Do I Dare To Eat A Peach

So, VH1 made a Top 100 list of the Best Songs of the 90's, and MAN, what a load of crap. There's some little nuggets of goodness in there, but the 90's were such a mixed bag: 80's hangovers, grunge, alternative, bubblegum pop, boy bands, and whatever the heck Rico Suave was. Consequently, the top 20 list has a lot of great stuff and a lot of horrible stuff. But, if you're of an age (like Dan and Rob) where this was your highschool and college experience, then you're in for some nostalgic delights. And if you're of an age where this is all new to you, then prepare to shake your head and sigh.

You may have noticed that there are a lot of paranormal romances out there, with young girls falling in love with vampires, werewolves, fairies, zombies, and a whole pantheon of monsters, misfits, and malcontents. So, Dan and Rob decided to go through the Universal Studios properties--all of those classic monsters from the 1920's and 30's--and figure out which one would make the best boyfriend. It's a little difficult, because they're all murderers. But, you play with the hand you're dealt.

Now I know what you're thinking: two guys on the internet rating a bunch of animated girls? What kind of weirdos are these guys? Well put your minds at ease; attractiveness is only ONE of the criteria we use to judge the Disney princesses. Dan and Rob both agree on the best non-canonical princess, and we both have the same second-place canonical princess. It's the Number One Canonical Princess that causes strong disagreement.

Dan continues to be without internet access, because he's in Germany and also lazy. So, Marion Jensen is jumping in to join me on this week's podcast! We're going off an IGN list, which can be found here. And, if you want to know more about Marion, you can check out his website and this Twitter.

Eager to watch something? Want to watch it RIGHT NOW!? Then try Netflix Instant! (Or don't. I'm not the boss of you.) Dan and Robison go through a list of the top 30 shows that are available on Netflix Instant, and we tell you what to watch and what to ignore. We both agree on the same number one (which is number seven on the list, because the list is ridiculous). Also, this podcast is sponsored by Audible, and today's book recommendation is Kitchen Confidential, written (and narrated!) by Anthony Bourdain. Go and get a free audio copy as part of a free 30-day trial membership.

Want to stop a bank robbery? Want to being unnecessarily cruel to petty criminals? Want to sneak into movies without paying for them, and steal Milk Duds from behind the counter? Then a life of superpowers is for you! This week, Dan and Robison dive into Wikipedia's exhaustive list of superpowers and discuss which would be best for crime fighting, and also which would be best for just normal, everyday life. We come up with a new superhero team that is, as yet, untapped by Big Comics. You can get in on the ground floor with this idea. Also, our podcast is now sponsored (I know, right!?) by Audible. Our pick this week is The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, by Michael Chabon, which you can access by going to www.audibletrial.com/Peach. Go now and start your free 30-day free trial membership.  

This week Dan and Rob tackle the American Film Institute's list of the best heroes and villains. Much discussion is had about what makes a character heroic; Rob defines heroism very narrowly and then bad mouths two beloved American icons. Dan is bewildered. Rob is correct. Fortunately, we agree a little more closely on the villain list. What are your thoughts? Who would you put on the list? What makes Dan such a villain? Compare and contrast: Dan's ugliness versus Rob's handsomeness.  

If you've ever seen Ocean's Eleven, The A-Team, or The Italian Job, you know what a caper crew is: it's a collection of experts (con-men, burglars, hackers, drivers, etc) who get together to form a perfect team. In this episode, Dan and Rob describe the various roles necessary for a caper crew, and then we sift through all of popular culture to select the best of the best: the best mastermind, the best thief, the best scrounger, etc. And does it get ridiculous? Very. I also have to say: this is my favorite episode in quite a while. What do you think? Who have we left out? Who would you pick to replace some of our picks?

Since Brave has just been released, Dan and Rob thought it was time to go through the entire Pixar canon and to see how they all stack up. From Toy Story, way back in 1996 (I know!) to Brave, there have been a lot of amazing movies and a lot of unfortunate missteps. Dan and Rob disagree strongly on several points, and Dan, in particular, makes a wildly controversial claim. We also spoil the heck out of Brave, but we give appropriate spoiler warnings so you can avoid it if you want to. What about you? What's your favorite? What's your least favorite? Why is Dan so wrong all the time? Why is Rob so handsome?

Dan and Robison love themselves some protest songs (because they're disaffected youth). In this episode we attempt to define and qualify what makes a protest song, and then we go through a list of the top twenty greatest protest songs (as chosen by some guy on the internet). Here's a link to the list. Additional songs (not on the list) that we mentioned: "For What It's Worth" by Buffalo Springfield "Ghost Town" by The Specials "I Ain't A-marching Anymore" by Phil Ochs "If You Tolerate This Your Children Will be Next" by the Manic Street Preachers "Run Through the Jungle" by CCR "Sunday Bloody Sunday" by U2 "Testify" by Rage Against the Machine "Which Side Are You On?" by Natalie Merchant  

In this episode we go through Goodreads' list of the book most commonly found on high school reading lists, and we talk about how we hate an awful lot of them. We also talk about the purpose and nature of literature education, and how to challenge kids while still keeping them engaged. The Goodreads list can be found here. The article from the School Library Journal about the sad state of the Newbery awards can be found here.  

This week Dan and Rob are tackling the weighty matter of sci-fi TV shows, reviewing IGN's top 50 list. Star Trek gets an in-depth discussion in all its incarnations, Lost gets panned and dismissed, and Rob's #1 isn't even in Dan's top five. Spoiler: ALF didn't make the list.

In this episode, Dan and Rob go through a list more than a dozen dystopias, describing the pros and cons of each and trying to figure out which would be the best one to live in. As you can imagine, this isn't an easy task because the most common element in all of these worlds is that they suck. We briefly define dystopia, but Rob has written a much more in-depth blog series on the topic, which you can find here. The full list of dystopias we talk about: "The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas", by Ursula K. LeGuin The Road, by Cormac McCarthy Matched, by Ally Condie Lord of the Flies, by William Golding Uglies, by Scott Westerfeld Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley The Giver, by Lois Lowry "Equilibrium" (film) 1984, by George Orwell Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury Variant, by Robison Wells Partials, by Dan Wells The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins Delirium, by Lauren Oliver The Forest of Hands and Teeth, by Carrie Ryan Animal Farm, by George Orwell A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeline L'Engle "Gattaca" (film)

In this Very Special Episode, we learn an important lesson: 100 things is too much to talk about in an hour. Therefore, it's longer than that. But: entertainment! We talk about the list of the 100 Foods to Eat Before You Die, which can be found on the Very Good Taste blog. S'mores

This week Dan and Rob dissect the 2010 Rolling Stone list of the 100 Best Beatles Songs. Both brothers are rabid fans, and both have strong opinions about crappy Rolling Stone and its crappy list making abilities. Both agree that #1 should definitely be #1, and both agree that #2 shouldn't even be in the top thirty, but their opinions differ on much of the rest of the list. This episode features: audio clips! Also: fair use!