Men In Gorilla Suits

There are those who do not believe that animals evolve. Not just evolution about certain animals based on the strongest evidence we have, but outright -- people who believe nothing evolves. This is probably not a show for those people...even though we'd argue that it really is. Evolution. No nice way to say it: some people (usually neo-conservative people who fear science), don't believe in even the facts surrounding evolution. Fortunately, most religious people, liberals, and actual conservatives we know DO believe in evolution. (Because only a very stupid person -- or a person with an agenda -- would look at the facts about evolution and deny them.) Obviously, evolution is the topic of discussion in this week's Men in Gorilla Suits. (We're probably not doing our side any favors by using a baboon in a top hat as the image for the week, but...BABOON IN A TOP HAT, PEOPLE!!!) So stretch that back, stand upright, and evolve with us... We begin with what has probably been more than established with that introduct

Poor, poor Christopher. New Year's Eve he felt it...a slight scratching in his throat. The thought went through his head: "That EVIL family that came in late to the last Hobbit movie, sat up front, and THEN...saw the seats next to me and SAT IN THEM...the hacking girl who should NOT have been out an about...IT'S ALL HER FAULT!!!" (Not even knowing her Christmas must have been spent being miserably sick summoned compassion from a very compassionate individual because...poor, poor Christopher began the new year SICK!!! As in, missed two days of work sick...when I didn't plan to take ANY time off until late April.) But let's talk about Shawn and all his broken noses. His cauliflower ear. A semi-professional fighter in all kinds of fighting styles in his youth, Shawn is not a stranger to injury. Hell, in this very episode...he friggin' bled all over the place from the side of his head! Not kidding...we were chatting away and he rubbed at a shaving injury. BOOM! It looked all Helter Skelter! Were Christopher not u

If you listened to our episode about sports, you know we like sports well enough. We have games and players we like, and we enjoy watching these games and players...but if sports one day ceased to exist, life would go on for us. The thought of a world without sports, for some, is the thought of a world they could not live in. We've argued before that sports fans have the potential to be more geeky than any comic book fan, and with the rise of fantasy sports, that geekery is taken to new levels. There are fantasy leagues for so many sports, but the biggie -- by far -- is American football. So much, that we're dedicating this week's show to fantasy football. (Also because we played fantasy football this season.) We begin by talking about when we first got into football in general, and then jump to when we first played fantasy football. Who roped us into playing? Find out! There are people who live for fantasy football, to the point that some speculate it costs workplace productivity 13 billion (yes, BILLION) do

You hear a lot of people say that people don't go outside anymore, but whenever we go outside, whether it's a state or national park, or just a walk around our neighborhoods, people are always out and about, enjoying nature. We hear people at work say things like, "I wish I could get outside more." We've seen backyards that, while they may be a bit manicured, fall away into wide fields with views of nothing man made. It's our experience that humans crave being outside. So that's what we're talking about this week: nature! We begin by talking about our earliest memories of nature, and then jump right into what we love best (and hate most) about nature. (Spoiler alert: Christopher hates these possibly more than stinging insects. And THIS is the most accurate image of a wasp ever created!) After that, we discuss how important nature is in our lives -- and talk about some of our favorite memories in nature. If we had complete dominion over nature, find out what we would change about it...and find out the scariest

It's funny how a little thing can begin. We're just two tech writers who, after completing a day job project that ended in sending one of us to a new job and the other caught in the layoffs, said "Wouldn't it be cool to do a podcast together?" For so many people, ideas go no further than that: the talking stage. We know people who have talked about podcasting for years...we know people who have talked about wanting to write (or do other things even longer), who never reach the day where they say: Enough talk -- we gonna do this thing or not?! In our case, we did it...podcasting not even half a year after a job went belly-up and we settled into new jobs long enough to say, "We're in the swing of the new gigs, so...let's do this!" One hundred episodes later, here we are! If you listen to us, you know we're some of the last people to boast about an accomplishment, but seeing other podcasts start up and die (and start up again and die again) in the time we've been doing Men in Gorilla Suits, we hope that what w

