Marx Brothers, Comedy, anti-Semitism, challenging students today with humor | Dr. Robert Weir #68 

Groucho, Zeppo, Gummo, Chico, and Harpo--also known as The Marx Brothers--not only changed the way we think of comedy, but they helped shape our modern notions of ci…

Cyberattacks, Hacking our Infrastructure, Losing our Civilization | Dr. Daniel Graham #67 

We are growing increasingly more nervous about how the digital tools around us are able to gain more access to our information and to our lives. Whether we are thinking abou…

Dancing with the Joker, Joaquin Phoenix, Mental Illness, Desensitized Violence | Liz Wayson #65 

For many people, the emblematic scene from Todd Philipps ' The Joker is Joaquin Phoenix 's iconic dance on the steps. If you've seen the film, however, you know that A…

ChatGPT, Cheating, Critical Thinking, and the Future of Humanity and AI | Dr. Teo Susnjak #65

ChatGPT has been discussed on quite the continuum: everywhere from a positive force for human evolution to the beginning of the end of humanity. Where do I stand on this …

Visual Thinking, Rebuilding the Trades, Animal Consciousness, Training AI | Dr. Temple Grandin #64

What is visual thinking? Are we devaluing the trades today to our own peril? Do we need to do a better job of getting our children out and playing with tools? My gue…

Amazon, and Selling our Culture and Freedom of Choice for 2-Day Shipping | Dr. Emily West #63 

Should we fear how much authority Amazon has over our culture? It's a difficult question. On one hand, you cannot deny what Jeff Bezos has done--bringing a company from …

Crisis in Men, Anger and Alienation in boys, What is Going on? | Dr. Robert Tyminski #62 

Is there a crisis in men and young boys? If so, what is causing this crisis? This week, our guest is Dr. Robert Tyminski. Robert has written a book that explores this questio…

Existentialism, Nihilism, Sartre, Nietzsche, and Living in bad Faith | Dr. Joel Smith #61 

If you love philosophy, this is the episode for you. Our guest for this episode is Dr. Joel Smith. He's a philosophy lecturer at the University of Manchester. He's written a…

Death of Batman (Kevin Conroy), End of Superman (Henry Cavill), Jetpulse Universe | Led Bradshaw #60 

Dear viewers, you're in for a treat today. We've got friend-of-the-show Led Bradshaw on to kick off season 3 of the podcast. Led has been on the show before to di…

2022 Great Literature in Conversation: Dracula, Ahab, Satan, Tolkien, Ulysses, and Dickens 

It has been quite a year for us at The Neutral Ground Podcast. In this first part of our year in review, I talk about the growth of our community, my goals for the next yea…

Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol - Why You Should Read the Actual Text | Dr. Joe Meyer #59

It's the season for Dickens' A Christmas Carol. With all of the various adaptations (Alistair Sim, Patrick Stewart, Muppets and Michael Cain) which one should you choose th…

Metaverse, Zuckerberg, and our Inevitable Move to a Digital Existence | Dr. Tim Gorichanaz #58

Are we holding this conversation in the Metaverse? No? Oh, okay then. This week we're going to be discussing dwelling in the Metaverse, Mark Zuckerberg's notion that it …

Marvel Cinematic Universe, Sacrificial Fathers, Religion, and Myth | Dr. Michael Nichols #57

What made those first three phases of the Marvel Cinematic Universe connect with people so much? Well, if you're familiar with The Neutral Ground Podcast, you might know …

Norman Cousins, Humanitarian, Atomic Weapons, JFK Speech on World Peace | Dr. Allen Pietrobon # 56 

Norman Cousins might just be the most important man of the Cold war that many have never heard of before. He was a pacifist who understood when war was the only way…

Losing the narrative, Homeric Psychology, Addiction and the need for Myth | Dr. Joel Christensen #55 

Can Greek mythology teach us about drug addiction? Or, can Homer help young adults today find their narrative direction? Although these are complex issues, I thin…

Incel Culture, Olivia Wilde take, Crisis in Young Male Identity | Drs. Sarah Daly and Shon Reed #54 

Incel (#incel) is a word that is thrown around a lot today, and, like many of the words we throw at each other today, what is behind the language is much more comp…

Can We Learn About Our Psychological Health from a Video Game? | Dr. Alex Kriss #53 

Do video games cause people to become more violent? This is a question that continues to come up whenever we deal with tragedies involving young people (especially young men) with…

