Is This Pinball?

A podcast discussing the issues of today, namely: Is this pinball? Is this not pinball? How pinball is it? Each episode, hosts Amy, Dylan, and Willie bring in a "pinball table" to rate. Is what they brought in actually pinball? Well, we're here to find out.

70: Sad Boi Meal Club 05/19/2022

70: Sad Boi Meal Club HEY THERE, KIDDOS. We're back! For our un-regular, chaos schedule for these un-regular chaos times. This week, we discuss eating one food group at a time, if the book in the living room is yours, Christian rock opera versions of popular IPs, the return to universal subjectivism, and our quickly unraveling psyches. AND IT ALL MAY OR MAY NOT BE PINBALL. GOOD LUCK. Oh, and stick around to the end for a very special surprise. /episode/index/show/isthispinball/id/23162879

69: Elden Ring & George's tiny hat 03/03/2022

69: Elden Ring & George's tiny hat We can't avoid the discourse! We're talking about what everyone else is! And that thing is Elden Ring! That's right, we're diving into the saddest monsters, the deep lore, and George RR Martin's tiny lil' hat. /episode/index/show/isthispinball/id/22324631

68: The Pinocchio Triptych 02/03/2022

68: The Pinocchio Triptych Did you know that three Pinocchio movies coming out this year? There are. There are three. That sounds, like us, like three too many. In addition, we ask what the best century is, what exactly are sports, and should someone watch all 13 X-Men movies? All good questions, we think. Oh, and how pinball they all are, obviously. /episode/index/show/isthispinball/id/22014233

67: Accidentally watching smut with friends 01/27/2022

67: Accidentally watching smut with friends Hey friends! Your favorite intermittently-released podcast is back! We start of with the tried-and-true Discussion of Ol' Dusty Tomes with Dylan Waite and, uh, things kind of veer off-course from there. I mean, what did you expect? That's kind of what we do. /episode/index/show/isthispinball/id/21925790

66: Surfing cat cover art 12/04/2021

66: Surfing cat cover art Willie says "it's objectively an episode!" And an episode it is! Tune in to listen to us lose our minds over ska jazz cover art, berate Dylan his old dusty tomes, some obligatory Sondheim opinions, and other super accessible and broad topics that are sure to appeal to everyone and everything. Oh, and we figure out if it's pinball. Obviously. /episode/index/show/isthispinball/id/21377699

65: That gauged ear stink 11/17/2021

65: That gauged ear stink Did you think we left?? Did you??? You dummy, did you think we'd leave YOU???? Never. We'd never. That's right: we're back and committing to being entirely uncommitted to any sort of schedule. But here we are: letting you know what's pinball and what isn't. And we missed you. This week, we discuss the dark carnival, Dylan disappointing children, Malignant, Willie's conquest of Pokemon Go, an ultra-smooth Grand Theft Auto, Cowboy Bebop, and how to get that good stink. /episode/index/show/isthispinball/id/21191429

64: Hot Ball of Wax 09/16/2021

64: Hot Ball of Wax WE'RE BACK BAYBEEEEEEE. That's right: your three hosts are fresh off summer vacation and are back to talk about... wax museums. Yes, that's right: Dylan spent some time in Salem, MA, which is positively overflowing with wax facsimiles. Come for the wax chat, stay for word history, witch talk, and if wizards could have stopped global catastrophes.... and how pinball it all is (or isn't). We missed you, bbs. /episode/index/show/isthispinball/id/20502773

*~*SUMMER BREAK ANNOUNCEMENT*~* 08/03/2021

*~*SUMMER BREAK ANNOUNCEMENT*~* Hey fronds! "Is This Pinball" is going on summer break! As you may have noticed the past couple of weeks, we've been wrestling with our own personal life schedules in this era of reopening. So, we're going to take the summer to get our feet back under us. Until then: Stay safe! H.A.G.S.! /episode/index/show/isthispinball/id/20023739

