Why Are You Like This?
442 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 1 year ago - ★★★★ - 59 ratingsTwo open-minded know-it-alls discuss human behavior, pseudoscience, real science, and esoteric nonsense in order to determine why people are the way that they are.
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
S10 Ep3: Necrophilia: Not Illegal in California
February 16, 2023 19:12 - 44 minutes - 40.8 MBThis week on the podcast, we’re digging into a topic we cannot believe we haven’t already covered… bringing some SPOOKTOBER energy to your February, we’re talking Necrophilia. We’ll get into what we know about the origins of the concern and… eh, practice as well as some more current accounts. Because turns out, it’s still not illegal in every state.
S10 Ep2: WHAT THE FUPDATE: Hikikomori
February 09, 2023 15:14 - 30 minutes - 28.3 MBIn this week’s FUPDATE, we’re digging into a severe form of social withdrawal that the Japanese are calling Hikikomori. The term, mostly used to characterize adolescents and young adults, describes folks so withdrawn that they may become recluses in their parents' homes, not even engaging with the family they live with. Certainly there is big COVID energy around this, but there are also generational divides being highlighted… kind of like that time someone said millennials could buy a home if...
S10 Ep1: Neuroplasticity: Science’s Attempt to Manifest
February 02, 2023 12:48 - 1 hour - 55.9 MBThis week on our SZN 10 PREMIERE (!), we’re looking to dust off the copy of The Secret we bought in 2005 as we talk Neuroplasticity and it’s *proximity* to manifesting. With all these TikTok’s saying that we can call our fate to us, we ask about the psychology behind faking it ‘til making it. Does envisioning the life you dream of or even going as far to live parts of it, actually affect your brain? We’ll get into it… so shut up, we’re manifesting!
S9 Ep23: Horoscopes: February 2023
January 27, 2023 17:06 - 37 minutes - 34.1 MBWe’re back to consulting the stars, as we let you know exactly what your February WHOROSCOPES have in store. Who is set to have the best month ever, and who is gearing up for the worst!
S9 Ep22: Horoscopes: January 2023
December 29, 2022 16:51 - 47 minutes - 43.7 MBFor the last time in 2022 we’re back to consulting the stars, as we let you know exactly what your January WHOROSCOPES have in store. Who is set to have the best month ever, and who is gearing up for the worst! Good riddance to this year, as we look ahead to 2023!
S9 Ep21: Left Behind: Recapping the Rapture
December 22, 2022 18:04 - 1 hour - 83.1 MBThis week on the SZN FINALE (!) of the podcast, we’re watched the 2000 Christian cult classic, Running Out of Time, so you don’t have to. Based on a best selling 1990s novel, this story is full of loose ends and Christian propaganda that we truly cannot wait to share as we follow out protagonist played by Kirk Cameron, of Growing Pains fame, through a sudden spiritual awakening. Buckle up because the rapture is predictably unpredictable as portrayed during peak Y2K.
S9 Ep20: Capitalist Hellscape: Working More Than Medieval Peasants (No, Seriously. We are.)
December 15, 2022 18:42 - 1 hour - 57.6 MBThis week on the podcast, Jaimi is hitting us with some hard truths. Sure we can understand as we mature and have more responsibilities, stressors, and the like that we have less free time. But does the working force actually have less time than even just ten years ago? We dig even deeper to contemplate Medieval times— did you assume those folks were constantly working just to survive? We might have… and we hate to break it to you but… 1450 is looking pretty good right about now.
S9 Ep19: WHAT THE FUPDATE: Personal Narratives
December 09, 2022 04:15 - 38 minutes - 34.9 MBOn this week’s FUPDATE, we get into the business of the stories we tell ourselves. Just in time for the holidays, we’re reflecting on the narratives family members and friends seem to hold about us, how we can regress as a result, and what our personal narrative even might be. Do the stories we tell really convey what we want people to see in us? The good news is that there actually is some research about that… And we’ll tell you all about it.
