Rampant Discourse
By Rampant Discourse
Rampant DiscourseAug 27, 2019
087 - Rock & Metal Songs on Spotify
Travis and Andrew discuss the rock and metal songs that have achieved a billion or more streams on Spotify. Along the way they discuss their own personal relationships with music. Can Andrew guess any of the songs on the list? Can Travis carry a tune? Listen to find out.
Thanks to Louder for their article.
Potential trigger warning for brief mentions of suicide. Continue the discourse on Discord, Twitter, and Facebook.
086 - The Future of Movies
The movie theater business suffered a near fatal blow with COVID lockdowns. Has the business permanently changed? Or will people always want to experience blockbusters in the presence of complete strangers? What upcoming movies are likely to be hits and what are likely to be busts?
085 - SCOTUS 2023
After a super long hiatus, we're back with a focused discussion on some recent Supreme Court decisions that have gotten people talking. Join us as we discuss student loan forgiveness, affirmative action, gay wedding websites, and if it's healthy to pay too much attention to politics.
084 - Wealth Inequality
Roughly a year ago, the Rampant Discourse crew had a spirited email discussion that was sparked by two articles on the topic of wealth inequality. One of the articles was a ProPublica article about how the wealthy lower their tax bills, and the other was a Bloomberg article about how the 90% are borrowing from the 1%. We decided we had enough differences of opinion that it could make for an interesting podcast. The end result was two hours of content, so whether or not it is interesting, at least it's long. Sorry for sitting on this for so long, but we hope you enjoy it.
Continue the discourse on our website, Discord, Twitter, and Facebook.
083 - The Best Video Games: 8th Generation
Video games played a big role in the formative years of the Rampant Discourse crew, so it was only a matter of time before we decided to record a series on what we consider to be the best video games of all time. Join us as we discuss which games had the best story, were the most fun with friends, elicited the most feelings, and other superlatives. In this episode, we'll be discussing the eighth generation of video games, which includes PC Games between the years of 2014 and 2020, the Xbox One, the PlayStation 4, and the Nintendo Switch, among others.
Continue the discourse on our website, Discord, Twitter, and Facebook.
082 - The Best Video Games: 7th Generation
Video games played a big role in the formative years of the Rampant Discourse crew, so it was only a matter of time before we decided to record a series on what we consider to be the best video games of all time. Join us as we discuss which games had the best story, were the most fun with friends, elicited the most feelings, and other superlatives. In this episode, we'll be discussing the seventh generation of video games, which includes PC Games between the years of 2006 and 2013, the Xbox 360, the PlayStation 3, and the Nintendo DS, among others.
Continue the discourse on our website, Discord, Twitter, and Facebook.
081 - The Best Video Games: 6th Generation
Video games played a big role in the formative years of the Rampant Discourse crew, so it was only a matter of time before we decided to record a series on what we consider to be the best video games of all time. Join us as we discuss which games had the best story, were the most fun with friends, elicited the most feelings, and other superlatives. In this episode, we'll be discussing the sixth generation of video games, which includes PC Games between the years of 1999 and 2005, the PlayStation 2, the original Xbox, and the Gamecube, among others.
Continue the discourse on our website, Discord, Twitter, and Facebook.
080 - The Best Video Games: 5th Generation
Video games played a big role in the formative years of the Rampant Discourse crew, so it was only a matter of time before we decided to record a series on what we consider to be the best video games of all time. Join us as we discuss which games had the best story, were the most fun with friends, elicited the most feelings, and other superlatives. In this super-sized episode, we'll be discussing the fifth generation of video games, which includes PC Games between the years of 1993 and 1998, the Nintendo 64, and the Playstation among others.
Continue the discourse on our website, Discord, Twitter, and Facebook.
079 - Maus
We're back from our incredibly long hiatus with a coincidentally timely episode. A few months ago we decided to continue our book club series by reading the graphic novel Maus. With the work in the news recently, we decided it was time to finally publish what we recorded. Please note: Since we recorded this months ago there will be no discussion of the current controversy, but we hope you enjoy our thoughts on the book nonetheless. Disagree with our take? Please feel free to continue the discourse on our website, Discord, Twitter, and Facebook.
