Men in Gorilla Suits: Recent Episodes

Men in Gorilla Suits

The Gorillamen asked ChatGPT to write the intro to this episode about artificial intelligence…

“Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the field of computer science and engineering that deals with creating intelligent machines that can perform tasks that typically require human intelligence, such as visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, and language translation. AI involves the development of algorithms and computer programs that can learn from data and experiences, and adapt and improve their performance over time. AI techniques include machine learning, natural language processing, deep learning, computer vision, and robotics, among others. AI has the potential to revolutionize many areas of our lives, including healthcare, education, transportation, and entertainment, among others. However, as with any technology, AI also raises ethical and societal concerns, such as job displacement, bias, privacy, and safety.”

To find out where we stand, give this episode a listen!

What is your first memory of artificial intelligence?
Have you used any AI technology?
Do you have any qualms or reservations about AI technology? If so, what?
What’s your opinion on AI programs that generate fiction and art?
Would you ever appreciate AI art (visual art, books, movies, or other things) in the same way you appreciate what humans make?
What’s the coolest use for AI technology you’ve heard about?
Do you think people are overhyping AI technology or being overly critical of it?
In what ways do you think AI will change the way we live?
Do you trust AI technology?
How long do you think it will be before we see AI replacing white-collar workers?
If you could create an AI, what would it be and why?
What is the future of artificial intelligence?

We’ve discussed control before, but it’s fun revisiting a topic (and throwing in some new points of discussion).

Here’s what was discussed:

What is the first time you realized someone was trying to exert control over you?
Have you ever tried to control anyone else?
Why do people feel the need to control others?
What systems of control are obvious?
Which ones are less obvious?
Who has control over you? To what extent?
How do we free ourselves of outside control? Can we even do that?
What’s the most insidious system of control?
What is the future of control?

Pull up a stump and gather round, for I will speak to you now about the Gorillamen…

Some say they escaped…wherever it is they once were. Sightings are frequent: in the beginning, weekly. In time, they were seen and heard every other week. Now, they sometimes have a couple sightings a month, but at times we all wonder if they will ever come back.

They always do…

Somewhere it is written that the Gorillamen met while working for a large finance company, two apes-made-good writing mortgage procedures to [hopefully] prevent unfair practices. It is not likely their work changed much, but it was clearly meant to be…because on February 7, 2013, they crowded around a microphone not-at-all suited for podcasting and…they started a podcast anyway!

Now, ten years later, they are still on the run; still being sighted; and sometimes…even heard spreading their own ape-branded philosophy and humor at least they find funny.

To say they are another two-guys-with-microphones podcast is true, but it is also false. Over the years, sure…they have wandered off topic, but they are apes speaking with purpose, too. They have talked about some of the dumbest things during the last decade, but they have talked about important things, too. Sometimes they get things wrong, and maybe that’s the beauty of the show: they have talked enough that you can see they are on the right side of history — never afraid of admitting when one of their takes on an issue was off.

Apes striving to be better…

If nothing else, they did what they set out to do: start a podcast when no one else they knew was willing to give it a go.

And if you listen to the wind just right, you’ll hear their frequency echo like a voice whispering, “Chill the fuck out…and make the damn thing…”

Here’s what they talk about this time around…

What’s your first memory of Men in Gorilla Suits?
Aside from starting Men in Gorilla Suits, what else was going on in your life ten years ago?
Has Men in Gorilla Suits opened any doors for you in the last ten years?
What’s the best thing that happened in your last ten years?
What’s the worst thing that happened in your last ten years?
What are you most proud of doing in the last ten years?
What do you wish you had done differently in the last ten years?
Let’s not keep focusing on the past ten years: what do you feel was the most formidable decade in your life?
What was your favorite decade in your life?
What was the worst decade in your life?
If you could live through any point in history for 10 years (with a guarantee you’d survive), what would it be?
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Pew Pew Pew!!! “You’ll never take mah gunz, Mistah Gov’mint!!!” Pew Pew Pew!!!

Other gun owners aren’t that ridiculous.

This time around, we talk about them both as…we talk about guns.

