Shows
Secretly Incredibly FascinatingVideo Game ControllersAlex Schmidt and Katie Goldin explore why video game controllers are secretly incredibly fascinating. Special guests: Abe Epperson and Michael Swaim.Visit http://sifpod.fun/ for research sources and for this week's bonus episode.Come hang out with us on the new SIF Discord: https://discord.gg/wbR96nsGg5Support Abe & Michael's independent movie 'Papa Bear': https://seedandspark.com/fund/papa-bear
2023-05-081h 05
Small Beans553. Like Razorblade Pie: “Repent, Harlequin!” Said the Ticktockman (Feat. Alex Schmidt)This show goes over the short stories of Michael’s favorite speculative fiction author and notable curmudgeon Harlan Ellison. Each episode Michael pairs (read: forces a friend to read) a short story with a guest that it “applies especially to.” This episode it’s the short story “‘Repent, Harlequin!’ Said the Ticktockman and the guest is Alex Schmidt.
Michael Swaim: https://twitter.com/SWAIM_CORP
Alex Schmidt: https://twitter.com/AlexSchmidty
Support Small Beans and access Additional Content: https://www.patreon.com/SmallBeans
Check our store to buy Small Beans merch! https://www.teepublic.com/stores/the-small-beans-store?ref_id=226912022-12-2957 min
Kurt VonneguysThe Writer's Crusade: Kurt Vonnegut and the Many Lives of Slaughterhouse-FiveAlex Schmidt and Michael Swaim, the original Kurt Vonneguys, are back to break down the new nonfiction book 'The Writer's Crusade: Kurt Vonnegut and the Many Lives of Slaughterhouse-Five'! If this isn't nice, what is?
The book is written by Tom Roston, and published by Abrams Books: https://www.abramsbooks.com/product/writers-crusade_9781419744891/
Vonneguys news: this is our last episode of this new run. Thank you all so much for re-forming this karass for another round of Vonne-joy.
Enjoy Michael's new show 'Like Razorblade Pie' at Small Beans: https://www.patreon.com/SmallBeans
Enjoy Alex's show 'Secretly Incredibly Fascinating': https...2022-03-221h 22Kurt VonneguysKurt Vonnegut: Unstuck In TimeAlex Schmidt and Michael Swaim, the original Kurt Vonneguys, are back to break down the new documentary 'Kurt Vonnegut: Unstuck In Time'! If this isn't nice, what is?
The documentary is by co-directors Robert B. Weide and Don Argott. Here's its website and how to watch: https://www.vonnegutmovie.com/
Vonneguys news: we're still returning once more, in 2022, for an episode about 'The Writer's Crusade' by Tom Roston. Find out more about that book here: www.abramsbooks.com/product/writers…_9781419744891/
SEGMENTS:
Franken-Time (00:02:15)
Summary Time (00:26:00)
Highlight Reel (00:37:57)
Vonne-MEH (00:56:30)
The Meat (01:03:55)
Robert B. Weide-grades (01:17:15)
Related Reading (01:22:45)
Vonnegut News (01:35:07)
LINKS for Related Reading:
'L...2022-02-081h 37Kurt VonneguysSlaughterhouse-Five (graphic novel)Alex Schmidt and Michael Swaim, the original Kurt Vonneguys, are back to break down the new 'Slaughterhouse-Five' graphic novel! If this isn't nice, what is?
The graphic novel is by writer Ryan North and artist Albert Monteys. Publisher page: https://shop.boom-studios.com/collections/slaughterhouse-five
Also here's a link to a *VIDEO VERSION* of this podcast episode (it's the same audio, plus some photos of what we're talking about): https://youtu.be/5BghQzkY0iE
Vonneguys news: we're returning once more, in 2022, for a new episode about 'The Writer's Crusade' by Tom Roston. Find out more about that book here: https...2021-11-111h 33Secretly Incredibly FascinatingBeansAlex Schmidt is joined by writers/podcasters/directors Abe Epperson, Adam Ganser, and Michael Swaim ('Small Beans' network, plus Swaim works at IGN.com) for a look at why beans are secretly incredibly fascinating.
Visit http://sifpod.fun/ for research sources, handy links, and this week's bonus episode.
2021-08-301h 05
Small Beans335. Frame Rate: Peep Show’s Episode “Wedding” (Feat. Alex Schmidt)In a rare TV-based Frame Rate, Alex Schmidt, host of the Secretly Incredibly Fascinating podcast, joins Michael and Abe to discuss the British sitcom Peep Show. We chose the secretly incredibly funny episode “Wedding.” The gang discusses how this show influenced their own comedy and why if you haven’t seen it, you probably should.
