The Best Debate in the Universe

THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: Conservative commentator, Milo Yiannopoulos got banned permanently from Twitter recently for targeting Ghostbusters actress, Leslie Jones, to online harassment and abuse. The question this week is: IS IT GOOD TO BAN PEOPLE WHO HARASS OTEHRS OR IS IT A VIOLATION OF FREE SPEECH? BANNING IS SOMETIMES NECESSARY or VIOLATION OF FREE SPEECH? I'm joined by the Dating Advice Girl, Erin Tillman this week. She's a dating expert and radio show host on 99.3 KCLA FM, voted one of the 10 best dating shows in 2013. Erin was banned from Tinder a while back, and we get a surprising concession during this episode. Also, satirist Rucka Rucka Ali is back dropping wisdom and terrorizing the studio with a false-shirt operation. A caller noticed the resemblance between Rucka and the character Scooter from Borderlands. We discuss the Twitter ban of Milo Yiannopoulos for harassing Leslie Jones on Twitter. Was it a fair ban? Does it matter when it comes to a private corporation? Or is the alt-right's outrage to this a little too alt-righteous? After all, isn't part of the complaint against the tumblr generation is that they're offended too easily and too often? Why all the outrage? Or is the outrage justified because we don't know if Twitter was self-consistent with their own policies, as there was no transparent arbitration process and no clear reason for the exact violation that triggered his banning. We have a spirited debate about free speech and the implications of this ban. And speaking of free speech, some Starbucks baristas are refusing to write #BlackLivesMatter on their cups when customers request it, in order to not take a stand on racial issues... coming from a company that had the "Race Together" campaign last year, which encouraged its customers to have a "conversation about race" in its stores. I think all the typical Starbucks customer only cares about #BlackCoffeeMatters. Boom. Plus, I received about a billion "corrections" about the evolution of Koffing into Haunter. The voicemail number is: 1-562-58-I-RULE (1-562-584-7853). madcastmedia.com Sources: NPR - Twitter Permanently Suspends Conservative Writer For Targeted Abuse - http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/07/20/486726291/twitter-permanently-suspends-conservative-writer-for-targeted-abuse Observer - Michael Malice's article about Twitter's Stalinist unpersoning of Milo Yiannopolous - http://observer.com/2016/07/twitters-stalinist-unpersoning-of-gay-provocatuer-milo-yiannopolous/ Quartz - Firing Roger Ailes and exiling Milo isn't going to fix much of anything - http://qz.com/739364/firing-roger-ailes-and-exiling-milo-yiannopoulos-isnt-going-to-fix-much-of-anything/ Independent.co.uk - Suspending Milo's account has played the man rather than the ball (supplementary reading) - http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/in-suspending-milo-yiannopoulos-account-twitter-has-played-the-man-rather-than-the-ball-a7146901.html India Times - Wikileaks threatens Twitter to start its own micro-blogging service - http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/internet/wikileaks-threatens-twitter-to-start-own-micro-blogging-service/articleshow/53332257.cms Mic - Starbucks barista refuses to write #BlackLivesMatter on woman's cup - https://mic.com/articles/148633/starbucks-barista-refuses-to-write-black-lives-matter-on-woman-s-coffee-cup#.iOAss9Mcv Daily Caller - Teacher who had threesome with student responds to lawsuit - http://dailycaller.com/2016/07/23/teacher-who-traumatized-male-teen-during-9-hour-threesome-responds-to-lawsuit-with-sick-allegations/ "Mining by Moonlight" and "Music to Delight" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

This week, we debate the decision to make Sulu in the upcoming Star Trek movie gay. Surprisingly, one of the biggest critics of the decision comes from George Takei himself—the actor who played the original character—which is surprising because he's gay in real life. Takei wants to see more gay characters, but without changing the existing ones. I disagree, it's 2016, so everyone in 2259 should be gay and Paul Feig should direct. This week I'm joined by the beautiful and talented, Jacqui Duncan. She's an actress, comedian and voiceover artist. And she's in search of a husband because unless she gets a green card, she's being deported back to Australia at the end of this month. She describes her ideal man in this episode, and maybe this is just my ego talking, but it sounds exactly like me. https://www.instagram.com/jacquiduncan/ I'm also joined by Rucka Rucka Ali, who thinks t-shirts grow on trees. There are no free shirts, stop asking. It was a stupid joke. The debate this week is about Pokemon Go: it has over 65 million downloads, so naturally it's going to have its critics. I masterfully debate both sides of the issue, for and against the phenomenon. Speaking