Podcast
Mind Gap
Hosted by 2 East 8th Productions · EN
For years Doug Cochrane and Justin Strandlund have been good friends and frequent improv partners. They share a love of debating any topic, although their discussions usually come back around to two things: movies and space. Their most infamous debate involved a 2 hour discussion (while at work) about the actual possibility of time travel and it's potential ramifications on mankind; this included a full diagram drawn on a wall-sized whiteboard. Time well spent. MindGap is what happens when they sit together in front of a microphone and press record.
19episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Episode 540 - Things That Were Attractive at 18 But Are Embarrassing at 30
1w ago00:58:56Tap to summarizeDoug and Justin dig into one of the most relatable questions on the internet: what was cool, attractive, or impressive at 18 that is straight-up embarrassing by the time you hit 30? The answers get deeply personal, very funny, and honestly a little painful. Stories include: Doug's era of competitive eating and genuinely bragging about how much food he could put away in one sitting, Justin serenading girls with acoustic guitar and firmly believing it was working, Doug entering a male beauty pageant at Augustana College specifically to wear David-statue underwear in the swimsuit competition and performing an original heartfelt song called "Chill" in front of a full auditorium, Justin spending his UPS paychecks exclusively on throwing stars and nunchucks from the mall, and both hosts processing the cringe of house party concerts they gave while extremely over-served. The community and Reddit weigh in with their own entries: basement dates at your parents' house, wearing overalls when you're not a farmer, bragging about how often you drink, living with a mattress on the floor and no groceries like it's a personality, getting into street fights, decorating your apartment with empty booze bottles, and refusing to put your shopping cart back. Also this episode: Doug has big news — he got a new job. And even bigger news — Natalie finally watched Top Gun Maverick and her reaction did not disappoint. Sweaty palms, wide eyes, hand-holding during the final act, and the ultimate compliment: "Why did you wait so long to show me this?" Plus a discussion of what's next on Natalie's movie journey: Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, Hunger Games, and the story of what happened when Daredevil Born Again Season 2 was accidentally too intense for a 10-year-old. And Justin still hasn't watched Arcane. Doug is working on it. Then it's time for The Verdict: the Letterboxd review guessing game. This round features reviews for The Mandalorian and Grogu, Obsession, The Florida Project, How to Train Your Dragon (live action), Silence of the Lambs, The Lighthouse, Don't Worry Darling, and the new Superman. This week's recommendations: Justin — Win Win (2011). Paul Giamatti and Bobby Cannavale. Underseen gem. Rent it for $3.99. Doug — Daredevil Born Again Season 2 on Disney+. Charlie Cox is phenomenal. Go watch it. Subscribe: https://youtube.com/mindgappodcast Join the Discord: https://discord.gg/T3HwyEw5v7 Listen everywhere you get podcasts Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mindgappodcast Merch on Redbubble: https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/67768184
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Episode 539 -The Stupidest Things People Have Ever Said That We Still Think About Today
2w ago01:05:34Tap to summarizeDoug and Justin dig into one of Reddit's greatest questions: what's the stupidest thing you've ever heard someone say that still lives rent free in your head? The answers (from the internet and from their own lives) do not disappoint. Stories include: the college roommate who saw cubed chicken and asked if it was pancakes, the hotel coworker who was convinced a rocket launch in Florida made it hotter outside, the customer service caller who had never heard of a browser and genuinely believed she didn't use one, the hotel guest who compared being asked for ID to being interrogated by the Gestapo, the anatomy student who used Coca-Cola as contraception, the woman who signed her name differently every time so no one could forge it, the person who applied for a job and chose the word "ominous" to describe herself, and the woman who planned to bring her TV from home when she moved to Italy so she could still watch her shows. Plus a collection of "Bobisms," hard-earned one-liners from a former baseball ump