Miscellaneous
Guest Jon Hickman Host of You Don’t Look Like a Runner, Thread, and Beware of the Leopard. Writer at Paradise Circus, and 101 Things Birmingham Game the World. jonhickman (@jonhickman) | Twitter Hi I'm Jon! Fellow podcaster Jon Hickman joins Mark to cast aside things from our adolescence that we can get by just as well without. Jon co-hosts the hilarious and often genuinely moving – no pun intended — fitness, running and tech podcast You Don’t Look Like a Runner with Nick Moreton, and Thread with Mark. Get Extra Envy in your inbox Sign up to the weekly newsletter so you never miss a list, and for a link to the unedited (rude) version of this episode. Jon’s picks In order of discussion: Kevin Smith movies The director-turned-podcaster Kevin Smith sidled onto VHS screens in the early 90s with films like /Clerks/ and /Mallrats/. He made them for a specific generation, but now they’re all grown up, is it time to leave those films behind, or is it enough to just not get excited about new ones? The pop charts Jon picked the pop music countdown as his second item, possibly in an effort to dump pop before pop could dump him. Nevertheless, it has become something of a cultural oddity in the era of streaming everything, so can we safely leave the pop charts behind? And what’s to be done about the Christmas single? Graham Linehan Linehan co-created two iconic sitcoms for Channel Four in the UK, but his recent history has been marred by unpleasant online behaviour. But the work stands, and on this Mark and Jon hold firm. The Cheeky Nando’s Who doesn’t love a nice bit of chicken and chips? And why must the idea of fast casual dining be a joke among snooty older people? These are the questions that need answering, but thankfully, Jon is on the case…. to ask them, if not to come up with a concrete answer. Mark’s picks In order of discussion: Smash Mouth In the late 90s, you couldn’t turn on a radio or seemingly watch a film without hearing a large man shout “SOME!” at you. Yes, /Allstar/ was a big hit, but by remaining consistent in its output, is the band serving its audience or allowing them to move on without them? Bill Hicks Bill Hicks was a hero to most (in their late 30s to mid 40s)., but he never meant shit to millennials. For so many, his work was a cultural touchstone whose effects ripped throughout comedy. He was also a misogynist and a cultural snob, so perhaps it’s time to let him rock out on the lake of fire in his by himself. American Beauty This Mendes -directed, Spacey vehicle was a firm favourite of the late-teenage Mark, but even without the lead actor’s stain, it’s a pretty marred picture by today’s standards. The chip on his shoulder This is something that may appeal to many, and is worth taking a listen to, as it probably doesn’t translate all that well in text. More of Jon Hickman You can follow Jon Hickman on Twitter, and add 101 Things Birmingham Gave the World to your Christmas wish list. Links Support the podcast