The Matt Mani Podcast

Is China Using TikTok To Disrupt American Youth Culture. In this episode I offer my perspective on a discussion that was originally held between Andrew Schulz and Chris Williamson. The conversation originally aired on Chris Williamson's podcast.    My goal, along with my first generation Chinese American girlfriend, is to present an alternative perspective while illustrating the fallacy, hilarity, and detrimental nature of Andrew Shulz' underlying statement. Although my goal was to examine this conversation through a geopolitical, economic, historical, behavioral and cultural lens, I most likely fell short in the interest of comedy and entertainment. Although not all encompassing, we tried to cover as many of the topics as we could before our dog got restless in the studio. Either way, we had a lot of fun discussing the similarities and differences of youth culture in different countries. Hope you enjoy this episode.   If you find my discussions interesting and want to hear more, hit like and subscribe.    Feel free to throw any comments down below and thanks for watching.    Timecodes: 0:00 - Intro  0:30 - Start    📹 Subscribe to the channel:    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSciipKp9lqfJaXSWI3bOvQ   𝐆𝐄𝐓 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐃:    TikTok:   https://www.tiktok.com/@mattmanipodcast   📸 Instagram:    https://www.instagram.com/matt.mani/   Listen on Spotify!    https://open.spotify.com/show/038inPZbr45yoUgtQw4Ompani

The Matt Mani Podcast Episode 59: Walking Into Glass Doors. In this episode my girlfriend comes back on for the fourth time. We Drink, we laugh, and we bullshit about an endless stream of nonsense.   Topics (in no particular order) include:  Naming Our Japanese Toilet Video Games Modern 2 Player Games  Cup Head  Donkey Kong  Arcade Games  Our Apartment In Shanghai  Walking In To Glass Doors  The Heebie Jeebies  History - Snuffy Smith (First Medal of Honor Recipient)  Wearing Hats  Gaps In Memory  Our Relationship In China Skipping Songs  Kangaroos Australia Hidden Cameras In Air BNB’s  Law and Order How Everyone Is Probably Naked On The Internet Drinking Games Chumba Wumba Roxanne The Police CBGB’s Becoming Rick Sanchez  Tik Tok Famous LA VS NYC Creepy Yoga Teachers My Friend Sean   And So Much More….    If you find my discussions interesting and want to hear more, hit like and subscribe.  Feel free to throw any comments down below and thanks for watching. Timecodes  0:00 - Intro  0:30 - Start   📹 Subscribe to the channel:    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSciipKp9lqfJaXSWI3bOvQ    𝐆𝐄𝐓 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐃:    TikTok:    https://www.tiktok.com/@mattmanipodcast    📸 Instagram:    https://www.instagram.com/themattmanipodcast/    Listen on Spotify!    https://open.spotify.com/show/038inPZbr45yoUgtQw4Ompani

The Matt Mani Podcast Episode 58: A Dog With Two Owners In this episode I fly solo and discuss a bunch of things that I've been contemplating.   Topics (in no particular order) include:   Living and Traveling in Asia  Living Abroad  Teaching In China  Soul Searching  Being Happy With Nothing But Staying Motivated  Life In America  Jack London  Drinking  Sobriety  Sports  What Sports I Want My Kids To Play  Working Out Changing Your Routine Nostalgia and The Passing of Time Shanghai Lockdown Materialism The Hedonistic Treadmill  And So Much More….    If you find my discussions interesting and want to hear more, hit like and subscribe.    Feel free to throw any comments down below and thanks for watching.    Timecodes  0:00 - Intro  0:30 - Start    📹 Subscribe to the channel:    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSciipKp9lqfJaXSWI3bOvQ    𝐆𝐄𝐓 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐃:    TikTok:    https://www.tiktok.com/@mattmanipodcast    📸 Instagram:    https://www.instagram.com/themattmanipodcast/    Listen on Spotify!    https://open.spotify.com/show/038inPZbr45yoUgtQw4Ompani

