My Views Are My Own

Another Nashville Episode? With Kaelin Denton

Doug and Kaelin set out to answer the question that seems to be on everyone's minds: Should I move to Nashville?? Together, they dispel some myths about Nashville, take a deep dive into several news articles, and analyze some claims about whether or not the city should be considered a hotspot. While Doug responds to this burning question with a resounding "NO" and proceeds to get out of his rocking chair to tell everybody how Old Nashville used to be, Kaelin responds with a resounding "maybe" and acts as the voice of reason. We discuss the ridiculous rise in housing costs and rent, why Nashville is indeed a good city for music, how nearly all of Doug's favorite places have been bulldozed, and how the first fur trapper to move to Nashville lived in a place called the Demonbreun Cave.

Mother Father Sister Brother Frank

In this episode, filmmaker Caden Douglas joins me to talk about his new horror comedy film "Mother Father Sister Brother Frank," the keys to writing great dialogue, the role of set design in creating the right mood for a scene, and the joys of witnessing great stunt work. We also talk about several activities that can either bring a family together or tear them apart. 

Sign the Show with Cat Brewer

Filmmaker and educator Cat Brewer joins me on the podcast to discuss her award-winning documentary feature film Sign the Show, which tells the story of American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters at live performances. The film aims to amplify voices in the deaf and hard of hearing community and raise awareness about the quest for access to live entertainment events, including music performances, comedy shows, and more. The film was recently released in April 2024 in celebration of National Deaf Awareness Month. Sign the Show combines informative storytelling with humorous and heartfelt conversations, educating audiences about the need for ASL interpretation at live events, the ways interpreters creatively overcome challenges, and the important difference this type of accessibility makes for event attendees. Cat shares amazing stories with me about the filmmaking process, including meeting Andre 3000 from Outkast and his enthusiasm for bringing sign language accessibility to his live performances, and about her interactions with Matt Maxey, who interprets live shows for Chance the Rapper and several other performers. I share some of my favorite stories from the film, including how Maxey describes how he creatively interprets slang terms in lyrics such as "lit" and "trap" to Waka Flocka Flame, who is also an executive producer of the documentary. 

Want to See a Cool Trick?

In this episode, I am joined by the phenomenal magician Gabriella Lester. Gabriella started her magic career at the age of ten, performed Houdini's legendary straight jacket escape at 14, and by 20 years old she had been featured in the New York Times as one of the most important women in magic, making her mark in a male-dominated industry. We discuss why being fooled by up-close magic is so entertaining and brings out your inner child, how she maintains control over the show even when audience participants get a bit unruly, and some of the most daring plans she has for her future in magic performances. We also talk about the mentalism branch of magic and I'm pretty sure I get mentalized into conducting a better interview than I usually would. Woohoo! Sorry, she mentalized me into saying that word. Gabriella is also a serious dirt bike and motorcycle expert and we talk about how that could possibly be integrated into one of her future magic shows. 

A Jackass, a Whalecock, and a Big Brother Walk into a Bar

Dave Carnie is the former Editor-In-Chief of Big Brother Magazine, one of the co-creators of MTV's Jackass, the owner of Whalecock Skateboarding, the proud father of two dachshunds, and my new favorite pen pal. He joins me on the show to talk about his experience writing and working with the greatest magazine in the world and how it launched the hit TV show and movie franchise Jackass, featuring Chris Pontius, Steve-O, and Johnny Knoxville. We discuss how dachshunds are particularly talented at hunting badgers, and how in German, dachshund means "badger dog." My dog is part dachshund too, so we have that in common (part of why we are such great pen pals). We also discuss his time working at a highly successful magazine that broke all the rules and how he has continued to seek creativity through art throughout his career. I share how Dave Carnie inspired me as both a skateboarder and a writer. Turns out you should meet your heroes! All this and more on this week's episode.

Fear of the Unknown

In this episode, I am joined by Marina Pirkle, a clinical hypnotherapist, shamanic healer, and spiritual coach who has traveled the world to study under some of the most powerful healers across the globe. Marina shared with me how the mind is capable of healing most anything, why guilt is often attached to grief, and how our psychological reality can affect our physical well-being. We talk about our beliefs on the spiritual realm and why people find it so frightening (and why they shouldn't), and how she worked as a spirit guide at one of the most haunted locations in America, the Stanley Hotel. Marina also explains to me how hypnotherapy works and shares several examples of how this practice has helped people heal in remarkable ways. 