Once upon a time, there were two guys who worked for a massive bank. These two guys wrote mortgage procedures -- because they found the world of tech writing that exciting. They had an idea -- they both found themselves saying: We should do a podcast together! And so, after completing a project to keep Uncle Sam from fining the ever-living-hell out of the big bank for not having certain procedures in place -- and after the layoffs arrived -- these two recorded their first podcast. And now, just one week away from episode 100, they have recorded this episode...one all about one of their favorite things: storytelling! * * * We begin this episode with a trip to the past, recalling the first stories we ever remember hearing. From there, we move on to talking about the first stories we remember making up and writing. We'd argue that stories are vital to being human. We discuss why people feel such a drive to tell stories...and then we talk about whether we prefer stories told to us by others in person...or craft

What do books, brains, and the Internet have in common? They're full of all kinds of data. We are so surrounded with information that data often doesn't even register with us as anything special. Data has become ordinary, something we become linked to more and more each day. Technology has even allowed us to wear items that track data about how much we move, where we've been...so many things. Hell, this podcast is full of data. Granted, it's usually talking points about Star Trek and many other things, but when you stop and think about data, it's hard not to be amazed by the time in which we live. Obviously, this week, we're talking all about data. We begin with the first time we were aware of the massive amount of information out there -- when we realized there was more data out there than we could possibly know. After that, we talk about right now -- how all this data affects us as a species. Are we better off...or worse? We also discuss the first time we experienced data overload. What humans do with data

"Yeeeeeeeee Haaaaaawwwwww!!!" "I'm just not comfortable around people who aren't like me..." "Hold my beer and watch this..." Three statements many would attribute to rednecks...but are they entirely true? That's what we're talking about this week on Men in Gorilla Suits. We begin by talking about the first redneck we ever knew. Recently on the show, we talked about stereotypes. After our first redneck encounter, we discuss whether or not rednecks live up to all the stereotypes. After that, we talk about what we admire the most (and least) about rednecks, before moving on to  whether or not rednecks are inherently neo-conservatives hellbent on talking about their beliefs at every turn. Find out if we've ever considered ourselves rednecks. (Hint: Christopher has been noodling.) One doesn't have to be a redneck to have appreciated fine, redneck culture like tractor pulls, dirt track racing, or blowing shit up with dynamite. Find out what rednecky things we've been part of. Rednecks and pop culture go together l

Christopher's first novel is about a car. Shawn's series of novels, while not containing traditional cars, feature all kinds of cool vehicles. We're not the only authors who feature vehicles in our stories. The automobile created the American landscape. Nations grew up and together because of cars. We're amazed it took us 96 episodes to finally dedicate an entire episode to cars.  VROOOM VROOOOOOOM!!! We begin with the first cars we remember...and then talk about our first cars. Being geeks, we know too much about cars in pop culture -- so we talk about our favorite vehicles in movies, books, and television. Cars turn heads: find out what cars we would have if we could have any cars we wanted. When we record episodes of Men in Gorilla Suits, one of us drives to the other's place...in a car! Find out what cars we drive -- and if we like them. We all have memories of events happening in cars. We dedicate some time to our favorite car memories before talking about the one car we've absolutely hated! Car people a

That's great it starts with an earthquake, zombies, nukes, and climate change -- and meteor strikes make some afraid... FOOM!!! In honor of Thanksgiving in the states, we're talking about the end of the world (as we know it). Hell, some people may rather face the end times than tip toe around the rantings of racist uncles and doting parents asking when you're finally going to settle down and get married as you gather with family. Dogs (and people) will eat themselves ill, and when the evening is done, carcasses will be strewn about tabletops. Cranberry sauce will make it look like plates were used in a cannibal feast. And you? You'll find yourself in the front room, away from the piles of gurgling bodies in the den, Tweeting to anyone who will listen in the hope of some sign of life you can commune with. Putting it that way, Thanksgiving is not entirely unlike the apocalypse. But we're not talking about dysfunctional families this week...we're talking serious end times! We begin this episode talking about the

