Really? no, Really?

Like most people, you’ve probably heard of Mike Rowe because of his willingness to do over 300 strange, disgusting and unique jobs like – sewer inspector – cow inseminator and shark suit tester as the creator and host of Discovery Channel’s popular show “Dirty Jobs”. But when Jason and Peter heard about his unusual start in the entertainment business, they invited him to discuss that…AND…the secret sauce that made Dirty Jobs a phenomenon. His podcast, “The Way I Heard It”, which has been downloaded nearly 300 million times. His new movie, “Something to Stand For” in theaters June 27th and available HERE. And his dirty joke... on Sesame Street! Really, no Really!!! IN THIS EPISODE: Joan Rivers impact on Mike Rowe, Howie Mandel and many others. Hear Mike’s mother’s criticism led to his creation of Dirty Jobs. Why Mike demanded no “second takes” on any of his shows. The dirty joke on Sesame Street that polarized the audience. How Mike’s became a professional opera singer. Deadliest Catch taught him hammer fighting, yes, hammer fighting! The lost promos that Mike Rowe voiced for the Spice Channel. How many ways can someone say… Mazda? *** FOLLOW MIKE: Website – www.MikeRowe.com Facebook – Mike Rowe X - @MikeRoweWorks YouTube - @TheRealMikeRowe Instagram - @MikeRowe Podcast – The Way I Heard It with Mike Rowe Movie – “Something to Stand For” Foundation - Mike Rowe WORKS *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads XSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sleep deprivation can lead to hypertension, compromised immunity, stroke, obesity, premature death, and a whole host of other serious maladies. Between 25 and 30 million Americans have insomnia at any given time; no wonder the newest trend in wellness is… “Sleep Tourism”.  Really, no really! But what exactly is “Sleep Tourism”? Jason and Peter were determined to find out, so they sought out global hospitality and travel expert Kaushik Vardharajan. And what they discovered was a world filled with A.I. powered beds, smart-sheets, quiet floors, and lots of fascinating hotel secrets you need to know. So, sit back, relax and maybe tonight, you’ll finally be able to get a good night’s sleep… IN THIS EPISODE: A.I. powered beds, smart-sheets and mattress pads. Yes, those are real things. How hotels are capitalizing on our need for sleep. The “Weston Heavenly Bed” instituted a hotel mattress arms race. The difference between traditional and sleep tourist-quality rooms. Quiet floors and the hotels that enforce them. Hotel Secrets Exposed - You will be shocked! “Over Tourism” – It’s a real and destructive issue. The secret to avoiding horrific hotels. Jason explains how he avoids wife-induced hotel injuries. The top movies to fall asleep to. Google-heim: What’s with Jason’s mustache, who the F is Edgar Winter, and the word you shouldn’t use for people affected by albinism. *** FOLLOW KAUSHIK: You can find Kaushik on LinkedIn *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads XSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the United States, the airline industry loses an estimated 2 million bags annually. Now you might be wondering, where do all those lost bags end up? Well Jason and Peter were able to get a definitive answer to that question. The majority end up in Alabama! Really, no Really! Our guest Bryan Owens discusses his unique family business…which has been dealing with lost and unclaimed luggage for over 50 years. Their enormous store, in Scottsboro, Alabama - which covers more than a city block - sells tens of thousands of unclaimed baggage items every year. And with five decades of experience processing enormous volumes of lost items, Bryan reveals some of the one-of-a-kind pieces found in unclaimed luggage… including a 3,000-year-old Egyptian burial mask, a live rattlesnake, and even a shrunken human head which you can see in the store’s recently opened museum. IN THIS EPISODE: The Unclaimed Baggage origin story and how they stock 7,000 new items every day. Airlines responsibility regarding lost luggage, settling claims and when Bryan’s team can take over. Who gets first dibs on valuable or in-demand items when lost luggage is recovered? A highly secret F14 guidance system, live venomous snakes and suits of armor are just a few of the bizarre things Bryan must deal with. How you can save up to 80% by purchasing someone else’s lost items! How Bryan Owen’s business employs dozens of pricing experts, authenticators and even GIA certified appraisers so he can issue certificates of authenticity. The psychology behind why most people don’t attempt to reclaim their stuff! Jason’s secret to finding lost items…look in the pickle barrel! Googleheim: Jason’s spring-loaded blackjack and a list of obvious and not so obvious items you can’t bring on an airplane. *** FOLLOW BRYAN: Website: UnclaimedBaggage.com Instagram: @UnclaimBag X: @UnclaimedBag *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads XSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You can now rent a