- Reality TV plays into outrage culture
- Internet comments reach new depths
- Easy to be cynical about politics
- Would you ever run for office?
- Vote Beelzebub
- We were inundated with New Hampshire political ads for two months
- The importance of reading cue cards on SNL
- Chris Rock caught some heat for telling jokes about Boston Marathon
- Post 9-11, humor became a touchy subject
- Everybody's waiting to be offended
- Know your audience, like the Duck Dynasty guys
- The risk of alienating your audience
- We never really fix anything

Music:
The Sheila Divine - Watch Out for Us
Meatbodies - Mountain
Interpol - What is What

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Sheila Divine song is available for free download at Bandcamp.

The Meatbodies song is on the album Meatbodies on In the Red Recordings. Download the song for free at KEXP.
The Interpol song is a B-side from the album El Pintor on Matador Records. Download the song for free by entering the words "Everything is Wrong" on the band's website.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.

Completely Conspicuous 320: Dumb After All

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Matt Phillion as we discuss whether the world is getting dumber. Listen to the episode below or download it directly (right click and "save as").



Show notes:
- Guy got fired after calling in sick and then posting video on YouTube
- Another guy made it with a cow and had a buddy film it
- Reality TV rewards dumbasses
- It's a lazy Buzzfeed world
- Beard transplants? Really?
- Pre-ripped jeans
- There's still good rock music out there
- In praise of Mark Knopfler
- Bravo, dude who came up with Shit My Dad Says
- Medical bills are obscene
- Selling your old junk
- The bottom fell out of the sports card market
- We fall for stupid memes designed to rile people up
- Outrage culture
- We're all dumb

Music:
Johnny Foreigner - Stop Talking About Ghosts
Spray Paint - Spock Fingers
Pampers - Guts

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Johnny Foreigner song is on the album You Can Do Better on Alcopop! Records. Download the song for free at Bandcamp.
The Spray Paint and Pampers songs were recorded live on the Cherry Blossom Clinic on WFMU. Download the songs for free at Free Music Archive. 

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.