The Speech Guys

The Speech Guys tip their hats (and masks) to the English Monarchy by drinking and thinking over Queen Elizabeth II's April 2020 speech, "We Will Meet Again".The Show:Recalling COVID lockdown experiences, initial reactions to the Queen's speech, and lessons to pass on from COVIDThe Quotable Quotes:"Will we have a short or long memory with COVID... when did animosity between Americans end regarding the Great Depression?"--Landon"How would COVID have been different without the Internet?"--Mike"How much of our behaviors regarding COVID were based upon information that was not only easy to generate, but also easy to access?"--Mike"Americans can't recreate the monarchy. It has to emerge naturally from the spiritual ethers of our humanity."--Mike"There's no devotion to the sacred brain of Jesus."--MattThe 'Facts That Matter' Check:President Biden is quoted as saying "the pandemic is over". Still, approximately 500 people die each week from the virus (NY Times).Governor Pritzker and doctor who opposed mask mandates...www.thecentersquare.com/illinois/doct…30de9e54.htmlThe percent of British citizens who opposed the existence of the monarchy... www.bbc.com/news/uk-18237280Technical and professional background on Dr. Robert Malone...www.politifact.com/article/2022/ja…as-vaccine-sci/General references:The photo is used from the Associated Press.The audio from President Biden was accessed from this link: www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHT1enFH2sI.The audio from Queen Elizabeth's speech was accessed from this link: www.youtube.com/watch?v=2klmuggOElE.

Pull out your milk pens, TV Guide, and Windows XP update manual. The Speech Guys put their minds and hearts to the questions posed by the 1990s and early 2000s TV Dads. A speech given by Debra Barone, played by Patricia Heaton, in the TV series, "Everybody Loves Raymond" is the focal point for discussion. Mike's grandmother, Audrey Tinoco (Episode #12: "Holey Shoes, Mom-Made Clothes, and Spooky Radio Shows in the Great Depression"), makes a return appearance to introduce the crew on the phone call! Here's some snippets to see what this one is all about..."What explains the chasm between "Father Knows Best" and 'Everybody Loves Raymond'?""Is relatability in TV and film the conceptual response to nihilism?"--Matt"Tim Taylor.. neighbor has eyes and a forehead."--Matt"Men and women can't live together ABC said. So, what holds them with each other then? That was the point of the show, 'Home Improvement'?"--Landon"The housework by parents is even more important now as Grandma Tinoco pointed out because kids just see the parents on the couch--not working, if they're not doing that."--Landon"If my daughter is okay with being treated that way (by a jackass), I'd take that as a fault of my own as a father."--RossPost-credits scene... Ross breaks down how to do the Current River like a champ.

This episode is rated PG-13 as it discusses the topic of sex, abortion, and contraception.While the Speech Guys are fans of, well, speeches... they aren't fans of making claims without doing their best to verify it from outside sources.The most prominent data referenced in this episode can be accessed via URLs at the bottom of this page. (Unfortunately, Soundcloud doesn't let us create links in this space.) While you scroll down there, check out some of this episode's quotable quotes!"I don't think we should equate pregnancy as something that's terrifying. Pregnancy is a gift."--Anne Marie"Abstinence was communicated as a lot of 'no's'--not really what you were saying 'yes' too."--Matt"I feel like the whole 'scare thing' (about sex) is kind of an indicator that the kids aren't ready to talk about it--at least not in that setting."--Ross"Whenever the discussion gets into intent of individuals, especially in today's political climate, I like looking at the facts on the ground. Intent of a group is hard to really know--especially of large groups, in this case, Planned Parenthood. There's no doubt that there's people at PP who are better people than me. Certainly a lot of people who are at least sincere in trying to help and serve."--Mike"54% of people who have an abortion were using artificial contraception..."www.guttmacher.org/news-release/20…nth-they-becameYes, this article does link to "Secular Pro-Life". But within this article, you'll find links that take you directly to Pew and Guttmacher's original data that Mike and Matt reference regarding the relationship between abortions by state and types of contraception coverage required by law.secularprolife.org/2018/09/pro-cho…e-just-as-many/

