logo
episode-header-image
Apr 2022
2h 15m

Very Bad Gurus with David Pizarro & Taml...

CHRISTOPHER KAVANAGH AND MATTHEW BROWNE
About this episode

In the most ambitious crossover since the Fraggles met the Muppets, this week we have a special joint episode with moral psychologist David Pizzaro and famed philosopher and ghost detective, Tamler Sommers. Also known as the hosts of a small academic podcast Very Bad Wizards.

Stealing the format of their show we have a culture war heavy intro section featuring discussion of Joe Rogan censorship, covid debates, Japanese maid cafes, and the great ghost debate of 2022. Following that we move on to an in-depth round-table discussion of the 2012 Paul Thomas Anderson movie 'The Master'. The movie explores the relationship between a wastrel and a cult leader and features performances by Joacquin Phoenix, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Amy Adams. There is no denying it's an acting masterclass (and thematically relevant for the show!) but is it any good?

Join us and help us as we attempt to decode with the wizards.

Links


Up next
Nov 21
Stefan Molyneux, Part 1: A fun guy, who is here to help...
<p>Welcome back to Cult Season, where we continue our sincere attempt to make you feel a little bit worse about the world and everything in it.</p><p>This week, we turn to Stefan Molyneux, online pioneer, prolific content creator, and self-proclaimed most popular philosopher in t ... Show More
3h 3m
Nov 18
Autism, Microbiomes, & Mice Burying Marbles with Kevin Mitchell
<p>This week, we are joined by Kevin Mitchell, Associate Professor of Genetics and Neuroscience at Trinity College Dublin, who has committed the unforgivable sin of pointing out that an entire academic and media hype cycle might be built on… well, very little actually. His new co ... Show More
1h 26m
Nov 3
Right to Reply: A Dialogos about Sensemaking with Alexander Beiner
We are joined by Alexander Beiner, current founder of Kainos and former co-founder of Rebel Wisdom, to grapple with that eternally slippery concept: sensemaking. Naturally, this leads us through interdisciplinary adventurism, reflections on the (il)legitimacy of academia, and the ... Show More
1h 12m
Recommended Episodes
May 2014
Episode 47: Schooled By Our Listeners
<p>Tamler and David leech off of their listeners and dedicate an episode to their favorite comments, questions, and criticisms from the past few weeks (but not before Tamler goes on a rant about bicycle helmets). Included in this episode: Does doing research on hypothetical moral ... Show More
1h 2m
May 2013
Episode 21: Grad School
<p>Dave and Tamler shrug off inside baseball concerns and argue whether to go to grad school, what to do when you get there, and share horror stories about the job market.   Also, Tamler explains why the sorority sister who wrote the infamous email is a "civil rights visionary," ... Show More
1h 33m
Aug 2017
#92 — The Limits of Persuasion
Sam Harris speaks with David Pizarro and Tamler Sommers about free speech on campus, the Scott Adams podcast, the failings of the mainstream media, moral persuasion, moral certainty, the ethics of abortion, Buddhism, the illusion of the self, and other topics. If the Making Sense ... Show More
1 h
Nov 2012
Episode 7: Psychopaths and Utilitarians Pt. 2 (Now with more poo poo)
<p class="MsoNormal">After a clip from <em>The Third Man</em>, Dave and Tamler continue their discussion from Episode 6 on Ted Bundy, utilitarians, and trolley problems. They also talk about Tamler's TED talk envy, inappropriate acts with trees, and make a plea for more listener ... Show More
1h 7m
Oct 2022
Episode 247: Open the Pod, Dave (with Sam Harris)
<p>We welcome Sam Harris back to the show for a deep dive into Stanley Kubrick's confounding 1968 masterpiece "2001: A Space Odyssey." How long is the Dawn of Man? What does the second monolith do exactly? Why are the humans so banal and expressionless? What are HAL'S motivations ... Show More
2h 34m
Nov 2012
Episode 8: Dishonesty, Character, and Dan Ariely
<p>In a Very Special Episode of Very Bad Wizards, Dan Ariely joins David to chat about cheating, character, teling your significant other about kissing someone at a conference, and the importance of moral rules.  Tamler and David sandwich the chat with a discussion about the US P ... Show More
1h 11m
Mar 2023
“Undeniably Essential” (w/ Ari Shapiro)
Good moods abound on Las Cultch this week as Matt & Bowen welcome true renaissance man, host of NPR’s All Things Considered and now author of the wonderful new book The Best Strangers In The World, THEE Ari Shapiro! The host with the most gets together with the gals who host this ... Show More
1h 24m