Episode 41 - Morality

Philosophy student Jenna and Generation X-er Ben are talking about the word morality this week, but before they get started on this thought provoking topic… they have a “warmup chat” with Norah.  After the official show introduction Ben and Jenna dive in to the discussion… and it goes to some unexpected places.  Video games mentioned include the GTA franchise, Call of Duty, Dante’s Inferno, the Mass Effect franchise, Fallout 3, and Detroit: Become Human.

00:00:21 - The Ben, Jenna, and Norah with the (depressing?) morality warmup
00:01:40 - Alan Turing, Oscar Wilde, ferries, and Staten Island 
00:06:00 - Morality threshold, scorecards, a literal “Hail Mary”, and moral friction
00:09:23 - Morels, the Dead Milkmen, and Jenna is bringing the theory 
00:12:03 - The official start of the show, “only hot girls get IBS,” and Jenna’s college courses 
00:16:10 - The other side of coin, and looking at things from the marginalized viewpoint 
00:19:05 - People’s ignorance about feminism, and the shared human experience
00:22:23 - Truth, emotions, and being open to different perspectives
00:24:45 - Religion’s impact on morality, “grey areas,” and s’mores   
00:28:35 - A disagreement about chocolate, marshmallows, and crispy rice treats
00:31:00 - Jenna does not like Abraham Lincoln in copper form, and Ben’s strip club story
00:34:20 - The “nudie bucket,” and the morality of the sex / service industry 
00:37:01 - The difference between ethics and morals, and further discussion about sex work
00:42:00 - Nel Noddings and the ethics of care, unconscious bias, and the Bechdel test
00:48:15 - Ben’s oil scenario, and the “fluidity” of people’s morals 
00:51:36 - Jenna wants to play Dungeons and Dragons, and Ben explains some D&D nuances 
00:55:02 - Alignment and the “black and white” nature of morality mechanics in games
01:02:29 - Jenna reflects on law, chaos, and being a member of the LBGTQ+ community  
01:05:00 - Ben’s Fallout 3 scenario, game narrative, choice, and Detroit: Become Human
01:12:11 - Jenna is a s’mores advocate and has hope for the future
01:13:42 - Ben closes the show with a Blue Thunder quote