Don’t yuck someone else’s yum

Alexander Kjerulf on September 17, 2021

Do you want to have more enthusiasm in your life? Here’s a rule we suggest:

Don’t yuck someone else’s yum.

In other words, if someone really likes something, but you don’t, never try to talk them out of liking it.

We talk about this golden commandment of enthusiasm (or enthusiandment) at 22:00 in episode 3 – The Banjo. We also do make a possible exception for Game Of Thrones Season 8, which no one should yum.

Listen to it here:

Listen on: Spotify, Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, other platforms…

The Banjo: Loud, Fun And… Sexy?

Alexander Kjerulf on September 15, 2021

People have a TON of misconceptions about the banjo and often dismiss it as the instrument of hillbillies or rednecks. But did you know that it’s an instrument with a huge history and tradition that can be both loud, fun and… sexy?

Our guest enthusiast in this episode is Daniel Rodrigues, a Portuguese jazz musician living in Copenhagen where he plays in several different jazz bands and he is VERY enthusiastic about the banjo.

Daniel takes us on a journey of the banjo, that includes:

  • Why it’s the most fun instrument
  • How to find success and fame as a banjo player
  • The weirdest song he’s ever played on a banjo
  • The best jokes people tell about the banjo

And yes, the movie Deliverance does come up.

BTWs include:

  • A fantastic connection between the banjo and Harpo Marx, the subject from our very first episode.
  • Game of Thrones.

In our Moment of Meta we talk about the most important rule of enthusiasts everywhere: Don’t yuck someone else’s yum!

Links

Enthusiastic podcast guests wanted

Alexander Kjerulf on September 13, 2021

We are looking for highly enthusiastic guests for some of our upcoming podcast episodes. Are you super excited about something and willing to share your passion with us and our enthusiastic audience? Let us know in a comment here.

You get bonus points if your enthusiasm is for something unusual that people think could not possibly be exciting. Everyone can get excited about scuba diving in the Caribbean – but it would be even more impressive if you can infect us with your love of tax law, taxidermy or taxonomy (or other topics not beginning with tax).

And we’re still looking to fulfil our challenge of finding someone a guest can make us enthusiastic about accounting 🙂

Write a comment below or email us at hello@electricenthusiasm.com.

Josephine Baker: The Most Interesting Woman In The World

Alexander Kjerulf on September 8, 2021

Singer, dancer, entertainer… but also civil rights activist and spy for France during WWII. Josephine Baker truly is the most interesting woman in the world.

Hear all about her amazing life, including her cheetah that would often escape its leash and (encouraged by the audience) menace the band and how she adopted 12 children of different races to form a “rainbow tribe”.

BTWs include:

  • Celebrity nicknames
  • Janet Jackson’s “wardrobe malfunction”
  • The Trial of the Chicago 7

In our Moment Of Meta, Alex talks about one of the “commandments of enthusiasm” (or enthusiandments as he insists on calling them over Katie’s strong objections) namely that any topic can be fascinating when presented with enthusiasm.

Links

Episode 1: Harpo Marx – The Happiest Nudist in Hollywood

Alexander Kjerulf on September 8, 2021

Harpo Marx (of the Marx Brothers) was a genius of physical comedy but, maybe more impressively, he was a nice and fun person who lived a truly happy life.

Raised in a poor Jewish family on Manhattan and thrown out of school (literally) in 2nd grade, he still ended up living an incredibly interesting life and becoming friends with people like George Gershwin, George Bernard Shaw and Salvador Dali.

Hear about his most epic pranks and about his occasional nudism. Harpo could (and would) turn any boring situation – like a game of golf – interesting by taking off his clothes.

BTWs include:

  • Some of the strangest town names in America
  • Weird vaudeville acts of the 1920s

In our moment of meta, Katie reveals how she came up with the name of the podcast – Electric Enthusiasm – and shares two important quotes about enthusiasm.

Links