Specifically:

What was your first experience with guns?
Have you ever fired a gun?
Do you own a gun? Why or why not?
Have you ever, or would you ever? Under what circumstances?
Is America obsessed with guns?
What’s the worst gun-culture thing you’ve seen?
Is American gun policy good? Does it do enough?
Do you think people should be able to own guns?
What the future of guns?

If you’ve ever been around sports, loved an entertainment franchise, or been on the Internet, you’ve likely seen toxic fans.

This time around, the Gorillamen talk about toxic fandom — specifically:

When did you first become aware of toxic fandom?
Fans of things have always been opinionated—some, even toxic. What do you think has contributed to the rise in toxic fandom?
Why do you think some fans of things are toxic?
Have you ever been a toxic fan of something?
What do you think is the most toxic of all fandoms?
What are some of your own experiences of dealing with toxic fandom?
Has toxic fandom taken the edge off of something you’ve enjoyed?
We’re mostly talking about pop culture, but what are some other things where you see toxic fans?
What affect (if any) do you feel toxic fandom has had on industries…or even society?
How do you avoid toxic fans of things?
What is the future of toxic fandom?

So…it’s been a while… Months in fact… But we’re back! If you want to find out what we did during our hiatus, here’s a peek at what’s discussed on this, our return episode! * * * The last “normal” episode we put out was May 21. What was going on in your life in late […]

So…finally…the lost episode. Gorilla Christopher apologizes for losing his side of the original recording and then…all the wackiness that followed. But…he re-recorded his side of the show and pieced it all together. It’s more to the point because to match up cross-talk would have taken a lot of time. So it’s pretty much, “Hey: here’s […]

So…it’s been a while. We’re still alive and still doing our things…we just haven’t been recording Men in Gorilla Suits. The quick version is: Chris lost his side of a recording, we both got sick, and this summer in Texas has really sucked. But if you want to know more, you can listen to Gorilla […]

So…uhm…Gorilla Christopher was all set up to record, but…he didn’t set up his MacBook audio settings to look for his audio interface and microphone. So…the laptop mic picked up sound, meaning…Christopher’s sound is pretty shoddy this episode. But…it’s kinda fitting. As the older Gen-X member of the GorillaMen, just pretend he’s recording this episode from […]

This time around, the Gorillamen talk about…breakfast. Specifically: What is the first breakfast you specifically remember eating? Do you regularly eat breakfast? Do you believe breakfast is the most important meal of the day? Why or why not? What is your favorite breakfast? Do you have a daily go-to breakfast? What is your all- time […]

We’ve talked about death and other things surrounding this topic, but never focused solely on the afterlife. Now we have…specifically, these points: When was the first time you were introduced to the concept of the afterlife? Which afterlife was it? Do you believe in the afterlife? Why or why not? Why do you think people […]

This time around, the Gorillamen discuss these finer points about processed foods: What is the first processed food you remember eating? What is the last processed food you’ve eaten? What, to you, constitutes a processed food? How easy is it to avoid processed foods? Is there a time in your life when you noticed a […]

This time, it’s all about U.S. drug policy: When were you first exposed to the concept of illegal drugs? How soon after that were you exposed to anti-drug messaging? Was the War on Drugs a success in any way? What do you think of America’s current policy dealing with illegal drugs? Do you think employers […]

Jim Croce wrote one of the best lines about the human struggle against time: “But there never seems to be enough timeTo do the things you want to do once you find them.” This time around, the Gorillamen talk about making time for the things they love…and how they deal with time spent doing things […]

Come along if you dare as the Gorillamen go deep into a journey to the center of their minds… They ponder these things: When’s the first time you remember thinking about thinking? When’s the first time you had a conversation with yourself? What was the first thing you realized you needed to change based on […]

From somber documentaries about the struggles of the wilds to, “Crikey! We’re gonna wind up some animals for your viewing amusement, mate! Why’s this cobra so mad…all I’m doing is dragging it around by its tail!” — nature documentaries and programs are a viewing staple. This time, the Gorillamen talk about them…specifically: What’s the first […]

