Fri, 27 December 2019
Gorilla Shawn decided a look back at the year that was would be snazzy...and Gorilla Christopher agreed. So, here's what we thought about 2019...
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Fri, 13 December 2019
This week, we're talking about the most fun you can have staring at a dead body: funerals!
(Well, most fun for most of us...the Gorillamen do not want to think of what would do it for many others...)
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Thu, 28 November 2019
Gorilla Christopher has been sick for a week, and it's Thanksgiving Day in the U.S., so let's get right to what we chat about this episode...about streaming services.
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Thu, 14 November 2019
Instead of complaining about how busy this week is for Gorilla Christopher, he's just going to post what he and Gorilla Shawn talked about this week:
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Fri, 1 November 2019
Once you set foot on any Disney property, the sounds and colors will haunt your life for the rest of your days.
This week, we're talking about tourism. Specifically:
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Fri, 18 October 2019
Some weeks, there are things you just have to accept. Not that it was a bad week, but Gorilla Christopher was like [to himself]: "Chill...you'll get the episode up at some point...worst case, Gorilla Shawn's always got your back..."
So here it is, in its snazzy glory...all about...stoicism...
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This is how it flows:
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Wed, 2 October 2019
This week, it's all about the suburbs!
Here's what we talk about:
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Wed, 18 September 2019
Because Gorilla Christopher is determined to get some writing in during his lunch break, here's what we chat about this week:
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Wed, 4 September 2019
Very few people know Gorilla Shawn is a concert pianist and Gorilla Christopher is a chamber cellist. We are tops when it comes to our Mensa scores. Christopher swam the English Channel...under water, while holding his breath. Shawn can assemble furniture with his mind. Don't even get us started on our mad dance skills.
But still...we are the most talented gorillas you will ever meet, and we combine all our talents into the most important thing you will listen to this week: the two of us talking about...talent!
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We begin the episode discussing when we first realized some people were inherently better than others at certain tings...and then talk about when we first learned what talent was.
Find out if we were aware of our talents when we were younger and what we did to discover them. After that, we chat about the most talented people we knew growing up.
We devote a bit of time to talking about what we feel we're talented at doing -- and then discuss what we wish we were truly talented at doing. If that's not enough, we chat about the most talented person we know now...and who we think are the most popular celebrities.
We get a bit serious when the topic turns to wondering if society puts too much pressure on people to discover and use their talents...and we wrap it all up with this question: Are talents even important anymore? |
Thu, 22 August 2019
All we ever wanted in life was to say we recorded 277 episodes of Men in Gorilla Suits.
Check that off the bucket list, babeeeeeeee!!!
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This is what we're talking about this week:
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Wed, 7 August 2019
We don't care about SEO…we only care about talking about what we want to talk about…
[Shawn is like, "Damn, Chris…we're trending in South Korea and Malaysia…be cool, manl! Be cool!"]
He is right, though: Chill, Chris…chill…
And for those of you who listen to the show to hear English, the "CH" in Christopher is NOT the CH in Chill. (Also, thank you for listening. We'd rather people in South Korea and Malaysia listen than some angry redneck. But stalwart rednecks are okay with us...)
English…it's wacky!
Anyway...Shawn sings a lot in this episode...and makes Gorilla-Christopher sing along, so we're all golden!
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What we talk about this week:
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Photo: Paul Garaizar |
Wed, 24 July 2019
So busy making things this week that we don't have time to tell you all the things we are making. So...here's what we talk about this week!
(Now Gorilla Christopher is going to go make lunch for tomorrow...)
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Wed, 10 July 2019
"Yeah, uhm...we're gonna need you to come into work tomorrow. I know, I know...it's 4:49 on a Friday and you're about to leave, but...we have a lot to do, so we're working this weekend. Oh, you have plans? Plans can be cancelled...I mean, it's not like your kid isn't going to go on to play professional baseball if they're just on some lowly city league. They're already too far behind. The best they will become is someone just like you who will one day work on Saturdays for a bigger cause. Oh, by the way...I know your property has been in your family for generations, but we lobbied local officials and we all agree that the town would benefit more from taxes once a strip mall is built there, so just remember: you're getting a fair price when we assert eminent domain. Seeya tomorrow..."
This week, we're talking about corporations! Here's the list of what we discuss:
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Wed, 26 June 2019
Apparently the consequence of having a day job when there's a wicked cold going around the northern part of the Lone Star State is that you might catch that cold by going into the office.
The Gorillamen are in different stages of that cold, so please ignore any snarfiness in this episode. Also, we're just going to get straight to what we talked about this episode:
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Wed, 12 June 2019
Radiohead once sang about optimism.