The Matt Mani Podcast Episode 57: Shanghai Lockdowns and Living In China. In this episode I have a ball with my favorite guest, my lovely girlfriend. We drink, we laugh, and we discuss a ton of bullshit.   Topics include: People Taking Offense On The Internet  Snowflake Generation (Me)  Oasis and When Their Songs Released Living in Shanghai and Covid Lockdowns  Living in China  The Simpsons  Most Popular Boys Names In America / France  Channing Tatum Dog - The Movie  She’s The Man - Amanda Bynes  Cards (The Hallmark Kind)  The Food Network  Strippers  PornHub Content Creators (Silver-Haired-Girl)  Reddit   So Much More…   If you find my discussions interesting and want to hear more, hit like and subscribe.   Feel free to throw any comments down below and thanks for watching.   Timecodes  0:00 - Intro  0:30 - Start    📹 Subscribe to the channel:   https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSciipKp9lqfJaXSWI3bOvQ   𝐆𝐄𝐓 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐃:    TikTok:    https://www.tiktok.com/@mattmanipodcast    📸 Instagram:    https://www.instagram.com/themattmanipodcast/    Listen on Spotify!   https://open.spotify.com/show/038inPZbr45yoUgtQw4Omp

The Matt Mani Podcast Episode 56: I’m In 1974 And I'm Fine With It. In this episode I have a blast once again with my girlfriend in our second ever podcast together. This time around we are joined by our dog. We piss ourselves laughing over our recent near death experience buying and transporting a grill. We also discuss a bunch of stuff from the 90’s and things we didn’t understand as kids. Basically, we rip on each other, make each other laugh, and go back and forth on an endless stream of frivolous nonsense. Topics (in no particular order) include: Our Dog Social Situations Small Talk At The Check Out Line Tik Tok Cosplay Podcasts Murderous Fans On Social Media Family Guy The Simpsons Almost Dying Buying A Grill Stuff From The 90’s Living in China Dance Battles Buying A Grill And So Much More…. If you find my discussions interesting and want to hear more, hit like and subscribe. Feel free to throw any comments down below and thanks for watching. Timecodes 0:00 - Intro 0:30 - Start 📹 Subscribe to the channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSciipKp9lqfJaXSWI3bOvQ 𝐆𝐄𝐓 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐃: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mattmanipodcast 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themattmanipodcast/ Listen on Spotify! https://open.spotify.com/show/038inPZbr45yoUgtQw4Omp

The Matt Mani Podcast Episode 55: When Life Gives You A Box Of Chocolates. In this episode I hang out with my very first guest, my lovely girlfriend. This is likely the first episode of what I hope will become it’s own unique show. We discuss our recent experience of having bed bugs, random stories my girlfriend finds on the internet, and our dog. We do a deep dive on Paratha Bread and examine the many countries where it’s made. This leads to a discussion of the island nation of Mauritius. We get nostalgic and discuss our travels in Malaysia. My gf is forced to relive her encounter with a rat on the streets of Kuala Lumpur. We round things off with a philosophical untangling of the phrase “Life Is Like A Box Of Chocolates” and discuss how people in china thought I sounded like Forest Gump. Sprinkle in some history, geography, and a lot of laughs and you have yourself a darn good episode.   If you find my discussions interesting and want to hear more, hit like and subscribe. Feel free to throw any comments down below and thanks for watching. Timecodes  0:00 - Intro 0:30 - Start   📹 Subscribe to the channel:   https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSciipKp9lqfJaXSWI3bOvQ   𝐆𝐄𝐓 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐃:   TikTok:   https://www.tiktok.com/@mattmanipodcast   📸 Instagram:   https://www.instagram.com/themattmanipodcast/   Listen on Spotify!   https://open.spotify.com/show/038inPZbr45yoUgtQw4Omp

The Matt Mani Podcast Episode 54: Slip Into Some Madness.  In this episode I discuss painting, knowing yourself, nature, keeping a sense of wonder, productivity habits, and Japanese food. This leads to a deep dive into the nature and physics of sound. I explore what makes sounds unique from both a scientific and philosophical point of view. In particular I discuss the idea that all objects (specifically food) have unique sounds. On a more macro level I discuss the human senses and how they relate to our perception of the world.   I shift focus and examine the 4 seasons and my concept that Spring and Fall are relief / exhale / decompression seasons from Summer and Winter which are the extremes. I wrap up with a deep dive into the intermingling of Japanese food, culture, and festivals.   If you find my discussions interesting and want to hear more, hit like and subscribe.   Feel free to throw any comments down below and thanks for watching.   Timecodes  0:00 - Intro  0:30 - Start   📹 Subscribe to the channel:   https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSciipKp9lqfJaXSWI3bOvQ   𝐆𝐄𝐓 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐃:   TikTok:  https://www.tiktok.com/@mattmanipodcast   📸 Instagram:   https://www.instagram.com/themattmanipodcast/   Listen on Spotify!   https://open.spotify.com/show/038inPZbr45yoUgtQw4Omp

