Mind Gap

Comedian, writer, and actress Maggie Smith joins Justin and Doug to discuss whether violence in entertainment has a negative effect on society. Once Doug and Justin finish comparing themselves to Disney and learning that Maggie attended school with the Prince of Bahrain, the three dive into their main topic by taking a look at violence in video games and movies. They also debate if violence in our society is environmental or if certain people are predisposed to having these tendencies. The heroes chat about why PG-13 movies are worse than R rated movies and then share the first R rated movie they each saw. Things are wrapped up with a double throw-down: Round 1 is Princess Leia vs. Rey and Round 2 has Legolas vs. Aragorn. Check out Maggie’s website: maggiesmith.squarespace.com She's published too: reductress.com You can also catch her performing around Chicago: Infinite Sundaes Comedy Sportz The News with Maggie Smith

Justin and Doug fly solo this week and begin by briefly talking about stand-up comedian Jim Jefferies’ newest special, Freedumb and then talk about how society seems obsessed with hopping online after tragedies to offer their thoughts and prayers. Doug gives a pretty terrible description of how Pokemon Go works and asks Justin if it’s okay to post about fun things on social media when terrible events are happening. The two heroes talk about navigating social media during tragedies and what it takes to have meaningful and respectful dialogue online. Doug and Justin then consider what it would take to unite the human race under one banner and what would be lost or gained in the process. Things are wrapped up with a throw-down with Deadshot vs. Punisher.

Fellow nerd, movie buff, and comic book aficionado Eric Lee joined Justin and Doug to finally answer the question we know you’ve all been asking: which fictional character would be the best candidate for President of the United States? Each hero provided three options and out of those nine candidates, one was chosen. Was it Scrooge McDuck or possibly Michonne from Walking Dead? Could it be Batman or maybe Captain America? Is there any chance it could be Mickey Mouse or Dr. Manhattan? Settle in and listen as these dorks debate the important things in life. Things are wrapped up with a throw-down between Galactus vs. Darkseid. You can follow Eric Lee on Twitter @ericwyjr.

Comedian, writer, and father Aaron Moser joins the podcast this week to talk to Doug and Justin about being a parent in society today. Aaron provides his advice on how to make time to be both a comedian and a parent, what it takes to raise a good kid, and what it feels like when you lose your child in a public space. The three heroes discuss the killing of Harambe the gorilla and then debate whether a human could “assassinate” an animal. The topic of conversation then turns to the alligator attack in Disney World and the guys try to guess if they would be able to quickly defend a child in the face of danger. Doug asks the team if they could remember the time when their parents seemed less like authority figures and more like normal human beings. Things are wrapped up with a throw-down with Joker vs. The Riddler. You can find Aaron performing with his very funny improv team Hulk Spanx at the pH Theater!

Comedian, food enthusiast, and battle rapper Matt Rosfelder joins Doug and Justin this week to talk about generational gaps. The three heroes talk about how different generations use technology along with their preferences and tendencies. Matt and Justin question Doug about what he’s afraid of for his daughter and her generation as well as what he looks forward to. The trio then take a look at themselves and wonder when they will feel out of touch with the generations that come after them. Doug asks when everyone had a defining moment where they differed ideologically from their parents. Things are wrapped up with a throw-down between Storm vs. Captain Planet. You can see Matt perform with his hilarious improv team Moon Roof! Check out their Facebook page for dates.

Doug and Justin welcome comedian and actor Yazmin Ramos to the podcast to dive deep into America’s greatest fears. Not surprisingly, things start off topic with everyone admitting how much they suck at geography and math which leads Doug into an explanation about why he hates the show Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? Justin asks Yazmin and Doug regale him with stories about the time they performed improv at Eataly. The three finally get down to brass tacks and start discussing some of the biggest fears in America which include fear of government corruption, racism, being racist, cyber terrorism, identity theft, economic collapse, living paycheck to paycheck, and violent crime. Doug also shares his ongoing fear of becoming a viral news story. Things are wrapped up with a throw-down between two sai wielding ninjas, Elektra and Raphael, and a quick recap of each of the three heros’ biggest fears. You can follow Yazmin on Twitter, @yazminalysia, and see her performing around Chicago with one of her improv teams

Comedian, actor, writer, and fellow nerd Jamie Jirak joins Justin and Doug this week to talk about some famous paradoxes and dilemmas. Examples include Molyneux’s Problem, the Teletransportation Paradox (Star Trek Teleporting paradox), the Ship of Theseus, the Crocodile Dilemma, the Epimenides Paradox, the Trolley Problem, and the Knowledge Argument (Mary the scientist). If you’ve never heard of these, then you’re in for a treat. The three heroes do their best to wrap their heads around the aforementioned thoughts and philosophies to see if they can figure them out. Things are finished off with throw-down between The Incredibles vs. The Fantastic Four. You can see Jamie performing pHollywood Squares at pH Theater on Fridays in July! You can also follow her on Twitter @jamiecinematics.

