PODCAST

Philosophy vs. Improv

Mark Linsenmayer

society & culture philosophy

All Episodes

52:22

PvI#107: Mary and Mark Argue About Arguing

Philosophy vs. Improv ·

2025/12/12

Is argumentation essential to philosophy? Should you always be open to arguments challenging your beliefs? An actual argument would not be just two abstract positions being measured against each other, but two people with some stakes in the issue, and of course the most interesting philosophical issues have to do with how we live our lives, and so what could be more personal and potentially insulting than challenges to your life choices?We act out a few symbiotic scenarios and reflect back

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45:03

PvI#106: Heart Tchotchkes w/ Seth Stephon Brown

Philosophy vs. Improv ·

2025/11/27

Seth is an improviser and aspiring professional "muse," which is a type of life coach that hangs out with you to see where you could be more in touch with your humanity so that you can then work out a coherent plan for your adult life. He discusses with Mary and Mark the conflict between authentic individual humans and a social structure filled with oppressive systems.Should we "deprogram" ourselves from our standardized upbringing? Is there actually an authentic core we would uncover if we do so,

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59:45

PvI#105: Friendtor Debate Club w/ Scott Gelfand

Philosophy vs. Improv ·

2025/11/14

Scott, ex-professor at Oklahoma State University and author of "Thinking Ethically: A Handbook for Making Moral Choices," chats with Mark and Mary about ethical debate in our age of seemingly unbridgeable divides. We engage in some suspect philosophical counseling, have a staged mini-debate about affirmative action, and simulate a new class of discussion-intensive air travel. More at scottgelfand.com.Hear more at philosophyimprov.com. Support the podcast and listen ad-free at

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54:45

PvI#104: The Hippie Code w/ Vickie Eistenstein

Philosophy vs. Improv ·

2025/10/31

Mark and Mary are joined by improvisor-comedian-actress-filmmaker-host Vickie to talk about code switching and authenticity. Can you be authentic and still work a day job? Can Problem Solvers, Inc. solve the office restroom schedule? Are authentic hippies really beatniks? Also, displaying comic America on Korean talk shows, ethical pornography, commerce vs. art, granola in your hair, and more.Vickie sticks around for a bit of post-game (usually restricted to supporters but shared with you this

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38:46

PvI#103: Post-COVID Mary and Mark

Philosophy vs. Improv ·

2025/10/16

How does your body talk to you? Your favorite hosts-of-a-philosophy-and-improv-comedy show Mark Linsenmayer and Merry Mary Hynes re-connect after both being sick to get a bit Halloweeny so as to talk about various food-related monsters, experiencing art by disgraced creators, inner homunculi a la "Inside Out," movie talk, Nietzsche's nose fetish, and more.Hear more at philosophyimprov.com. Support the podcast and listen ad-free at philosophyimprov.com/support. Sponsor: Get 15% off at

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47:56

PvI#102: Pit of Despair w/ Seth Paskin

Philosophy vs. Improv ·

2025/10/06

Mark's Partially Examined Life co-host Seth joins us (i.e. Mark and Mary) to introduce Seth to improv and continue introducing philosophy to Mary.We discuss Seth's attraction to depressing texts, act out couples' therapy and monster beauty parlor, and open up a few philosophical cans of worms: Is truth relative? (Hint: no!) Does outer beauty reflect inner beauty? Hear more at philosophyimprov.com. Support the podcast and listen ad-free at philosophyimprov.com/support.

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54:15

PvI#101: Co-Hostery: Season Five Premiere with Mark...

Philosophy vs. Improv ·

2025/09/18

It is a new era! Merry Mary Hynes is now Mark's co-host, and we do some improv related to that and feel our the degree to which Mary has not studied philosophy. Could it be that we ALL do philosophy whether we know it or not? Also: The Feminist Café, Luce Irigaray, Mark's voice training, an aging child pop star, non-binary preliminaries, gratis post-game chatter, and more.Hear more at philosophyimprov.com. Support the podcast and listen ad-free at philosophyimprov.com/support. Sponsor: Get 15% off

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50:10

PvI#100: Maximizing Turtle Revenue w/ Tim Sniffen and...

Philosophy vs. Improv ·

2025/09/05

It's our season finale, and the end of Bill's regular participation on the show. You may wish to weep, but let your tears be of joy as well as reminiscence.We are re-joined by two of our favorite improv guests for a Team Play episode to talk ship of Theseus, philosophy vs. mythology vs. video games, Renaissance contemporaries, long-lived turtles, "realist" morality, goodbyes, and our final boardroom scene. Hear more at philosophyimprov.com. Support the podcast and listen ad-free at

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53:14

PvI#99: Philosophy of Humor w/ Nessa Voss

Philosophy vs. Improv ·

2025/08/24

Nessa teaches philosophy at Lone Star Community College and writes on the philosophy of humor. We thought we should get this topic out before we wrap our season (and Bill's regular participation) and reach 100 episodes.We go through the main theories (superiority, incongruity/surprise, unconscious triggering, i.e. funny because it's true on some level we don't necessarily want to admit). Then Nessa (fictionally) becomes our podcast format consultant. We wrap up by considering the appeal of various

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52:31

PvI#98: Ragnarocking

Philosophy vs. Improv ·

2025/08/11

Recorded back in June, posting now as we near the end of our season and Bill's tenure on the show, this episode now bleeds with dramatic irony. Mark and Bill discuss how to give a good speech, AI in academics, and we have a tear-stained visit to Empty Street.Hear more at philosophyimprov.com. Support the podcast and listen ad-free at philosophyimprov.com/support.

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1:01:24

PvI#97: Peep Dome Pets w/ Merry Mary Hynes

Philosophy vs. Improv ·

2025/07/25

LA Second City improv instructor Mary joins us to act out a pet sitting job interview, talk about sharing our public spaces with animals, and finally return to Empty Street to see if we can get some animal action going in the mart.In the post-game, we talk about Bill's new academic studies and Mark's upcoming Gen Con trip. Hear more at philosophyimprov.com. Support the podcast and listen ad-free at philosophyimprov.com/support. Sponsors: Don't wait until the next bite -- protect your home with

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13:08

Prelude to PvI#97: Meet Merry Mary Hynes

Philosophy vs. Improv ·

2025/07/25

What do you do when Bill doesn't show up to the recording? You record for a bit anyway and get to know the guest!

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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

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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

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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!

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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

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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.

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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

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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

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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

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