Shows
Scandalous GamesUwe Boll's Postal, Part 1: Uwe gotta be kidding meHistorian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Kate Lynch and Andy Hunter. For our first episode coming off Scandalous Games Summer, we stick around the world of movies and take a closer look at Uwe Boll's 2007 film Postal, Uwe's raunchy, satirical comedy adaptation of Running with Scissors' only franchise. This time, we look at its development, production, and its very, very poor box office showing. Topics discussed include: Kevin bravely doesn't bother Running with Scissors on social media, Uwe Boll vs. Billy Zane, and which doomed Postal: political correctness or a...2025-08-0551 minScandalous GamesSuper Mario Bros. (1993)-mentary (Scandalous Games Summer)Historian Kevin Impellizeri usually shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends. However, we're taking a few months off for the second annual Scandalous Games Summer, where we offer syncable audio commentaries for video game related movies. This time around Join Kevin, Andy Hunter, Phil Thomas, Lauren, and Kate Lynch as we trust the fungus and talk over the 1993 debut of licensed video game films, Super Mario Bros. (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108255/), directed by Annabel Jankel and Rocky Morton and starring John Leguizamo, Samantha Mathis, and the late great Bob Hoskins and De...2025-07-012h 00Scandalous GamesThe Wizard-Mentary (Scandalous Games Summer)Historian Kevin Impellizeri usually shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends. However, we're taking a few months off for the second annual Scandalous Games Summer, where we offer syncable audio commentaries for video game related movies. Join Kevin, Andy Hunter, and Kate Lynch as they talk over the 1989 coming of age tale/100-minute Nintendo commercial The Wizard (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098663/). Together, we tackle some aggressive product placement, reminisce on Nintendo video games from days gone by, and contemplate why several main characters do not end up dead in the Utah d...2025-06-031h 47
SHOW CENTER The Airshow PodcastSHOW CENTER: The Airshow Podcast Takes Flight with the Thunderbirds on Netflix!SHOW CENTER The Airshow Podcast - We're taxiing into the spotlight this week with a special episode you won’t want to miss! On the eve of the global release of "Air Force Elite: Thunderbirds"—the brand-new Netflix documentary featuring the legendary U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds—we're talking to two of the stars: Thunderbird pilot Jake “Primo” Impellizeri and aerial coordinator extraordinaire Kevin LaRosa II.The film, which debuts May 23rd, offers an inside look at the elite demonstration team like never before. And here’s a little spoiler: we’re in it too! That’s right—your favorite airs...2025-05-2132 minScandalous GamesJohn DeCamp, Part 2: A journey from Oklahoma City to Columbine to QanonHistorian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Kate Lynch and Andy Hunter. We bring you the thrilling conclusion of our look at John DeCamp, the disgraced former politician/conspiracy monger who sued the games industry following the Columbine shooting. We look at John's associations with some very fine people and how he tried to get to the bottom of a bunch of other conspiracies leading into his massive suit against violent video games. Topics discussed include: John's nigh infinite supply of secret information on essentially every conspiracy, the surely gripping c...2025-05-061h 15Scandalous GamesJohn DeCamp, Part 1: The conspiracy-pilled lawyer who sued the games industry over ColumbineHistorian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Kate Lynch and Phil Thomas. As a new wrongful death lawsuit levied against a video game company looms, we take a closer look at Sanders v. Acclaim, the 2001 lawsuit filed against the video game industry alleging games like DOOM, Redneck Rampage, and Final Fantasy (?!?) trained the Columbine High School shooters to kill. To that end, we examine John DeCamp, an eccentric Nebraska politician, lawyer, and conspiracy monger who filed the suit on behalf of one of the Columbine victims. Along the way, we untangle the...2025-04-151h 10Scandalous GamesJack Thompson's A Modest Video Game Proposal (Scandalous Games Theater)In today's installment of Scandalous Games Theatre, Dr. Kevin Impellizeri, PhD, recites Jack Thompson's "A Modest Video Game Proposal," delivered via open letter on October 10, 2005, in which the self proclaimed "only certified sane lawyer in the State of Florida" offered a $10,000 charitable donation in the name of then Take-Two CEO Paul Eibeler if a game company developed and distributed a game in which all Jack's personal enemies were brutally killed. However, when a company came forward to develop the game, titled I'm OK: A Murder Simulator (Thompsonsoft, PC, 2006) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I%27m_O.K_%E2%80%93_A...2025-04-0108 minScandalous Games2024: A Year of Controversies, Part 2: A year of PokémaniaHistorian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Kate Lynch, Phil Thomas, and Elford Stephens. We finally wrap up our look back at the year of controversies that was 2024. This time around, we look at a whole bunch of weird and wild Pokémon related stuff that came up during the previous year.Topics discussed include: the potential murder related implications of the number 286, Kevin gets scammed, Nintendo goes after Palworld, and uncomfortable allegations against Typhlosion.More info, including show notes and sources a...2025-03-1838 minScandalous Games2024: A Year of Controversies, Part 1: Helldive, Defend, DeposeHistorian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Kate Lynch, Phil Thomas, and Elford Stephens. We continue looking back at the previous year that was with a sample platter of gaming related controversies that came up over 2024. This time around, we look at some wild backlashes against Sony in the Helldivers II community and the alleged role of video games in the December 4, 2024, shooting death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.Topics discussed include: Precision review bombing raids, Phil's harrowing ordeal against the bugs, the horrors of Altoona pizza, and di...2025-03-0446 minScandalous Games2024: A year of layoffsHistorian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Andy Hunter, Kate Lynch, and Phil Thomas. For our first recording of 2025, we share our favorite gaming experiences from 2024 and take a look at the tumultuous state of the games industry over the past year, including the discussions of corporate greed, massive layoffs, and huge live service failures.Also, a scheduling note: we will not be airing a second episode this month. Check back in on March 4 for our next episode.Topics discussed include: Hilarious achievements, the Embracer Group g...2025-02-041h 13Scandalous GamesPostal 2 Remastered, Part 2: The earliest MAGA video game?Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Andy Hunter, Elford Stephens, and Phil Thomas. Part Two (of two) of our remastered edition of our deep dive at Postal 2 (Running with Scissors, Whiptail Interactive, PC, 2003). This time, we go past the game's less-than-stellar reception and learn how developer Running with Scissors found a second life in the anti-woke crowd.Topics discussed include: Running with Scissors accuses critics of giving their games bad reviews without playing them, Vince Desi vs. Jack Thompson: the epic battle the world deserved (but never...2025-01-211h 17Scandalous GamesPostal 2 Remastered, Part 1: We're doing what with cats!?!?Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Andy Hunter, Elford Stephens, and Phil Thomas. We're taking a month off for the holidays, so enjoy part one of a two-part remastered version of our episode on Postal 2 (Running with Scissors, Whiptail Interactive, PC, 2003), the crass magnum opus of the rudest, crudest dudes in gaming: Running with Scissors. This time, you'll be treated to tons of never-before-aired footage and additional info from Kevin.Topics discussed include: The logistics of using a cat's butt as a silencer, the tumultuous 2000s career...2025-01-071h 00Scandalous GamesThe NCAA Video Game Lawsuits, Part 8: A victory lap for college athletes (and college video games)Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Kate Lynch, Elford Stephens, and Phil Thomas. We reach the thrilling conclusion of our deep dive into the history of college sports video games and why there weren't college football video games for over a decade until the release of EA Sports College Football 25. Topics discussed include: The NCAA loses a whole bunch, college athletes gain NIL rights (and $600 for their troubles), that time the Supreme Court actually ruled in favor of people over corporations, the return of college football video...2024-12-1757 minScandalous GamesThe NCAA Video Game Lawsuits, Part 7: Hit sticks and head injuriesHistorian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Kate Lynch, Elford Stephens, and Phil Thomas. On Elford's triumphant return, we start looking at the state of college football during the 2010s that led to the end of the NCAA Football video game series. This includes student athletes fighting to unionize and the backlash to chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Plus, we tackle the Mike Tyson-Jake Paul boxing match in the latest installment of Scandalous Games Sportschat!Topics discussed include: NCAA head Mark Emmert's bad day with PBS's Frontline, the NFL's worse...2024-12-0359 minScandalous GamesThe NCAA Video Game Lawsuits, Part 6: Won't somebody please think of the dictators?Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Kate Lynch, Andy Hunter, and Phil Thomas. Today, we dive into the legal battle over video game likeness rights and how some experts argued the name, image, and likeness rights of college athletes came in conflict with video games' growing free speech rights in the 2010s. This discussion will get us one step closer to learning how college athletes received NIL (name, image, and likeness) rights and set the stage for EA Sports College Football 25.Topics discussed include: The legal image...2024-11-1953 minScandalous GamesThe NCAA Video Game Lawsuits, Part 5: The Legend of Jon DowdHistorian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Kate Lynch, Andy Hunter, and Phil Thomas. We've focused a lot on how college sports brings in billions of dollars while the athletes have seen little to none of that for the majority of their history. Today, we start looking at how video games became the battleground where athletes pushed back against the system. On top of that, we dive into the history of likeness rights in video games. Topics discussed include: A dramatic reading of Michael Jordan: Chaos in the...2024-11-0558 minScandalous GamesThe NCAA Video Game Lawsuits, Part 4: Wherein Kevin ruins college sports for everyoneHistorian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Kate Lynch and Phil Thomas. As we get to the bottom of why it took 11 years to get a new college football video game, we take a closer look at how schools and the NCAA treat college athletes and the lengths college programs will go to not compensate players (even with a full education) to preserve amateurism. Topics discussed include: a totally not problematic discussion about crab legs, the Rhodes Scholar turned NFL player turned neurosurgeon, and how dodging worker's compensation...2024-10-221h 11Scandalous GamesThe NCAA Video Game Lawsuits, Part 3: A history of college sports video games (1992-2013)Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Kate Lynch and Phil Thomas. We start actually talking about video games by diving into 20 years of college sports themed video games and how everybody seemed to make money on them but the players. Plus, the first installment of "Scandalous Games Sportschat!"Topics discussed include: Dick Vitale branded merch, a rundown of digital college athletes, and how many Rutgers snuggies is too much?Theme Music: Occam's Sikhweee by Sikh Knowledge (Free Music Archive: https://bit.ly/33G4sLO), used u...2024-10-011h 18Scandalous GamesThe NCAA Video Game Lawsuits, Part 2: The Scandalous Games Bowl presented by ScandalcoinHistorian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Kate Lynch and Phil Thomas. We've covered the early history of college sports and the creation of the NCAA. Now we look at how college football became a multi-billion dollar enterprise thanks in no small part to the mad scramble for TV money. Topics discussed include: Penn fools around and finds out, the fraught territory of ladder sponsorships, and a whole lot of talk about mayonnaise. Theme Music: Occam's Sikhwee by Sikh Knowledge (Free Music Archive: https://bit.ly/33G...2024-09-171h 04Scandalous GamesThe NCAA Video Game Lawsuits, Part 1: The Grim Reaper Smiles on the GoalpostsHooray for our 50th episode! Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Kate Lynch and Phil Thomas. It's the start of the college football season in America, and we are weeks into the launch of EA Sports College Football 25, the first American college sports video game in 11 years. With that in mind, we start a deep dive into why it took so long to get a new college football game, taking a look at the history of college sports as a multi-billion dollar empire. In our first part, we examine the impact...2024-09-0354 minScandalous GamesMonster Hunter-mentary (Scandalous Games Summer)Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Andy Hunter, Phil Thomas, and Kate Lynch. We're still in the midst of Scandalous Games Summer as Kevin prepares for another exciting series of video game related controversies, so we're kicking back with another syncable audio commentary. This time, join us we talk through the 2020 Paul W.S. Anderson film adaptation of the popular Capcom monster hunting franchise, Monster Hunter (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6475714/).To sync the movie, queue up the film to 00:00:10 and wait for the countdown. If...2024-08-061h 55Scandalous GamesStreet Fighter-mentary (Scandalous Games Summer)Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends, but this month we're celebrating the start of our third year and the end of our 14-part (!!!) series on Dave Grossman with something we're calling "Scandalous Games Summer," a set of syncable commentary tracks while we recharge and prep for some new stories. This month, we're watching and commenting on the 1994 live action Street Fighter movie (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0111301/). So join Kevin Impellizeri, Kate Lynch, Andy Hunter, and Ryan Weaver as we celebrate the summer and have a good laugh. 2024-07-021h 55Scandalous Games"Killology" "Expert" Dave Grossman, Part 14: All conclusions are bastardsHistorian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Andy Hunter, Kate Lynch, and Phil Thomas. At long last, we have finally made it to the final episode in our extremely deep dive into the self-proclaimed "killologist" Lt. Col. Dave Grossman. In our thrilling (troubling?) conclusion, we close the book on arguably the most influential figure in the violent video games discussion by examining the violent media moral crusader/police trainer within the context of the larger atmosphere of America's increasingly militarized police. Content Warning: Police violence, including police related...2024-06-181h 06Scandalous Games"Killology" "Expert" Dave Grossman, Part 13: The level-headed trainer of America's copsHistorian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Kate Lynch, and Phil Thomas. This time around, we finally start wrapping up our deep dive into Dave by learning about his career as a police trainer and the kinds of totally healthy and not dangerously upsetting messages he shares with America's law enforcement communities, school officials, and anyone else willing to pay him thousands of dollars.Content warning: discussion of violence throughout. Brief mention of suicide (39:50-39:58, 40:48-40:52).Topics discussed include: The state of Dave's underwear a...2024-06-0447 minScandalous Games"Killology" "Expert" Dave Grossman, Part 12: You can't spell "discredited research" without "research"Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Andy Hunter, Kate Lynch, and Phil Thomas. We continue looking at what Dave has been up to over the past decade and how the self-proclaimed killologist may be putting out more work into violent video games, quantity still doesn't equal quantity. Plus, what does it mean when a guy who thinks Bible says it's OK to kill every now and then also says the video game industry is warping kids minds? Topics discussed include: Kevin shows his privilege when it comes t...2024-05-2157 minScandalous Games"Killology" "Expert" Dave Grossman, Part 11: An extended rant about police-branded coffeeHistorian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Andy Hunter, Kate Lynch and Phil Thomas. We leave the quirky little town of Harvest to continue our look into the self-proclaimed "killologist" Dave Grossman. This time around, we start looking at what Dave has been up to on the violent video games train in the last decade or so, and we take some time to think about the "why" of Dave. Topics discussed include: Scandalous Games is officially a Pulitzer Prize nominated show (for real); Dave really wants you to b...2024-05-0757 minScandalous GamesInterview with Aarno Malin ("The Harvester Show")Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends. This time, we wrap up Harvester with an interview with Aarno Malin, host of "The Harvester Show" and the Harvester Facebook page. Aarno graciously shared his experiences as a Harvester superfan and we discuss the process of tracking down people involved with the game, and he shares his thoughts on what might have kept the Harvester from joining the pantheon of controversial 90s video games. Be sure to check out Aarno Malin's channels for tons of inside information on Harvester, including interviews with...2024-04-1629 minScandalous GamesHarvester, Part Three: What if you threw a controversy and nobody came?Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Andy Hunter and Kate Lynch. Today, it's the thrilling conclusion to our look into the over-the-top PC game Harvester (DigiFX, Merit Studios, 1996). We warp up by examining how its creators attempted to market Harvester, its reception (or lack thereof), and its surprising resurgence over the past decade. Topics discussed include: Harvester's creators desperately try to find someone who will get mad at their game, what did Postal get right that Harvester didn't, a definitely respectful memorial to the late Joe Lieberman, and an ex...2024-04-0252 minScandalous GamesHarvester, Part Two: The "The Birth of a Nation" of Video Games?Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Andy Hunter and Kate Lynch. This time, we continue our deep dive into the wild horror themed point-and-click adventure game Harvester (DigiFX, Merit Studios, 1996). This time, we shift our focus to this game's troubled production and some of its pre-release hype. Topics discussed include: Harvester's diverse cast and crew, a whole bunch of talk about Event Horizon, and comparing your computer game to one of the most racist films ever made.Be sure to check out Aarno Malin's channels for tons o...2024-03-1929 minScandalous GamesHarvester, Part One: The Violent Computer Game Inspired by Roadrunner CartoonsHistorian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Andy Hunter, Kate Lynch, and Elford Stephens. This month, we take another break from the "killologist" to take a closer look at the wildest 90s PC game you may have never heard of: Harvester (DigiFX, Merit Studios, 1996). We start our deep dive into this cult piece of 90s PC weirdness by examining the impetus behind the game and what inspired its creators to try to make the most over-the-top video game ever. Topics discussed include: Horny jigsaw puzzles, the politics of Roadrunner cartoons...2024-03-0558 minScandalous Games"Killology" "Expert" Dave Grossman, Part 10: A whole lot of Hoooah Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Kate Lynch and Phil Thomas. We've gone too far to turn back now, as we continue our long look into Dave Grossman and why people should not listen to him. Today we continue our deep dive into Dave's tactics by seeing how his "killological" philosophy made its way into the State House and the courthouse through anti-gaming legislation and wrongful death lawsuits against the games industry.Topics discussed include: The epic bromance that was Dave Grossman and Jack Thompson, the debut of...2024-02-2041 minScandalous Games"Killology" "Expert" Dave Grossman, Part 9: Dave's research-related circlejerkHistorian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Kate Lynch and Andy Hunter. We continue our deep-dive into self-proclaimed "killologist" Dave Grossman starting a deep dive into how exactly Dave waged war on video games. We start we Dave's information-based battle, the types of organizations Dave felt comfortable calling comrades-in-arms, and how Dave might have started making his own research. Topics discussed include: Dave's less than savory associates, a detour to look at the board game Stroop (https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/212376/stroop), Phil makes a big announcement, and possible c...2024-02-0649 minScandalous Games"Killology" "Expert" Dave Grossman, Part 8: Dave evolves into a punditHistorian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Kate Lynch and Andy Hunter. We continue our deep-dive into self-proclaimed "killologist" Dave Grossman seeing how he became a media-anointed expert on video game violence in the wake of a school shooting in his home town, and how Dave managed to insert himself into future violent video game conversations in the wake of mass shootings. Topics discussed include: Did a school shooter go from average teen to deadly marksman by playing too much DOOM? Andy tests Kevin and Kate's ability to d...2024-01-1652 minScandalous Games"Killology" "Expert" Dave Grossman, Part 7: Dave's big breakHistorian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Kate Lynch and Andy Hunter. Whether you want it or not, we return to our long series on the self-proclaimed "killologist" Dave Grossman, and we finally get to Dave's entry into the violent video game fray as he peddled his killological wares in the wake of the March 24, 1998, Westside Middle School shooting, a less talked about school shooting that happened to take place in Dave's hometown and propel him from rando adjunct to media-anointed expert. Topics discussed include: How Dave potentially...2024-01-0247 minScandalous GamesManhunt, Part Four: Jack Thompson...Rod Blagojevich...Dave Grossman...and the restHistorian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Kate Lynch, Kayt Ahnberg , and Ryan Weaver. We wrap up our four-part series on Manhunt, Rockstar North's snuff film inspired follow up to Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. As we close the book on Manhunt, we try to figure out what might have inspired people to think Manhunt caused a real-world murder in 2004 and how it (possibly) had more to do with the machinations of an old friend of the pod than Manhunt acting as a "murder simulator." We then go into the game's popular r...2023-12-191h 04Scandalous GamesManhunt, Part Three: Murder by PlayStationHistorian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Kate Lynch, Kayt Ahnberg, and Ryan Weaver. Today, some of us are still here and alive to cover part three of our four-part series on Manhunt, Rockstar North's brutal 2003 survival horror title. This time, we examine whether Manhunt caused a real-life murder (spoiler alert: it did not), and how the British tabloids gave us the infamous July 29, 2004, headline "Murder by PlayStation."CONTENT WARNING: brief discussion of a murder (5:30-7:17)Topics discussed include: The British papers have a wobbly over...2023-12-0551 minScandalous GamesManhunt, Part Two: The game that was banned in New ZealandHistorian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Kate Lynch, Phil Thomas, and Andy Hunter. We're back for part two of our four-part series on Rockstar Games' 2003 snuff film inspired stealth/horror game Manhunt. This time, we look at the moral backlash against Manhunt leading up to and following its 2003 and try to place that within the context of anxieties over video games as an art form during the early 2000s. Topics discussed include: Manhunt gets banned in Germany and New Zealand, and Jack Thompson enters the fray! For m...2023-11-2157 minScandalous GamesManhunt, Part One: Grand Theft SnuffHistorian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Kate Lynch, Phil Thomas, and Andy Hunter. This month, we finally keep our promise and take a break from Dave Grossman for a four-part series on Manhunt, Rockstar North's 2003 snuff film inspired follow up to Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. Today, we go into the game's inspirations and its early reception in the gaming press to set up the brouhaha that ensued following its release.Topics discussed include: a (very) brief history of snuff films, whether Manhunt almost caused a mutiny at Rockstar, t...2023-11-0756 minScandalous GamesHalloween