The Matt Mani Podcast Episode 53: The Average American Salad Consumer. In this Episode I talk about the impossibility of having a favorite food. I discuss the salad intake of the average american and the wrap game. (Chicken Caesar). I discuss how incredible my girlfriend is for always having secret cases of beer stashed away for me. She's brilliant. In addition, I talk about how Tottenham Hotspurs soccer team are the perfect Philadelphia team. I suggest the official Philadelphia Sports slogan should be, "beat the best, lose to the worst."   I also discuss the importance of momentum and how non-tangible entities such as sports leagues can have this quality. After this I pivot to discuss my girlfriend and I's stance as movie critics and examine the film industry as a whole. Other notable talking points include Japanese Food, Cooking Youtube Channels, human Circadian Rhythms, and the difference between cities during the day and night.   If you find my discussions interesting and want to hear more, hit like and subscribe.   Feel free to throw any comments down below and thanks for watching.   Timecodes  0:00 - Intro  0:30 - Start   📹 Subscribe to the channel:   https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSciipKp9lqfJaXSWI3bOvQ  𝐆𝐄𝐓 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐃:   TikTok:  https://www.tiktok.com/@mattmanipodcast  📸 Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/themattmanipodcast/  Listen on Spotify!  https://open.spotify.com/show/038inPZbr45yoUgtQw4Omp  Other:   Japanese Food Youtube Channel:   https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsyzqlcYZJUdAV2D9DXjp6g

The Matt Mani Podcast Episode 51: It’s Always Some Cat Taking A Shit. In this episode I discuss my life turning into a real world Jumanji. I talk about how I almost got killed by a pickup truck running a red light. I expound on the hilarity and horror my life has become and the string of bad-luck my girlfriend and I have encountered. Issues include, an ant invasion, bedbugs, my dogs neutering, my dogs paw infection, the dead car battery, my girlfriends injured grandmother, and so much more…. In addition I discuss the hilarity of life and how if it isn’t funny, it’s just sick. I talk about the relationship between artist and audience.   I also take some time to discuss the Positives and Negatives of Tik Tok and the greater social media world. I talk about the marketing world and it’s creepy shape shifting succubus nature. If you find my discussions interesting and want to hear more, hit like and subscribe. Feel free to throw any comments down below and thanks for watching. Timecodes  0:00 - Intro  0:30 - Start    📹 Subscribe to the channel:    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSciipKp9lqfJaXSWI3bOvQ   𝐆𝐄𝐓 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐃:   TIK TOK:   https://www.tiktok.com/@mattmanipodcast   📸 Instagram:    https://www.instagram.com/themattmanipodcast/  Listen on Spotify!    https://open.spotify.com/show/038inPZbr45yoUgtQw4Omp   OTHER:    Music Documentary I Mentioned:    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLSQf60MJrM

The Matt Mani Podcast Episode 51: Why Bother. In this episode I talk about how post covid America, and perhaps the entire world, is currently operating on Substitute Teacher Mentality. In addition I compare and contrast the implications freedom of speech has on mental health. Using China and the U.S. as examples I explore how a healthy society should have the right to free speech but not a compulsion to spout -off about nonexistent indignity or imagined provocation.    I also discuss my ongoing war against the ants that have populated my newly renovated kitchen. I talk about the PTSD I have from living in Shanghai and hunting the hoards of mosquitos that infested my apartment. Naturally, this leads to a discussion of the Russia Ukraine conflict, the 20th century geopolitical landscape, and war in general.   I examine how “Adult Life” is less like a tsunami that hits with force and more like a tide that slowly but inevitably creeps up on all of us. I have a bunch of fun developing one of my favorite standup characters “Mike Powerhouse”. I explore the current state of TV and how true garbage equals greatness.   Perhaps most importantly I lay out my thesis on “The Spectrum of Turds” that exist in every town, city, and municipality throughout the world. There’s New York Turds, Brooklyn Turds, LA Turds, Philly Turds, Boston Turds, Expat Turds, Suburban Turds etc… etc… I take a look at my mutant neighbors and why I’ll relish watching them be devoured in a zombie apocalypse.    And So Much More….   If you find my discussions interesting and want to hear more, hit like and subscribe.   Feel free to throw any comments down below and thanks for watching.   Timecodes  0:00 - Intro  0:30 - Start   📹 Subscribe to the channel:   https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSciipKp9lqfJaXSWI3bOvQ  𝐆𝐄𝐓 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐃:   📸 Instagram:   https://www.instagram.com/themattmanipodcast/  Listen on Spotify!   https://open.spotify.com/show/038inPZbr45yoUgtQw4Omp