S9 Ep18: Erotic Asphyxiation: Cum Quick or Die Trying
December 01, 2022 15:03 - 58 minutes - 53.6 MBTW: mentions of suicide and accidental death This week on the podcast, we’re back with another sexpisode as we discuss erotic and autoerotic asphyxiation. We’ll get into likely inaccurate statistics and the brain chemicals involved. What makes this pleasurable anyway? And we simply cannot help but dive into a historical retelling to answer the question of who first thought, “Hey! You know what would be really hot…” So go ahead and clutch your pearls, but not too tight.
S9 Ep17: Horoscopes: December 2022
November 24, 2022 20:44 - 39 minutes - 36.1 MBWe’re back to consulting the stars, as we let you know exactly what your December WHOROSCOPES have in store. Who is set to have the best month ever, and who is gearing up for the worst!
S9 Ep16: Haunted People Syndrome: What It Sounds Like
November 17, 2022 15:40 - 48 minutes - 44.4 MBThis week on the podcast, psychology and ghosts are having a bit of a crossover as we dig into Haunted People Syndrome. Here again to talk about the syndromes you didn’t know you were interested in as we discuss what some have defined by recurrent and systematic perceptions of anomalous subjective and objective anomalies. Whew. What a mouthful. We’ll breakdown the paranormal— when is a ghost just a ghost and when is someone truly haunted?
S9 Ep15: WHAT THE FUPDATE: FIRE, The New American Pipe Dream
November 10, 2022 18:30 - 35 minutes - 32.6 MBOn this week’s FUPDATE, we are talking all things FIRE. If you’re not familiar with the acronym you may still have heard a thing or two about Financial Independence, Retire Early— even if it was just on your social media timelines. There is a lot more to this philosophy than what’s on your For You Page, and we’re here to break it down. We’ve got some strong feelings about the whole ideal and the different places we think we land within it. So, go ahead and let us know if you’re ready to save...
S9 Ep14: Emotional Intelligence: Another Reason We’re Retelling Reality TV
November 03, 2022 18:30 - 58 minutes - 53.9 MBThis week on the podcast, Austin retells us a heated confrontation from Bachelor in Paradise as we try to decide whether or not people really are “so evolved.” As we watch cast members on just about every Reality TV show weaponize who does and doesn’t go to therapy, we ask the question “What even is Emotional Intelligence?” Psychologists can’t agree and we’ve got some of our own thoughts as well…
S9 Ep13: Horoscopes: November 2022
October 27, 2022 13:54 - 30 minutes - 27.8 MBWe’re back to consulting the stars, as we let you know exactly what your November WHOROSCOPES have in store. Who is set to have the best month ever, and who is gearing up for the worst!
S9 Ep12: SPOOKTOBER: Zombies: Violent Historical Mystery
October 20, 2022 18:36 - 56 minutes - 51.4 MBThis week, as we continue SPOOKTOBER on the podcast, we do a deep dive into another monster. We’re talking all things Zombies as we dig into their historical origins. We’re spending plenty of time talking New Orleans and Voodoo as we get to the bottom of the living dead.
S9 Ep11: SPOOKTOBER: WHAT THE FUPDATE: The Return of Home Depot’s Twelve Foot Skeleton
October 13, 2022 14:37 - 22 minutes - 21.1 MBAs SPOOKTOBER continues, this week we’re talking all about some festive lawn ornaments. Spooky SZN is upon us and a lot of neighbors are participating.
S9 Ep10: SPOOKTOBER: Werewolves: Violent Historical Storytime
October 06, 2022 15:06 - 1 hour - 56.8 MBIt’s the most wonderful time of the year again on the podcast, as we begin our favorite annual tradition of SPOOKTOBER. This season we’re getting into the history and origins of some classic and beloved Halloween monsters. Starting out we’re heading straight into a deep dive on lycanthropy and all things werewolf, including a special story time featuring Peter Stump.
S9 Ep9: Horoscopes: October 2022
September 29, 2022 12:51 - 40 minutes - 37.1 MBWe’re back to consulting the stars, as we let you know exactly what your October WHOROSCOPES have in store. Who is set to have the best month ever, and who is gearing up for the worst!
S9 Ep8: Remote Viewing: Another Way to Work for the Government
September 22, 2022 12:48 - 47 minutes - 43.3 MBThis week on the podcast we’re dishing into yet another secret government project. We’ll recount the story of Joseph McMoneagle as he gets recruited to partake in a US Army project that centers itself on psychic abilities. We’re finding objects in the middle of nowhere this week and honestly not questioning it.
