Mon Men - A Pokemon Survey
44 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 3 years ago - ★★★★★ - 4 ratingsA Pokemon journey through the Pokedex discussing design, folklore, pop culture, and Pokemon cuisine hosted by Yennaedo Balloo and Michael Darling. New episodes up every other Sunday.
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Episodes
Ziggin'n'Zaggin' ft. Kev Koeser
April 06, 2021 19:23 - 1 hour - 162 MBDarling and Balloo are back to continue through Gen III (apologies but looks like the starters ep is lost to the aether). We're starting off with Mon Mom and then off to discuss Poochyena, Zigzagoon, and Wurmple lines today. Along the way we touch on Hugh Jackman's classic revelation that a Wolverine is a creature unto itself and not a wolf, and get into the distinctions in video games versus film on remakes, reboots, and remasters. It's another
Legends of Tomorrow, Today!
March 11, 2021 05:27 - 2 hours - 239 MBMichael and Balloo are back to discuss the final run of Gen II Pokemon. Mon Mom returns to stump Michael once more, and then it's off to a legendary gauntlet of the legendary "woof-os," japanese folklore, game history, and more followed by closing with the game cover legends- Lugia and Ho Oh, and finally the best Onion Knight this side of a Final Fantasy: Celebi.
Bovine University ft. Dr. Steph Metzger
December 11, 2020 20:50 - 1 hour - 165 MBBalloo & Darling are back, joined once more by Steph Metzger, bringing her PhD in Dairy Science to talk Miltank, Elekid, Magby, Smoochum, and Blissey. There's some breaking Mon News at the top of the show regarding Galarian Slowking, and Telekinetic Uri Gellar's long standing Kadabra feud, and then we're off with all the usual fun. Elekid might be a lil dummy, but he's our lil dummy with the cutest lil teefums, Blissey is a tank you make hard with friendship, Smoochum is wrong, and more! We...
The Muddy Bottom Boys ft. Ramona Donahue
September 28, 2020 19:18 - 1 hour - 172 MBWe're back with our cohost from the "Lost Episode" Ramona Donahue to talk about Phanpy, Donphan, Porygon2, Stantler, Smeargle, Tyrogue and Hitmontop! With more Abba than usual, as well as a reading by Darling from The Great Gatsby, it's another fun run. For Michael Darling's American media found footage masterpiece, check here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eh3EF4s2KCU&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR1c4qvvu-Hpxzu4fA7FbB2JZ4GqDFYNjt721gzjK-PrrymbCHGu3bYoPwA
Crossfaders of the Lost Mon
August 31, 2020 17:53 - 54 minutes - 99.5 MBBalloo and Darling are back! After a technical issue with our originally planned episode, we're doing a special adventure with a drunk Darling and stoned Balloo recounting what they recall from what shall forever be known as the Mon Men Lost Episode. We're hazily recalling our conversations and still veering off on wild tangents about Delibird, Mantine, Houndour, Houndoom, Kingdra, and Skarmory.
Slugma Said Knock You Out ft. Stephanie Metzger
July 28, 2020 17:50 - 1 hour - 154 MBDarling and Balloo are back this time to talk pigs, lactation, and more with Dr. Stephanie Metzger. Along the way we reminisce on the brilliance of Andy Samberg's Pop Star film, Animorphs, discuss the insane biology of Pokemon magma slugs, Corsola's very bleak Alolan form, and much more.
Bear With Us featuring Kev Koeser
June 25, 2020 17:38 - 1 hour - 182 MBA delayed release on this episode, but still fresh as Darling and Balloo are joined by Kev Koeser once more to discuss Shuckle, Heracross, Scizor, Tediursa and Ursaring with all the usual fun of discussing classic animated films, Scorcese, and much more.