The Craig Kelly Story with Eric Blehm

In this episode, I am joined by New York Times best-selling author, journalist, and former Editor in Chief of Transworld Snowboarding Magazine Eric Blehm to discuss legendary pioneer snowboarder Craig Kelly. Craig Kelly is arguably the most influential snowboarder of all time. Eric's new book, "The Darkest White: A Mountain Legend and the Avalanche That Took Him," explores the life and legend of Craig Kelly and the controversy surrounding his untimely death in an avalanche. Eric shares with me several firsthand stories of what it was like to snowboard with Craig Kelly and the life philosophy that Kelly lived by.

It's a Penguin Attack!

In this episode, I am joined by sci-fi author and penguin enthusiast Kris Bird to discuss her new book series, everything about emperor penguins, and why Benedict Cumberbatch struggles to say the word "penguin." We consult two important sources - the Wildlife Federation and Buzzfeed - to measure Kris' immense expertise on penguins, and we discuss one of my favorite GWAR songs on the same topic. We also name our top picks for the most anticipated films of 2024, and Kris drops some big news about her Time Bender series that may or may not rhyme with Shmetflix. We also solve all of the issues regarding Big Pharma and explain the top ways to fight back through an epic Mad Lib story. 

Taking Real Action Toward Protecting Endangered Species with Ian Redmond

In this episode, I am joined by internationally renowned conservationist Ian Redmond who has more than 45 years of experience ranging from field research to developing anti-poaching policy for the United Nations. Ian is the Head of Conservation at Ecoflix and is an ambassador for the UN's Convention on Migratory Species. 

Ian takes me on a journey through his work to protect endangered species including working with Dian Fossey on creating the film Gorillas in the Mist and being the first to introduce Sir David Attenborough to gorillas back when he was just David. We talk about Ian's trip around the world following Sir Francis Drake's circumnavigation of the globe and taking a detour into Kenya to find the only elephants that are known to go deep into caves to mine salt. 

Ian gives us insight into how ecotourism helps endangered species by creating ecological parameters to preserve natural habitats while increasing anti-poaching efforts. We discuss what people can do in their day-to-day lives to help endangered species thrive and continue to exist, and Ian inspires me to want to meet, learn about, and respect the world's most vulnerable animals while respecting and protecting their natural habitats. 

Bonus Episode: The Performance Enhancing Drugs Olympics

Libertarian billionaire Peter Theil and several other venture capitalists are bankrolling an alternative version of the Olympics that will allow athletes to take as many performance enhancing drugs as they want. Is this idea cool? I'm joined by special co-host Zach Wilkinson to find out. 

How the Abortion Pill Came To America with T.J. Raphael

In 1992, a wealthy elderly gentleman and a young anarchist punk boarded a plane from London to the United States as part of an international drug smuggling operation with the intent of getting caught. They hoped to alert authorities to the drugs they were bringing into the country and use this act of rebellion to change American history forever.

As a result, the highly visible and highly controversial fight began to bring the abortion pill to America. Activists against the abortion pill were using increasingly aggressive tactics to stop women from accessing healthcare clinics providing abortion, such as arson and assassination attempts against doctors. Those in favor of the abortion pill were inspired to put more efforts toward increasing women's access to healthcare options including the abortion pill. 

In this episode, I talk to T.J. Raphael, host of a podcast series intended to shed light on how the fight for reproductive rights played out and what these events meant for our society. We discuss the important information presented in her podcast episodes and why this information is particularly relevant today.

From Sony Music's description of the podcast series, “The Pill Plot exposes an important piece of history and the fight for reproductive rights in the United States, at a time when these stories are more relevant than ever,” said host T.J. Raphael. “The show plays out like a crime thriller, spotlighting the raucous battle between anti-abortion forces, and activists who were determined to legalize the abortion pill in the United States – even if it required breaking the law.”"

Learn more about T.J. Raphael's podcast here: https://www.sonymusic.com/sonymusic/sme-launches-the-pill-plot

How Do You Say Hot Diggity Dog in French?

In this episode, I am joined by the multi-talented Hélène Cardona, who is a poet, linguist, literary translator, actor, award-winning writer and author of seven books, and who speaks six languages and holds U.S., French, and Spanish citizenships. We discuss a wide range of topics, including her role as the voice of Cerebro in several X-Men movies, her new film Caralique, and her role in the upcoming Apple TV drama series The New Look about the rivalry of fashion icons Christian Dior and Coco Chanel. Hélène teaches me about being a literary translator and we work together to translate several silly words and phrases from English to French. 

