Transcript
Speaker: Welcome back to So What Are You Into?
Speaker: B-Trap. It's episode 16. I was gonna say Sweet 16, right? Sweet 16. Sweet 16.
Speaker: Hell yeah. Our podcast is now driving ah car. It's driving a beat up 2004 Nissan Sentra.
Speaker: We have been, uh, I just want to say, I'm proud of us that we, things have been real busy and we're still here. We're still here. We're doing the darn thing. You know i mean?
Speaker: Yes. and And more important than that, Kurt just celebrated a birthday yesterday. Hey, I did. As of this recording. true. Birthdays are weird. i i i don't know if you feel this way in birthdays, but i I actually kind of, I started to have this moment yesterday and i I think I was able to kind of reframe it. But this is something I felt in the past where Everybody was lovely. i had a lovely day, but there's this thing of like, I wake up on my birthday and I feel like it has to, it needs to be something I need today needs to mean something or right I need to do something for myself to like, or i I, don't know. It's like this, this weird feeling of, I, I have to commemorate it or I need to do something that's important or I should,
Speaker: think about how far I've come or whatever. And I just, I felt that the moment I woke up yesterday and then I immediately just went, or it's just a day where I can just eat some good food and kind of chill. And I really let it be that. And it was really nice. um Do you ever feel that way in your birthday though? This like, don't, I was trying to explain to Kim what it was. She's like, well, do you want to go somewhere? or Do you want to? And i was like, I don't even know. I i don't know what this thing, this,
Speaker: this feeling is of I should do something. Yeah. And so I got waffles. That's what I did. ah And that's perfectly fine. I think what it is, is that from jump, like your first birthday as a baby, which you yourself don't have memories of, but there's this big,
Speaker: celebration that all these people are invited to and you yourself are not even cognizant of what this party is. Maybe you smashed a cake because that's a big tradition, at least here in the in the States. But um yeah, there's just no...
Speaker: i don't think there's I think we put way too much importance on the birthday. It's to be treated yeah as some sort of milestone and some sort of event. and ah Because the last time I really planned like a party for myself was when I was 30, my 30th birthday, because that felt like a milestone. I'm in my 30s now.
Speaker: And then I don't even remember. I turned 35 two years ago. I don't remember what I did for that. Oops. Sorry, kids. But then I told myself, The next time I'm going to really thoughtfully plan a party for my birthday is when I turn 40.
Speaker: ah Between then, i I could go to Chuck E. Cheese for all I care. I really, it does not matter to me what I do for my birthday um besides just having a day for myself. So i honestly, I think having waffles is a great choice to commemorate another year around the sun.
Speaker: I also, I had a very eventful last year of my life. I feel like I made some incredibly big changes and I just got healthier mentally, physically, emotionally. And so I guess i I sort of felt this like, I need to like commemorate that or like do so if this weird pressure. And then i had this thought of like, no, you already did the You already did the hard thing. You did the thing. You spent the last year really doing some things that you needed to do.
Speaker: And so I ended up, um, yeah, I ended up going to the gym. And then I ended up going for ah a three-mile run last night. And not because it was like a punishment, but just going like, no, you know what? I'm going to like honor the fact that I feel like I've been in a really good place with with prioritizing physical and mental health. And I'm going to like do that on this day still. as like a Anyway, so this is me overthinking everything as always. Most people just wake up and probably have a nice day. I was like waking up going... What does it all mean?
Speaker: um But it was great. I had so I okay So I went to Millie's Cafe in Pasadena at a waffle. I ordered a pancake and they brought me a waffle, which is OK. I wasn't mad about it. I love waffles. But then Kim was talking to our mutual friend, Ali, who's assistant directing the show that we're doing.
Speaker: was like, oh, did Kurt have a good birthday? And then Kim mentioned like, oh, it so funny. He ordered a waffle. They can whatever. So I showed up at rehearsal last night and they Nick Nick Lang. He had brought me a stack of pancakes from a place called Sweet Butter. Because he's like, I heard you can get pancakes on your birthday.
Speaker: And i which is, ah which is really lovely. And then I ate two of those pancakes, just raw dog them in rehearsal. ah And they were extraordinary. I didn't have any butter or any maple syrup on them. And they were like the best pancakes I've ever had. So anyway, just, I just ate a lot of bread. Yeah.
Speaker: there's so There's something about eating a pancake without butter or syrup that makes me want to vomit, but I don't. i Oh, really? oh it was so No, that's so dry to me that I can't feel myself. That's what's crazy. This wasn't. This was the most. First of all, these pancakes were like this thick.
Speaker: And I was thinking like, I'm just gonna take a little bite, but I'm not gonna. real I need to like go home and eat it. And I bit into it and I was like. Oh, oh, the, the moisture, the thickness. And I was like, this is like, i could, I've never had a pancake like this. And then I ate the whole thing. and then I was like, I'm going to have another one. Wait, wait, do wait, where did he get these from? It's called sweet butter.
Speaker: Okay. Studio city. I'm going to tell you about another one. There's this place called the griddle cafe. oh yeah. um Love the grill. Okay. You've been there. So then you know that their stacks of pancake are ginormous. Like, okay, so I'm i'm not exaggerating on the video with anyone is watching on YouTube. It's about this big, okay? And they're they're so thick. I maybe got through a quarter, maybe, and that's being generous, before I was absolutely full.