There is no better episode of Men in Gorilla Suits than this one! This is the perfect episode… We could stop now and call it quits… But we are imperfect Gorillamen still chasing a thing that can never be captured. And so…we talk about these things this time around… What’s the first thing you heard […]

Busy week for the Gorillamen, so we’ll get right to it. This time around, we talk about self teaching…specifically: When did you first learn about self-teaching? What’s the first thing you taught yourself? What are a few self-taught things you feel you do well? Most self taught things are still shaped by books and other […]

It’s been a nutty couple years, and many people the Gorillamen have bumped into have had a rough time coping. Hell, even the Gorillamen have had their moments. And that’s why, this time around, the discussion turns to…coping. * * * What’s the first time you heard what coping was? What’s the first thing you […]

It’s that time of the year…cool winds drop from northern climes, bringing a crispness many waited for all year. Treetops glow in a blaze of colors; the smells of fires and sweet decay waft on breezes.

And, somewhere online, a mouth-breathing cretin cracks his knuckles and gets a little chubby in the groin at the thought of telling someone on Facebook that there is no pumpkin in pumpkin spice…despite most people knowing that.

This time, the Gorillamen talk about fall. Specifically:

What is your first memory of what we call in the U.S. fall?
Which do you prefer: “fall” or “autumn?”
Of the four seasons, where does fall rank for you?
What is your best fall memory?
Your worst?
Do you have any fall rituals?
Every year online, I see people excited about pumpkin spice season…and others raging against it. Where do you stand on pumpkin spice?
What media (movies, music, TV, etc.) do you associate with the season? (A list is fine—even preferred.)
Some people hate darker mornings and evenings…others like them. Where do you fall on autumn’s change in lighting?
Just how much do you like Halloween?
How about Thanksgiving?
What is the future of fall?

One of the many cries of Gen-X: “Remember when MTV used to play videos?”

Music videos were made for Gen-X, and for years, cable stations (and even some network shows) catered to playing music videos. Videos changed the face of music in the 80s, but to hear some people talk, you’d think they are a long-gone thing.

With YouTube and other ways of sharing content, clearly that’s not true. We can now watch the videos we remember with a simple Google search, and new videos pop up every day. (Hell, you can now make your own videos and put them out there as easy as a podcast…)

So…the Gorillamen finally sat down to talk about music videos…specifically:

What was the first music video you remember seeing?
What impression did that video have?
Did you watch a lot of music videos growing up?
Do you watch a lot of them now?
What was your first impression of MTV?
Of VH1?
What was the most non-mainstream way you watched music videos? (public access, late-night TV, etc)
What’s the best music video of all time?
The worst?
The most insane?
How important were music videos to you when you were younger?
If you had to make a music video for any song, which song, and what would the video concept be?
Do you think music videos are important to the kids now?
What’s the future of music videos?

The Gorillamen have talked about movies, but this time around, it’s all about movie theaters. Specifically:

What is your first memory in a movie theater?
What was your best movie theater experience?
What was your worst movie theater experience?
What do you love about movie theaters?
What do you hate about movie theaters?
Do you prefer going to a movie theater or watching things at home?
I once heard someone say upscale movie theaters are ridiculous. What do you think about movie theaters where you can get food and drinks while kicked back in a massive chair?
What’s the last movie you’ve seen in a theater?
What’s your favorite movie theater concession?
Are you eager to return to watching movies in theaters after COVID hit, or are you done with theaters?
What other things do you think movie theaters can do to stay relevant in a time when many prefer their home theaters?
What is the future of movie theaters?

A busy week after last week’s busy week, but…the Gorillamen recorded a new episode.

This time around, it’s all about vintage things…

What was the first thing you heard described as vintage?
What’s the first vintage thing you ever owned?
Do you like vintage stuff? Why/why not?
Why are people — especially younger people — obsessed with vintage stuff?
What’s the coolest vintage thing you’ve seen?
What’s the lamest vintage thing you’ve seen?
Coolest vintage thing you own?
Cool vintage thing you wish you owned?
What things from today will be the vintage obsessions of future generations?