The Matt Mani Podcast Episode 50: The Bachelor Party. In this episode I discuss the fun and hilarity of a Bachelor Party Weekend up the mountains. I examine how a three day bender can be as much of a force for change as positive oriented behaviors such as exercise. I discuss tackling DIY projects and facing my inadequacies as a man, which inevitably leads to me weeping in the IKEA checkout line. I examine the simplicity of living a good life with good times and good people. I take a look at Shut The Box, a dice based gambling game. This leads to an exploration of old school arcade games and a $4000 Gucci backgammon set.   I talk about Tech deck finger bording, finger BMX, and how YouTube probably causes more suicides among Millennials than anything else. Why have a masters degree and piles of debt when you can make bullshit on Youtube with toys?   Using children’s YouTube sensation Blippi as an example, I discuss the inconsistencies in Cancel Culture and why no one cares that he took a shit on his friends face. Plus so much more…   If you find my discussions interesting and want to hear more, hit like and subscribe.   Feel free to throw any comments down below and thanks for watching.   Timecodes  0:00 - Intro  0:30 - Start   📹 Subscribe to the channel:   https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSci...   𝐆𝐄𝐓 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐃:   📸 Instagram:   https://www.instagram.com/themattmanipodcast/   Listen on Spotify!  https://open.spotify.com/show/038inPZbr45yoUgtQw4Omp

The Matt Mani Podcast Episode 49: The Beijing Olympics, Western China, and Tentacle Hentai. In this episode I talk about the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, China’s recruitment of foreign athletes, and the Eileen Gu controversy. I also discuss my time traveling in Wester China and the reality of life in the Xinjiang Province. I also discuss my full blown freak out that I was potentially balding. I explore how easily my girlfriend and I become fully engaged in any world event so that we can use it as an excuse to eat, drink, and bum out. I elaborate on how we are basically fantastic at being 13 years old. I wrap this up with a discussion of my new wall mural and examine the world of Tentacle Hentai through the lens of an anthropologist.   If you find my discussions interesting and want to hear more, hit like and subscribe.   Feel free to throw any comments down below and thanks for watching.  Timecodes  0:00 - Intro  0:30 - Start   📹 Subscribe to the channel:   https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSci...   𝐆𝐄𝐓 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐃:   📸 Instagram:   https://www.instagram.com/themattmanipodcast/   Listen on Spotify!   https://open.spotify.com/show/038inPZbr45yoUgtQw4Omp

The Matt Mani Podcast Episode 48: Chinese New Year, Pro Wrestling, and The Grind of The Dreamer. In this episode I discuss why I love Chinese New Year. I talk about how people celebrate this holiday and the festivities I enjoyed while living in Shanghai. I explore the beauty of emptiness in cities and take a look at the book Tokyo Nobody by photographer Masataka Nakano. Similarly, I talk about the wonderful book “Tenements, Towers, & Trash: An Unconventional Illustrated History of New York City” by Julia Wertz. I talk about spending my days in a library for a year while I was unemployed. This leads to a discussion of the book I wrote on Wildwood New Jersey and an examination of why it’s such a culturally interesting place. This leads to my exploration of why young adults from other other countries, such as Ireland and Australia, are much better off due to their economic need to go abroad as well as their use of gap years in which they get to travel and see the world. Eventually I get around to discussing the book “Sex, Lies, and Headlocks” by Shaun Assael which explores the history and growth of Professional Wrestling in America.    If you find my discussions interesting and want to hear more, hit like and subscribe.   Feel free to throw any comments down below and thanks for watching.   Timecodes  0:00 - Intro  0:30 - Start   📹 Subscribe to the channel:   https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSci...    𝐆𝐄𝐓 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐃:  📸 Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/themattmanipodcast/   Listen on Spotify!   https://open.spotify.com/show/038inPZbr45yoUgtQw4Omp   Other Links:   Tokyo Nobody:   https://www.amazon.com/Nobody-English-Japanese-Masataka-Nakano/dp/4898150314/ref=sr_1_1?crid=KT3MYBDR9QNY&keywords=Tokyo+Nobody&qid=1644949723&s=books&sprefix=tokyo+nobody%2Cstripbooks%2C44&sr=1-1  Tenements, Towers, and Trash:   https://www.amazon.com/Tenements-Towers-Trash-Unconventional-Illustrated/dp/0316501212  Sex, Lies, And Headlocks:  https://www.amazon.com/Sex-Lies-Headlocks-Wrestling-Entertainment/dp/1400051436

