Wisecrack Edition

It’s common today to hear comedians compared to philosophers, especially as many prominent stand-up comedians seem more focused on social and political commentary. But is it reasonable to compare your favorite joke to a philosophical idea? Or are we fundamentally misunderstanding the relationship between comedy and philosophy? Let’s find out in this video: Are Comedians the New Philosophers?

Why You Talk Like Your Boss

DEI has become the scariest acronym of 2024, as politicians, media figures and activist groups insist that promoting diversity is destroying society as we know it. But how has the movement against DEI effectively inspired such outrage? Is this a new phenomenon, or does the backlash against DEI speak to something core about American society? Let’s find out in this video: DEI: Have We Lost Our Minds?

Between Academic Infractions and YouTube deep-dives, plagiarism has been all over the news recently. But when we look deeper it seems like the current debate might not be about plagiarism at all. And we might be completely missing the real threat of plagiarism in the meantime. We’ll explain in this video: The Politics of Plagiarism

Have Protests Gone Too Far?

Time! Does anybody have enough of it? In our era of self-optimization, it’s easy to feel like you’re always falling short of reaching your goals. But what if self-optimization isn’t really about us or our capabilities? What if the systems that pressure us to become more efficient are more nefarious than the productivity gurus might have you think? Let’s explore in this video: “Why We Don’t Have Enough Time to Be Human.”

Original Title: America Runs on Theft News reports make it sound like there is a shoplifting pandemic taking over America's cities. We're bombarded with videos of smash and grabs, and pharmacies have started putting all their products behind protective glass. So is America entering a new era of lawlessness? Or is this just distracting us from a way more dangerous wave of crime? We'll explain in this video on America's Shoplifting Pandemic.

Analyzed and Hosted by Michael Burns Directed by Michael Luxemburg Edited by Mark Potts Produced by Olivia Redden

In recent years, psychologist and public intellectual Jordan Peterson has been talking more and more about religion. And while at one point religion was used as a metaphor for social and philosophical ideas, these days it seems like he's had a personal religious conversion. But what are the theological and philosophical implications of this turn? Does Peterson actually understand the stakes of his new faith? Or is this all an act to help build his brand? Let's find out in this Philosopher Reacts to Jordan Peterson on Religion.

Why Americans Can’t Take A Joke Everyone seems to be offended these days. Are Americans collectively losing our sense of humor? The comedy landscape has changed in recent years to encourage polarization. When did jokes go from uniting us to dividing us? And what are the societal implications of not being able to share a laugh? Let’s explore in this video: “Why Americans Can’t Take A Joke.”

Are Wall Street Bros Ruining Culture? There’s no way to sugar coat it: The world of media and entertainment has been bleak lately. And while it’s easy to blame studios for putting out half-baked superhero movies, we think something way more complicated may be going on and it probably involves the wealthiest people in our society. We’ll explain in this video on How Wall Street Greed Killed Media.