and retail manager that absolutely hold up, and Doug's dad's legendary if somewhat exhausting burn about brains and trains. Then Doug takes Natalie to an all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ and hot pot restaurant for the first time and comes away a changed man. Justin butchers a 125-pound half hog with his two best friends as a birthday surprise and walks away with 40+ pounds of pork and zero regrets. And the movie audio clip guessing game returns with quotes from Kung Fu Panda, Heat, and Minority Report. This week's recommendations: Justin: Marty: Life is Short on Netflix. Martin Short operates at the speed of joy. Watch it. Doug: Potion Seller's debut album Buzzard is out now. Ten songs, zero filler. Grab it on Bandcamp for $7. Also, Parade of Horribles (Dungeon Crawler Carl Book 8) by Matt Dinniman. Jeff Hayes narrates the audiobook. The series is incredible. Potion Seller Album Release Show — July 25th, 2026 at The Pyramid Scheme, Grand Rapids, MI. Get there. pyramidscheme.com Subscribe: youtube.com/mindgappodcast Join the Discord: https://discord.gg/T3HwyEw5v7 Listen everywhere you get podcasts Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mindgappodcast Merch on Redbubble: https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/67768184
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Episode 538 - Frog Fractions, Psycho Mantis & the Most Unexpected Video Game Mechanics Ever Made
3w ago01:02:20Tap to summarizeWhat happens when a video game stops playing by the rules? Doug and returning guest Noah (Gunchpot) go deep on the most creative, bizarre, and genuinely brilliant video game mechanics ever designed — from games that fake-crash your console to math games that secretly turn into space jail simulators. Games covered include Shenmue (the 1999 Dreamcast game that made boredom part of the experience by giving you an actual forklift job), Seaman (raise a fish with a human face that insults you, narrated by Leonard Nimoy), Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem (the GameCube horror game that fake-deleted your save file and muted your TV on purpose), Metal Gear Solid (Psycho Mantis reads your memory card and comments on your other games), Facade (a 2005 AI couples therapy simulator where typing the word "melon" gets you thrown out of the apartment), Frog Fractions (a browser math game that secretly turns into a completely different game — then hid its sequel inside an entirely separate game for years), Doki Doki Literature Club (the anime dating sim that deletes characters from your hard drive as part of its horror), Disco Elysium (where your skills literally argue with you and you can fail a check just trying to get out of bed), and WarioWare (five-second micro games with one-word instructions and zero hand-holding). Plus: QWOP, Baby Steps, Superhot VR, Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes, I Am Bread, and more. Before all that: Noah is working through 800 of 1,000 movies on his Letterboxd watchlist, watched Ghostbusters and Jurassic Park for the first time this year, and is deep in the David Lynch rabbit hole. Doug's dog Bruno had a very eventful Mother's Day morning involving a rabbit, a shovel, and a crow. Then it's time for The Verdict — the Letterboxd review guessing game. This round covers The Mummy, Devil Wears Prada 2, Nosferatu, Longlegs, Conclave, Barbie, Glass Onion, and Andor. This week's recommendations: Noah: Casino Royale. One of the best action films ever made, full stop. Doug: Potion Seller's debut album Buzzard is out now. Go listen. Brainsynthesizer.com for merch and physical copies. Subscribe: https://youtube.com/mindgappodcast Join the Discord: https://discord.gg/T3HwyEw5v7 Listen everywhere you get podcasts Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mindgappodcast Merch on Redbubble: https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/67768184
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Episode 537 - Doug Avoided the Doctor for 10 Years and Ended Up in Surgery