The Matt Mani Podcast Episode 47: Positive Affirmations, For Your Dog. In this episode I compare and contrast the experiences myself and my girlfriend have on the internet. How do we spend our time, what do we look at, what do the algorithms serve up? In addition, I exploring how useless I would be if I ever went back in time. I examine how all of human knowledge is dependent on the ingenuity, creativity, and hard work of generations of other people. More specifically, I look at the history of Ice and how human beings created a system for measuring temperature. This takes me from ancient Egyptians to the work of Daniel Fahrenheit, Anders Celsius, and Lord Kelvin aka William Thomson. Inevitably this leads to a discussion of how Ice influenced cocktails and the drinking culture of the 20th century. I parlay this into my travels in Japan, drinking whiskey, and my first experience with hand chiseled ice. Similarly, I explore the artistry of bartending and look at a YouTube channel Samurai Bartender. I wrap up with a discussion of the famed Lost In Translation Park Hyatt Tokyo bar and the need to splurge and live ostentatiously from time to time.    If you find my discussions interesting and want to hear more, hit like and subscribe. Feel free to throw any comments down below and thanks for watching.   Timecodes  0:00 - Intro  0:30 - Start   📹 Subscribe to the channel:   https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSci...    𝐆𝐄𝐓 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐃:    📸 Instagram:   https://www.instagram.com/themattmanipodcast/   Listen on Spotify!   https://open.spotify.com/show/038inPZbr45yoUgtQw4Omp   Other Links:   Samurai Bartender  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCS9jbcDEOWbKBWQHsas6jow  Ice Diamond Carving:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1iqVGORUck

The Matt Mani Podcast Episode 45: Fame Is Odd, How I Used NBA Players to Find A Package In China. In this episode I discuss the oddity of fame. I explore how someone and their work can be massively influential to entire groups of people and yet remain completely unknown to massive chunks of the human population. To emphasize this point I explore various mega popular musicians on Spotify that I was completely unfamiliar with. Similarly, I explain how I used the names of NBA Players to locate a lost package in a Chinese post office. To further drill home the point I explain how no one in my family gives a shit about that lovable asshole Bill Burr.  I discuss how to discover more of these hidden yet popular gems. I also contemplate the underlying impact that making noteworthy artist discoveries can have on the enrichment of our lives. Imagine never eating your favorite food or hearing your favorite band?     I explain how to play “How Many Monthly Listens”, which is a Spotify based game I created with my girlfriend. I wrap up by expounding on my concept of Mandatory Living Abroad for all young adults in America. I believe this is the number 1 way in which America can improve itself. Instead of mandatory military service, we institute 1 year mandatory living abroad for anyone in a certain age gap. Participation will result in some financial gain or equivalent tangible benefit such as tuition reimbursement.   If you find my discussions interesting and want to hear more, hit like and subscribe. Feel free to throw any comments down below and thanks for watching.   Timecodes  0:00 - Intro  0:30 - Start    📹 Subscribe to the channel:   https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSci...     𝐆𝐄𝐓 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐃:   📸 Instagram:   https://www.instagram.com/themattmanipodcast/   Listen on Spotify!  https://open.spotify.com/show/038inPZbr45yoUgtQw4Omp

The Matt Mani Podcast Episode 44: Misinformation, Freedom, and Living In A Communist Country. In this episode I discuss the Spotify Controversy between Neil Young and Joe Rogan. If unfamiliar with the issue, Neil Young requested that his music be removed from Spotify because of what he believes to be the spread of misinformation on the Joe Rogan Experience. On one hand Neil Young is telling us to “keep on rocking in the free world.” On the other hand it seems as though he’s advocating for censorship and the diminishment of freedom of speech. Using this controversy as a lens I magnify the underlying issue of the degradation and erosion of personal freedoms in America.  Having lived in China for over 4 years I expound on the experience of living in a communist country. I share my perspective on being an America and the destruction of the basic principles on which this republic was founded. I compare and contrast the positives and negatives of access to information and allowing human beings to make their own decisions. I explore the underlying philosophy of the limitations of human beings to understand the constructive and destructive interference of their choices. Ultimately I argue that all information must be freely accessible and that people must be given the freedom to make their own decisions for better or worse.  I wrap this up with a discussion of how my dog has turned into a hairy little brother. I also elaborate on an idea I have for painting with sound using instruments and a digital art interface such as Procreate.   If you find my discussions interesting and want to hear more, hit like and subscribe.   Feel free to throw any comments down below and thanks for watching.   Timecodes  0:00 - Intro  0:30 - Start    📹 Subscribe to the channel:   https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSci...    𝐆𝐄𝐓 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐃:   📸 Instagram:   https://www.instagram.com/themattmanipodcast/   Listen on Spotify!   https://open.spotify.com/show/038inPZbr45yoUgtQw4Omp   Other Links:   Richard Feynman   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1ww1IXRfTA