Features:
Alex Schmidt: https://twitter.com/AlexSchmidty
Michael Swaim: https://twitter.com/SWAIM_CORP
Abe Epperson: https://twitter.com/AbeTheMighty
Support Small Beans and access Additional Content: https://www.patreon.com/SmallBeans2020-11-091h 05Secretly Incredibly FascinatingThe Great Gatsby (1925)Alex Schmidt is joined by writer/podcaster/filmmaker Michael Swaim (IGN, Small Beans, Kurt Vonneguys) for a look at why ‘The Great Gatsby’ is secretly incredibly fascinating.
Visit http://sifpod.fun/ for research sources, handy links, and this week's bonus episode.
2020-11-091h 00
You Don't Even Like This ShowProhibition Wasn't That Bad (w/Michael Swaim, Alex Schmidt, Anna Valenzuela)Adam welcomes comedians Alex Schmidt, Anna Valenzuela, and Michael Swaim to talk about the West Coast Burger Wars, acceptable uses of cheese, abolition of federal holidays, the upside of alcohol prohibition in America, and more!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2019-07-011h 12Kurt VonneguysA Man Without A CountryFranken-Time (00:01:20)
Essay Time (00:04:25)
VonneART (00:05:10)
Ad Time (00:40:25)
Kurt Blurt (00:54:05)
Recurring Characters Update (01:09:40)
Kurt Cameo (01:09:55)
VonneWHAT (01:10:15)
The Meat (01:13:25)
VonneGRADES (01:18:45)
Related Reading (01:21:25)
Vonnegut News (01:26:25)2018-01-231h 30Kurt VonneguysGod Bless You, Dr. KevorkianCosmologut (0:00:50)
Vonne-Interviews (0:07:00)
Kurt Vonnegut reading Mary Ainsworth interview (0:14:45)
Vognettes (0:26:05)
Kurt Blurt (0:59:50)
Recurring Characters Update (1:05:50)
Kurt Cameo (1:06:00)
VonneWHAT (1:06:45)
The Meat (1:09:00)
VonneGRADES (1:15:45)
Related Reading (1:17:20)2018-01-021h 25Kurt VonneguysBagombo Snuff BoxFranken-Time (00:01:10)
Intro Time (00:08:15)
Creative Writing 101 (00:13:45)
Story Time (00:20:45)
Coda Time (01:30:45)
Kurt Blurt (01:40:35)
Recurring Characters Update (01:41:05)
VonneWHAT (01:42:40
VonneGRADES (01:46:45)
Related Reading (01:51:10)2017-12-151h 59
Kurt VonneguysTimequakePlot Time (00:01:00)
Kurt Blurt (00:26:30)
Recurring Characters Update (01:15:20)
Kurt Cameo (01:16:50)
VonneART(01:18:30)
Vonne-Amendments (01:23:00)
VonneWHAT (01:28:10)
The Meat (01:59:40)
VonneGRADES (02:11:20)
Related Reading (02:15:15)2017-11-212h 24
Kurt VonneguysFates Worse Than DeathFranken-Time (00:01:15)
Story Time (00:08:15)
Kurt Blurt (01:19:05)
VonneWHAT (01:37:15)
The Meat (01:48:45)
VonneGRADES (01:50:00)
Related Reading (01:53:00)
Vonnegut News (02:00:10)2017-10-312h 02
Kurt VonneguysHocus PocusPlot Time (00:02:00)
VonneART (00:09:30)
VonneMATH (00:51:25)
Kurt Blurt (00:55:30)
Kurt Cameo (01:16:10)
Recurring Characters Update (01:17:30)
The Meat (01:20:00)
VonneWHAT (01:28:45)
VonneGRADES (01:40:30)
Related Reading (01:45:25)
Vonnegut News (01:53:50)2017-10-101h 55
The Cracked PodcastWhich City is the Number 1 Movie Setting of All-Time?New York. Paris. Tokyo. Miami. Even if you've never been to these cities (and sometimes, even if you have) the visions that come rushing to your mind at the mere mention of their names are images from movies. Woody Allen and Diane Keaton on a park bench in front of the Queensboro Bridge, Scarlett Johansson wandering through Shibuya Crossing, Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy doing Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy things in a boat on the Seine.It's a cliché, but certain world cities become characters in the movies in which they are set. And sometimes, **cough cough Judd Apatow**, m...2017-10-091h 19The Cracked PodcastThe Terrifying Truth About Why We Love Apocalypse StoriesFrom Mad Max to The Road to the illustrious career of Roland Emmerich, it's clear that the modern pop-culture consumer loves apocalypses. Climate change and the threat of nuclear war or worldwide super-virus make imagining an apocalypse easy. And if you look back through history, it's obvious that as long as there has been civilization, there has been the fear of complete and utter worldwide destruction.One of the most prolific names today in speculative fiction is N.K. Jemisin. The first two books of her Broken Earth trilogy have won the Hugo Award for best novel the last two years...2017-09-251h 08
Kurt VonneguysBluebeardPlot Time (00:00:50)
Kurt Blurt (00:50:30)
Recurring Characters Update (1:28:20)
Kurt Cameo (1:30:00)
VonneWHAT (1:31:15)
The Meat (2:04:15)
Vonnegrades (2:20:30)
Movie Time (2:24:00)
Related Reading (02:32:00)
Vonnegut News (02:45:00)
