Grumpy Old Geeks Episode 719: “Uniquely Devoid of Feeling”
Hosts: Jason DeFillippo & Brian Schulmeister featuring Dave Bittner
Date: October 24, 2025
Episode Overview
In this episode, the Grumpy Old Geeks team tears into the latest fiascos in tech and culture, with a relentless dissection of everything from AI's soul-crushing takeover and astronomical event prices, to the latest in dystopian gadgetry, layoffs, and a tour of absurdity from Amazon, Meta, and Elon Musk. They couch their signature grumpiness in sharp wit, honest insights, and heaps of pop-culture references, while also taking a side trip into theme park tourism with Dave Bittner. If tech had a walk of shame, this episode marks every flagstone.
Major Discussion Points & Insights
AI Overload and “Slop”
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AI continues to pervade every aspect of life, with the hosts decrying its encroachment across technology, art, and even their Discord server.
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Article Highlight: Jason and Brian delve into Charlie Warzel’s Atlantic piece, “A Tool that Crushes Creativity. AI slop is winning,” voicing existential angst about the loss of human creativity.
- Memorable Quote:
"What happens between imagination and creation is ineffable... It's the process through which we enact agency. To lose that... is to capitulate on our very humanity." — (Brian quoting Warzel, 10:09)
- Jason’s perspective: AI-generated content brings a sense of 'creeping nihilism,' threatening the integrity of the World Wide Web.
- Memorable Quote:
"We’ve watched ...the compend medium of all human knowledge be raped and murdered by these people." — Jason (10:58)
- Memorable Quote:
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Concerns:
- AI replacing real effort and creating an “infrastructure of meaningless.”
- AI-written web content is now outpacing human authorship.
Tech Failures and Outages
Amazon Web Services Outage (11:46)
- Major sites (Venmo, Snapchat, Canva, Fortnite, Alexa) were down due to a DNS issue.
- TLDR:
“Holy crap. We put a lot of stuff on Amazon Web Services. Maybe we shouldn’t do that." — Brian (12:47)
- The convenience and low cost outweigh the risks—until disaster strikes.
Ticket Prices and Event Access
Sporting Events Now Priced for the 1%
- Nostalgia and outrage as Brian remembers seeing the Dodgers as a kid; now prices are obscene.
- Tickets for LA vs. Toronto World Series: upwards of $1,000; some resale tickets $30,000.
- Reaction:
“I could buy a fucking car... Lucas could probably go to, I don’t know, college.” — Jason (5:06)
- Reflection on how price inflation and secondary marketplaces (Ticketmaster) have ruined access for average fans.
- Ticketmaster’s attempts at PR spin/mockery:
“Bullshit... you’re working so hard to stop people. Yeah, you fucking liars.” — Brian (46:14)
AI Creep: Product Updates & Oddities
Yelp’s AI Assistant (16:54)
- Chatbots now summarize reviews, recall user preferences, answer calls, and even analyze restaurant menus.
- Jason’s reaction:
“Oh, stop. Let’s make it stop. Make it stop.” (18:00)
The Acceleration of AI Development
- Over 800 notable figures call for a pause on superintelligence (“We’re all screaming NO!”); ignored by the real decision-makers.
- Brian on AI’s path:
“No one’s really asked...is this what we want? Well, we’re all screaming no...” (19:12)
Amazon Automation & Job Losses (24:15)
- Plans to automate up to 75% of operations, potentially avoiding 600,000 hires and saving $0.30 per package.
- Jason’s warning (since episode one):
“...if Amazon keeps doing shit like this, there’s not going to be anybody left with any money to buy the shit that they’re going to be selling.” (25:08)
- Worries of a future where “robots buy products from robots packed by robots.”
Amazon’s AR Glasses for Delivery Drivers (28:14)
- Promises of “hands-free efficiency” are met with skepticism about worker welfare and invasive oversight.
- Jason:
“You know what’d be better than smart glasses? Water, air conditioning and bathroom breaks.” (29:19)
Tesla: Robot Armies & Recalls (29:33–32:07)
- Tesla misses earnings, Musk pursues robot ambitions.
- Jason’s dystopian prediction:
“What they want is their own robotic security armies... there will be roving bands of Mossad-level hit squads hunting the rich at the behest of other rich... At some point someone will Luigi the shit out of Elon.” (31:03)
Meta Layoffs & AI Hype (23:08)
- Meta cuts 600 jobs from its “superintelligence labs”.
- Endless Summer: An app to generate fake vacation photos, fueling influencer fakery.
Tech Company Shadiness and Dystopian Gadgets
SpaceX vs. Cards Against Humanity (7:39, 13:04)
- SpaceX finally removes Starlink terminals aiding scam syndicates after government pressure.
- SpaceX’s slow response and statement of “commitment” to block misuse:
“Fuck you. You’re not. You only capitulate when... the government who can’t be bought finally says something.” — Jason (14:34)
Twitter/X Monetization Gimmicks (52:34)
- X (Twitter) plans to auction old/inactive usernames, tying ownership to an ongoing paid subscription.