Finally, a Pokemon in a Mumu, ft. Seth Hansen
May 18, 2020 01:09 - 1 hour - 161 MBSeth Hansen returns to join Darling and Balloo discussing Dunsparce, Pineco, Gligar, Steelix, Snubbull, and more. Along the way Seth teaches the gang about Durian fruits, our favorite Batsuits, Nicole Kidman's legendary divorcee energy, and magpie dive bombers. From the show: The eyes don't work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGGTcYfrEZU&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR3APKJqPu0Dkl46hbk92mhAxH6aiQ8GPdYx1LmKGo5nuLNQsi2K0QYWDC0
Quote the Murkrow, Nevermore
April 30, 2020 22:49 - 1 hour - 154 MBDarling and Balloo are back for another social distancing friendly episode of the show to discuss Murkrow, Wobuffet, Girafarig, Unown, and Slowking. There's discussion of Pokemon fashion choices, the most Lovecraftian Pokemon there may be, and how dastardly clever Crows and its kin are. From the show: The Eyes Don't Work on Magpies: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGGTcYfrEZU&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR3RkpvAv5sBB03wfDNNV479dJnAyIYxtrQm2MuS0Fdn57F0i9FVRmaAfsc Gustave the Crocodile: htt...
The Quagsire Quarantine Quagmire Query ft. Zach Wilson
April 12, 2020 18:52 - 1 hour - 150 MBZach Wilson joins Balloo & Darling this week for the social distancing episode where we discuss Sunkern, Sunflora, Wooper, Quagsire, Espeon, and Umbreon. Along the way the gang discusses the Dinosaur movie boom of 1993-95 that began with Jurassic Park and ended with We're Back! A Dinosaur story, Balloo discusses the paradise he tried to design in Animal Crossing, the gang realizes that the movie Zootopia doesn't hold up well at all, and Balloo yet again envisions a Lovecraftian horror 'mon f...
Mon Cut Gems with Michael Chau
March 22, 2020 03:57 - 1 hour - 183 MBMichael Chau joins the 3 Guest Host appearance club this week to discuss Sudowoodo, Politoed, the Hoppip line and Aipom. Along the way the gang discusses the timeline of Uncut Gems' plot and whether that means Kevin Garnett was a ghost, an overlooked sneaky detail from Avengers Endgame and the Jeremy Renner "Renpire," some adorable stories of our podcast mascot Cordy, Balloo's upcoming trip to Japan and much, much more! UPDATE: This episode was recorded on March 9, 2020. Hard to believe, bu...
Mons of Prey with Jeremy Wojchihosky
March 08, 2020 12:00 - 1 hour - 202 MBJeremy Wojchihosky stops by this week to discuss Natu, Mareep, Bellossom, and Marrill. From some in depth Poke-Talk about Eeveelutions we want to see, to new Pokemon types we're surprised don't exist yet, there's also the usual fun discussing the recent DC Birds of Prey film, our everlasting love for the best line reads in cinema history including Mark Ruffalo in Spotlight and Gotham City Cop #1 in the Dark Knight, it's Mon Men! From the show: Follow Jeremy on Twitter: https://twitter.com...
Release the Lanturn with Jupiter Baudot
February 23, 2020 12:00 - 1 hour - 210 MBJupiter Baudot joins Darling and Balloo this week for a booty of Mon Mom game, then it's off to discussing Crobat, Chinchou, Pichu, Cleffa, Igglybuff, and Togepi. Along the way the group discusses yet another Pokemon clone, Monster Rancher, finally fully airs grievances with the state of the Star Wars franchise and its prequels, and more on underwater terrors and Balloo's hatred of all the baby Pokemon of this gen. From the show: Follow Jupiter on Twitter and Instagram: https://twitter.co...
Disney World Engagement Spectacular with Beth Scorzato
February 09, 2020 12:00 - 1 hour - 210 MBBeth Scorzato joins Balloo and Darling this week to talk about Sentret, Hoothoot, Ledyba, and Spinarak, and we have our first game of Mon Mom for season 2! After the game we're off to talk about shortcomings of Pokemon lore, Beth's extreme dislike of birds, Magic the Gathering, awkward high school years, and getting engaged at Epcot in Disney World. Follow Beth on Twitter for more anti-bird takes: https://twitter.com/beescores_ From the show: the terrifying raccoon invasion: https://twitte...