Speaker: And i keep I keep thinking, like, I don't know the prices. I don't know. I don't run a restaurant yet. But the batter they have to go through, And expecting that anyone sitting at their tables would actually finish this. And they make that just on the regular with like majority of their pancakes.
Speaker: ah That's got to be so much money just to like, ah just to look like raise our cholesterol. It's astonishing to me. i i love pancakes. I love waffles. Breakfast food my favorite thing in the world. But even i I feel like the griddle is a step too far for me.
Speaker: i have I've been there maybe twice. Yeah. um And um yeah, i just, ah i think I was like, I've done it. I've done the griddle. I'm good. Yeah. You know, it was funny as I asked, I said, did you guys have a eating challenge?
Speaker: um Like, you know, like we say, oh, if you can eat this much, you will get a free T-shirt or something. And they dont even they don't have one. I think they're aware of just how impossible it is to finish their stacks of pancakes. Yeah.
Speaker: That's so funny. If you're ever in LA, go to the griddle cafe. This is a cheap plug for them. Um, you will get a waffle that is as big as your head. i will say too, I i was telling James, i literally had so many carbs and that I felt like a fricking superhero. I was at rehearsal just like, God, I feel great. And then I was so full of energy and I went, went for a hike last night at like 11 PM. And then as I was walking up the the hill that I hike up, I was like, i think I'm going run up this hill. I feel so good. I just started running and I was like, wow, I feel amazing. So highly recommend carbs just as a general rule, as a general guide.
Speaker: do you Do you get what they call the runner's high?
Speaker: Um, I haven't, I have in the past cause I used to run cross country and then I used to run five K's and 10 K's competitively. I definitely have, I don't really enjoy running that much in general.
Speaker: yeah I much prefer hiking and walking, but last night I kind of did. And I think it's because I was so fueled up on my glycogen stores were topped off and I was just like, wow, I have unlimited energy. I also slept great. So, uh,
Speaker: great saha Yeah. so this is this this This podcast is brought to you by carbs. We're a carb loading podcast now.
Speaker: Pushing peptides and carbs. I've heard people talk about carb loading. and i've just i First of all, i this is not nutrition podcast, but I eat carbs. i'm not this i have This is not an anti-carb thing going on.
Speaker: But I've never been like one to be like, I'm going to eat tons of carbs and then go work out or exercise. I'll eat i'll eat what I need to eat. But last night I was like, oh, this is what carb loading is. This is what you feel when you've eaten a waffle and a pancake and Rice Krispies and just all the stuff. And I just, it's like just energy straight to your muscle.
Speaker: yeah Pretty great feeling. I love that. um Well, that's great. I'm glad you had a ah had a good birthday. and Yeah, it was nice. Yeah. um So part of this week and this is kind of the thing that I'm into, so I'm just going to dive into it.
Speaker: But um so part of this week has been getting my routine down. So the gym was part of that. I had started a new job and I kind of have semi permanent hours, but not really a changes. So i was just trying to figure out how the gym works. But also in doing that, I'm carving out my social time, trying to figure out, you know, how I'm going to actually be a human being in the world now, um especially because I'm not doing a show right now.
Speaker: So what I did is luckily a friend of mine is in town ah with a show called Primary Trust. um They're about to play their final weekend here in L.A. ah But he himself, his name's Luke. Shout out to Luke Wigodny.
Speaker: um he and his brother, Elias, they, ah they write music, they sing together, like kind of like folk music stuff. And so um it just so happened that my schedule worked out perfectly that they were playing their own little like small show at a bookstore on Monday.
Speaker: So I was like, Oh my God, I had the free time. i um So I planned out my day. I woke up. um i went I did some like early morning chores. I went to the gym, including some running. I don't know if I carb loaded enough, but I had enough energy to go to this show at night.
Speaker: And ah it was probably one of the most beautiful experiences ever of being able to watch your friends do some original music and just host a little show. And it wasn't anything big because we're so used LA, these, you know, you go to a theater, you go to a big stage and you're watching these highly produced shows, but there's something so wonderful about an intimate performance where there may be only 20 to 30 people in the actual menu and you're just there for community and to listen to maybe it's someone, you know, maybe it's someone you don't know. ah But that was, it was so nice. And so in a roundabout way, this is me saying the thing that I'm into is live intimate performances.
Speaker: I started looking up a bunch of acoustic performances this week and just from songs that are just in my memory. um I was looking at, and this remind, and what I landed on, do you remember the TV show MTV Unplugged?
Speaker: Yeah. Okay. So I ended up just like scanning through a bunch of those. There were some illegally, uh, recorded versions that are on YouTube floating around. And I forgot that era of music where we allowed artists to just do these intimate sets and people looked out for them.
Speaker: ah And I remember the one specifically that sticks out is there's one that Lauryn Hill did. um And she sang the song called I Get Out. And I was fascinated with that song, partly because it's like just a really it's honestly the same chords over and over. But just the message behind the song lyrically is really great.
