Facing down a question of far-wielding proportions is yet again the task of this MAN TALK episode, setting loose four men and four microphones on a topic that requires substantial time to work out.  Hosts and Guest Hosts hash out this perennially debated question and aim at “solving the world’s problems” in just over 90 minutes!  The four will each give their final answers by episode’s end.  (What’s your opinion, dear listener? Email us at mightymen@manhoodrestored.tv .)

Pete Mustard and Josh Wendel coincidentally both have experience in the automotive industries; while that has absolutely nothing to do with this episode’s topic, their common penchant for the peculiar does.  Both fancying themselves as history nuts, they hope to help Ben and Chad ascend this Everest-like episode question.  What are some of the unique factors faced by the modern world that could arguably sway one’s opinion in either direction on this question?  What’s the best lens through which to filter out an answer to this question – religious/moral, human progress/advancement, wealth/prosperity?  Was there a time in history, from a Christian’s point of view, when humanity was most in harmony with God?

A world where every temporal necessity is given and every environmental factor optimized is a world poised for flourishing.  Plentiful food and drink.  Adequate space and healthy conditions.  Safety and comfort and communal harmony.  You couldn’t imagine a more perfect existence; it’d be a veritable Utopia.  Except that there’s no such thing.  And that’s a curious fact–for mice, and for men.

Ben watermelons his way back to his junior high days and channels his inner Vanilla Ice as lead for this episode, while Chad busts out his sociological magnifying glass to offer his “illustrious” analysis as co-host.  The two use the results of a mouse experiment from the ’70s to springboard into a discussion about the perils of Progress.  In what ways does mouse behavior in the “Universe 25” experiment mirror that of modern human society?  What about material prosperity and relative societal safety makes us particularly susceptible to self-induced crisis?  What can men, as leaders and fathers, do to head off our progression toward an utopian way of life so as to avoid its inevitable pitfalls?

SHOW NOTES:

Universe 25 Mouse Experiment :  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ReBJfxHjFU

Nobody likes being told a lie.  That is, unless you agree up front to go along with the lie.  But what if you’ve gone along with the lies so long, you’re not so sure you know what’s true anymore?  Maybe what’s real is only a matter of what you’re willing to go along with.  Enter five foot-five, one-hundred- and fifteen-pound girl-boss action heroes.  Enter Angelina Jolie and Scarlett Johansson.  Enter the Feminist Fatale.

Chad classes up as a cruiserweight and takes his first official swing at feminism’s fatal flaws, while his possibly-welter, but probably-super lightweight, co-host Ben Neff, loves to tap in.  The two ring a bell that most likely cannot be un-rung by calling out the emperor’s fantastically feminist clothes.  Is it misogynistic to feel a little too faked-out when yet another pretty, petite female actress wins in a fist fight with a man more than twice her size?  Ought not women be offended when the only way for today’s female movie characters to be heroic is by acting like men?  How might a seemingly harmless feminist idea actually turn out to be fatal?

SHOW NOTES:

Chad’s resource market research:   Strong Women: 15 Action Movies Starring Badass Women (screenrant.com)

Andrew Klavan episode referenced: Hello, Lady Ballers (youtube.com)

Brett Cooper’s episode referenced:  The “Girl Bosses” Are Waking Up (youtube.com)

This mighty good guest is a coffee aficionado if there ever was one!  Jeff Hazel is the owner of Hazelnut Coffee Company, a very popular coffee shop in Celina, Ohio.  He also roasts beans under his own label, Old Hatch Coffee Roastery, supplying beans for other coffee shops.  Jeff joins the podcast to discuss, debate, and otherwise educate listeners on what’s arguably one of man’s favorite drinks!

Chad, the smooth-finishing Frenchman by heritage, is the frontline interviewer on this episode; Ben Neff helps navigate as the small-to-medium-bodied, (possibly) decaffeinated cohost.  The two steep in the many fun facts their guest shares about coffee, while wishing they could be sipping on their subject matter (were it not for the late hour).  What are the many ways one might make coffee, and what are the how’s and why’s behind each?  What are some of Jeff’s secret tips and tricks for maximizing the goodness of a cup of coffee (what to drink out of, what kind of water to use, what kind of milk to use, etc)?  How, from Jeff’s point of view as a coffee shop owner, can coffee bring people together as a community in a unique way?

SHOW NOTES:

Jeff’s coffee shop Facebook Page:  Facebook

Jeff’s roastery:   OLD HATCH COFFEE ROASTERY (oldhatchroastery.com)

Picture a roadside diner, a cozy spot with booths and tables for four.  Inside the air is thick with grease and the smell of all-day coffee; there’s the white-noise clatter of cooking and plates and silverware.  Then notice the lunch patrons, some sitting together, others alone.  The waitresses are taking orders, joking and smiling.  It’s a familiar scene all over America, a routine acted out by millions daily.  And then, there in this diner, picture Ben sitting off at a table on his own – doing one of his favorite things.

Ben is the adventurous social scientist analyzing the wildly commonplace for this episode, as Chad interprets the scene to see if he can cover Ben’s claim to have a found a phenomenon worth capturing.  The two ponder the potential significance of men taking meals in restaurants alone.  What about the familiarity and routine of stopping at a diner to eat can be comforting and almost therapeutic?  Is there anything superficial, or even sad, about men regularly taking lunch alone at a restaurant?  How could the communal setting of a diner or coffee shop indicate a craving for connection for those who make a habit of going?