We know some very organized podcasters, people who have almost completely automated their workflows. They have synced calendars and can tell you what they will be doing in 7 months. These are podcasters who have studios where everything is in its right place, and often -- when you look at other aspects of their lives -- things are equally regimented. We are not those podcasters, but this week...we are talking about organization. We begin this episode by discussing how organized we consider ourselves overall. Next, we talk about how we keep all our writing organized. By this point in the episode, it will probably be clear that we are organized enough...or at least have methods that work for us. We know people more organized than us...and and we devote some time to talking about the most organized people we know before moving on to how important organization is to our everyday lives. This episode came to be on a day Christopher did some organizing in his office. We talk about how often we purge old things and d

A guy in a pickup truck drove up to Christopher and a couple friends at their high school in the 80s. This is what he said: Y'all got any blacks on your football team? Everyone shook their head. Then how can your team be any good? Everyone was stunned by the stereotype, and the guy drove off. Whether it's a drunken Irishman, a pasta-slinging Italian, or a cartoonish Native American mascot, stereotypes continue to live on. And that's what we're talking about this week. We kick off the episode with the first stereotypes we ever remember hearing. From there, we jump to the most damaging stereotypes we've ever heard, before talking about if we've ever heard a stereotype that was proven right. Next, we talk about where stereotypes come from, and why many have a need or compulsion to stereotype certain people. We also spend a couple minutes discussing if we've ever found stereotypes to be useful, and then pick a few groups we could be safely classified into and talk about how well we conform to the stereotypes

Guess what? One day, you will die. Shawn will die; Christopher will die. Everybody dies. It's such a cheery little topic, we decided to talk about death this week! We begin by talking about our earliest memories that life one day ends -- and what caused that realization for us. Then we jump to discussing if we've ever been present when somebody has dies...and how it affected us. Death can come slowly or instantly, and the way it hits people can vary. We dedicate some time to that before moving on to a short question: are you afraid to die? Next, we take on the roll of a psychic and predict the ways we think we will die. Keeping the snowball of happiness rolling, we ask each other if we've ever thought about taking our own lives and...if we could find out when and how we will die, would we want to know? As serious as death is, sometimes the way people die is strange...even funny. We talk about some of the stranger and humorous ways we've heard about people dying and then talk about movies. Death is often the f

Were it up to Christopher, this episode would be titled "ALL HAIL, BENDER, SUPREME ROBOT OF ALL ROBOTS!!!" but Shawn wouldn't go for that. So instead, this week...we'll talk about more robots than just Bender. (Shawn can bite Christopher's shiny metal ass!!!) We begin this episode talking about the first time we can remember seeing a robot -- fictional or otherwise. Then it's on to, "What's the first thing that pops into you head when you think 'robot?'"But robots are much more than vehicles for stories. We discuss the best real-world robots...and the worst!But face it: when people think robots, they think about the future. So we would be bad meatbags if we didn't devote some time to how we'd love to see robots used in the future. But robots aren't always cool. We talk about the most upsetting development in robotics -- real or fictional...and then we discuss the best robot in the realm of fiction. ("ALL HAIL BENDER!!!") Oh yeah...and the crappiest robot in fiction or the real world. Poor sad, stupid robots w

It's happened to us all: it's like any normal day until...we do something that embarrasses us. Most people we know laugh off embarrassing moments, but some people can't let go of being the center of attention -- if even for a moment. This week, we're talking about the good and bad parts of embarrassment!  We begin this week's show by talking about the first times we remember being embarrassed about something. Then: find out if we embarrass easily today...and what does embarrass us. If you've ever wondered what the most embarrassing moments of our lives were, listen in. After that, we talk about why some people handle embarrassing moments well, while others become self conscious...even spiral down into depression and self-deprecating behavior over embarrassing moments. We devote some time to how pride and shame can factor into embarrassment, and then talk about how destructive an embarrassing moment can be for some. Also: can embarrassment ever be a good thing? Sometimes, embarrassment is a matter of perceptio

