Men in Gorilla Suits
Men in Gorilla Suits Ep. 86: Last Seen...Being on the Internet

"The Internet is good for funny cat videos, Facebook, and email, but really -- that's about it."

Some go as far as saying it's all just a big waste of time; that we'd do well to get rid of the whole thing.

People who say things like this are only looking at a facet of the Internet/World Wide Web, though. The Internet has changed our way of life, and we argue that -- even with all the fighting and trolling going on out there -- it's become vital to the existence of developed societies...and just might help remote areas become more developed.

[This episode, obviously, is released online...and because of some plumbing fun at Shawn's place over the weekend, it was also recorded online.]

We kick it off by talking about when we first started using the Internet. After that, we devote some time to what our tech lives were like before logging on to the World Wide Web. And we wrap up the opening section by discussing how the Internet has changed our lives.

Connectivity to the Internet has been around long enough in popular use, now, that there are generations that never knew a life without it. We talk about how the lives of those raised on the Internet differ from the lives of young people before the Internet.

Right now, the FCC is considering allowing providers to control the speed at which customers have access to the Internet. We talk a bit about Net Neutrality before revealing our favorite -- and least favorite -- things about the Internet.

Next, we talk about the Internet at its full potential before discussing just how important it is in our lives -- and even how important it is to society. If the Internet suddenly went away, what effect would that have on us all?

We close out this episode asking each other what we think the Internet will be like in 2020...and beyond...

Another nice thing about the Internet is the ability to have your say. We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

Direct download: MiGS86.mp3
Category:Pop Culture -- posted at: 7:22pm CDT

Men in Gorilla Suits Ep. 85: Last Seen…Being Nostalgic

Remember when...

Ah, those were the days...

You remember them, the days when everything was better than it is now! Better music, better movies, better everything.

Or...is the lens of nostalgia a great big liarhead? That is the topic of this week's episode of Men in Gorilla Suits!

We start with a not-so-simple question: Why are people so damn nostalgic? Then we moved on to asking what triggers nostalgia in the Gorillamen. But that's not enough; after that, it's on to the bigger triggers of nostalgic feelings.

Nostalgia is something we all engage in, but have you ever wondered if there were benefits to being nostalgic? At the same time, where is the line: can nostalgia actually be damaging?

Christopher saw a quite that interested him:

Nostalgia is the enemy of progress.

Agree, or disagree? Find out what we think. Also, find out how much nostalgia factors into our lives.

After that, we move on to talking about the strangest things we've seen people become nostalgic for.

Music, ah -- music! What is it about music that seems to closely tied to nostalgia...and why are even the most terrible songs we heard as teenagers still powerful in some way? We dedicate some time to that before moving on to talking about why we seem even more nostalgic than our parents' generation, which was far more nostalgic than our grandparents' generation.

Does nostalgia serve a purpose to the aging process? Find out what we think, before we wrap it all up with what we think children born today will be nostalgic for one day.

We'd love to hear what triggers your nostalgic tendencies in the comments below.

Direct download: migs85.mp3
Category:Pop Culture -- posted at: 8:50pm CDT

Men in Gorilla Suits Ep. 84: Last Seen…Talking about Friendship

Meercats - Men in Gorilla Suits Ep. 84: Last Seen…Talking about FriendshipThere are people we've known all our lives; some we've only just met; others, people we know only online.

Friends!

That's what we're talking about on this week's episode of Men in Gorilla Suits.

We begin by talking about the first friend we remember having and how old we were when we found that friend. Are we still in touch with our first friends -- find out! Also, find out who we have been friends with the longest.

Friendship can be a strange thing, with people who don't seem similar forming life-long bonds -- while some who seem totally alike having brief friendships. It made us ask: What makes people become friends with each other?

Sometimes friendships end; most of the time, just drifting apart. What causes people to lose touch with each other? We discuss that before moving on to whether or not it's harder to make friends after high school or college...and our experiences with making friends.

Find out if we make friends easily and if we've ever lived with a friend -- and how sharing space affected the friendship. Then we talk about the friend we could spend the rest of our lives living with if we were not married and decided to have a roommate.

It doesn't hurt to have a lot in common with your friends, but it's not always necessary. Find out if the friends we have are generally people we have a lot in common with...or if differences make the friendship.

We close out this episode discussing whether or not friendship is a human need, or something people can get along without.

As always, we'd love to hear your thoughts about this week's topic in the comments below.

Direct download: migs84.mp3
Category:Pop Culture -- posted at: 7:46pm CDT

Men in Gorilla Suits Ep. 83: Last Seen…Covering Tunes

Don't let Shawn and Christopher singing part of Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Freebird" scare you away from this week's show. This week is all about cover tunes, so singing just had to happen.

(Yes, there is more than just "Freebird." You'll get bits from these Neil Diamond tunes: "Sweet Caroline," "Coming to America," and "Turn on Your Heartlight." Shawn busts out "Let's Stay Together," by Al Green, and Christopher impersonates Jello Biafra doing "Viva Las Vegas." Shawn gives us Otis Redding's "Dock of the Bay," and we both sing a line from the dreadful "Pina Colada Song." Also, hear Shawn do James Brown's "Living in America" and "Get Up (I Feel Like a Sex Machine).")

Now that we've scared you away, on to the show description...

We begin by talking about the first cover tunes we ever heard and then go into the appeal of cover tunes.

Some say cover bands just copy and make money from other artists. Is that true; do they deserve the bad rap, or can a good cover band capture an experience that may be too expensive or no longer possible to attend? Is it smarmy to make money from another artist's work?

MTV had a hit with its show, Unplugged -- in which bands played acoustic sets. It's common for a cover band to take a louder song and turn it acoustic. What is it about going acoustic/unplugged that just seems to work with many cover tunes? Is it really as simple as shifting a loud tune soft, or a soft tune loud -- or does it take something more to do a great reinterpretation of a song many know and love?

YouTube has made it very easy for bands to gain attention through cover tunes. Find out our thoughts about covering songs to bring attention to yourself.

Can a cover tune be better than the original? We sure think so -- and we share the tunes we believe have achieved this. Then: a 60-second lightning round in which we name all our favorite cover tunes. After that, we discuss songs that we feel could never be properly covered or reinterpreted.

We wrap it up with two questions:

  • What’s the weirdest or most surprising cover tune you’ve ever heard?
  • What’s a song you haven’t heard covered that you would love to hear covered?

We mentioned that we'd post a link to the song Christopher wants to hear covered. Here it is, Little Jack Melody and His Young Turks - "Lock Up Your Daughters"

Not a cover, but the mashup of Justin Bieber and Slipknot we mentioned.

We'd love to hear which cover tunes you think are good, bad, and ugly in the comments below.

Direct download: migs83.mp3
Category:Pop Culture -- posted at: 11:52am CDT

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