Next up on the chopping block: David Brooks
https://twitter.com/IfBooksPod/status/1593235828196618241
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It’s boring.
They basically agree with his whole book but say he doesn’t support his takes enough.
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Did we listen to the same podcast? I heard them destroy Brooks for writing a shallow, incurious, condescending and oddly creepy book meant only to confirm Brooks’ priors (or, you know, just being David Brooks).
You don’t think they agreed with his main thesis?
I mean, yes – and that’s right up front in the episode description – but they say in multiple spots that the themes covered in the book could have been really interesting in the hands of a competent writer who was open-minded and willing to do more than the absolute bare minimum of research.
Why is that interesting analysis?
I don’t know why but this whole enterprise has rubbed me wrong from the start. Maybe I’ll stop and let you all enjoy it.
My issue is what am I learning spending my time with these?
They are not very funny so if all I am learning is pop science books are suspect, I already knew that.
I’d rather spend the hour on something different where I can learn something new.
Maybe it’s for entertaining people who enjoy punching down at pseudo-intellectual morons.
That is my fetish.
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Any suggestions for the tear drinking of conservatives after the election? I can give a hardy thumbs down to the New Republic editors and Victoar Davis Hansen. The later was just remarkably weird. He didn’t come out and say elections aren’t being stolen but dems are better at ballot harvesting and we used to know the results the same day or a day later. It is just not something you’d expect a professor to spout. Also, lol at the sponsors, gold and $250 off three months of emergency rations.
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I can’t remember how I got pointed to it, but I also tried this podcast for the first time this week (different episode), and felt exactly the same way. Turns out I don’t just like listening to random people talking about movies even if I really like those movies - I need those people to have a lot of charisma and excitement for the movie. Not just using the movie as a jumping-off point for some broader theme. Makes me appreciate The Rewatchables and Blank Check even more.
That’s how I felt about it. They’re both knowledgeable but they don’t have the chemistry and they’re both bringing the same energy and the result is the podcast feels flat.
I contrast that with Bouie’s guest appearances on We Hate Movies where he does really good as the straight man contrasting with the comics.
yes, this
there have been a couple of episodes that were pretty decent but it’s a slog a lot of the time even though the content is exactly what an AI built to target ME IN PARTICULAR would come up with.
Only movie podcast I listen to regularly is The Flop House, where three guys review a terrible movie and at the end recommend good movies. The hosts have taste in movies that’s in my wheelhouse to an uncanny degree, so it’s always a great source of new movies for me. Eliott usually recommends some bullshit noir he saw on Criterion, Stuart recommends awesome kickass movies like Castle Freak or Troll Hunter, etc.
Listened to this on a walk this morning. A+
I guess it’s part 3 of a trilogy series. Other 2 parts are Dyatlov Pass and Donner Party. Will definitely listen to those next.
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These are on my short list. The Dyatlov Pass stuff is utterly fascinating. 
I hope Peter read this one, I don’t think heterosexual relations are Michael’s area of expertise.
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A+ episode. Burst out laughing a couple of times while I was running.
Holy crap.
The episode on The Game is absolutely hilarious.