How Did We Get Weird with Vanessa Bayer and Jonah Bayer (All Things Comedy)

In this episode, the phenomenal writer and actress Sudi Green stops by the pod! We talk about after school sports with subtopics ranging from but not limited to the harrowing journey of finding your track event, Vanessa's odd cross-country hack and the moments we each realized sports just weren't for us. We also reminisce about burning CDs and curating our music tastes to impress our older siblings while Jonah recounts winning the prestigious Carrier Pigeon paper plate award. As if that wasn’t enough, Vanessa takes a trip down memory lane reading through her Lilith Fair-approved CD wallet from the nineties.

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Hello! This February, we will be airing #TBT bonus material and re-releases of past episodes. Think of it as an exclusive walk down memory lane and very very cool. Be sure to subscribe and rate the podcast (how's that for rizz?!) 

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In this seminal episode, Jonah and Vanessa sit down with the incomparable Beck Bennett (Saturday Night Live) to discuss his love for Lean Pockets and other cultural touchstones from the past. They also delve into the infamous lore that Jonah and Vanessa's dad is, in fact, the first person to ever be named "Todd." Spoiler alert: Vanessa is a great wedding guest and she just might come to your party if you invite her.

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On this week's episode the Bayer siblings are thrilled to welcome their friend Liz Feldman! You may know that Liz from creating the hit Netflix show "Dead To Me" but did you know that her new Netflix show premiering this Thursday, "No Good Deed" is the third in her run of three-word, turn-of-phrase series'?? And speaking of TV shows, the trio get into their all-time favorite TV show theme songs and as a surprise to no one, Vanessa sings a lot of them (as does Liz. Jonah, less so.) Plus Vanessa gets into the childhood time-capsule saga that will continue to take twists and turns, we talk tiktok and it's wealth of cottage cheese-based recipes, and Jonah kills with a highly customizable parchment paper joke. You gotta listen to this fantastic episode and check out Liz's fantastic new show "No Good Deed" this Thursday, because honestly, we dig both for you.

On today's new episode Jonah and Vanessa are thrilled to welcome the one and only Jenifer Lewis! They reminisce about the first time they met when Vanessa was trying to get Jenifer to be on "I Love That For You" and Jenifer subsequently announcing to the press that she would be on the show... without a single mention of Vanessa. Plus you may know that Jenifer is the Mother of Black Hollywood, but did you know she does a killer Vanessa impression? And Vanessa's Jenifer impression is pretty good as well? Plus the two talk about their instant connection and all the fun they had filming together, so much so, that Jenifer still refers to Vanessa (and Jonah!) as a glass of milk with eyes. We also get into Jenifer's terrifying accident in Africa and the resilience that got her where she is today. Plus, in a hilarious game of CHANGE.DORK, the trio discuss whether Jenifer should host Wheel of Fortune, If Spongebob should have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, (plus Jenifer's own Hall of Fame ceremony and some incredible celebrity stories) and if "I Love That For You" should be renewed for Season 2 (duh).  So walk in your joy and listen to this incredible episode with the iconic MISS JENIFER LEWIS!

On today's new episode the Bayer's welcome their friend musician and composer Jeff Rosenstock! We're talking about watching The Price is Right as a kid, the cool games, and how Vanessa found it slightly jarring that Bob Barker would do a PSA at the end? Plus, Jonah talks about his experience going to see the show live and his roomate winning a TV (spoiler alert: you do have to pay taxes and that is a bummer). They also discuss how Drew Carey is a class act, and the group collectively wonders, is there a system where the crew of Wheel of Fortune takes turns getting the cars that the contestants DON'T win or does Pat Sajak get first dibs? Also, Vanessa asks Jeff and Jonah the age-old question, are punks actually the biggest sweeties of all? And finally, in a very punk game of CHANGE.DORK Jeff and Vanessa reveal their pitch for the JEFF ROSENSTOCK X VANESSA FENDER GUITAR! Hint: It's sparkly. 

Check out Jeff's latest album HELLMODE out now! 

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On today's new episode, Jonah and Vanessa welcome fellow Ohio native and host of Spotify's "60 Songs That Explain the 90s" Rob Harvilla to the podcast. They revisit their senior projects, which included organizing record bins, helping the community, and surfing the Internet. Jonah and Rob reminisce about their time working together at Alternative Press, including towers of promo CDs and their reviews of up-and-coming bands. Don't worry, they were nice and honest! Vanessa showcases her amazing Fred Durst impression as they navigate which song Limp Bizkit was known for performing. They discuss tablature music and their grunge band rankings, which leads to a discussion about their parents' collection of records from all genres of music. True Colors, Prince, Bob Dylan, Diana Ross and much much more. All this talk really gets the Bayers thinking about getting a record player. Sponsors, are your ears open?! We end the pod with a round of "Legit Moan or Unnecessary Groan?" where they review the Plain Dealer for complaints among the Greater Cleveland area including cable networks going to hell, unrealistic expectations of punctuality, and school deficit politics. You will not want to miss this music-filled episode! 

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This week on the podcast we are joined by our old friend Michael Benjamin Lerner of Telekinesis! Michael talks about meeting Jonah and Vanessa at SNL through Fred Armisen, what it was like for Michael to play drums on the Portlandia tour and his secrets to making the perfect cup of espresso. Michael also discusses working at record stores, going to school at Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts and having Paul McCartney hand him his diploma and getting a major label record deal offer based on his MySpace page. We also get into today's topic of renting video games, which has all the more resonance for Michael because his father is Mike West, the voice of Fox McCloud from the legendary Nintendo game, Star Fox! Better yet, Michael actually voiced a Nintendo game as a child that has only been released in Japan for all you Telekinesis superfans. As if all this wasn't enough, we also play a game of LEGIT MOAN OR UNNECESSARY GROAN where we debate important issues such as paying for infomercials on cable, taking off work on national holidays and the dilemma of having too many phone books. You can and should check out all five Telekinesis albums on Merge Records now!

The Bayers' longtime friend and iconic musician Jenny Lewis stops by the podcast this week to discuss the time that she and Vanessa took Jonah to get his first ever pedicure! If that story isn't exciting enough, we also discuss Jenny's childhood acting roles in everything from Troop Beverly Hills to The Wizard and her musical career and recent tour with Harry Styles. Plus, we talk about the perils of online dating, and dig deep on Jenny's love of Strawberry Shortcake and the rest of her badass crew, which also includes Lemon Meringue and Blueberry Muffin. And did Caboodles just do a tribute to Jenny? You'll have to listen to find out.

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HDWGW will be back next week with new episodes. Until then, enjoy this episode of Amber and Lacey, Lacey and Amber Show featuring special guest, Vanessa and Jonah Bayer.

Be sure to rate and review How Did We Get Weird here!

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It's a sibling soiree! Amber and Lacey are joined by sister and brother duo Vanessa and Jonah Bayer. Vanessa and Jonah host a very cute podcast called How Did We Get Weird?. They love a good Bar & Bat Mitzvah, so the "Celebrity Expert Quiz" tests their knowledge on this festivity. After a surprising result to the quiz, they all gush about something they love a lot in "Can You Stand It". In the final game called "Biggest Fan in This Room", we see how close Vanessa and Jonah really are and how much Amber hasn't been paying attention to Lacey. Which is odd because Lacey is so beautiful that it's hard to not pay attention to her. Don't you agree? (Lacey did not log into this app and write that last line)

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This week the Bayer siblings are thrilled to welcome their friend and actress/comedian/podcaster Casey Wilson to talk about Baz Luhrmann's "Romeo + Juliet"! Wow, wow and wow! Casey and Vanessa discuss how in love they were with Leo AND their desperate attempts to talk to him, both as children and adults! Plus, Jonah and Vanessa talk about meeting Claire Danes and/or Jared Leto from the spiritual companion tv show of "Romeo + Juliet" which everyone knows is "My So-Called Life"! We also dig into the iconic "Romeo +Juliet" Soundtrack- where would we all be without The Cardigans' song "Lovefool" after all??? Plus, Vanessa talks about the one time she was thrown a surprise party (spoiler alert: She did not like it!... until she saw there was a cookie cake) and in a rousing game of YES/NO-STALGIA we say no thank you to the return of platform flip-flops, and much more!! So love us, love us, say that you love us and listen to this incredible episode!!

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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!

This week the Bayers are thrilled to welcome their friend and Fall Out Boy lead vocalist and guitarist, Patrick Stump! We really roll out the red carpet for him as Jonah has a brand new premium zoom account and Vanessa has an incredible impression of all pop-punk singers. Speaking of which, we hear how Patrick honed his craft and became the vocalist he is today (it doesn't make Vanessa's impression any less spot-on) and about Patrick's musical influences ranging from straight-edge hardcore to Soul Music and his other artistic influences like SNL which he got to be on pretty early in his career. Also, Jonah and Patrick reminisce about hanging out at the New York Stock Exchange when Fall Out Boy rang the opening bell? Collectively the three of us wonder if ANY band would seem appropriate hanging at the Stock Exchange  (Vanessa realized the answer to this question is "Huey Lewis and the News" but unfortunately not until after the recording of this episode.) Finally, in a rousing game of LEGIT MOAN OR UNNECESSARY GROAN the Bayer siblings discover an odd food combination they both love and Patrick shares one he and his brother disovered years ago! Plus, they get into braking distance etiquette and a lottery ticket complaint that might become a litmus test for every HDWGW guest. So get out from under the cork tree and check out this wonderful new episode! 

