Episode list

disORIENTATION was the first official class of the Tragedy Academy Podcast. Thank you Academics for joining us as it seemed to go by so fast. Did we use a script a little bit to get through the first show...the world may never know.

Discussion of bad 90's haircuts, worse 90's candy and Eric is bestowed with the nickname "The Two Lollipop Kid". Dinosaur taco holders and Pauly Shore are approved, plastic bag math and rewards points are declined.

Wishing you were pursuing a creative outlet instead? You may be among the 98% of society that were creative geniuses as children. If society were to pass wind instead of judgement, we may bridge social divides rather than burn them.

How to detect fake news, the absurdity of human relationships with pets, Jay gets hit by a car and devaluing currency.

A bonus episode about a western pa roadside sandwich sale that set up shop way too close to some roadkill. Hot skunk on a bun anyone?

This one is for the kids. Eric is having a baby girl and Jay provides advice to other #childfree men on best places to stand during kid's parties to avoid awkwardness.

Was there a "Stranger Things" style alien conspiracy theory at Eric's elementary school? What's the best way to handle reintegration of an alien abductee into their family?

Is it possible to be 50% Jewish? Or can you go Jew just for the food and the jokes? Eric and Jay have tragic encounters with animals early in life that shape their current existence, both involving vehicles, and children.

Eric and Jay propose a unique solution for people with panic attacks and seizure disorders. Could we make an entire band out of epileptics?

Jay discovers a single mailbox built into the middle of a residential sidewalk which leads to criticism of local government, tales of Yakuza corruption and a not so fond memory of Eric crushing a mailbox with a U-Haul. Eric is bestowed a secondary nickname of "Three Pickle E" when J and E try to find new ways to zen out when strangers freak in restaurants so they can feel comfortable returning as guests. &E break down the possibilities of how and why a single mailbox could have been built into the middle of a residential sidewalk. Conversation branches into criticism of local government and support of blue collar workers forced to carry out their inefficient and likely corrupt decision making. This leads, of course, to discussion of Japanese Yakuza gangs and their origins and strategies. Eric tells a sordid tale of crushing a neighbors mailbox with a U-Haul and this situation is broken down and analyzed as J&E cry laugh through Eric's humiliation. Eric is bestowed a secondary nickname of "Three Pickle E" when J and E concoct new ways to zen out in lieu of freaking out during customer service calls and restaurant orders.

Eric experiences humiliation twice in the same weekend at the hands of males just over half his age. Jay offers perspective. Eric stares down the reality that he is neither the teenager nor the 20 year old pain in the ass that he once was as he suffers admittedly strong burns from younger males in an elevator and hardware store over the weekend. J&E arrives at the conclusion that it's probably karma catching up to him. Jay offers perspective and describes the male technological slowdown.

In this bonus detention episode, J&E discusses the Greek tradition of "Teeth Tossing" and the American Groundhog Day tradition. Bonus detention episode!!. Who has 26 teeth and has never heard of Greek "teeth tossing"? These guys!. Tune in for a detailed discussion of Greece's imaginary patron saint of the mouth: Santa Papadopoulos, and his trusty pelican sidekick. Given some thought J&E determine that Punxsutawney Phil was a tradition that was created as a temporary treatment for seasonal effective disorder...and they're absolutely OK with that.

J&E discusses network motivation behind a stressful news cycle, the technology compromise that gen z'ers face on a day-to-day basis, and set aside time for a little bit of humor by discussing the need for a comedy safe word when friends roast each other. Another professional starts the show as Eric nearly knocks out a tooth on the boom. Check out our social media accounts for an audio clip of that one. J&E discusses major network motivation for focusing on a stressful news cycle with a constant focus on illnesses like the coronavirus, shootings, hurricanes, and the like. Discussion of the technology compromise gen z'ers face with the internet and vehicles having improved during their lifetimes but news feeds and bullying increasing stress on a grand scale. J&E proposes new wording for the phrase "conspiracy theory". Goodbye to urban legends.