078 - The Best Video Games: 4th Generation
Video games played a big role in the formative years of the Rampant Discourse crew, so it was only a matter of time before we decided to record a series on what we consider to be the best video games of all time. Join us as we discuss which games had the best story, were the most fun with friends, elicited the most feelings, and other superlatives. In this episode, we'll be discussing the fourth generation of video games, which includes PC Games between the years of 1988 and 1992, the SNES, Gameboy, and Sega Genesis, among others.
Continue the discourse on our website, Discord, Twitter, and Facebook.
077 - The Best Video Games: 3rd Generation
Video games played a big role in the formative years of the Rampant Discourse crew, so it was only a matter of time before we decided to record a series on what we consider to be the best video games of all time. Join us as we discuss which games had the best story, were the most fun with friends, elicited the most feelings, and other superlatives. In this episode, we'll be discussing the third generation of video games, which includes PC Games between the years of 1983 and 1987, and the Nintendo Entertainment System, among others.
Continue the discourse on our website, Discord, Twitter, and Facebook.
076 - Bad Takes: The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
Paul is going solo in the inaugural episode of a new podcast series: Bad Takes. The internet is full of bad takes on some of the popular media of the day. Paul tackles one of these that has cropped up in the fourth episode of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier: Is John Walker the real villain of the series? Listen to Paul's take, and if you disagree, let him know and continue the discourse on our website, Discord, Twitter, or Facebook.
075 - Watch, Play, Read, Listen for April 2021
It's been a few months since the Rampant Discourse crew discussed what we were watching, playing, reading, and listening to. Join Paul and Travis as they discuss the media they have been consuming recently. We discuss everything from Disney+ TV shows and discontinued Nintendo Switch games to different ways of educating kids and the greatness of Ted Danson.
Continue the discourse on our website, Discord, Twitter, and Facebook.
074 - From Hell Revisited
Travis and Andrew are back to continue our book discussion series. This time around they are discussing the Alan Moore classic: From Hell. Listen to in hear their thoughts, including how it is relevant and applicable to our modern times.
Continue the discourse on our website, Discord, Twitter, and Facebook.
073 - Coronavirus: One Year Later
One year ago, the United States was just starting to take COVID seriously. Paul and Andrew met (in person!) to discuss our thoughts on the pandemic. One year later, and we haven't seen each other in person since, but we decided to meet virtually to talk about where the world has gone since then. What were we wrong about? What did we get right? Have the lockdowns been worth it? What do we think of the government response? Have our thoughts changed on price gouging? Listen in to find out.
Continue the discourse on our website, Discord, Twitter, and Facebook.
072 - The Movies of the 2000s - 2009
Our series on the movies of the 1990s went so well that we decided to bring the crew back together for another decade. Join the Rampant Discourse crew (with a special guest contributor) in the continuation of the series as they go year-by-year and explore their favorite movies of the 2000s as well as the ones that they feel have been most influential. Next up, and the final installment of our series? The year 2009.
Continue the discourse on our website, Discord, Twitter, and Facebook.
071 - 2020 Media Consumption
After a brief hiatus, the Rampant Discourse crew gets together to discuss the media they have been consuming recently. Listen in as we discuss the games, movies, books, and more that has caught our fancy lately. You might be surprised at where the conversation goes: such as a too long discussion of the 90s movie The Fugitive and a rant about how Star Wars might not be all that great.
Continue the discourse on our website, Discord, Twitter, and Facebook.
070 - Political Strife in Early 2021
After a 2020 that I think most can agree was below average, there was a lot of optimism for 2021. It didn't take long for the fit to hit the shan. Between unrest at the Capitol Building (sedition? an attempted coup? insurrection?), the President of the United States getting banned from all the social media platforms, and renewed calls for impeachment, there's been a lot of political developments in just a week and a half. Join Paul and Andrew as they convene for an emergency podcast to discuss recent developments.
Continue the discourse on our website, Discord, Twitter, and Facebook.
069 - 2020 Election Recap
The 2020 United States Presidential election is over... or is it? Join the Rampant Discourse crew as we discuss the key takeaways from the election. Will Trump leave office peacefully? Is there any evidence of voter fraud or other conspiracies? Should Democrats be disappointed by the outcome? What do we take away from the increased turnout and the breakdown by gender and ethnic groups? Where does Trump rank among all US Presidents? We discuss all of this and more in this episode.
Continue the discourse on our website, Discord, Twitter, and Facebook.