The Speech Guys do their best to stay out of the mansplaining zone for Episode #27 as they discuss a speech given by Dr. Carrie Gress at the Family Institute of Washington. The speech was based upon her book entitled, "Ultimate Makeover: The Transforming Power of Motherhood",A few Speech Guy nuggets to sip and think on this episode:"This is what my parents felt."--Matt"You're in this water without realizing what it is. Apply this to being in mom-water."--Mike"I think motherhood requires a lot of the same muscles as religious faith. It can be awkward at times. Goofy-feeling. But, also meaningful and special. But we all know we can't just invest in religion when it feels good and right, just like with being a mom... or parent."--Mike"What are the things in our lives that are so present that we see through it?"--Matt"Clare's experience of parenting is just so different from mine. And it's not accidental. I feel like it's very much tied to her being a mom."--Matt"Most Christians believe there is some kind of connection between sex, marriage, and family. and the modern world has kind of deviated from that."--MattPost-credits scene... Mike tries his hand at speech-giving... a back-up best man speech for Stephen and Teagan Barany's June 25th wedding

What happens when the host of the episode loses contact with America and the Speech Guys while in Europe? Nothing good.Ross, Matt, and Mike struggle to wrap their heads around Hal and the famous speech to his astronaut passenger, Dave, from Stanley Kubrick's 1968 film, "2001: A Space Odyssey".Hear remnants from a 25-minute tangent into Bill Barr and COVID, consider how one truly learns about the stars ("Do you learn more about the stars by going outside and looking at them or researching them in a book?") and which Speech Guys might struggle to disconnect Hal.If you still have some whiskey left in your glass when the episode finishes up, hang around for Matt's recitation of his original poem entitled, "Sculpture", in the post-credits scene.

Mike and Ross podcast solo in this special episode before the fourth and final installment of "Sci Fi Speeches". They tell the origin story of half of the Speech Guys that came about on the campus of the University of Illinois, Bradley University, and Illinois' State Parks and Catholic churches."I think we talked about dating, romance, and adventure... and I think we've been talking about those things ever since."--Mike"Rob knew you for 25 years and only got best man at your wedding. Julie and I knew you for four years and got groomsman and spouse. That's a pretty good rate of return on our parts."--Mike"We don't believe in things based on one thing. Science, logic, who tells you it... a lot of different factors. That's why evangelizing the culture is so important."--Ross

Sip your favorite whiskey and think with the Speech Guys tonight as they unpack questions about scientific ethical questions that Ian Malcolm brings to the social foreground in the book and 1993 film, "Jurassic Park"... the post-credits scene, what is going to be Landon and Lauren's most special stop on their trip to Europe?"What is the proper relationship between Man and Nature?"--Matt"What is the modern day Jurassic Park?"--Matt"A man with a car in a world designed for feet is a god. A man with a car in a world designed for cars is in traffic."--Matt, quoting the article, "Christians Shouldn't Use Smartphones" by Marc Barnes"Will Newman always be the one to destroy society's metaphorical Jurassic Parks?"--Mike"To treat someone as the summation of their genetic prowess is an inherently dehumanizing thing."--Matt"No one knows who the first person to have the genetic capacity to run a sub 4 minute mile was."--Mike"Ross is going to change the model for Jurassic Park. You can't see them out back in the wild. You're mostly going to eat them likeat a steakhouse."--Landon

Sip your favorite whiskey and think with the Speech Guys tonight as they unpack questions about free will that Marty McFly and Doc Brown bring to the fore in the 1990 film, Back to the Future Part III..."Son, there are only two things in life that are free... your will... and your last name.""We wanted to show you movies that wouldn't morally corrupt you.""Let's just assume we start building nihilistic schools of anti-free will...""How could something that influences everyone so dramatically and almost universally be seen as a positive... how could that not exist in some real way?"

