8. Dungeons and Dragons and the Fear of Playing Pretend

With Pokemon cards going for tens of thousands of dollars, and the world in an uproar to "catch 'em all," we need to get to the bottom of this new obsession. And to do that, I'm going to learn about Pokemon, try to win against a very scary nine-year-old, interview the owner of the world's largest Pokemon collection, and get trained by the North American Pokemon champion! This is a wild, obsession-filled ride you won't want to miss! 🌘Get the OBSESSED shadow episodes: https://www.patreon.com/OBSESSED📸Follow me and the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cliffordstumme/🐥Follow me and the show on Twitter: https://twitter.com/CliffordStumme📬Email me: [email protected] you to all my guests and contributors!Andy, Gabe, and Danny! Isaiah Bradner: https://www.twitch.tv/BradnerBlastoise & Faded Town PodcastGary Haase (King Pokemon): https://www.instagram.com/realkingpokemon/ & https://www.youtube.com/user/garyis2000 & https://aokifoundation.org/pokemon/Sean BarkerBrandon from TargetMy brother, Jake, for transition music: https://www.instagram.com/jakeolivermusic/Xalma M. for artwork designSupport the show

Tons of people are quitting social media, and the rest of us having been asking, "Why?" Don't we all need to be on social media in the Digital Age? Well, maybe not. In this episode, we ask, "Why the obsession?" And I try cutting social media for myself, and at the end of my experiment, I make a big decision about my own social media. 🌘Get the OBSESSED shadow episodes: https://www.patreon.com/OBSESSED📸Follow me and the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cliffordstumme/🐥Follow me and the show on Twitter: https://twitter.com/CliffordStumme📬Email me: [email protected] you to all my guests and contributors!Josh Taylor: https://www.youtube.com/user/blimeycow Jordan Greene: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCc7LiE7HX2jN2Z0g9ZxZ8YAJoshua's band, The Consolation: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4KkJDuTR0YvtmLtEGp3VC5?si=iqCy4hzQRy2BrkqYE4tt_Q Lucy Allan: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClDXrPu_2mBf_UaxW8sPC2A Makenzie ThackerDr. Sylvia Frejd: https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Invasion-Technology-Shaping-Relationships/dp/0801015294 My brother, Jake, for transition music: https://www.instagram.com/jakeolivermusic/Xalma M. for artwork designSupport the show

In this episode, I come face-to-face with a fear I haven't felt since high school: role-play. After a semi-tragic high school experience, I'm afraid of playing pretend with others, and as a result Dungeons and Dragons may be my hardest challenge yet. But that won't keep me from finding out why 13 million people worldwide are obsessed with this game!🌘Get the OBSESSED shadow episodes: https://www.patreon.com/OBSESSED📸Follow me and the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cliffordstumme/🐥Follow me and the show on Twitter: https://twitter.com/CliffordStumme📬Email me: [email protected] you to all my guests and contributors!Kate for all of her loads of help and time!Seth for being an amazing DM!Jake for joining our partyCaoimhe for telling me about Livvy and helping me build Spyro My mom, Cindy, for helping with background researchMy wife, April, for being onMy brother, Jake, for transition music and for helping with background research research: https://www.instagram.com/jakeolivermusic/Xalma M. for artwork designSupport the show

At first, royal family obsession seemed weird to me, but I went on a journey, on which I met a Hollywood reporter, two world record level royal family memorabilia collectors, and two average Americans who love the royal family. Now I understand royal family obsession, and I know the reason for it is anything but simple and anything but boring.🌘Get the OBSESSED shadow episodes: https://www.patreon.com/OBSESSED📸Follow me and the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cliffordstumme/🐥Follow me and the show on Twitter: https://twitter.com/CliffordStumme📬Email me: [email protected] you to all my guests and contributors!Sandro Monetti, author of Confessions of a Hollywood InsiderWebsite: http://sandromonetti.com/Confessions of a Hollywood Insider: https://tinyurl.com/3jy27wxa JanMonarchs in the Hunter: https://www.facebook.com/Monarchs-in-the-Hunter-180673395424262 AnitaHer granddaughter's school video about her: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gp5LXEBBEDo&ab_channel=anitaatkinson Emma (Courtesy of Claire)LeahMy wife, AprilMy brother, Jake, for transition music: https://www.instagram.com/jakeolivermusic/Xalma M. for artwork designSupport the show

Speed Rubik's cubing? Really? On the surface, there's not much to this hobby but a weird obsession with a fifty-year-old toy, but does it go deeper? Well, yes, surprise. It does. And this episode, I'm going to try speedcubing out for myself and interview some real A-list speedcubers who have the inside scoop!🌘Get the OBSESSED shadow episodes: https://www.patreon.com/OBSESSED📸Follow me and the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cliffordstumme/🐥Follow me and the show on Twitter: https://twitter.com/CliffordStumme📬Email me: [email protected] RS3 M 2020 Speed Cube: https://www.thecubicle.com/products/moyu-rs3-m-2020?_pos=1&_psq=rs3%2A%20OR%20body%3A%22rs3%22&_ss=e&_v=1.0Thank you to all my guests and contributors!Feliks ZemdegsYouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/fazrulz1Phil YuThe Cubicle Store: https://www.thecubicle.com/ Phil's Twitch Channel: https://www.twitch.tv/thecubiclestream/video/942027202 EricMaxJuliusCube DragonBrendaJamesMy wife, April, for being onMy brother, Jake, for transition music: https://www.instagram.com/jakeolivermusic/Xalma M. for artwork designSupport the show