Eric, with yet another ailment, ends up cutting in line due to an accidentally falsified seizure/panic attack scenario. Discussion of the time humans spend standing in, drawing in, and staying in the lines. Jay swallows gasoline. Eric conveniently but unintentionally cuts in line at a local icare due to what turns out to be neither a seizure nor a panic attack. Eric eats Cheez-Its out of a young nurse's purse like a toddler and there appears to be suspicion in the office that foul play was afoot. Discussion of the many lines humans spend time in on highways, restaurants, and other places and the repercussions that result. Jay siphons gasoline out of a car as a teenager. As usual, Jay closes out the show with brilliant wordplay.

A conversation about the chemistry behind "meat sweats" and a deep dive into the way we are currently treating our bodies vs what our minds and bodies are designed for. Initial discussion of the phenomenon of "meat sweats" and discussion of how we often force feed our bodies past the point of exhaustion. Eric learned a great deal of his vocabulary from Shaper Image advertisements and jingles. Aside from the way we eat, we've pushed our minds and bodies to a point beyond what we're designed for - which may well explain ongoing pains and illnesses. Another high end show close-out at the Tragedy Academy.

*Detention episode* Jay and Eric discuss the merits of a seafood flavored chapstick that Eric won in a contest. In this detention episode, Jay and Eric discuss the merits of a seafood flavored chapstick that Eric won in a contest. Does this sound like something you'd want to use on your own lips? Good...because we're pretty sure it's been discontinued.

Eric's technological meltdowns looked at through the eyes of others, cancerous rats, birth control phones and Jay explains how negative news stories can be spun as a positive. The smoothest lead-in so far. It appears these goobers may be getting the hang of this thing. Eric and Jay look back on Eric's technological temper tantrums through the eyes of others. Turns out everything gives rats cancer, especially human beings. Animals are living their best lives...maybe better than us? Eric owned a birth control phone in college. Jay gives some perspective on how negative news stories can be used as a positive to close this one out.

Eric welcomes a baby girl into the world and recalls how he did his best not to annoy his wife during her pregnancy and labor. J&E recalls embarrassing stories about hair dying and the after-effects of having your eyebrows shaved off. J&E welcomes Eric's second child (baby girl) into the world. Eric manages to stay in the moment this time around while his wife puts in all the hard labor. Eric gives what turns out to be a mostly accurate scientific description of how redheaded children are created. Recollections of embarrassing teenage hair-dying experiences. What happens when your sister tricks you into shaving your eyebrows. Christopher Walken and Gabriel Iglesias make appearances in the proxy.

In this detention episode, Jay and Eric discuss a variety of techniques for getting through prison. Bottom line: Eric probably wouldn't make it a day and Jay goes for the glory day one. Going to prison is one of Eric's greatest fears for a variety of reasons. In this detention episode, Jay and Eric discuss a variety of ways that they'd potentially make it through a stay, the injustices of parole and arrive at the conclusion that it's best to just stay the hell out in the first place.

Eric and Jay believe that dogs have mastered human beings over time and discuss our robotic responses to their request for treats, fights over their poop on neighborhood chat rooms, and desperate searches for them on social media as proof. Supplementary discussion of "chicken wing mustaches" and cannibalistic scenarios Eric provides Jay with proof of his previous theory of laptop gremlins when he spends several minutes at the beginning of the show struggling with technical difficulties as Jay narrates. Dogs have dominated human beings over times and flipped the domestication relationship on its head. Human beings feed, bathe, clean them and search for them robotically. Dogs have won life. As the crowning piece of evidence, Jay points out neighborhood chat rooms where people fight over dogs that have pooped in their yards and owners have forgotten to clean it up. Chicken wings with hair on them and Eric's mustache get negative reviews. If J&E were in a cannibalism scenario they speculate what it would be like to end up getting the armpit.

