PODCAST

Philosophy vs. Improv

Mark Linsenmayer

society & culture philosophy

All Episodes

55:37

PvI#96: We Allege Humor w/ Mark Schiff and Daniel Lobell

Philosophy vs. Improv ·

2025/07/12

Mark Schiff is a legendary stand-up who currently podcasts with friend-of-PEL and philosophy enthusiast, Daniel Lobell as We Think It's Funny.These gents join Mark and Bill to talk about stand-up vs. improv, comedy LPs, waterless urinals, bad press, the path to enlightenment, and how to get rid of syphilis. We run a scene on hiring entertainment for the company party, and engage in some riffs that can only be called improv. Hear more at philosophyimprov.com. Support the podcast and listen ad-free

en-US

1:04:25

PvI#95: The Techucational Edge w/ Khafiz and Nicholas...

Philosophy vs. Improv ·

2025/06/26

Khafiz Kerimov and Nicholas Bellinson teach at St. John's College, and they channeled the educational style of that school into a new podcast called Invasive Thoughts.They join Mark and Bill to talk (and act) about various educational technologies, teacher-student relations, circle-drawing competitions, the passivity of thinking, bad quotation use, and more. Hear more at philosophyimprov.com. Support the podcast and listen ad-free at philosophyimprov.com/support. Sponsors: Go to

en-US

1:01:24

PvI#94: Storifying Philosophy w/ Kolby Granville

Philosophy vs. Improv ·

2025/06/19

Kolby runs After Dinner Conversations, which curates short stories about philosophy. He's also been a "producer" of improv shows.We talk about what makes a story philosophical, Kolby tells some stories, and we run some scenes about teleporter shenanigans and guidance counseling. Hear more at philosophyimprov.com. Support the podcast and listen ad-free at philosophyimprov.com/support. Sponsor: Go to surfshark.com/improv or use code IMPROV at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark VPN!

en-US

49:05

PvI#93: Poetry Stands its Ground w/ Shannon Bass and...

Philosophy vs. Improv ·

2025/06/04

Shannon the philosopher and Audrey the poet are Seattle improv buddies that form a duo called Closer to Clarity that uses improv to answer audience members' big life questions (BLQs).Through these guests and their BLQs, philosophy and poetry face off and mind meld and do-si-do as we play through two wacky corporate office scenes and return once again to Empty Street™ for an attempted gas station poetry open mic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

en-US

48:36

PvI#93: Poetry Stands its Ground w/ Shannon Bass and...

Philosophy vs. Improv ·

2025/06/04

Shannon the philosopher and Audrey the poet are Seattle improv buddies that form a duo called Closer to Clarity that uses improv to answer audience members' big life questions (BLQs). Hear philosophy and poetry face off and mind meld and do-si-do as we play through two wacky corporate office scenes and return once again to Empty Street™ for an attempted gas station poetry open mic. Hear more at philosophyimprov.com. Support the podcast and listen ad-free at philosophyimprov.com/support.

en-US

1:02:28

PvI#92: Postale au Naturale w/ Greg McBrayer

Philosophy vs. Improv ·

2025/05/12

Greg teaches philosophy (and is Interim Provost at Ashland, loves Xenophon, and runs a podcast. We reflect on the dangers of radon and other "natural" things. How might one of our government agencies become more natural, and would we want that? Are fart jokes the most naturally funny kind? Then, Greg the trucker visits Empty Street and embezzles dead mules. Bill was thrust from the final portion of the call, so Mark and Greg engage in some philosophy podcast shop talk. He returns for the Post-Game

en-US

67:57

PvI#92: Postale au Naturale w/ Greg McBrayer

Philosophy vs. Improv ·

2025/05/12

Greg teaches philosophy (and is Interim Provost) at Ashland, loves Xenophon, and runs a podcast. We reflect on the dangers of radon and other "natural" things. How might one of our government agencies become more natural, and would we want that? Are fart jokes the most naturally funny kind? Then, Greg the trucker visits Empty Street and embezzles dead mules.Bill was thrust from the final portion of the call, so Mark and Greg engage in some philosophy podcast shop talk. He returns for the Post-Game

en-US

1:03:37

PvI#91: Community Breakdown (or Breakdance?) w/ Nick...

Philosophy vs. Improv ·

2025/04/13

Mark and Bill are joined by the actor/improviser who directs Camp Improv Utopia and is involved in managing improv spaces such as Denver's Rise Comedy. We talk about the notion of community, with a scene about the neighborhood watch and a return to Empty Street to deal seriously in a public-service-announcement/after-school special sort of way with the issue of buying liquor underage. Hear more at philosophyimprov.com. Support the podcast and listen ad-free at philosophyimprov.com/support. Check out

en-US

66:32

PvI#91: Community Breakdown (or Breakdance?) w/ Nick...

Philosophy vs. Improv ·

2025/04/13

Mark and Bill are joined by the actor/improviser who directs Camp Improv Utopia and is involved in managing improv spaces such as Denver's Rise Comedy. We talk about the notion of community, with a scene about the neighborhood watch and a return to Empty Street to deal seriously in a public-service-announcement/after-school special sort of way with the issue of buying liquor underage.How does one foster a supportive improv community? Can we develop a community of returning Empty Street cast

en-US

49:27

PvI#90: Empty Street

Philosophy vs. Improv ·

2025/03/24

Mark and Bill introduce a new potential setting and some characters for ongoing use in future improvisations. We talk about techniques for doing that and wrap up by getting an update from Bill on his substitute teaching and talking about what makes for a good teacher. Hear more at philosophyimprov.com. Support the podcast and listen ad-free at philosophyimprov.com/support. Check out other Evergreen Podcast offerings.

en-US

54:26

PvI#90: Empty Street

Philosophy vs. Improv ·

2025/03/24

Mark and Bill introduce a new potential setting and some characters for ongoing use in future improvisations. We talk about techniques for doing that and wrap up by getting an update from Bill on his substitute teaching and talking about what makes for a good teacher.You can choose to watch this on unedited video. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

en-US

54:14

PvI#89: Improv 4 Change w/ Shawn and Aaron from srsly...