DOOM-mentaryHistorian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends...except it's Halloween and we want to do something fun and scary, so buckle up for our second synchable audio commentary. This time, Kevin, Kate Lynch, Phil Thomas, Elford Stevens, and Andy Hunter are ripping and tearing through the 2005 film adaptation of DOOM (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0419706/) directed by Andrzej Bartkowiak. We're watching the theatrical cut, which is 1 hour 45 minutes and not to be confused with the unrated director's cut.To sync the movie, queue up the film to 00:00:05...2023-10-311h 58Scandalous Games"Killology" "Expert" Dave Grossman, Part 6: Some sad, divorced dad vibesHistorian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Kate Lynch, Elford Stevens, and Phil Thomas. We finally close the book on On Killing and three whole months on Lt. Col. Dave Grossman by taking a closer look into more of his profoundly sad so-called accomplishments and wrap up by a look at the popular reception to Dave's first book.Topics discussed include: Dave Grossman: martial arts master? Kevin is a master of Gamekata, the martial art of the video game. The strange case of the guy with three doctorates...2023-10-1736 minScandalous Games"Killology" "Expert" Dave Grossman, Part 5: Dave's weak résuméHistorian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Kate Lynch, Elford Stevens, and Phil Thomas. Sorry, folks, but it's one more month on everyone's "favorite" "killologist" Dave Grossman. This time, we shift away from Dave's debut book On Killing to some of his other alleged accomplishments (Spoiler alert: they're not much better than his book warning everyone about the "Virus of Violence").Topics discussed include: On Killing's tepid reception, Dave wants everyone to know he's been to mountains and deserts, and is Dave Grossman a furry? Plus, m...2023-10-031h 02Scandalous Games"Killology" "Expert" Dave Grossman, Part 4: The other bad research behind On KillingHistorian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Kate Lynch, Phil Thomas, and Andy Hunter. We continue our deep dive into self-proclaimed "killologist" Dave Grossman and his foundational work On Killing: The Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society (Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1995). This time around, we take a closer look at Dave Grossman's research process and learn how, shockingly, the sources that aren't based on a World War II journalist who made some stuff up are also pretty bad. Topics discussed include: Kevin's run-in w...2023-09-1941 minScandalous Games"Killology" "Expert" Dave Grossman, Part 3: How a World War II reporter shaped the violent video game debateHistorian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Kate Lynch, Phil Thomas, and Andy Hunter. We continue our deep dive into self-proclaimed "killologist" Dave Grossman and his 1995 book On Killing: The Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society (Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1995). Today, we tackle Dave's central argument--that as many as 85% of American soldiers in World War II outright refused to fire their guns, which led the Army to trick its soldiers into becoming killing machines--by looking at his one source: the work of Samuel Lyman Marshall. 2023-09-0557 minScandalous Games"Killology" "Expert" Dave Grossman, Part 2: Dave Grossman Knows Little About Video Games, Movies, or Violent CrimeHistorian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Kate Lynch, Phil Thomas, and Andy Hunter. We continue our deep dive into self-proclaimed "killologist" Dave Grossman and his 1995 book On Killing: The Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society (Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1995), dissecting his claims that America is in the midst of a hellish Purge style world of violent teens who have been activated by watching too many horror movies and playing one too many light gun games.Topics discussed include: Dave Grossman has never w...2023-08-1548 minScandalous Games"Killology" "Expert" Dave Grossman, Part 1: On Killing and the "Virus of Violence"Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Kate Lynch, Phil Thomas, and Andy Hunter. In honor of our second full year of doing this show, we start a deep dive into a guy who may be the single most influential figure in the violent video game discourse over the last 30-odd years: Lt. Col. Dave Grossman. Starting our six-month (don't worry, we'll take breaks along the way) deep dive into the self-proclaimed killology expert. Today, we start with Dave's early life and start looking at his most influential work on how we...2023-08-0149 minScandalous GamesEpisode 29: Pokémon Fan Projects, Part Seven: Nintendo used legal threats...But it failed!Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Kate Lynch, Elford Stephens, Phil Thomas, and Andy Hunter. In our jam-packed grand finale of our (longer than expected) deep dive into Pokémon fan projects, we examine how fans responded to Nintendo's legal strike against Pokémon Uranium and Pokémon Prism and whether legal attacks against fan projects actually matter. Topics discussed include: Gamers' mixed feelings about Nintendo's legal strike. What do ROM hacks have to do with Rifftrax? The weird alternate history where "Nintendo" became a gener...2023-07-1857 minScandalous GamesEpisode 28: Pokémon Fan Projects, Part Six: A wild Nintendo appears!Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Kate Lynch, Elford Stephens, Phil Thomas, and Andy Hunter. In part six of our look at Pokémon fan projects, Nintendo finally sets its sights on Pokémon Uranium and Pokémon Prism, and we look at Nintendo's quest to destroy emulation by any means necessary. Topics discussed include: Nintendo vs. emulators, Nintendo vs. YouTubers, and that time Nintendo wrecked Bowser's life. For more on the recent court ruling against the Internet Archive, see: Christine Kelle...2023-07-0435 minScandalous GamesEpisode 27: Pokémon Fan Projects, Part Five: Fan Projects vs. Game CompaniesHistorian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Kate Lynch, Elford Stephens, and Andy Hunter. In part five of our look at Pokémon fan projects, we finally edge ever closer to Nintendo's response to Pokémon Uranium and Pokémon Prism by examining the ways other game companies have responded to fan-developed games that use their IP. Topics discussed include: The wild lore behind Twitch Plays Pokémon, the lost beauty that was Chrono Resurrection, the ways video game companies centralize and monetize fan creations, Kevin's (possibly) erotic Dark S...2023-06-2037 minScandalous GamesEpisode 26: Pokémon Fan Projects, Part Four: Pokémon Uranium and Pokémon PrismHistorian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Kate Lynch, Elford Stephens, and Andy Hunter. In part four of our look at Pokémon fan projects, we finally get into the controversy around Pokémon fan games and ROM hacks by looking at probably the two most famous/infamous unauthorized Pokémon games: Pokémon Uranium and Pokémon Prism, focusing on their development and their relationship to Pokémon fandom. Topics discussed include: 2016 was a great year so long as you're a Pokémon fan and don't read the news...2023-06-0649 minScandalous GamesEpisode 25: Pokémon Fan Projects, Part Three: Why Fan Projects and Are They Legal?Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Kate Lynch, Phil Thomas, and Andy Hunter. In part three of our look at Pokémon fan projects, here is the second part of this month's episode. This time, we take a closer look at the motivations behind fan projects and we get closer to the actual controversy behind this series and address whether Pokémon fan games and ROM hacks are legal. Topics discussed include: Reasons people develop fan projects and the discourse surrounding them, a whole bunch of amateur take...2023-05-1645 minScandalous GamesEpisode 24: Pokémon Fan Projects, Part Two: Pokémon Fan GamesHistorian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Kate Lynch, Phil Thomas, and Andy Hunter. In part two of our look at Pokémon fan projects, we shift from ROM hacks to fan games, Pokémon inspired games developed by fans that are built from the ground up, usually with third-party game engines. Topics discussed include: Fascists don't like Pokémon, that time Pac-Man ate too many dots, the wild history of RPG Maker, the merits of video game buyback programs, Kevin's failed RPG, and whether there might be an NFT...2023-05-0248 minScandalous GamesEpisode 23: Pokémon Fan Projects, Part One: Pokémon ROM HacksHistorian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Kate Lynch, Phil Thomas, and Andy Hunter. In this episode, we start a three part series on Pokémon, specifically fan-developed Pokémon projects, beginning with the history of Pokémon ROM hacks, original games made by fans that are built on commercially released Pokémon games.Topics discussed include: An introduction to Pokémon for video game newbies, fan-created Pokémon challenges, an amazing deep dive into the technical background of ROM hacking courtesy of Kate and Phil, that time 4chan ma...2023-04-041h 06Scandalous GamesEpisode 22: The Chip Shortage Historian Kevin Impellizeri usually shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends. However, this month Phil Thomas takes the lead and teaches Kevin, Elford Stephens, and Andy Hunter about the (as of this recording) ongoing global computer chip shortage and why it has been so hard to get a next-gen game system (or a car or ballistic missiles or anything else you might need).Topics discussed include: A brief history of video game related chip shortages, the most important company you've never heard of, how we are possibly a war/global pandemic/eco...2023-03-071h 14Scandalous GamesThe House of the Dead (Uwe Bollmentary)Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends...except this month we're doing something a little different with our very first syncable commentary track! Join Phil Thomas, Andy Hunter, Elford Stevens, and Kevin as we sit down and watch the 2003 video game flop The House of the Dead, directed by infamous maker of bad video game movies (and subject of a previous episode), Dr. Uwe Boll. To sync the movie, queue up the film to 00:00:10 and wait for the countdown. If you want to cut through the intro where Ke...2023-02-071h 39Scandalous GamesEpisode 21: Destructive CreationsHistorian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Phil Thomas, and Andy Hunter. In this episode, we take a closer look at Destructive Creations, the team behind previous episode Hatred. We examine the other controversy connected to Hatred, one that was connected to the beliefs of its creators, and how a team that claimed to make a statement against politics in gaming made some political games in the years to follow Hatred's release. Content warning: Discussions of racism, Islamophobia, homophobia, transphobia, fascism, and Neo-Nazis.Topics discussed in...2023-01-031h 28Scandalous GamesEpisode 20: HatredHistorian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Elford Stephens, Phil Thomas, and Andy Hunter. In this episode, we look at Hatred, the 2015 PC game developed by Destructive Creations where you play out a mass shooting enacting by a guy whose name is not important (aka Alan). We dissect the controversy and how this was a game designed by trolls for trolls.Topics discussed include: How Destructive Creations basically trolled everybody--video game news sites, the ESRB, and GamerGate--to market their homage to Postal, a surprising number of Star Wars r...2022-12-061h 25Scandalous GamesEpisode 19: Gaming & Crypto, Part Two: NFTs and the Video Game IndustryHistorian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Elford Stephens, Andy Hunter, and Ryan Weaver. This time around, we continue our look at the relationship between crypto and gaming by taking a closer look at the mainstream games industry's brief but notable foray into NFTs. We examine the crypto escapades of the likes of Atari, Konami, Square-Enix, and Ubisoft, how game makers tried to sell the idea of NFTs to their players, and the incredible backlash against them.Topics discussed include: The role of the Darkmoon Greatsword in the cry...2022-11-011h 26Scandalous GamesEpisode 18: Gaming & Crypto, Part One: Blockchain GamesHistorian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Elford Stephens, Phil Thomas, and Andy Hunter. This time around, we dive into the world of cryptocurrency and its relationship to gaming. We examine the basics of blockchain technology, decentralized digital currencies, and NFTs as well as some of the hopes (and very, very real problems) with the current crypto