Remember Participation Trophies? (with A.J. Jacobs)

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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Enjoy this re-release of Sam Richardson's episode of How Did We Get Weird. Don't forget to rate and review the podcast here! -- 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!!!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On today's episode we're sharing Part 2 of our epic conversation with actor and musician Jason Schwartzman! We're talking about nostalgic record and prank stores, digging through our parents' basements and all the "Over the Hill" merch the Bayers' mom got for her 40th birthday. Plus, is Jason's mom the most intuitive gift giver ever? Or is he the most creative and artistic castmate ever? We also all workshop our Muppets impressions and talk about the evolution of Kermit The Frog from Muppet Babies to adulthood. Finally, in a rousing game of CHANGE.DORK, the trio debate the merits of vegan options at a prep school, moving all major holidays to Fridays and putting Animal on the cover of Modern Drummer Magazine. Trust us when we say you don't need a Staples "Easy" button to know that checking out this episode is a no-brainer!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You know actor and musician Jason Schwartzman from his iconic roles in classic films like "Rushmore," "The Darjeeling Limited" and "Asteroid City," but did you also know he's one of the chillest and nicest people on the planet? On this episode of HOW DID WE GET WEIRD?, Vanessa and Jason reminisce about working together on the film "Polka King" and Vanessa's show "I Love That For You," Jason's relationships with his siblings and what it was like to recently play drums again live for the first time in twenty years. (You can check out this video of Jason playing the Phantom Planet song "California" with Alex Greenwald and Ben Kweller HERE.) We also talk about fitness habits, the power of going for walks and Jason's unexpected brush with achieving a state of maximum productivity and mental clarity for three weeks last September. If you enjoyed this episode you're in luck, because we will be releasing the second half of our epic conversation with Jason next week! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On today's new episode the Bayer siblings are thrilled to welcome Bad Religion guitarist, founding member of Minor Threat and self-professed chocoholic, Brian Baker! We're talking about sending out your own trading card as a holiday card, hanging out in junkyards (and playing in Junkyard) and of course, Stouffer's Frozen Dinners. From Mac and Cheese to French Bread Pizza so hard it will bread your teeth we defrost crucial frozen food facts, including some very funny lawsuits. Plus in a rousing game of CONGRATULATIONS, YOU BAKED YOURSELF, we're debating the merits of Classic Macaroni Salad with Ham, Pineapple Fluff and Tomato Soup Cake. Whether you're at home, in the car or just out going for A WALK, you gotta check out this awesome episode!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week the Bayer siblings are thrilled to welcome their friend, writer, actress and comedian Jessica St. Clair! They're talking about all of their favorite shows from growing up, from the simple yet enviable lifestyle portrayed on "The Flintstones" to the more exclusive one we'd watch on "Beverly Hills 90210" (obvi we relate more to the former.) Plus, we talk about how much Vanessa loved having The Rock host her last episode of SNL, and the time Jessica had a beautiful Kardashian run-in when she least expected it. And speaking of celebrity encounters, we dish on The First Todd being recognized recently while getting his car fixed! And if that isn't exciting enough, we also get into the time Jessica appeared on one of Vanessa's favorite tv genres, a soap opera, and was not asked back. Finally, in a rousing game of CONGRATULATIONS, YOU BAKED YOURSELF, we ask ourselves if we're most excited about the return of Pear Salad, Cracklin' Cornbread, or Pumpkin Chiffon Pie. You Yabba Dabba DO need to listen to this fantastic episode!!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on the HDWGW, we are so psyched to be joined by actress, writer, comedian and co-host of Vanessa's other favorite podcast, "Bitch Sesh," Danielle Schneider! Vanessa and Danielle recount their formative experiences in school drama programs, Jonah talks about being cast as Sandy the dog in his childhood production of Annie and our listeners all learn a valuable lesson about why early rejection can be the best possible experience for aspiring entertainers. We also dig deep into Danielle's love of Pee Wee's Big Adventure and the way the film shaped her childhood friendships and sense of humor. Plus, we recount some of our favorite movie one-liners, revisit the Brian Bozworth film "Stone Cold" and get some updates from Vanessa on the General Hospital universe and all the latest happenings in Port Charles. Finally we play a round of CONGRATULATIONS, YOU BAKED YOURSELF, where we debate the culinary merits of Pineapple Casserole, Tomato Aspic and Chicken Spaghetti Casserole. Bon Appetit!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.