Speaker: But what I loved about it is that she messes up a few times. And in this age of music where everything is so pristine and everything is is auto-tuned and pitch corrected and we just get these perfectly manufactured songs thrown out,
Speaker: um I miss an era where there are flawed vocals or you know maybe someone has a little bit of edge to their voice. Maybe it doesn't go perfectly. There's just something unique about a live experience. And um and seeing my friends do their show on Monday reminded me about that. So um i this is actually I want this to expand past this week, but I really want to start going to more live acoustic shows. just so I can hear something that isn't so pristine all the time. yeah Don't get me wrong. I love a clean vocal. I love a well-produced soundtrack, but there's something really magical about just a raw, gritty voice that tells a story. um
Speaker: So that that that's that's my thing this week. I, um, it's interesting, you know, cause I feel like so often, and this I think is true for television. I think it's true for movies. I think it's true for concert going where to appeal to a bigger and bigger audience. What, what do these, these mediums have to do is they go, they promise actually video games, the same, the same where it's like, you know, on the heels of like GTA six coming out.
Speaker: Every game, movie, whatever is like the biggest, the most, the most things packed into it. And you go to a concert and yeah, it's like so much of what a concert is from my vantage point is often crazy light show, massive LED screens, projecting crazy imagery.
Speaker: And like, yes, the band is part of it, but it subcapacity, you could almost just have a cover band on stage and, or just play their song through the speakers and everyone's. Yeah.
Speaker: And it, you know, that, that's a cool thing, but yeah, it does. Sometimes sometimes you go watch like old performances from, you know Obviously, there's always been like stadium rock going back to the 80s and 70s, but when you see like bands just performing in a very stripped-down very um unproduced, unpolished way, and you go, oh, wow. That takes a genuine skill and artistry to be able to hold captive an audience with nothing but your voice, your instrument, and that's it yeah And if you can do that, you probably can do all the other things too. But so much of pop music, I think does rely on the show, 20 dancers, the pyro, and that's cool. That's like a really cool thing, but it's, there's something magical about, but it's the same with like a game too, where you go,
Speaker: Like I see, I saw this happen recently where, uh, when the new 007 first light game came out, which i haven't played yet, but I hear was a pretty big game, but it got a bunch of people being like, are you kidding me? it's only 18 hours of gameplay. Like screw this. And I'm like 18 hours.
Speaker: that's a That's a lot of game. That's a lot of time. and people will like, I want 80 hours. I want 100 hours. I want an endless. And then you go, no I want things to have an end. I want small things. i want Like if everything is big and loud, then then it all becomes noise. you know in in the In the defense of that argument though, for the amount that these consoles are charging you for the game, I can understand if you feel like you are not getting enough game for the price that you're paying. Because I think a big offender of that was the Miles Morales game that came out a few years ago, where that was just a more condensed story, even though Miles had already been introduced in the main title Spider-Man game. But I would agree that you know for what we paid for that game, I kind of wish there was a little bit more. So there is there is some validity to that argument, but I agree with you.
Speaker: We can't just, you know, ah maybe there's some DLC and then we can get into that. But I, I do feel like sometimes you could just bear with like, Hey, this is a finite game. This is what it is. It's okay. But we could talk about pricing and that, and I understand that.
Speaker: Even like movies, it's like, I go, when ah when I see that, like a movie is going to be 75 minutes, seventy-fi minutes And people are like, oh, it's barely a movie. And I go, no I give me the best version of the thing at its leanest and most distilled thing that can be way. That is actually like a musician on stage with a guitar singing from their soul can actually be the purest and most interesting form of it.
Speaker: And it's like sometimes distilling it down to its base element is the best way to experience that thing. And I just feel like in our in our culture, everything is maximalist. It's just bigger, louder, more, longer.
Speaker: And that is a script that we ascribe that that I'm not saying we, but culturally, it's like. The bigger, louder, more means more valuable. And I go, actually, those tiny little quiet experiences, that little movie that you saw that you saw in a theater with three people, that acoustic set with 30 people, like those can actually be sometimes the most transformative experiences that I'm with you. I'm like really craving.
Speaker: You're like with theater. Yeah. You know, like I'm really longing for and craving experiences that are like someone's doing a play like in a warehouse, you know, and I'm like, oh that sounds weird and interesting.
Speaker: I would rather that than go see some big flashy tour where like, hey, there's 50 people on stage and there's a swinging theres acrobatics. I'm just like, can I just can we just get a little have more little thing? You know, yeah i'm I'm just, I'm very much with you in the kind of art I've been seeking out.
Speaker: I've been drawn to very small things recently because the world is just really loud. I don't know. That's interesting. Yeah. is that What do you think about it? Are you, what do you think is pulling you in that direction? Is it a wanting to just reconnect with the art? Is it like, what, what speaks to you about the smaller kind of intimacy of it?
Speaker: I'll probably get some pitchforks pointed at me for this, but I do think the most of the popular artists or people that are at least making pop music, um they are part of a machine and some of them do play instruments. Some of them, you know, there's, everyone has a varying, varying degree of talent. However, what I'm finding is that, um,
Speaker: A, some songs are just getting shorter. you and You'll notice that some are only like two minutes, two minutes, 30 seconds. We've pretty much lost the art of writing a bridge in pop music now. And um I don't necessarily see the musicianship in everybody. And I'm talking even vocally. Some of them are just really great at carrying a tune. But I think a lot of these popular artists are being carried by their producers.
