Ep 021: "The Hubris of The Human Animal" - January 17, 2010

This week's show is a bit like a pinball game, with the conversation bouncing about at odd angles, running down sometimes unexpected corridors, and banging against the proper surfaces to score a few points, all the while generating a pleasing combination of shiny and loud. The Twenty-Aught-Eleven Grammy nominees set off some grumbling about the music industry's increasingly desperate and misaimed attempts to perpetuate a manufactured Culture Of Cool, which then leads to a broader discussion of whether the direction of pop zeitgeist has ever truly been in the hands of artists, which then leads a Skype listener to demand "more penis vomit talk." (No, really.) The tireless and multi-talented Fletcher Rhoden joins us in the second half to discuss his impressively hyper-prolific career, including his latest endeavor: a stage musical based on the genesis of I Love Lucy. (No, really.) Other topics include the similarities between puppies and Christmas trees, the aesthetic versatility of redheads, and the fateful Supreme Court decision to allow corporations the rights of individuals, which bears bitter comedic fruit in Sodomizing A Legacy: British Petroleum. Music by the aforementioned Mr Rhoden, Ed James, and 20/20.