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.

Completely Conspicuous 319: Dumbing Down

Part 1 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:
- There are studies that claim humans are getting dumber
- Our IQs are supposedly dropping
- We rely on smartphones for a lot of information
- We're cramming so much info in our heads
- Smart TV: True Detective did it right
- Disney Channel sitcoms hark back to hacky TV crap of the '70s
- Movie industry favors bigger, louder, dumber
- Sometimes it's good to watch dumb stuff
- Anonymous online comments are a prime source for idiocy
- Wasting time online is so easy
- People are so self-involved
- Reality TV is a haven for dummies
- People will do anything to get on TV
- The Onion keeps fooling people
- Beauty pageants
- Our ability to self-incriminate
- To be continued

Music:
Cloud Nothings - I'm Not Part of Me
Eagulls - Possessed
The So So Glos - Lost Weekend

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

The Cloud Nothings song is on the album Here and Nowhere Else on Carpark Records. The Eagulls song is on the band's self-titled album on Partisan Records. The So So Glos song is on the album Blowout on Votiv Records. Download all three songs for free at NPR.org.

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.