Yoshi Didn't Podcast

Matt Kirshen and friend of the show, Joey Kurtzman are our guests on Yoshi Didn't this week. Matt is a stand up comedian from Britain currently based in Los Angeles. Matt has literally traveled all over the world performing stand up comedy, was featured on the TV show "Last Comic Standing" and is frequent comedic talent improvising jokes on the "Set List" show with Paul Provenza. 

Marine, activist and entrepreneur Devon Read is our guest this week on Yoshi Didn't. Devon joined the Marines in 2000 to earn money for college, but was stinted of the opportunity with the 9-11 attacks and deployment to Iraq in 2003. Devon gives us the insider experience of serving as a Marine while invading Baghdad in search of weapons of mass destruction. Though proud to have served his country and of the camaraderie he built with his battalion, Devon reveals what it was like in the days and final minutes crossing the border into Iraq, the mental and emotional repercussions of the betrayal he experienced serving in the Iraq war, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder affecting him and many other veterans left without mental health treatment, the complexities of the military industrial complex, the discrimination women suffer in the military, the difference drone strikes have made on war and accountability and the hope we share to move forward when humanity hits rock bottom. Devon is a proud member of the Iraq Veterans Against the War and has spoken out on the negative, detrimental consequences of war on veterans and civilians. 
And of course to keep things a little light, we delve into Devon's experience as a VFX editor on the movie, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," his passion for Star Wars and the Prequel Star Wars films he made (the link to the Star Wars trailers for "Prelude to Hope" are below) and the business he created, Happy Owl Studio which makes iPad cases and Bamboo Cash Boxes for point of sale purchases.

Filmmaker, director and Academy Award winner, Eva Orner is our guest this week on Yoshi Didn't. Eva won an Oscar and Emmy for her documentary "Taxi to the Dark Side" directed by Alex Gibney in 2008. The controversial film exposed the U.S. government's unlawful torture techniques post-911 that consequently helped change U.S. policy thereafter. Eva's current film, "The Network," documents entrepreneur Saad Mohseni's creation of Afghanistan's first independent television station, TOLO and its impact on Afghan politics and culture. Yoshi's personal connection to Afghanistan leads the discourse in examining the political landscape and oppression in the war torn country, Eva shares stories of life and death while living in Afghanistan, the humanizing relationships they built with locals and the voice Afghans attained in creating media culture away from the tragedies of war and terror. 

Brian Redban is our guest this week on Yoshi Didn't. Brian is a notorious comedian and podcaster best known for producing and co-hosting one of the most famous podcasts on the net, "The Joe Rogan Experience" and founder of the DeathSquad Podcast Network. Brian takes us back to his childhood where he discovered his love for Japanese culture and art, his transition into comedy from a tech, computer background, bouts with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and behind the scenes tales of confrontation and chaos at the comedy store.
Follow Redban on Twitter: @redban

place links to deathsquad.tv and Joe rogan experience here

Johannes Grenzfurthner artist, director, writer, DIY researcher and friend of the show, Maury Showbizawitz, are our guests this week on Yoshi Didn’t. Johannes founded Monochrom, an international art and theory group dedicated to subversive art as “weapons of mass distribution.“ Johannes pulled off one of the most interesting pranks in the art world at the Biennial Conference in Sao Paolo, Brazil by submitting a fictitious artist, G.P. Thomann as a representative of Austria. The prank went undetected by curators and journalists and inadvertently helped save a Taiwanese artist’s representation at the conference when the Chinese government became involved; consequently making headlines news in China! Johannes’ stories cross many intellectual and artistic realms as he discusses post modern liberalism, the future of sex with robots at Arse Electronica, how, exactly, he pranked a world art conference and what it really means to subvert the subversive. 

Watch Johannes’ TEDx Talk about the notorious G.P Thomann  here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2Rvh8VG3o8

Follow Johannes on Twitter: @johannes_mono

This week on Yoshi Didn’t, we finally release the first episode ever recorded. Doron, The Minion of porn, and John H, editor of porn, joined us in revealing a very detailed and dark experience of the porn world. The guys delve deep into the world of gonzo porn, the life of Chico Wang (whom Doron worked for), the tragic death of Hailey Page, the backlash of STD outbreaks (including HIV) and the seemingly impossible, difficult transition of porn stars into mainstream society.

Follow Doron, The Minion’s food and sexcapades on his personal blog, www.theminionplanet.com

Follow Doron on Twitter: @dogfartnetwork

Luke Ford, “The Most Hated Man in Web Porn," is our guest this week on Yoshi Didn’t. Luke had a unique upbringing in Australia that led him to further explore his curious and controversial nature through sex and love, Christianity to Judaism and porn journalism to writing and performance. Luke shares with us an honest, no hold’s bar experience of his difficult and tragic childhood, having a famous 7th Day Adventist preacher, Desmond Ford, as his father and his personal addiction with porn and sex. As a journalist, Luke 

exposed stories in the porn industry that not only risked his reputation as a writer but his interpersonal relationships as well, thus dubbing him, "The Most Hated Man in Web Porn." 

Check out Luke’s Book, “A History of X: 100 years of Sex in Film” and his blog www.LukeFord.net for more information.

Also, if in the Los Angeles area, support his live solo show, “Eroticized Rage” April 4th 7pm at Beyond Baroque Theater in Venice, Ca.

Andy Milonakis is our guest this week on Yoshi Didn't. Andy caught Jimmy Kimmel and sports writer Bill Simmon's attention with his parody video, "The Superbowl is Gay" a few years back. Andy brings his A-game of lyrical flows and comedic stylings by delving deep into intimate details of his upbringing and strong connection to his Greek roots, his 5 year TV show on MTV, sexual relationships with women and just exactly what it's like to be Andy Milonakis on a day to day basis.

Miki Dezaki is this week's guest on Yoshi Didn't along with friend of the show, Maury Showbizawitz. Miki's passion for education has brought awareness and information to his students in Japan about everything from the English language and American culture to more covert, unspoken topics like racism and discrimination. We speak to Miki about the YouTube video he made that sparked recent controversy regarding racism and discrimination in Japan, and the backlash of death threats, privacy invasion and attempted censorship he has experienced as a result of certain nationalists in disagreement with his stance.