On this week's episode the Bayer siblings are thrilled to welcome siblings Amber Ruffin and Lacey Lamar!! You might know them as bestselling authors or have seen Amber on The Amber Ruffin Show, but did you know that as kids they used to roll down a hill in a barrel? We talk about that adventure plus all the other dangerous things we did as kids like sliding down stairs on a pillow or the time Lacey got stuck in the laundry chute. Plus, Vanessa recalls her Chicago days of being lovingly bullied while understudying in Amber's Second City show, and the Bayer's are captivated to hear about all of the delicious treats that Amber and Lacey's dad used to bring home from his job at Duncan Hines (incidentally, that's also where the aforementioned barrel came from.) The fun continues as Amber and Lacey perform some of the original music they created as kids, and Vanessa does the same with a song she wrote with her cousin and recently learned was a Whodini rip-off. Finally, in a CHANGE.ORG first, Amber and Vanessa realize they actually KNOW the author of one of the petitions! AND Lacey and Amber think they might know the school that is part of another petition! But despite these ties, in the end everyone agrees that their favorite petition is the one demanding that Amber to host the Oscars. So check out this incredible sibling-filled episode of HDWGW and be sure to also listen to Amber and Lacey on their podcast "The Amber & Lacey, Lacey & Amber Show"!

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Years ago, Jonah and Vanessa watched the 2001 Jack Black/Gwyneth Paltrow romantic comedy "Shallow Hal" together and Vanessa was so high that she reversed the plot of the film. For this special and incredibly important podcast episode, Jonah and Vanessa have rewatched the film in a more lucid state and they are ready to delve into it's complex plotlines. What did they think of the film the second time around? Spoiler alert: They didn't love it.

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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. 

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This week the Bayer siblings are thrilled to welcome their friend and shining star of shows such as “Scandal” and “Inventing Anna,” the delightful Katie Lowes! They talk about how Katie got her start (including bringing her family on set for an early stint on "The Sopranos!") and what it was like being a part of the “Scandal” TV phenomenon. Plus, did you know that Katie is a soft-pretzel heiress?? The three of us also dive into Katie's favorite movie "Dirty Dancing" and how it influenced many parts of her life, from her wedding to her relationship with her beloved Grandmother. Finally, Vanessa finds a way to connect the movie to the her favorite topic, Richard Marks and Daisy Fuentes' marriage, their plane incident and did Katie just have a real-life Daisy Fuentes encounter??? You'll have to listen to find out!

Whether you're a fashionista or a dELIa*s-ista, we've got something for you on this nineties-fashion-forward episode of the podcast thanks to our guest, writer/comedian Emily Heller. Emily comes by the pod to discuss the time 11-year-old Emily wrote a complaint letter to then-president Bill Clinton about her gym teacher who she later found out was actually Zendaya's dad? We also discuss how she made a zine out of some of her childhood momentos (including the infamous letter) and how New Moon magazine inspired her as a kid. Plus, we dig deep into the cultural impact of the dELIa*s catalog and how it's style impacted pop-culture. And speaking of style, Jonah comes clean about his Girbaud Jeans-phase and Emily discusses her parents' confusion about the nineties thrift-store aesthetic. Finally we play an unforgettable game of YES/NO-STALGIA where we discuss the return of wearing vests as shirts, slip dresses and the incredibly polarizing bucket hat. So put on your chicest ill-fitting hat and check it out! 

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This week the Bayer siblings welcome the hilarious George Civeris and Sam Taggart to the podcast! The group reveal insights about their resting faces and does shaving your facial hair always make you look younger? Vanessa also insists that she is a Sam and Jonah is a George, and basically proves her point when they debate the return of the Olive Garden's Neverending Pasta Bowl (hint: Vanessa and Sam are PRO Pasta Bowl.) Plus, they talk about the phenomenon that was Eminem in the nineties and how they were at times offended by him while at other times attracted to him? Vanessa also talks about meeting him at SNL and they discuss his business ventures today (which actually have something in common with The Olive Garden). Finally, in an exciting game of YES/NO-STALGIA, the group is surprises themselves by being both Pro-Furby and more shockingly, Pro-McDonald's Oreo Frappe! So be sure to lose yourself in this incredible episode and also check out George and Sam's fantastic podcast, StraightioLab!

Check out Sam Taggart's show Club Comic at Color Club Ballroom on Thursday, 11/9: https://dice.fm/event/6kyob-sam-taggart-club-comic-9th-nov-color-club-ballroom-chicago-tickets and George Civeris at The Elysian on Wednesday, 11/29: https://www.elysiantheater.com/shows/george

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On this week's episode the Bayers welcome the hilarious, sweet and immensely talented Sam Richardson! Listen to Sam and Vanessa reminisce on their Chicago comedy days and try their best to breakdown popular improv form The Harold. Plus, they improvise what Jonah's dream was last night! They also talk nostalgic action-packed shows from Thundercats to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and how Sam is always ready to morph into a Power Ranger the instant they need him. Whether you're on the planet Rafcon, Thundera, or Earth, this wildly funny episode is a must-listen!!!

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This week the Bayers are thrilled to welcome their hilarious and wildly talented friend, tv writer, poet and artist Ali Liebegott to the podcast! The trio discuss their varying desires to visit and/or live in space and/or to live forever as well as the various career options and desires they'd like to pursue while here on Earth. Plus, they recall the good old days when report cards were printed on paper and you could "adjust" them before showing them to your parents. They also get into past experiences trying to get picked for jury duty and what would be the most appealing jury duty set up? Finally, in an exciting game of LEGIT MOAN OR UNNECESSARY GROAN, a contributor wants to alter Mount Rushmore, and literally or figuratively, we're not having it. From writer's room antics to Phlebotomy dreams you've (Liebe)gotta check out this fantastic episode!!

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We feel honored to have nostalgia expert, SNL cast member, and our good friend Kyle Mooney on the pod this week! Of course, we discuss eighties cartoons and how Kyle embodies that aesthetic so flawlessly on his hilarious new Netflix show, Saturday Morning All-Star Hits! We also get deep into the short-lived primetime series Saved By The Bell: The College Years. Was it weird that the Bayside Crew had an ex-football player as their dorm's RA? Absolutely. Along the way we also discuss Kyle's childhood toy collection, the TV phenomenon known as Rescue 9-1-1 and we wonder why picture-in-picture technology seems to have disappeared. Finally, Jonah brings back our popular CEO Takedown segment unknowingly burning the same CEO two weeks in a row as we debate if General Mills legacy will ultimately be Nerf balls, sugar-coated cereals or simply... flour.

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Get ready to dive purse first into this week's podcast because we are thrilled to be joined by comedian, drag queen, actor and activist, Bob The Drag Queen! You might know him from his memorable appearances on "RuPaul's Drag Race" and "We're Here," but did you know that he and Vanessa are pretty much best friends now? Plus, on this episode we all get real about social etiquette: What to say if you don't remember someone, how to react if someone tries to shame you for not remembering them and the do's and don'ts of how to act if you want to be Bob The Drag Queen's friend. Bob also brings out Vanessa's fierce alter ego "Bitchy Vanessa," talks about his background in stand-up comedy and tells a very memorable story about how some social cues lead to a misunderstanding with a very big star. The three of us also get nostalgic during our segment BACK TO THE PRESENT where we discuss the Carvin guitar mail order catalog, Fisher-Price karaoke toys and the rise and fall of the PT Cruiser. Don't forget to check out Bob The Drag Queen on tour with Madonna on the Celebration Tour starting this fall!

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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. 

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We are so lucky to have comedian, actor and singer Cole Escola drop by the podcast this week. You may know Cole from their scene-stealing roles in "Search Party," "At Home With Amy Sedaris" and "Difficult People," but before all that they were learning about sophisticated, cosmopolitan female leads on nineties shows like "Fired Up" and "Mad About You." We also get into how the calcium industry hijacked TV commercials in the nineties to the point where Cole ate so many Kraft single slices it made them puke, explore what will now be dubbed "The Snackwell aesthetic" and hear about the time Vanessa misunderstood what seems like a pretty straightforward reference from "Troop Beverly Hills" so deeply that it's still difficult to comprehend. The CEOs get a short-lived break this week as we bring back our "Back To The Present" segment where Jonah makes a compelling case for CD long boxes, Vanessa makes a plea to bring back WOW! chips (despite Olestra's uncomfortable side effects) and Cole would like to bring back Sunday night family movie programming, the latter of which should not cause intestinal bloating.

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You've heard David Bazan sing about some dark subject matter as a solo artist or under the Pedro The Lion moniker, but have you ever heard him get deep into his snack preferences? From his childhoood invention "The Bologna Big Mac" to the proper technique to put chips on a sandwich without making a crumbly mess, Bazan shares some of his secrets with his future musical collaborators Jonah and Vanessa and the world will never be the same. Bazan also talks with Jonah about their house show tradition in New York City, his friendship with comedian Horatio Sanz and memorable moments from Saturday Night Live afterparties. Jonah also shows off his David Bazan lifetime pass laminate and in an incredible round of LEGIT MOAN OR UNNECESSARY GROAN, we debate the etiquette of unsigned holiday cards, wasteful eating contests and tipping etiquette. 