A New Approach to Discussing Diversity through the Power of Enchantment | Chloé Valdary #52 

Our society is growing more polarized, despite our efforts to bring down the tension--and avoiding difficult discussions is simply not the answer. So, what can we do? Our …

Pursuing Wisdom over Intelligence | Jason Merchey #51 

Plato talked about how society will be in a better position when kings become philosophers or philosophers become kings. However, what exactly is it about philosophy that would make for great leadership? Our g…

Neomodern Despair, Awe, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe | Dr. Joe Meyer #50 

I can't believe this is episode 50 already. Time goes very quickly. As many of you know, I have been working on my book about Neomodernism. In this episode of the Neutral Ground Podcast…

Should we Fear the Collapse of Morals More than Physical Harm? | PJ Wehry #49 

It seems to be getting more difficult to find reasons to laugh today, so let us do it for you. Our guest this week on The Neutral Ground Podcast with Dr. Joe Meyer is PJ Wehry of the We…

Psychopaths and our Media Fascination with Evil | Dr. Elizabeth Howell and Dr. Sheldon Itzkowitz #48 

Millions of people are consuming podcasts, tv shows, and movies about the psychopathic killer. What does it mean? What is a psychopath exactly, and are they alway…

Tolkien, Psychoanalysis, and the Importance of Enchantment Today | Dr. John Rosegrant #47 

Fans of the works of J.R.R. Tolkien have long known about their ability to connect with individuals on a level beyond simply plot and character development. In fact, Tolkien…

Will Algorithms Dictate the Future of our Literature? | Dr. Elena Esposito #46 

Algorithms are everywhere. It's likely that one brought you to this video. And, depending on whether or not you like this episode, it might bring this video to someone else who will en…

The Big Bang: origins of the universe and other questions with a cosmologist | Dr. Will Kinney # 45 

How did the universe come into being? Was there much of a bang to the Big Bang? Is there a parallel universe out there where I like tiramisu? We answer at least tw…

Language and social coordination in a world trying to avoid labels | Dr. Nick Enfield #44 

Does language impact our ability to think? George Orwell seemed to think so. I ask this question to our guest this week: Dr. Nick Enfield. Dr. Enfield has written a fantasti…

Why James Joyce's Ulysses Matters 100 Years Later | Dr. Sam Slote #43 

2022 marks the 100-year anniversary of James Joyce's novel Ulysses. Why is this text still so widely read? What makes it such a difficult novel to read? I was first introduced to Joyce as an u…

Cybersecurity, Celebrity Hackers, and Global vs Domestic Cyberwars | Dr. Duane C Wilson #42 

It has been said that the next great world war will not be fought on land, sea, or air. It will be fought in the cyber world. If this is true, we will need all the help t…

The Anti Postmodern Author, Good vs Evil, and Unification in Suffering | Kevin M. Kraft # 41 

You've heard me discuss the importance of narrative reassurance in a neomodern sense. Our guest, Kevin M. Kraft, is a Neomodern author. He is writing character-driven sto…

Importance of What We Read to Children, Depictions of Fathers, and Positivity | Ashley Finley #40 

We all know that it is important to read to children from a young age; however, what we read is also important. It is understandable for parents today to be worried …

12 Angry Men and the Triumphant Journey of Author Reginald Rose | Dr. Phil Rosenzweig # 39 

12 Angry Men is often near the top of many lists of top 100 films. However, it was not always certain that this would become the classic that it has become. This week, our…

Masculinity, James Baldwin, and the Unexpected Insurgent | Dr. Marlon Ross #38 

How many roads must a man walk down before you can call him a man? This question remains at the heart of societies and cultures everywhere. Rituals, rites of passages, and cultural nor…

Video Games, Violence, and the Ethics of Fantasy | Dr. Christopher Bartel #37 

The conversation surrounding video games and violence has continued to be a polarizing topic, which makes Dr. Christopher Bartel's book a perfect addition to The Neutral Ground family. …

Russia-Ukraine War and Putin's Pull toward Narrative | Dr. Stephen Norris #36 

Is Putin being led by a pull toward narrative? What does that even mean? Putin is a student of history--specifically, he loves to talk about the exploits of various Russian figures in h…

The Hero Emerges, Standing in the Midst of Chaos, and the Origin of Jake Jetpulse | Led Bradshaw #35 

Who needs a hero? We all do. In times of great anxiety, depression, and cynicism, the hero reminds us of what is good in the world and what is worth fighting for.…

