PEL Presents PMP#217: Mel Brooks' Old Comedy

PEL Presents PMP#217: Mel Brooks' Old Comedy

Author: Mark Linsenmayer, Wes Alwan, Seth Paskin, Dylan Casey March 18, 2026 Duration: 56:35

In light of Judd Apatow's HBO documentary The 99-Year-Old Man, we discuss the films of Mel Brooks, which were to varying degrees formative on us (i.e. Mark, Lawrence, Sarahlyn, and Al).

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What if philosophy wasn't an intimidating subject reserved for academics, but a lively, accessible, and sometimes messy conversation among friends? That's the space occupied by The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast. Hosted by Mark Linsenmayer, Wes Alwan, Seth Paskin, and Dylan Casey-a group who once pursued philosophy professionally before taking a different path-this podcast approaches big ideas with a rare blend of genuine curiosity and informal camaraderie. Their discussions are grounded in actual philosophical texts, which they break down in each episode, but you absolutely don't need a degree or even prior reading to jump in. The charm lies in hearing their real-time reactions, debates, and occasional tangents as they wrestle with concepts that shape our society and culture. Listening feels like pulling up a chair at a pub with remarkably well-read friends who are just as likely to crack a joke as they are to land a profound insight. This isn't a lecture; it's an invitation to a collective, partially examined life, where the journey through a thinker's argument is often more revealing than any polished conclusion. You'll find yourself thinking along with them, questioning your own assumptions, and discovering how centuries-old ideas pulse through our modern dilemmas. Tune in for a uniquely human and engaging take on the discipline that asks the biggest questions.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast
Podcast Episodes
PEL Presents PMP#221: Streep Does Prada [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:17
We discuss the career of Meryl Streep in light of The Devil Wears Prada 2, insofar as we (Mark, Lawrence, Sarahlyn, and Al) have a hold of it; she's been in over 65 films! Is she really the best actor on the planet? Did…
Ep. 391: Habermas Defends Modernity (Part One) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:39
On Jürgen Habermas' The Philosophical Discourse of Modernity (1985), featuring guest John Ganz. Habermas defines modernity as Enlightenment ideals, discusses what's wrong with them (subjectivity), how Hegel argues constr…
PEL Presents NEM#252: Folk Legend Tom Paxton [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:12
Tom was an integral member of the Greenwich Village early '60s folk scene (playing originals regularly before Bob Dylan did). His tunes have been covered by Dylan, Pete Seeger, Joan Baez, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Doll…
Ep. 390: Diderot Debates a Cynic (Part Two) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:07
Continuing on Rameau's Nephew, getting further into Rameau's philosophy and practices and trying to figure out what this anti-hero can tell us about ethics, given that he displays the virtue of being candid about his own…
Ep. 390: Diderot Debates a Cynic (Part One) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:45
On Denis Diderot's Rameau's Nephew, a dialogue written in the 1760s. Is virtue necessary for happiness, or in the real world, is vice necessary to get by? Diderot's character Rameau argues the latter: that philosophical…
PEL Presents PMP#220: Peaky Blinders: Gangs of Birmingham [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:19
We discuss Steven Knight's six-seasons-and-a-movie historical crime show Peaky Blinders, featuring Mark, Lawrence, Sarahlyn, and Al. Does the show live up to its initial excellence? It's got a great emotional premise (po…
PEL Presents NEM#251: Dr. Alan Williams (Birdsong at Morning) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:35:24
Alan released two albums with folk-rock band Knots and Crosses in the early 90s, put out one solo album, then became a recording engineer and earned a PhD in ethnomusicology. He released three albums between 2010-2019 fr…
Ep. 389: Hegel on Wealth and Power (Part Two) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:57
Concluding on "Culture and its Realm of Actuality," in Hegel's Phenomenology via sections 519-526. We get into some of the ironic psychology here: In giving loyalty to the king, the nobles actually boost themselves qua g…
PEL Presents PvI#116: Full Bird Mode w/ BJ Lange [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:08
BJ is an LA improviser/actor/TV host (who teaches wounded warriors among others), and he chats with Mark and Mary about migratory patterns, TV shows that date you, how to draw in students, the realness of birds, and play…
PEL Presents PMP#219: Weir-ed Sci Fi: Hail Mary and The Martian [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:13
We discuss the hard sci-fi film Project Hail Mary, which along with The Martian (2015) was based on a novel by Andy Weir and adapted by Drew Goddard. Mark, Lawrence, Sarahlyn and Al consider how hard we actually like our…