The Virginia Gentlemen Endorse: Podcasts

I may have had the whitest conversation ever three weeks ago.  And for me, that's saying something.  I was sitting in a Starbucks in Shadyside with the Dreamboat, my copy of the Sunday New York Times in tow, discussing public radio and podcasts.  So in our never-ending quest to chronicle things that dorky white people like here at the Virginia Gentlemen's Club, the time has come for the podcast primer.

For those that are unfamiliar with the medium, a podcast is nothing more than a talk radio show that may or may not be on radio itself (think of it as radio on demand).  Some are (namely the entire NPR catalog), others aren't (such as The BS Report or The Adam Carolla Show).  They're great for killing time during your commute, while you're doing chores around the house, or running errands around town.  So here's my podcast recommendations for news, stories, and interviews -- the three things that talk radio is great at.

Stories: This American Life

This American Life, hosted by Ira Glass, is the acclaimed weekly public radio show where each episode contains a handful of non-fiction stories relating to a certain theme.  The themes range from memories of summer camp to being switched at birth to discovering the original recipe of Coca Cola to life at America's top party school (it should be noted that there's more than a grain of truth to the famous The Onion article about TAL).  Although there are contributors that appear fairly regularly, a number of famous folks have told stories on TAL, including: "PC" from the Mac & PC ads John Hodgman, uproariously funny essayist David Sedaris, Moneyball and The Blind Side  author Michael Lewis, and even Virginia Gentlemen favorites Chuck Klosterman and Phil Collins.  Basically the stories are like mini-movies for the radio, which makes sense, as there were two seasons of a TAL television show on Showtime (which you can stream on Netflix).  The podcast shows up on iTunes around 8 on Sunday evenings and the show's website has the entire back catalog of fifteen years' worth of shows, including a handy primer to the best of TAL.  There's a reason why this is on the short list of the most popular podcasts out there.

News: Marketplace

This daily half-hour public radio show is, as you might guess from the title, primarily focused on business and economics.  However, it features enough current events and domestic and international politics that you don't feel like you're totally oblivious to other developments (if you want a more politics-based podcast, NPR's It's All Politics is for you).  In addition to great reporting, Marketplace's other big virtue is that it plays snippets of good music between stories, which goes a long way in distinguishing itself from the (generally correct) perception that public radio is boring and stodgy.  In the last few days, it has included Prince, T.I., and Jay-Z.  Additionally, every other week they have a segment from Freakonomics Radio, which is also a program worthy of one's time.

Interviews: The Sound of Young America

Jesse Thorn's The Sound of Young America simply and quite accurately describes itself as "a public radio show about things that are awesome" and like "'Fresh Air,' but more fun."  The Sound primarily does in-depth interviews with more under the radar type folks from entertainment and the arts, like SNL's Bill Hader, Community's Donald Glover, Matt Berninger of The National, or Michael Cera.  Jesse is such a great interviewer that I often find myself interested in guests I knew nothing about beforehand.  He also runs a phenomenal and practical men's style blog called Put This On co-hosts the Judge John Hodgman podcasts, both of which I wholeheartedly endorse.  He may not have the gravitas of Fresh Air or the guests of WTF with Marc Maron (which has an unbelievable roster of comedy folks), both of which I listen to and enjoy, but he's essentially the public radio version of The Most Interesting Man in the World and a real go-getter, and for that, he is to be saluted.

So there's a handful of podcasts that carry the Virginia Gentlemen seal of approval.  If you have any feedback about these shows or have any podcasts that you'd like to recommend to your fellow gentlemen, feel free to do so in the comments.

--J.J. Gittes

The Virginia Gentlemen Endorse: "The Police Women of Cincinnati"

If you're like me, nothing gets your juices flowing more than watching an adrenaline-packed TV series like "Cops" or "Border Wars". But I have recently caught wind of a new cop drama that focuses solely on the often overlooked female contingent of law enforcement.

Of course I am talking about "The Police Women of Cincinnati", a thrilling drama on TLC (or as I like to call it, "TFC" = The Freak Channel because most shows are about kids born with 6 arms or midgets or families with 15 children, etc.) PWoC goes behind the scenes in Ohio's third largest city to capture the dangerous reality of female law enforcement.

From meth labs to homicide, domestic violence (irony?) to robberies, these fearless women put their lives on the line to keep the streets clean. All while balancing kids, abusive husbands (irony?) and having to realize they are less athletic than their male counterparts.

This show is a must-see for anyone willing to spend an hour absorbing the nonsensical crimes that define the underbelly of any major city - enforced by women cops!

The Virginia Gentlemen Endorse: Turquoise Jeep Records

Parody has a rich tradition when it comes to popular music.  In this modern age, there is a group that has harnessed the power of the Internet to make their sweet beats, dance moves, and ground-breaking videos an intergalactic phenomenon--The Turqoise Jeep Records family.

Turquoise Jeep Records, much like the 2011 Phillies rotation, features four all-star talents and another guy who is objectively talented and a necessary member of the team, but not as talented as his teammates.  The Kyle Kendrick is Turquoise Jeep's Joe Blanton is Slick Mahony, who provides the closest thing the group has to blue-eyed soul.  Turquoise Jeep's Four Horsemen are: Flynt Flossy, the group's top dancer and rapper; Pretty Raheem, the big-boned crooner; Yung Humma, the driving force behind "Smang" (which will be dicussed below); and the reclusive Tummi Scratch, the beat-maker and producer.