Speaker: I think we were living in an era of very talented and skilled music producers. who have found a vocal vehicle to latch on to, to catapult their song into some sort of notoriety. um But some of the actual performers, they aren't dancers, they aren't necessarily the strongest singers, they just you know have a great following for their looks or whatever.
Speaker: um There's something about watching a person who is talented at, Hey, I know guitar. I know piano. I've got this, you know, that works. Um, ah she is not my favorite, but I think this is why Taylor Swift appeals to a lot of people because even though she has a giant machine behind her at her roots, at her core, what she was as a very relatable girl who could play guitar.
Speaker: And a lot of fans could latch onto to that. Um, Again, I'm not her target audience. I'm not going to sit here and and sing her praises on this podcast. But it doesn't surprise me that what she does is so marketable because there's ah ah ah an air of relatability to her. Right. and then when you So when you go to an acoustic set...
Speaker: And you're watching someone who actually can play. Or maybe they can't, but they just have a sound that's unique to them and it's not some mass produced thing. There's ah there's something that's a little more inviting. I think there's just an entry point there that you think, wow, this is this is approachable music. This is something that I can get into. I can connect to it rather than manufactured, big budget, highly produced pop material. I just think there's a – I think the scales are starting to tip the other way for me.
Speaker: And those are, I mean, this happens in all aspects of, i think, the arts in terms of the business of it all. But there's a hesitancy on the money side of things to even bother funding things unless they can be seen as these tentpole juggernaut.
Speaker: Well, are we going to sell out stadiums? Are we going to, is it going to make $500 million? dollars And if not, what's the point? What's yeah it's like, why even bother taking the risk on the investment if it can't become a phenomenon? But the thing is,
Speaker: You lose some specificity in that you lose, you you sand down the edges enough to make something that is palatable for every walk of life to come and enjoy it. And then it, it can lose. And sometimes that works really well.
Speaker: But sometimes something is lost in that process or, or an artist is going through different phases. You know, it's like, maybe they have a phase where it's like, it's fun. It's stadiums. It's and maybe they want to do something more stripped down. And the idea that you kind of have to keep one upping yourself or,
Speaker: you know Well, I see this all the time on on film, Twitter, X, where people will be like, well, this director's last movie made this much money and now this movie is not going to make that much. So they fell off and you're like,
Speaker: Or they made a movie and the and the audience that found it is finding It's like everything is – we try to quantify everything. Maybe it's capitalism. I don't know. It's like everything is in turn – I see it all the time with movies.
Speaker: People are like, what was the budget? What was the box office? And I'm like, that's what you're thinking about? I never go to a movie and go, what was the budget for this? What was the box office – I mean, we're trained to.
Speaker: We're trained to. That's the thing. Yes, you're right. what The first thing they're going to say the first thing you're goingnna say is out look at the sinners discourse as a perfect example. That variety article told that immediately the first thing they said is, oh, they did all right, but I don't know if they're going to make a – like that was the first thing they said. They didn't talk about the performances, the direction, the cinematography, none of that. so So the reason the conversation goes that way is because we're trained to look at the monetary value of something before its artistic value.
Speaker: I love, like, I can't think of a more noble use of some of rich person's money than to lose it by making some art, you know? yeah Like if a thing doesn't make its money back, great.
Speaker: yeah Like genuinely, I just, this notion that things are valuable because the market has decided it it can be consumed in mass is such a toxic, horrible way of thinking about art. So, um, I love it. I love that you've been drawing from the smaller, more intimate things. I, I, I predict that as things get bigger and the flattening of technology continues to make everything feel more plastic and, artificial, I think that these small intimate spaces are going to become the balm and like the thing that keeps us human to some extent.
Speaker: Absolutely. i think they're only going to become more valuable, honestly. So yeah, so that's mine. ah What about you what are you? What are you into this week? Okay, this a really weird one and very, very strange for me.
Speaker: ah But I have fallen into a rabbit hole and I don't know why YouTube does this. it It decides that I would like something and then I go, oh yeah, I'm interested. And then I fall in this rabbit hole. I get really fascinated by communities and
Speaker: Worlds of people being passionate about something that I cannot fundamentally understand the passion, but I'm in awe of the passion. Does that make any sense? Where i'm like, I don't get it, but I'm enamored at how enamored you are at it.
Speaker: Yes. so The weird rabbit hole I've fallen into in the last few weeks has been watching people go to cards, specifically Pokemon card conventions and like trading Like, Pokemon cards. Now, in general, and I'm going to say this with all the love in my heart, if you love Pokemon, amazing.
Speaker: I don't get it. I will never get it. I didn't get it as a kid. i don't get it now. It just, it doesn't, it doesn't even register on the scale of, like, things that I'm interested in.
Speaker: hu But... for some reason, there's been this influx of suggestions on YouTube of these really like lovely people at conventions who will, and guess they're like vendors.