63: Thick Keanu 07/23/2021

63: Thick Keanu This week, Dylan brings in some French literature with a priest who can't help but love the ladies, Amy loses her mind over Speed, and Willie remains haunted by Resident Evil. Tune in for the allegorical truth of pinball, Point Break, Gary Bussy, a confusion of Jeffs, and some actual real thoughtful discussion of game design (WHO WOULDA GUESSED?) /episode/index/show/isthispinball/id/19913621

62: Willie's big adventure 07/16/2021

62: Willie's big adventure Last week, Willie (for reasons known only to him) decided to watch all the Resident Evil movies. Did you know that there are a lot of them? Like, a LOT of them? I didn't. But there are. And now Willie is gonna tell us about them, because otherwise they'll haunt him forever. How pinball is Milla Jovovich? We may be the only ones brave enough to find out. /episode/index/show/isthispinball/id/19833149

61: That's what we call a little sumthin' sumthin' 07/05/2021

61: That's what we call a little sumthin' sumthin' OK, sure: Amy might have recorded this hunched over her computer in her parents' den. And, yeah, Dylan's audio is haunted by his ever-rumbling air conditioning. BUT YOU'RE NOT HERE FOR THE SOUND QUALITY (probably), you're here for the GOOD GOOD GOOFS. And this episode sure has a lot of those good goofs you crave. Whether we're DUNKING on Donald Rumsfeld, marveling at Hitachi's range of products, or trying to figure out what Korn actually is, it's a good time (if we do say so ourselves) /episode/index/show/isthispinball/id/19710719

60: Knit bullsh*t and sick songs ft. Sam Trillo 06/29/2021

60: Knit bullsh*t and sick songs ft. Sam Trillo Uh oh Amy has gone to Connecticut to do New England type things and left the boys all alone! They sat in the dark for a long time and then Sam Trillo (a.k.a. Poochy) walked in and turned the lights on to chat about music and comedy and just how pinball singing pee pee poo poo quietly to yourself is! /episode/index/show/isthispinball/id/19650533

59: Lin Manuel MirMordor 06/23/2021

59: Lin Manuel MirMordor We have a whole smorgasbord for you this week! Wanna know what Dylan thought about In the Heights? (The answer might surprise you!) Wanna know about what fantasy series Willie knows a lot about? (The answer might surprise you!) Wanna know if a game called New World is possibly a minefield of BAD CHOICES? (The answer absolutely will not surprise you!) WE GOT IT ALL, BAYBEEE. /episode/index/show/isthispinball/id/19575569

58: Can't not talk about Snyder 06/14/2021

58: Can't not talk about Snyder Willie starts the pod by saying that we "might not have that many things" to say about the movie we all watched, Zach Snyder's Army of the Dead. Turns out we have LOTS of things to say about it: why something that sounds good on paper could be so boring, why it might not actually sound good on paper, The Hot Rock, why even zombie ladies can't catch a break from being fridged, superimposed Tig Notaro, and a million other things. AND we actually remember to talk about how pinball it all is. And it is pinball. Trust us. /episode/index/show/isthispinball/id/19472789

A Hot Summer Jam 06/08/2021

A Hot Summer Jam With Willie and Dylan returning to work, and Amy on some theatre panel or another, scheduling got away from us this week. BUT don't worry, we'll be back next week AND, in the meantime, we have a new song from Dylan and Willie's band, The Pile! Amy thinks it's a jam! (And maybe you will too.) /episode/index/show/isthispinball/id/19402562

57: Hot pixel on pixel action 05/31/2021

57: Hot pixel on pixel action This week, we're talking about video games that allow your characters to *~*do the nasty*~* Awwww yeah, baybeeee. Where do they success? Where do they fail? Why do they usually fail much more often than they succeed? WE'RE HERE TO FIND OUT. Tune in for discussion of GTA: San Andreas, Dragon Age Inquisition, Mass Effect, The Sims, The Last of Us Part II, those free to play games that tell us there's no way we're going to last five minutes, and more! /episode/index/show/isthispinball/id/19303355