The Speech Guys listen to and discuss excerpts from the speech presented by the fictional President in the 1998 film, Armageddon. This is the first episode in the "Sci-Fi Speeches" series.Questions and topics explored in this episode consider how the Speech Guys thought about the (potentially) apocalyptic turning of the millennium in the year 2000, how the film contrasts with contemporary apocalyptic stories, what the Bible and Catholic and Protestant theology says about the End Times, and much more!Stay tuned for the post-credits scene. Ross Johnson gives a review of Buffalo Rock State Park.This episode utilizes audio from the President's speech in Armageddon. The scene was posted by "Speeches HD". No revenue is generated from use of this content.

The Speech Guys listen to and discuss excerpts from the 2005 Kenyon College commencement speech given by David Foster Wallace. This is the fourth and final episode in the "Speeches Before They Died" series.Questions and topics explored in this episode consider the tension between objectivist and subjectivist perspectives expressed in the speech, the role that boredom plays in cultivating self-awareness and introspection, how the empathetic, conscientious vision of the "This Is Water" mindset is cultivated and built up within an individual, and more!(Be sure to listen through for the post-credits scene ; )This episode utilizes audio from the "This Is Water" speech posted by Ms. Lynn Skittle on YouTube. No revenue is generated from use of this content.

The Speech Guys read and discuss excerpts from the final speech given by Father Zossima, in the Russian novel, "The Brothers Karmazov". It was written by Fyodor Dostoyesky in 1879. This is the third episode in the "Speeches Before They Died" series.Questions and topics explored in this episode consider how sincerity of prayer expresses itself inside and outside of oneself, the extent to which one can be responsible for others' sin, and what each Speech Guy might like to have read to their children at their death.Special guest host includes longtime friend of the Speech Guys, Sam Mangieri of Fiat Films!

This episode is rated PG-13 as it discusses the significance of sex and sexuality in society and culture.The Speech Guys read and discuss excerpts from the final interview Marilyn Monroe gave just a few weeks prior to her taking her life in August 1962. This is the second episode in the "Speeches Before They Died" series.Questions and topics explored in this episode consider how Marilyn Monroe experienced both conflict and satisfaction with her fame and her depiction as a sexual object in culture, the masculine-feminine dynamic in the sexualization of women, the nature of beauty, glamor, and "sexualness", and the challenges in articulating and implementing an egalitarian notion of sexual responsibility!Special guest hosts include Anne Marie Williams and her sister Clare Schultz!Anne Marie references the contemporary academic consideration of sexual consent as an objective barometer of moral sexual behavior. Two pieces of scientific literature concerning this question are investigated in detail below. The first URL links a literature review published by the University of Tennessee in January 2017. The second links a paper published in Frontiers in Psychology in February 2020."Sexual Violence, Consent, and Contradictions: A Call forCommunication Scholars to Impact Sexual Violence Prevention "https://trace.tennessee.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1362&context=pursuit"Contributions From Psychology to Effectively Use, and Achieving Sexual Consent"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7042399/

The Speech Guys listen to and discuss the North Carolina State University's Coach Jimmy V's speech he gave at the 1993 ESPY Awards, just two months before he died. This is the first episode in the "Speeches Before They Died" series.Questions and topics explored in this episode ask why "laughing, thinking, and crying" each day is so important, when the last time each of the Speech Guys cried was, how crying is perceived in the West for men and how that might contrast with a more traditional Judeo-Christian perspective, and how modern day people might prefer keeping the material realities of death at a distance and more!Ross asked me to point you to an episode of "Art of Manliness" that was referenced. Feel free to listen, but be sure to come right back when you're done.Copy this URL into your favorite browser! https://www.artofmanliness.com/people/relationships/podcast-171-the-dying-experience-myths-and-answers/

The Speech Guys read and discuss the Seneca leader, Red Jacket's (1750 - 1830), speech he gave at a meeting between members of the Seneca tribe and missionaries from Boston who'd requested permission to evangelize his people.Questions and topics explored in this episode include the relationship between theology and virtue, the socio-economic dynamics that influenced the actualization of Manifest Destiny, the logical antagonism of moral relativism and objectivism when different societies interact for the first time, and more!