Speaker: And a lot of times they'll have like live streams and chats where like their chats are donating. And a lot of them will like literally have like a chat donate like $300 to be like, Hey, this is for like a kid who like is looking for a Charizard or something. Right. And then a mom will come up and be like,
Speaker: Oh, this is my daughter. And she's really, and like, and then these kids will be so full of wonder and awe. And then the vendor will be like, Hey, guess what? My chat like has donated. So you have $300 and the kid's like, what? Well, I love this card. And then, and then they'll like, Oh no, it's for you. the it's already paid for. And then this kid, it's like their day is made. And,
Speaker: I don't know. There's this really beautiful community around this thing that I don't fundamentally understand, but I've found a I've really enjoyed even just like in shorts, like watching these, these little clipped moments of biggest Charizard fan finds his dream card that some guy before came up and went, Hey, I saw, i was talking to this mom and their kid and I, he's a huge fan. And I got this like card that I got when I was 10 and I'm an adult now and I don't need this. I want to donate it when they come up. Can you give it to him? And then the kid will come up and he'll be like, here's this card for you. And the kid will be like, and it's, and I'm like crying. like I don't understand it, but it's beautiful. Yeah.
Speaker: I don't know why. i don't know. I couldn't even tell you why I'm into this. I don't understand it. But I found a lot of joy watching other people be really excited over a thing that I don't fundamentally understand.
Speaker: i I think it's the it's the it's the sharing and the passing on of joy, right? Yes. Because yes, it is a transactional thing. i I do believe people are paying money for a lot of those those cards and and and the exchange. However, because I've seen those videos too, and I found that there's something quite magical about being able to share something. like So we're of the age. We were kids when Pokemon got popular. So it's probably dudes our age, and and women, sorry. that are um selling these cars.
Speaker: And so they're probably our age. So what it is, is it's almost like that scene at the end of Toy Story three spoiler alert, you've seen um where Andy is giving his toys away to a little girl yeah whose name I don't remember. it Yeah. um And I remember weeping at that because what it was is saying, hey, here's something that gave me so much joy and defined my childhood. I want you to have this. And you're getting that moment watching these videos of seeing these people hand off a little piece of their childhood or something to a kid who was not even thought of on this planet when we first were enjoying them.
Speaker: And i know I agree with you. There is something infectious about that. It reminds me of Angela when she was on and she talked about just kind of going down this rapid hole of watching this dad on TikTok just do dad things in a really sweet and supportive way. and And yeah, so it reminded me of her kind of obsession that week.
Speaker: the The flip side of that too is I think I also got really... I get really interested in when, when all of a sudden a thing comes on to the scene where everyone's like, this is such an important moment, this product, this item, I'm always like, why?
Speaker: And I grew up around Pokemon. I know a lot of people who were into it, played the games, had the cards. And I was, you know, and there there's been obviously cycles. It's, it is never, it's been extremely popular for as long as I've been alive. But in the last season,
Speaker: two or three years it pre-covid around then it had a big spike, but in the last like year or two, it has like, people are paying, it's become an investment. It's become a, a an asset.
Speaker: And it's always been that to some extent, but I got also really into sort of the dark side of Pokemon watching these videos on YouTube of like, the sort of toxic side where like grown adults with lots of money and conglomerations will come together and like use bots to when Nintendo releases not Nintendo. No. Yes. Yeah. nin Yeah. Nintendo. When they like release, release cards, the bots will like buy up,
Speaker: thousands of the boxes and then they're reselling those boxes for a thousand dollars or some like weird streamer guy who's in his 50s is like going through i'm opening a thousand pokemon boxes and it's very gross and weird because and i'm not i'm not talking about pokemon i'm talking about this like we're on the hunt for the willy wonka golden ticket and i kept thinking about willy wonka watching these videos I love that movie of how you know he made this thing for children, for this magic to just sort of like reconnect with the joy and the wonder and the whimsy. And then you got like Mr. Salt and he all of his workers are all opening things to find the golden ticket.
Speaker: And so I went down that rabbit hole f for And maybe that's why YouTube recommended it to me. I was like watching videos of... sort of the scams that people run and how Pokemon is, how people like plot out the predictability of what cards might be win. And it's a whole, i mean, Logan Paul got involved with it. Oh, don't get me started that. was like toxic and terrible. And so then in juxtaposition to that, to see...
Speaker: And I'm not saying you can't be an adult and enjoy Pokemon. 100% you can. But there is something really beautiful about watching adults and children kind of like reconnect with the joy of it and how fun and whimsical and...
Speaker: you know, just like, wow, this is a cool card. Look at this creature and look at the cool colors on it. And wow. To see someone be delighted by that. and A lot of times these kids aren't like, oh, that's a rare addition, whatever. They're just like, that's my favorite character. And to see like adults choose to not be scammy and go, you know what? I want to like give you this. Anyway, it's, yeah it's kind of the antidote to sort of the, the, um,
Speaker: the capitalization of the Pokemon craze and a really craven and like disturbing dystopian kind of way. Can I, can I go on a rant for a second about that?