- Brian:
“You’re locked in for life. If you want to get keep the handle that you purchased through their marketplace, you must be subscribed to X Premium... It will revoke priority handles if an account subscription lapses.” (53:08)
- Musk’s erratic stewardship and lack of user trust.
Stealthy Ray-Ban Smart Glasses (53:59)
- $60 hack disables the recording LED, turning Meta’s smart glasses into DIY spy gear.
Media, Streaming Fatigue & Entertainment
Streaming Services: Rising Costs & Burnout (46:49)
- HBO Max price hike triggers cancellations; users seeking alternatives and reflecting on streaming fatigue.
Movie Industry Woes: Tron Aries Flop (33:43)
- Tron Aries bombs hard; the franchise’s nostalgia is no longer enough.
- Jason:
“There’s no meat on that bone besides nostalgia... they bled that cow dry. There’s no way to bring back Tron because it was of its time.” (35:47)
TV & Movie Recommendations
- Bullet Train (2022):
“It is a delightful movie. Brad Pitt is awesome in it... humorous action movie.” — Jason (41:11)
- Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog: Remains fresh and entertaining.
- Hotel Costiera (Amazon Prime Video): Described as a light-hearted, Amalfi Coast-set series — “Ray Donovan meets FUBAR.”
- Slow Horses & The Diplomat: Both shows praised for strong new seasons and smart writing.
- Celebrity Traitors UK: Celeb-packed reality TV receives high praise from Jason.
- Gen V (Amazon Prime): Despite a weak start, worth watching for The Boys fans as it sets up the next season.
- Jason to Dave:
“The first episode is the weakest...then it just goes uphill from there. Absolutely great season.” (56:12)
- Jason to Dave:
Disney & Universal Parks Adventure (Dave Bittner & Brian)
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Disney Paris: Fewer rides, more shows; loving the Halloween decor. Crush’s Coaster is “the most intense coaster Disney has ever done.”
Brian:“So many parents...thinking it wasn’t going to be what it was... That was a ride.” (59:22)
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Disney Smoking Culture: Smoking areas are still common in Paris, unlike the US parks.
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Disney World & Epic Universe (Orlando): Dave recounts his trip, noting heavy crowds (lots of Brazilians), aging, and park logistics.
- New rides at Epic Universe — Celestial Racers praised; Donkey Kong ride line too long.
- Monster’s Unchained at Universal sets a new benchmark for “dark rides.”
- Best Disney ride:
“Guardians of the Galaxy may be the greatest ride ever built so far.” — Dave (74:35)
- Unexpected moments: Dave gets teary at a German beer song, wife mistakes Tears for Fears for George Michael—Brian would’ve ruined the moment.
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Tech in Parks:
- Seamless use of Lightning Lane and Apple Watch for tickets and admissions.
- Observation: Employees now can cross-dress in vintage-style uniforms at the Hall of Presidents.
Notable Moments & Quotes
- On pricing out the fans:
“I could buy a fucking car... Lucas could probably go to, I don’t know, college.” — Jason (5:06)
- On AI sapping meaning from creativity:
“...an infrastructure of meaningless... art, music, film and text uniquely devoid of feeling.” — Jason, quoting Warzel (10:20)
- On AI cost to employment:
“...race to the human bottom. I can’t wait.” — Jason (26:41)
- On Amazon’s AI shopping assistant:
“It’s just another brick in the great wall of mental laziness...” — Jason (27:20)
- On Twitter’s handle marketplace:
“You’re locked in for life... you must be subscribed to X Premium.” — Brian (53:08)
- On nostalgia-heavy content:
“There’s nothing there. Nobody’s made a compelling Tron overall story.” — Brian (35:29)
- On life’s small joys:
“The high point of my life is watching other people cook food that I’m never going to eat. That is the high fucking point of my day. That’s how fucking sad it is.” — Jason (38:57)
Key Timestamps
- AI “Slop” and creativity crisis: 08:22–11:18
- Amazon Web Services outage: 11:46–12:57
- Ticket price outrage: 03:39–06:43
- SpaceX Starlink/Criminal Syndicates: 13:04–14:34
- Yelp AI, AI developments: 16:39–20:09
- Amazon automation/job loss: 24:15–25:52
- Tech gadget absurdities (Help Me Decide, AR glasses): 27:18–29:19
- Tesla robot army speculation: 31:03–32:07
- Streaming costs & movie fatigue: 46:44–47:47; 33:43–36:20
- Disney/Universal trip highlights: 56:36–79:56
- Gen V/The Boys discussion: 55:18–57:05
- Apps, hardware, and AI browser reviews: 48:18–51:46
- Twitter/X handle market: 52:34–53:26
- Meta Ray-Ban hack: 53:59–55:02
Tone & Style
Wry, sardonic, and always irreverent—hosts drop pop-culture references, dark humor, and sharp critiques. Their banter skewers tech excess and late-capitalist absurdity, balanced with earned nostalgia and genuine affection for sci-fi, TV, and each other.
For New Listeners
Expect brutal honesty, deep-cut tech references, and a show that gives no mercy to overhyped products, corporate spin, or the present state of the web. This episode is for anyone who feels overwhelmed by the relentless march of “innovation”—or just wants their grumpy worldview validated, with a few hearty laughs and some surprisingly heartfelt moments.