Moby-Dick's Captain Ahab, and a Warning We Need for Today| Dr. Joe Meyer #34 

Captain Ahab is not crazy; he's mad. That's not the same thing. In this episode of the Neutral Ground Podcast, we're going to take a look at chapter 132 of Herman Melville's classic Mob…

Salvation for the monstrous and the horror of being | Dr. Jon Greenaway #33 

Is there salvation for the monstrous? This is just one of the important questions we explore in this episode of the Neutral Ground Podcast with my guest Dr. Jonathan Greenaway. We talk ab…

The Business of Acting, Danger of Weapons on a Set, and Crafting a Laugh | Valorie Hubbard #32 

All the world is a stage this week on The Neutral Ground Podcast. My guest is actress Valorie Hubbard. Valorie has a whole host of credits: Castle, Marvel's Agent’s of …

Imitating Violence, Rene Girard's Reading of Nietzsche | Dr. Duane Armitage #31 

In this week's episode of The Neutral Ground Podcast, we discuss Dr. Duane Armitage's book: Philosophy's Violent Sacred. In the book, Armitage explores French philosopher Rene Girard…

Paradise Lost Book 4 Satan's Soliloquy Analysis | Dr. Joe Meyer #30 

In this extemporaneous reading of Satan's soliloquy from Book 4 of John Milton's Paradise Lost, we take a look at some of the more intriguing lines that show just how much Satan suffers under the…

The Neuroscience behind our Need for Narrative | Dr. Angus Fletcher #29 

My guest this week is Dr. Angus Fletcher. Dr. Fletcher is Professor at Ohio State University in the Project Narrative program. He has appeared on numerous podcasts, including Jordan B. Peters…

Harvey Korman, the actor, the comedian, the loving father | Christopher Korman #28 

The great actor/comedian Harvey Korman made a countless number of people laugh, cry, and cheer with the work that he did in movies like Blazing Saddles, History of the World: Part …

Faith and Science, Elon Musk's prayer, and Multiverse Madness | Dr Jeff Zweerink #27 

Who's afraid of the multiverse? Are there ways to reconcile faith and science? Can doing so actually strengthen both? My guest on this episode of The Neutral Ground Podcast is…

Critical Thinking, The Rhetoric of CNN vs Joe Rogan, and Rethinking Higher Ed | Jonathan Haber 

Rest in peace, Mr. Haber. Thank you for coming on the show and making the world a little saner. 

In this first episode of season 2, we take on a heavy topic: critical …

The Most Valuable information I learned in 2021 as a Podcast Host | #25 

From the podcasting rhetorics of Joe Rogan to a Holocaust survivor's story, I was incredibly fortunate to have been able to share some time with some incredible guests in this first season of…

Holocaust Survivor, to Earning a PhD, to Speaking for the Animals | with Dr. Alex Hershaft | #24 

Dr. Alex Hershaft, a Holocaust survivor, can still vividly recall seeing the wall being built in Warsaw, Poland when he was just a young man. To hear his story is to …

Rock Stars, Superstar Athletes, and Bringing People Together through Song | with David Fishof | #23 

In this episode of the Neutral Ground Podcast, I'm joined by quite the impressive guest: David Fishof. David has led multiple lives. He was a sports agent for the …

Deep Fake Problems, Selling our Privacy, and the True Price of our Data| with Michael Fienen | #22 

In this episode of The Neutral Ground Podcast, we're joined by Michael Fienen, a truly unique individual with a lot of experience developing tools for the internet.…

What is an Eternal Soldier and How Can it Help Me? | with Max Brown and Bridget Murnaghan | #21 

This is a special episode of The Neutral Ground Podcast. I have two guests: Dr. Kimberly "Max" Brown and Dr. Bridget Murnaghan. We're going to talk about the important…

Can We use Philosophy to Solve our Neomodern Troubles of Today| with PJ Wehry | #20 

In this episode of The Neutral Ground Podcast with Dr. Joe Meyer, I sit down with PJ Wehry, co-founder of Candid Goat Productions, which serves two exceptional podcasts: Chasing L…

How do we Find Meaning in all the Madness of Life? Through Careful Study | with Matthew Munroe | #19 

In this episode of The Neutral Ground Podcast, I speak with Matthew Munroe of the Quotations podcast. We talk about the important of language and how it shapes th…

From Whoomp, There it is! to Geico Sprinkles | with Musician/Actor DC Glenn | #18 