Speaker: So, because i happen to live by a grocery store that has one of those Pokemon kiosks. And every time I go there, there are these creepy dudes just hawking around that machine waiting for some and you'll see because like generally these these kiosks just sold out because there's always someone there buying up whenever anything new gets delivered these people are tracking shipment they know the dates of these things these cards are being dropped off then when they get these packs they're opening them looking for a specific card that they want if they don't find it they just throw the cards on the ground or in the trash um this is what makes fandoms so toxic and terrible is because you're not treating it for It's sentimental value. You're treating it for a monetary value. So the capitalization that you're talking about is just these people trying to make a very quick and large buck off of something that kids want to enjoy. Because I've also seen videos of kids trying to go to these kiosks and grown adults are like cutting in front of them or buying out the whole machine.
Speaker: And then this kid is just distraught because the one thing they've been looking forward to, they don't have access to. I don't want to say Pokemon is only for kids, but if you are going out of your way to basically rob someone of an experience just so you can make a quick buck, you're the asshole here.
Speaker: And I yeah hope you recognize they don't, they never have enough self-reflection to do that, but that, but that's the problem. and And so, yes. So being able to see these videos, cause I, uh, the ones that I've seen of the, at the actual conventions are generally nice and they're fun. And these people are really great giving information about the cards, selling them to kids who sometimes they're first time buyers. That's what makes it worth it. But yeah, these people, these dudes at these kiosks that are wreaking havoc, y'all can go jump in a river.
Speaker: Yeah. There's just one particular, I want to shout this one person I've watched. His name is Phil Faust and he goes by the name beard dad cards. And I think he is a dad and he just like he, the way he interacts with children is so lovely and, and, and, and parents and, they and other adults too, who are genuinely just like there because they, they love it. um And he's really like lovely and accepting of whatever, if it's a child, if it's an adult, like he just kind of meets people where they're at. And,
Speaker: Again, i don't really understand. i i don't look at a card and go oh, I would want that. I also, i don't collect things. i I very specifically don't enjoy collecting as a weird quirk of myself. I have crap that I have collected for like film stuff, but not because I want to collect it. In fact, I try to sell as much stuff as I can when I don't need it anymore. um i love having a clean, i don't i like having crap around.
Speaker: But i'm so interested in people I'm so fascinated by the sort of sentimentality of collection. And I admire it. And i it's something I've always – I'm always like I love when someone does collect. I'm really interested in like, oh, why do you collect this? What does this mean to you? What does this mean to you? I think that's so interesting.
Speaker: And so I – yeah, I collect the experience of watching other people collect things. i i really value that and that's ah it's very strange um but like i just there's nothing i've never been compelled to collect anything um but i think it's interesting when other people are do you collect stuff do you do you um in a way yes um i have i have a lot of power rangers stuff
Speaker: Okay, that's cool. I've got the helmets. I've got a couple of zords. I enjoy those comic books, but that's not fair if you're just reading a series, you're just going to have the thing. You're just going to have them. Yeah, you're just going to have them. I have one Funko Pop.
Speaker: I'm not doing a whole... like I don't have a whole wall of Funko Pops. I'm sorry, I have two. and But those are just two very specific ones that I wanted. um I do actually... well I do have...
Speaker: I think about 20 Pokemon cards from the original 151. Okay. They could be worth something today. I don't know. Cause like you, I wasn't really into it. I just kind of got them because everyone else at recess was playing with them. Yeah. And and now they're just sitting in my house back in Michigan. So they exist.
Speaker: Yeah. My, my fandom of choice has always been, it's always been movies and TV shows and a lot. And in a large part, the joy I get from them is, is,
Speaker: is seeing them and talking about them, which is probably why i do things like podcasts and write essays and stuff. So I am very much am part of fandom. It's just that the way I kind of go about expressing and and living in that is by watching and talking.
Speaker: but i But I also really understand I have the same passion. And if if that passion could be manifest in the collection of the thing, I probably would. I guess like I love, I value trying to see as many movies as possible. And in a weird way, that is kind of a collection of sorts of like at the end of the year, i want to have seen as many things as possible to say that I can really have a really good vantage point in everything. That's kind of the same to some extent. who I want to get every card in every collection or whatever. yeah so I relate to it and I'm and i'm fascinated by it. But i I just also really interested in people's really off the beaten path collections. I love when i love like watching videos or documentaries about somebody who collects weird stuff.
Speaker: yeah Oh, I've collected a you know, a tooth from every country or something. ah I go, Oh, it's so interesting. That's so interesting. I want to know why your brain works that way. I'm fascinated that. That's wild. Well, it's not even a collection, but ah to that point. So when people go to fun destinations and if they offer to bring me something back, I say, get something that's unique to that place that reminds reminds you of me.
Speaker: So whether that's yeah a rock, if that's a specific shirt, um i I gave Paul, my boyfriend, I gave him socks because there's some socks that I found in London. And I was like, this reminds me of you. And so I got this, you know, so I i think there's something unique to a place. I'll collect those types of things, but but that's a sentimental value um more than like,
Speaker: I don't know. Get me a... and Oh, you know what I did? Okay, I forgot. I do collect things. Okay. i like I like to get wooden carvings. Oh, interesting. I have this. I've got a globe. I also have a snake um right here.