Related Reading:
Inside Llewyn Davis (Ethan Coen, Joel Coen): http://amzn.to/2ydCHJw
The Hudsucker Proxy (Ethan Coen, Joel Coen): http://amzn.to/2wvP8hD
Mad Men: The Gold Violin (Season 2, Episode 7): https://goo.gl/by3aY9
A Doll's House (Henrik Ibsen): http://amzn.to/2xGX1pm
The Homecoming (Harold Pinter): http://amzn.to/2x8ZebV
Amsterdam (Ian McEwan): http://amzn.to/2x5rH0D
They're Made Of Meat (Terry Bisson): https://goo.gl/9KFq
The Drone King (Kurt Vonnegut): https...2017-09-192h 48The Cracked Podcast15 Real Science Stories That Would Make Great Sci-Fi MoviesIf you're a movie fan in 2017, you're hard pressed to find many original sci-fi films. There are a lot more Alien: Covenants and Blade Runner: 2o49s than Ex Machinas. That's not necessarily a bad thing, it's just sometimes sci-fi fans want to experience something new, something fresh, something that's not in the Transformers expanded universe.I mean, it's 2017. There are new planets and technologies being discovered every day. Surely some of them would make for the basis of a good sci-fi movie.So on this week's podcast, Alex Schmidt puts together a panel to research as many new and...2017-09-181h 24The Cracked Podcast11 Under-the-Radar Comics That Ought To Be Amazing MoviesAnother summer in the books, another summer of somewhat pleasing comic book movies. Wonder Woman was good! So was Spiderman! Guardians of the Galaxy was...a movie! What's next? Oh no. Don't say it. Justice League. [cue the sound of failure from The Price is Right]All we're saying is there are tons of great indie comics and obscure graphic novels that would make awesome movies that aren't necessarily about super-powered people. So that's what we're talking about on this week's podcast.Alex Schmidt is joined by Cracked's resident comic experts Michael Swaim and Randall Maynard to pitch movie versions o...2017-09-111h 10
Kurt VonneguysFrom The Group: 'Slaughterhouse-Five' to 'Galápagos'Related Reading:
- The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams): http://amzn.to/2wC5jvw
- They're Made Out of Meat (Terry Bisson): https://goo.gl/9KFq
- Kurt Vonnegut in a Discover Card ad: https://goo.gl/fvwyVT
- The Star (Arthur C. Clarke): https://goo.gl/n3ZTPC2017-09-0533 min
Kurt VonneguysGalápagosPlot Time (00:01:00)
Kurt Blurt (01:00:20)
Recurring Characters (01:24:10)
The Meat (01:24:50)
VonneWHAT (01:47:00)
Vonnegrades (01:54:50)
Related Reading (01:57:20)
Vonnegut News (02:09:20)2017-08-292h 13The Cracked PodcastThe Pros and Cons of Living in Grand Theft Auto and SkyrimImagine you're just living your normal life, walking down the street and WHAM-- a car slams into a traffic light and the driver bails out from the cabin, firing machine guns and rocket launchers at everything in sight. The police arrive at the scene, engage in a bloody firefight and eventually a high-speed chase. But, once the suspect leave their line of sight, they just sort of...give up.You are an NPC (non-playable character) in the Grand Theft Auto universe, where the long arm of the law only reaches as far as the computer's AI will allow it and ev...2017-08-211h 19The Cracked PodcastWhy Society Is Very Bad At Helping People Choose JobsDo you know what you want to do with the rest of your life? Well the good news is nobody really knows. You’re not alone! The bad news is you were supposed to know by age 13 or so. And if you didn’t know back then, society’s been watching you flail around ever since. We’re a nation of human beings, facing more change and “economic anxiety” than ever before. And if you look close enough, you’ll realize the answer to that problem has a lot less to do with border walls and coal jobs, and a lot more to do...2017-08-071h 38
Kurt VonneguysDeadeye DickPlot Time (00:01:00)
The Meat (01:04:00)
Kurt Cameo (01:19:45)
Recurring Characters Update (01:24:20)
Kurt Vonnafoods (01:27:40)
Kurt Blurt (01:35:40)
VonneWHAT (01:50:30)
Vonnegrades (01:53:50)
Related Reading (01:56:30)
Vonnegut News (02:03:00)
Related Reading:
Novel: Thomas Wolfe: Look Homeward, Angel: http://amzn.to/2uYaYh2
Poetry Collection: The Best of Ogden Nash: http://amzn.to/2eOd6l6
TV: Better Call Saul: https://goo.gl/ygKTO9
Book: James Thurber: The Last Flower: http://amzn.to/2vJi1rD
Comic: Dan Harmon: La Cosa Nostroid: http://amzn.to/2eOkBbu