4w ago01:02:59Tap to summarizeIt finally happened. After roughly 10 years of ignoring something he absolutely should not have been ignoring, Doug ended up in a surgical center getting a very sensitive situation taken care of and somehow, his 10-year-old daughter was along for part of the ride. The full story involves a general practitioner, a urologist, a stethoscope used in a way Doug did not expect, a surgical jock strap, and an alarming amount of cranberry juice in the recovery room. It's equal parts hilarious and a genuine PSA: guys, go to the damn doctor. Justin backs it up with a story about his own dad that makes the message hit even harder. But first: Spirit Airlines is gone. Like, overnight, lights off, sign on the door, gone. Doug and Justin break down what actually happened, what it means for airfare prices, and the wildly ambitious TikTok proposal from a guy who wants regular people to just... buy the airline. Practical Doug has thoughts. Then it's a hard pivot to movies. Doug reviews Marty Supreme (Timothée Chalamet at his most unlikable — somehow four stars) and Dust Bunny (Mads Mikkelsen, a child, a hitman, and a monster under the bed — filmed in Budapest, definitely not America). Plus a quick Project Hail Mary and Natalie update. Game time: Doug plays audio clips from classic films and Justin has to identify the movie. This round features quotes from The Rock, Top Gun, and a Morgan Freeman line that stumped Justin longer than it should have. This week's recommendations: 🎬 Justin — Eddington (Pedro Pascal & Joaquin Phoenix in a pandemic-era slow burn. Stress warning applies.) 🎬 Doug — Dust Bunny (streaming on HBO. Weird, beautiful, and worth it.) Subscribe: youtube.com/mindgappodcast Join the Discord: https://discord.gg/T3HwyEw5v7 Listen everywhere you get podcasts Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mindgappodcast Merch on Redbubble: https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/67768184
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Episode 536 - Doug's Kid Watched The Martian for the First Time and Almost Didn't Survive It
May 101:00:06Tap to summarizeDoug's 10-year-old daughter Natalie finally sat down to watch The Martian and her reaction was everything. Sweaty palms, emotional investment, and a death grip on dad's hand during the finale. Is she officially a movie person now? We think so. But that's just the beginning. This week Justin and Doug go deep on the art of introducing kids to classic films: what lands, what doesn't, and why a 10-year-old has exactly zero interest in Star Wars, Harry Potter, or Space Jam. From The Martian to Top Gun: Maverick, Alien, Jaws, Indiana Jones, Gremlins, and the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, we rank, debate, and reminisce about the movies that shaped us and wonder which ones are ready for the next generation. Then we play The Verdict: our Letterboxd review guessing game where Doug reads real (and absolutely unhinged) user reviews and Justin tries to guess the star rating and the movie. This round features reviews for Donnie Darko, La La Land, 28 Days Later, Midsommar, Companion, and a "Roses are red, violets are blue" review for 500 Days of Summer that you will not see coming. Plus: gym etiquette crimes, weight droppers, weight hoarders, filming yourself at the gym, and the chaotic state of dumbbell organization at Doug's LA Fitness. This week's recommendations: Justin: Go support your local ballet, orchestra, or performing arts company. You might surprise yourself. Doug: Potion Seller (Grand Rapids, MI). Check out their new single Irish Exit and their upcoming album Buzzard dropping May 15th. 📺 Subscribe: https://youtube.com/mindgappodcast 💬 Join the Discord: https://discord.gg/T3HwyEw5v7 🎧 Listen everywhere you get podcasts ❤️ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mindgappodcast 👕 Merch on Redbubble: https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/67768184
Transcribe →Episode 535 - This Deep Water Fear Is Absolutely Real (And Awful)
Apr 2400:59:16Tap to summarizeEver feel uneasy staring into deep, dark water? You're not alone. In this episode of Mind Gap Podcast, Doug and Justin dive into the very real fear of deep water (also known as thalassophobia) and how it connects to other bizarre (and surprisingly common) phobias like submechanophobia (the fear of submerged man-made objects). What starts as a simple conversation quickly turns into a deep (and slightly unhinged) exploration of: - How movies like Jaws can create lifelong fears - Why the ocean feels so terrifying even when nothing's there - Horror games that tap into our deepest anxieties - Weird, hyper-specific fears that make zero sense… until they do From childhood trauma to real-life experiences in deep water, we break down why these fears stick with us—and why they might never fully go away. Check out our YouTube channel! Be sure to like and subscribe for this content as well as episode highlights, Doug Watches Awkward Videos, Justin Plays Video games, and more! We have MERCH now! Follow us on all of our social medias and other platforms!