The Speech Guys read and discuss Graham's speech he gave at the Washington National Cathedral on September 14, 2001 following the terrorist attacks of September 11th.Questions and topics explored in this episode include how Graham attempts to explain or not explain why suffering exists and how that's important, whether or not Islamic extremists did ultimately tear apart the country, how Graham's political style and personal character made him a Christian leader who endured through generations, and more!

The Speech Guys read and discuss Ms. Day's "speech" from her autobiography, 'The Long Loneliness'.Some questions that we explore are "Why is 'order' and 'structure' important to raising children?", "What was different about the way that she 'rebelled' against Church authority?", and "How did the Book of Job figure into her interpretation of hell and suffering?".

The Speech Guys read and discuss Saint John Paul the Great's speech that he delivered in Warsaw, Poland in June 1979.Some questions we discuss and topics that we comment on include how Communist Poland interpreted and manipulated his social influence, how he deftly navigated faithfulness to Christ and the Church and compliance with the atheist government, and special guest host, Father Rob Johnson joins us of the podcast, 'Three Dogs North'!

The Speech Guys read and discuss President Roosevelt's first Fireside chat that he delivered on March 12, 1933.

Editor's notes from this interview:The Great Depression began in 1929. The emphasis placed on 1933 pertains to the beginning of President Roosevelt's term.The draft did in fact begin before the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The first peacetime draft began on September 16th, 1940 and continued until 1947. (www.nationalww2museum.org/students-tea…aft-and-wwii; www.airforcemag.com/article/0408draft/)My great-grandfather's weekly income was $12 as my Grandma describes. Adjusted for inflation, this would be $252 in today's money for a family of 8! (www.usinflationcalculator.com/)3/20/25: Since this episode was originally published, Mike's Grandma passed away on December 7th, 2022 at the age of 96.

The Speech Guys read and discuss a letter written by Ms. Lutiant Van Wert to her friend, Louise, describing the personal trials of enduring the suffering and bizarre experiences of the Spanish Flu.

The Speech Guys read and discuss President Jefferson's Presidential Inaugural Address delivered on March 4th, 1801.

The Speech Guys read and discuss President Lincoln's Gettysburg Address he delivered on November 19th, 1863.

The Speech Guys read and discuss General George Patton's speech he delivered to members of the US Army on June 6, 1944.

The Speech Guys read and discuss Vice President Henry Wallace's speech he delivered on May 8th, 1942 at a meeting of the Free World Association.

The Speech Guys read and discuss President Kennedy's "We Choose To Go To The Moon" speech he delivered at Rice University on September 12th, 1962.

The Speech Guys read and discuss President Roosevelt's "A Date Which Will Live In Infamy" speech he delivered to Americans over radio on December 7th, 1941 following Japan's bombing of Pearl Harbor.

The Speech Guys read and discuss House Representative, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's speech she delivered on November 6th, 2018 following her general election victory.

The Speech Guys read and discuss Rocky Balboa's speech he delivered to his son, Robert, in the 2006 film, Rocky Balboa upon Robert's learning that his father would return to fighting.

The Speech Guys read and discuss Kenneth Branagh's depiction of the Saint Crispin's Day speech delivered in Shakespeare's "Henry V" play prior to the Battle of Agincourt in 1415.

The Speech Guys read and discuss Sean Astin's portrayal of Samwise Gamgee's speech to Frodo Baggins from Tolkien's, "The Two Towers" book.