
That Time History Teachers Loved The XYZ Affair So Much
Odds are you learned about The XYZ Affair during high school history class (even mark did, and most of his high school education came courtesy of movies screened during class). But in retrospect, the whole scandal of John Adams' presidency feels underwhelming compared to our everyday political scandals now. That is, until 2017, when the fallout of The XYZ Affair finally exploded in a national controversy. Let Kasey walk you through what happened, why it wouldn't have seemed like that big of a deal, and why now John Adams' administration led to the first major scandal of Trump's presidency. Logo: Jessica Balaschak Music: Caveman of Los Angeles by Party Store Music YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUI6fTwkYm8UEv4sLaC9ytw
24 Maj 202235min

That Time WeCrashed, The Dropout, and Super Pumped All Premiered Within Weeks of One Another
"Bring me a unicorn!" was the rallying cry for VC funders in Silicon Valley during its glory days, and apparently the demand from network execs looking for new content. Because over the course of a single month, we were treated to Hulu's The Dropout, Apple TV+'s WeCrashed, and Showtime's Super Pumped. All three are based on real-life disruptors that promised to revolutionize medicine, real estate, and taxis. All three failed to varying degrees. But we already know those scandals: Kasey and Mark want to talk about the accent and voice work that these series boast at their cores. From Amanda Seyfried's riff on Mira Sorvino in Romy and Michelle to Anne Hathaway delivering the best performance of her career as Rebecca Neumann to Uma Thurman as Ariana Huffington, these are the performances we need to discuss. Logo: Jessica Balaschak Music: Caveman of Los Angeles by Party Store Music YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUI6fTwkYm8UEv4sLaC9ytw
17 Maj 202236min

That Time The Way Down Came Back for More Gwen Shamblin Stories
At last! After premiering three episodes of investigative documentary series The Way Down on HBO Max last year, the exposé of the Remnant Fellowship and its founder, Gwen Shamblin, returns for a two-part update. Has it gained anything in the aftermath of the series' revelations? Did we need another two episodes about the church and the ways in which it preyed on the vulnerable? Probably not! But then, we also didn't really need Netflix's 4-episode Bad Vegan or Hulu's 3-episode Captive Audience (to varying degrees). But Kasey and Mark watched all three series, and they have some Thoughts about this trio of shows retelling real-life bad behavior. Logo: Jessica Balaschak Music: Caveman of Los Angeles by Party Store Music YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUI6fTwkYm8UEv4sLaC9ytw
10 Maj 202238min

That Time Sean Young Just Wanted to Audition for Catwoman
Sean Young looked poised to be a star in the 1980s. She appeared in Stripes, she was the love interest in Blade Runner—instantly achieving icon status—and she was great in thriller No Way Out. Then she got cast as Vicki Vale in Batman. That should have brought her career to the next level. Instead, it was the beginning of the end. Years of addressing bad behavior and refusing to flatter male egos had set the stage for Sean Young to be made a Hollywood pariah. And the match that set off that fuse? He refusal to accept that Batman Returns director Tim Burton wouldn't even see her for the role of Catwoman after she was forced to drop out of Batman due to a fractured arm. Mark Peikert walks us through the no-nonsense behavior that primed Hollywood to gleefully take down a woman who refused to play the game, leaving us to wonder what could have been for Sean Young. Sean Young on The Joan Rivers Show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfPTlZeVxW4 Logo: Jessica Balaschak Music: Caveman of Los Angeles by Party Store MusicLogo: Jessica Balaschak Music: Caveman of Los Angeles by Party Store Music YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUI6fTwkYm8UEv4sLaC9ytw
3 Maj 202238min

That Time Ohio Had a Surprising Number of Political Scandals
Why oh why oh why oh... does Ohio have so many political scandals? From bad behavior to a mistress opening up about an affair with her politico boss after not being invited to his wedding, the Buckeye state has played host to a surprising number of political bad behavior. Kasey Howe walks us through some of the highlights among the lowlights. Logo: Jessica Balaschak Music: Caveman of Los Angeles by Party Store Music YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUI6fTwkYm8UEv4sLaC9ytw
26 Apr 202230min

That Time Reese Witherspoon Asked If a Cop Knew Her Name
In early 2013, Reese Witherspoon seemed destined for Meg Ryan’s later career. Both hit it big as smart, sometimes daffy romcom blondes with more going on than initially appeared. But after winning an Oscar for Walk the Line, Reese’s movies… hadn’t exactly popped. Then something happened. On April 19, 2013, Reese was in the car with her husband, talent agent James Toth, when he was pulled over under suspicion of driving while intoxicated after swerving into the wrong lane. But it was Reese who got arrested for disorderly conduct. They were in Atlanta while Reese filmed The Good Lie (another film that would go on to make no impact at the box office), and James was pulled over just after midnight. They parked in a Walgreens parking lot (because where else is there to park in Atlanta?) when, according to the police report, “Mrs. Witherspoon began to hang out the window and say that she did not believe that I was a real police officer. I told Mrs. Witherspoon to sit on her butt and be quiet.” She didn’t sit on her butt and stay quiet. Reese Witherspoon had had enough. And she made national news for it. But what did it mean for her career? Obviously it didn't impede her; she's earned her best reviews in the years since. But how did this moment in an unwanted spotlight shift her priorities? Mark walks the line from Walgreens parking lot to the current empire she's built. Logo: Jessica Balaschak Music: Caveman of Los Angeles by Party Store Music
19 Apr 202226min

That Time the L.A. Water Wars Inspired Chinatown
Los Angeles is an oasis in the desert—but it's also a mirage. Because life shouldn't be sustainable to the extent that it is, and it wouldn't be if a few enterprising old dudes hadn't decided to divert water from the Valley to help L.A. prosper. What's the harm? Those farmers don't need that water, right? If you've ever seen Chinatown, then you know there's a lot of harm going on. Kasey walks us through the chicanery and trickery used to drain a few lakes over the years, all to keep the L.A. millionaires and movie stars in warm showers and cold drinks. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUI6fTwkYm8UEv4sLaC9ytw Logo: Jessica Balaschak Music: Caveman of Los Angeles by Party Store Music
12 Apr 202247min

That Time Julia Roberts and Kiefer Sutherland Didn't Get Married
Julia Roberts was a freshly minted, Oscar-nominated movie star when she and Kiefer Sutherland (semi Hollywood royalty) announced their wedding, to be held on the Fox studio lot. That should have been an early sign of things to come. As should Kiefer's desire to have a full Thanksgiving dinner served at their June wedding (he really likes Thanksgiving, OK?). Then, days before the wedding, Julia called the whole thing off and flew to Ireland on what would have been her wedding day with Jason Patric—a close friend of Kiefer's who, perhaps not coincidentally, was disinvited from the wedding shortly before the breakup. And thus began what Julia Roberts would call her "Fellini summer." Host Mark Peikert walks us through the scandal that has become part of Hollywood lore for some, and has been completely forgotten by most. This marks the first installment of his three-part series Duck, Duck, You're F*cked, examining the scandals that some stars managed to slough off and one scandal that ended a promising career. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/shockingluridtawdry Logo: Jessica Balaschak Music: Caveman of Los Angeles by Party Store Music
5 Apr 202242min