Eric has a brisket in the smoker, which inspires J&E to reminisce about botched cooking experiences. And...detailed discussion of sperm banks. Don't ask how these two topics came to be discussed in the same show. Eric has a brisket in the smoker. J&E reminisces over their botched cooking experiences, including everything from punch-able brisket, rubber chicken, a bucket of foreskins and how they learned to never prepare a test run for a group. Weighing out the utility of circumcision. A wildly educational discussion of in-vitro fertilization and sperm banks.

Covid-19 has hit a reset button on society. Follow your dreams: whether they be to write rock operas, make shadow puppets for a living or even be a seal trainer. People look and feel better as their authentic selves, especially women. Be that. Eric whines about his new experience with sciatica (look it up), which one would have thought only 60-year-old people experienced. He continues to acquire new maladies. What is wrong with this guy? J&E recall bullied kids learning karate when they were kids as a self-defense tool and feel that it generally would have failed them against larger, tougher bullies. Contact us if you're a former karate kid and you feel we are wrong on this one. As part of the covid-19 experience (that's what it's called now yes?), we have all hit a forced reset button on society. J&E discussed how some people just naturally found "dream jobs", the ones that they always wanted as kids. Perhaps now is a time for us to reset and pursue those. Side topics of rock operas, penis-puppeteering, whale training, marshmallow roasting. Discussions of the challenges women face from the time they are born, especially from an aesthetic front. As an additional side effect, women have been wearing less or no makeup and it's the show's position that they typically look better without it. J&E like to see women sticking to their authentic selves and that includes being able to see their faces. Discussion of pregnancy as a sacrifice and a gift. Thanks for listening.

Our friend Tiffany is in the studio. She's hand-making coronavirus masks and sending them out to medical professionals nationwide. Discussion covers a lot of ground; including the importance of dark humor, why food is such an effective method of bribery, and how Eric has further damaged his son's psyche using one of his wife's Lifetime movies. Tiffany is in the studio with Jay and Eric. She's hand-making coronavirus masks and sending them out to medical professionals nationwide. Eric explains how he and his wife have damaged their son's psyche by allowing him to watch a poorly acted murder scene in a Lifetime movie. Description of the plot of all Lifetime and Hallmark movies. Tiffany forgets she's on camera and provides a tour of her home. She describes her dream job as a nail polish namer, does not enjoy cake and hates the word moist. She's doing her best to walk away from her cell phone, much as Jay and Eric are. Humans are easily bribed by food and the group has theories on why this is, going back to childhood. Dark humor (and humor in general) is a necessity to live and is especially important to people who have experienced trauma, oppressed groups, and groups in high-stress situations including soldiers.

TTA friend of the show Brandon is in the studio to discuss Tiger King. Breakdown of the logic behind the decision making behind the main players on the show A deep and detailed discussion of Tiger King as well as a new vocabulary word introduced by Brandon: hypergamy. We discuss strengths and weaknesses behind each of the main players and our theories behind their oft questionable, dangerous, and otherwise controversial decision making. Brandon Wilkins is a personal trainer and fitness, franchise consultant. Links to his contact information available on our social media pages.

From a breakdown of how physical attractiveness factors into the appeal of an artist to why men are attracted to the greatness of fire, this one covers a lot of ground. The rich to poor socioeconomic divide is as relevant as ever with minimum to low wage workers supporting the rest of society during the pandemic. Discussion of this is featured along with some more childhood stories. Discussion of the balance between physical attractiveness and artistic talent for an artist and how one impacts the other for the listener/viewer. Jay explains to Eric how poor people get around with some anecdotes about gas money and recaps his gas swallowing story from the Cheez Its episode. Beavis and Butthead are covered briefly. Eric bought a flamethrower which incites discussion of J&E's past experiences with fire and why men and boys seem to be naturally attracted to it. Captain Planet and the elements transition into a discussion on the Wonder Twins and their piss poor items.

