Men in Gorilla Suits
Men in Gorilla Suits Ep. 47: Last Seen…Getting Educated

Is an education what many believe it to be -- formal schooling -- or is it something more? It seems like something more as we begin this episode talking about our first memories of education...it didn't start with school. But, obviously, one cannot discuss education without [mostly] talking about school. After our early memories of being educated about something, we move on to this question: "Did you have any teachers that inspired and changed your life like you see in movies?"

Maybe we did; maybe we didn't...you'll have to listen to find out, but we definitely had teachers who soured us on schooling. So often, teachers are held up in high regard, but is it justified when so many teachers aren't all that great? (Not saying for a moment that a good teacher should be lumped in with the actions of poor teachers, but so often you hear things like, "Teachers should be paid more than athletes," and, truth be told...there are a lot of shitty teachers out there who probably don't deserve what they are already paid!)

After that, it's on to standardized testing and the money that's tied to it. Is standardized testing good or bad? Is one who tests well "educated" -- is it possible to solve problems and be smart and not test well? (You can probably guess where we stand!) Does more money solve problems in districts, or are there bigger problems with education that money alone can't solve? Hell, why not just ask if the public school model is outdated altogether?

We take a different track and ask how we'd see our own children educated before stepping into home schooling/unschooling. Is homeschooling and unschooling bad? What about the arguments about socialization: is a school a good place for socialization, or can it be like Lord of the Flies for many, destroying the confidence of so many kids who would otherwise be social in other environments?

While most of this episode focuses on primary and secondary education, it's off to college...but is college worth it? Does a traditional education and college prepare younger people for adulthood and the real world, or is it more about discipline and then wondering why the person who previously had to ask for permission to use the restroom isn't suddenly the problem-solving adult they are expected to be after graduating high school?

Breaking from tradition, we move on to other interesting ways of educating people. After that, we build a time machine and go back with the ability to shape our own educations -- find out what we would have changed and how we'd have preferred to have been educated. And, as always, we wrap it all up by discussing the future...this time, what the future of education might be like...

If you're stuck in detention and looking for something to do, tell us some of your thoughts and feelings about education in the comments.

Direct download: migs47.mp3
Category:Pop Culture -- posted at: 6:59am CDT

Men in Gorilla Suits Ep. 46: Last Seen…Studying Science

MWAH-HA-HA-HA-HA!!! This week, we're all about...SCIENCE!!! (Imagine a flash of lightning instead of exclamation points and it's soooooooo much better!) But really, that's kind of the Hollywood/Frankenstein version of science. We're a bit more grounded than that...although we DO love a good mad scientist movie...

We begin as we always do: discussing our first memories of the topic; in this case, our first memories of science. We obviously wouldn't talk about science if we didn't find science fascinating, so after that, we move on to the first field of science we ever loved. Also, find out if we were good students in science classes in school.

But enough about the past: find out what we feel are the most fascinating scientific developments right now! Then we roll into the weirdest science experiments we've heard about...and the most horrific! Some people think most science has the potential for harm...who should decide the limits of what we do with science: scientists, government, or something else? Or...should anyone have a say?

Next, find out what we feel are the most ridiculous assertions backed by "science," and listen to why we feel so many people put stock in pseudoscience. It all wraps up with where we see science going in the future.

So put on the lab coats and headphones and then head to the comments to talk about one of the best things ever: science!

Direct download: migs46.mp3
Category:Pop Culture -- posted at: 1:01pm CDT

Men in Gorilla Suits Ep. 45b: Last Seen…Eatin' Candy!

Regular listeners know we always put a snippet of our pre-show babble at the very end of each episode. We decided it would be fun to give your ears a peek behind the scenes and let a longer-than-usual babble-fest loose on the world. No editing, just straight-up pre-show talk.

So...what do we cover in 10 minutes?

  • Hear us choose our pens!
  • Listen to us eat candy!
  • Find out what the hell Muddy the Mudcat is!
  • Revisit the Fear podcast as we talk about being afraid of the Dr. Who theme as children!
  • Find out why Disney's The Black Hole made Shawn almost give up a love of science!
  • Listen to Chris talk about the most terrifying robot ever!
  • Learn all about how Shawn used to view "downtown" in any city!
  • Is downtown Dallas really like the lonely scenes from 28 Days Later?!
  • Is downtown Cleveland really just hobos and prostitutes?!
  • Finally, find out how long we'd last in a Fight Club...and what our downfall would be!
  • Can we use more exclamation points?!
  • Yes, we sure can!!!!!!!!!!!!
Direct download: migs45b.mp3
Category:Pop Culture -- posted at: 6:46pm CDT

Men in Gorilla Suits Ep. 45: Last Seen…Collaborating

We kick it off talking about our earliest memories of collaborating, before jumping right in and answering the big question: Do we like collaborating with others? Find out our best experiences working with others...and the worst!

It's hard not to talk about collaboration and not talk about work. How much do our jobs rely on collaborating with others? How do you work with that person who refuses to work well with others? Should employers even encourage collaboration; if so, how can they best get people to work together well? Does any one person (or group of people) have the upper hand when collaborating?

Find out if we prefer leading groups of simply being part of groups when we have to collaborate on a project. Can people collaborate and still have their own voice be heard? And, finally: what's the best collaborative effort seen in history?

Feel free to collaborate by sharing your thoughts about collaborating in the comments.

Direct download: migs45.mp3
Category:Pop Culture -- posted at: 9:24pm CDT

Men in Gorilla Suits Ep. 44: Last Seen…Watching Television

Ever watch TV? Bet you have. Man, do we have a podcast for you this week -- one of those, "I can't believe we haven't done this one, yet!" shows. This week, we're talking about that great American pass time: television!

We kick it off talking about the first TV show we remember watching, before jumping to how important TV was to us when we were young. How does TV from the past (we focused on 80s TV) compare to things today?

Somewhere along the way, the mini series became a popular thing. We discuss the first mini series programming we remember watching before moving to our all-time favorite mini series. Probably because the mini series at least shot for something more, we jump to talking about the shows that seemed to be forerunners to the more intricate story arcs, characterization, and chances taken with TV today. Also: the most out-of-the-box TV shows we've ever seen.

With the rise of cable, viewers (and creators) have more channels to choose from. Is this better or worse for creators? What TV shows do we feel have had strong writing? And you know you want to find out the most embarrassing shows we'll admit to liking!

In the homestretch, we ask how relevant TV is to today's culture...before calling out the best TV shows of all time (and the worst). We wrap it all up with this question: What is the future of television?

So grab that remote and flip to Men in Gorilla Suits. As always, we'd love to hear your feelings about anything discussed in the comments.

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(Wow, we succeeded going this entire description without saying boob tube! Huhuhuhuhuhuhuhuh...)

Direct download: migs44.mp3
Category:Pop Culture -- posted at: 8:50pm CDT

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