068 - The Movies of the 2000s - 2008
Our series on the movies of the 1990s went so well that we decided to bring the crew back together for another decade. Join the Rampant Discourse crew (with a special guest contributor) in the continuation of the series as they go year-by-year and explore their favorite movies of the 2000s as well as the ones that they feel have been most influential. Next up? The year 2008.
Continue the discourse on our website, Discord, Twitter, and Facebook.
067 - The First Presidential Debate of 2020
Donald Trump and Joe Biden just had their televised shouting match which was being billed as a debate. What were our takeaways? Did Biden win by being the least abrasive? Were any minds changed? What do we think about the current situation with the vacant Supreme Court seat and potential court packing of a Biden administration? Did Trump miss an opportunity to attack teacher's unions? Is Facebook to blame for the divisiveness of our political discourse? Be sure to stick around to listen to Andrew's bleak prediction for the outcome of the election and how 2020 might end.
Continue the discourse on our website, Discord, Twitter, and Facebook.
066 - The Movies of the 2000s - 2007
Our series on the movies of the 1990s went so well that we decided to bring the crew back together for another decade. Join the Rampant Discourse crew (with a special guest contributor) in the continuation of the series as they go year-by-year and explore their favorite movies of the 2000s as well as the ones that they feel have been most influential. Next up? The year 2007.
Continue the discourse on our website, Discord, Twitter, and Facebook.
065 - Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure Watch Party
We're children of the 80's, and as a result, the time traveling adventures of Bill S. Preston, Esq. and Ted “Theodore" Logan have a soft spot in (most of) our hearts. Incredibly, after 30 years, Bill and Ted are back in an unlikely third movie. In preparation, the Rampant Discourse crew decided they would do a watch party of the original movie: Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure. Join us as we take a trip down memory lane and re-learn the importance of being excellent to each other.
Continue the discourse on our website, Discord, Twitter, and Facebook.
064 - The 2020 Presidential Election
It's the most important election of our lifetimes... again! Join the Rampant Discourse crew as we discuss all the important election developments over the past few months. Was Kamala Harris an inspired pick for VP? Is Biden a good candidate for a time period with increased scrutiny on over-policing? Is he a good candidate at all? Does Trump have a chance to win? What about third parties? How will turnout look in the age of COVID-19? We discuss all of this and more.
Continue the discourse on our website, Discord, Twitter, and Facebook.
063 - Book Club - The Fire Next Time
We're back from a brief hiatus with a new podcast episode! We've often tossed around the idea of a book club where we all read a book and then discuss it. We finally took the leap and this is the first episode of what we hope might end up being a recurring series. For our first book, we decided on The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin in the hopes that it might feel more relevant and timely considering what is going on in the country right now. Tune in to hear what we thought.
Continue the discourse on our website, Discord, Twitter, and Facebook.
062 - The Movies of the 2000s - 2006
Our series on the movies of the 1990s went so well that we decided to bring the crew back together for another decade. Join the Rampant Discourse crew (with a special guest contributor) in the continuation of the series as they go year-by-year and explore their favorite movies of the 2000s as well as the ones that they feel have been most influential. Next up? The year 2006.
Continue the discourse on our website, Discord, Twitter, and Facebook.
061 - Section 230
There's been a lot of talk recently about what social media companies like Twitter and Facebook can, and should do in terms of censoring speech on their platforms, specifically as it relates to President Trump. Jack Dorsey and Mark Zuckerberg seem to have conflicting ideas of how to proceed, while Trump has begun threatening increased regulation. Listen in to hear what the Rampant Discourse crew thinks about the whole mess, along with how this all relates to a little thing called "Section 230".
Continue the discourse on our website, Discord, Twitter, and Facebook.
060 - May 2020 Grab Bag
The Rampant Discourse crew is trying something a little new with this episode: A grab bag episode where we discuss a variety of things. Topics covered:
Xbox Game Pass
Inequality in the time of Coronavirus
Stimulus
How much is human life worth?
Things referenced in the episode:
Fowl language comic
How Much is a Human Life Actually Worth?
The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion
Note: This episode was originally recorded in May.
Continue the discourse on our website, Discord, Twitter, and Facebook.
059 - The Movies of the 2000s - 2005
Our series on the movies of the 1990s went so well that we decided to bring the crew back together for another decade. Join the Rampant Discourse crew (with a special guest contributor) in the continuation of the series as they go year-by-year and explore their favorite movies of the 2000s as well as the ones that they feel have been most influential. Next up? The year 2005.