This is the Academy's worst episode yet...in a good way. You can hear Eric's son enter the studio several times as Jay narrates. Detailed discussion about what stereotypical things Jewish kids do when they're alone as children. Jay puts his evil villain laugh on display for the first time and it is chilling. This is the Academy's worst episode yet...in a good way. You can hear Eric's son enter the studio several times as Jay narrates. Detailed discussion about what Jewish kids do when they're alone. It's as stereotypical as you might expect. Jay puts his evil villain laugh on display. Thanks for listening. Be Cool. Keep Learning.

Spring intern code name "Bonah" is in for the day. Starts the show off with a definition for the word "simp" and discussion springs from that. A simp is an adult/young man who goes overboard for a female's attention. The academy shares its opinions on that and arrives at the conclusion that there's a simp inside of all of us. Fashion, technology, and the infamous Barry Wood meme that has surely snuck up on you are all discussed. Our intern is in the studio and helps Jay and Eric to gain a detailed understanding of the word "simp," how young men simp and a realization is gained that males, in general, tend to simp at some point in order to keep the species going. (Don't lie to yourselves fellas, we see you). Various meme genres are discussed and the Barry Wood meme is broken down. The history behind the meme is discussed. If you do not know who Barry Wood is...he's the well-endowed man sitting on the edge of the bed. The group agrees that part of the appeal of the meme is the confusion behind how he got there and his confusing facial expression. Fashion is beyond the Academy and they don't have a grasp of it. They have even less of a grasp on TikTok. Thanks for listening. Be Cool. Keep Learning.

Come on down to the farm for this animal-themed episode. Eric has been cooped up for months and it appears that he has a lot of misdirected anger towards...chickens. Did this episode lay an egg? Did the academy hit a fowl ball? Eric tees off on urban chicken tenders, Jay offers perspective on human beings encroaching on animal territory and Pizza Hut is transforming us into mutants. (Not to mention marshmallow peeps exploding in the microwave) Come on down to the farm for this animal-themed fun. Eric has been cooped up for months and it appears that he has a lot of misdirected anger towards...chickens. Did this episode lay an egg? Did the academy hit a fowl ball? Eric tees off on urban chicken tenders, Jay offers perspective on human beings encroaching on animal territory and Pizza Hut is transforming us into mutants.

The Academy discusses the Waco mini-series and the events that occurred there in reality. Was David Koresh a Jukebox hero or just your run-of-the-mill cult leader? The conversation turns to what makes artists great and whether we should walk away from them when we discover that they have committed controversial acts. John Leguizamo is everyone and everything. The Academy discusses the Waco mini-series and the events that occurred there in reality. Was David Koresh a Jukebox hero or just a run of the mill cult leader? The conversation turns to what makes artists great and whether we should walk away from them when we discover that they have committed controversial acts. Intern Jonah gets bored. You won't because this is our most wide-ranging and well-researched episode yet. Non purus scolam.

Initial reactions to the George Floyd case lead to conversations about racism, Black Lives Matter, racial unification, peaceful protests, violent protests, and police brutality. Humor is mixed in, but given that part of our tagline is to "bridge societal divides"...we did our best to do that for all parties involved. Tune in next week as we discuss potential solutions to these complex societal divides. Initial reactions to the George Floyd case lead to conversations about racism, Black Lives Matter, racial unification, peaceful protests, violent protests, and police brutality. Humor is mixed in, but given that part of our tagline is to "bridge societal divides"...we did our best to do that for all parties involved. Tune in next week as we discuss potential solutions to these complex societal divides.

"Liberty" Part II of the three-part George Floyd and BLM discussions. This week the Academy focuses on easy, actionable solutions that people of all colors can focus on today to make America a better place for all of us. While also bringing laughs to the equation per usual. Part II of the three-part George Floyd and BLM discussions. This week the Academy focuses on easy, actionable solutions that people of all colors can focus on today to make America a better place for all of us, how to get communication started between black and white people and why this is so important. How NOT to change people's minds. Where police are going RIGHT (and not just wrong) and some solutions that can improve their work with citizens both over time and immediately. Leadership and actionable solutions are a crucial next step for BLM AND its allies to continue moving in the right direction. This show sounds severe, and it was, but there were laughs mixed in...we promise.

