Currently Nerdy

Ali is slowly starting to join the 21st century. We talk about the use of apps from cash apps to rideshare and food delivery. We talk about the effect on labor and on our daily lives. We discuss the reality of data-collection and how we have opted for convenience over any other consideration. Our tech...

In our new episode we talk about the recent discussion about Batman’s willingness as a lover. Twitter was abuzz with news that DC intervened to cut a scene where Batman performed oral sex on Catwoman. We discuss the rationalization of DC specifically in regards to wanting to sell merchandise and how capitalism shapes cultural productions....

In this episode we dive into the world of streaming, vlogging, and twitch. We talk about a recent 24 hour livestream and the potential money generated from it. We discuss the emergence of the phenomenon and the potential sociological reasons for why streaming, vlogging, and similar voyeuristic activities have become popular. Diz talks about watching...

In light of the recent increase in anti-Asian hate crimes we take the time to explore the role of media in perpetuating stereotypes and bigotry towards those of Asian descent. We discuss the failure in understanding the actual diversity of Asia especially as most Americans don’t even understand the different between varieties in cultures, languages,...

Spurred by the weird character arc of Tom Branson from Downton Abbey, we examine other characters who have the opposite of a glow up. We add Bron from Game of Thrones to this lit along with Brita from Community. We distinguish the difference between characters that have the opposite of a glow up and horrible...

In this episode we talk about the controversy around Pornhub purging its website of non-verified content creators. We discuss the context of Nicholas Kristof’s article, the role of corporations putting pressure on Pornhub, and the ramification of their decision. We talk about the dangers of user-generated pornography particularly around revenge porn. We discuss the implications...

2021 is shaping out to be wild. Today we talk about the rise of the redditers against the hedge-funds. We discuss the stockmarket crisis around GameStop, bitcoin, and the impact of apps. We dive into how reddit organized a massive uprising against hedge funds, using their own unfair tactics against them. This leads us to...

Today we talk about the the culture of wrestling and the Undertaker. We examine his comments and claims about how wrestling has gotten softer by highlighting the toxic, racist, and cruel working conditions of past years. We talk about the history of masculinity and how it is constructed historically and changes over time. We talk...

In our first podcast of 2021 we catch up on all that has happened in the past few weeks. We talk about the failed insurrection, subsequent political quagmire, and the reality that our problems as a nation aren’t going away anytime soon. We discuss the surreal experience of living through the insurrection, we analyze how...

We dive into the viral news of possible alien contact. We discuss how in recent years there has been an increased revelation around aliens and UFO’s starting with the the Defense Department revealing video and audio of pilots witnessing UFO’s. We then talk about the latest revelation by an Israeli government official which claims aliens...

Game of Thrones only ended a year ago and yet we’ve collectively agreed to forget about. Today we discuss how the show went from a global cultural phenomenon to disappearing in a short period of time. We compare it with other highly popular series with cultural impacts and debate whether any other show managed to...

We start this podcast off talking about the WWE situation with Zelina Vega. We discuss how WWE was at the forefront of the current labor situation by designating wrestlers as contractors rather than employees and the relation this has to Uber, Doordash, OnlyFans, and other gig-economy jobs. We chat about the danger of the new...

It’s time for our post-election coverage. We discuss the historic 2020 presidential election in all its messy glory. We talk about the campaign leading up to election day, we analyze the polling, and examine the outcome. We discuss Trump’s unwillingness to concede, the experience of living through the painstaking counting in swing states, and the...

We take on the popularity of Khabib among immigrant and Muslim communities and discuss his connection to dictators. We analyze the need for strongmen-type heroes and what it reveals about masculinity and feeling powerless. We breakdown Borat and his satire focusing on the ways he reinforces stereotypes even as he’s claiming to expose the powerful....

As we survive a pandemic we discuss the future of a vaccine. We talk about flu shots and what we would do is vaccines were made available. We then discuss the casting of Kamala Khan in the upcoming Disney+ live action Ms. Marvel. We talk about the role of Muslim and South Asian representation and...

We take a trip down memory lane as we discuss the golden age of youtube and where youtubers are today. We examine the rise of youtuber celebrities and whether the platform still has cultural power or not. We then dive into the wild slugfest that was the 2020 Presidential Debate. We discuss Trump’s erratic behavior...

We start this episode talking about getting our driver’s license when we were younger. Diz managed to escape the whole experience while Ali talks about all the weird driving instructors he had from the dude who wouldn’t stop talking about his friend’s sex life, to the pothead, to the republican instructor. We then check in...

