Before you write Steve Jobs to complain about this podcast, let us say a quick word in our defense. After all, it isn't as if we said to our voice actors, "write us a dialogue about baby names, but don't forget to stuff a few severed body parts in there." The ear worked its way in more naturally. "It's really the elephant in the room when it comes to this lesson," as Brendan said coming out of the studio. "How could we avoid the subject when the dialogue paints such a gruesome picture all on its own?"

And it's true: one of the characters in today's Chinese dialogue is an ideograph of a human hand holding a severed ear. Once you know which character it is, we're fairly sure you won't forget it. In the meantime, if you think you can spot it, click through to our text page and try to pick out the culprit before Brendan and Echo identify it for you in the podcast.
 said on
August 31, 2010
This was the first lesson that I listened to on your site. I'm getting that you are probably all single. I'm a Mom and have a baby. I think your podcast actually turned me off to your site. Sorry! Now that I know what you guys think and then hearing the podcast about the disinterested / irresponsible parent is a bit of a downer. I'd rather spend my time listening to a podcast that's kid-friendly (if you're going to talk about kids) and learn how to talk to other parents. Some of us do like kids and get a bit defensive about them sometimes:)
 said on
August 31, 2010
Hi Luch,

Thanks for the feedback. Our listeners tend to be adults and one of our operating principles is never to infantilize anyone. Whether that makes our content suitable for children is an open question, although we certainly aren't hostile to them. Kids don't have it any better or worse than anyone else in the sometimes bizarre world of our dialogues and podcasts.

If Popup Chinese isn't your thing that's fine. Thanks for listening and we hope you find something more up your alley elsewhere.

Best,

--david

 said on
August 31, 2010
Thanks David for the feedback.
 said on
April 3, 2011
I am happy to see that comments by sensitive people like the one above haven't stopped the Popup team. Like a commenter at the Earthquake podcast said before: there are already enough boring learning materials out there.

Great lesson.
 said on
January 4, 2012
I, on the other hand, had been looking for a Chinese podcast that belittles children, women, blacks, jews and the elderly. Thank you Popup team! :-D
 said on
April 19, 2012
Thank the gods for creative, unique dialogues. Please don't stop writing hilarious and interesting content.
 said on
May 30, 2012
Is 馘 used in modern Chinese?
 said on
May 31, 2012
@murrayjames,

Definitely not. Where did you dig it out?

--Amber

amber@popupcinese.com
 said on
May 31, 2012
@amber,

It's in the vocab for this lesson; Brendan brings it up around 8'00" :-)
 said on
May 31, 2012
@amber,

拜托 ╮(╯_╰)╭

--Echo

echo@popupchinese.com
 said on
May 31, 2012
@murrayjames&Echo

哦~~~确实不用了嘛,这好像是什么刑罚。

--Amber

amber@popupchinese.com
 said on
January 25, 2013
Wow, some people have no youmogan. I am the mother of a 7-year-old, whom I love very much, and I thought this was hilarious. It's funny BECAUSE the parent is irresponsible! Geez!
 said on
May 9, 2013
The 繁体 for 没定好 is mislisted as 沒想好 in the vocab list.
 said on
May 14, 2013
@murrayjames,

Fixed, thank you!

--Echo

echo@popupchinese.com