Speaker: Cobra, actually. It's a cobra. That's cool. Okay, that's pretty cool. Yes. Okay, so that... So when I go to vacations, and these just so happen to be from tropical places, but yeah, when I go on vacations and if I can get any kind of carved thing, I will i will get that.
Speaker: i like hand I like hand carved. Yeah, that's cool. yeah Yeah, kiley's um kim Kim doesn't collect as she doesn't really collect stuff, but she's really good at making a space feel warm and full of life. And so she always really has an eye for the kinds of things that would go in a space and knowing what to remove, what to put in it. She's really good at that.
Speaker: I have like a bunch of camera and audio gear, but I don't like it. I don't... I'm not like, oh I've bought, it's more like i go, what can I do with it?
Speaker: And then I get enamored with like, Ooh, what front if I bought this, you know, what can I do with that? But I don't like collecting it. I'm not like, Ooh, here's this kid. In fact, if I have too much stuff, I immediately am like, I gotta get rid of some of this stuff. So yeah. Anyway, that's, uh, I used to try to collect, uh,
Speaker: cast albums of Broadway shows when I was younger. Yeah. And then I kind of lost interest in that. Like I've started, it says what I've, I used to also get sports cards. I had a huge collection of baseball cards and basketball cards. And then I kind of got bored with that. When I was younger, my grandmother, maybe I've shared this story in the podcast, but my grandmother would buy me GI i Joe's for my birthday.
Speaker: But I was so worried about money as a kid that I thought if I took them out of the box and wrapped them in tissue paper, that they would like be more valuable because I was like preserving them.
Speaker: And I was convinced that i was going to I was deeply aware from the jump that I was not going to be able to afford college when I was like five years old. You just knew that you, you at five years old, you I just think I, yeah it's like, I think maybe my parents were like, listen, you know, it's like, you're going nowhere, kid.
Speaker: like right gonna Like you're going to have get, like I just, from a young age, I was so worried about money. And so I remember getting toys and stuff and I'd be like, I can't play with them.
Speaker: I got to preserve them so that I can sell them. Oh no So I would take them out of the box I'd like wrap them. And then I'd like put them in like a towel and like duct tape them. And I'd be like, they're so preserved. And and and my and my thought was that, feel like I'm really telling on myself right now. My thought was like, oh, 20 years,
Speaker: I'll remove them from there the chest and then i'll I'll be rich or whatever. Turns out you need to leave them in the box. Yes. So the moment I opened them, I ruined it. It was over. So maybe I have a weird relationship with collecting things that goes much deeper.
Speaker: No. Okay. I learned that lesson too, because I, uh, speaking of power Rangers, there are specific, uh, toy that came out, which had the, uh, where the heads and the helmets would flip on the figure. So you can see their normal face and then the helmet.
Speaker: And I bought that and I, I don't remember who told me this, but they were like, Oh, you got to save that one because you know, like you said, 20 years later, that's going to be worth something. I could not wait. I was like agonizingly waiting to open that box. It was it was like sitting in my, was like the telltale heart where it's like you're like, it's sitting on the other side of my room. I'm watching that box. i was like, I'm gonna open it. I'm gonna open it. And then like three days later I opened it. I was like, I don't care. wanna play with my toys. So those things are worth nothing. now In fact, I think I had to sell them when we moved.
Speaker: The paint had chipped off and it was, yeah. Yeah. Well, next time you go back to Michigan, you got to maybe take kick those cards out and like go get them appraised or something. Follow Pokemon saga on this podcast. Yeah, we'll if we'll see you the one.
Speaker: What if you have like a $200,000 card at home? I would be shocked. I mean, i i that's the thing. i would want to give it to someone who actually wants it because they truly are just sitting in my room collecting dust. So they're not collecting dust. They're actually in... I bought the the booklet. So there's that they're actually in a sleeve and protected. So they've just been sitting in there for, what, 30 years? Based off of my very limited knowledge about Pokemon... If you got some old school first gen, you should get those checked out because there could be like genuinely, there could genuinely be some like valuable stuff in there. All right. to Contribute to the capitalism of it all. No, no. try it If you got a hundred grand that you're sitting on.
Speaker: Yeah, if that' I want to figure that out. because if And if they can go to someone who like truly wants them, I will gladly sell them to them. So if you're listening and you know some Pokemon card traders, hit us up. so we can Papa wouldn't needs to buy a house. so exactly Exactly. Yeah, I'm like, um what do I have? that i Yeah, all the stuff that I can sell is like...
Speaker: I have some camera gear, but you know, technology, the second you use it it, it depreciates like rapidly. So that said though, I am a big fan in general of, it's so funny. I've had this argument with not argument. It's in love with some folks on my Patreon, but they, they make fun of me because I am one who will frequently buy a thing. And if I don't, if I'm not vibing with it, I'll return that thing so fast. And I've done this. I bought an Xbox.
Speaker: I played star field. I went, that was fun. I'm never going to play Xbox again. And I took it back to Best Buy and I returned It was in the 30 day window. i kept the packaging and and people were like, that's like, there was like an ethical dilemma. I did the same with the Switch. I bought a Switch.
Speaker: I played Tears of the Kingdom. i had had a great time. i put like 30 hours into the game and then I went, I'm good. I'm never going to play. I'm never going to play Zelda ever again. and I returned the Switch and I returned Tears of the Kingdom.