Cowboy Stepdad Energy with Mandi Bossard
January 26, 2020 20:07 - 1 hour - 145 MBWe're back and ready to talk about the Gen II starter families, Chikorita, Cyndaquil, and Totodile. Mandi Bossard joins Michael and Balloo to chat through Oscar season, Democratic primaries, Thomas Haden Church's cowboy stepdad energy (we stan) and the phallic framework in Pokemon designs. From the Show: Stop talking about Rick & Morty on Dates: https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/qvn8vv/dear-men-please-stop-mentioning-rick-and-morty-on-dates?fbclid=IwAR20-fN8HkZx7-eb6gT033ZiuIdv8hFdlKTQd5Q...
Season One Finale - Onward to Johto
November 10, 2019 16:17 - 29 minutes - 54.2 MBBalloo and Darling are back for a brief interlude episode as they revel in completing the first generation of Pokemon. A random draw of Pokemon cards provided by Darling offers us a look at some Mons to come, and some we've already covered, there's some discussion about the soon to release Pokemon Sword & Shield, and our preview feelings on the upcoming second generation of Pokemon. Special thanks to the listeners as we arrive at this first milestone, and as noted on the show: Please follo...
Imagine Dragonairs ft. Nathan York
October 28, 2019 02:12 - 1 hour - 172 MBNathan York joins Balloo and Darling this week to wrap up the Gen I Pokedex discussing Dratini, Mewtwo and Mew. The first Gen set of Mon Mom is settled this episode after Darling's lead dwindled thanks to Balloo's shenanigans, and then the gang gets to discussing Dratini, Dragonair, Dragonite, Mewtwo and Mew. Along the way, we reminisce about the classic Gameboy Games, discuss the NBA and Mon Men's favorite aging NBA Center, Dwight Howard. With Gen I wrapped up, we'll be back in weeks with a...
The Birds And The Zzzzzz
October 13, 2019 12:00 - 1 hour - 194 MBComics writer and game designer John Perez joins the group this week to talk about a big sleepy Mon, Snorlax, as well as the Gen I legendary birds: Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres. Along the way, the gang readdress the Mandela effect and this podcast as an ongoing diplomatic entreaty from one timeline to another, we discuss the blur effect and its impact on nostalgia for games and movies of our youth (like the original 151), the problems with the Terminator and Star Wars franchises, and gi...
Twitch Plays Mon Men ft. Kev Koeser
September 29, 2019 12:00 - 1 hour - 156 MBKev Koser is back this week to discuss Porygon, and the fossil Pokemon: Omanyte, Kabuto, and Aeodactyl. With the fossil gang we talk about the legendary moment in gaming history: Twitch Plays Pokemon Nuzlocke challenge (Praise Helix), Balloo adds Mila Kunis and Oscar Isaacs to his list of celebrities who may have bones to pick with him, and we discuss what the nuance of making good episodic TV is by way of recommended viewing such as DC Universe's Doom Patrol and Amazon's Undone. From t...
"The Ditto Episode" "The Ditto Episode" ft. Christy Admiraal
September 15, 2019 06:00 - 1 hour - 173 MBChristy Admiraal joins Balloo and Darling this week for the usual game of Mon Mom and to discuss Ditto, Eevee and the first gen Eeveelutions: Vaporeon, Jolteon and Flareon. Including a look back at a trope of 90s Action cinema, our wishlist for the recently announced Face Off remake, Depression Era candy, a moment of remembrance on an important day in US History (that time Ted Cruz liked a porn tweet), and the one Eeveelution we don't want to see. We're back! Follow Christy on Twitter: http...
Magikarp Can't Jump ft. Ricky Darling
September 01, 2019 12:00 - 1 hour - 159 MBIt's bring your bro to pod day: Ricky Darling joins us this week to discuss Pinsir, Tauros, Magikarp, Gyarados, and Lapras. After the usual game of Mon Mom, we dig into the Pokemon with conversations about the origins of Nantucket Red shorts, Final Fantasy X's fatal flaw, NBA Candy men James Harden, Dwight Howard and Metta World Peace, and pay tribute to some of our favorite podcasts: Mike & Tom Eat Snacks, and the Bill Simmons Show. From the Show: Magikarp Meme read over the Allan Parsons...