56: Signs and symbols and also pinball 05/24/2021

56: Signs and symbols and also pinball It's been too long since we've really tried to figure out what pinball is, but we're here to rectify that today, through the use of Dylan's dictionary on symbols. Can we finally get to the true essence of pinball, looking at the meaning behind orbs, silver, and ramps? And what does it have to do with Egyptian mythology around pure silver god bones? TUNE IN TO FIND OUT. Oh, and we also talk about Community, for some reason. /episode/index/show/isthispinball/id/19221251

Resident Evil Village: Our Big Mom 05/18/2021

Resident Evil Village: Our Big Mom In this episode, we return to Resident Evil, just in time for the release of Resident Evil Village: Giant Lady Dating Sim. We're here to discuss why this is Dylan's favorite (ever) Resident Evil, the internet's unending horniness, why Capcom hates hands, and also why Capcom seems to be one of the last goofy-fun AAA developers. /episode/index/show/isthispinball/id/19142171

54: God vs. Caterpie (reupload) 05/13/2021

54: God vs. Caterpie (reupload) Hey! We got a lovely, meaty email in the inbox, courtesy of listener Sam. Sam asks us some questions. And we give them some answers. This is why you should write us. Think of us as your crotchety grandparents, and we just wanna hear how you're doing. SO WRITE US, OK? (psst: ) Also. Listen. We thought we were done talking Pokemon, but just when we're out, New Pokemon Snap pulls us back in and launches us into a discussion of if humans are Pokemon, the ability to catch God, and why this baby game for babies is such a ripe field for lore discussions. /episode/index/show/isthispinball/id/19089482

53: FATALITY, A Mortal Kombat discussion 05/03/2021

53: FATALITY, A Mortal Kombat discussion With the new Mortal Kombat movie out, we're here to talk about the game that scared your grandma and has birthed at least three live-action movies. Tune in to hear a discussion of the best things about the 1995 and 2021 movies, and the worst of both, and how if we could only just smash them together, it might make a good movie. Oh, and did you know that there's a lot of background lore in Mortal Kombat? 'Cause there really is. And if you don't know a thing about Mortal Kombat, don't worry. Amy doesn't either. /episode/index/show/isthispinball/id/18959075

52: A Series of Conversations We Have With Each Other 04/27/2021

52: A Series of Conversations We Have With Each Other It's been a year! A full year of this! Whatever this is! Thanks for being here. We may not have figured out what pinball is just yet, but, honestly, who has? In this episode, we discuss Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters, dentists, and whether or not this is the very last episode of Is This Pinball? Is it? Is it the end? Listen and find out, fronds! /episode/index/show/isthispinball/id/18882623

51: St. Brisket Day, ft. Justin Keim 04/20/2021

51: St. Brisket Day, ft. Justin Keim This week we talk about the most pinball thing of all time (yes? yes.): Theatre! Our special guest Justin Keim recently directed one of Dylan's plays for radio, and we're here to discuss theater in the era of closed stages, Millennials, the transcendent nature of brisket, and the Sisyphean task of audio production. Find Savannah at , or search any podcast platform for Lanes Coven Presents. We could not recommend it more highly. /episode/index/show/isthispinball/id/18796640

50: We called dibs on the moon 04/12/2021

50: We called dibs on the moon This week, we're talking about the best movies of the decade. But we're not talking about the best movies of the past decade, but the best movies of the next decade. We have our eyes firmly locked on our movie-prediction crystal ball and, believe it or not, saw a Na'vi multipurpose psychic cloaca staring back. What else do we see? ONLY ONE WAY TO FIND OUT, BABY. /episode/index/show/isthispinball/id/18695543