This week Vanessa and Jonah are THRILLED to welcome Jack Rooke- comedian, writer, absolute delight, and creator of the show Vanessa is obsessed with, "Big Boys"! We talk about Jack and Vanessa's recent brunch where Jack had chicken apple sausage for the very first time and then they ran into two cast members of Bravo's "The Valley" (can you imagine a better brunch?) Plus Jonah tells us about the time he accidentally went to Gloucester, and Jack tells us about the time he got his entire class to go to Shrek the Musical on a short trip to New York. And we dig into Jack's favorite movie, "Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion" and how much we love everything about it! And speaking Lisa Kudrow, Vanessa recounts the time she first met her and did her entire "Friends" stand up bit for her. Finally, we play "BACK TO THE PRESENT" and fondly remember Squeeze-It's, The Taco Bell Seven Layer Burrito, and Sunny Delight. Be sure to check out this delightful episode and to check out Jack's incredible show BIG BOYS! ALL 3 SEASONS ARE NOW STREAMING ON HULU!!

On today's new episode, the Bayer siblings are thrilled to welcome Vanessa's best friend since childhood, Gwen! They're talking about that nostalgic time when these BFF's met, from Gwen's "Talbots Kids" patterned turtlenecks to her patiently watching as Vanessa would act out commercials in her vanity mirror. Plus, Jonah and Gwen both took ballroom dancing in sixth grade but had very different signature styles (Jonah's included a lot of hair gel.) And, hear Gwen's take on being in the female-focused gym class "Body Fitness" with Jonah, a class that Jonah is still mad he had to take. Finally, in the impressive new game "CONGRATULATIONS, YOU PLAYED EACH OTHER" Vanessa finds out how much her brother and her best friend know each other, from bands Jonah was in to modeling jobs Gwen did and more, AND Vanessa gets to talk about herself a lot in the process. This friendship-filled episode is a must listen!

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In this episode, Jonah and Vanessa welcome the electrifying actor/comedian Matt Rogers (Las Culturistas, Haute Dog). They discuss the 1995 fantasy adventure film Jumanji and have their own fantasy adventure debating its logistics. Plus, they talk wacky family members, iced tea versus soda as a childhood status symbol, favorite pizza chains and dare to ask who can afford to buy an American Girl Doll in this day in age?!

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You may know Andy Richter as the longtime sidekick for Conan O'Brien, but he's also a very accomplished actor, writer, comedian and podcaster. Andy came by HDWGW this week to discuss the difficulties of fish taxidermy, his Chicago comedy roots and some of his favorite Late Night With Conan O'Brien musical acts ranging from The Breeders to Tony Bennett. We also recall fond memories of hanging out at our local shopping malls in the 80s and 90s and our favorite food court picks. Along the way, Vanessa laments the demise of the Original Cookie Company and Jonah talks about buying a Body Count CD at Record Town thanks to their lax parental advisory policy. Finally, we have an impassioned round of change.org where we debate whether our collective energy should be directed toward the return of PB&J Oatmeal Cream Pies, accountability for the Lethal Weapon TV series or the availability Twinkies in a high school cafeteria. How could you not want to listen to this episode? 

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You've gotten iconic podcast host and the SyFy dubbed "Queen of Game of Thrones" Joanna Robinson's analysis of television and film on Vanity Fair and The Ringer as well as her many popular podcasts such as "Trial By Content" and "The Ringer-Verse" but you probably haven't heard her recount how the Indigo Girls was an important part of her musical development as a teenager? On this episode we get "Closer To Fine" with Joanna, dig into her favorite comfort shows as a kid and explore how she was able to hone her analytical abilities when it comes to decoding the messages behind your favorite shows. (Pro tip: It helps to read books.) We also play a round of CHANGE.DORK where we debate the merits of the Liberty Mutual insurance commercials (not a sponsor), discuss if televisions should be allowed in the common areas of dormitories and Vanessa fills us in on her obsession with the musical merits Skyrizi's "Nothing Is Everything" commercial. From cappuccinos at Lilith Fair to the cultural impact of My So-Called Life, this episode is a certain to become a viral sensation. Don't forget to pre-order Joanna's book McU: The Reign Of Marvel Studios, which she co-wrote with Gavin Edwards and Dave Gonzales, coming out on October 10th!

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In this episode, good friend and amazing musician Tony Thaxton stops by the podcast this week. Tony is the drummer for Motion City Soundtrack and a podcaster himself, what can this guy not do?! We talk about our deep fondness of Muppet Babies and how we do not care for the reboot, especially the theme song. Diving into celebrity voice-over actors on the show like Howie Mandel and Dave Coulier and learning that Skeeter was not an original muppet. Plus discussion of celebrity albums and talking about performing with Weird Al Yankovic being a dream come true. They play "Back To The Present" segment where Jonah discusses the Cleveland Mosh Line and how it was meant to resolve pit fights and keep it safe, Vanessa talks Swatch Watches and all the styles they provided for everyone and Tony would like to bring back non-singer celebrity songs to the radio.

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Cuties alert! The Bayer siblings are thrilled to have their dear friend and absolute cutie Abby Elliott on the podcast today! Abby and Vanessa talk about their fun adventures at the SNL 50th Anniversary, from celebrity encounters to their red carpet go-to moves. And speaking of, Vanessa tells Abby how much better she is at looking cool on looking cool on a red carpet and at life in general? Plus they fill in Jonah on how spray tanning works and talk about the days of people going to tanning salons "to get a base" before tropical vacations. And they reminisce about the days we would spend hours and hours talking on our landline phones, to the point where we'd fall asleep while still technically on a call. And in a very amusing game of "YES OR NO-STALGIA", the trio discusses the return of Lisa Frank (yay!), Atari (okay!) and falling, not dropping, into the GAP (double yay?) You've gotta check out this incredible episode, kay?

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On today's ep the Bayers welcome their good friend, the hilarious and supremely talented John Early! They reminisce about hanging out at Bonnaroo in Nashville and Vanessa does a really good rendition of an Ellie Goulding song and tries to convince everyone that she's genuinely friends with Chance the Rapper. They also get into nineties ab machines and how the Bayers owned an ab roller that Jonah didn't even know about, and how John almost burned himself many times with an ab toning belt. Finally, they play an incredible round of Change.Dork where they debate whether it's more important to support adding a burger chain to Nashville or a teenager who is fighting to keep the blender on the counter. You won't want to miss this honestly perfect episode.

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Today you are in for a real treat because this week on HOW DID WE GET WEIRD? we are joined by our friend the hilarious Mark Proksch (The Office, Better Call Saul) who is as friendly as he is funny. We discuss what it's like to grow out of things as a child, Mark's current doughnut preferences and learn the origins of the term "goppy." We also get deep into the story behind Kenny "K-Strass" Strasser, a character of Mark's who made the morning TV talk show circuit as a yo-yo expert who couldn't actually yo-yo, and we talk about the various reactions he got from news crews once they realized they weren't in on the joke. Plus, we parlay this conversation into a broader discussion about local morning shows and learn that Good Morning America's roots lie Jonah and Vanessa's hometown of Cleveland. Finally we play a thrilling round of LEGIT MOAN OR UNNECESSARY GROAN where we debate church etiquette, if commercials should be interrupted by the Emergency Broadcast System and why cars are so expensive if you only go to one dealership and don't do a ton of research. Yo-yo better check it out!!

Check out "K-Strass Video on KQTV" to further understand Mark's talents! 

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The super talented and friend Kate Berlant graces us with her charming whit on the podcast. You may know Kate from her work on "Netflix: The Characters" and the film "555". We discuss her origins such as going to an all girls school, being the president of the Thespian Society (or Vice President?) and doing stand-up in the New York comedy scene. We take a trip down memory lane discussing AOL chat rooms allowing us to be "someone else" behind a screen and trolling people in chat rooms, especially when it comes to music taste. We play the segment "change.dork" and look at the petitions ranging from food centric to showing compassion towards sitcom actors.

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This week Thursday frontman Geoff Rickly took a break from playing arenas with My Chemical Romance to talk to us about what it was like being a latchkey kid in the suburbs of New Jersey during the "Home Alone" era of parental supervision. Along the way we also discuss the time Geoff and Jonah's screamo band, United Nations, were sued by the actual United Nations; the fine line between art and absurdity; and Geoff's memories of his first-period chorus class. We also discuss how Jonah stayed at Geoff's childhood home nearly two decades ago for work and recall Vanessa's cherished childhood cat, Pumpkin. Finally. we play an inaugural round of a new segment called "CEO TAKEDOWN" where we look at three CEOs who have made headlines lately and determine which one needs to be taken down a notch. If you're a fan of "the system" you might not enjoy this podcast because this one is for the true punks and outcasts, not the Wall Street billionaires or corrupt cookie corporations who thrive on conceit and complacency. (You know who you are.)

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Listeners, you're in for a treat this week because we are joined by comedian, actor and writer Brian Posehn. We discuss Brian's formative years and how he managed to befriend both metalheads and popular kids in high school, even if that was way less dramatic than it is in John Hughes movies. We also discuss how he got his start in comedy, his current reality television picks and the time Vanessa forced all of her friends to watch an episode of "Say Yes To The Dress" when they were trying to be social at a party. For our topic, we get deep into the history of NERDS candies and its many offshoots including Nerds Rope, Nerds Cereal and Big Chewy Nerds. Finally, we play a spirited round of LEGIT MOAN OR UNNECESSARY GROAN where we try to get to the bottom of several complaints from some pretty unreliable narrators. But take it from a RELIABLE narrator, this episode is a must-listen!