Original Cast Recording: God Bless You Mr. Rosewater: http://amzn.to/2h3O2Hg2017-08-012h 09The Cracked PodcastChecking In On The Modern State of Dungeons and DragonsThanks to those plucky kids in Stranger Things and the larger proliferation of nerd culture, we're happy to announce that Dungeons and Dragons is officially cool now. And as with many things that are either retaining or finding success almost a fifth of the way into this new century, DnD is doing it by adapting to the times. Groups can now conduct entire campaigns online (no more meeting in mom's basement); YouTube, podcasts, etc. have created more DnD content than the average player knows what to do with; and the DnD-style role-playing game has expanded to multiple genres, so players...2017-07-311h 55The Cracked Podcast12 Animals That Could 'Planet of The Apes' Us If They TriedIf sci-fi movies have taught you one thing about species with queen-based social hierarchies, it's that you should always kill the queen. Same goes for insects right? Kill the queen and the ant hill or bee's nest goes away. Sounds good, unless you're dealing with Argentine ants, who have about 300 queens for every 1,000 worker ants. How do you kill them? You don't.Where do they live? Probably Argentina, right? Wrong, they've taken over just about every continent other than Antarctica. So good luck with your new insect overlords.On this week's podcast, Alex Schmidt is joined by Cracked's Katie Goldin and...2017-07-241h 27
Kurt VonneguysPalm Sunday (Live)Franken-Time! (00:03:00)
Story Time! (00:05:30)
Kurt Blurt! (00:50:10)
VonneART! (01:00:50)
VonneWHAT!? (01:10:45)
Vonnegrades! (01:30:15)
Related Reading (01:14:40)
Vonnefriends! (01:18:00)
Related Reading:
Article: io9: The Universal Shapes of Stories, According to Kurt Vonnegut: https://goo.gl/q2jpzc
Full Text: Mark Twain: Life on the Mississippi: https://goo.gl/EcTo40
Book: Dave Eggers: A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius: https://goo.gl/C5EodB
Book: Stephen King: On Writing: https://goo.gl/U6bsLg
Book: Harlan Ellison: The Other Glass Teat: https://goo.gl/W5yWbk2017-07-111h 28The Cracked Podcast20 Unheralded Geniuses Who Basically Invented Modern MoviesFor many people, filmmaking begins and ends with the director. We call it a director's medium. It's their vision that guides the entire production and it's their name that gets the praise when a movie is good, and gets dragged through the mud when a movie stinks. While that's somewhat accurate, it's completely forgetting about the hundreds of artists, technicians, producers and craftsmen who bring equal skill to the table and without whom our favorite movies would be totally different.Take Tim Burton, for example. His films have a "look," right? Edward Scissorhands, Pee-Wee's Great Adventure and Beetlejuice sort of...2017-07-031h 43
The PrestigeTHE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING (2001) & IndustrialisationThe last franchise of Season 2 is a bit of a behemoth: it’s the Jackson/Tolkien epic. We don’t get round to talking about our theme till very late on, but we do talk a lot about the mechanics of this film: including just what makes the ring itself so impressive.
This Week’s Media
THE CRACKED PODCAST (2013—): Alex Schmidt, Michael Swaim, Dan O'Brien
I AM NOT YOUR NEGRO (2016): Raoul Peck, James Baldwin, Samuel L. Jackson
Recommendations
DEAD ALIVE/BRAINDEAD (1992): Peter Jackson, Timothy Balme, Diana Peñalver
A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE...2017-06-3030 min
Kurt VonneguysJailbirdPlot Time! (00:02:30)
Kurt Blurt! (01:17:00)
The Meat! (01:31:15)
Recurring Characters Update! (01:42:10)
Kurt Cameo! (01:45:50)
VonneWHAT! (01:46:50)
Vonnegrades! (01:56:20)
Movie Time! (2:00:50)
Music Time! (2:15:50)
Related Reading! (02:24:30)
Related Reading:
Short Story: Guy De Maupassant: The Necklace: https://goo.gl/Upnq
Book: Ralph Ellison: Invisible Man: https://goo.gl/GHHXQs
Play: Tony Kushner: Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes: https://goo.gl/vLVKdn
Short Story: George Saunders: Escape from Spiderhead: https://goo.gl/I0ek3q
Graphic Novel: Alan Moore, David Lloyd: V for Vendetta: https://goo.gl/E1FRQ3
Book: Neil Gaiman: American Gods: https://goo.gl/Wx2GiC2017-06-202h 35The Cracked PodcastA Farewell To Cracked Editor-in-Chief Jack O'BrienSerious Talk. It's Jack's last episode. After 11 years at Cracked, our intrepid editor-in-chief and podcast host extraordinaire Jack O'Brien is hanging up the cleats to tackle new projects, end world hunger and find the Zodiac killer.