Justin and Doug got together to break down the pilot episode of AMC’s Preacher. The two heroes recount their initial reactions, favorite moments from the show, and their thoughts on where the show might lead. Doug offers some insight from the comics and how the show compares. Things are wrapped up with a Preacher throw-down between Jesse Custer and Cassidy.

Music enthusiast and former Rhode Island police officer, Haig Nahigian stopped by to chat about music. The three heroes talk about how technology has affected our musical experiences. Justin inevitably leads Doug into an argument about piracy (again). Haig talks about how he makes an effort to listen to his entire extensive music collection every year and how much he dislikes music videos. The trio also discuss when music has made movies or trailers better and worse. Things are wrapped up with a throw-down with Hawkeye vs. Bullseye.

Comedian and actor Brittany Bookbinder stops by to talk to Doug and Justin about what they think the world will be like 100 years from now. Will the US still be around as a nation? Will we meet aliens? Will technology help us or destroy us? Will marriage become a 10-20 year contract? Will the world operate on one single currency? These questions and more are answered by the three heroes. Things are wrapped up with a throw-down with Nicolas Cage vs. John Malkovich. You can find Brittany performing around Chicago with one of her many groups! Cockeyed: Just a Little Bit Off - May 24 and 31 at 8:00pm @ The Annoyance Theater Infinite Sundays - Every Sunday at 8:00pm @ The Second City Chicago Blackout Cabaret Mahalibaes Butthead Tilda Big Wizard

Justin and Doug decide to take a crack and reviewing some movie trailers this week. Before things get started, Doug gives his thoughts on the 2004 Punisher movie starring John Travolta and Thomas Jane. The heroes then discuss the X-Men: Apocalypse trailer and Doug challenges Justin to sell him on why he should go see this “movie.” Next up, the dudes take a look at the much reviled Ghostbusters trailer and they try to find something worthwhile about it. Things are wrapped up with a throw-down between Predator vs. Terminator.

Dave Cochrane stops by once again to talk to Justin and Doug about a Kotaku article that reports a game developer, Digital Homicide, suing a video game reviewer, Jim Sterling, for “libel, slander, and assault.” The guys discuss the potential ramifications of such a lawsuit. Doug talks about his most hated modern art exhibit. Dave tells some stories about being a teacher. Dave asks if there is a benefit to game reviewers giving positive reviews. Dave ponders Marvel’s tactics with releasing their reviews for Captain America: Civil War so far in advance and inevitably the discussion turned to thoughts on Batman v Superman and how Marvel and DC have fared in their respective cinematic universes. Things are wrapped up with a throw-down between Jax from Mortal Kombat vs. The Winter Soldier. Check out Doug’s improv group, Class Act, at www.classactimprov.com for show dates and times and like them on Facebook!

Comedian Nate Dicken dropped by to talk to Doug and Justin about how Internet users have failed corporations. They discuss how the UK’s polar research vessel was named Boaty McBoatface through an online poll and they joyfully recall Mountain Dew's disastrous "Dub the Dew" campaign. Nate talks about the times he used to troll other players on Halo. Doug realizes that he used to be a bully. Doug and Nate discuss how much they hate car commercials. Justin retells the story of Hitchbot and its untimely demise. The heroes then consider whether the internet is bad because of people or if people are bad because of the internet. Things are wrapped up with a verbal debate throw-down with Groot vs. Hodor. You can catch Nate performing around Chicago in one of his many comedic groups: Shade Man Bites Dog - Every Thursday at CiC Theater Butthead Check out Doug’s improv group, Class Act, at www.classactimprov.com for show dates and times and like them on Facebook!

Daryl McSweeney returns to discuss his thoughts with Doug and Justin about the upcoming Marvel Movie Captain America: Civil War. The trio debate why Marvel released the movie reviews so soon and then Daryl gives his theory on how the rest of the Phase 3 is going to play out. Doug offers his rebuttal and then the three heroes breakdown the movie trailer. It’s unanimous that these three dorks think Black Panther is going to be awesome. Finally, things are wrapped up with a throw-down between Black Widow vs. Gamora. Check out Doug’s improv group, Class Act, at www.classactimprov.com for show dates and times and like them on Facebook!