of, here's the clip of the guy who falls into a pond while playing Pokemon Go: https://youtu.be/LzPtFz-baMg And here's a news clip about the cop who lodges a bullet into the chamber of a guy who tried to rob him. The 9 News anchor from the episode claims, "this was effective." (Note: the video clip is from TOMO News, not 9 News) https://youtu.be/h77Q0OkWtAM The voicemail number is: 1-562-58-I-RULE (1-562-584-7853). And finally, here are all the sources I used for this episode. They're definitely worth checking out on this episode for some of the video clips alone: Thumbnail courtesy of Ali Hassanein (http://www.alihassanein.com/) madcastmedia.com Sources: ABC 15 - Singles using Pokemon Go to meet and have awesome Poke-sex - http://www.abc15.com/entertainment/events/friday-valley-singles-to-meet-in-tempe-for-pokemon-go-meet-up-event Endgadget - The mental-health ramifications of Pokemon Go - https://www.engadget.com/2016/07/13/pokemon-go-mental-health-science/ Chicago Tribune - Pokemon Go may even make families tolerable - http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/ct-pokemon-go-keilman-column-hf-0720-20160714-column.html Fortune - Pokemon Go may be the next big marketing tool (hint: it already is) - http://fortune.com/2016/07/14/pokemon-go-next-big-marketing-tool/ Fox News - Death by Pokemon & public safety concerns - http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2016/07/14/death-by-pokemon-public-safety-fears-mount-as-pokemon-go-craze-continues.html CNET - Google Maps to add Pokemon stops - http://www.cnet.com/videos/google-maps-how-to-add-stops/ Baltimore Sun - The price of Pokemon Go - http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bs-ed-pokemon-privacy-20160714-story.html BBC - Eagle tries to carry off Australian boy. Good - http://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-36771205 9 News - Deputy fires shot directly into barrel of robber's gun - http://www.9news.com/news/local/a-closer-look-at-the-one-in-a-billion-shot/273877219 "Mining by Moonlight" and "Music to Delight" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

This week, we debate the decision to make Sulu in the upcoming Star Trek movie gay. Surprisingly, one of the biggest critics of the decision comes from George Takei himself—the actor who played the original character—which is surprising because he's gay in real life. Takei wants to see more gay characters, but without changing the existing ones. I disagree, it's 2016, so everyone in 2259 should be gay and Paul Feig should direct. I'm joined by Ryan Holiday and Robin Higgins this week. Ryan Holiday's new book is out where he talks about how ego is holding most of us back. It's the force that magnifies failures and makes recovery much more difficult. It's a fascinating read: https://www.amazon.com/Ego-Enemy-Ryan-Holiday/dp/1591847818/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1468237769&sr=8-1&keywords=ego+is+the+way&linkCode=li2&tag=bpitu-20&linkId=4142d8667e8061443a69080a583fb3f6 Comedian Robin Higgins also joins this week, with her Jane Bond fantasy and a new video she produced and animated herself, "5 Minute Time Machine:" https://youtu.be/Vmg1O2xACOY And finally, here's the full rambling interview with Lil Boosie, a rapper with rants that precede his music: https://youtu.be/E7L4V-CbdoQ Voicemail Number: 1-562-58-I-RULE (1-562-584-7853) madcastmedia.com Sources: Hollywood Reporter - George Takei reacts to news of the gay Sulu - http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/george-takei-reacts-gay-sulu-909154 Time.com - Gene Roddenberry's son Rod says it's a cop-out - http://time.com/4396436/star-trek-lgbt-john-cho/ LA Times - Indiana man with cache of weapons caught headed to Pride festival - http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-gay-pride-la-weapons-20160612-snap-story.html KTLA - Gay slurs shouted at man attacked in West Hollywood - http://ktla.com/2015/01/20/man-attacked-in-west-hollywood-by-men-shouting-racial-gay-slurs/ ABC News - Boston cabbie returns $187k in cash - http://abcnews.go.com/US/boston-cab-driver-returns-187k-cash-left-passenger/story?id=40360263 NY Daily News - Boston cabbie disappointed at $100 reward for returning $187k in cash - http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/boston-cabbie-returned-lost-187g-disappointed-100-reward-article-1.2700307 Telegraph.co.uk - Husbands who fly first class while their wives travel in economy - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/news/husbands-who-always-fly-business-class-while-wives-travel-in-economy/ "Mining by Moonlight" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ "Music to Delight" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