S9 Ep7: Through Screens: Your Life Is Pokémon Go
September 15, 2022 14:18 - 1 hour - 64.3 MBThis week on the podcast, Austin goes to the art museum and Jaimi, a person who has never played Pokémon Go, explains it. We’re talking all about experiencing life and art through our phone screens— and sometimes being forced to experience it through someone else’s. When is it okay and can you really appreciate anything when you’re looking through a digit camera?
S9 Ep6: WHAT THE FUPDATE: VR Sex
September 08, 2022 18:15 - 34 minutes - 32 MBOn this month’s FUPDATE, we’re digging into the very real possibilities of VR Sex. We’re talking all the technology, solo and partnered usage, and the possibility of hackers.
S9 Ep5: Antarctica: A Birth Canal of Conspiracies (and Nazis)
September 01, 2022 16:24 - 52 minutes - 48 MBWe’re kicking off September with what could be yet another Dan Brown situation… Antarctica has seen plenty of peaceful multilateral research initiatives, with the Antarctic Teaty System in effect. The thing is, this agreement is set to expire in 2048 which isn’t far into the future. Seems like some nations would still like to seize Antarctica and are hoping to set themselves up for success. What does that have to do with Nazi hideouts and artifacts? Some conspiracy theorists would argue a l...
S9 Ep4: Horoscopes: September 2022
August 25, 2022 13:20 - 31 minutes - 28.7 MBWe’re back to consulting the stars, as we let you know exactly what your September WHOROSCOPES have in store. Who is set to have the best month ever, and who is gearing up for the worst!
S9 Ep3: Voyeurism: Peep Holes, Toilet Cams and More
August 18, 2022 15:14 - 55 minutes - 51 MBThis week on the podcast, we’re looking in your windows as we talk all about voyeurism. How have reality television and porn played a part in our desires to see the sexual and intimate lives of others? We’ve got some thoughts. And for Austin it all started with the Busy World of Richard Scarry…
S9 Ep2: WHAT THE FUPDATE: Fetish USA
August 11, 2022 20:42 - 28 minutes - 26 MBOn this week’s FUPDATE, we are surfing Fetishes across the USA. Which State is Googling the most about Latex and Bondage? We’ve got the intel as we continue with our month-long special series: Augasm.
S9 Ep1: Technosexuality: “Can You Make Love With Alexa?”
August 04, 2022 13:26 - 59 minutes - 54.2 MBSZN 9! Wow, we are so excited to be back with you and perhaps starting a new tradition… as we have dubbed this month “Augasm” at Why Are You Like This? We’ve said it from the beginning— this is not a sex podcast, except when it is… and this entire month it is! This week we’re diving into Technosexuality. It’s giving some of us major PQs about Alexa and Siri. Is there real appeal to some of these disembodied voices? Or do we need to go a step further and find our robot…
S8 Ep25: Horoscopes: August 2022
July 28, 2022 15:12 - 41 minutes - 38.3 MBWe’re back to consulting the stars, as we let you know exactly what your August WHOROSCOPES have in store. Who is set to have the best month ever, and who is gearing up for the worst!
S8 Ep24: BEST OF: Cold Opens
July 15, 2022 15:29 - 42 minutes - 39 MBDear listeners! We are so excited to hit you with SZN 9 (!!!) in just a couple weeks, until then we take a stroll down memory lane as we revisit some of our best Cold Opens over the years…
S8 Ep23: Horoscopes: July 2022
June 30, 2022 17:04 - 48 minutes - 44.1 MBWe’re back to consulting the stars, as we let you know exactly what your July WHOROSCOPES have in store. Who is set to have the best month ever, and who is gearing up for the worst!
S8 Ep22: ‘A Courtship’ Recap: Pussy Gate
June 23, 2022 13:53 - 1 hour - 64.3 MBAh, yes. This week on the podcast, we’re back to recapping documentaries about the puritanical choices some communities make about sex. If you were with us for “Purity Balls” this is one you don’t want to miss. Things escalate in the first ten minutes of the documentary when we learn the central figure in this story was once on a search for what she calls ‘spiritual parents.’ What does she have in common with Real Housewives and Kathy Griffin? Oh, we’ll tell you.