I don't get true crime. But apparently a lot of people love it, so it's our sworn duty to check it out and see why. On today's show, we dive deep into true crime podcasts, and we talk to the people who love them. Get ready to hear from a real life true crime podcaster, a guest from a previous show, and my wife April who would prefer "nice, safe, happy" crimes.🌘Get the OBSESSED shadow episodes: https://www.patreon.com/OBSESSED📸Follow me and the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cliffordstumme/🐥Follow me and the show on Twitter: https://twitter.com/CliffordStumme📬Email me: [email protected] Thank you to all my guests and contributors!Dana Poll: https://www.truecrimepi.com/ HenryGabbiStephanieMercyMy neighbor Caleb for doing an early listen throughMy wife, April, for being on and giving it a listen throughMy brother, Jake, for transition music: https://www.instagram.com/jakeolivermusic/Xalma M. for artwork designCheck out the other podcasts mentioned in the show: True Crime P.I.SerialThe VanishedUnraveledYour Own BackyardCounterClockMorbid: A True Crime PodcastTrue Crime DailyPaper GhostsLast Podcast on the LeftNote: The clips used from other shows were used under the auspices of fair use. Not only are the clips readily available for free on the Internet, but they have been used as promotional material there and are here used for commentary and review, are insubstantial in size, and provide no competition for the market of the greater pieces they were taken from. It is believed that they are here used legally and ethically. Support the show

Apparently Taylor Swift is a big thing? When I started this podcast, I didn't think I'd be researching why an individual inspired obsession, but it makes perfect sense because Taylor Swift has tens of thousands of truly obsessed fans. What makes Taylor so great? What obsessed things have fans done? Those questions and more on today's episode!🌘Get the OBSESSED shadow episodes: https://www.patreon.com/OBSESSED 📸Follow me and the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cliffordstumme/🐥Follow me and the show on Twitter: https://twitter.com/CliffordStumme Thank you to all my guests and contributors!Interviewees: Mohib, Beth, Shantelle, Oriya, Iggy, Anne, Stephanie, Jonathan, Alexa, Corinna, Toni, Scepafall,  Kelsey: https://fearlesswonderstruckswift.tumblr.com/ Julie: https://twitter.com/xiajulie Joelle: https://www.instagram.com/joelle.in.daylight/ Abigail (Peak Curiosity Podcast): https://www.buzzsprout.com/1240667Hannah: https://twitter.com/sippingaugust My neighbor Caleb for doing an early listen throughMy wife, April, for helping me rewrite the script at the last minute when I realized my first version suckedMy brother, Jake, for transition music: https://www.instagram.com/jakeolivermusic/Xalma M. for artwork designNote: The two clips from Miss Americana  and The Jimmy Kimmel Show were used in light of fair use. Not only are the clips readily available for free on the Internet, but they have been used as promotional material there and are here used for commentary and review, are insubstantial in size, and provide no competition for the market of the greater pieces they were taken from. It is believed that they are here used legally and ethically. Support the show

There's a level of obsession that surrounds barbecue that I can't explain. But rather than wonder, I'm diving in head first. We're going to interview people who are obsessed with barbecue, and I'm going to try meat smoking out for myself. In this episode, I report how it's going along the way, and I answer the question, "Why is barbecue worth being obsessed over?"🌘Get the OBSESSED shadow episodes: https://www.patreon.com/OBSESSED 📸Follow me and the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cliffordstumme/🐥Follow me and the show on Twitter: https://twitter.com/CliffordStumme Thank you to all my guests and contributors!Ken from County Smoak: https://www.countysmoak.com/ Mom and DadMy wife, AprilMark and Myles from North CarolinaTucker with the homemade kitMy brother, Jake, for transition music: https://www.instagram.com/jakeolivermusic/Xalma M. for artwork designSupport the show

This game officially died in 2007, but collectors all over the world still pay thousands of dollars to complete their collections. What's up with that? We're going to find out as we interview the collectors themselves. Plus, I'm going to enter an online tournament and see how I match up to their impressive skills playing the game. We're going to find out why this game inspires obsession. 🌘Get the OBSESSED shadow episodes: https://www.patreon.com/OBSESSED 📸Follow me and the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cliffordstumme/🐥Follow me and the show on Twitter: https://twitter.com/CliffordStumme Thank you to all my guests and contributors!Jake, my friend and fellow enthusiastCharlie, collector and upcoming Instagram comedian/influencer: https://www.instagram.com/charles_irving/ Marcin, Gempukku designer: https://www.youtube.com/GempukkuStudio Mark, card designerMathieu Brochu, first world championPatrick Sullivan, famous and successful professional player of the gameMy brother, Jake, for transition music: https://www.instagram.com/jakeolivermusic/Xalma M. for artwork designSupport the show

Join me as I interview rappers to find out why rapping inspires so much obsession. And then I'll try it out for myself and see what my wife, April, and a professional rapper think so I can figure it out from the inside!🌘Get the OBSESSED shadow episodes: https://www.patreon.com/OBSESSED 📸Follow me and the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cliffordstumme/🐥Follow me and the show on Twitter: https://twitter.com/CliffordStumme Thank you to all my guests and contributors!MINERVA: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzEIr-xv5kfETBGlD2LNgXQ My wife, AprilSum: https://www.sum-killa.com/about & https://www.youtube.com/user/Sumkilla MJK: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7Aa3UJyWEHaxA9oeoWVR4u?si=cWh5hbbXRY2ggxw8kd3OIg M4X: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgaZvRU-Dje_EKqGD0y8yNg Miller Mills: https://soundcloud.com/millermills Prof. Riddiman: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdSuKogXJOZld5Dzw_9285wOrestMy brother, Jake, for transition music: https://www.instagram.com/jakeolivermusic/Xalma M. for artwork designSupport the show