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This week we are joined on the pod by comedian, writer and actress Patty Guggenheim, who you might recognize from her iconic role as Madisynn King on She-Hulk: Attorney At Law! Patty discusses her time bonding with Vanessa over Zoom as they played a game that Jonah still doesn't understand called Mafia, we discuss the origins of the term "Schnecken" and Patty's favorite hometown foods. We also reminisce about the phenomenon of the wearable personal stereo known as POCKET ROCKERS and the fact that both Patty and Vanessa owned the minicasette of Tiffany's version of "I Think We're Alone Now." Plus, we marvel at the wide variety of artists who allowed their music to be licensed to what was essentially a toy and the fact that Jonah didn't realize that their theme song was a Creedence Clearwater Revival hit that was retooled as a catchy jingle. Last but not least, we play a game of CHANGE.DORK where we review petitions about knee-high Converse sneakers, official high school anthems and a polarizing opinion on string cheese etiquette.

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The one and only Fred Armisen (Portlandia, Saturday Night Live) stopped by the podcast this week to discuss his first concert experience: Seeing DEVO at Radio City Music Hall on October 31st, 1981, right down the street from where Fear were destroying the SNL set at 30 Rock. In this largely music-themed episode, we also discuss Fred's love of all things goth, playing drums alongside his heroes like The Clash and his personal connection with Halloween that goes back to childhood. Equal parts hilarious, educational and sentimental, this truly is an episode for the ages—and for those who want a quick and easy way to get rid of their garbage!

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Benjamin Gibbard may follow you in the dark, but he will not follow you in the trendy brunch spot in your neighborhood. On this episode on HOW DID WE GET WEIRD?, we catch up with the frontman for Death Cab For Cutie and The Postal Service to discuss 20 years of random Bayer hangouts ranging from breakfast to Bonnarroo, what being vegan was like during DCFC's early years and why he is unlikely to become the spokesman for Dunkin' Donuts anytime soon. We also discuss taping songs off the radio as a teenager, the enduring influence of Minor Threat and why "ordering something for the table" is the best way to get something indulgent without a side order of guilt. 

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This week the Bayer siblings are thrilled to welcome their friend, the hilarious and delightful Maria Blasucci! Maria takes us through her method of memorizing people's slurred speech on "Drunk History" as a series regular, and Vanessa and Maria have the same specific memory of meeting while filming the show. Plus Maria regales us with tales of her quarantine time spent near Sandusky, Ohio which leads not only to us learning about the Port Clinton Walleye Festival (not as cool as it sounds? Or is it?) but also of course takes into our favorite rides at Cedar Point and everyone's obsession with buying fudge as a souvenir. Plus, we dig into the nostalgic gem that is Sleepover Parties- from our go-to movies and snacks, to the combative fights in the middle of the night between the kids who wanted to sleep and the ones who wanted to stay up (obviously the latter were right.) And we come to the realization that is pizza the official food of slumber parties! And speaking of food, in a rousing game of CHANGE.DORK we debate the merits of a year-round Pumpkin Spice Latte, the return of Pizzarias chips, and should Gushers be considered a fruit? They probably already are by this administration LOL! So as the theme song goes, get to the point, Cedar Point, and check out this fantastic episode!

Hello! This February, we will be airing #TBT bonus material and re-releases of past episodes. Think of it as an exclusive walk down memory lane and very very cool. Be sure to subscribe and rate the podcast (how's that for rizz?!) 

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This week on the podcast, we are joined by return guest and old friend Randy Blythe of Lamb Of God. We discuss Randy's previous careers as a roofer and french chef, Vaessa roasts him like he's a Coq au Vin and the three of us plot the world domination of our supergroup, Pomme De Terroir. We also discuss all of our respective anxiety dreams and will we ever grow out of them? For our topic, Randy purchases a Hobbit record and book to reminisce about his favorite read-along record and also gives us a detailed synopsis on the Lord of The Rings series and how he became such a fan of the fantasy series. Finally in an incredible round of LEGIT MOAN OR UNNECESSARY GROAN we discuss weather reports vs. meteorological seminars, parking lot etiquette and debate the merits of a meta moan by an irritated Parma resident.

You can pre-order Randy's new book "Just Beyond The Light: Making Peace with the Wars Inside Our Head HERE and check out RandyBlythe.com for all of his tour dates!

You know comedian Joe Mande from his work as a writer and actor on beloved shows like Parks And Recreation and Hacks, but did you know a childhood obsession with the Sega Genesis game "Earthworm Jim" almost led to his downfall? Today on HOW DID WE GET WEIRD? we not only explore the weird and wonderful world of Sega Genesis, but Vanessa talks about why she is constantly trolling Jonah on social media and Joe recounts the time that he was so convinced that he would win a shopping spree at Toys R Us that he painstakingly planned out his entire route using a map of the store's layout. We also play a round of our favorite complaining game "Valid Moan or Unnecessary Groan" where we debate vital local issues from 2011, which range from pet cleanup etiquette to whose face should or should not be on Cleveland's gas pumps. 

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On this very special holiday edition of HOW DID WE GET WEIRD?, Vanessa and Jonah recount some of their favorite Thanksgiving memories from controversial food choices to taking the Bolt Bus to Philly and the complex family dynamics at play each November. We also discuss the most overrated and underrated sides, give an update on new parade floats and wonder why Wonderbread is still relevant. We also explore the history of the pumpkin spice latte and riff on millennial slang. As if that weren't enough, we close things out by introducing a special segment called CEO TAKEDOWN: THE TURKEYS COME HOME TO ROOST, where we examine the actions of CEOs from Butterball, Nestle and General Mills to decide which one of them needs to be taken down a notch. While they're on their ski lifts reviewing their record profits, we'll the ones getting the last laugh. 

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Gabe Liedman is not only the sweetest person on earth, but this writer, producer and actor is also our amazing guest on this week's HDWGW! We talk about hair inspirations, from Vanessa and Gabe's admiration of Claire Danes in "My So-Called Life" to the previously unknown influence a teenager with a Jason Newsted haircut that Jonah saw during his childhood had on his style trajectory. Of course, we also discuss our love for Manic Panic hair dye, which runs as deep as our respect for its creators. That's not all! We dig into our celebrity doppelgängers and reminisce about independent record stores, ranging from Cleveland's Record Revolution to Philadelphia's Zipperhead. Finally, we play a round of LEGIT MOAN OR UNNECESSARY GROAN where we debate if the government is conspiring against literacy by banning light bulbs, hear about how perfume impacts one very judgmental Plain Dealer subscriber's experience at Playhouse Theatre and play a subgame called LEGIT MOAN OR UNNECESSARY GROAN: BATTLEZONE that pits millennials against seniors and features some of the most condescending attitudes we've ever heard on this podcast... and that's saying a lot. 

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We are overjoyed to have director, writer, actor, comedian and producer Michael Showalter on the podcast this week—who is also a director and executive producer of Vanessa's upcoming Showtime series "I Love That For You" which debuts April 29th. Full disclosure: we told Showalter that we were going to talk to him about John Hughes movies, but we ended up inundating him with questions about his beloved comedy troupes The State and Stella as well as what we refer to as "the Wet Hot American summer franchise." In that spirit, we also find time to share our summer camp experiences when we aren't poking fun of our hometown or learning more about Showalter's creative process. This episode also includes a lightning round of change.dork that sees our guest describing his perfect coffee blend in a detailed manner that we encourage you to recreate at home. 

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In this episode, Jonah and Vanessa welcome the hilarious and talented Langston Kerman, who you might know as an actor, writer, comedian and host of "My Momma Told Me." They discuss their nostalgic childhood journeys of getting to school: From watching incredible bus fights to Jonah peeling into the highschool parking lot blasting what Vanessa calls "the yelling guys." They also talk about Langton's love for AND1 mixtapes, 3D Doritos, Double Dare Live, and see if Langston can finally put his beef with Mark Summers to rest.

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You've heard Claudio Sanchez sing about fantasy worlds as the frontman for Coheed And Cambria but have you heard him pontificate on a dish known as Chicken Rondelet? Get ready for that, plus we talk about Claudio's experiences playing Nintendo on the way to school, dig into the history of the Potato Skin (and Tato Skins) and recall some of our favorite commercial jingles of the eighties. We also discuss Jonah's doppelgänger as painted by Pablo Picasso, the time Claudio bought musical gear from the voice of Folger's coffee crystals and lovingly recall the days of COD (Cash On Delivery.) Finally, the three of us play an action-packed round of YESTOLGIA OR NOSTALGIA where we debate the merits of Hocus Pocus 2, Van Leeuwan's Kraft Macaroni & Cheese ice cream and hair scrunchies. If you enjoy this podcast, make sure to check out Coheed's latest album "Vaxis – Act II: A Window of the Waking Mind" and Claudio's new comic series "My Brother's Blood Machine." Who knows? If you're lucky, you might even be able to buy a dragonfly-branded scrunchie at an upcoming gig. 

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On this week's new episode, the Bayer siblings are overjoyed to welcome their friend Jaime Moyer to the podcast! Jaime and Vanessa reminisce about meeting at Second City Detroit and all the fun they had, and Vanessa asks: is there something in the water that makes Detroit comedians SO funny?? Plus Jaime recalls her days of working at a movie theater, and we get into our various adventures sneaking into movies as kids, or in Jonah's case, as an adult. And we talk about our favorite movie theater candy and Jaime and Vanessa introduce Jonah to the brilliant idea of putting candy into movie popcorn (or any popcorn) and sincerely hope he tries it soon! Finally, in a rousing game of YES OR NO-STALGIA, we debate the merits of the return of Golden Oreo Cakesters, S'mores Blizzards and Jolt Cola! So wake up and check out this fantastic episode!!