But that doesn't mean this podcast is going anywhere. Jack is joined this week by NEW Cracked Podcast host Alex Schmidt as they sit down with Michael Swaim, Daniel O'Brien, Soren Bowie and Jason Pargin (aka David Wong) to reminisce over Jack's 11 years of service, how they all landed at Cracked and their favorite Cracked Podcast topics from the first 182 episodes.
To keep up...2017-06-052h 04
Kurt VonneguysSlapstickPlot Time! (00:40)
Kurt Blurt! (01:14:15)
VonneArt! (01:31:30)
Recurring Characters Update! (01:34:25)
Kurt Cameo! (01:37:45)
VonneWHAT! (01:38:35)
Movie Time! (01:45:45)
The Meat! (01:55:00)
Vonnegrades! (02:05:15)
Related Reading! (02:07:55)
Vonnegut News! (02:16:25)
Related Reading:
Book: Theodore Sturgeon: More Than Human: https://goo.gl/sfv6NG
Short Story: Harlan Ellison: In Fear of K (in Strange Wine): https://goo.gl/Jm2dfP
Book: Ray Bradbury: Something Wicked This Way Comes: https://goo.gl/n8h6HI
Short Story: HP Lovecraft: The Outsider: https://goo.gl/86RReb
Song: Frank Zappa: Bobby Brown Goes Down: https://goo.gl/OxOMAv2017-05-232h 22The Cracked PodcastHumanity's Greatest Moments Brought to You By Drugs & BoozeEven though drugs and alcohol have been a social lubricant since before we could write anything down, we like to think of history as this boring, stuffy museum exhibit where kings and queens drank iced tea, ate flavorless biscuits and had sex like our parents did (they've never had sex!). But hold onto your molly water, legal marijuana and fidget spinners, kids: history is as shitfaced wasted as any frat party or music festival, you just have to dig a little deep to find it. Also, it's hard for high school history teachers to talk about how great Ulysses S...2017-05-221h 37The Cracked PodcastWhy Millennials Are The New Greatest GenerationThe script is different but the wording is always roughly the same. Every few months some retiring journalist, former tech-mogul or aspiring Tomi Lahren-type goes viral because they've had it up to *here* with these gosh darn millennials. Between their clamoring for single-payer healthcare and their complaining about unpaid internships, it's like they hate America or something. Why can't they appreciate what they've got and be exactly what the generation before wants them to be?We've heard it a million times and, frankly, it's all bullshit. You know how we know? Because every generation has been lodging the same 4 complaints...2017-05-081h 11
Kurt VonneguysWampeters, Foma and GranfalloonsSegments:
Story/Essay Time (00:00:30)
Kurt Blurt (01:19:30)
VonneWHAT (01:27:00)
Kurt Blurt, Part II (01:34:30)
The Meat (01:44:30)
VonneGRADES (01:45:40)
Related Reading (01:47:30)
Kurt Vonnegut's Personal Library of Related Recommended Things For You to Read (01:52:10)
Vonnegut News (01:59:20)
Related Reading:
Book: Sherman Alexie:The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian: https://goo.gl/prPzP4
Speech: Mary Schmich: Wear Sunscreen: https://goo.gl/zs12n
Speech: David Foster Wallace: This is Water: https://goo.gl/XMEqj
Kurt Vonnegut's Reccomendations:
Full Text: Edgar Lee Masters: Spoon River Anthology: https://goo.gl/qBpVMv
Book: USA (The 42nd Parallel, 1919, The Big Money): John Dos Passos: https://goo.gl/ofoFOi
Full Text: Gustave Flaube...2017-05-022h 03The Cracked Podcast23 Convoluted Movie Schemes That Need A Second LookThe term 'movie magic' typically refers to the technical brilliance of bringing dinosaurs to life onscreen or how Denzel Washington can make an entire theatre of men and women pregnant with a single knowing glance. But there's a second type of movie magic that often goes overlooked: when movies are so good, we don't notice when their characters' plans' make absolutely no sense. All the great ones do this. In 'Return of the Jedi', all of the main characters get captured attempting to break Han Solo out of Jabba's palace, but it's all good because that was seemingly their plan a...2017-05-011h 55
Kurt VonneguysBreakfast of ChampionsPlot Time! (02:00)
Kurt Blurt! (1:14:00)
Recurring Characters Update! (1:36:00)
Kurt Cameo! (1:38:30)
Related Reading! (1:39:15)