scene. We use this to talk about "play-to-earn" (P2E) games, a genre where people can earn crypto by buying, selling, and trading NFTs. Topics discussed include: How a Magic: The G...2022-10-041h 37Scandalous GamesEpisode 17: Thrill KillHistorian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Elford Stephens, Phil Thomas, and Andy Hunter. This time around, we look at Thrill Kill, an unreleased 3D fighting game created by Paradox Development for the Sony PlayStation that was supposed to come out in October 1998. We look at its surprising evolution from Mesoamerican-themed sports game to BDSM-themed fighting game, its cancellation by Electronic Arts, and its afterlife as a game starring the Wu-Tang Clan.Topics discussed include: Why people think Electronic Arts is worse than a bank; how Harvard Bonin...2022-09-061h 23Scandalous GamesEpisode 16: The 1993-4 Violent Video Game Hearings and the Creation of the ESRB (How Did Video Games Get Age Ratings in the U.S.?)Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Elford Stephens, Phil Thomas, and Andy Hunter. We finally wrap up our series explaining how video games got age ratings in the United States. We address the December 9, 1993, Congressional hearing about video game violence and how this led to the games industry creating a trade organization--the Interactive Digital Software Association (IDSA, now known as the Entertainment Software Association)--as well as a comprehensive ratings system: the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB). Topics discussed include: How different game companies handled content before 1993, how Sega a...2022-08-021h 33Scandalous GamesEpisode 15: What Does Mortal Kombat Have to Do with Mass Incarceration? (How Did Video Games Get Age Ratings in the U.S.?)Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Elford Stephens, Phil Thomas, and Andy Hunter. As we work our way towards learning how video games got age ratings in the United States by learning about how violent video games, led by Mortal Kombat, made people anxious about the impact of games on kids. This increased attention to Mortal Kombat and its imitators came at a time when Americans were really concerned about violence in society, especially youth violence. These circumstances, in turn, inspired some people to call upon the industry to rate itself...2022-07-051h 29Scandalous GamesEpisode 14: Full-Motion Video Games (How Did Video Games Get Age Ratings in the U.S.?)Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Elford Stephens, Phil Thomas, and Andy Hunter. In our (unprecedented) second episode of this month, we continue our look back at early 90s tech fads that influenced the conversation over video games. This is part of our multi-part series on how video games got age ratings in the United States. This time around, we look at the full-motion video (FMV) game, its origins in LaserDisc, its relationship to multimedia "convergence" (where corporations mashed together telecommunications, film, gaming, and anything else they thought would m...2022-06-2144 minScandalous GamesEpisode 13: Virtual Reality (How Did Video Games Get Age Ratings in the U.S.?)Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Elford Stephens, Phil Thomas, and Andy Hunter. We celebrate one year of video game controversies with a mulit-part series on how video games got age ratings in the United States. In today's episode, we look back at tech fads that influenced the way people thought about video games, starting with virtual reality. Would VR give us the Holodeck or the horrors of the Lawnmower Man? And how did the seemingly limitless possibilities of virtual reality influence video games?Topics discussed include: The...2022-06-0748 min
1980s NowCuster's Revenge: The Scandalous 80s Video GameWill, Kat and Jon discuss current 80s news including what Kareem Abdul-Jabbar didn't say to a child and the latest 3/4 size arcade cabinet . Then, guest Kevin Impellizeri joins the show to chronicle the history of the scandalous Atari 2600 video game "Custer's Revenge." Introduction - :30Announcement - 3:07Join Will at Ohio Fan Fest on May 13 and 14. Visit www.ohiofanfest.com for celebrity guests, tickets and more information.1980s News - 4:17Reminiscing About Our 2600s (and Custer's Revenge) - 23:20The History of Custer's Revenge (Abridged) - 31:39Wrap-up...2022-05-091h 11Scandalous GamesEpisode 12: Captain Novolin and the Health Hero SeriesCelebrating the end of our first year of deep dives into video game controversies, we bring out of the vault our pilot episode. Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Elford Stephens, Phil Thomas, and John Dukes. In today's episode, we look back at the Health Hero series, a set of health educational games from the 1990s. We talk about Captain Novolin, Rex Ronan: Experimental Surgeon, Packy & Marlon, Bronkie the Bronchiasaurus, and The AIDS Avenger, and how they tried to teach kids about diabetes, smoking, asthma, and HIV/AIDS.2022-05-031h 09Scandalous GamesEpisode 11: Violent Video Game ResearchHistorian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Elford Stephens, Phil Thomas, and Kate Lynch. In today's episode, we take a deep dive into the research that claims playing violent video games leads to aggression, antisocial behavior, and violent crime. The gang examine the evolution of "violent video games" as a political issue in the United States, why so much of the research is flawed, and the motivations of the people and organizations behind the studies. Topics discussed include: a video game based on C. Everett Koop, the relationship between video ga...2022-04-051h 19Scandalous GamesEpisode 10: Postal 2Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Elford Stephens, Phil Thomas, and Andy Hunter. In today's episode, we go back to the Postal series to look at Postal’s 2003 sequel: the “anti-PC” PC game Postal 2. We look at its development, the fortunes of its maker (Running with Scissors), and how the company handled criticism. Also, Kevin makes an argument for why Postal 2 might be the first "MAGA video game."Topics discussed include: the logistics of using a cat as a silencer, whether Gary Coleman represented everything wrong w...2022-03-011h 17Scandalous GamesEpisode 9: The Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Hot Coffee Mod Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Elford