Which one of these statements is patriotic to you: "Either you are with us or you are with the terrorists." "If you don't like it, go to Russia, commie!" "Immigrants are destroying our great country!" "None of the above are patriotic statements." Patriotism, especially in America, has been framed to mean things it really isn't. Perhaps an unfair way to lead off an episode about patriotism -- especially when we both consider ourselves very patriotic. But is patriotism wrapping yourself in a leather American flag jacket you wear like a skin and singing a schmaltzy song, or is it something more? Obviously, we think it's something more, and that is what we are talking about on this week's episode. We begin by talking about where we consider ourselves on the 1 - 100 Patriotism-O-Meter, and then we jump into the first time we remember being introduced to the idea of patriotism. Next -- just to be clear -- we discuss the differences between patriotism and nationalism...and where we see most people actually falling

OMGTHEEBOLAISINAMERICAANDWE'REALLGONNADIE!!! ESPECIALLYTHOSEOFUSINTHEDALLASAREA!!! MEANWHILE,ISISSLEEPERCELLSAREALLOVERTHEUNITEDSTATESJUSTWAITINGTOPOUNCE!!! REPEATAFTERME:WE'REALLDOOMED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Or maybe Ebola will be contained; after all, it's been in the United States before, back when we didn't even have the technology we had today. The Islamic State isn't in your town waiting to kill you and your family. (Unless you, ya know, live in Kobani or Raqqa.) We're not all doomed; in fact, we're safer now than in any point in history. But none of that matters when people prey on sensational tendencies, all in the name of ratings. That's what we're talking about this week: sensationalism! We kick off the episode talking about the first sensational thing we remember in our lives, followed by discussing if we've ever been caught up in a wave of sensationalism (and if so, what it was). Next, we move on to why sensationalism has such a strong pull on some people...and what sets those not prone to s

Depending what you read, anywhere from 40% - 60% of Americans say they don't get enough sleep. Around the world, even in some of the most laid back countries, people say they are deprived of the sleep they crave. Sleep...it's something we all do, and it's what we're talking about this week. A Quick Note: While we normally record podcasts in person, this podcast was recorded online. Somewhere between the pre-show babble we usually do to almost 10 minutes into the show, the recording dropped out. Yep, for the first time in almost 90 episodes, we finally hit a problem. So just imagine the first part of this week's episode is that part you can't remember from a dream. We start off by talking about how much sleep, on average, we each get a night. Well, we did talk about that, but it's part of the lost recording. Shawn said he gets between 4-5 hours or sleep...Christopher usually gets 7-8. From there, we moved on to how often we dream, or -- more accurately -- how often we remember dreams. (Shawn rarely remembers d

"The Internet is good for funny cat videos, Facebook, and email, but really -- that's about it." Some go as far as saying it's all just a big waste of time; that we'd do well to get rid of the whole thing. People who say things like this are only looking at a facet of the Internet/World Wide Web, though. The Internet has changed our way of life, and we argue that -- even with all the fighting and trolling going on out there -- it's become vital to the existence of developed societies...and just might help remote areas become more developed. [This episode, obviously, is released online...and because of some plumbing fun at Shawn's place over the weekend, it was also recorded online.] We kick it off by talking about when we first started using the Internet. After that, we devote some time to what our tech lives were like before logging on to the World Wide Web. And we wrap up the opening section by discussing how the Internet has changed our lives. Connectivity to the Internet has been around long enough in pop

Remember when... Ah, those were the days... You remember them, the days when everything was better than it is now! Better music, better movies, better everything. Or...is the lens of nostalgia a great big liarhead? That is the topic of this week's episode of Men in Gorilla Suits! We start with a not-so-simple question: Why are people so damn nostalgic? Then we moved on to asking what triggers nostalgia in the Gorillamen. But that's not enough; after that, it's on to the bigger triggers of nostalgic feelings. Nostalgia is something we all engage in, but have you ever wondered if there were benefits to being nostalgic? At the same time, where is the line: can nostalgia actually be damaging? Christopher saw a quite that interested him: Nostalgia is the enemy of progress. Agree, or disagree? Find out what we think. Also, find out how much nostalgia factors into our lives. After that, we move on to talking about the strangest things we've seen people become nostalgic for. Music, ah -- music! What is it about mus