VonneWHATMEAT! (1:49:45)
Vonnegrades! (2:14:45)
Movie Time! (2:17:22)
Vonnegut News! (2:32:30)
Related Reading:
Short Story: Ray Bradbury: "The Earthmen" (part of The Martian Chronicles): https://goo.gl/uA719G
Video: Connections: https://goo.gl/vixNYh
Book: Ken Kesey: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest: https://goo.gl/T2KOkT
Book: Jonathan Safran Foer: Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close: https://goo.gl/HYl3ig
Book: Mark Twain: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: https://goo.gl/jdpYMe
Short Story: Harlan Ellison: The Region Between: https://goo.gl/57J4i9
Short Story: Michael Swaim: And It Goes Like This...2017-04-112h 36
Kurt VonneguysHappy Birthday, Wanda JunePlot Time! (02:10)
Fortitude Time! (01:01:20)
Christmas Time! (01:12:20)
Kurt Blurt! (01:18:50)
Recurring Characters Update! (01:47:00)
Kurt Cameo! (01:48:20)
VonneWHAT! (01:50:00)
The Meat! (01:58:15)
Vonnegrades! (02:04:30)
Drama Time! (02:09:30)
Related Reading! (02:21:30)
Vonnegut News! (02:32:30)
Related Reading:
Podcast: Revisionist History: The Satire Paradox: https://goo.gl/h7759e
Film: The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance: https://goo.gl/1hi4nI
Film: O Brother, Where Art Thou?: https://goo.gl/pexMGk
Film: Sullivan's Travels: https://goo.gl/XdLINd
Play: Suzan-Lori Parks: 'The Last Living Black Man in the Whole Entire World' & 'The America Play' (which Michael calls 'The Death of Abraham Lincoln'): https://goo.gl/LfeX6N
The Neo-Futurists: https://goo.gl/87I0...2017-03-142h 36
Kurt VonneguysVonne-chat: Marc LeedsIn this special bonus Vonne-chat, Alex and Michael are joined by Marc Leeds, author of The Vonnegut Encyclopedia. They discuss what it's like being a character in one of Kurt's novels, whether his books are truly a shared universe and how Marc compiled his nearly 800 page tome, an A-Z database of Vonnegut characters, settings and themes.
Related Reading:
The Vonnegut Encyclopedia: https://goo.gl/J7HN1E
Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library: Marc Leeds Bio: https://goo.gl/VO7VAp
The Daily Vonnegut: Interview with Marc Leeds: https://goo.gl/Mqkus42017-03-0721 min
Kurt VonneguysSlaughterhouse-FivePlot Time! (01:10)
Kurt Blurt! (55:30)
Recurring Characters Update! (01:31:00)
Kurt Cameo! (01:39:20)
VonneWHAT?! (01:42:00)
VonneART! (01:52:15)
The Meat! (01:55:45)
Vonnegrades! (01:57:00)
Movie Time! (02:01:40)
Related Reading! (02:07:50)
Vonnegut News! (02:17:10)
Related Reading:
Film: Grave of the Fireflies: https://goo.gl/V6xGcF
Film: Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story : https://goo.gl/gWFjlH
Film: Arrival: https://goo.gl/c8DmrG
Short Story: Ray Bradbury: "Tomorrow's Child" (in I Sing the Body Electric!): https://goo.gl/zQuv1B
Album: Roger Waters: Radio Kaos: https://goo.gl/x1rx05
Graphic Novel: Yoshihiro Tatsumi: The Pushman and Other Stories: https://goo.gl/nTpYca
Short Story: Harlan Ellison: I Have No Mouth and...2017-02-142h 20
Kurt VonneguysFrom The Group: 'Player Piano' to 'Monkey House'Sections:
Gettin' Social! (02:15)
Emergency Situation! (27:20)
Meet Space! (41:00)
Related Reading:
Novel: Jamaica Kincaid: A Small Place: https://goo.gl/jxJQCI
Novel: Haruki Murakami: The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle: https://goo.gl/M4Eo8g
Film: Harrison Bergeron: https://goo.gl/jtIVDt
Film: 2081: https://goo.gl/xZgOGF
Film: Who Am I This Time?: https://goo.gl/h9sdju
Podcast: Limetown: https://goo.gl/z2p59C
Music: God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater Musical Demos: https://goo.gl/RNGnwU
Radio: Dimension X: Report on the Barnhouse Effect: https://goo.gl/Srrcyl
Novel: Jerry Spinelli: Maniac Magee: https://goo.gl/N0IpjK
Novel: Lois Lowry...2017-02-0747 min
Kurt VonneguysWelcome to the Monkey HouseSuper Short Story Plot Time! (06:15)
Recurring Characters Update! (01:54:30)
Kurt Cameo! (01:55:55)
VonneWHAAAT! (01:57:00)
Kurt Blurt! (02:05:30)
Vonnegrades! (02:11:00)
Related Reading! (02:12:45)
Vonnegut News! (02:21:00)
Related Reading:
Book: Marc Leeds: The Vonnegut Encyclopedia: https://goo.gl/tu8S4W