This week's debate involves a despicable type of human: a person who presents themselves as an angel in the public eye, but is secretly heinous. The person? Michelle Carter, who encouraged a boy she was dating to take his life. Is she to blame? Let's ask Charles Manson about influencing people to do things. We also discuss the autopilot Tesla car that crashed, and WTAE news anchor, Wendy Bell who's tired of being discriminated against for saying things only blacks can get away with. I'm joined by Robin Higgins and Mikey Bolts this week. Robin's new book, "We Don't Think You're Racist" is out with a cameo by yours truly. What a hero. Here's Mikey Bolts' incredible Eminem Rap God rendition with over 19 million views, which is more than the population of The Netherlands and Kazakhstan: https://youtu.be/BXd7a87fM_s And finally, my E3 wrap-up video is released: https://youtu.be/Sb1QfkXtAWw Voicemail Number: 1-562-58-I-RULE (1-562-584-7853) madcastmedia.com Sources: Washington Post - "It's now or never..." texts from Michelle Carter - https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/08/31/its-now-or-never-texts-reveal-teens-efforts-to-pressure-boyfriend-into-suicide/?tid=a_inl Findlaw.com - Case of Melchert-Dinkel and his posing as a nurse to encourage suicide - http://caselaw.findlaw.com/mn-supreme-court/1660689.html Washington Post - Roy had a history of depression - https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/07/02/i-mean-youre-about-to-die-teen-who-urged-boyfriend-to-kill-himself-will-stand-trial/?tid=sm_fb NY Post - Tesla driver killed in autopilot crash while allegedly watching Harry Potter - http://nypost.com/2016/07/02/tesla-driver-killed-in-autopilot-crash-was-watching-harry-potter/ Trib Live - Wendy Bell sues WTAE for racial discrimination - http://triblive.com/mobile/10663728-96/bell-fired-wtae "Mining by Moonlight" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ "Music to Delight" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Car - Azreey - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Car_accident_-_NSE_Malaysia.jpg

This week: the UK bids adiEU to the European Union. Was it a sick-ass diss in the face of overbearing regulation and heavy-handed immigration policies, or was it fiscal suicide, throwing the currency into free-fall with no guaranteed economic advantages? I'm joined by the brilliant Lord Matthew from JOQ--one of the handful of 3-letter domains in existence, and the badass behind the development of the network features announced in this episode. I'm also joined by the ball-and-gut busting comedian, Ron Babcock. I think this video of Ron tells you all you need to know about him: Also, here's the video I shot with Joe for Joe Goes from last week, where I slam-dunked my rhetorical ball sack all over the video: And my good friend and E3 correspondent, Tom Philips from Game Obliterator sent me his own E3 wrap-up all throughout the episode. Voicemail Number: 1-562-58-I-RULE (1-562-584-7853) madcastmedia.com Sources: BBC - The UK has decided to leave the European Union - http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-eu-referendum-36574526 MarketWatch - 5 arguments why UK should vote for a Brexit and 5 against - http://www.marketwatch.com/story/5-arguments-why-uk-should-vote-for-a-brexit-and-5-against-2016-04-29/print AP - Bendy bananas and cucumbers that might tear up your puss without EU regulations - http://bigstory.ap.org/article/05d95f0c28b249bc8e848e66c7aef080/benefits-bendy-bananas-fact-checking-uks-eu-debate Independent.co.uk - Many leave voters are experiencing BREGRET - http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-anger-bregret-leave-voters-protest-vote-thought-uk-stay-in-eu-remain-win-a7102516.html Financial Times - Banks start shifting resources to the EU - http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/a3a92744-3a52-11e6-9a05-82a9b15a8ee7.html#axzz4Cc9qwBHB Reuters - Bankers are advising companies not to move forward with IPOs and big-ticket purchases for at least the rest of 2016 - http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-britain-eu-banks-idUKKCN0Z92G6 "Mining by Moonlight" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ "Music to Delight" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Things at Disney World: Florida that would be helpful for guests to know: nearest elevator, wi-fi code, ice location and the fact that their lagoon is teeming with gators. This week: alligators and kids. Who wins? Turns out, alligators. A family checked into the Disney World resort in Florida and their son was attacked by a gator. People were quick to blame the parents, but according to reports, Disney had no signs posted about alligators. Definitely worth knocking a star or two off the review. I'm joined by Joe Hanson from the Joe Goes show as moderator this week. We did a debate video together which will be posted on his channel and here as soon as it's finished. Spoiler: I win everything. Not sure about Disney's culpability in this gator attack? Here's a video of a Disney employee warding off a gator near Splash Mountain: https://youtu.be/ZONXg4QRSDA I also talk about some very