Continue the discourse on our website, Discord, Twitter, and Facebook.
058 - The Movies of the 2000s - 2004
Our series on the movies of the 1990s went so well that we decided to bring the crew back together for another decade. Join the Rampant Discourse crew (with a special guest contributor) in the continuation of the series as they go year-by-year and explore their favorite movies of the 2000s as well as the ones that they feel have been most influential. Next up? The year 2004.
Continue the discourse on our website, Discord, Twitter, and Facebook.
057 - The Movies of the 2000s - 2003
Our series on the movies of the 1990s went so well that we decided to bring the crew back together for another decade. Join the Rampant Discourse crew (with a special guest contributor) in the continuation of the series as they go year-by-year and explore their favorite movies of the 2000s as well as the ones that they feel have been most influential. Next up? The year 2003.
Continue the discourse on our website, Discord, Twitter, and Facebook.
056 - What Media are we Consuming? April 2020
Our recurring series where we discuss what media we are consuming continues! Listen in to our second episode of the series to find out the books, music, games, (not so much movies) and more that the Rampant Discourse crew has been consuming lately.
Note: This episode was recorded a few weeks ago (hence April being in the name).
Continue the discourse on our website, Discord, Twitter, and Facebook.
055 - The 2020 Presidential Election - A New Challenger Has Arrived
Even though it was only a month ago, a lot has happened since the last Democratic Presidential debate. Join Andrew and Paul as they discuss Justin Amash finally announcing that he is seeking the Libertarian Party nomination for president, the Tara Reade allegations against Joe Biden, and if social distancing measures might impact the upcoming election.
Continue the discourse on our website, Discord, Twitter, and Facebook.
054 - Coronavirus: Part 2
It's been about a month since the Rampant Discourse crew met to discuss the Coronavirus pandemic and the effect that it has (and will) have on society, the economy, and more. We're back (this time remotely) to continue that discussion. Does this pandemic disprove libertarianism as a political philosophy? Or confirm it? What's the deal with masks? How will society be permanently changed from this extended quasi-lockdown? When do we think this all might end? Listen in to find out our answers to all of these questions and more.
Continue the discourse on our website, Discord, Twitter, and Facebook.
053 - Fitness Dare Recap
A little over 3 months ago, the Rampant Discourse crew embarked on a journey to improve their physical fitness by crafting a workout (and in some cases, nutrition) regimen customized to their lifestyle with the goal of keeping each other accountable throughout. How did this Fitness Dare go? Did COVID-19 derail everything? What was easy? What was hard? Who looks better in a mirror now? Listen in to find out!
Continue the discourse on our website, Discord, Twitter, and Facebook.
052 - The Movies of the 2000s - 2002
Our series on the movies of the 1990s went so well that we decided to bring the crew back together for another decade. Join the Rampant Discourse crew (with a special guest contributor) in the continuation of the series as they go year-by-year and explore their favorite movies of the 2000s as well as the ones that they feel have been most influential. Next up? The year 2002.
Continue the discourse on our website, Discord, Twitter, and Facebook.
051 - Investing in the Time of Coronavirus
It's been a rough couple of weeks for the stock market, as measures taken to combat COVID-19 have effectively shut down large sections of the US economy. Thanks to social distancing, Paul goes solo for this episode to discuss his reaction the historically severe stock market drop and the moves he has been making (or not making) in his own portfolio.
Check out Paul vs the Market.
Continue the discourse on our website, Discord, Twitter, and Facebook.
050 - The Movies of the 2000s - 2001
Our series on the movies of the 1990s went so well that we decided to bring the crew back together for another decade. Join the Rampant Discourse crew (with a special guest contributor) in the continuation of the series as they go year-by-year and explore their favorite movies of the 2000s as well as the ones that they feel have been most influential. Next up? The year 2001.
Continue the discourse on our website, Discord, Twitter, and Facebook.
049 - The Movies of the 2000s - 2000
Our series on the movies of the 1990s went so well that we decided to bring the crew back together for another decade. Join the Rampant Discourse crew (with a special guest contributor) in the continuation of the series as they go year-by-year and explore their favorite movies of the 2000s as well as the ones that they feel have been most influential. First up? The year 2000.