Lovecraft's Favorite Pokemon
August 21, 2019 06:54 - 1 hour - 152 MBWith apologies for the late episode, Balloo and Darling are back this week to discuss Mr. Mime, Scyther, Jynx, Electabuzz, and Magmar. We dive into the uncanny valley and creep factor of clowns, discuss praying mantises as invasive urban species, Matt Groening's Netflix show Lost- but also get into some earnest discussion on Jynx's controversial design, and topics of race and equality in America writ large. Black Lives Matter, and we mince no words in this regard on these topics in light of ...
Wet Bois, ft. Dan Duddy
August 04, 2019 12:00 - 1 hour - 145 MBComedian and writer Dan Duddy joins the podcast this week to wrap up the podcast "Bois Trilogy" of episodes by discussing Kangaskhan, Horsea, Goldeen, and Staryu. After the usual game of Mon Mom, we discuss the zen of comedy, a Tales From the Crypt body horror story, The Matrix as an allegory for wokeness, the madness that is the trailer for the upcoming Cats adaptation, and stick around for Darling's impersonation of Balloo. Follow Dan on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RealDanDuddy The Tale...
Thicc Bois ft. Rob Ramirez
July 21, 2019 12:00 - 1 hour - 141 MBMagician Rob Ramirez joins us this week to discuss Koffing, Rhyhorn, Chansey and Tangela. Along the way, Balloo starts yet another celebrity feud (this one with Michael's endorsement), the gang discusses the plight of NY Knicks fans, offers a decade late deep dive into Christopher Nolan's The Prestige with thoughts from a professional magician on the message of the film, and Darling finally descends to madness in terror at the wonders the mage before him is able to perform. From the show: ...
Sad, Angry Bois ft. Gerry Maravilla
July 07, 2019 12:00 - 1 hour - 175 MBWriter & Director, Gerry Maravilla joins the podcast this week to discuss Exeggcute, Cubone, Hitmonlee & Hitmonchan and Lickitung. After our regular game of Mon mom, get ready for egg puns galore, looks back at Young Adult classic series Goosebumps, Animorphs, where the X-Men film franchise went wrong and where James Marsden went right, plus a deep dive into classic kung fu & martial arts films with the gang and much, much more! From the Show: Follow Gerry on Twitter: https://twitter.com/g...
A Crab. That's it, That's the Pokemon ft. Gil Baron
June 23, 2019 12:00 - 1 hour - 176 MBGil Baron drops by the podcast to discuss Onix, Drowzee, Krabby, and Voltorb. The gang discusses Onix diarrhea, local erotic fan fiction comedy shows, Balloo's terrible approach to first dates, how Chris Hemsworth ruined the Ghostbusters reboot, and the gospel according to Gil: "If you’re a dummy with a good heart then yes, a lot of sins can be washed over.” Check out Packchella, the Pack Theater Comedy Music Festival (it's pay what you can!) June 28-30, Info & Tickets: https://www.packthea...
Tales From the Cryptozoologists ft. Monika Smith
June 09, 2019 12:40 - 1 hour - 165 MBComedian, writer, and actor Monika Smith joins us to talk about the Gen 1 ghost trio of Gastly, Haunter, and Gengar. Balloo regales the team this episode with folklore and legends from his homeland of Trinidad and along the way the group discuss the ghosts, our favorite Keanu Reeves stories, how important Harry and the Hendersons is in the pop culture landscape, Tinder bio red flags, the state of the NBA Finals, Canadian PSAs, and the high cost of women's undergarments. From the show: Foll...
Kiss From a Rose in the Muk ft. Alex Creswick
May 26, 2019 13:00 - 1 hour - 145 MBAlex Creswick comes by to throw the podcast into delightful disarray, but every Games of Thrones viewer knows Chaos isn't a pit, it's a ladder: we climb out of the muck (get it?) to 'discuss' the Seel, Grimer, and Shellder families- or attempt to amid numerous departures to discuss Armageddon, Ben Affleck, how the Dean from Community would own the Met Gala, Seal's greatest hits, and many more things that delight Balloo. From the show: JLO Unphased by Katy Perry Changing into a Cheeseburge...
