Was Harvey Milk's killer really given a light sentence after claiming that junk food made him do it? Mike's spinoff podcast, Maintenance Phase, dives into the rumor and finds a very You're Wrong About twist.
Subscribe to Maintenance Phase here: https://linktr.ee/maintenancephase
You're Wrong About - Koko The Gorilla
“It’s interesting that we became enthusiastic about ASL in the process of teaching it to a population that couldn’t benefit from it.”
Mike tells Sarah about a very special ape and the very problematic humans around her. Digressions include video dating, "Biography" and the terrible terrible inventor of the telephone. We start with a SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT about the future of the show. Both co-hosts understand the difference between chimps, monkeys and apes but occasionally misspeak.
For a transcript of this episode (Thanks Andrea!), click here or copy-paste:
https://rottenindenmark.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/YWA-Koko-the-Gorilla-Transcript.pdf
Support us:
Subscribe on Patreon
Donate on Paypal
Buy cute merch
Where else to find us:
Sarah's other show, Why Are Dads
Mike's other show, Maintenance Phase
Links!
- Marcus Perlman, the researcher Mike interviewed!
- "Human and Animal Cognition: Continuity and Discontinuity"
- "In Memorium: Koko, A Remarkable Gorilla"
- "What Do Talking Apes Really Tell Us?"
- “Monkey Business”
- “Talk to the Animals,” the 1980 Omni article
- “Animal Bodies, Human Minds: Ape, Dolphin, and Parrot Language Skills”
- 1979 New York Magazine article on Herb Terrace
- “The Last Distinction?”
- “The Sad Twilight of Koko The Gorilla and Her 'Mother'”
- “Why Koko Can’t Talk”
- “The Other Side of Silence: Sign Language and the Deaf Community in America”
- “The Education of Koko”
You're Wrong About - Courtney Love
Special guest Candace Opper tells Mike and Sarah how a grunge star became the protagonist in one of America's most persistent conspiracy theories. Digressions include Neil Young, protest songs and the coolest baby of the 1990s. Mike continues to mine his public school education for anatomically impossible rumors.
This episode contains detailed descriptions of suicide.
Pre-order Candace's book, check out her website or follow her Tweets!
Support us:
Subscribe on Patreon
Donate on Paypal
Buy cute merch
Where else to find us:
Sarah's other show, Why Are Dads
Mike's other show, Maintenance Phase
You're Wrong About - “The Prom Mom”
“The criminal justice system should treat everyone like a white teenage girl whose future it’s concerned about disrupting.”
Sarah tells Mike about Melissa Drexler, the New Jersey teenager who (according to George F. Will) killed her newborn baby due to the influence of Metallica and the United States Supreme Court. Digressions include Baby Moses laws, “Citizen Ruth” and Ted Bundy’s political leanings. To the surprise of no one, we end up discussing true crime tropes in great detail.
This episode contains detailed descriptions of neonaticide.
Support us:
Subscribe on Patreon
Donate on Paypal
Buy cute merch
Where else to find us:
Sarah's other show, Why Are Dads
Mike's other show, Maintenance Phase
You're Wrong About - Deep Dive: Nancy Grace’s “Objection!” (Week 1)
Sarah tells Mike how a superhero’s genesis was a supervillain’s origin story all along. In our new deep dive, we tackle Nancy Grace’s “Objection!” and debate how defendants should behave at trial, why prosecutors seem to make good daytime TV stars and whether Nancy really came to New York City with a curling iron and a dream.
Support us:
Subscribe on Patreon
Donate on Paypal
Buy cute merch
Where else to find us:
Sarah's other show, Why Are Dads
Mike's other show, Maintenance Phase
You're Wrong About - The O.J. Simpson Trial: The Bronco Chase
On June 17, 1994, the world screeched to a halt so 95 million Americans could watch a white SUV crawl through L.A. Today, we finally talk about the infamous Bronco chase, the men inside the car and the myth they left behind. Digressions include “The Fugitive,” Larry King and Jack Nicholson twice. Like previous episodes about the events of this day, this episode discusses suicidal ideation.
Support us:
Subscribe on Patreon
Donate on Paypal
Buy cute merch
Where else to find us:
Sarah's other show, Why Are Dads
Mike's other show, Maintenance Phase
You're Wrong About - Quarantine Deep Dive: Jessica Simpson’s “Open Book” (The Conclusion!)
“You really shouldn’t date people who go in thinking, ’This person has good bones but they’re a fixer-upper.’”
This week, we complete our Jessica Simpson book club with the appearance of a new man who triggers some old anxieties. Digressions include Dolly Parton, mom jeans and a forgotten Hollywood power couple. We talk about “Garden State” longer than we intended. Mike finally gets to tell the octopus story, which he thinks about all the time.
Support us:
Subscribe on Patreon
Donate on Paypal
Buy cute merch
Where else to find us:
Sarah's other show, Why Are Dads
Mike's other show, Maintenance Phase
You're Wrong About - Anastasia
“I’m being pulled into planet myth … and I like it here.”
Special guest Dana Schwartz tells Mike and Sarah how a short, brutal story became an enduring myth. Digressions include Titanic nostalgia, Princess Jasmine and Dr. Phil. A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to Rasputin, Russia’s greatest love machine.
Find Dana at her website or listen to her podcast!
Support us:
Subscribe on Patreon
Donate on Paypal
Buy cute merch
Where else to find us:
Sarah's other show, Why Are Dads
Mike's other show, Maintenance Phase
You're Wrong About - Quarantine Deep Dive: Jessica Simpson’s “Open Book” (Week 3)
We discuss Jessica's reality-show marriage and its painfully ordinary end. Digressions include "Showgirls," "The Notebook" and Adam Levine. "Hamlet" makes an appearance; Willie Nelson and Lynda Carter give sage advice. Mike apologizes for things out of his control.
Support us:
Subscribe on Patreon
Donate on Paypal
Buy cute merch
Where else to find us:
Sarah's other show, Why Are Dads
Mike's other show, Maintenance Phase
You're Wrong About - The Disappearance of Chandra Levy
“It’s a mess and a nightmare and maybe it’s disingenuous to think you can turn the story of someone being murdered into anything else.”
Mike tells Sarah about a missing intern, a shady politician and a nationwide obsession. Digressions include speed dial, “La La Land” and Perry Mason. The Summer of the Shark gets a bonus debunking.
Support us:
Subscribe on Patreon
Donate on Paypal
Buy cute merch
Where else to find us:
Sarah's other show, Why Are Dads
Mike's other show, Maintenance Phase
Links!
- ”Finding Chandra: A True Washington Murder Mystery”
- Gary Condit’s book, “Actual Malice”
- The Washington Post’s 13-part series on the investigation
- An American Journalism Review article on how the Chandra Levy saga took off
- A deep dive on Condit’s Connie Chung interview