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Episode 534 - Why Are Books Being Rewritten for Modern Readers?
Apr 1701:05:35Tap to summarizeAre books being updated for modern audiences… or quietly rewritten? We came across a debate that's been gaining traction: older books are being edited to replace outdated references (like TV shows) with modern ones (like TikTok). On the surface, it seems harmless, but does it change the story more than we think? In this episode, we dig into: - Should books be modernized to stay relevant? - Where's the line between accessibility and rewriting history? - Are we underestimating readers by making these changes? - And what happens when technology updates break the original story? It starts with one small change… but it raises a much bigger question: Are we preserving stories or reshaping them? We also spiral into: - Whether 90s games trained us to think differently - The psychology of failure vs instant gratification - And a completely normal question about taking $50 million… with consequences Check out our YouTube channel! Be sure to like and subscribe for this content as well as episode highlights, Doug Watches Awkward Videos, Justin Plays Video games, and more! We have MERCH now! Follow us on all of our social medias and other platforms!
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Episode 533 - Are Theme Parks Still Worth It? The Brutal Truth
Apr 1001:15:58Tap to summarizeAt one point, the wait time hit 3 hours… and we got there at park open. Theme parks are supposed to be magical. So why does it feel like you're paying hundreds of dollars just to stand in line? In this episode, we break down the modern theme park experience. From insane wait times and $300 Express Passes to overpriced food and the weird psychological game of "we've already waited this long, we can't leave now." We chat about: - Why theme park wait times feel worse than ever - The truth about Universal Studios & Islands of Adventure - Is an Express Pass actually worth $260–$340 per person? - The stunning reality of Epic Universe and why it almost works - The psychology of standing in line for hours - When a ride is actually worth a 2–3 hour wait - Why theme park food is usually a scam, except when it isn't Check out our YouTube channel! Be sure to like and subscribe for this content as well as episode highlights, Doug Watches Awkward Videos, Justin Plays Video games, and more! We have MERCH now! Follow us on all of our social medias and other platforms!
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Episode 532 - Is This Actually Wrong? The Gray Area of "Victimless Crimes"
Mar 2701:10:12Tap to summarizeYou find extra cash. The cashier undercharges you. Your ex's Netflix still works. Do you say something… or just accept that the universe has chosen you? In this episode, we build The Morality Meter: a completely unscientific (but brutally honest) system for ranking everyday "victimless crimes." From free refills and password sharing to accidentally keeping things that definitely aren't yours, we're figuring out where the line actually is and how often we cross it. Some of these feel harmless. Some of these will haunt you at 3am. And some… you'll defend way harder than you expected. Check out our YouTube channel! Be sure to like and subscribe for this content as well as episode highlights, Doug Watches Awkward Videos, Justin Plays Video games, and more! We have MERCH now! Follow us on all of our social medias and other platforms!
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Episode 531 - Doug Finally Met His 22-Year WoW Friend… and NYC Got Wild
Mar 2001:08:29Tap to summarizeIt's time for another Mind Gap Podcast! This week, Doug rejoins Justin as the two kick things off with a fun Reddit story which sparks a wide ranging discussion about work and how everyone is just making it up as they go. Doug then regales Justin with stories from his recent trip to New York, which also happened to be his first time there. Justin and Doug fawn over the city, cringe at some of the stuff Doug witnessed on his morning walks, and celebrate Doug finally meeting his friend of 22 years in person for the first time! Things are wrapped up with a game inspired by Doug's trip where Justin gives him 3 New York city laws, but only one is real while the other two are fake. Doug must tap into his practical side to figure out which one would land him in jail. Check out our YouTube channel! Be sure to like and subscribe for this content as well as episode highlights, Doug Watches Awkward Videos, Justin Plays Video games, and more! We have MERCH now! Follow us on all of our social medias and other platforms!
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