The Matt Mani Podcast Episode 43: My Sweet Lord, Partying In China, and My Creative Renaissance. In this episode I use George Harrison’s song My Sweet Lord as a launch pad to discuss how art can help us cope with loss. I discuss the incredible miracle and beauty of the human senses. I marvel at how a song, image, or special meal can unleash a wave of emotions and memory so powerful that it can alter your current state of reality. I sip a Heineken and allow the taste to unlock the door to reminiscing about my time teaching English and partying in Shanghai China…. I parlay this nostalgia into discussing the whacky and wild world of fake alcohol and knock off booze in China. For some inexplicable reason I lay into Richard Feynman and extol the work of Carl Sagan calling him, “the white Neil deGrasse Tyson”. Somewhere along the lines I get around to discussing the work of Takehiko Inoue, the larger world of Manga and Mangaka, and my recent creative renaissance. If you find my discussions interesting and want to hear more, hit like and subscribe.    Feel free to throw any comments down below and thanks for watching.  Timecodes  0:00 - Intro  0:30 - Start    📹 Subscribe to the channel:    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSci...    𝐆𝐄𝐓 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐃:    📸 Instagram:   https://www.instagram.com/themattmanipodcast/   Listen on Spotify!  https://open.spotify.com/show/038inPZbr45yoUgtQw4Omp

The Matt Mani Podcast Episode 42: Beer, Newness, and The Joy of Asking Why. In this episode I proclaim my love for beer and utilize this malty beverage as a vehicle for discovery and asking “WHY”. I explore different varieties of drinking, beer culture in japan, and the true value of diversity on both an individual and societal level. I discuss some of my past struggles with anxiety, depression, and feeling trapped in meaningless jobs due to the  ill-conceived structure of education in America. Similarly, I explore the fruitlessness of trying to fool oneself and the importance of leaning into what animates your soul. In addition, I indulge in exploring my pipe dream of owning a restaurant brew pub. I discuss how my vision for the perfect space was inspired by Design Festa Gallery, a cafe/art-gallery/restaurant/apartment-complex, in Harajuku Japan. I wrap up by emphasizing the exponential increase in joy you can achieve by simply appreciating your meals and feeling more connected to the wider world. If you find my discussions interesting and want to hear more, hit like and subscribe.   Feel free to throw any comments down below and thanks for watching.  Timecodes  0:00 - Intro  0:30 - Start      📹 Subscribe to the channel:    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSci...      𝐆𝐄𝐓 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐃:    📸 Instagram:   https://www.instagram.com/themattmanipodcast/     Listen on Spotify! https://open.spotify.com/show/038inPZbr45yoUgtQw4Omp     Link for Design Festa Gallery  \https://designfestagallery.com/index_en.html

The Matt Mani Podcast Episode 41: TV Sucks! Where’s My Show? In this episode I discuss NFL Football, covid vaccination propaganda, the merits and uselessness of protesting, living in a communist country, and the value of engaging with network TV. I explore the abysmal nature of the current TV and Streaming landscape and propose three show ideas of my own. Socially Awkward is a fictional show that documents the trials and tribulations of two young friends who try to escape post college corporate America by becoming internet sensations. Meat Snack, done in the spirit of Spinal Tap, chronicles the journey of childhood musician friends who decide to escape their 9-5 life by creating a band with the sole purpose of “selling out” to a beef jerky company.  Finders Keepers, is a spoof on American Pickers but instead of historically significant thrifting, it focus’ on the sub culture of trash pickers who battle it out for items they find or hunt down on Facebook Marketplace. I wrap up with a discussion of why working with others always devolves into wasting time.   If you find my discussions interesting and want to hear more, hit like and subscribe.   Feel free to throw any comments down below and thanks for watching.    Timecodes  0:00 - Intro  0:30 - Start    📹 Subscribe to the channel:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSci...    𝐆𝐄𝐓 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐃:   📸 Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/themattmanipodcast/   Listen on Spotify! https://open.spotify.com/show/038inPZbr45yoUgtQw4Omp