49: OH THE PLACES WE'LL GO (or not. or won't.) 04/05/2021

49: OH THE PLACES WE'LL GO (or not. or won't.) Willie said he had a topic for us this week, and that topic is "places." What does that mean? WHAT DOES THAT MEAN, WILLIE? WHAT DOES IT MEAN????? Turns out, it's mostly a chance to talk about New York, Chicago, and San Francisco, places we have opinions about (unfounded, particular, *hot takes*) and also the glory of the Denver airport. Also, we finally settle who a New Yorker is. We solved it. We solved that riddle and there is nothing wrong with our reasoning. /episode/index/show/isthispinball/id/18611387

48: No thoughts, only Ga'Hoole 03/29/2021

48: No thoughts, only Ga'Hoole Our brains are broken. Dylan is wondering if anyone should have opinions about anything, Willie is out here practicing the Way of Nonchalance, and Amy tried to watch Zack Snyder's "Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole" and has lots of questions about why owls need to wear armor. Join us, won't you? /episode/index/show/isthispinball/id/18521615

47: Zack Snyder's Bustus Friends 03/22/2021

47: Zack Snyder's Bustus Friends Two things: #SnyderCut #SnyderCut #SnyderCut Dylan has an opinion and we are all SURPRISED by what it is What's with out current cultural superhero zeitgeist? Is WandaVision worth it? Will Amy be able to explain what Mob Psycho 100 is ("No. I won't"- Amy)? Why is there so much dust? How pinball is it all? TUNE IN AND FIND OUT, FRONDS. /episode/index/show/isthispinball/id/18428378

46: "Ehgg" and sexy Brighton werewolves 03/16/2021

46: "Ehgg" and sexy Brighton werewolves After being (let's be honest) ASTOUNDINGLY on-topic re: video games and pinball the past couple of weeks, we return to the freewheeling conversation you know (yes) and love (maybe?). This week, we talk about the following: the perfect pinball, how Dylan hits his vowels, Linger Longer with Langer, Being Human, "egg," Ernest Hemingway & his masculinity and way with words, the short stories of Lydia Davis and Joy Williams, On-Gaku: Our Sound, and Willie's adventures with country music. ANYWAY, THERE'S A LOT OF STUFF. LISTEN IN, YA DOOFS. /episode/index/show/isthispinball/id/18351680

45: Drifloon's coming to steal your children 03/08/2021

45: Drifloon's coming to steal your children This week, your hosts tackle that eternal series of making little animals fight each other for your amusement & edification. That's right: we're talking Pokémon! Tune in to hear us talk about our histories with the game, unnecessarily deep Pokémon lore, getting the opportunity to punch a Pokémon, which Pokémon make good eatin', and the horrible implications of ghost type Pokémon. /episode/index/show/isthispinball/id/18238391

44: Platonic Pinball & Whoa Nellie! Big Juicy Melons 03/01/2021

44: Platonic Pinball & Whoa Nellie! Big Juicy Melons Can it be? TWO actual pinball-related episodes in a row?? I can't believe it. You can't believe it. WE can't believe it. This week, we dive further in to what makes pinball pinball, centered around a game called "Whoa Nellie! Big Juicy Melons." Though, to be fair, we also discuss tort law, bean cars, Robert Downey Jr.'s weird facial hair, how we can NEVER KNOW what James Taylor looks like, Hannibal, and our very own ideas of what would make fun pinball cabinets. (Dylan and Willie make really fun suggestions! Amy is also there!) /episode/index/show/isthispinball/id/18143513

43: Pinball Facts & the Roast of Willie Caldwell 02/22/2021

43: Pinball Facts & the Roast of Willie Caldwell HEYA PINBALL HEADS. As our divine contract with the pinball gods demands, we're literally talking about pinball this week! Tune in to hear guest host Shaina Wagner grill Amy, Willie, and Dylan about pinball history, slang, and ramps. We also have a whole interlude about whether or not Humpty Dumpty is actually an egg, so tune in for that too, I suppose! /episode/index/show/isthispinball/id/18046127

Is This Pinball?

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