Stephens, Phil Thomas, and Ryan Weaver. In today's episode, we take a deep dive into "Hot Coffee," the infamous 2005 mod for Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas that unlocked a hidden sex mini-game left in the game's code, prompting denunciations from moral crusaders, calls to regulate violence and sex in video games, and the filings of so many lawsuits.Topics discussed include: how hard was it to actually access the hidden content, ways Rockstar/Take-Two might have avoided the scandal, and Take-Two's various sh...2022-02-011h 13Scandalous GamesEpisode 8: Brown v. EMAHistorian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Elford Stephens, Phil Thomas, and Andy Hunter. In today's episode, we examine Edmund G. Brown, Governor of the State of California, and Kamala Harris, Attorney General of the State of California v. Entertainment Merchants Association and Entertainment Software Association aka Brown v. EMA, a landmark 2011 Supreme Court ruling that granted video games free speech protection in the United States.Topics discussed include: the history of laws banning access to "violent video games," why they kept failing, Jack Thompson's feuds, and what Rod Blagojevich...2022-01-041h 09Scandalous GamesEpisode 7: PostalHistorian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Elford Stephens and Phil Thomas. In today's episode, we examine the aggressively controversial 1997 "murder simulator" Postal. We talk about the history of creator Running with Scissors, their aggressive attempts to spark a controversy and the ways they have massaged the truth about the impact of their supposed "software trauma of a game." Topics discussed include: how a company went from making games based on Sesame Street to one where you mow down entire towns worth of people, the history of "going Postal," and...2021-12-071h 08Scandalous GamesEpisode 6: Uwe BollHistorian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Elford Stephens, John Dukes, and Phil Thomas. In today's episode, we examine the career of infamous director of bad video game movies, Uwe Boll aka "The Raging Boll," "The Deutschland Destroyer," "The Teutonic Terror," and the "Worst Director Ever." We talk about his personal and professional style; his literal and figurative battles with critics, gamers, and pretty much everyone else; and whether he knew something about film making that the rest of us didn't.Topics discussed include: the video game movies that never g...2021-11-021h 07Scandalous GamesEpisode 5: Custer's RevengeHistorian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Elford Stephens, John Dukes, and Phil Thomas. In today's episode, we take a closer look at the "erotic" themed 1982 Atari 2600 game Custer's Revenge. What on Earth did people find offensive about a racist, sexual assault-themed game? We also examine whether American Multiple Industries, the game's creators, were trying to troll people for free publicity. Topics discussed include: Damage control when Atari sues you for your gross game, the Washington Football Team, and the Activision-Blizzard lawsuit.Content warning: Sexual assault, discussion of racism and a...2021-10-051h 00Scandalous GamesEpisode 4: Night TrapHistorian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Elford Stephens, John Dukes, and Phil Thomas. In today's episode, we tackle the infamous 1992 FMV game Night Trap and how the game became the "ultimate violent video game."Topics discussed include: alternative titles Digital Pictures could have used instead of Night Trap, why would anyone bother playing this game, and who stole money from the old guy from Scene of the Crime?Content warning: brief discussion of sexual assault.Theme Music: Occam's Sikhwee by Sikh Knowledge (Free Music Archive: https://bit.ly/33G4...2021-09-071h 08Scandalous GamesEpisode 3: Jack Thompson, Part TwoHistorian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Elford Stephens, John Dukes, and Phil Thomas. In today's episode, we take on part two of our two part series on Jack Thompson, the one-man anti-video game moral crusader. In Part Two, we take a deep dive into his crusade against video game violence, his personal feuds against game developers and journalists, his attempts to develop his own video game, and his eventual downfall. Content warning: murder, mass shootings, child abuseTopics discussed include: fixing cable news, the relationship between video ga...2021-08-031h 42Scandalous GamesEpisode 2: Jack Thompson, Part OneHistorian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Elford Stephens, John Dukes, and Phil Thomas. In today's episode, we tackle Jack Thompson, the one-man anti-video game moral crusader. In Part One of our two-part series, we examine Jack Thompson's early life; the start of his war against obscenity; his personal feuds with rappers, DJs, and Janet Reno; and his personal style.Topics discussed include: our personal moral crusades, Thompson getting yelled at on a national talk show, whether or not Jack Thompson is actually Batman, and Bibleman's robust rogue's gallery.Today's ga...2021-07-061h 11Scandalous GamesEpisode 1: The Turok Naming ContestsHistorian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Elford Stephens, John Dukes, and Phil Thomas. In today's episode, we take a closer look at the Turok naming contests, a pair of 2002 marketing campaigns for the GameCube/Xbox/PlayStation 2 game Turok Evolution where publisher Acclaim tried to convince people to change their name to "Turok." Topics discussed include: looking back at some fun (and some not so fun) dinosaur themed first person shooters, what it would take for you to change your name to a brand, the marketing potential of seagull attacks, and w...2021-05-271h 22
The ConversationLife in Extreme ConditionsPushing the limits in the name of science: Two women who have lived and worked in some of the most extreme conditions on earth talk to Kim Chakanetsa about the challenges of cold and dry conditions, the bonds they form on base, and what draws them back to these remote places.Carolyn Graves is a Canadian meteorologist currently working for the British Antarctic Survey. In 2016 she travelled to the Halley Research Station in Antarctica. She was planning to spend a whole year there, carrying out meteorological observations and monitoring all the technical equipment. But after just six...2017-10-2327 min