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On this episode of The Knowledge Bar, we dive into something that everybody relates to on some level: Fandom. The rise of social media, pop sensations like Taylor Swift, and mega franchises like the Marvel Cinematic Universe have taken fandom from online chat rooms to mainstream. Join us for a conversation about the origins of fandom, how we interact with it, and where it's going.

We’ll also spend time on today’s episode comforting Chris as the Lions lose more players to injury, get Patrick’s reaction to the NYT’s Year in Photos, and celebrate the death of cord drawers.

What are you drinking Recommendations:

• Alex: Old Cockney Gin - Two James Distilling - Detroit, MI
• Chris: G4 Madeira Blanco - Destileria El Pandillo - Los Altos de Jalisco
• Patrick: Macallan 12 - The Macallan - Easter Elchies, Scotland
• Ethan: Quite Brite, Belgian (Beer) - Bells Brewing - Kalamazoo, MI

Just One More Recommendations:

• Alex: Ted Lasso (TV Series) - Apple TV
• Chris: The Mosquito Bowl: A Game of Life and Death in WWII, Buzz Bissinger (book)
• Patrick: Devil’s Bargain: Steve Bannon, Donald Trump, and the Storming of the Presidency, Joshua Green (book)
• Ethan: The Last Bronycon: A Fandom autopsy - Youtube

00:00
The Rise of Fandom Culture

32:22
Exploring the Dynamics of Fandom

33:49
The Impact of Social Media on Fandom

42:04
Personal Experiences with Fandom

47:18
Navigating Fandom Conversations

49:30
The Psychological Benefits of Fandom

51:52
The Downsides of Fandom: Knowledge Toxicity and Exclusivity

55:39
Parasocial Relationships and Their Impact

56:58
Fandoms as Social Connections

01:02:42
The Future of Fandom: Growth and Concerns

01:07:26
Toxicity in Fandoms: A Double-Edged Sword

01:12:51
The Impact of Corporate Interests on Fandoms

01:19:49
Final Thoughts on Fandoms and Community

Produced and Edited by Ethan Harig

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Hear our thoughts and analysis on the upcoming College Football Playoff!

Produced and Edited by Ethan Harig

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Today we’re jumping into a topic that paints a grim picture for the future of housing in America. Major climate events in the United States have quintupled since the 1980s. Those events are particularly concentrated in Texas, Florida, and California. The effects of global climate change are making these natural disasters more and more severe, but populations and property values in high risk zones are increasing. We’ll explore what’s going on and the impacts for the future.

In addition to our main topic, we’ll catch up on the World Chess Championship, lament the impending Reds loss of Elly De La Cruz in 2029, and talk about a court case with huge consequences.

What are you drinking Recommendations:

• Alex: 51k (Beer) - Blackrocks Brewery
• Chris: Bake Sale (Beer) - Arbor Brewing Company
• Patrick:Strawberry Blonde (Beer) - Arbor Brewing Company
• Ethan: Juicy Truth (Beer) - Rhinegeist

Just One More Recommendations:

Alex: Ghostlight (movie) - Streaming on AMC+

Chris: The Great Transition (book) - Nick Fuller Googins

Patrick: Brooklyn Castle (2012 Documentary)

Ethan: Devs (Show) - Streaming on Hulu

Produced and Edited by Ethan Harig

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Silence your cell phones, keep your feet off the seats, and grab your favorite movie drink. Today on the Knowledge Bar we’re going to take a look at something that all of us love, movies. For so many of us, movies have inspired emotion, cultivated gripping experiences, and most importantly, made memories. We’re going to talk today about the current state of the movie industry and try to imagine its future.

In addition to our main topic, flag-planting seems to be the most popular trend in college football, turkey fights and uphill battle at Thanksgiving, and Chris gets to brag about a University of Michigan victory.

