Episode 97: Finding Your Comedic Voice

“About those bombings–it will happen. And it will hurt you will question your existence. The true test of whether or not you have the comic gene is whether or not you keep doing it in spite of that. I’m not even sure it’s much of a choice. When I started I could eat it in a room with a “crowd” of four people and yet somehow I still wanted to go up again as soon as possible–it might be a behavioral defect or an uncontrollable need for attention. Either way, if you have the same compulsion, it will ensure that you stay on the talkie side of a mic in front of other humans.”
— Chris Hardwick of The Nerdist, August 31, 2009
“You find what feels wrong in your gut, and make sure you stop doing it. And make sure you do it every day, no matter how painful, because no laugh is worth sacrificing the vision that is going to make you different from everyone else.”
— John Roy, "A Brief Word on Honing Your Comedic Voice," February 8, 2015

In our daily interactions and social patterns, we might detect categories of humor but rarely consider our individual comedic voices. What are the factors in our lives which determine what we find funny, how we see the world and how we bridge these traits? How do our comedic voices demonstrate our most fundamental characteristics? How do our personal preferences in comedy illuminate inherent tensions in our personalities? This week we welcome back Mike Jest to explore how one goes about finding and sculpting a comedic voice. We discuss the value of clear communication in a refined comedic voice. Furthermore, we explore the roles listening, relaxation and self-reliance play in discovering one's personal tone in comedy.

Episode 96: "Islam and Liberal Democracy"

“From a historical perspective it would seem that of all the non-Western civilizations in the world, Islam offers the best prospects for Western-style democracy. Historically, culturally, religiously, it is the closest to the West, sharing much—though by no means all—of the Judeo-Christian and Greco-Roman heritage that helped to form our modern civilization.”
— Bernard Lewis of The Atlantic, February 1993
“Comparing the relationship between property and power in the modern American and classical Middle Eastern systems, one might put the difference this way: in America one uses money to buy power, while in the Middle East one uses power to acquire money. That is obviously an oversimplification, and there are significant exceptions on both sides. The misuse of public office for financial gain is not unknown in the United States; the use of money to buy into the political process is not unfamiliar in the traditional Middle East.”
— Bernard Lewis of The Atlantic, February 1993

In an increasingly globalized world, many of us submit to generalizations, misunderstandings and politics of vehemence. Particularly in recent decades, sharp hatred and criticism have been cultivated in the West against the followers of Islam. This week, we welcome Sewar Al-Quraan to discuss a 1993 essay by Bernard Lewis which examines the history and relationship between Islam and the West. It should be noted that these are broad labels applied to billions of lives, and as such they fail to get at personal and nuanced experience. In what ways do we perpetuate these stereotypes? Do we ever treat the religious tradition of Islam as a form of government? Do we ever see religious devotion in liberal democracies like the United States? As ever, our conversation is not final nor declaratory. We will absolutely revisit this and similar topics in the future.

Episode 95: Why the Gun?

“When my kids started preschool, the teachers had to take away all the fake bananas because all the boys would pick them up and pretend that they were guns. Boys find sticks to play swords and anything that looks like a gun to shoot. It’s just inside of them. It’s who they are. ”
— Dean Norris
“Yes, people pull the trigger - but guns are the instrument of death. Gun control is necessary, and delay means more death and horror.”
— Eliot Spitzer

As Americans, we are often faced with news stories regarding mass shootings, fatal accidents and attacks involving guns. The issue has been heavily politicized, discussed and argued, but as a result, we have stopped thinking about why the gun appeals to so many. That's why we spoke with Alex Piper this week, to theorize about the ubiquitous weapon's appeal and relationship to humanity. We discuss the gun as a means of freedom and independence, both personally and politically. As a product of design and engineering, is the gun most powerful as a symbol? Why do some regard guns with fear while others relish and appreciate the gun as a tool?

Episode 94: A Friendship of Mutual Challenges

“These are the times in which a genius would wish to live. It is not in the still calm of life, or the repose of a pacific station, that great characters are formed. The habits of a vigorous mind are formed in contending with difficulties. Great necessities call out great virtues. When a mind is raised, and animated by scenes that engage the heart, then those qualities which would otherwise lay dormant, wake into life and form the character of the hero and the statesman.”
— Abigail Adams

In a more personal episode, we spoke with Leland Holcomb this week to discuss friendly challenges we have shared with one another for the past two years. Whenever we catch up, we make it a point to push each other to try new activities, adopt foreign perspectives, and to move past our comfort zones. We describe some of our favorite challenges, the impact they've had and how we think challenges like ours could be applied to the lives of others.

Episode 93: The Milgram and Zimbardo Experiments

“The disappearance of a sense of responsibility is the most far-reaching consequence of submission to authority.”
— Stanley Milgram
“I have been primarily interested in how and why ordinary people do unusual things, things that seem alien to their natures. Why do good people sometimes act evil? Why do smart people sometimes do dumb or irrational things?”
— Philip Zimbardo

In the mid-twentieth century, social psychologists Stanley Milgram and Philip Zimbardo conducted very influential and prominent experiments in the field which have had long lasting implications in our understanding of morality, independent decision making and perceptions of power over others. Though dated, each experiment lends to a discussion of dehumanization, which is rather common in our world today. This week, we welcome Naomi Ali to discuss some of the conclusions of both studies and how they might not be as black-and-white as some people might believe. How might the data be misinterpreted? What role did bias play in either experiment? Are people as helplessly suggestible as the studies might conclude?