The world is burning down, or at least California is. In this episode we discuss climate change and the impact on California. After sharing his personal good news, we dive into the record temperatures in California and the state-wide fires. We discuss how a gender reveal party caused the fires and the bizarre rise in...

Today we pay tribute to Chadwick Boseman. After the sudden and tragic passing of the actor who gave us so many iconic performances we spend this episode recounting his legacy, the way he impacted us individually, and the body of work he leaves behind. We marvel at discovering how long he’d been struggling with cancer...

Today we explore the militarized culture of the United States. We discuss the way in which the military and militarization is glorified. We explore how Americans see the military in cult-like fashion and the way in which this impacts society particular through tv, movie, and game representation. We then examine the tactics of military recruitment....

In our new episode, we cover the latest controversy with Netflix and the French film, Cuties. We discuss how Netflix’s advertising creating a false impression and the consequence of story or advertisement by algorithm. We dig deeper into the obsession surround Muslim women liberation couched in removing the hijab or veil. We discuss how sexual...

We’re joined by guest Hena as we discuss Donald Trump’s attempt at banning TikTok. We dive into the ridiculous scaremongering around the app and discuss the way national security scaremongering ignores the real threat of privacy and big tech. Rejecting the premise of the argument against TikTok we dissect both the positive aspects of the...

We are joined by Dr. Nura Sediqe of Princeton University and New American Fellows to discuss her new report on representation in the state legislatures. We discuss her findings and the alarming lack of representation from minority communities. She breaks down the concept of a “new american” and the what her findings mean for the...

*Content Warning for discussion of sex trafficking* In this episode we are joined by Samovar Network Podcast host and friend Weiss H as we take a closer look at conspiracy theories. We talk about why people believe in conspiracy theories and the role of the internet in spreading fringe ideas. We break down pizzagate and...

We are joined by the legendary Omar as we dive into the world of celebrity politics. We discuss how the specter of Omar has taken on a life of its on in our podcast lore and his secret side business as an exotic birds dealer. We take on the news of Kanye West running for...

We are joined by special guest Hena as we dive into the world of politics and nerddom. We discuss the recent decision to change the name of the Red Skins football team. We talk about how it took corporate pressure before the decision was made. We link this to high school name changes and our...

In this episode we talk about the fall out from the pandemic and the Black Lives Matter protests. We discuss the information failure around covid-19 and the dangers of conspiracy theories in a global health crisis. This leads us to talk about celebrities making public statements about Black Lives Matter. We discuss the structural problems...

In this episode we talk about the murder of George Floyd and the nation-wide uprising against racism and police brutality. We discuss the events surrounding the video-taped murder of George Floyd and the long history of police violence caught on camera. We then break down the nation-wide protests. We talk about the deep-seated racism in...

We start this episode by talking about the resurgence of interest in the greatest show of all time Avatar: The Last Airbender. We then discuss Diz’s dangerous foray into TikTok and his employment chances. This leads us to talking about the recent stories of employees getting fired for having OnlyFans accounts. We discuss the nuances...

We dive deep into our need for overstimulation . We discuss the way in which quarantine has uncovered the nature of our entertainment. We chat about how social media and streaming work hand-in-hand to provide constant stimulation and the time-passing coping strategies. We muse over the consequences of the death of boredom. This leads us...

Whoever said billionaires were smart clearly never met one. We discuss the latest stupidity from Elon Musk as he continues to flirt with covid-19 trutherism. We talk about how he tries to brand himself as an internet edgelord, but really is a pampered rich kid who’s been sheltered most of his life. We discuss how...

Diz has taken up reselling. With chat about his adventures in trying to hustle during the pandemic with forays into fast food guilty pleasures. We discuss the mysteries of Mountain Dew Baja Blast before diving into internet culture’s use of “Ok boomer” and “Karen.” We examine the history of “karen” as a stand-in for a...

Together we mourn the end of the Bernie Sanders campaign. We talk about Sander suspending his campaign and what this mean for American politics. We discuss how the particular historical situation makes many of the issues he championed more important than ever before. We then talk about the resurgence of old TV shows. We reflect...

Reporting once more from withing the Covid-19 world, we talk about the experience of social distancing. We discuss the entitlement and stupidity of celebrities who manage to mess up their response to social distancing. When then spend the rest of the episode discussing the various shows we are bingewatching. We talk about the shows available...