Speaker: So I kept my PS five though. I did keep my PS five and that's because I realized, oh, this is the game system. I'll keep buying things on. But I, and I've done that with cameras. I've bought cameras, I've shot on them and I went, nah, not going to use it. So keep the box, keep the stuff, return it in mint condition. And I'm like, that's their policy.
Speaker: So I think this is also because we grew up in an era with blockbuster where you could rent games. um I don't know if we could rent systems from there, but I think certain libraries will let could rent systems. You could rent systems. And I think some libraries will do too. So I think I understand what people are arguing about, but also i think some of us are just used to the option of you can play this for a couple of days and then give it back.
Speaker: So Well, I'll give you an example. i'll give you another. You can let us know in the comments, the ethical ramifications of what I'm about to admit. We had to shoot something for this Miss Halloween project that Kim and I are making. There's a scene where a character has a chainsaw.
Speaker: Well, we don't own a chainsaw. So we went to Ace Hardware. Chainsaw, bought a chainsaw for about 500 bucks. Shot with it and went.
Speaker: okay, well, we're done. So we took it back and they were like, yeah, no worries. Okay. So we used it for about five minutes and we returned it. Oh, you think that's bad? Next time you look at a Halloween costume on amazon.com and it says that little thing with this item has a high return rate.
Speaker: Yeah. Understand that it's not because there's something wrong with the costume. It's that somebody wore it yeah yeah and returned it within the window that was specified for Amazon. 100%. So that's a much more egregious example of ethical wrongdoing than minutes of a chainsaw. I also say, tell me your thoughts on this.
Speaker: I have sort of a looseness with large corporations like Best Buy and Amazon that I maybe wouldn't like in the terms of like, hey, man, if you're going to send me this item and I'm not going to use it, I'll return it. I have no I feel no guilty conscience over that. Yeah. Versus like going to a.
Speaker: Somebody who makes handmade crafts and buying a thing and then like returning, like I wouldn't do that. And a, usually their policy doesn't allow that. So I'm like, right. I don't know. I'm like these, these businesses and companies have such a, such a high rate of return. Like it's built into their business. I'm like, it's not only that is that built in, but also they're banking on someone stealing shit from them.
Speaker: It's already written in like they have insurance for that. They're like, that's why they don't care. i mean, also, yeah, ah here here's what I'll say. I'm doing a favor when I buy an Xbox and I use it and then I return it in mint condition.
Speaker: Now it becomes a an item somebody else could buy for use. And I buy used all the time. In fact, I've only all the lenses I have, my camera lenses, I've only ever bought used.
Speaker: for like half the original price and they work beautifully. And I always go, thank God somebody else bought this and returned it. And now I get to buy it for 50% off and there's nothing wrong with it. So I'm doing the service.
Speaker: Yeah. So really you're, you're help stimulating the economy. So yeah thank you. Thank you, Kurt Mega. I'm doing my part. And I will do mine by selling my Pokemon cards to someone who wants them.
Speaker: are you goingnna ah Are you going to pre-order GTA 6? ah Can I make a confession? Yeah. I have never in my life played a Grand Theft Auto game.
Speaker: That's okay. That's okay. i for For some reason, i did I just haven't. I've missed it. Yeah. i I pre-ordered GTA 6 yesterday. i'm not I'm not proud to admit it, but our guest last week, Sinead Prasad, her husband does work for Rockstar. And if the game comes out and is in a financial success, he gets a bonus. So I literally texted Sinead and I was like, this is for Alec and you. And she's like, thank you for contributing to my theoretical future house fund. And I was like, glad to do it. Okay. So if we're supporting our friends, then maybe, maybe I'll just buy it, but then um I'll return it within 30 days.
Speaker: There you go. That is the one thing I, there are games I've bought that I immediately was like, Oh, I wish I could return this game. Amazing. um I know we got to run. So um anything you want to plug before we head out?
Speaker: Um, Oh, man. I would just... ah Oh, sure. We got two shows this summer. You're choreographing Poe Party. am. Tickets on sale for that for the second week. And then I'm doing Tomb Quest. Tickets just went on sale for that. so That's it.
Speaker: go that so see Go see live theater. That's cool. And then on my part, um ah today Dropout just released our episode. Yeah, congratulations. Parlor Room. So myself, Angela, ah Joey, Mariah, Lauren, we play Obama Llama and it's a very civilized game. No one gets mad. Everyone is so chill the entire time. No one raises their voice once. And if you can tell I'm lying, good for you. But yeah, it's on dropout. I think it airs technically. Oh, this will come out late. So yes just go on dropout. It'll be there.
Speaker: Congratulations on it. That's awesome. Thank you. It's it's a like really fun episode. Also, we filmed that. last year, I just realized. It's crazy. So the that it's coming out now, that's a whole lifetime ago. Anyway, all that to say, um if you'd like to reach out to us, you can always find us at sowhatareyouintopod at gmail.com.
Speaker: You can find us on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok at sowhatareyouintopod. This is James. That's Kurt. Thanks for listening. And once again, we always end this episode by saying, stay curious.
