Mind Gap

Doug and Justin sit down to talk about the infamous Jennifer Boyle, who threw a tantrum at a Michael’s store around Thanksgiving.. The heroes discuss the details of the meltdown and then share some personal stories about their own experiences working in customer service. They then discuss how the internet mob grabbed on to this story and began releasing her personal information. Doug ponders how far is too far when it comes to internet justice. Things are wrapped up with a throw-down with a drunk Australian couple from one of Doug’s customer service stories vs. Jennifer Boyle. If you haven’t seen the Jennifer Boyle's videos, check out the links below: Michael’s tantrum: https://youtu.be/hT5KrRGfJBI Pee t’s Coffee tantrum: https://youtu.be/ruNibLuUrb4 Follow us on Twitter! Like us on Facebook!

Comedian and writer Sam Koch returns to Mind Gap to chat with Justin and Doug about the upcoming movie, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Things start with a breakdown of Episode VII: The Force Awakens, where the trio discuss what they believe they got right and wrong. Then the heroes talk about the Rogue One trailers, what details they gleaned from them, the tone, and what they hope to see in the movie. The boys also talk about what it will be like to see a Star Wars story that doesn’t focus on the Jedi. Things are wrapped up with a throw-down with old man Obi-Wan Kenobi vs. old man Luke Skywalker. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story opens on December 16 in the US, so get your tickets now! Sam also recommends reading The Dark Tower books, as the movie with Matthew McConaughey and Idris Elba comes out in the summer of 2017. There are also comics from Marvel that are being made, which Doug highly recommends.

With the movie industry's blockbuster season deep in the rearview mirror for 2016, Justin and Doug take a look at the upcoming movie releases with hopes of some fine entertainment. The duo give their thoughts on movies such as Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Moana, Office Christmas Party, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, La La Land, Assassin’s Creed, A Monster Calls and more! Things are wrapped up with a throw-down with Newt Scamander from Fantastic Beasts vs. Harry Potter.

Human resources manager, 90s rap aficionado, and great friend Jill Cochrane was gracious enough to spend time with Justin and Doug this week to talk about the 2016 presidential election. Everyone and their Mom has had an opinion about this election and these three amigos decide to sit down and talk about how they feel about everything. There’s a lot to consume and digest on the Internet and social media and these dorks try to sort through it. At the end of the day, the moral of this story is to make an effort to listen to each other and show some empathy. Be a good human. Things are wrapped up with throw-down with Bugs Bunny vs. Mickey Mouse. Jill wants to remind you that FLSA is going live effective 12/1/2016.  If you don’t know what that is, you should look into it because it could affect your job.

Doug and Justin get together this week to talk about the cyber attack on Dyn servers in the previous weeks which caused several prominent websites to go down. This was a special day for Justin and his day job. Doug asks if users of technology should be held responsible when hackers take over their equipment for malicious use. How much should consumers be required to know about the technology before they are allowed to use it? Doug and Justin talk about getting older and trying to stay on top of technology so they don’t get left behind. Things are wrapped up with a throw-down with Cyclops vs. Daredevil. Our good friend, comedian, and overall amazing human James Conklin, passed away recently.  A scholarship has been started in his memory and if you feel like contributing, we highly recommend it. This scholarship will allow a student to attend a summer intensive at iO, with expenses paid. Check out the Generosity page below and donate whatever you can: https://www.generosity.com/memorial-fundraising/james-conkl

Anthony LeBlanc joins the podcast this week! Anthony is a comedian, writer, former Second City Mainstage performer, resident Second City director, and fellow nerd. Naturally, he fits in well with Justin and Doug as they discuss whether AI could exist and how exactly it would function, choosing comedy over going into space, and creating something that will affect people and lead to change. Anthony notes that he aligns himself as lawfully good and he always plays as a paladin in Dungeons and Dragons. Doug leads the heroes down a video game path where they talk about World of Warcraft, Minecraft, The Forest, and Day Z. Then the trio started talking about trolls and pranksters with XBox One, Team Fortress 2, Eve (of course), and Ultima Online. Things are wrapped up with a throw-down featuring Doctor Manhattan vs. Doctor Strange. You can find Anthony LeBlanc on Twitter and Facebook. He is also directing the upcoming Second City Mainstage Revue, so keep your eyes open for that!

Longtime friend of the show and connoisseur of all things Halloween related, Drew Dull is back to talk with Doug and Justin about the scariest moments in their lives. The three amigos discuss a myriad of memories including auto related scares, attempting but failing to scare other people, and ninja-Doug almost getting caught by his dad after attempting some late-night shenanigans. Things are wrapped up with an extra spooky throw-down with the Wolf Man vs. Frankenstein’s monster (no relation to the 1943 movie of the same premise).

