This episode, the usual Improv crew is joined by Chris Pappas. This Chris Pappas. Not this one. And not this one.

Two topics are on tap: first, we talk television. From The Wire and Mad Men, to Dexter, LOST, 24 and a bunch of British stuff Chris watches. After that, we talk World Cup.

So put down the vuvuzelas and download episode #7!

Jesse’s in Iraq…but he’s still good for some podcasting! After telling a few tales from his travels, we talk about police in Iraq, Brazil, and the U.S., militarization and culture, and about the strange companionship one feels with one’s fellow countrypeople when abroad. We also learn firsthand how sketchy the electricity, and therefore internet connectivity, can be in Iraq at the moment.

Enjoy Improv #6!

Jesse’s back and ready to tell Arturo and Jon what they got wrong last week about Arizona and right-wing media in the U.S.

The episode concludes with a tribute to the late great Ronnie James Dio and a live bootleg recording of the Dio classic Holy Diver performed by The Talcott Parsons Project in 2009. (That’s Jesse on vocals and Jon on guitar, by the way.)

\m/ DIO \m/

Episode #5…Go!

On tap this week is a discussion of anti-immigrant policy (well, policies) and public opinion, and Arturo offers a report on his extended voluntary exposure to Fox News.

In future episodes, we’d love to have guests sit in on the discussion! If this sounds like fun and you want to join in some time — or if you just want to give us feedback about how we’re doing — send us an email at podcast@contexts.org.

Download episode #4 now!

We’re back with a discussion of Tiger Woods (and his new Nike ad) and the strange world of celebrity role models as well as a discussion of racism on Facebook at UMD.

In future episodes, we’d love to have guests sit in on the discussion! If this sounds like fun and you want to join in some time — or if you just want to give us feedback about how we’re doing — send us an email at podcast@contexts.org.

Download episode #3 now!

Episode number two, name number two!

This week’s show has two segments. First, we look at the fancy new iPad. We discuss its potential impact on education and publishing, as well as the political nature of the polarazing reactions the iPad has evoked. Second, Jesse shares his theory on how college basketball tournaments and rankings can help us understand white privilege.

In future episodes, we’d love to have guests sit in on the discussion! If this sounds like fun and you want to join in some time — or if you just want to give us feedback about how we’re doing — send us an email at podcast@contexts.org.

Download episode #2 now!

Arturo, Jesse, and Jon introduce the first episode of The Lazy Sociologist Sociology Improv! We’ve been having such a good time recording the Contexts Podcast, we decided to start a second podcast with a slightly different format. Instead of interviews with authors of Contexts articles and other distinguished sociologists, this podcast will have informal discussions about what’s going on in the world. The idea is to have fun ourselves, and hopefully others out there will have fun listening.

In this inaugural episode we talk about the health care bill. What impact will it have in the short and long-terms, what does it tell us about American government, social movements, and political culture, and more!

In future episodes, we’d love to have guests sit in on the discussion! If this sounds like fun and you want to join in some time — or if you just want to give us feedback about how we’re doing — send us an email at podcast@contexts.org.

Download episode #1 now!