This week on the podcast the Bayer siblings are thrilled to welcome their friend Paul James! They explore the sometimes controversial move of adding chicken to a salad, and speaking of, they talk about chain restaurants like Paul's favorite restaurant Benihana, and how his job at PF Chang's got him his first big acting gig! Plus, Vanessa and Paul reminisce about filming "I Love That For You" and Vanessa gives a never-filmed season 2 spoiler for Paul's character "Jordan." And the trio talk all about the incredible band "No Doubt"! Paul tells us how emulated their style from hair to shoes, how much he loves their sound, and what albums to listen to if you want to do a deeper dive of the band. And speaking of nostalgic music, Paul shows off an uncanny ability to name both of the bands that sing nineties songs about Superman! And you can join an effort to help Paul find the nineties song that's always in his head but that he can't name! Plus, Jonah teaches us what a "Wall of Death" is at a concert and tells us a very cool Seven Mary Three Joke he made to the singer. So don't let life become cumbersome and listen to this fantastic episode!

UPDATE: Mystery Solved! The song Paul had been searching for is “Rapture” by the band “Seed." Thank you to the listener who found it!!

Vanessa and Jonah are back from their hiatus and we can't think of a better guest than Curb Your Enthusiasm star, Susie Essman! In this episode, we get into a real story about an encounter our parents had at their condo complex, Susie talks about how parking in NYC gives her faith in humanity and why having people fear you can be a positive thing when people compare her with her with Susie Greene. We also discuss Susie's strategy for getting out of school as a kid, her favorite shows to watch as a kid and that indefinable feeling of spending an entire day alone doing whatever you wanted. We also play a round of round of CHANGE DOT DORK where we debate the merits of a Curb Your Enthusiasm Movie, decide if the world needs gluten-free Oreos and should schools get the day off after Super Bowl... or do they have to pretend they're sick the way we did as kids? 

This week on HOW DID WE GET WEIRD? Jonah and Vanessa are joined by musician and longtime friend of the Bayers, Chris Farren. We discuss our favorite iteration of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as well as Chris's childhood toy preferences. We also get into Chris's amazing ability to create viral merch and Vanessa chimes in with her own expert opinion of how to price band merchandise. Finally, we debut a new segment called CEO TAKEDOWN where we critique the all-CEO band The Moderators who you probably read about on about cheifexecutive.net aka Pitchfork for CEOs. You don't have to be a multi-billionaire to enjoy this episode of the podcast. In fact, it's probably better if you aren't one.

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On today's new episode Jonah and Vanessa welcome the delightful Bridger Winegar to dig deep into the world of spooky games like "Light as a Feather Stiff as a Board" that haunted them as kids. And did you know there were several films inspired by the game "Bloody Mary"? It seems no one did. Plus, Bridger and Vanessa recall their days of being interns in late night tv and the various ways they humiliated themselves. And a lively game of "Legit Moan or Unnecessary Groan" has them debate whether kids in commercials are cute or annoying? Finally, we ask the question, is Bridger the first person to ever be named Bridger like The Bayer's dad Todd? You'll have to listen to find out!

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HDWGW will be on holiday hiatus for 2 weeks. Until then, enjoy this episode of StraightioLab with George Civeris and Sam Taggart featuring special guest, Vanessa Bayer.

Be sure to rate and review How Did We Get Weird here!

The first day of school comes but once a year, but the ramifications of your outfit...well they can be felt for a lifetime. Today, notable former student and co-host of "How Did We Get Weird" Vanessa Bayer joins us to talk about this delicate time of yearly reinvention. We unpack the economic status of being hot in high school, the polarizing effects of dressing like you're from California, and whether or not it is abuse to ask someone "have we met before?" If you're currently in high school, this episode could save your life!

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On this week's episode the Bayers welcome the bestselling author, writer, actor and most importantly friend, Jessi Klein! They're talking local papers and the rare honor of being featured in them, and Jessi reveals her guest starring role on Sesame Street as the winner of her school's spelling bee! Also, the trio discuss the ongoing mystery of how ice cream is made aside from in the ice cream machine that always sabotages people on cooking shows, as well as the mystique of the Snoopy Sno-Cone machine. And speaking of toys, they also ask the age-old question: has anyone ever gotten a rock tumbler to work? Plus, they talk about the early nineties fixation with American flag etiquette and how Jonah really didn't care for it, and they brainstorm some pretty epic ideas for seasonal flags. Check it out!!

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On today's episode, Jonah and Vanessa are thrilled to welcome the hilarious Chelsea Handler!! You may know Chelsea as a comedian, tv host, New York Times Bestselling Author (check out her new book "I'll Have What She's Having"!) and advocate, but did you know she's the youngest of six siblings? And speaking of, we get into how she got birthday gifts for all of those siblings, plus a birthday gift fail that Jonah got for Vanessa once that was a tool to teach her how to work in comedy when she was already doing it? And we get into getting recognized in public in the least flattering ways possible, the time Vanessa almost interrupted Chelsea's dinner, and more! And in a rousing game of YES OR NO-STALGIA, we decide whether we're excited for the resurgence of Polariods, Pelmets, and Old-Timey Soda Pops! Be sure to check out this fantastic episode AND be sure to check out Chelsea's new special, THE FEELING, out now on Netflix!

On today's new episode, Vanessa and Jonah are thrilled to welcome their friend Abbi Jacobson! The trio talk about spring holidays, from looking for the afikomen at Passover (Vanessa feels their family's game may have been rigged) to decorating Easter eggs! And remember being a kid with a signature book? Plus, Vanessa attempts to solve the mystery of whether Abbi is related to the Cleveland Jacobsons? And we get into the wild world of the mall, which leads us to The Body Shop, which leads us to the nostalgic favorite CK One perfume (cologne?) We reminisce about the amazing CK One ad campaign and wonder, did Melissa Ethridge do a music video to promote CK One or was that video of hot people climbing each other unrelated? And finally, in a rousing game of Change.dork, we weigh the merits of increasing the seasoning of Cool Ranch Doritos, getting rid of silent lunch, and changing the age limit for R movies. Be sure to check out this fantastically nostalgic ep! NOTE: Soon after we recorded Abbi figured out that the name of the Melissa Ethridge song in question is "Your Little Secret"!

In honor of today being Halloween, we thought we would reminisce about some of our favorite Halloween memories from childhood costumes to shaving cream hijinks. We also discuss the condescending nature of giving out healthy snacks (don't be this person), Vanessa talks about having a dance recital at the famed Orange Jubilee and we explore why a chain buffet restaurant with fluorescent lighting is Jonah's equivalent of a haunted house. We also discuss feeling pressured to dress up for Halloween parties, people who get very into decorations and the time we replaced our American flag with a pirate flag at a childhood home (amazing, this was not Halloween-related.) We also dig into a holiday-fueled round of change.dork where we discuss petitions that make a case for giving students the day off after Halloween, wearing costumes to school and making Halloween fall on the last Saturday of October every month regardless of what our calendar or the Farmer's Almanac wants us to believe. Whether you're dressing up as a friendly ghost or an embittered CEO, you'll find something to boo-lieve in on this episode of the podcast. 

 EXCLUSIVE: Change.org petition to make Jonah Bayer a notable alumna at Orange High!

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We are thrilled to have good friend and talented musician Brian Fallon from Gaslight Anthem and also known for his wildly successful solo career. We talk about Jonah's missed opportunity of flipping his cash and still not buying a winter jacket, what musicians get a "punk pass", and what generation we technically fall under (we just know Phoebe Bridgers isn't making fun of us). We discuss the power ballads that gave us all the feels and determination of our lives. Another exciting game of change.dork gets us to ponder long and hard about these music centric petitions.

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We could not be more thrilled to hang out with Sub Pop recording artist King Tuff a.k.a. Kyle Thomas to discuss his favorite childhood game "Uncle Kyle's House," which consisted of a magical world he created inside of his parents' old suitcase. Jonah and Vanessa also discuss the secret door that lead Kyle to the sewers beneath Kyle's childhood home, collectively speculate about the plot to the film "City Slickers" and discuss what other movies were seemingly on a loop during our formative years, ranging from "Haunted Honeymoon" to "Adventures in Babysitting." Finally we play a spirited round of "Back To The Present" where we lament the demise of Flinstone's Push-Ups, the Friendly's Wattamelon Roll and the time-honored tradition of free coffee at grocery stores, an experience that could only be made more transcendent if it were lamp-lit. So zip yourself up in your fave suitcase and check out this hilarious ep, and the new King Tuff album "Smalltown Stardust" out now!

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This week on the pod, Jonah and Vanessa are thrilled to welcome their friend Bill Hader!! They reminisce on the time they all went to Amsterdam for the Trainwreck publicity tour and having the fanciest, and at times scariest, time of their lives. Plus, Bill reminds Vanessa about how he used to lovingly bully her at the read through table at SNL and the time that Jonah did one of Bill's first magazine interviews for "Superbad" all the way back in 2007. We also get into Bill playing bass live on SNL with Corrosion of Conformity and discuss that childhood must-do of sneaking into movies: The times Bill thought he was ready for an R movie but absolutely was not and the time Vanessa got caught sneaking into an R-rated movie and subsequently asked The First Todd pretend to be a lawyer to get her money back, which... he did? (Also, Jonah apparently still did technically sneak into movies as an adult. Thanks, MoviePass.) Finally, in a rousing game of LEGIT MOAN OR UNNECESSARY GROAN, the group debates talking before a movie starts, etiquette for when kids wait for the bus and moms controlling their kids at the store. Check out this fantastic episode; you'll be BARRY glad you did!!