This week Justin and Doug dig into the recent conspiracy theory that the data and coverage of hurricane Matthew was overstated as a means to promote the climate change agenda. This leads down a rabbit hole where the two heroes discuss Elliot Rodger, the New World Order, climate change, and finally Alex Jones. Things are wrapped up with a throw-down with Matt Drudge vs. Alex Jones.

Stand up comedian, improviser, and rap artist Matt Baker joins Doug and Justin to talk about leaving a legacy. Things start off with Justin and Matt teaching Doug the difference between rap and hip-hop and then the trio discuss Matt’s album Ed Norton Hears a Who and some of the fan feedback he’s received. The heroes then discuss if the concept of a legacy is a more masculine idea, what sort of legacy they would like to leave, and how the idea of legacy has changed from generation to generation. Things are wrapped up with a throw-down featuring the Burger King vs. Ronald McDonald. You can see Matt performing with his improv team M&M&M at The Annoyance at 8:00pm on Tuesday Oct. 18. You can also see Matt doing stand up at the Just Dickin’ Around showcase on 10/27 at 8:30pm at Hydrate.

Comedian, fellow podcaster, history buff, and owner/founder of the internet magazine, The Blowhard, Dylan Shearer stopped by to chat with Doug and Justin about the 2016 presidential election. The three heroes talk about the battleground states, political ads, the rise of Donald Trump through the election, and how to make a change in the political system. Doug asks if we still need elected representatives in Congress due to all of our modern technology. The trio then talk about the changes they would make to the government to try to make it better, because they are obviously super qualified to make these suggestions. Things are wrapped up with a historic throw-down with the Roman Empire vs. the American Empire. Head over to http://www.theblowhard.com and read the fantastic articles that are posted! It’s a awesome site. Follow The Blowhard on Twitter @theblowhardnews and on Facebook. You can also listen to Dylan’s podcast, The Greatest Podcast in History! It’s about history, which you know is going to be awesom

Doug finally convinced Justin to sit down and watch the movie Predestination and break it down. Obviously, there are massive spoilers here, so go watch the movie first. Doug and Justin discuss what they liked, what was confusing, and what they would have changed. Things are wrapped up with a throw-down between Tom Cruise’s character from The Last Samurai vs. Matt Damon’s character from the upcoming movie The Great Wall.

Comedian and writer Shelby Quinn visited the podcast to talk about casting choices in movies today. The trio start out discussing the good and bad tendencies of TV shows today. Doug brings up the collective “nerd butthurt” over the casting of Zendaya as Mary Jane in the upcoming Spider-Man movie and the heroes dig into why people get upset over these choices. The three amigos then talk about odd casting choices made for movies like The Great Wall, which stars Matt Damon as an archer in medieval China, and The Last Air Bender. Doug then asks the team to pitch any casting choices they would have made for any TV shows and movies. Such examples include changes to Seinfeld, The Wolf of Wall Street, Judge Dredd, Suicide Squad, The Matrix, and others. Things are wrapped up with a throw-down with Batman vs. Joker. You can see Shelby performing in her new sketch show, High and Mighty, at iO at the Chris Farley Cabaret on Sept. 27 and Oct. 4 at 10:30PM. Tickets are $5 and free for students, so go check it out!

Very funny comedian and writer Jess DeBacco joins Justin and Doug this week to talk about patriotism in America. Jess tells a great story about moving to Chicago and getting a job as a census taker. Doug brings up the Rio Olympics and the trio briefly wander down the great “Is it a sport?” debate, because, you know, we had to. Doug mentions the story about how Gabby Douglas did not put her hand over her heart while the US national anthem played at her medal ceremony and the heroes discuss the idea of pledging allegiance to the US flag and asking what it means to be patriotic in America today. Things are wrapped up with a throw-down with Michael Phelps vs. Ryan Lochte.

Improv teacher, performer, and theater owner Rance Rizzutto joins Justin and Doug this week at the iO Theater in Chicago to talk about masculinity in society. Rance gives some insight as to the types of people and expressions of masculinity he’s seen while teaching comedy over the years. Doug references the documentary, The Mask I Live In, and asks everyone if they can remember the first time someone told them to “be a man.” Doug reflects about accessing emotions in his life and Rance tells a wonderful childhood story about emotions getting the best of us. The heroes talk about crying and why, as men, we feel like we’re not supposed to cry and Rance gives the inside scoop on how commercials get approved through test markets. Things are wrapped up with a throw-down between the legend of Chuck Norris vs. the legend of Clint Eastwood. Check out Rance and Tara’s new theater, The Nest Theatre, in Columbus, OH where you can catch a show or sign up for improv classes! You can also visit http://taraandrance.com for a

