Remember Xbox Parties? (with Zach Cherry)

This week on the podcast we are so incredibly thrilled to welcome Grammy Award-winning musician Aimee Mann! Vanessa recalls the first time that the Bayers worked with Aimee on their old web series and how Jonah got so nervous about a joke they'd written he had to walk out of a taping with her to regain his composure. The three of us also discuss, you guessed, Scholastic Book Clubs and the sheer joy of getting a bundle of books delivered onto your desk by your homeroom teacher as a kid. We also discuss the brilliance of a perfectly crafted young adult novel, Aimee's experience working at the first Newbury Comics and talk about that time she and husband Michael Penn experienced the cultural phenomenon known as Four Loko. Finally, we play a captivating round of CHANGE DOT DORK where we review petitions for bringing back dessert-flavored gums, producing a proper physical release for the DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES soundtrack and Snapple's not-so-memorable line of Elements drinks. Was Aimee a vocal advocate for Motorhead back in the day? You'll have to listen to this episode to find out! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

29 Mai 202355min

Fans of the Marvel Universe, "How I Met Your Mother" and Canada rejoice because this week we are joined by actress and all-around great person, Cobie Smulders! On this episode of the podcast, Vanessa discusses why one of the greatest nights of her life was spent watching THE BODYGUARD at Cobie and Taran's house, Cobie gives us the sweet details about the Tom Cruise holiday cake and Jonah recalls his teenage fascination with Steven Seagal. Even though Cobie grew up without cable television in a rural part of the Canadian outback, she did have access to a little show called SAVED BY THE BELL and we discuss how it informed Cobie's perception of the United States and teenage life in general. To bring things full circle, Cobie also recounts the time that she met Mark-Paul Gosselaar as an adult... and had a very different experience than Vanessa did. Finally we play a powerful round of CHANGE DOT DORK where we review petitions about a "How I Met Your Mother" reunion, bringing back chicken noodle soup at Tim Horton's and, finally, the three of us try to give a definitive answer of the age-old question: Is lasagna technically cake? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

22 Mai 20231h 5min

This week we couldn't be more thrilled to welcome our friend, the hilarious little sweetie Kenan Thompson!! We're talking SNL nostalgia, Nickelodeon nostalgia, classic rock nostalgia and everything in between. Plus, we get into the craze around the legendary Bo Jackson, including the "Bo Knows" campaign, and his arch nemesis Brian Bosworth aka "The Boz" and Jonah's obsession with the 1991 action fiilm "Stone Cold." Finally, we play a round of LEGIT MOAN OR UNNECESSARY GROAN that has us asking society to please show some respect for meteorologists. What's up with that? You'll have to listen to find out!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

15 Mai 20231h

This week, Vanessa and Jonah are joined by an absolute legend: The First Todd aka their dad. Join our hosts on an audio journey that sees them finally getting the answer to childhood questions like why did they have a refrigerator full of Gyros for a full year of their adolescence, how close was their dad to buying a Dunkin' Donuts franchise and what do you do with a freezer full of sundaes? As you might guess, this food-centric episode sees our dad bemoaning the demise of McDonald's highly popular (and portable) Snack Wrap and explaining why Wendy's take on the fast food menu item doesn't live up to the hype. Todd also fills us in on a charitable and delicious promotion by Wendy's called the Wendy's Frosty Key Tag which allows him free Frosty Jr. 's for a full year for a one-time $2 donation to charity. Finally we introduce a new segment called TODD TALK where we get our dad's "hot takes" on food items he such as Peter Pan peanut butter, Pierre's Ice Cream and A1 Steak Sauce. So run, don't traipse, to this incredible new episode!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8 Mai 202340min

Today on the podcast we are joined by actor and comedian Tony Hale, who you might recognize as Buster Bluth from ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT or Gary Walsh from VEEP. We caught up with Tony while he was on location in Rome to discuss the culture of buffet restaurants (and the anxiety it instilled in Jonah as a kid), Vanessa's four months as a cruise-ship comedian and Tony's experience shooting the ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT pilot two decades ago on a boat, we mean, ship. We also discuss Tony's favorite childhood and current chain restaurants, the familiarity and nostalgia of fast food and hanging out at the mall back when Banana Republic had a safari vibe. We also play a round of LEGIT MOAN OR UNNECESSARY GROAN where we debate if charities should be sending potential donors free stamps, if it's inconsiderate to stand up at a Bob Seger concert and give our takes on some office drama when it comes to feeding birds during business hours. Make sure to check out Tony in the upcoming Netflix series THE DECAMERON and if you see him, buy him a slice of pizza from literally anywhere. It truly does not matter. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1 Mai 20231h 2min

This week we stop being polite and start getting real with comedian, writer and podcaster Hari Kondabolu! We reminisce about our internships: Vanessa's time at the Oxygen network and Sesame Street, Hari's time as a "Clintern" for Hilary Clinton and Jonah's days interning in the music department at the production company behind this week's topic: MTV's THE REAL WORLD! Together, the three of us reminisce about the groundbreaking reality show, our favorite memories from the early seasons, how the show mirrored our culture—and Jonah gives a behind-the-scenes glimpse about working the front desk of Bunim/Murray Productions in fear of an appearance by Puck! Finally we play a round of LEGIT MOAN OR UNNECESSARY GROAN where we debate the difference between bedspreads and quilts, the trend of false advertising when it comes to fast food commercials and why there aren't enough greeting cards for super specific events. Hari's new comedy special VACATION BABY is now streaming for free on YouTube and the companion album (EXTENDED) VACATION BABY is available on Bandcamp. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

24 Apr 202349min

Break out the Manic Panic and Doc Martens because this week we dig deep into nineties fashion with musician Alicia Bognanno aka Bully. We talk about our experiences taking foreign languages in high school, respective anxiety dreams and the year Jonah and Vanessa took a French class together despite the fact that he was two grades ahead. We also dig deep into the history of belly button rings, discuss whether they're making a comeback and share other piercing stories from our adolescent years. Finally, we play a round of BACK TO THE PRESENT where we reminisce about now-defunct mailorder catalogs ranging from Carvin Guitars (Jonah) to Delia's (Vanessa) as well as those Best Cuts catalogs where you could pick out your future hairstyle (Alicia). Did Jonah actually visit the NYU school of dentistry and have college kids work on his teeth in order to save money? You'll have to listen to this episode to find out—and while you're at it you should also pre-order Bully's upcoming album LUCKY FOR YOU, which comes out on Sub Pop Records on June 2nd. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

17 Apr 202353min

We could not be more excited to welcome our close personal friend to the podcast this week: Musician and actor, Jason Isbell! You've heard him talk about his '59 Les Paul but have you heard Isbell break down the difference between dry snacks, snacks that are a test of class and snacks that are a proof of class? Plus, from transporting Kudos bars to Handi-Snacks, we talk about the benefits of Jason's proto-grunge ensembles of cargo pants and flannel shirts. We also discuss why so many heavy metal musicians are nice people, Jason's real-life encounters with members of Metallica and Pearl Jam and what it was like being raised by teenage parents and lots of grandparents in Alabama. As if that weren't enough, we finish up with a round of CHANGE.DORK where we weigh in on important petitions regarding Primus signature guitars, Georgia Gold vs Hot Chicken at KFC and if a collaboration between Isbell and John Mayer is in the works. (Spoiler alert: It isn't.) Be sure to check out Jason's new documentary RUNNING WITH OUR EYES CLOSED which is now streaming on HBO Max and pick up his latest album with the 400 Unit, WEATHERVANES, when it comes out on June 9th. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10 Apr 202349min