The Matt Mani Podcast Episode 46: Trying To Ruin A Good Day. In this episode I talk about my incessant compulsion towards trying to ruin a good day. I attempt to explore why we often try to avoid or sabotage our enjoyment of the present moment. In addition, I discuss the skateboard documentary “Steve Rocco, The Man Who Souled The World”. The documentary investigates the history of skateboard culture through the origin story of World Industries. The documentary is an incredible look at the cross roads of sports, art, business, and American culture. Similarly, I discuss the Daewon Song Skate documentary, the synergy between skateboarding subculture, Larry Flynt, freedom,  creativity, and the birth of Jackass. I wrap up with an exploration of my thoughts on the individuals struggle with upholding a facade. I discuss how, both consciously and subconsciously, we can feel trapped by our fabricated need to uphold a face to family, friends, neighbors, society, and most of all ourselves. This could be a face of intelligence, wealth, talent, career, interests, sexual orientation etc. etc. etc…   If you find my discussions interesting and want to hear more, hit like and subscribe.   Feel free to throw any comments down below and thanks for watching.   Timecodes  0:00 - Intro  0:30 - Start    📹 Subscribe to the channel:   https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSci...    𝐆𝐄𝐓 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐃:   📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themattmanipodcast/  Listen on Spotify!   https://open.spotify.com/show/038inPZbr45yoUgtQw4Omp  Other Links:   Steve Rocco Doc:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-YOSTuhx0E

The Matt Mani Podcast Episode 40: Happiness Is A Hole In The Wall. In this episode I discuss bars, cafes, restaurants, travel, and one of life’s great joys, having a few pints at the pub. I discuss how bar and cafe culture relate to our sense of time in the modern world. I argue that instead of wasting time or seeking refuge in the bottom of a bottle, an afternoon or night at a bar is an allowance to be mindful and fully aware of the life we are living. Instead of an escape, I postulate that bar and cafe culture provides present awareness in an environment that is a microcosm for all of life.       In addition, I discuss travel, The American relationship with time, and the importance of “wasting” time.  More than anything I attempt to exalt the true joy I get from watching life enfold in the comfort of a beautiful bar, cafe, or restaurant. In its most simplistic form this episode is really just a celebration of drunken people watching. Hobby, Craft, Way of Life!   If you find my discussions interesting and want to hear more, hit like and subscribe.   Feel free to throw any comments down below and thanks for watching.    Timecodes  0:00 - Intro  0:30 - Start    📹 Subscribe to the channel:   https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSci...   𝐆𝐄𝐓 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐃:   📸 Instagram:   https://www.instagram.com/themattmanipodcast/  Listen on Spotify!  https://open.spotify.com/show/038inPZbr45yoUgtQw4Omp

The Matt Mani Podcast Episode 39: Art Is A Used Condom. In this episode I discuss the commoditization of Art. I explore how we produce, utilize, engage-with, and consume art, music, and creative works in the 21st century. I discuss how services such as Spotify and Youtube effect the way in which we consume and produce art in it’s many forms. I compare and contrast the roll AI and Algorithms play in our consumption of art and entertainment. I talk about NFT’s and how their production is analogous to the rise in prevalence of Singles and EP’s in the music industry. My hope was to become more aware of how I consume and create art while simultaneously investigating the positives and negatives of this relationship. If you find my discussions interesting and want to hear more, hit like and subscribe. Feel free to throw any comments down below and thanks for watching. Timecodes 0:00 - Intro 0:30 - Start 📹 Subscribe to the channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSci...

The Matt Mani Podcast Episode 38: Solving World Hunger With Weed. In this episode I discuss solving world hunger. Specifically I explore sustainable vertical farming, companion crops, and using Marijuana as a way to subsidize the growth of other crops that would help solve world hunger or at least eliminate food deserts in the United States. Utilizing a series of hypothetical thought experiments I question whether or not world hunger could be solved given our current knowledge, technology, and social landscape. In addition I question why the billionaires of the world aren’t allocating more resources into engineering viable solutions to problems that, if solved, could eliminate the greatest amount of human suffering. Why are we overly focused on going to mars, or eternally producing an annual return on an investment portfolio. Why are the Elon Musks and Warren Buffets of the world not more intrigued by the possibility of solving some of the worlds most basic problems. Similarly, I discuss how I’d be more like Iron Man if I was a billionaire. If you find my discussions interesting and want to hear more, hit like and subscribe.   Feel free to throw any comments down below and thanks for watching.   Timecodes  0:00 - Intro  0:30 - Start   📹 Subscribe to the channel:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSci...