Pam Austria joins Justin and Doug this week to talk about some of the best and worst special effects in movies. Pam shares some great stories from working as Production Assistant and Visual Effects Coordinator on films like Cloud Atlas and Jupiter Ascending with the Wachowskis. Some of the movies discussed for visual and practical effects are Jumanji, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Jurassic Park, The Abyss, the Star Wars prequels, Oblivion, The Matrix: Reloaded, and Super Mario Bros among others. Things are wrapped up with a three way throw-down with Goro vs. The Scorpion King vs. Spawn. Pam was a Visual Effects Coordinator on the Netflix series “Sense8” so be sure to check out Season 1 now! Season 2 drops Spring 2017.

Improviser and writer Carly Heiser came by to chat with Doug and Justin about editing your baby’s genes, implanting technology into your brain to enhance your abilities, and using synthetic blood. The trio discuss whether or not they would consider editing their children’s genes if it meant they would be healthier and then contemplate whether they would be willing to use an organ that was grown in a pig. Justin references the Ship of Theseus paradox and asks, at what point do you stop being you and become something else by changing and upgrading yourself? Would the wealthy be the only ones who have access to these medical changes and how would that affect society? We ponder these questions and more! Things are wrapped up with a throw-down with Chris Pine’s Captain Kirk vs. William Shatner’s Captain Kirk. You can see Carly performing with her improv ensemble The Stacks at the Chicago Improv Den and iO. You can also follow her on Twitter @carlyheiser and on Instagram @carly2.

Musician, nerd, and vinyl record seller Colby Robinson stops by the podcast to talk about a slew of topics with Doug and Justin. Colby and Doug reminisce about their regrettable lyrics for one of their songs they wrote in their cover band in high school. Justin ponders if VHS tapes will make a comeback like vinyl records. The trio discuss why they think vinyl records have survived and seen a resurgence over the years. Colby asks why Nickelback gets so much hate and whether it’s wrong to create music solely for the sake of becoming a commercial product. The heroes then talk about movies and how they feel when a movie story doesn’t follow the status quo and challenges us to think outside the box. Colby brings up the conspiracy theory that Steven Tyler didn’t actually sing “Dream On” and then the three amigos discuss what should be considered musical plagiarism in today’s society. Things are wrapped up with a throw-down of a fully-spinached Popeye vs. Hellboy. If you’re interested in buying some vinyl records fr

We're one year old!! To celebrate, actor, comedian, and dancer Chelsea Dàvid visited the podcast to talk to Justin and Doug about our behavior online and how much we should be held accountable for our actions. The three heroes talk about how Patton Oswalt is the true winner and champion of Twitter and social media. Chelsea discusses how she tries to be as positive as possible on Facebook by posting uplifting statuses. The trio then discuss whether someone should be fired from a job based on their online behavior and Doug posits whether a corporation should be able to hold opinions and the ability to make political decisions. Doug then tells the riveting story behind the documentary,Tallhotblond, and asks if should we be held responsible for the damage we cause online? Things are wrapped up with a throw-down of Bill Gates vs. Steve Jobs. You can follow Chelsea on Facebook to catch her positive affirmation posts. Check out Chelsea doing some of her radio serial shows with Locked Into Vacancy Events at the 2016

DC super-fan and good friend of the podcast, Rob Ballmaier returns to Mind Gap to atone for predicting the success of Batman v Superman on Episode 32 and to help Justin and Doug break down what the DC Extended Universe has in store for the world. The three heros discuss the recently released Comic-Con trailers for Wonder Woman, Justice League, and Suicide Squad. Then, Rob boldly doubles down as he talks about how good he thinks Suicide Squad will do. Things get wrapped with a throw-down featuring Ben Affleck’s old-man Batman vs. Christian Bale’s old-man Batman.

Podcaster and bartender Milos Stevanovic visited Mind Gap once again and this time it was to chat with Doug and Justin about the new Jason Bourne movie that’s hitting theaters July 29. The three heroes break down the previous Bourne movies in great detail, so spoiler alert if you haven’t seen those yet (shame on you!). The boys debate whether they should be concerned or hopeful about the newest installment to the franchise and things are wrapped up with a triple throw-down: Round 1 is Jason Bourne vs. Aaron Cross (Jeremy Renner’s in The Bourne Legacy); Round 2 pits Jason Bourne against James Bond; and Round 3 sees Marie (Franka Potente) going toe-to-toe with. Nicky (Julia Stiles) from the Bourne universe. Be sure to check out Justin and Milos on The Best Bar Podcast Ever which comes out every Monday! You can find Milos tending bar at the South Water Kitchen most days of the week so stop on by and say hello!