Philosophy vs. Improv ·

2025/02/19

Mark and Bill are joined by two north-of-the-border podcasters, Shawn Vulliez and Aaron Moritz, who incorporate both improv and philosophy in their dirty leftist podcast. We simulate conversation as competing knowers-of-the-good-life and talk about using improv for political purposes. Note that this was recorded back in December when we were in the thick of Luigi Mangione fever and not yet consumed with daily Presidential antics. You can choose to watch this on unedited video, if you choose.

en-US

58:13

PvI#89: Improv 4 Change w/ Shawn and Aaron from srsly...

Philosophy vs. Improv ·

2025/02/19

Mark and Bill are joined by two north-of-the-border podcasters, Shawn Vulliez and Aaron Moritz, who incorporate both improv and philosophy in their dirty leftist podcast.We simulate conversation as competing knowers-of-the-good-life and talk about using improv for political purposes. Note that this was recorded back in December when we were in the thick of Luigi Mangione fever and not yet consumed with daily Presidential antics. Watch this on unedited video. Learn more about your ad choices

en-US

75:01

PvI#88: The Dark Side of Improv w/ Randy Fertel

Philosophy vs. Improv ·

2025/02/01

Randy is a literature guy who has written a couple of books about improv and here joins Mark and Bill to talk about WINGING IT: Improv's Power and Peril in the Age of Trump, wherein he basically blames improv for giving us the orange man. Our scenes are about Trumpers hustling a fast food joint and improv for dogs.Mark and Bill stick around for some post-game bringing in yet another metaphor: music and its stylistic development. Watch this as unedited video, if you so choose. Learn more about

en-US

1:10:11

PvI#88: The Dark Side of Improv w/ Randy Fertel

Philosophy vs. Improv ·

2025/02/01

Randy is a literature guy who has written a couple of books about improv and here joins Mark and Bill to talk about WINGING IT: Improv's Power and Peril in the Age of Trump, wherein he basically blames improv for giving us the orange man. Our scenes are about Trumpers hustling a fast food joint and improv for dogs. Mark and Bill stick around for some post-game bringing in yet another metaphor: music and its stylistic development. Watch this as unedited video, if you so choose.

en-US

59:18

PvI#87: Mystic Toaster with Simon Critchley

Philosophy vs. Improv ·

2024/12/23

Simon is a professor at New York's New School for Social Research and moderates the New York Times' philosophy offering, The Stone. He joins Mark and Bill to discuss his new book, On Mysticism: The Experience of Ecstasy, and we used the occasion to explore how art and mysticism might be connected, including engaging in improv rituals. Hear more at philosophyimprov.com. Support the and hear this ad-free at podcast at philosophyimprov.com/support. Check out other Evergreen Podcast offerings.

en-US

65:48

PvI#87: Mystic Toaster with Simon Critchley

Philosophy vs. Improv ·

2024/12/23

Simon is a professor at New York's New School for Social Research and moderates the New York Times' philosophy offering, The Stone. He joins Mark and Bill to discuss his new book, On Mysticism: The Experience of Ecstasy, and we used the occasion to explore how art and mysticism might be connected, including engaging in improv rituals.You can watch this on unedited video. We do some post-game discussion for the first time in a while (not on the video) where we reflect on the episode, and Mark

en-US

59:35

PvI#86: Friends with App-Platter Benefits with Sarah...

Philosophy vs. Improv ·

2024/12/06

It's a TEAM PLAY episode just in time for the holiday season! Returning guests improviser and podcaster Sarah and recovering Philosophy Bro Tommy join Mark and Bill to talk AND EXPERIENCE friendship, with our longest single improv scene to date. What is friendship? Do you know your friends enough to imitate them? Does one friendship or fast-casual restaurant have to die so that another may emerge? Hear more at philosophyimprov.com. Support the and hear this ad-free at podcast at

en-US

65:06

PvI#86: Friends with App-Platter Benefits w/ Sarah...

Philosophy vs. Improv ·

2024/12/06

It's a TEAM PLAY episode just in time for the holiday season! Returning guests improviser and podcaster Sarah and recovering Philosophy Bro Tommy join Mark and Bill to talk AND EXPERIENCE friendship, with our longest single improv scene to date. What is friendship? Is it gendered? Do you know your friends enough to imitate them? Does one friendship or fast-casual restaurant have to die so that another may emerge? Can Bill even get to the end of the call?Watch this on unedited video. The image was

en-US

51:03

PvI#85: Prototype Protoplasm w/ Mike Gorgone

Philosophy vs. Improv ·

2024/11/21

Mike hosts the Hitchhikers and Appetizers podcast, and we recorded this episode a bit before Halloween, before the election and the consequent mass exodus, as a sort of memo to the future, i.e. you. We blister our way through many topics including discovery, hospital dramas, time travel sex, self-experimentation, ancient aliens, sharkNATO, Flintstone furniture, the first Wisconsin Thanksgiving, Subway nation-states, and more. Hear more at philosophyimprov.com. Support the and hear this ad-free at

en-US

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Philosophy vs. Improv

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