048 - What Media are we Consuming? March 2020
Coronavirus has caused the American economy to grind to a halt as schools and workplaces shut down and people are urged to practice social distancing. Millions of people now face the uneasy idea of an indefinite future stuck at home and looking for sources of entertainment. What better time, then, for a Rampant Discourse podcast chock-full of ideas!? Listen in to the first episode of what we hope will be a recurring series to find out the movies, books, music, games, and more that the Rampant Discourse crew has been consuming lately.
Note: Despite the seemingly fortuitous timing, we actually recorded this episode before the Coronavirus situation blew up the way it has in the United States, which is why you likely won't hear us referencing it much.
047 - Coronavirus
The Coronavirus is all over the news lately, along with suggestions for "social distancing", washing hands, and avoiding touching your face. Paul and Andrew discuss how Coronavirus might be the biggest event since 9-11 and what effects it will have on the US economy going forward.
046 - The March 2020 Democratic Presidential Debate
The March 2020 democratic presidential debate between Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders happened with the backdrop of Coronavirus and a tanking stock market. Join Paul and Andrew as they discuss what who won and who lost and what it all means for the 2020 presidential election.
045 - Super Tuesday 2020
Super Tuesday has come and gone, and the Democratic field has been whittled down to just a few contenders. Paul and Andrew are joined by Travis and Gurkie to discuss where the Democratic race stands now. Which candidate has the best shot at unseating Trump? Is Biden the favorite now? Stick around until the end to hear some interesting, and potentially libelous, election day stories.
044 - The February 2020 Democratic Presidential Debate
The February 2020 democratic presidential debate saw the field reduced to six and the introduction of Michael Bloomberg. Paul was unavailable, so Andrew Riley brought on a guest to discuss the fireworks at the NBC/MSNBC Nevada Debate and what this means for the election coming into the Nevada Caucuses, South Carolina primary and Super Tuesday.
043 - The Movies of the 1990s - 1999
As individuals born in the early 1980s and who went through their formative years in the 1990s, the Rampant Discourse crew has a soft spot in their hearts for many of the movies released during that decade. Was it a uniquely great time for movies or is our perspective colored by nostalgia? Join the Rampant Discourse crew in a new series as they go year-by-year and explore their favorite movies of the 1990s as well as the ones that they feel have been most influential. Next up, and last in the series, is 1999.
042 - The Movies of the 1990s - 1998
As individuals born in the early 1980s and who went through their formative years in the 1990s, the Rampant Discourse crew has a soft spot in their hearts for many of the movies released during that decade. Was it a uniquely great time for movies or is our perspective colored by nostalgia? Join the Rampant Discourse crew in a new series as they go year-by-year and explore their favorite movies of the 1990s as well as the ones that they feel have been most influential. Next up is 1998.
041 - Iowa Caucus 2020 Results
Andrew and Paul try something new and decide to record a podcast while watching the results of the 2020 Iowa Caucus as they come in. If you're reading this description, you might already realize the problems that arose. Listen in as we discuss our predictions for the Iowa Caucus and how it will affect the race for the Democratic nomination and the 2020 election.
040 - The Movies of the 1990s - 1997
As individuals born in the early 1980s and who went through their formative years in the 1990s, the Rampant Discourse crew has a soft spot in their hearts for many of the movies released during that decade. Was it a uniquely great time for movies or is our perspective colored by nostalgia? Join the Rampant Discourse crew in a new series as they go year-by-year and explore their favorite movies of the 1990s as well as the ones that they feel have been most influential. Next up is 1997.
039 - The Movies of the 1990s - 1996
As individuals born in the early 1980s and who went through their formative years in the 1990s, the Rampant Discourse crew has a soft spot in their hearts for many of the movies released during that decade. Was it a uniquely great time for movies or is our perspective colored by nostalgia? Join the Rampant Discourse crew in a new series as they go year-by-year and explore their favorite movies of the 1990s as well as the ones that they feel have been most influential. Next up is 1996.
038 - The Movies of the 1990s - 1995
As individuals born in the early 1980s and who went through their formative years in the 1990s, the Rampant Discourse crew has a soft spot in their hearts for many of the movies released during that decade. Was it a uniquely great time for movies or is our perspective colored by nostalgia? Join the Rampant Discourse crew in a new series as they go year-by-year and explore their favorite movies of the 1990s as well as the ones that they feel have been most influential. Next up is 1995.