Critical Nonsense

Who can I say "I love you" to? 

This week, Jess and Joey talk about expressions of love, social and gender dynamics, rejection, promiscuous love giving, monoliths, and Bad Bunny. They don’t talk about the Pixies or Deee-Lite. 

references 

• Eight Types of Love in Greek Philosophy 
• Taj Mahal 

What's to come in 2026? 

This week, Wild Prognostications returns! Jess, Aaron, and Joey make their predictions for the new year, discussing privacy as luxury [3:28], the romance resurgence [4:28], Avengers Doomsday flopping [13:29], paper as a smart signal [16:35], bird pets [18:31], medical research breakthroughs [24:51], and an existential AI employment crisis [27:42]. They don't put respect on Birdman's name. 

references 

• California Privacy Protection Agency 
• Remarkable Tablet 

What you doing and what you sharing? 

This week, Aaron, Joey, and Jess talk about battle rap, knitting, crochet, LitRPG, world building, and not finishing. They don’t talk about Fraggle Rock. 

references 

• Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman 
• Another Dimension of Us by Mike Albo 
• Pretty Pretty Boys from The Hazard and Somerset Mysteries by Gregory Ashe 
• The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee 
• Critical Nonsense Bookclub 
• LitRPG 
• R. A. Salvatore 
• ACOTAR aka A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas 

When is the right time to actually? 

This week, Joey and Jess talk about corrections, status, intent, virtue, asymmetric information, and confidence intervals. They don’t talk about Thomas Brodie-Sangster. 

references 

• Bear Grylls 
• Patroclus 

How far would you be willing to go to experiment with your health? 

This week, Joey and Jess talk about peptides, biohacking, Silicon Valley libertarian culture, Bryan Johnson, exercise, and salt. They don’t talk about The Gelflings. 

references 

• Confirmations Department: Yes, Tears for Fears 
• Vectorculture: Not For Human Consumption 
• Peptide 
• Mounjaro 
• Wired: Bryan Johnson Is Going to Die 
• Food & Wine: Morton vs. Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt: What’s the Difference? 
• Solid Wiggles 

Why do we keep using short-form video? 

This week, Joey and Jess talk about dopamine culture, friction, flow state, floating, smoking, and green juice. They don’t talk about cannolis. 

references 

• American Psychological Association: Feeds, Feelings, and Focus: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Examining the Cognitive and Mental Health Correlates of Short-Form Video Use 
• Designing Friction 
• Bad UX World Cup 
• The Perfect Date Picker 
• Soy Boy Face / Soyjak 
• Canelé 

How do you dress for success? 

This week, Aaron and Joey talk about fashion plates, professionalism, drag, archetyping, navigating differences, and respect. They don’t talk about Rufio. 

references 

• Fashion plate 
• Professionalism as a Racial Construct 
• Economic Policy Institute: The CROWN Act 
• Paris is Burning 
• Underground ball culture 
• Everyday Feminism: You Call It Professionalism; I Call It Oppression in a Three-Piece Suit 

This week, Aaron, Jess and Joey revisit their 2025 prognogs from Episode 296. They talk about the micro social media surge, cynicism, platform madness, informed styling, blockbusters, weaponized compliance, non-apocalyptic runaway AI moments, and our AI overlords. They don’t talk about eggprogs. 

references 

• If I ruled the world ... 
• People: Bob Mackie Says 'People Were Horrified' by Cher's 'Naked' 1974 Met Gala Dress, Even Ripping Her Photo off Magazine Covers 
• Tasting ultra-aged eggnog 
• America's Test Kitchen: How to Make the Absolute Best Eggnog 
• Louis Pasteur 
• Memphis Group 
• Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend Podcast: Conan Blames Jason Bateman For His Dad's Death 
• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 
• Split Fiction 
• AAA (video game industry) 
• quod erat demonstrandum 
• The New York Times: Gonzo Fans Have Made ‘Dungeon Crawler Carl’ Into a Global Blockbuster 
• Michiko Kakutani's 1995 The New York Times book review of Wicked: Let's Get This Straight: Glinda Was the Bad One? (paywall) 
• Bloomberg: OpenAI's Nvidia, AMD Deals Boost $1 Trillion AI Boom With Circular Deals (paywall) 
• The Food Lab: How to Roast the Best Potatoes of Your Life 

What does your Zero Farts Land future look like? 

This week, Aaron, Joey, and Jess talk about fucks. And farts. 

references 

• Empire: Jamie Lee Curtis Is Done Compromising – And She’s Not Slowing Down 
• George Wallace (not George Wallace) 
• Kenan Thompson on We Might Be Drunk with Normand and Morril 
• Janelle James on Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend 
• The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson 

How do you strategy? 

This week, Aaron and Joey talk about Elliott Kalan, the School of Let's Figure It Out, emotional distance from work, working in teams, meandering, and strategy that bleeds. They don’t talk about Jamesy P. 

references 

• Pure Moods 
• Joke Farming: How to Write Comedy and Other Nonsense by Elliott Kalan 
• 99% Invisible Podcast Episode 646: Interview with Elliott Kalan 
• Corrections Department: Les has never ever ever heard, touched, or even seen a copy of Pure Moods and now fears his colleagues do not understand him at all.