The Tragedy Academy at its best and least competent. One of the Tragedy Academy social media accounts has been getting trolled heavily which inspired a discussion of motivations of online trolls, who they are and if and how the best of them connect to hackers. The Tragedy Academy at its best and least competent. One of the Tragedy Academy social media accounts has been getting trolled heavily which inspired a discussion of motivations of online trolls, who they are and if and how the best of them connect to hackers. Towards the end of the episode, while attempting to tie Russian bots into the conversation Eric plays Russian propaganda for upwards of 2 minutes with no commentary or explanation and confuses both himself and Jay. It's a tragedy.

Golf Blogger and screenwriter Zaq Tull talk to us about his plans for the blog and his experience with screenwriting. What it's like to make a pitch to Adult Swim, alfalfa growing, and life in Colorado. Be cool. Keep learning. EPISODE NOTES Golf Blogger and screenwriter Zaq Tull talk to us about his plans for the blog and his experience with screenwriting. What it's like to make a pitch to Adult Swim, alfalfa growing, and life in Colorado.

Guest Barbie Liss joins The Tragedy Academy to discuss her daughter's recent experience with restorative justice: a sparsely used option in North America and one that they both strongly advocate for after experiencing the healing that came about during and immediately after. Barbie is a Life and Empowerment Coach, Energy Healer, and a Reiki Practitioner, Co-facilitator of International Women's Retreats, and Co-Founder of the Re-Humanize Movement. Barbie's daughter Marlee was raped in 2016 and the court process that followed was so traumatic for her that she decided that alternative measures were necessary for her to not only seek justice but to survive the process mentally. Barbie discusses how this affected her relationship with her daughter at the time, how she and her daughter have grown since the experience and what the restorative justice mediation circle was like. She describes how the Re-humanize movement and her women's retreats flowed from this experience. Discussion flows to what the perpetrator of the crime said and some of the emotional hold-ups that men face all over North America. Jay and Eric discuss how open and honest discussion of emotions and life situations with friends and family, meditation and dealing with trauma is an important part of their lives. Barbie is Canadian as it turns out and the Academy loves us some Canadians. They do always seem to be friendly, don't they? Barbie explains a bit about why this may be.

In Japan, grave-sites are marked with symbols that resemble swastikas. The Academy (including new addition Maria) discuss their position on not allowing racist organizations and cancel culture together to pound these and other innocent or even meaningful symbols into the ground. Conversation drifts into a morbid "what-if" scenario of Eric wearing a backwards Swastika T-shirt on his chest for his funeral and forcing Jay to stand next to his coffin to explain to Eric's Jewish family that he had converted to Buddhism and believed in it so firmly that it was necessary to wear it to pass into the afterlife. Additional conversation about a 4chan prank wherein the "ok" symbol was hijacked and America was tricked into believing White Supremacists were using it as a new symbol...then White Supremacists did start using it...then cancel culture demanded it stop being used. Jay provides insight on military usage of the symbol. Discussion of a game wherein that very symbol was used to cause testicular damage to users. And the Academy ultimately establishes a position on hijacking of symbols by hate groups and how non-haters can respond.

A discussion with a friend of the show Andre Linear. Discussion focuses on Chicago initially, not just for the food, but because of the uniqueness of the culture. Andre is in to share a unique perspective on racial unity, good and evil in Chicago and other major cities and why more people are experiencing PTSD in 2020 than in any other year.* Are black people being affected by covid at a disproportionate rate vs other communities? Andre discusses what he's seeing up close regarding health in physical and mental health in black communities and how he handles it with his own children.

Who is purchasing those scam car warranty calls that seem to be increasing every year? We try to get to the bottom of this in this week's episode. Additional discussion about what qualifies as scamming people in business and what doesn't. Easter egg here as it turns out Eric has been laboring under the misconception that these phone calls are called "rotocalls" instead of "robocalls".