Comedian and actress Jessica Maciejewski dropped by Mind Gap Studios to visit with Justin and Doug and ponder exactly how the world is going to end. Some of the possibilities the three heroes explore are the uprising of robots, black holes, ants/spiders, North Korea, global warming, and, of course, zombies. Jessica also makes a play for Doug’s co-host role, Doug talks about his kid again as a good dad should, and Justin continues to question how scientists know everything they claim to know. Things are wrapped up with a comedy throw-down between Monty Python and The Kids in the Hall. You can catch Jessica perform with her One Group Mind team, Lucky Lucky, every Friday at 10:00pm at The Comedy Clubhouse! Check out Doug’s improv group, Class Act, at www.classactimprov.com for show dates and times and like them on Facebook!

Comedian Tony McNamara came by to talk to Justin and Doug about fate and destiny and start a beef with previous guest, Jesse Kendall. Is fate an excuse for all of the bad things in your life? Do you have to be religious to believe in fate? What was the name of Bill Paxton’s character in the movie Aliens? We tackle these questions and more. Tony gives some great advice on how to be good at improv and the trio talk about some of the most uncomfortable improv performances they’ve witnessed. Things are wrapped up with a throw-down with Donald Trump vs. Ted Cruz. You can see Tony perform with Dumptruck every Saturday at Second City at 7:30pm! You can also see him performing sketch and improv with Brand New Toys. Check out Doug’s improv group, Class Act, at www.classactimprov.com for show dates and times and like them on Facebook!

Comedian, teacher, and fellow nerd Tim Soszko joins Doug and Justin to discuss what two fictional universes they’d like to see mashed together. Doug brings up Batman and James Bond existing in the same universe: the world’s greatest detective vs. the world’s greatest spy. Tim revels in the thought of a Batman and Sherlock Holmes mashup and then considers a Doctor Who and Sherlock Holmes combo. Justin suggests the idea of Sin City and Harry Potter universe blend. Tim theorizes that the ka-tet from The Dark Tower parallels the group in Cowboy Bebop. Doug discusses how he’d love to see the ultra-violent world of Warhammer 40K mashed up with the Star Wars universe and then considers what it would be like to see Star Trek in the universe of Alien and Predator. Things are wrapped up with a throw-down with Dr. Manhattan from Watchmen vs. Phoenix from X-Men. To see the comic of Batman and Sherlock we talked about in this episode check out our Facebook page. You can find Tim performing around the city with his many di

Music aficionado and comic book lover Rob Ballmaier stops by to explain to Doug and Justin why Batman v Superman is going to be good. Rob starts by defending Man of Steel and then asks Doug and Justin to weigh in on Ben Affleck as Batman and Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor. The trio then discuss DC’s movie release schedule and the current state of superhero movies. Finally, the heroes consider whether or not it’s useful to have a shared universe that carries over to TV. Things are wrapped up with a throw-down between the Millennium Falcon vs. Starship Enterprise. Check out Doug’s improv group, Class Act, at www.classactimprov.com for show dates and times and like them on Facebook!

Doug is officially a father and he talks about some of his adventures in being a parent so far. Doug then questions how the rules of the movie It Follows works. Long time fan, friend, and guest Drew Dull suggested that Doug and Justin watch the short film World of Tomorrow and then break it down, so they did just that. Justin and Doug then discuss and break down the most recent Captain America: Civil War movie trailer. Things are wrapped up with a throw-down between 3rd generation clone of you vs. 2nd generation clone of you. Check out Doug’s improv group, Class Act, at www.classactimprov.com for show dates and times and like them on Facebook!

Doug and Justin run through Justin’s favorite DCEU fan theory that Jared Leto’s Joker is actually Robin (a.k.a. Jason Todd). The dynamic duo shift their focus to why Doug loves movie trailers but hates movie clips. They circle back around to the Suicide Squad and give their general thoughts on the movie before they begin listing grievances with the Harry Potter films. The final topic our lovable knuckleheads explore is an experiential video game called “The Flock”. Things get wrapped up with a cross-universe thrown-down between The Hulk and The Flash. Justin couldn’t find the exact article he was reading but this one is close: http://www.dorkly.com/post/75333/this-fan-theory-about-jared-letos-joker-is-kind-of-brilliant Check out Doug’s improv group, Class Act, on Facebook for show dates and times!