Book: Ray Bradbury: The Illustrated Man: https://goo.gl/ihH8r9
Book: George Saunders: CivilWarLand in Bad Decline: https://goo.gl/01l2O8
Book: Charles Yu: Sorry Please Thank You: https://goo.gl/JJ9AAG
Book: Eric Puchner: Music Through the Floor: https://goo.gl/S5YgOY
Short Story: Harlan Ellison: "The End of the Time of Leinard" (in Dream Corridor): https://goo.gl/QZWi1H
Short Story...2017-01-242h 26
Kurt VonneguysGod Bless You, Mr. RosewaterFrom the Group! (01:00)
Plot Time! (06:45)
Kurt Blurt! (01:34:45)
Recurring Characters Update! (01:52:00)
Kurt Cameo! (01:59:30)
VonneWHAT! (02:00:30)
The Meat! (02:08:10)
Altruism Olympics! (02:11:50)
Vonnegrades! (02:15:15)
Movie Time! (02:17:10)
Related Reading! (02:21:00)
Vonnegut News! (02:28:20)
Related Reading:
Book: Theodore Sturgeon: Microcosmic God: https://goo.gl/tTYkXd
Essay: James Black: What in Hell Is He For?: Vonnegut's Avatar & the Need to Sneak Sci-Fi in Under the Radar: https://goo.gl/cKvjq2
Short Story: Ray Bradbury: The Taxpayer (in The Martian Chronicles): https://goo.gl/uA719G
Short Story: Harlan Ellison: On the Slab (in Angry Candy): https://goo.gl/zWBtm3
Short Story: David Brin: "The Giving Plague": https://goo.gl/e6bXug
...2017-01-032h 31
Kurt VonneguysCat's CradleFrom the Group! (01:00)
Plot Time! (07:45)
Kurt Blurt! (11:40)
Kurt Cameo! (1:53:20)
Recurring Characters! (1:54:40)
VonneWHAT! (1:57:15)
The Meat! (2:07:15)
VonneGrades! (2:12:20)
Movie Time! (2:16:00)
Related Reading! (2:26:10)
Vocab Quiz! (2:33:50)
Vonnegut News! (2:37:00)
Related Reading:
Article: Scientific American: Let's Colonize Titan: https://goo.gl/KP4dx0
Song: 10cc - Sand in My Face (Dynamic Tension): https://goo.gl/S0UbEP
Movie: Synecdoche, New York: https://goo.gl/h6AV1Z
Book: Ginger Strand - The Brothers Vonnegut: https://goo.gl/zIYN0X
Short Story: Ray Bradbury - The Fire Balloons (in The Illustrated Man): https://goo.gl/ihH8r9
Book: Will Self - The Book of Dave: https://goo.gl...2016-12-132h 42
Kurt VonneguysMother NightMother Night (00:00)
Kurt Cameo (03:50)
Plot Time (11:45)
Recurring Characters (32:30)
The Meat (01:12:30)
VonneWHAT (01:16:00)
Kurt Blurt (01:21:15)
Vonnegrades (01:27:50)
Related Reading (01:29:50)
Movie Time (01:36:30)
Kurt News (01:45:30)2016-11-221h 55The Cracked PodcastCracked Book Club: Kurt Vonnegut's Little-Known NovelYou're probably familiar with Kurt Vonnegut's required reading, or rather the Kurt Vonnegut books your high school English teacher required you to read. 'Slaughterhouse-Five,' 'Cat's Cradle,' and maybe 'Breakfast of Champions' were rays of satirical sunlight in your curriculum between long stretches of Jane Austen and Herman Melville (both great authors, but booooooring). But what about his other 12 novels and the dozens of short stories and other works you're not familiar with?The Cracked Podcast is going to mix it up this week with an introduction to our new Vonnegut book club, a brand new podcast with Alex...2016-10-311h 31
Kurt VonneguysThe Sirens of Titan(00:00) The Sirens of Titan
(07:00) Plot Time!
(50:30) Recurring Characters
(56:30) VonneWHAT?
(1:04:00) Kurt Blurt
(1:13:00) Related Reading
(1:28:30) Movie Time
(1:44:00) Kurt News
Related Reading:
Watchmen -- Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons: https://goo.gl/Tuo0UJ
V for Vendetta -- Alan Moore & David Lloyd: https://goo.gl/yYGwhM
Speaker for the Dead -- Orson Scott Card: https://goo.gl/QUiIA5
Dark They Were and Golden Eyed -- Ray Bradbury: https://goo.gl/xFKAeA
Mozart in Mirrorshades -- Bruce Sterling & Lewis Shiner: https://goo.gl/BCNgfs
The Stranger -- Albert Camus: https://goo.gl/ppBtSI
Stranger in a Strange Land -- Robert Heinlein: https://goo.gl/S1...2016-10-311h 51
Kurt VonneguysPlayer PianoJoin reader-comedians Alex Schmidt and Michael Swaim for a fun, digressive trip through the Kurt Vonnegut canon. It’s a book club, a comedy show, and a cavalcade of smart, entertaining segments. Discover Vonnegut works you’ve never read! Rediscover your Kurt favorites! And cure the terrible disease of loneliness by going on a K.V. appreciation deep dive with a friendly karass of your fellow listeners.