The Matt Mani Podcast Episode 37: Your Mind On Repeat. In this episode I discuss the Dutch Painter Johannes Vermeer, Author and neuroendocrinologist Robert Sapolsky, as well as my hypothetical app idea which is like a mental fit bit that tracks our thoughts / psychological health. Through the context of a single day, I examine the thoughts I engage with, consciously and subconsciously, and the implications these self directed conversations have on my health, happiness, and mental well-being. I wrap up by asserting the importance of keeping a sense of wonder in life and explore some ideas on how we might maintain this state of mind.    If you find my discussions interesting and want to hear more, hit like and subscribe.   Feel free to throw any comments down below and thanks for watching. Timecodes  0:00 - Intro  0:30 - Start    📹 Subscribe to the channel:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSci...

The Matt Mani Podcast Episode 36: The Lens of Success. In this episode I discuss how Art, Music, Literature, Film, Comedy, and all forms of creative mediums are being produced through the lens of gaining success. In addition, I explore how artists are being disproportionately influenced by a culture of fear. I talk about Cancel Culture and Sacrificing For Your Work. I also investigate how creativity is affected by the fear of being judged by not only society, but also family and friends. I touch on modern plumbing, NFT’s, Self Censorship, and the responsibility of an artist to take risks and be true to themselves and their work. If you find my discussions interesting and want to hear more, hit like and subscribe. Feel free to throw any comments down below and thanks for watching. Timecodes 0:00 - Intro 0:30 - Start 📹 Subscribe to the channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSci...

The Matt Mani Podcast Episode 35: Raised By Memes. In this episode I talk about Reddit, Mullets, Funny T-Shirts In Asia and how they provide insight into the meaning of Freedom in the Eastern and Western World. In addition, I discuss the differences between Chinese and American culture, Eastern and Western Religion, The Maneki-Neko Cat, and People’s Need To Identify With a College. I wrap things up with a discussion of our perceptions of freedom in the eastern and western world. I explore the idea that China’s censorship is comparable to the Algorithmic Biased selection of information in America. If you find my discussions interesting and want to hear more, hit like and subscribe. Feel free to throw any comments down below and thanks for watching. Timecodes 0:00 - Intro 0:30 - Start 📹 Subscribe to the channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSci...

The Matt Mani Podcast Episode 34: Check Yoself Before You Wreck Yoself. In this episode I talk about Mortal Kombat, Video Games, My Tip for Any Social Situation, The societal shift between the Post-World-War-Two Bright Future and The Dystopian Post Apocalyptic Future propagated through the films, TV, literature, and video games of the end of the 20th and beginning of the 21st century. I also discuss the exponential growth of internet subcultures such as Reddit and Live Streams. Apologies to the great Ice Cube. I had never heard this version of "Check Yo Self" so I thought it was a Wutang Mash Up at First. Guess I was too excited about the game.

The Matt Mani Podcast Episode 33:Should Have Smoked A Joint. In this episode I talk about The Hedonistic Treadmill Theory, Farts on Escalators, Jack London Novels, The Mental Illness of High Performance, Maslow’s Hierarchy, Moving To Asia, Doing Comedy, and my bewilderment towards the excessive need to belong. I explore how the Covid Pandemic has shifted peoples perspectives on finding meaning in their work and lives. I also discuss literature and weed as a means of gaining perspective.

The Matt Mani Podcast Episode 32: More Wiener Based Holidays. In this episode I talk about being Interviewed For Japanese TV, the Crimean War, The Ottoman Empire, Eastern and Western Religions and how Western Mainstream religions have brought us farther from our true human nature. I propose an increase in festivals based around Sex, Fertility, and The Natural World. I explore the wonderful Kanamara Matsuri, an annual Penis Festival held at the Kanayama Shrine in Kawasaki, Japan. In addition I discuss traveling to Mt. Inari in Kyoto Japan and The Sequoia National Forest in California.

The Matt Mani Podcast Episode 31: Signs Of Plastic On Earth. In this episode I talk about Makoko the largest slum in Lagos, Nigeria. Why billionaires like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos should be less focused on Mars and more focused on Earth. In addition, I discuss the condition of our disconnected reality from most of the natural and human world. I also touch on the perspective I gain from learning about people living under harsh conditions.