What are you drinking Recommendations:

• Alex: James E Pepper, Barrel Proof (Bourbon) - James Pepper Distilling
• Chris: Social Animal (Cocktail)
  • 2 oz Bourbon
  • .5 oz Banana Liqueur
  • .5 oz Walnut Liqueur
  • 2 dashes Angostura Bitters
• Patrick: Knob Creek 12 Year (Bourbon) - Jim Beam Distilling
• Ethan: Corn n’ Oil (Cocktail)
  • 2 oz Rum
  • .5 oz Velvet Falernum
  • Several Dashes Ango Bitters

Just One More Recommendations:

Alex: Wicked (Movie) - Currently in Theaters

Chris: Movies in the theater! Wicked, Moana 2, Heretic – Just go see something!
Patrick: Brooklyn Castle (2012 Documentary)

Ethan: How To with John Wilson (TV Series) - Max

Produced and Edited by Ethan Harig

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Grab your cocktail or cup of tea and strap in for a doozy. Today on the Knowledge Bar we’re talking about how millennials are confronting quarter-life crises at an alarming rate. We’ll talk about what millennials are saying about these feelings, what scientists are saying, and talk about some of our own experiences.

In addition to our main topic, the University of Michigan lands their man in Bryce Underwood, the Oscars are on the horizon, and Christmas is just a bit much in November.

What are you drinking Recommendations:

• Alex: Campfire Old Fashioned (Cocktail)
  • 2 oz Rye Whiskey (Rittenhouse Rye)
  • .5 oz maple syrup
  • 2 dashes chocolate bitters
  • Pecan wood chips for smoking
• Chris: Water (H2O)
• Patrick: Non-caffeinated dessert tea, Cream Caramel - rooibos and mixed with pieces of caramel
• Ethan: Zombie (Orange Twist)
  • Ingredients:
    • 1 1/2 oz Probitas Rum
    • 1 oz Doctor Bird Jamaican Rum
    • 1/2 oz Lemon Hart 151 Rum
    • 3/4 oz lime juice
    • 1/2 oz fresh orange juice (instead of grapefruit)
    • 1/2 oz cinnamon syrup (use maple syrup if needed)
    • 1/2 oz passion fruit syrup
    • 1 dash Angostura bitters

Just One More Recommendations:

Alex: Start with Why by Simon Sinek (Book) or Ted Talk

Chris: GNX - Kendrick Lamar (Music)

Patrick: Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah by Richard Bach (book)

Ethan: This is Water - David Foster Wallace - 2005 Commencement Speech for Kenyon College

Produced and Edited by Ethan Harig

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Follow us on Instagram (@TheKnowledge.Bar) and TikTok (@TheKnowledge.Bar). Check out more Knowledge Bar content at TheKnowledge.Bar and email us feedback or topic thoughts at podcast@knowledge.bar.

Enjoy your friends and always drink responsibly! Cheers!

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Fill up your glass and get ready to tackle one of the great traditions of the American Workplace…… Happy Hour. We can all think of a time when we had a great conversation with a coworker over a cocktail. Where did it come from? Is Happy Hour still a thing? Has it changed? What impact does it make on workplace culture?

In addition to our main topic, we’ll be talking about some excitement about live theatre, Travis Hunter’s campaign for the Heisman Trophy, and Pens?

What are you drinking Recommendations:

Alex - Heaven Hill Grain to Glass Bourbon (Bourbon) - Heaven Hill Distillery, Bardstown, KY

Chris - Sentimental Gentleman - Cocktail

• 2 oz Scotch (Monkey Shoulder)
• .5 oz Walnut Liqueur (Nocina)
• .5 oz Benedictine

Patrick - French Gimlet - Cocktail (Watch it get made!)

