Childhood Ruined

Childhood Ruined

By Michael Mallen
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Childhood Ruined episodes

  • Curling, Breweries, and Gaming - Oh My!
    Michael talks about his excitement (and sleep deprivation) that resulted from the Olympic gold won by the Men's Curling Team. The hosts discuss how Michael's tabletop roleplaying game charactes seems to draw Chris' ire, including his most recent creation - a human Bard named "The Stone." A major topic for the show is the delightful combination of breweries and tabletop games, and the hosts explore how fans of games and beer can get the most out of this combination. Another installment of What's on Chris' Turntable? concludes the show with a review of The Grateful Dead.
    55 min
  • An Artifact of Our Friendship
    Michael talks about completing Battle Chef Brigade, and the perils of getting stuck on a final boss and trying to watch endgame credits in a timely manner. Chris talks about recent success in the Eternal card game, and transitions into a conversation about the unbannings in Magic: The Gathering. Michael explains how he is focused on building a character for a new Dungeons & Dragons campaign, and decide that combining elements of D&D and MtG would result in a wonderful gaming experience. Chris speaks about growing up in the South in a culture of gun ownership, and Michael talks about the death of his father to a firearm, which is the foundation for strong beliefs about gun control. The discussion about guns in our culture starts around the 25-minute mark and lasts for some time. It is an important topic, and the hosts believe everyone should be open to communication about the subject - and take action like the survivors in Florida. The show concludes with another installment of Be Kind, Rewind!
    1 hr 11 min
  • Fandom's Dark Side
    Chris and Mike talk about Super Bowl week in Minneapolis, and delve into the haftime show of one Justin Timberlake. Mike grew up in South Jersey, so he offers some commentary on the mentality and behavior of Philadelphia fans - how it can be horrific, completely inappropriate, yet celebrated. The hosts talk about their passion for sports, and how that has mellowed with age, and then transition into how nerd fandom also shares some characteristics with irrational sports' fan behavior. They ponder the new trailer for Solo, and explore the vastly different reactions to the casting choices for Han and Lando. This week's show is closed with some suggestions for television shows - Atlanta and Alterd Carbon.
    52 min
  • Fandom’s Dark Side

    Chris and Mike talk about Super Bowl week in Minneapolis, and delve into the haftime show of one Justin Timberlake. Mike grew up in South Jersey, so he offers some commentary on the mentality and behavior of Philadelphia fans - how it can be horrific, completely inappropriate, yet celebrated. The hosts talk about their passion for sports, and how that has mellowed with age, and then transition into how nerd fandom also shares some characteristics with irrational sports' fan behavior. They ponder the new trailer for Solo, and explore the vastly different reactions to the casting choices for Han and Lando. This week's show is closed with some suggestions for television shows - Atlanta and Alterd Carbon. 

    52 min
  • Fandom's Dark Side
    Chris and Mike talk about Super Bowl week in Minneapolis, and delve into the haftime show of one Justin Timberlake. Mike grew up in South Jersey, so he offers some commentary on the mentality and behavior of Philadelphia fans - how it can be horrific, completely inappropriate, yet celebrated. The hosts talk about their passion for sports, and how that has mellowed with age, and then transition into how nerd fandom also shares some characteristics with irrational sports' fan behavior. They ponder the new trailer for Solo, and explore the vastly different reactions to the casting choices for Han and Lando. This week's show is closed with some suggestions for television shows - Atlanta and Alterd Carbon.
    52 min
  • Enjoy Bad-Movie Night
    The hosts talk about recent explots with video games; Chris talks about reaching an achievement in the digital card game, Eternal, and Michael relays his excitment about a new game, Battle Chef Brigade, which he describes as a strange alchemy of Dr. Mario, Shinobi, and American Idol with roleplaying game elements. Chris presents his tradition with friends of setting aside a night once in awhile to watch bad movies; he highlights specific bad movies and talks about the allure of dissecting the films. The show concludes with a new edition of What's On Chris' Turntable?
    57 min
  • The Patience to Power Through It
    We talk briefly about the euphoric high that surrounded Minnesota after the Vikings miracle win in the playoffs, then quickly transition to talking about the Hearthstone Tour Championship in Amsterdam. Michael questions Chris about his experience with Magic: The Gathering tournaments, and seeks out advice to process emotions after watching the championship match. We talk about balancing hobbies with family commitments, as Michael admits that he was streaming the championship match while feeding his son, talking to his wife, and walking his dog. Chris talks about the perils of trying to get his son into some classic videogames, and we agree that games designed to be difficult for difficulty's sake is not our preference any longer. Yes, Michael spoke poorly of Dark Souls II; you've been warned! We also sneak in our selections for Track of the Week.
    54 min
  • The Last Jedi is Just a Movie
    Chris and Michael offer vague commentary on their long hiatus from Childhood Ruined, and then shift into reviewing the holidays. Chris talks about a gift he puchased for his son - a collection of 999 classic arcade games that can be played through his television at home. We talk about how some vintage games are best left as memories! We then turn our attention to Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Please avoid our conversation unless you have already seen the film, as we talk about multiple spoilers. I review some of my thoughts on how The Last Jedi challenged my expectations for the Star Wars Universe, and Chris discusses how he enjoyed the film as a piece of entertainment - and is fine not trying to dissect it any further.
    59 min
  • The Last Jedi is Just a Movie

    Chris and Michael offer vague commentary on their long hiatus from Childhood Ruined, and then shift into reviewing the holidays. Chris talks about a gift he puchased for his son - a collection of 999 classic arcade games that can be played through his television at home. We talk about how some vintage games are best left as memories! We then turn our attention to Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Please avoid our conversation unless you have already seen the film, as we talk about multiple spoilers. I review some of my thoughts on how The Last Jedi challenged my expectations for the Star Wars Universe, and Chris discusses how he enjoyed the film as a piece of entertainment - and is fine not trying to dissect it any further. 

    59 min
  • Something Bordering on Deep Regret
    We're back after handling some personal issues over the summer month. Michael discusses his efforts to achieve Legend in Hearthstone, and how the anxiety of such an endeavor is not working out well. Chris provides some perspective as a long-time Magic: The Gathering player, and we talk about coping strategies for the stress that can come with competitive gaming. Chris explores his reasons for holding onto various collections in his life, and the benefits and consequences of keeping up with those hobbies. We conclude with another installment of Be Kind, Rewind - and I spare Chris from making comparisons that would have spoiled Game of Thrones for him.
    51 min

About Childhood Ruined

From the publisher's feed

Childhood Ruined is a weekly (in theory) podcast hosted by a licensed psychologist, Michael Mallen, Ph.D., and a soon-to-be, certified school counselor, Chris Benefield, M.A. As two nerds on the north…