Past Shows
Pucker Up Buttercup
05.26.21 | Shop Talk looks at LGBTQ discrimination stats in the workplace and society in general. McDonalds and Hyundai announce they will start or increase their spending on diverse marketing initiatives. As we shed our masks, lipstick sales jump 80% in April! But first, our Business Birthday celebrates animator and producer Matt Stone of South Park fame. A baseball card collection worth over $20 million caught John’s eye, and a Jeopardy contestant is wrongly accused of flashing a “white power” symbol on the show. LEGO releases a Pride Set and Fox News and the right wing go crazy.
TFG Unbuttoned: Modern love in Wyoming
05.25.21 | A Wyoming Senator seeking to unseat Rep. Liz Cheney admits to impregnating a 14-year-old when he was 18. He says it was a Romeo and Juliet story and that bringing it up is dirty politics. Can you say hypocrite? Seven nooses have been found hanging at an Amazon worksite in CT, and the company has offered a $100K reward to identify who placed them. Then, if you are a fan of the acceptance of cannabis legalization across the country you have gay activists to thank. They lead the charge to decriminalize cannabis in the late 70′s and early 80′s in San Francisco.
Introverts make great leaders
05.19.21 | Shop Talk dispels the myth that extroverts make better leaders than introverts. We think charisma and a bit of acting also are traits that make for a good leader. But first, our Business Birthday celebrates businessman and philanthropist, Johns Hopkins. Caught My Eye looks at debris found in Lake Tahoe and a mis-hire at Apple. Tim asks John if he would let a stranger in the house to use the bathroom and John heads back to the gym post-event.
TFG Unbuttoned: Recycled Barbie
05.18.21 | Mattel is launching a new program called Playback, that will aim to put the company on track to use 100% recycled or bio-based plastics in all their products by 2030. We wonder why there is no incentive for the consumer. Then, do we really need 8 glasses of water daily? Finally, NYC Pride has banned the New York City Police Department from participating or marching in the Pride Parade through 2025 when they will re-evaluate their participation. The reason is that black and trans people felt threatened by NYPD’s massive presence in the past.
Up, Up and Away
05.12.21 | Shop Talk visits with Ben Franklin for some 300-year-old advice on how to not be unlikable that’s still relevant today. Microsoft Office is in search of new default font and John has a favorite of the new five contenders. Our Business Birthday celebrates the founder of Kohl’s Department Stores, Maxwell Kohl. Caught My Eye looks at pranks gone bad and a raccoon named Fabulous who stole an unsuspecting couples Pride Flag. (Sidenote, Tim tried to recycle an iMac with much aggravation.)
TFG Unbuttoned: Jamie Dimon wants you back to the office
05.11.21 | Wall Street Big Wig and JPMorgan Chase CEO is tired of the ZOOM call and thinks business is suffering by too much isolation…and he has anecdotal proof. Chasten Buttigieg is owning his weight gain during “the event” and thinks you should too. And finally, our favorite story comes from NYC where a little boy ordered over 900 SpongeBob popsicles via Alexa. 51 boxes arrived and many melted before they could be given away or housed. Thankfully, a friend started a Go Fund Me page to help Mom pay for the unexpected delivery.
Amtrak has a friend in The White House
05.05.21 | Shop Talk discusses President Biden’s plans for modernizing Amtrak. Amtrak Joe, as he has been known for years, has advocated for improvements to America’s passenger railway and we could not agree more. First, our Business Birthday celebrates the inventor of the cowboy hat, John B. Stetson. Caught My Eye looks at a creepy castle village in Turkey, a no-show employee in Italy, and Tiffany’s launch of engagement rings for men. Olympia Dukakis leaves us and Kate Pierson of the B52′s turns 72!
TFG Unbuttoned: CEOs Gone Bad
05.04.21 | A Tennessee CEO is fired after harassing a young man for wearing a dress to his prom. Sam Johnson, former CEO of VisuWell, said the young man looked like an idiot and things escalated from there. Another CEO, Justin Zhu of Iterable, finds himself out of a job as he was dismissed for micro dosing LSD. He said he was experimenting in order to boost his focus. A demonic Chihuahua, Prancer, finds his forever home and both dog and human seem to be adjusting well.
Freshen up down under
04.28.21 | Shop Talk looks at 19 things rich people rarely do—thanks Readers Digest. But first, our Business Birthday celebrates Italian Industrialist Ferruccio Lamborghini. Caught My Eye from John looks at a transparent plexiglass swimming pool suspended 10 stories above ground in London. Caitlyn Jenner announced plans to run for Governor of California but has yet to announce any policy positions. Manscaped is a new sponsor, just in time for you gentlemen to take care of business down below. Listen up for a special Focus Group offer.
TFG Unbuttoned: Listen
04.27.21 | Mark Cuban continues to employ one lesson he learned from his mentor decades ago. The first thing he does after he sits down for a meeting is write the word “listen,” on the top of the page. It has done him well all these years later. But first, a Southwest Airlines pilot exposes his genitals in the cockpit, and Kellogg’s launches a gay cereal.
