Serious Inquiries Only

***For $30 off your first week of HelloFresh, visit HelloFresh.com and enter seriouspod30! Michael Marshall is the host of Be Reasonable and co-host of Skeptics with a K. He is heavily involved in the UK Skeptic movement, and has been somewhat alarmed by the state of movement atheism in the US. We talk about some of the differences and possible reasons for them. Later in the show, he takes us through a very difficult article he co-wrote about Jonathan Bryan - a child with severe brain damage who seems to be able to read and write at a precocious level... but only using facilitated communication. It's a sensitive story but one where skepticism is sorely needed. Here's the awful, racist Sargon clip I referenced. Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support the show at seriouspod.com/support! Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

Today I'm joined by Jaclyn Friedman! From her website: She is a writer, speaker and activist, and creator of the hit books Yes Means Yes: Visions of Female Sexual Power and a World Without Rape (one of Publishers’ Weekly’s Top 100 Books of 2009, and #11 on Ms. Magazine’s Top 100 Feminist Nonfiction of All Time list) and What You Really Really Want: The Smart Girl’s Shame-Free Guide to Sex & Safety. Her podcast, Unscrewed, is paving new paths to sexual liberation, and was named one of the Best Sex Podcasts by both Marie Claire and Esquire. Check out these articles she has written, in particular: Vox Article on Aziz Ansari; New York Times Opinion on Consent Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support the show at seriouspod.com/support! Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com   Direct Download

Every atheist's favorite Christian, Jordan B. Peterson, went on Channel 4 News and had a heated exchange with Cathy Newman. Though she made some good points, Newman's technique centered around replying with "..so you're saying.." and then straw man Peterson. So what was he actually saying? Is there a better way of trying to engage with people like Peterson or should we not bother at all? Joining me to sift through Peterson's paranoid nonsense about gender and postmodernism is philosopher Aaron Rabi of the Embrace the Void podcast! Here are some excellent links to check out: Claudia Goldin on Gender Equality; Globe and Mail Write Up on Peterson Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support the show at seriouspod.com/support! Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com Direct Download

You might laugh, but it happened in Rhode Island! My two guests, Dr. Manisha Shah and Dr. Scott Cunningham, did an extensive study on the results. It's called "Decriminalizing Indoor Prostitution: Implications for Sexual Violence and Public Health." What happened might surprise you! Special thanks to Lydia for arranging this recording! Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support the show at seriouspod.com/support! Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com   Direct Download

The last episode, the debate between Chris and Tracey on the Aziz Ansari incident, caused a decent amount of controversy. Many women were frustrated by Chris and also felt like we didn't need to hear from another male on this issue. I talk about these valid concerns and what I was trying to do with this episode and in general. This first half is very meta and involves working through criticism, so if that's not something you're interested in, please skip to 26:40 because there are two incredible recordings from women who wanted to share. They are a must listen. Also btw there's more to the Garrison Keillor story. Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support the show at seriouspod.com/support! Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com Direct Download

Where does the Babe.net article on Aziz Ansari land on the spectrum of #metoo moments? Are the old-school feminists correct when they say women ought to say no and call a cab? Today's episode is a discussion between two people who come out on different ends of some of these questions. It's an attempt to find some common ground and understanding on a very important issue. Note: This episode contains strong language and discussion of sexual activity. Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support the show at seriouspod.com/support! Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

***For $30 off your first week of HelloFresh, visit HelloFresh.com and enter seriouspod30! Today's episode begins with some thoughts on what can be a moral blindspot when it comes to fat shaming and looks shaming Trump. Is there a way to hit all the criticism we want to while not unnecessarily insulting and offending innocent bystanders? I think so, and I outline my case. Then I go through several listener voicemails! They cover a range of recent topics from reparations to Sam Harris. Athletes with Trump's Weight and Height; The Case for Reparations Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support the show at seriouspod.com/support! Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

Andrew Torrez joins me from world-famous podcast Opening Arguments to break down the James Damore lawsuit against Google! Is it the most important lawsuit in modern history as some have called it? You'll have to listen to find out! Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support the show at seriouspod.com/support! Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com Direct Download

*I mention Eiynah as the one who sent me the video. I just want to emphasize she had the full context and I didn't mean to imply she was spreading the fake news version without thinking. She has a great thread on it here. Recently, an edited video circulated and caused an uproar among liberals. It features Steven Pinker seeming to praise the intelligence of the alt-right and asserting that there are certain "truths" to be found there. Is there more to the story? Always. But it doesn't mean he isn't still wrong about stuff. I talk about that video and a few others of his that I've analyzed, including an incredibly frustrating one called "Why Do Progressives Hate Progress?" (this video features absolutely zero examples of progressives hating progress.) Full Redpill Video; Free Speech Video; Progressives Hate Progress Video; PZ Myers Post; Quora Article on Larry Summers; Pinker's Self Confessed Political Leanings; Shaun King on Why US Isn't the Best; US Life Expectancy Down; How Liberal Are Professors; BREW CITY BENEFIT!! Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support the show at seriouspod.com/support! Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com Direct Download

Is Twitter real life? Tom from Cognitive Dissonance is here with me to talk about his philosophy on dealing with criticism and unpleasant people online. It's very zen and interesting, but is it something you and I would be able to adopt? Then we move on to the broader topic of the morphing of analog and digital lives and how the world is changing. Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support the show at seriouspod.com/support! Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com