It went a little like this:
We're a bit more optimistic than that, but about certain issues...probably not by much.
This week we will fill your hearts with hope as we talk about...optimism...
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We begin by discussing our own optimism...and when we were first introduced to the concept. Then we talk about the most optimistic people we knew growing up -- and who claims the title today.
We chat a bit about if it's easier or harder to maintain optimism as we age...and then devote some time to whether or not we're optimistic about the United States.
Find out where our optimism ends -- and what we try [and sometimes fail] to be optimistic about.
We answer these questions: Can relentless optimism be damaging? Or annoying? And then we offer our advice for someone who is not naturally optimistic.
And, of course, we wrap it all up talking about the future of optimism.
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Umbrella Woman Photo: Edu Lauton |
Wed, 29 May 2019
Look at that episode art! LOOK AT IT!!!
It's...super, right?! Shawn may not have the beard anymore, but his beard lives on in all our hearts. And Christopher...he's kinda super (for a crusty 50-year old!)
Hell, this episode was RECORDED on the day Gorilla Christopher turned 50.
So to keep the fleeting moment alive before entropy envelops him, you should listen to this episode!
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We kick it off with the first -- and last -- superhero movies we saw (and have seen). After that, find out our favorite (and least favorite) superhero movies.
We devote a little time to our best superhero movie experiences...and why we think superhero movies finally took hold in popular culture.
We chat a bit about if we prefer our superhero movies to match comics exactly, or deviate a bit...and then we discuss our favorite TV superhero shows.
Robert Pattinson as Batman has some slobbery geeks' undies all bundled around their pebbly nads. We give our thoughts on the latest Batman choice...and then talk about the superhero movie we'd love to see. (Gorilla Christopher forgot Justice League International...or an all out Booster Gold/Blue Beetle flick!)
As we approach the end, we talk about if we've experienced superhero movie burnout...and we wrap it all up with the future of superhero movies! |
Wed, 15 May 2019
Yo! Like, we never tell you about how Men in Gorilla Suits has afforded us, the Gorillamen, ridiculous side cash!
You might think we do this out of love for just making the damn thing, but why make the damn thing if it doesn't make a lot of side money, right?
Men in Gorilla Suits has made us rich! Ridiculously so, but...we work day jobs just because it's funny for the show. Really, we're cutting-edge entrepreneurs, out there on the fringes of society, hustling all the time and making the fat stacks of Benjamins!
Or maybe not...
This week, we talk all about side gigs...
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We kick it off with the first person we remember who had a side gig...and then talk about our own first side gigs.
We talk about the "gig economy" for a bit and if we're currently working any side gigs.
We devote a bit of time to the best and worst side gigs we've worked. After that, we chat about if things we do on the side today are strictly for money or other things.
If you listen to us regularly, you know we often talk about technology's effect on the chosen topic. We talk about how tech has influenced side gigs before chatting about the side gig we'd love to have.
But not all side gigs are good (in fact, many are terrible). We discuss them for a bit and then wrap it up with the future of side gigs. |
Wed, 1 May 2019
Gorilla Christopher starts a new job this week, so let's get straight to what we talk about this week:
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Thu, 18 April 2019
Working from home used to be the domain of fancy-pants novelists and snooty painters. Now, it's likely your schlub of a neighbor has worked from home. We say this with confidence, being those very schlubs.
Like anything, there are good and bad things about working from home. (Although Gorilla Christopher will argue it's all good.) Working from home is the topic of this week's Men in Gorilla Suits...recorded in our homes on a Sunday night...
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We kick it off talking about how often we work from home and then jump to the first time we heard about people working from home. Then we move on to our first jobs that allowed us to work from home...followed by our best -- and worst -- working from home experiences.
We chat about if we're more or less productive when working from home...and if we tend to work more hours when we're not in the office.
It could be easy losing all sense of time working from home, so we talk about how we manage things without being in the office. And then we discuss the best and worst parts of working from home.
We devote a little time to funny working from home stories, and then wrap it all up with the future of working from home. |
Wed, 3 April 2019
You'll just have to trust us that this episode is good...
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We kick it off with our first memories of trusting someone, and then talk about how important trust is to one's existence. Find out who we trust most today...and what role trust plays in this podcast.
Next, we chat about how much we trust institutions like religion, corporations, and governments. After that, find out if our trust has ever been betrayed by someone...and if we have ever betrayed someone's trust.
We discuss why betrayed trust hurts some people so much, and devote a little time to processes we trust. From there, it's on to talking about if we trust ourselves to make good decisions and then wrapping it all up with the future of trust. |
Thu, 21 March 2019
Men in Gorilla Suits automated show notes.