deep and specific Armenian stereotypes at the top of the show. Got any more? Sound off here: 1-562-58-I-RULE (1-562-584-7853). Also, stay tuned to this page for my E3 wrap-up video. I'll post it as soon as it's live this week. Sources: ABC News - http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/nebraska-family-devastated-fatal-gator-attack-disney-39927671 - Nebraska family's fatal gator attack Romper.com - https://www.romper.com/p/this-is-the-wrong-reaction-to-the-disney-alligator-attack-heres-what-we-can-do-instead-12546 - What actually happened at the Disney resort News10 - http://news10.com/2016/06/15/local-family-says-disney-didnt-warn-them-of-alligator-risk-during-recent-trip/ - Family says Disney didn't warn them of alligator risks CNN - http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/15/us/alligator-attacks-child-disney-florida/ - Alligator attacks child at Disney Florida (video) CNN - http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/06/us/harambe-gorilla-death-investigation/ - Parents exonerated in Harambe gorilla death "Mining by Moonlight" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ "Music to Delight" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ "Tick-Tock the Crocodile" is property of Disney, and is used under the fair use doctrine for commentary, news and criticism. All applicable copyrights and trademarks belong to their respective owners. madcastmedia.com

This week: the Patient Right-To-Die act, my psychotic neighbor assaults someone with a bottle (and I brought in the audio of it), and I'm joined by satirist, Rucka Rucka Ali who moderates the debate. In short, the Patient Right-To-Die act is a law that lets people who are terminally ill and suffering to end their lives legally (or for doctors to prescribe them lethal, pain-free medication). The law passed, but has 15 stipulations and requirements before people can exercise this right (legally anyway). I give a hearty argument for both sides of the debate, and suggest the law should be extended to people suffering from non-stop Game of Thrones tweets. But all joking aside, if you or someone you know is having suicidal ideation, please call 1-800-273-8255. And the saga with my neighbor continues... my psychotic neighbor who, in the past has sprayed water into my open car window, punched me in the chest and chased an Amazon delivery girl around the block has, now sunk to a new low: she assaulted someone with a bottle. It's easy to dismiss her as simply being "crazy," but there's method to her madness because when I've called the police on her in the past, she immediately pretends to be normal as soon as the cops arrive, but the second they leave or even turn their back to her, she goes right back to being a bitch. I suspect her shitty behavior has more to do with alcohol than dementia. Also Rucka gives us a sneak-preview of his new song, "Everything is Racist." Very funny and apropos song for the climate we live in today. Rucka moderates the debate and has his own buzzer to use when he wants to call me out. Spoiler: there's no need to use the buzzer ever, but he finds a way. VOICEMAIL NUMBER: 1-562-58-I-RULE (1-562-584-7853). madcastmedia.com Sources: ABC7 - http://abc7.com/news/right-to-die-law-takes-effect-in-california-presents-challenges/1380656/ PBS - http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/body/hippocratic-oath-today.html "Mining by Moonlight" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ "Music to Delight" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Welcome to the debut episode of The Best Debate in the Universe. This is a show that covers more topical and current news stories. It's a show that's more about you than it is about me because A) I'm perfect, and B) I'm conducting an experiment to see if you idiots can think rationally after being presented with both sides of an issue, and not just your echo chamber. Tired of seeing shitty debates in online forums devolve into name-calling, flame wars and lost friends? Ever wonder if anyone can ever be persuaded by the other side? That's what this show is all about because I am the only person qualified to argue counter to myself. I'm like the Hawking, Einstein and Feynman of debate, if they were smarter. For the first episode, I tackle two huge recent controversies in the news: the "soft sexism" of the new Ghostbusters movie and the audacity of Fox to market an X-Men, a fictional universe in which a telekinetic, immortal alien chokes out a a shapeshifting superhuman. I also dicsuss The Angry Video Game Nerd's refusal to see the new Ghostbusters 2016 movie because it looks like shit. Who knew not seeing it was an option? madcastmedia.com Sources: Hollywood Reporter - http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/rambling-reporter/rose-mcgowan-calls-x-men-898538 BirthMoviesDeath.com - http://birthmoviesdeath.com/2016/05/18/the-soft-sexism-of-hating-on-the-new-ghostbusters