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This week the Bayer siblings are thrilled to welcome hilarious comedian, writer and podcaster Pat Regan to the show! Jonah reveals his classic new catch phrase and the way he's used it to mock celebrities in a virtual world! Then Pat reveals his celebrity diss fantasy and, wow, are we all cool! Plus, we get into our favorite shows from growing up and Pat's (and every teen's?) love of the WB promos where all the young stars came together! And partied! In a warehouse? Obsessed. Plus we talk about how we miss the Neve Campbell-style acting, Vanessa's recent deep drive into Buffy The Vampire Slayer and how working in the television and music industries affecting our personal viewing and listening habits. Finally, in a rousing game of CHANGE.DORK we debate the merits of bringing back Diet Cherry Coke, if art class should be mandatory, and should an Long Island expressway change it's name to "Billy Joel Drive"? You'll have to listen to find out! (but Vanessa doesn't hate this idea...) Plus check out Pat's podcast with Cat Cohen, "Seek Treatment with Cat and Pat" wherever you get your podcasts!

This week on the podcast we are joined by our old friend and the host of Steven's Untitled Rock Show on Fuse, Steven Smith! We talk about why Steven hired Jonah to be the head writer on his show despite the fact that he had no television writing experience, recount Steven's iconic roles on '90s TV shows like "California Dreams" and "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" and hear about his experience being on the first season of "Queer Eye For The Straight Guy." We also get deep into Steven's admiration of "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" and what made it such a groundbreaking show. Finally, we play a round of CHANGE DOT DORK where we collectively debate if music should be allowed at study hall, is there room in the candy aisle for the return of ZOURS and is a reboot of "The Sauce" worth your digital signature? Whether you're a fan of Steven's hosting, acting or podcasting, you'll learn something new about him—and possibly something new about yourself in the process—just by listening to this podcast. What more could you ask for, really? 

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Craig Finn is best known as the frontman for The Hold Steady and a successful solo artist but some of his formative years were influenced by peer pressure when it came to teenagers' favorite hobby in the nineties: Prank phone calls. On this episode we recount our own largely anticlimactic stories of receiving and making prank calls, Vanessa explains the way she views conversations between musicians from a comedian's perspective and of course we explore Craig's Cleveland connection, whether that means shaking it up in Shaker Heights as a child or playing to sparse audiences at the Euclid Tavern as an adult. Finally we once against revisit our "Legit Moan or Unnecessary Groan" segment, which sees us discussing if it's OK to talk at movie theatres before the previews start, if Browns fans should be ejected for standing at a football game and if income inequality can truly be blamed on the fact that Nicholas Cage reportedly sold a Superman comic book for $2.1 million dollars in 2011.One thing that we don't think you'll be complaining about is Craig's new solo album "A Legacy Of Rentals," which is out now and in Jonah's constant musical rotation. Trust us, it is very good. 

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This week on the podcast, the Bayers are joined by their old friend and award-winning designer, Nick Ace! They discuss how Jonah became Nick's roommate in Williamsburg, the time Vanessa roasted the audience at one of their house parties and the way the three of us have collectively supported each others' creative endeavors. Nick also tells an epic tale about getting suspended from school that manages to reference Jerry Springer, the film Black Sheep and passing notes in class, in a way that will transport you right back to the late nineties anxiety we felt as high school students. We also discuss the constant threats of things going on our permanent records. Does it exist and should we launch a start-up where you can access your permanent record? (Potential investors, please contact us directly.) Finally, we play a round of LEGIT MOAN OR UNNECESSARY GROAN where we discuss if there too much "breaking news," debate if global warming responsible for the existence of Canada as we know it (we're pretty sure it's not) and the ubiquity of grey-striped cats. Oh, and if your company is looking to rebrand, Nick is the guy to make it happen! 

In today's episode we talk to our friend and one of the funniest people in the world, Mike O'Brien. We hear the stories behind Mike's epic tattoos, plus he and Vanessa discuss their early Chicago comedy days, and he and Jonah discuss the trials and tribulations of being hghly acclaimed brand ambassadors. We also hear about the time Mike's family got a free day trip to Boston by eating a year's worth of Cheerio's. Was it worth it? You'll have to listen to find out...but obviously it was not.

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On this week's episode of HOW DID WE GET WEIRD?, the Bayer siblings are thrilled to welcome Danny Tamberelli, who you may know as "Little" Pete Wrigley from the nostalgic Nickelodeon show "The Adventures of Pete & Pete," but did you know that he is in a punk band and also knows all this punk stuff that Jonah knows but Vanessa definitely does not? And speaking of, we talk about all the actors from nineties Nick shows that are now musicians and Vanessa offers to host a Nick Jam in her backyard! It's happening! We also discuss Little Pete hanging out with Big Pete in the hipster capital of the world in real life as well as Danny's LEGO collection with his son—and how the LEGO craze seems to be taking over the world?? Finally, in a personal game of CHANGE.ORG, we're talking about Subway selling garlic bread year round (why not??), Gary listening to Alice in Chains' "Jar Of Flies" EP (Get movin', Gary!) and most importantly, why won't they PLEASE release season 3 of "The Adventures of Pete & Pete" on DVD?? Danny has some inside intel, but you'll have to listen to find out!

Plus check out Danny and Kate Tamberelli's new book, "The First Date Prophecy: A Hilarious and Nostalgic Love Story," out now!

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Break out your skate deck and board shorts but this week on the podcast we are reminiscing about skateboard culture with Vanessa and Jonah's old friend, Jim Adkins from Jimmy Eat World. From being too afraid to drop in on half pipes to the Bones Brigade and hoverboard rumors, we reminisce about what it was like to try to pull off tricks before the existence of YouTube. Plus, Jonah and Jim talk about the time Jonah traveled to Europe two decades ago to write a feature on the band during their first U.K. tour, Vanessa recalls her own run-ins with the celebrated rock band and we get the scoop on how much control Jimmy Eat World had for the video for "Lucky Denver Mint," which essentially served as the trailer for the 1999 film "Never Been Kissed." (Spoiler alert: The band didn't have any.) Finally, we play a round of change.dork where we discuss why the Florida Panthers should most definitely keep "Sweetness" as their goal song. #SaveSweetness

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This week on HDWGW, we could not be more excited to be joined by legendary comedian, acclaimed actor and our podcast network boss, Will Ferrell! On this episode, you'll hear Vanessa and Will trade behind the scenes stories about Saturday Night Live, we discuss Will's childhood love Monopoly and how Monopoly money and played into his career at SNL and so much more! Plus, Will regales Jonah with his stories about growing up with the members of Rage Against the Machine and we talk about Will's favorite childhood show, Scooby-Doo. Finally we play a thrilling round of Change.dork where we all weigh in on if school desserts should be mandatory, the pros and cons of Velcro shoes and if the next Batman should in fact be Will Ferrell. Once you hear his audio audition, we dare you to say otherwise!

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In this week's impersonation-heavy ep, the Bayers are thrilled to welcome their friend, the hilarious Jay Pharoah!! Jay and Vanessa reminisce about SNL impressions they did based on their childhoods and some celebrity impressions they did later on (speaking of- who does a better Denzel Washington- you'll have to listen to find out!) The Bayers and Jay also talk about a fave show from growing up, Nickelodeon's "Doug" and Jay and Vanessa are so proud to learn what their tv son is up to today: winning a Daytime Emmy! ("tv son" is kind of nuanced in this instance but again, ya gotta listen to find out how!) Plus, in an exciting game of "Legit Moan or Unnecessary Groan" they all debate new moves being made by The History Channel, how transparent restaurant commercials need to be, and whether texting your parents is a sufficient way to communicate. You're gonna love this ep so much you'll be saying "Alright, Okay!" for the rest of the week (AGAIN, this might not make sense now, but that's why you have to listen!"

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On today's new episode is everything zen with Jonah and Vanessa? I don't think so! That's right, the Bayer siblings are joined by the one and only Gavin Rossdale! They're talking about the early days of Gavin's band Bush, the evolution of punk music—and that time that Gavin risked his life performing live at MTV Spring Break in a rainstorm. Plus, Gavin breaks down the lyrics of "Glycerine" for Vanessa, they talk rider snacks, industry parties, and more! So breath in, breath out, and then check out this must-listen episode!

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This week's guest Shalita Grant has not only been nominated for a Tony Award, she's also an actress who you know from Search Party, NCIS: New Orleans and You. We hear about her experiences as a drama student at the prestigious Juilliard School and the "Juilliard Curse," deep dive into the history of Funyuns and reminisce about our childhood pets. Jonah also reveals that he occasionally looks at his the lunch menu at his old high school and we explore the hidden relationship between the educational system and the pizza industry. Speaking of which, we also roast the inventor of Pizza Hut's Double Cheeseburger pizza and fondly recall the franchise's Accelerated Reader & Book It! programs in our wildly popular "Back To The Present" segment.

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Check out this re-release episode with the very funny and talented Casey Wilson!

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This week the Bayer siblings are thrilled to welcome their friend and actress/comedian/podcaster Casey Wilson to talk about Baz Luhrmann's "Romeo + Juliet"! Wow, wow and wow! Casey and Vanessa discuss how in love they were with Leo AND their desperate attempts to talk to him, both as children and adults! Plus, Jonah and Vanessa talk about meeting Claire Danes and/or Jared Leto from the spiritual companion tv show of "Romeo + Juliet" which everyone knows is "My So-Called Life"! We also dig into the iconic "Romeo +Juliet" Soundtrack- where would we all be without The Cardigans' song "Lovefool" after all??? Plus, Vanessa talks about the one time she was thrown a surprise party (spoiler alert: She did not like it!... until she saw there was a cookie cake) and in a rousing game of YES/NO-STALGIA we say no thank you to the return of platform flip-flops, and much more!! So love us, love us, say that you love us and listen to this incredible episode!!