We dive into all the craziness happening while we are in Covid-19 lockdown. We discuss the failures of some Americans to practice social distancing and why some are still going out and hanging out in crowds. We talk about the lag in response. We dive into retail arbitrage and price gouging schemes that have popped...

Coming to you from inside the madness of the COVID-19 virus we tackle the insanity that has gripped some people. We discuss why Oprah was trending and the crazy conspiracy theory spread through the internet. We break down the nature of conspiracy theories, their function in society, and the brokenness of our information and education...

The world is coming to an end and we are still here podcasting. As large segments of society shut down and people self-quarantine we offer a bit of light discussion to ease the boredom. We start by talking about the state of the Democratic Primary and then discuss the pandemic COVID-19 more commonly known as...

In this episode we put on our political nerd hats and dig down on Super Tuesday. We discuss the history of Super Tuesday, where it came from, and the effect it has on the primaries. We talk about the outcome of Super Tuesday and the division between the so-called “moderates” and progressives. We break down...

We start this podcast with a conversation with Diz relating the Kobe memorial for those of us that didn’t watch. We then talk about the real life superhero movement. Vy tells us about his famous persona while Ali gives us the history of the real life superhero movement with the very first person to don...

In a wide-ranging new episode we cover the superbowl and all its shenanigans. Diz tests Ali’s knowledge of who was playing and we remark on the controversy over the half-time show. We discuss the nature of trolling and the Iowa Caucus and viral tweets. We talk about Puerto Rico and how badly Americans misunderstand it....

We start this episode with Vy and Ali regaling us with tales of their first time at a drag show. They share their experiences and what they learned. We dedicate the rest of the episode to discussing the sudden death of Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and the other victims of the helicopter crash. We...

Facebook has done it again. We discuss the latest controversy around Facebook and their metrics with respect to the damage it’s done to small media companies. We talk about the case of College Humor and the consequences of Facebook’s lack of transparency. This leads us to talk about the new app, Clearview which will eliminate...

In this episode we take a look at women in wrestling in light of Tessa Blanchard, We discuss the way in which wrestling was made for a particular audience and the structural obstacles that women face in the industry. This leads us to a conversation about accountability in celebrity culture. We discuss Terry Gilliam’s comments...

The 2010’s have come to an end. We discuss the past 10 years and how we’ve been shaped by the events of history and our personal lives. We talk about how the 2010’s were the first decade where we were fully adults and what we experienced. When then dive deep on The Rise of Skywalker...

On this podcast we talk about the UPS shooting and the sudden rash of uplifting UPS viral videos/images. We discuss the use of social media and guerrilla advertisement that uses fake “authentic” moments. We debate how sometimes these PR stunts exploit what’s already out there by curating and elevating posts. We then talk about JK...

In this episode we discuss the controversy of the Peloton ad. We break down all the ways this ad was crazy. We talk about the response to the Peleton ad and how it fits within the history of advertisement. We break down the way corporate advertisement create need by selling lifestyles, shaping our ideas of...

We start this episode off talking about the horrors of Black Friday and the hyper consumerism of America. We then talk about the new Black Widow trailer. Most of us are really lukewarm towards the movie. We discuss the role of Hawkeye and Black Widow in the Avengers. Finally, we discuss shipping culture and Disney’s...

In this episode we talk about your childhood and the various scams of raising funds for schools. We talk about selling gift wrap, magazines, and chocolates as school fundraiser. This leads into a brief foray into standardized testing. We then talk about Tik Tok and a girl who went viral for cleverly raising awareness on...

We start this episode off with a discussion of Diz’s latest tussle with racists in the pool bar. We then talk about the Uber CEO’s unusual explanation for Saudi Arabia’s murder of Jamal Khashoggi. We discuss how corporations, even one’s that claim to be moral, are fundamentally dedicated to profits and investment. Finally we dive...

With two UFC and boxing fans, we talk about Logan Paul vs KSI and celebrity matches. We discuss the way influencers exploit the hype to make money. We then talk about Disney + and that exciting original programming like Mandalorian. We talk about the classics coming out of the Disney Vault like Darkwing Duck, X-Men,...

We start this episode marveling at the language of the internet and the phenomenon of “ok boomer.” We discuss how the response to the phrase has revealed the depth of fragility among older generations. We then discuss Blizzcon and the failure of Blizzard’s non-apology. We talk about the Diablo 4 trailer and how Diablo as...