Master of None

Send us Fan MailFairytales- a staple of cultures around the world. What is a fairytale and why have these oral and written stories lasted for centuries? And what are the original versions of the Disney stories we love? Find all of this and more on this week’s episode! 

Send us Fan MailHi, this is NOT a football episode for dummies. You probably need at least a little bit of knowledge to understand this episode. But if you know what a 1st down is and have shouted "D-FENCE" at a football game but never understood any of the strategy, this is the episode for you! We get down and dirty on why specific plays are called, and then we get up and clean on the overview of how a football team is managed. GO BIRDS!

Send us Fan MailIf you're Mandy, then the answer is yes.  We are back on the pod- this time tackling a topic that's wayyyy too big to discuss in just 40 minutes.  But we attempt to break down music tastes: why is it frowned upon to like pop music?  Who chooses what "genres" artists fall into and why are they such bad categorizations? And most importantly, are you a pick-me when it comes to your listening choices?  Find out all this and more!  (And please send any good music as we always love suggestions) 

Send us Fan MailFood.  You eat it every day.  It's such a large part of our families, our cultures, our personalities.  Are you more of a go-out-to-eat or stay home and cook type?  Which cuisines are your favorite?  Do you like the same foods that you grew up with or have you branched out from your mother's cooking?  All these questions and more are discussed in our latest episode of Master of None.

Send us Fan MailEvery day of your life you do something so mundane that puts your life immediately at risk-- you get into a car.  After a personal experience, Gibson and Mandy are back with some serious stats about this American epidemic and why we each need to do our part to be safer drivers!!

Send us Fan MailWould you wear the ugliest shoes in the world (Birkenstock clogs) just to impress people?  This week we discuss trends and why we feel so drawn to them.  We ask ourselves the hard questions: "Do I want this because I think it's a good product or am I buying this because everyone else has one?"  Tune in to find out how popular we were in high school and to learn about some of the most dangerous popular challenges on social media today.

Send us Fan MailWell, friends, WE ARE BACK WITH A NEW SEASON.  After our exciting summer, we are here to report on the rest of our adventures in Latvia and beyond.  This week we discuss the biggest differences we saw between Europe and America, and how while traveling can help us broaden our horizons, it's not the only way to educate oneself on world events and history.  (Please excuse Mandy's muffled sound in this episode, there was a microphone technical difficulty.)Check out our website and write-in to us at https://masterofnonepodcast.weebly.com/

Send us Fan MailThroughout history, civilizations around the world have all had one thing in common: war.  This week we discuss what war entails, if and when it's "justified," and why men seem to be so fascinated by it.  We also talk about our experience living in Eastern Europe during the war in Ukraine.  Feel free to write to us for suggestions, feedback, etc! https://masterofnonepodcast.weebly.com/ 

Send us Fan MailTo start out: we do NOT support doing drugs.  This week we do a deep dive into the history of America's most popular illegal drug after weed.  You'll learn what ludicrous ingredients are included in the recipe for modern-day crack cocaine, and one scientist who decided to test it as EYE DROPS (in the name of science, of course).  Also, watch out for us this Spring as we will be making an appearance on BBC with some new-found Finnish friends! :) Check out our website and write-in to us at https://masterofnonepodcast.weebly.com/

Send us Fan MailIf you've ever seen the movie "Imitation Game" you're probably familiar with the code used by the Germans during WWII.  But did you know cracking this code would eventually pave the way to creating modern-day computers?  Then we go meta: discussing wifi (what on earth even is it?) and how the internet exists. 

Send us Fan MailIs customer service dead?  Have "Karens" and the minimum wage destroyed all morale for these employees?  We also discuss Yelp-- Mandy's favorite website and social media.  Maybe we need to set up a podcast Yelp account instead of the website we are working on...  let us know ;) 

Send us Fan MailDo YOU think it's vain to personalize your license plate?  If your name is Gibson, then you just might think yes.  We discuss the different prices for vanity plates around the world, what's legally allowed on one, and why some people so badly want to sum up their lives in 7 characters or less.  

Send us Fan MailIs the study of Fine Arts important?  (Spoiler alert, yes it is.)  Mandy and Gibson discuss why the arts are an integral part of society and why it's okay if you don't like every medium of art, as long as you still indulge in your creative side! 

Send us Fan MailGlobalization: Good?  Bad?  Maybe a little of both?  Even though 35 minutes is not NEARLY enough time to tackle this complicated topic, we attempt to throw around some curious ideas about globalization.  What constitutes cultural diffusion and is it spicing up the world or making it more monotonous?  

Send us Fan MailIf you are anything like Mandy you probably have asked yourself this question: What even makes a good movie??!  Like, isn't it all just up to personal opinion? Join us this time to learn what makes a movie "good" or "bad."  We discuss how movie rating systems work, what compelling storytelling looks like, and why movies need to stop blowing up New York City.

Send us Fan MailThis week we are diving deep into space and discovering the most unproven accepted theory in science-- DARK MATTER.  What is this mystery material and how come we may never be able to prove its existence?  Then we dive into the ethics of placing higher funding in space exploration over other government programs that directly affect the public.  Is this ethical?  Let us know your thoughts or other topics you want to hear about by leaving a review! 

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, we discuss the validity of celebrity endorsements.  Should an actor/actress have an influence on what you buy?  Or the political candidate you support?  Join us to hear the story of celebrities' effect on the polio vaccine in Nigeria and Mandy's undying love for Danny Devito.

Send us Fan MailCome learn about Mandy's least favorite animal (and greatest fear)-- the HIPPOPOTAMUS.  Born in rivers, these aggressive animals aren't afraid to tip boats, raid crops, and kill for sport.  Warning: you might be afraid of hippos after listening to this episode.  

Send us Fan MailDid you know there's no such thing as a photographic memory?  Or that stretching isn't actually going to help your muscle soreness?  Join us for an episode where we debunk some of our favorite childhood tall tales and discuss why these false but fascinating "tidbits" are so fun to spread– and so easy to believe.  

Send us Fan MailWhat do Scandinavia and American's midwest have in common?  Why, an interest in disc golf of course!  We learn about the history and rise of this relatively new sport (also endearingly known as poor man's golf) and how it has become the 4th fastest growing sport in the world.  

Send us Fan MailToday Gibson protests society's obsession with greeting cards.  We discuss the history of cards, its modern-day cousin the "e-card," and how one boy broke the Guinness World Record for the number of greeting cards received.   Oh, and of course, why Gibson's hatred for these small pieces of paper run so deep.