In this episode of The Neutral Ground Podcast, I am incredibly excited to sit down with musician and actor DC "The Brain Supreme" Glenn. DC is one part of the musical group Tag Team…

Fighting the War not Seen: Helping Veterans Return Home | with Dr. Tim Overton | #17 

In this episode of The Neutral Ground Podcast, I speak with Dr. Tim Overton. We grapple with the reasons why many veterans find it difficult to reach out for help; we discuss the…

Veteran, Father, Businessman, Motivator, and Philosopher of Leadership| with Ben Killoy | #16 

In this episode of The Neutral Ground Podcast, I speak with veteran Ben Killoy, host of two incredibly important podcasts: The Military Veteran Dad podcast, and The Busi…

Women of the Military, Motherhood, Mental Health, and Diversity | with Amanda Huffman | #15 

In this episode of The Neutral Ground Podcast, I have a conversation with Amanda Huffman. Amanda is a military spouse and veteran who served in the Air Force for six years…

The Dire Messages from History and Literature About Supporting our Veterans | an Introduction | #14 

In this episode of The Neutral Ground Podcast, we begin our month-long conversation on how we can best support veterans in need of support. With the end of the Afg…

Comic Books and our Growing Need for Examples of Heroism Today | with Nick Gibson | #13 

In this episode of the Neutral Ground Podcast, my guest, Nick Gibson, and I discuss a myriad of topics. We hit upon what comic books bring to the cultural landscape; we talk…

Norm Macdonald Said What to You?, And is He Really a Comedian's Comedian? | With Scott Hiam | #12 

In this episode, I'm joined by my good friend Scott Hiam. We're going to take a look at the impact of the life of comedian Norm Macdonald. I will tell my story of th…

Practical Ways to Deal with Anxiety, Depression, and Obsession | With Therapist Laurie Singer | #11 

I do apologize upfront for some of the audio issues. We were having some difficulty maintaining a strong internet connection. In this episode of the Neutral Ground…

Sublime Experiences Are 0ur Greatest Weapons Against Divisiveness | #10 

This week, we're going to get sublime. Truly sublime language can move us in ways that we are unprepared for. It's a kind of power that we need more and more of today--we need things that pla…

Joe Rogan vs Bill Burr and Making Sense of Podcasting Rhetorics | with Dr. Matthew Jacobson | #9 

I am excited to introduce the first guest of the Neutral Ground Podcast: Doctor Matthew Jacobson. Dr. Jacobson did his PhD at the University of Oklahoma. His research…

Defending our Sacred Spaces Against the Onslaught of Personal Attacks in Neomodernism | #8 

This is the final episode of our three-part series on the defining traits of Neomodernism thus far. We're going to talk about the yearning to define and create sacred space…

Psychedelic Experiences, Meditation, and Why We Desperately Need to Transcend the Body | #7 

This is part two of our important traits of Neomodernism series. We're going to discuss our need to transcend the corporeal (the body). We'll talk a little Captain Ahab fr…

Shakespeare's Iago is Evil, right? | Our Narratives are Corrupted by Our Neomodern Selves | #6 

In this episode of the Neutral Ground Podcast, I'm going to start a three-part series where we take a more in-depth look into the three traits that I believe are at the…

Why We Struggle To Find Meaning Today| What Is Neomodernism And Why Does It Matter? | #5 

This is the last episode for our mini series on historical movements. We've finally arrived at the movement of today: Neomodernism. What is it? What does it mean? We've got a…

The Joke That Went Too Far | Family Guy, South Park, And A Postmodern Question | #4 

Does your humor have a line that you won't cross? In this episode, we're going to talk about the pop cultural side of Postmodernism. We'll discuss I Love Lucy, Nat King Cole, Fami…

Postmodernism, Is It All Bad? No And Yes | #3 

In this episode, we leave the Modernist world behind and enter into Postmodernism. Postmodernism can be a difficult concept to define because built within it's definition is that it's skeptical of definitions. We're g…

The Fracturing Of A Species | Reconsidering What It Means To Be Human In Modernism | #2 

In this episode, we're going to take a look at Modernism, the historical movement that gave us "the greatest generation." We'll talk about how this movement led to fracturing …

Why are we so angry today? | Historical Movement Theory | #1 

In this first episode of the Neutral Ground Podcast, I take a little bit of time to introduce myself so that you can start to get to know me a little bit better. I’ll talk about my background in educati…