Bonus - Detective Pikachu Spoilercast ft. Michael Chau & Kev Koeser
May 15, 2019 06:19 - 1 hour - 144 MBKev Koeser and Michael Chau return to discuss Detective Pikachu in depth. After a Special Detective Pikachu Mon Mom game, the group speculates on the future of a Pokemon Cinematic Pantheon, and get on with sharing their takes on Detective Pikachu's accomplishments at cinematic world building, characters, action, and more. From Nic Cage's hopeful involvement in future Pokemon movie installments, to dream recasting, and finally an accolades round table (The PikAcademy Awards), the Mon Men are ...
Duck With a Bone to Pick ft. Seth Hansen
May 12, 2019 13:00 - 1 hour - 166 MBSeth Hansen, cohost of the music podcast 40s and 40s, sits in today to discuss Magnemite, Duck with Stick, and Doduo. It's a long awaited face off between Balloo and the Duck with conversation ranging from House of Cards, to the Mandela effect and Sinbad's career, all the way to how the Death of Superman ruined comics. Today's Mon Mods may not be for the faint of heart, as Balloo and our guest combine minds to descend to the madness of conceiving what can only be described as an eldritch ho...
Fly, Fly Lil' Sebastian ft. Abby Denton
April 28, 2019 13:00 - 1 hour - 144 MBAbby Denton joins us this week to discuss Geodude, Ponyta, and Slowpoke. After facing off against a 6-0 undefeated Michael Darling in a game of Mon Mom, this week's trio discuss classic Bond films, the creepy use of CGI to keep actors alive forever, the unexpected movie trilogy that takes the crown for best of the century thus far, and (keeping up our tradition of referencing NBC classics) a lot of talk about Pokemon world Lil' Sebastian. From the show, Alfred Molina singing Fiddler on the ...
Machoke Me, Daddy ft. Andrew Valdes
April 14, 2019 13:00 - 1 hour - 131 MBGuest cohost Andrew Valdes jumps in the third chair this week to talk about the Machop, Bellsprout, and Tenatcool families. Veering from NBC Comedies to NBC Drama: we trade chops for slaps and talk about the cultural phenomenon that was NBC's The Slap, as well as Diedrich Bader, begging for sensei's forgiveness, Pokemon you can step on and those you'd need to wallop, as well as how capable each of today's mons are at subduing Darling (answer: super effective). Including some surprise Yoshi's...
A Lawman, Libertarian, & Lawsuit ft. Henry Meier
March 31, 2019 14:32 - 1 hour - 132 MBThe Mon Men are back with special guest, Henry Meier to discuss Growlithe, Poliwag, and Abra. We have some Pokemon News at the top of the episode that breaks Balloo's heart (Danny DeVito was tested for the voice of Detective Pikachu), and then it's off to the races (literally) discussing the Growlithe family and their absurd speed and stamina in the dex, Poliwag and its extremely odd biology, and Abra's real world counterparts and legal troubles. From a review of Now You See Me 6 years late,...
Aww, Shucky Ducky Now ft. Ethan Hallstrom
March 17, 2019 13:00 - 1 hour - 174 MBBalloo and Darling are back again and welcome guest co-host Ethan Hallstrom to the third chair to discuss Meowth, Psyduck, and Mankey. It's an episode with all the usual fun of Mon Mom, Mon's World, and Mon Appetite, but with all the usual tangents of Joe Pesci's acting career, Must See TV NBC Thursdays, Middle School Reading, and Exorcising Demons by being hashtag woke. It's the Podcast about Pokemon that's Woke-mon, welcome back to Mon Men!
Dig Pic ft. Michael Chau
March 03, 2019 13:00 - 52 minutes - 95.9 MBBalloo and Darling are joined this week by Michael Chau to discuss the Paras, Venonat, and Diglett families. Starting with another game of Mon Mom, it's off to the races with Balloo putting his foot in his mouth on the Paras line with comparisons to a certain A List movie star, speculations of illicit applications of yet another poison Pokemon, and a lot of inappropriate jokes about Diglett and Dugtrio physiology. Welcome back to Mon Men! From the show: The terrifying Thomas the Tank...