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This week on the podcast, Vanessa and Jonah do a deep dive analysis of the 1998 Farrelly brothers film, "There's Something About Mary." Despite its all-star cast, there is a lot of questionable aspects of the film that are rooted in the broader context of comedy movies in the nineties. We've heard about suspending disbelief but you've got to attain anti-gravity levels of suspension to accept Matt Dillion's spy technology, the film's convoluted stalker backstory and the way that the Farrelly Brothers are able to reduce characters to mere caricatures. Despite all this, there are some genuinely funny moments in this film by Ben Stiller and Cameron Diaz that embody the awkwardness of adolescence, where the film really shines. Whether you've never seen "There's Something About Mary" (which we hadn't) or it's one of your favorite films (grow up?), you'll find something to take away from our expert analysis of this comedy classic.

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This week we are thrilled to sit down with Wolfgang Van Halen, who you probably know from playing bass in a little band called Van Halen as well as fronting his own band, Mammoth WVH. We discuss what it was like growing up with Eddie Van Halen as your father (and why he didn't want Wolfgang skateboarding), formative musical experiences and weigh the odds of a Jonah Bayer signature guitar. We also get into Wolfgang's other obsession: Video games. We discuss the way Nintendo 64 paved the way for this hobby, the difference between Mario/Wario and the glory days of Guitar Hero and Rock Band. We also get into how Wolfgang's mom Valerie Bertinelli helped support his gaming habit (and how he tries to scare her with games today), why being an adult means you can basically do whatever you want and Vanessa wonders why her dentist felt the need to clean the stains on the back of her teeth? We also play a round of YESTOLGIA OR NOSTALGIA where we discuss the reboot of the video game "Crazy Taxi," the dramatic update of "Bewitched" and the return of Wendy's Crispy Panko Fish Sandwich. Wolfgang also lets us in on the secret reason why his dad always ordered the Filet-O-Fish when stopping for fast food. Be sure to check out Mammoth EVH's latest album "Mammoth II" and catch them on tour right now! If you're interested in learning more about the SA-126 guitar, check that out HERE!

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Well the sun is gonna surely shine this week because we are joined by star of the sitcom "Blossom" and friend of the Bayers, Jenna von Oy! On this episode, Vanessa fact-checks the bizarre direct message (and probably fictional road trip) that lead to her friendship with Jenna, we learn about the unlikely relationship between "Blossom" and "Seinfeld" and deconstruct Jenna's experiences doing commercials in the '90s which ranged from Kool-AId to Members Only to Quilted Northern. We also dig deep into the era's fashion—and what could accentuate a hat with fabric flowers attached to it more than crimped hair? (Unfortunately, crimping wasn't so easy for those of us with curly hair.) Finally, we discuss her co-star Joey Lawrence's "Nothing My Love Can't Fix" music video and play an insightful round of "Legit Moan or Unnecessary Groan" where we explore misguided opinions on marketing, economics and junk mail. Also, be sure to check out and donate to Jenna's wonderful new project at https://www.thecassandraproject.net.

If you'd like to learn more about The Cassandra Project please follow the links below:

Website: TheCassandraProject.net

Instagram: @CassandraProjectFilm

Twitter:  @Cassandra_Films

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cassandraprojectfilm

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This week, the Bayer siblings are thrilled to welcome comedian and fellow Clevelander, Dave Hill to the podcast! They're talking about growing up in the city that rocks, Dave rocking all the way to the stage of the Jon Stewart Show with his band Sons Of Elvis and how this catholic school kid became a force to reckon with in the world of entertainment. We also discuss formative concert experiences—including the Guns 'N Roses show Jonah and Dave both saw in 1991 and the very different takeaways they had due to their relatively minor, but at the time major differences in age. (Spoiler alert: Dave's mom didn't take him to the concert.) Plus, we potentially make some headway in the mystery of whether Jewel played at a beloved coffee shop in Cleveland? Finally, in a rousing game of CHANGE.DORK, the three of us debate the merits of Dave getting let back on Twitter, a Cleveland NHL expansion and should Jacob grow a Tony Iommi style mustache? Should Dave grow one? You'll have to listen to find out!

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This week we are thrilled to be joined on the podcast by the hilarious writer and actor, Jeremy Beiler who you might know as the co-creator of Vanessa's incredible Showtime series I LOVE THAT FOR YOU. On this episode of the podcast, Vanessa and Jeremy reminisice about writing sketches together on SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE when they weren't hunting down snacks in other departments of 30 Rock in the early morning hours. We also do a collective deep dive into one of the most unhealthy kids foods of all-time, Lunchables! Did you know that they had a short-lived spin-off called Brunchables? Sorry, but you do now. Finally we play a nostalgic round of BACK TO THE PRESENT where Jonah wishes he could experience the joy of shopping for concert T-shirts using tiny pictures tucked away in magazines, Vanessa recalls using wooden shoe stretchers as a painful childhood toy and Jeremy makes a very convincing case for bringing back the color teal. So break out your shark's tooth necklace and let's get into this! 

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On today’s new episode we are thrilled to kick off season 3 of HDWGW with our friend Lance Bangs!! We’re talking about everything from the time Lance and his wife Corin Tucker took the Bayer siblings to dinner and Jonah almost had a panic attack, to Lance’s work on Jackass and the recent George Harrison video he directed that Vanessa got to be in. Plus, we reminisce on the days of watching tv shows and films during school and Lance introduces the Bayer siblings to the incredibly bizarre “educational” short film Cipher in the Snow and we all have a lot of thoughts. Finally, in a round of CHANGE.DORK we discuss whether a fandom summer camp is possible and how much Vanessa thinks it would cost! Want the answers to both? You gotta check it out!

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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. 

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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! 

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Happy Halloween! To celebrate this spooky holiday, Vanessa and Jonah decided to sit down and watch the nostalgic 1999 horror film, "The Blair Witch Project" and see how it aged over the past 20+ years. Along the way we discuss the groundbreaking nature of the film's viral marketing, why the directors chose to include so much banal footage in a fake "documentary" and what's up with the pacing of this thing? Vanessa also does some excellent impressions of the characters while Jonah gets called out for the way he pronounces the word "legacy." We also dig into what the cast of the film are up to these days and collectively wonder how this movie made $250 million dollars. Finally, we play a Holiday edition of our segment CHANGE DOT DORK where we discuss petitions about replacing candy corn with actual corn, making Halloween a national holiday and getting rid of yellow Starburst. Be safe out there everyone! 

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This week the Bayers are joined by bestselling author, Dan Ozzi whose book "Sellout" comes out on paperback tomorrow! To celebrate we reminisce about the time Dan had a VIP experience with Jonah and his parents at a New York Yankees game (thanks to Vanessa and Lorne Michaels) and which corporations have the best snacks, ranging from free Luna bars at Dan's ex-employer VICE to the time he loaded up on free desserts at Google. From there we get into our topic, where Dan compares his job working at a Toys "R" Us on Staten Island to Jonah's experience of working at a Kids "R" Us in suburban Ohio. It turns out Dan's job was like a Coen Safdie brothers movie with Simpsons figurines while Jonah's job was more like a movie directed by a very boring director that ends with him getting fired for playing a Tori Amos song on the local news. Finally, we play another round of "Legit Moan or Unnecessary Groan" where we debate if the United States are Un-united, discuss how littering with garbage is different than littering with language and recap the basic tenets of tipping for those Cleveland Plain Dealer readers who feel that working at Pizza Hut for minimum wage is a job that you should be grateful to have. Did we mention Dan's book is coming out in paperback? 

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Tell all your friends that this week on the podcast we are joined by Taking Back Sunday vocalist Adam Lazzara! You may know him as the charismatic frontman for an incredibly influential band but Vanessa is far more interested in learning about how he worked in a deli and his go-to sandwich order. We also explore the tropical connotations of Thousand Island salad dressing, Taking Back Sunday's recent experience placing a backyard show and Jonah puts on his musical journalist hat to discuss the phenomenon of "emo nostalgia." But that's not all. We also dig deep into the history of miniature golf, our favorite putt-putt memories from childhood and explore the recent craze of "eat-ertainment." We wrap up the fun with a round of CHANGE DOT DORK where we debate the merits of flatter nachos, cool cat emojis and updates to the Cap'n Crunch cereal box. Make (damn) sure to pick up Taking Back Sunday's latest album 152 when it comes out on October 27th! 

Get the album here! https://found.ee/tbs152

Check out for upcoming tour dates: www.takingbacksunday.com 

Check out one of their new songs on the new album "S'old" https://youtu.be/a5ZCUHcs88Y?si=jRjup1v7LSv7QX9M

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On today's new episode of HDWGW, the Bayer siblings are thrilled to welcome their friend Mike Wiebe! Not only is Mike the lead singer for awesome bands such as Drakulas, High Tension Wires and The Riverboat Gamblers, but he also grew up loving Saturday Morning Cartoons! We get into our fave cartoons, plus all the weird ones that featured celebrities and mostly totally bombed? And, how the "Say No To Drugs" ads that aired during the cartoons really didn't prepare us for the reality of what getting offered drugs is like at all? Plus, in Jonah's favorite new game, CONGRATULATIONS, YOU PLAYED YOURSELF: PRODUCT EDITION, the trio discuss the recent losses of Pastina Pasta, Raspberry Rally Girl Scout Cookies, and believe it or not, the Dunkaccino. We bet you're gonna love this episode, and that's not a GAMBLE, it's a guarantee. 