• 2 oz Gin (Detroit City Distilling Gin)
• 1.5 oz Elderflower Liqueur (St. Germaine)
• .5 oz fresh lime juice

Ethan - Rum and Pineapple Juice - Mixed Drink

• Smith & Cross Traditional Jamaican Rum

Just One More Recommendations:

Alex: Marry Me Beans (Recipe), LiveEatLearn
Chris: My Old Ass (Movie) - Megan Park - Amazon Prime
Patrick: Life in 3D (Music), Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@lifein.3d
Ethan: Spotlight (Movie) - Tom McCarthy - Streaming on Starz

Sources for this Topic:

Business Insider - https://www.businessinsider.com/office-quiet-but-happy-hour-still-kicking-after-pandemic-2024-4

Produced and Edited by Ethan Harig

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Follow us on Instagram (@TheKnowledge.Bar) and TikTok (@TheKnowledge.Bar). Check out more Knowledge Bar content at TheKnowledge.Bar and email us feedback or topic thoughts at podcast@knowledge.bar.

Enjoy your friends and always drink responsibly! Cheers!

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Bonus Episode - 2024 Presidential Election

Grab a strong one and join us for a BONUS episode to talk about the 2024 Presidential election. By now you obviously know that Donald Trump has bucked historical trends in a number of ways in returning to the White House.

Let’s just say at the outset, this isn’t meant to be a political podcast. Full disclosure: we’re just 4 guys who like to drink booze and talk about stuff we think is cool.

But given the gravity of the election results, it would seem inappropriate to NOT at least touch on it. So here, we want to offer some insights and thoughts on how the election turned out and what it means moving forward.

Produced and Edited by Ethan Harig

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Follow us on Instagram (@TheKnowledge.Bar) and TikTok (@TheKnowledge.Bar). Check out more Knowledge Bar content at TheKnowledge.Bar and email us feedback or topic thoughts at podcast@knowledge.bar.

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Grab another one and join us on Episode 3 of The Knowledge Bar. In this episode, Alex leads a discussion on a so-called ‘Literacy Crisis in the US’. As primary and secondary education has scrambled, colleges are now seeing the impacts of instructional shortfalls, the COVID-19 pandemic, and a shifting culture around reading.

In addition to our main topic, we’ll be talking about bad beats in the sports betting world, an a-political take on the recent election cycle, and how Chris’s students are killing it this semester!

What are you drinking Recommendations:

Alex - Bourbon Brown Sugar Espresso Martini - Cocktail

• 2 oz Bourbon (Kirkland Bottled-in-Bond)
• ½ oz Brown Sugar Simple Syrup
• 1 oz Fresh Espresso Lite (I use an Aeropress to avoid pricey espresso machines)
• ½ oz Coffee Liqueur (Mr. Black)
• 3 dashes Cocoa Bitters
• Sprinkle Cocoa Powder over the top

Chris - Coffee w/ Bourbon Cream - Coffee/Cocktail

• Coffee - Highlander Grogg - Seven Hills Coffee Roasters, Cincinnati, OH
• Buffalo Trace Bourbon Cream - Buffalo Trace Distillery, Frankfort, KY

Patrick - Digest Tea - Burren Perfumery, Ireland

Ethan - Honduran Roast - Coffee - Hyperion Coffee Co., Ann Arbor, MI

Just One More Recommendations:

Alex: The Football 100 (Book), Dan Pompei and Mike Sando

Chris: Sold A Story (Podcast), APM Reports

Patrick: The Paranoid Style (Harper’s) - Richard Hofstadter

Ethan: The Florida Project (Movie) - Sean Baker - Streaming on Max the One to Watch for HBO

Sources for this Topic:

Is This the End of Reading? - Chronicle of Higher Education

A Brief History of Reading Instruction - ParkerPhonics

The Elite College Students Who Can’t Read Books - The Atlantic

Produced and Edited by Ethan Harig

Rate, Subscribe, and leave a comment to let us know how we’re doing.

Follow us on Instagram (@TheKnowledge.Bar) and TikTok (@TheKnowledge.Bar). Check out more Knowledge Bar content at TheKnowledge.Bar and email us feedback or topic thoughts at podcast@knowledge.bar.

Enjoy your friends and always drink responsibly! Cheers!