S8 Ep21: WHAT THE FUPDATE: 37% Rule
June 16, 2022 12:51 - 49 minutes - 44.9 MBOn this week’s FUPDATE, we’re offering you another math problem or algorithmic hack to solve your dating or house hunting problem… even more helpful if you are trying to date a house. Can math actually help us out in these situations? We’ll tell you what some experts says.
S8 Ep20: Renaissance Festival People: Hmm…
June 09, 2022 15:18 - 56 minutes - 52.1 MBOf all the subcultures, this is the one that somehow allowed us to start with a conversation surrounding Jack Sparrow cosplay. We’ve got thoughts on grade school field trips, the adults living for “Ren Fair” culture, and what historians are saying about the time period itself. It’s a long winding road full of turkey drumsticks and blacksmith gimmicks on our way to see the knights joust.
S8 Ep19: Unsolicited Advice: Big Missionary Energy
June 02, 2022 13:32 - 1 hour - 65.2 MBThis week on the podcast, we’re digging into all the reasons we won’t listen to the band our friend suggested and yet can’t help telling said friend what movie they should be watching. It’s that itch that we feel when we think we know what’s good for someone, but can’t possibly believe they know what’s good for us. What’s easy to give but hard to take? Unsolicited advice— we’ll tell you about it.
S8 Ep18: Horoscopes: June 2022
May 26, 2022 19:03 - 58 minutes - 53.6 MBWe’re back to consulting the stars, as we let you know exactly what your June WHOROSCOPES have in store. Who is set to have the best month ever, and who is gearing up for the worst!
S8 Ep17: Off the Grid: Real World Application of Discovery Plus
May 19, 2022 14:05 - 1 hour - 65.3 MBThis week on the podcast, we’re going off the grid. We debunk some of our own thoughts about why people choose to go off grid and the what “off the grid” means to different folks. We’re talking trading child labor for gasoline, pooping in holes, and one very interesting dating show. So, which parts are we ready to sign up for? Oh, we’ll tell you…
S8 Ep16: WHAT THE FUPDATE: Unruly Behavior
May 12, 2022 13:11 - 41 minutes - 38 MBOkay. So we’re in that part of the pandemic where it seems like adults throwing temper tantrums on airplanes and yelling about wearing masks literally anywhere is the norm, especially if we’re using our social media timelines to prove it. So, it begs the question, “Why?” Why is everyone a seemingly worse driver and a seemingly ruder person? Well, we’ve got some thoughts.
S8 Ep15: Truman Show Delusion: Everyone Is Watching
May 05, 2022 15:45 - 1 hour - 58.9 MBAh yes, this week we’re discussing not only one of our favorite Jim Carey movies but also some interesting delusions that have been named for it. They say ‘art imitates life’ and perhaps so do delusions. Without the Truman Show or reality television, would anyone be worried their eyes were cameras to begin with? Tune in to find out— we’d let *some* of you watch our show.
S8 Ep14: Horoscopes: May 2022
April 28, 2022 17:57 - 44 minutes - 40.9 MBWe’re back to consulting the stars, as we let you know exactly what your May WHOROSCOPES have in store. Who is set to have the best month ever, and who is gearing up for the worst!
S8 Ep13: Ancient Aliens: A Little Accountability, Please
April 21, 2022 13:24 - 1 hour - 62.7 MBAncient Aliens, eh? Did we do an episode on this already? We’ll, actually no… or at least not this one. This week on the podcast, we’re digging into the backstory of the cultural phenomenon and when exactly the History Channel went from World War II documentaries to wild theories about extraterrestrial life.
S8 Ep12: WHAT THE FUPDATE: Purple-Red Scale of Attraction
April 14, 2022 12:36 - 40 minutes - 37 MBAsk and you shall receive this week… When we took a look at the work of somatic sexologist and sex educator Jaiya, featured in Sex, Love and goop, we were shook by a better scale to describe our own erotic style. But we still felt like there was something to be desired in that space, and leave it to a listener to send along something that helped fit the bill. This is not a sex podcast except when it is, and this week it is thanks to a friend of the show as we dive into the Purple-Red Scale of...
S8 Ep11: Time Slips: When Am I, Now?