Discussion of the worst possible pranks you could play on a friend, including you guessed it...throwing redwood seeds in someone's yard. Is a prank that takes place over 200 years considered vandalism? If we're playing a game of joke immunity Uno, Jonah has a deck full of draw fours. Four gay parents, one being Native American, and having been born via artificial insemination. Jonah existing at all is nigh miraculous even if he has an absolutely REPULSIVE laptop, which is discussed in detail. Can people be compared to car transmissions or pancreases? The academy certainly does its best.

How often do you hear people saying "the country is more divided than it's ever been"? Do you feel like some or all of the people you know are completely different than they used to be and that its almost not worth communicating with them anymore? You're not alone. The country IS divided and people HAVE changed. And we're not just talking politics. Thing is, it's possible to get SOME people to agree with you just as it's possible for both sides to have a "win-win" negotiation. Even when it seems that the person on the other side has no interest in seeing you win anything at all, if you're willing to adjust your mindset to see the world from the other person's point of view and plant seeds of change...when you choose the right people, this strategy will pay off for both of you.

We were SUPPOSED to talk about our favorite comedians and did for about 10 minutes. And then...we got into a detailed discussion on how women are progressing in society and religion. How does religion impact the mind when it's installed from an early age? What are the positive sides of religion? Where does spirituality branch off from religion and can the two be separated or intermingled? In this talk, we focus a lot on the topic of judgment and how that can impact one's approach to the world.

Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP) and Hypnosis Trainer Ryan Montis is in the studio for a wide-ranging conversation on his training specialties and more. Ryan explains how hypnotism has been used for general anxiety, smoking, public speaking, and a wide range of mental issues. Discussion of how hypnosis can be used for self-improvement, self-development, and increasing social consciousness. If you're looking for an alternative treatment for a supplement to your existing one, this is the chat for you.

Maria has earned her feature episode. Appropriately, it's a rambling one but it's one of our favorites. Why, when people are supposedly reincarnated were they always the Queen of the Nile instead of something far less noble? Speaking of less noble professions...Jay was an actual ditch-digger. Are sports as enjoyable without the fans? Detailed analysis of why baseball umpiring sucks as well as Eric providing an umpire imitation using a Hall's cough drop package. Eric coughs his way through an explanation of what it was like to be speech and tennis dork in high school. Maria is challenged to an impromptu speech-off and describes a shitty boring date at a Hibachi Grill. If you're a woman that's been on a shitty date, you'll love this. To wrap this up, Maria describes vaginas as "aquariums". Think about it. Hey listener...are you also a speech and tennis dork or an actual ditch digger? Do you have an aquarium? You'd fit in great with us. Stick around and become an academic.

Maria, a younger millennial asks what it was like to hear about the death of Kurt Cobain from a Gen-Xer than in his teens and an older millennial then 10 yrs old. It was an interesting question because it was both guys' first time really being encountered with suicide. (Yes, we are aware of the potential murder scenario but at the time suicide was the predominant theory). Both guys remembered when they heard it, remembered the impact that the music and the videos had on them at the time, and drew some parallels between themselves and their peers. Conversation, of course, moves on to Cessnas and other small aircraft. Eric can understand the desire to fly these, not the willingness to be a passenger. A horrible idea and has previously and will continue to refuse all opportunities to be one. And you should too. The more you know.

Eric is back in studio and he is full of questions, some of them monetary in nature and almost all of them ludicrous. After almost accidentally playing in a Led Zeppelin song, Jay and Eric are left to wonder exactly how much it would cost them if they had. Jay and Eric imagine a scenario where these rock gods are contacted by two lowly podcasters to find out if "it'd be ok if we drained our roth ira's for 5 minutes worth of dazed and confused" Conversation shifts to exactly how much money one would need to be willing to have their most humiliating moment of their lives captured as a meme to exist in internet permanence. Jay offers input on an exit strategy. Eric is midway through a move. He praises his wife's executive function capabilities (look that up) and decorating test, offers advice to fellow men who may me moving soon.