The men that keep the jeep ridin'.

However, my clever metaphors will only go so far in convincing you about the majesty of Turquoise Jeep.  Without further ado, here are their greatest hits of their short but brilliant career:

1) "Wifey Boo" by Pretty Raheem

Pretty Raheem shows us that he's more than just a pretty face, he's a hell of a dancer (especially for a man of his build).  Also of note, Flynt Flossy's declaration that he's going to heat that ass up like a beef and rice Lean Cusine.



2) "Cavities" by Flynt Flossy, Pretty Raheem, and Whatchyamacallit

This is notable for the rare appearance by Whatchyamacallit, Turquoise Jeep's equivalent of Kyle Kendrick, the spot starter who does a serviceable job when needed, but doesn't have the talent to stick around the big leagues for long.



3) "Lemme Smang It" by Yung Humma and Flynt Flossy

This is the smash (and bang) hit.  "Lemme smang it, girl" has easily replaced "What's your screen name?" or "Did you happen to catch the Reading Phillies / Erie Seawolves score?" as the Gentleman's pickup line of choice.  Peep this and you'll see why.



4) "Go Grab My Belt" by Slick Mahony

A Slick Mahony video is like a start by the fifth starter--it's not a great Turquoise Jeep jam, but it's still a Turquoise Jeep jam, and that's better than a lot of other things.



5) "Did I Mention I Like to Dance?" by Flynt Flossy

This is the most recent Turqoise Jeep release, which is essentially three minutes of Flynt Flossy going nuts while wearing a fantastic windsuit.  Prepare to be amazed.



Flynt Flossy's moves are both awe-inspiring yet depressing, as one cannot help but to think that mere mortals cannot reach such heights.  Fear not, as F.Floss is a humanitarian as well and wishes for us to achieve a mere fraction of his greatness.  Behold, a snippet of "Flow with the Floss."



--J.J. Gittes

The Virginia Gentlemen Endorse: Major League Baseball featuring Ken Griffey, Jr.

" For lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; the flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land."


Although the late Detroit Tigers broadcaster Ernie Harwell opened the season's first spring training game with this excerpt from the Song of Solomon, it is just as appropriate for Opening Day, which has always marked the first day of spring to me (even if the weather hasn't complied this year).  Although I'm sure all of you reading along have been busy practicing miming your favorite player's batting stance, throwing around the old whiffle ball, or perfecting your game-calling style (yes, John Mayer is funnier than you think), it's time to work on another cherished tradition integral to the national past time: taking LSD video games.  When it comes to middle-class caucasian males between the ages of 22 and 27, there's only one game that matters -- Major League Baseball featuring Ken Griffey, Jr.

Late 80s pretty boy swag, indeed.

Ken Griffey, Jr. is one of the great "What if?" sports stories of the past two decades.  Objectively, he had an unbelievable career that will likely lead him to the Hall of Fame: 630 home runs (5th all time), an American League MVP award, 7 Silver Sluggers, and 10 Gold Gloves (even though they're largely a joke).  He was an everyday player at the age of 19 and was the face of baseball (and Nike) in the 90s before the McGwire-Sosa home run chase in '98.  Sadly, the 2000s were not nearly as kind to Junior, as he suffered a slew of significant injuries over the course of the decade that sapped his productivity and power.  At his peak, he was the best player in baseball and would have been one of the best (if not the best) players of all time had he not effectively lost years of his career to injury.

Nevertheless, his legacy will continue to live on for decades to come due to his Nintendo video games.  Although great baseball video games have preceded and succeeded the Gfiffey games, the N64 Griffey games have stood the test of time and improved as they've aged, much like a fine wine, Mario Kart, and Marisa Tomei.  In an age where there are few universal rites of passage into manhood, Griffey baseball provides an outlet for current and burgeoning Gentlemen to engage in competitive play and competitive banter.  Hall of Fame Brooklyn Dodgers catcher Roy Campanella once remarked that in order to play baseball for a living you needed to be a man, but "you got to have a lot of little boy in you, too."  This game understands that reality and brings out both sides of the Gentleman.

With a legendary theme song ("Call me Junior! It's showtime!") that resides in the pantheon of athlete-sung songs, fairly realistic gameplay (with the exception of the 106 mph super fastball) and the stars of yesteryear, MLB featuring Griffey provides hours of nostalgic entertainment worth of an endorsement by the Virginia Gentlemen.

--J.J. Gittes

The Virginia Gentlemen Endorse: Hypertheticals

There are no shortage of ways to get a party started: a favorite beverage, choice tunes, or some fly dance moves.  However, an oft-overlooked method is a game.  An inexpensive option that we recommend is Hypertheticals.  Written by the pop culture essayist Chuck Klosterman, who you might also know from his epic turns on Bill Simmons' B.S. Report, Hypertheticals its a set of fifty cards with creative hypothetical questions that lead to very interesting conversations.  It's like "Would you rather?" but far more clever.  If you like Klosterman's work in general or getting to know your friends and repeated acquaintances better, Hypertheticals delivers.  There's not much more I can say about the game, as my fellow Gentlemen are preparing a round of Old Fashioneds and for a few rounds of the game.

Highly recommended.  Far more than Klosterman's novel.