Bonus - Pokemon Sword & Shield Announcement
February 27, 2019 23:44 - 25 minutes - 46.2 MBBalloo and Darling are here for a Pokemon Day special, breaking news reaction episode to the announcement and first trailer for Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield on the Nintendo Switch! We kick it off with a game of Mon Mom for the starters announced today: Grookey, Scorbunny, and Sobble. Darling and Balloo trade predictions and wishes based on the England inspired location, folklore, and history, and then close off with a starter announcement game of Mon Appetite. It's a special breaking new...
Bonus - Pokemon Sword & Shield Announcement
February 27, 2019 23:44 - 25 minutes - 46.2 MBBalloo and Darling are here for a Pokemon Day special, breaking news reaction episode to the announcement and first trailer for Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield on the Nintendo Switch! We kick it off with a game of Mon Mom for the starters announced today: Grookey, Scorbunny, and Sobble. Darling and Balloo trade predictions and wishes based on the England inspired location, folklore, and history, and then close off with a starter announcement game of Mon Appetite. It's a special breaking new...
Mr. Darling's Emporium of Peculiarities and Oddishes ft. Kev Koeser
February 17, 2019 13:00 - 1 hour - 148 MBBalloo & Mr. Darling are back, this week they're joined by guest, Kevin Koeser to discuss the Vulpix, Jigglypuff, Zubat, and Oddish families. Starting with another game of Mon Mom, this week's conversations touches on an icon in the furry community, Marxist Mario, Japanese folklore, Nintendo kinks (wherein we confirm that we are the podcast that does not kink shame), and even trans rights events- and that's all before we even get to Mon Mods, Mon's World, or Mon Appetite. Welcome back to our...
First Mon on the Moon ft. Brett Fujioka
February 02, 2019 15:25 - 55 minutes - 101 MBBalloo and Darling are back once more, this time with their first guest in the rotating third seat: Brett Fujioka. Discussions of the Nidoran families finally bring up the Pepsi to Pokemon's Coke: Digimon and the difference between world building and narrative building, and some hypothesizing about the way Pokemon would have gone if the original plan for Clefairy to be the face of the franchise had gone through. Mon Mods, Mon's World, and finally another Mon Appetit bring us home, it's Mon M...
Bonus - Who's Your PokeDaddy?
January 27, 2019 15:51 - 19 minutes - 36.4 MBBalloo and Darling return for a bonus episode tackling some of their favorite parental fan theories concerning Red and Ash's potential fathers, human-pokemon hybrids, and a pet theory on who the biggest ladies man in the Pokemon universe is. Short and sweet, we'll be back next week with a full episode.
Of Mice and Mon
January 20, 2019 15:42 - 47 minutes - 87 MBBalloo and Darling are back, this week to take on the face of the franchise: Pikachu. This week, we Introduce a new recurring segment, Mon Mom with Balloo's own mother to start things off. Darling shares some news from the world of London fashion, and the pair discuss Pikachu's design, cultural impact, and similarities to The Wire, as well as a little bit of New York history, and a sneaky twist on this week's Mon Apetite. It's another episode of Mon Men!
Snake? Snake!? SNAAAAAAAAKE!
January 13, 2019 22:17 - 52 minutes - 96.1 MBBalloo and Darling are back to discuss the rats (Ratata), birds (Spearow), and snakes (Ekans). From Balloo's disappointment with lazy, uninspired designs, to a Mon Mods discussion of a fan created expansion that adds a Nuclear type, and another Mon Appetite, this time shouting out a local LA favorite - It's Mon Men!
The Birdy With the Good Hair
January 06, 2019 17:56 - 57 minutes - 106 MBBalloo and Darling are back to discuss the Caterpie, Weedle, and Pidgey families. From discussions about avian coifs, to just how big the pokedex says these creepy crawlies are, and a special twist to this week's Mon Appetite, it's Mon Men! From the show, link to wikipedia's entry for Argentavis Magnificens: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argentavis
Starters & War Criminals
December 31, 2018 19:19 - 46 minutes - 85.6 MBIn the first episode of Mon Men, Balloo and Michael discuss the Gen 1 starter families (Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charmander), from designs, to how they would be used in the real world (It's a Mon's World), and which we'd most like to eat (Mon Appetite!). Welcome to the first step in our audio journey through the Pokedex!