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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? 

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On today's new episode the Bayer siblings are thrilled to welcome New York Times bestselling author and lifestyle-experiment master, A.J. Jacobs! They're talking all about childhood Participation Trophies, from the meaningful to the demeaning. Plus, humor that upset us as kids from the Trix Rabbit not getting his Trix to the Home Alone villians getting violently pranked by Kevin McCallister. A.J. also tells us the hilarious but intense way he broke his dried mango habit! But, wait, there's more! In a rousing game of CHANGE.DORK, we're talking games with this gaming extraordinaire, from (Rubik's) cubing being taught at school to Wordle having a theme. A.J. even has a great tip for playing Connections that really foiled the game's creator. We even read a petition by A.J. that he wrote while writing his fantastic new book, "The Year of Living Constitutionally," which is out now! Be sure sure to check it out! Order "The Year Of Living Constitutionally" HERE. 

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Jenny Owen Youngs is not only a successful musician and songwriter who has worked with some of the biggest artists on the planet, she is also a TV scholar who co-hosts popular podcasts about Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Veronica Mars. In other words, she's the perfect guest for HOW DID WE GET WEIRD? On this episode, Jonah recalls the magical night he attended both Jenny's wedding and MTV Video Music Awards where Vanessa introduced Miley Cyrus' performance, Jenny talks about what it's like living in the lobster roll mecca of Maine and Vanessa does a truly stellar impression of Jenny's collaborator Pitbull that is so uncanny it's difficult to believe Mr. Worldwide is not in the room with us. For our topic, we take a collective deep dive into the popular fantasy/adventure television series "Xena: Warrior Princess," specifically when it comes to the impact it had on a young Jenny Owen Youngs and the pioneering plot twists that have since become hallmarks of the genre. Finally, we play a snack-themed round of" Change Dot Dork" and try to guess which unhealthy treat from the past is currently back in rotation at your local grocery store. Enjoy. 

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In this episode the Bayers welcome nineties icon and Grammy Award-winning musician Lisa Loeb! We talk (so all the time) about landline phone etiquette from growing up including prank calls and Vanessa's love for calling the numbers on catalogs with a pretend accent. We also get into Lilith Fair and guitar shredding and when Lisa toured with Sarah McLachlan. And don't worry, not only do we talk about Lisa's famous cat eyeglasses and her current line of glasses, but Vanessa does a deep dive into the Betsey Johnson dress Lisa wore in the "Stay" video. Dreams! You've got to listen to this episode even if you only hear what you want to!

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This week on the podcast we are joined by... no one! That's right, on this episode Jonah and Vanessa are reminiscing about the phenomenon of going to shoe stores as a kid and trying on shoes the old-fashioned way. We also discuss real-life current shopping experiences at malls, the time Jonah accidentally wore Vanessa's Doc Martens to school and are Vans just cooler versions of Keds? We also get deep into the history and demise of the Reebok Pump, although we still aren't sure if they actually do anything other than look cool. But that's not all. We also play a round of a game called CEO TAKEDOWN: THE SHOE IS ON THE OTHER FOOT, where we examine some statements made by Foot Locker's CEO about online shopping versus going to the mall to try on shoes and explore if the company has enough "runway" and "brand awareness" to offset the inevitable demise of mall culture. (Spoiler alert: Jonah doesn't think so although he would consider a leadership position on the company's board of executives should that opportunity become available.)

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This week on the podcast, Vanessa and Jonah are joined by hilarious comedian and new friend, Kyle Kinane. Jonah tests out some of his pun-centric stand-up material, Kyle talks about his love of horror movies and is there anything scarier than running into a sweaty guy in a mosh pit? We also get into Kyle's topic, the PBS educational show Cover to Cover and how it informed his own forays into creative expression the same way that "Kids In The Hall" informed his discovery of comedy. We also play a round of CHANGE.DORK where we debate if microwaves should have a mute button, if society should stop judging people who eat cupcakes for breakfast and the underrated benefits of vanilla frosties and cheese pizza. Don't forget to pick up Kyle's new Bobcat Goldthwait-directed stand-up hour DIRT NAP HERE. It's the dreamsicle of comedy specials! 

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Well, Bennifer is back and so is another one of our nostalgic movie rewatch podcasts! In this episode of HDWGW, we take a deep dive into the universally panned 2003 J Lo and Ben Affleck film "Gigli" and believe us when we say this film is best digested in small doses. Listen to Jonah and Vanessa break down this singularly terrible film where bad accents, nonsensical character arcs and an flimsy-yet-offensive plot all come together to create a film that was physically difficult to watch and leaves us far more confused than entertained. If you haven't seen "Gigli" you'll still enjoy this episode—and as a bonus, we also saved you two hours of your life that would be better spent doing almost anything. 

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Break out your spatula and tongs because this week on the podcast we are joined by grillmaster and television personality, George Motz! We get the literal hottest tips from this burger expert about the best way to grill burgers (it's not outdoors), discuss the "stunt burger" phenomenon and bond over our similar opinions on the abomination known as surf and turf. We then flip the metaphorical burger patty to discuss George's experiences as a kid taking the train into NYC to see matinee shows at the infamous CBGB (not to be confused with Studio 54). We also discuss the best food to eat at shows, our own culinary experiences as touring musicians/comedians and did you know there are jails on cruise ships? Finally we play a food-centric game of CHANGE DOT DORK where we debate the merits of paying your parents rent, serving veggie burgers at school and the enduring legacy of BBQ Fritos. Be sure to check out George's signature burger now available on Virgin Voyages and his new NYC restaurant Hamburger America, which is opening soon!

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This week on the podcast we are thrilled to be joined by actress, director and friend Gillian Jacobs! Gillian and Vanessa talk about co-starring along with Phoebe Robinson in the 2018 film "Ibiza," and give some crucial behind-the-scenes info about the production, including Vanessa's mission to take as much free stuff as possible. We also discuss Gillian's respect for the public library, get a few more physical and digital book scams from Jonah and hear why staying out of trouble as a teenager is actually a really cool move. Finally we dig into Marlo Thomas' incredible creative project "Free To Be... You And Me," which had a huge impact on all of us as kids—and also learn about the time Gillian interviewed Marlo all about the project for Glamour magazine. Finally we play a round of CHANGE DOT DORK where we discuss the merits of bringing back Taco Bell's brownie sandwich, changing "knitting to gnitting" for all you Palindrome-heads and if gym class should be optional for kids who have no interest in sports and are there to actually, you know, learn. Glad to have a friend like Gillian because this is a fantastic episode!

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Get ready to rumble because this week on HOW DID WE GET WEIRD? we are joined by hilarious comedian, writer and actor Max Silvestri! What's in a name? Apparently a lot. Jonah discusses how he was almost named Max and why he thinks he would have been a completely different and more confident person if he had Max's moniker. Max also discusses his various adolescent aliases while Vanessa reveals that she was almost named after a Bob Dylan song. The three of us also discuss the allure of eighties action movies and, of course, WWF Wrestling. Max elaborates on what it was like to witness Wrestlemania 10, why he related to Shawn Michaels and Bret "The Hitman'' Hart and recounts how the WWF eventually got body slammed by that cute panda from the World Wildlife Fund. As if that weren't enough, we also play a round of CHANGE.DORK where we discuss Randy "Macho Man" Savage's legacy, if the return of Diet Cherry Coke is worth our precious digital ink and should there be an actual videogame modeled after The Red Hot Chili Peppers' 1999 video for "Californication"? You'll have to listen to find out!!

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You may know Danny Pellegrino as a screenwriter, New York Times bestselling author or host of the "Everything Iconic" podcast, but did you know that he's from the suburbs of Cleveland just like the Bayer siblings? On this episode of HOW DID WE GET WEIRD?, Jonah and Vanessa dig deep into the suburban memory well to discuss controversial Burger King closings, sneaking into Solon Cinema and the fuzzy moral area that surrounds "tasting" bulk candy. Danny also takes us on a deep dive into his childhood and adult obsession with Happy Meal Toys, the emotional impact that comes with being able to attain something that seemed impossible as a child and our favorite fast food marketing mash-ups. We also play a round of LEGIT MOAN OR UNNECESSARY GROAN where we discuss the lack of physical copies of the White Pages, why some people are not fans of cellphones/social media (we get it) and if there's any situation where it's OK to take up two parking spaces. You'll definitely want to listen to this iconic episode and share it with everyone you know! AND be sure to pre-order Danny's new book "Jolliest Bunch Unhinged Holiday Stories," which is out on October 24th.  

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This week Jonah and Vanessa are overjoyed to welcome Blink-182 co-frontman Mark Hoppus to the podcast because we are absolutely feeling this episode! We discuss Mark's new memoir FARENHEIT-182 (which he wrote with our friend and previous HDWGW guest Dan Ozzi), his high school goth phase and his love of Tim Robinson and Zach Kanin's comedy series "I Think You Should Leave." We also get into Mark's experiences on the Warped Tour, which saw him befriending his childhood heroes and traveling for months on what has been dubbed "punk rock summer camp." (Jonah should know, he helped write the official tour programs.) We also get into the nostalgic nature of Blink-182's music from the iconic videos to performing on TRL alongside some of the era's biggest pop acts... and find out if Blink ever crossed paths with Creed? Finally, we play a round of CHANGE.DORK where we discuss Blink-182's potential Superbowl performance, if skateboarding on sidewalks should be illegal and collectively advocate for the return of Hot Topic retail locations. Do you REALLY want to buy a wallet chain without trying it on first?