(00:00) Player Piano
(12:20) Kurt Blurt
(20:20) 1984?
(36:45) Kurt Cameo
(42:50) Recurring Characters
(59:30) Image-O-Rama
(1:05:00) VonneWHAT?
(1:11:50) Related Reading
Related Reading:
The Silver Corridor & "Repent Harlequin!" Said the Ticktockman -- Harlan Ellison: https://goo.gl/7NK9Pu
Knox -- Harlan Elli...2016-10-311h 22
Kurt VonneguysEpisode 0 - The Kurt Vonneguys are Coming!Stay tuned for the first two episodes of Kurt Vonneguys, covering 'Player Piano' and 'The Sirens of Titan', premiering soon.2016-10-2400 minThe Cracked PodcastScrew Sully: 7 True Stories That Would Make Better MoviesAhh September, the leaves are changing into autumnal shades of yellow, red and orange, the air has a chilly bite, and movie theaters are being inundated with 'Based on a True Story' Oscar-bait. This month alone we've got 3 true story movies that shouldn't have much suspense to them: 'Sully' (the plane lands); 'Deepwater Horizon' (oil gets everywhere); and 'Snowden' (dude's in Russia).We've got a little hint for you, Hollywood: how about releasing a movie that isn't about something that happened, like, six seconds ago? History is full of amazing true stories and you're giving us a movie about the...2016-09-191h 46The Cracked Podcast8 Historical Badasses You've Never Heard Of, Pt. 2Two years ago we told you the tales of some of the most badass people lost to the annals of history. There was Peter Freuchen, the 6'7" Danish explorer who clawed his way out of an ice cave using a shovel he made out of his own feces; and Elmer Keith, who could shoot objects from hundreds of yards away with the accuracy of a sniper, except he could do it with a revolver, one of the least accurate guns you could use in long-range. That episode ( https://goo.gl/nyhS0s ) was so popular and there were so many pe...2016-04-251h 34The Cracked PodcastMovies That'd Be Better From a Different POVMost disaster movies make cannon fodder out of almost every single living person on the planet who isn't a president, a fighter pilot, or the one scientist who has the key to solving the alien/meteor/whatever problem. What about the rest of us? Isn't there a great story in the Armageddon expanded universe about a bunch of people partying like the world is going to end and then having to go to work the next day?What about the thankless IT workers of S.H.I.E.L.D. or any secret organization of that matter? Where are the...2016-01-0448 minThe Cracked PodcastBONUS! Why All Your Favorite Movies Are About The ApocalypseFrom 'Mad Max' to 'San Andreas' to 'The Avengers,' the most popular movies of our times are about how we fear our world will end. We're obsessed with stories of drought, natural disaster, nuclear war, zombies, aliens and robots. We fear the day science fiction turns into science fact, and while some movie apocalypses are basically pure make-believe, others seem eminently possible.So what are we doing about the threats of water and energy shortages? And are we destined to play out the doomsday scenarios we see in popular science fiction?In this special bonus episode taped live at...2015-12-1352 minThe Cracked PodcastInsane Internet Fan TheoriesAs we've previously covered on the site, before JK Rowling had even finished the 'Harry Potter' books, an interesting fan theory started popping up on Potterverse fansites. The speculation went that perhaps the chosen one wasn't our boy Harry, but actually lovable dunce Neville Longbottom, and that all the whole 'Harry is chosen one' nonsense was Dumbledore intentionally misdirecting he-who-shall-not-be-typed.Whether or not Rowling had planned this, we all know what we got in the end: another textbook hero's journey that would've made Joseph Campbell proud. But isn't that first theory a lot cooler? We think so.Outside-of-the-box fan theories...2015-02-161h 21The Cracked PodcastPeople With Impossible SuperpowersWhat if Tony Stark built humanitarian robots out of super cheap materials and not a weaponized fleet of mech suits? What if someone could run as far and as infinitely as Barry Allen but at a more human speed? What if you found out that an American president reached power using Charles Xavier-like powers of persuasion. It sounds like a made up version of the Marvel extended universe -- yes, the Flash is a DC property, but just go with it -- but these are actual, recorded talents that you NEVER hear about. Recorded at the Comikaze Expo in Los A...2014-12-081h 13The Cracked PodcastHow a Dating Site Proved Society Is DoomedWhen the founders of OkCupid started one of the most popular dating sites on the Internet, they didn't intend to find out all of humanity's deep, dark secrets. All they wanted was to help people make babies. However, they accidentally ended up with a treasure trove of information about the difference between what people say (and even think) about themselves and what they actually do – and you won't like it. By analyzing the language and behavior of OkCupid users, they've determined that you're probably a lot more racist than you think, and you can actually guess someone's race with a stu...2014-11-171h 11