Camcorder to Camera Crew: A Film Journey with Spyder Dobrofsky

In this episode, I am joined by filmmaker Spyder Dobrofsky to talk about the trajectory of his filmmaking career and his new movie "Down Below." Now directing major motion pictures, Sypder appeared on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno as a teenager to talk about his popular website he created with his brother, "Car Paparazzi." We talk about the journey from using camcorders with tapes to recording with iPhones, to now working with entire film crews as a director. In addition to talking about how being on My Views Are My Own is much more prestigious and impressive than being on the Tonight Show, we also discuss whether it is cooler to get killed by a great white shark or get sucked into a blackhole. I also get Spyder's input on making great casting choices for films and how to develop a fear tolerance to sharks, and we talk about how one of his screenplays was picked up and directed by one of the most controversial directors out there, and why we are not fans of our names being turned into silly nicknames like "Dougie." And then of course we do an incredible Mad Lib based on the Oscar-winning film The Shape of Water.

 

Elevator Pitches

In this episode, screenwriter Tom Schrack joins me to embrace the era of life where you can be a skateboarding dad without caring if anyone tries to judge you. Tom teaches me about how to do elevator pitches, which is a skill I've always wanted to learn. We discuss what we would want to do if we had the rights to certain intellectual properties and millions of dollars to create amazing films. And of course, we do a script read of one of Tom's screenplays and turned it into an audio drama. 

Aristotle to Trump: A History of Far-Right Extremism

What does it mean to be on the extreme political right? How is Aristotle considered a historical right-wing figure? What is the connection between conservatism and nostalgia? These are just some of the questions answered by Matt McManus, lecturer of political science at University of Michigan and author of "The Political Right and Equality: Turning Back the Tide of Egalitarian Modernity." He breaks down concepts such as how the right is unified by a hostility toward equality, reactionary politics, and the rise of fascism. We also discuss why Trump is the figure-head of the right wing movement in America but is not considered an intellectual, and who, then, is considered the intellectuals of the right wing movement in America and abroad. We then talk about why fascists believe there is a superior authority and what is required ideologically to make their arbitrary hierarchy function. All this and more in this week's episode.

 

Is The Muppet Christmas Carol the Best Christmas Movie of All Time?

Obviously, that is a rhetorical question. I am joined by special co-host Zach to discuss why, when, where, and how "The Muppet Christmas Carol" became the greatest Christmas movie of all time. We Bah-Humbug some of the most beloved Christmas films ever created. Then we explain why we love this movie and why it is one of the greatest musical, acting, and directing masterpieces for a Christmas movie that has ever happened. Don't believe us?? Listen to the episode, watch the film, and tell me why. 

Getting Dauntless with Will Blagrove

In this episode, the amazingly talented and hilarious actor Will Blagrove joins me to talk about leaving law school to pursue an acting career. We discuss several actors that have started liquor brands and I immediately become obsessed with being the marketing director for Blagrove Bourbon. We also create movie magic with a cold script read of some of the best arguments I could find between my neighbors on the Next Door app. I take the opportunity to ask Will for some much needed legal advice and we talk about his latest film "The Christmas Classic." Will has several other projects coming up including "American Rust" with Jeff Daniels. And we find out which New York borough every McDonald's Playland character is probably from. Spoiler alert: Mayor McCheese is from Manhattan, obviously.

Radical Dreamers with Amerigo Gazaway

In this episode, Amerigo Gazaway returns to the podcast to discuss his career as a DJ, producer, and emcee who is most known for his innovative mashup productions such as Fela Sol and "The Miseducation of Eunice Waymon." We discuss his recent album "Radical Dreamers," a departure from the mashup productions he is most known for. In "Radical Dreamers," Amerigo returns to his roots of 1990s video games which served as the inspiration for his career as a beat-maker and producer. We talk about Amerigo's journey from Nashville, TN where I first met him as a rapper and extraordinary DJ, to Croatia where he currently lives and produces his own music. I also debut my own track based on my favorite nostalgic video game.

From the Archives: 2,653 Miles from Mexico to Canada

This episode was originally released on October 6, 2021.

 

In this episode, Brandon Case tells me about hiking 2,653 miles from Mexico to Canada solo on the Pacific Crest Trail while recovering from a traumatic brain injury from a motorcycle crash. We talk about treasure hunting, encounters with mountain lions and bears, and hiking through wildfires. And there is a 1 in 12 chance I will read you your horoscope.

Art Imitates Life Imitates Art

In this episode, I am joined by author, actor, and producer D. Elliot Woods. We discuss the power of entertainment media and the arts and how storytelling through film, television, and books has the ability to change society in ways that are often much more effective or pervasive than government policy or news media. We discuss his latest suspense/thriller novel Rise of the Unicorn, and how his own lived experiences help inform and inspire his creative works. Elliot has acted in many popular shows such as NCIS: LA, Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, and several Star Trek films and TV shows. We discuss the particular impact Star Trek has made as a franchise that has long centered inclusivity and diversity. We also talk about how Elliot is from the same city as my favorite author, Kurt Vonnegut, and the humbling and epic journey of fatherhood.