April 07, 2022 13:02 - 1 hour - 65.7 MBThis week on the podcast, Austin takes us down another TikTok inspired rabbit hole into the concept of Time Slips. These seemingly unintentional slips into the literal past have us asking a lot of questions. From plausibility of time travel to one’s ability to potentially document an experience with time travel in the age of the smart phone. And why in fiction do time travelers always have to conceal themselves? Is it actually just a plot device to keep hope alive that time travel could be ha...
S8 Ep10: Horoscopes: April 2022
March 31, 2022 13:33 - 48 minutes - 44.4 MBWe’re back to consulting the stars, as we let you know exactly what your April WHOROSCOPES have in store. Who is set to have the best month ever, and who is gearing up for the worst!
S8 Ep9: TGI Fridays: A Very Sexy Start
March 24, 2022 14:54 - 1 hour - 67.1 MBWould you believe us if we told you we were talking all about the sexy (yes!) origin story and history of TGI Fridays? If you’re not new here, this probably won’t surprise you… Where was a single gal to go once the birth control pill was on the market? Well… now you know…
S8 Ep8: Uncanny Valley: Accidentally in Extreme Discomfort
March 17, 2022 11:44 - 1 hour - 56.2 MBThis week on the podcast, we’re taking everyone’s favorite accidentally in love ogre and we’re doing so as we talk the accidental (?) horrors of the uncanny valley. We’re breaking down what it feels like to emphasize with different human-like depictions and what happens when those renderings get maybe a little *too* real.
S8 Ep7: WHAT THE FUPDATE: Daylight Savings is a Messy Bitch
March 10, 2022 14:01 - 32 minutes - 29.5 MBIn preparation for the upcoming clock switch, on this month’s FUPDATE we’re taking all about Daylight Savings Time. She’s a real bitch for countless reasons, but we’re specifically talking some seasonal depression, circadian rhythm, and general biological mismatches. Why are we doing this anyway? Is there some kind of benefit at this point? We’ll tell you what the experts think…
S8 Ep6: Cryopreservation: Pausing Death?
March 03, 2022 23:00 - 1 hour - 56.7 MBThis week on the podcast it’s not all about Mark Walberg’s daily routine, but we certainly spend some time there… We’re going into the freezer on this one as we discuss Cryopreservation. Would we do it? A lot of famous people have been rumored to be put on ice… but where does one draw the line? Are folks placing their faith in this overly optimistic? And would you even want to rejoin the world without your loved ones? We’ve got some thoughts…
S8 Ep5: Horoscopes: March 2022
February 27, 2022 07:32 - 50 minutes - 46.6 MBWe’re back to consulting the stars, as we let you know exactly what your March WHOROSCOPES have in store. Who is set to have the best month ever, and who is gearing up for the worst!
S8 Ep4: Goop-ing Again: The Erotic Blueprint
February 17, 2022 20:34 - 1 hour - 83.1 MBWe’ve said it before and we’ll say it again— this is not a sex podcast, except when it is. And today it is! Austin once again gets on the microphone to defend her love of Gwyneth Paltrow as we discuss Goop’s most recent Netflix series, Sex, Love, and Goop. We’re specifically digging into the Erotic Blueprint presented by somatic sexologist and educator Jaiya in the series. And it’s a worthy endeavor because we shake up some of our own perspectives using what we have coined “Love Languages for...
S8 Ep3: WHAT THE FUPDATE: Mardi Gras Hot Takes.
February 10, 2022 17:07 - 43 minutes - 39.6 MBFeast or famine? It’s Lenten season and folks are doing all of the above. On this month’s FUPDATE, we dissect fasting for spiritual reasons and the binging that sounds the fast this time of year. Performative or a totally great step to self improvement? We’ve got opinions…
S8 Ep2: Dissociative Fugue: The Disappearance of Agatha Christie
February 03, 2022 14:21 - 1 hour - 57 MBWe’re back with our first major episode of SZN 8! And how could we start with anything other than the tale of the original Gone Girl, Agatha Christie. Whether you’ve read her mystery novels or not, you’re going to be interested in her real life reaction to infidelity and the time she crashed a car and perhaps completely forgot who she is. FEELS GOOD TO BE BACK, BABY.