More or Less · Topics · Episode #167
Emmys, Silo Top-3, and the Name Game: 'Only Peasants Have Two Names'
Clip from the full recording, 55:03–62:15 · download mp4 · watch at this point on YouTube
Brit's pop-culture wrap (Emmys, Taylor Swift everywhere) meets the canon wars — Brit has never seen Dr. Strangelove OR The Big Lebowski — plus Silo top-ten-ever claims, The Paper, and the discovery that Dave is secretly David Brooks Morin.
The wrap: Brit brings the Emmys and wall-to-wall Taylor Swift (cameos, Chiefs games, ‘big announcements to be had’); Sam counters she’s ‘not entertaining enough’ and pitches SAS Rogue Heroes as Dave-bait. Dave and Brit just finished Silo — Dave puts it top-ten TV ever, Brit says top three — while Sam realizes he already read the books (his recurring bit: he accidentally pre-reads every adaptation, including Nuclear War: A Scenario). Jess recommends The Paper from the Office creators, found for her by her ‘loving husband’ whose love language is TV curation, and plugs The information’s 50 most influential people in tech plus the WTF lineup (both Whitneys: Cummings and Wolfe Herd). The canon war reignites — Brit (35) has seen neither Dr. Strangelove nor The Big Lebowski; Sam: ‘you fake being a cultured person with no culture, which is very impressive’ — and then the episode finds its true ending: Dave’s full name is David Brooks Morin, which everyone agrees could ‘go on NPR.’ Sam’s closing taxonomy of fame, from the US Open crowd cam: two names is ordinary, one name is a level (‘Sizza or some shit’), a symbol is Prince-tier, but the ultimate is no name necessary. ‘Only peasants have two names. You either need three or zero.’
Key points
- Emmys week + peak Taylor Swift (cameo, Chiefs game, rumored announcements) — Sam's review: 'I don't think she's entertaining enough.'
- Silo verdicts: Dave top-ten TV ever, Brit top three; based on the best-selling self-published sci-fi novel on Amazon.
- Sam's adaptation curse: keeps discovering mid-movie he already read the book (Nuclear War: A Scenario, the Silo books).
- The canon wars: Brit has never seen Dr. Strangelove or The Big Lebowski — Sam: she 'fakes being a cultured person with no culture.'
- Dave's government name is David Brooks Morin, an instant NPR byline; Brit is legally Brittany Bonet.
- Sam's fame ladder from the US Open crowd cam: two names < one name < symbol (Prince) < no name necessary. 'Only peasants have two names. You either need three or zero.'
Where they landed
Quotes
“You honestly fake being a cultured person with no culture, which is very impressive.”— Sam
“Only peasants have two names. You either need three or zero.”— Sam
“I put Silo in top ten TV ever.”— Dave
“Ever since Prince turned himself into a symbol — turning yourself into a symbol is one step, but no name.”— Sam
Suggested tweets
Sam Lessin's taxonomy of fame, via the US Open crowd cam: two names is ordinary. One name is a level. A symbol is Prince-tier. The ultimate? No name necessary.
Tweet this →'Only peasants have two names. You either need three or zero.' — More or Less discovers Dave is secretly David Brooks Morin, an instant NPR byline
Tweet this →Brit Morin has never seen Dr. Strangelove OR The Big Lebowski. Sam: 'You fake being a cultured person with no culture, which is very impressive.'
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