READY
[Laughter ensues…]
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We begin with the first example of automation we remember seeing, and then move on to the most recent. After that, we chat about if we (and most people) could lose jobs to automated machines or algorithms.
What will humans do if machines and algorithms take over a significant number of jobs? We talk about that a bit before moving on to if automation frightens or bothers us.
Find out what automation we use at work and home...and where we stand on home automation.
And we wrap it all up with what the future of automation means for humanity. |
Thu, 14 March 2019
You know that thing we did last week? We also did something similar three and a half years ago. I know. It's like some Matrix shit. |
Wed, 6 March 2019
You leave Radigast City at the break of dawn, traveling north until reaching an unnamed river. For days, the water is your guide as lush earth gives way to dreary moors and tangled thickets. Finally, in the distance, you see a white plume of smoke rising from a mountain in the distance.
Two miles from the volcano, you find a suitable cave in which to store your supplies.
With your traveling gear stored safely away, you make your way along unsettled the land, being careful to avoid any fissures venting steam. Levi, the party's thief, is the first to hear the mountain breathing. Once you all hear it, you realize it comes in a cycle: a thirty-second exhale of heat followed by a half minute of calm. The cave your guide said to seek now lies before you, about eight feet in diameter.
Suddenly, the whooshing breath of White Plume Mountain almost knocks you over. The torch Bautigan the Brave readied is extinguished by the blast of air. You have thirty seconds before the next wave of wind and steam comes your way.
What do you do?
Dungeons and Dragons. In the 80s, many claimed it was a tool of Satan. Today, it's a mainstream staple of pop culture. It's also this week's topic of Men in Gorilla Suits...
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We roll initiative and discuss when we first became aware of Dungeons and Dragons (D&D). After that, we talk about when we played...and if we still play today.
We talk about why D&D has endured for 45 years...and how technology has affected the game in recent years.
Because we are geeks, we devote some time to our favorite D&D monsters, player classes, and races.
We mentioned the Satanic Panic of the 1980s, which many claimed was the worst thing about D&D. It never came to be (because there was nothing to worry about), but that doesn't stop us from chatting about the worst thing playing D&D can do to a person.
Dungeons and Dragons has become a pop culture staple, and we talk about our favorite appearance of the game in something we've watched or listened to.
And we wrap up this episode with two things:
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Thu, 28 February 2019
Sometimes we go places. In the past, we went places. This is about that. |
Thu, 21 February 2019
Gorilla Christopher initially thought about opening Photoshop and adding your favorite podcasters' faces to images of celebrities known for parody and satire. But swapping faces with Weird Al looked like Christopher because he's apparently hair twins with the world's favorite accordion player. So that idea was scrapped.
And yes, obviously -- this week's topic: Parody and Satire.
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We begin by talking about the first parody or satire we remember -- and then leap to the best work of satire in literature and film. After that, we discuss the funniest -- and worst -- works of parody we've come across.
Find out our preferences: parody or satire. (Or do we like each equally?) Also, we tell you where we stand on parody and comedic music in general.
If you've ever wondered if either of us have attempted to write satire or parody, this is your moment! And with the current climate ripe for satire, we talk about where to find it.
And, of course, we wrap it up looking toward the future, asking what parody and satire will be like in the years to come. |
Thu, 14 February 2019
I am so, so extremely sorry. Please try to remain courageous in the face of this abomination, this second episode of Men in Gorilla Suits. Actually, I haven't listened yet. It might be great. Spoiler alert: It isn't. |
Thu, 7 February 2019
Gorilla Christopher hoped to have this episode online yesterday, but he was tired and decided a busy week merited sleep, instead.
Here's what the gorillamen are talking about this week:
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Thu, 31 January 2019
OOOH, look at me, I'm not working 97 hours a week!Jerk. |
Thu, 24 January 2019
It is currently 53 degrees with mostly clear skies in the Dallas/Ft. Worth Metroplex. Weekend lows will be in the 30s, with afternoon temperatures reaching 60 by Sunday afternoon. A perfect weekend for getting out and about!
This week, we're talking about the weather...specifically:
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Thu, 17 January 2019
Y'all know me. You know how I make a living. I'll find your mess for you, but it ain't gonna be easy. Bad mess. Not like goin' down to the basement and chasin' tax returns and odd socks. No movin’, no organizin’, down you go. And we gotta do it quick, that’ll bring back your family, put all your surfaces on a cleanin’ basis. But it’s not gonna be pleasant. I value my neck a lot more than three thousand bucks, chief. |
Thu, 10 January 2019
A busy week, here, so let's just get straight to what we talk about this week...when we talk about consideration:
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