professional bridesmaid for your wedding! Really, no really! Before you ask the inevitable and logical question…why anyone would need to rent somebody to be their bridesmaid, consider this: twenty two percent of Americans say that it has been at least five years since they’ve made a new friend and nearly one-third say they have three or fewer close friends. With friendship in decline no wonder one woman, today’s guest has acted as a bridesmaid in hundreds of weddings for brides she didn’t know. Jen Glantz is the world’s first professional bridesmaid and founder of Bridesmaid for Hire, she’s also a best-selling author, a blogger, she writes several newsletters, and she hosts the wildly popular podcast, You’re Not Getting Any Younger. IN THIS EPISODE: How Jen stumbled into the professional bridesmaid business. Wedding disasters! Arguments, mistresses, fistfights, inappropriate speeches, and dog bites! Which couples won’t last…can Jen tell the difference? The surprising origin of many of your wedding traditions Anybody interested in attending a vow renewal? They have a registry! Destination weddings & why we hate them. Has Jen ever been busted as a pseudo friend? If you’re asked to be a bridesmaid…answer these questions BEFORE saying yes. The inherent sadness of needing a paid bridesmaid. The wedding Hokey Pokey incident Jason will never forget. Google-heim: Hokey Pokey controversies and producer Lorre’s dubious wedding! *** FOLLOW JEN GLANTZ: Website: BridesmaidForHire.com Blog: The Things I Learned From Podcast: You're Not Getting Any Younger Instagram: @jenglantz TikTok: @BridesmaidForHire X: @jenglantz Facebook: Jen Glantz YouTube: @jenglantz *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads XSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A man attempted suicide by overdosing on a drug he was given in a clinical trial. He was rushed to a hospital in bad shape…shaking, breathing rapidly with a dangerously low pulse, and blood pressure that had bottomed out. He was eventually stabilized, but not by anything the staff at the hospital did. The treatment and cure?  He was informed that the overdose he had taken was a placebo. He had downed 29 capsules that were effectively sugar pills and the cause of his medical emergency… was all in his mind…Really, no really! Jason and Peter were fascinated by the seemingly lethal effects of an inert substance. And while they had heard about the placebo effect, they were amazed that it could be this powerful. To find out more, they sought out the world’s foremost expert and researcher on the subject. Dr. Luana Colloca is a distinguished professor at the University of Maryland and the Director of the Placebo Beyond Opinions Center. As an NIH-funded, internationally recognized expert, Dr. Colloca and her team research human pain modulation in patients suffering from chronic pain hoping to deepen understanding of placebo and nocebo effects. IN THIS EPISODE: The reason for the placebo’s creation in 1799. Why the placebo effect is more powerful than you think. The lesser-known nocebo effect and how it works. How do placebos mimic active treatments? Is it ethical to prescribe placebos without informing patients? Why patients who KNEW they were getting placebos improved! The placebo effect on positive vs negative-minded people. Acupuncture, reiki, other alternative treatments - placebos? Jason’s trick for alleviating pain using the power of his mind. A placebo to replace erectile dysfunction medications? Pondering non-medical uses for placebos - placebo vacations? Google-:heim: Placebo “isn’t” but “is.” Here are other things we think “are” that “aren’t.” FOLLOW LUANA: The Colloca Lab Placebo Beyond Opinions (PBO) Center Instagram: @CollocaLab Facebook: @LuanaColloca *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads XSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Have you heard about Wally the 5-foot-long, 60-pound emotional support alligator? Wally’s owner sleeps with him, walks him on a leash, and even hosts children’s pool parties featuring the supposedly docile reptile. With their inhuman eyes, prehistoric looks, razor sharp teeth, and propensity to eat small dogs (and sometimes their owners), most of us have concluded that alligators are mindless, aggressive killing machines. Today’s guest says…we’re wrong. Really, no really! We wanted to know if Wally’s antics represented the tip of the iceberg when it came to alligators demonstrating intelligence, receptiveness to petting and scratching, and if gators could express affection towards their human companions. Thousands of videos on Instagram and Tik Tok show people interacting lovingly with alligators so to understand the dichotomy of a predator with feelings we sought out Paul Bedard, one of the most knowledgeable people on the planet when it comes to understanding the psyche of wild alligators and how humans can interact with them in a safe and…get this… fun way. Paul was featured on Animal Planet’s “Gator Boys” for 6 seasons where viewers saw him catch and rescue alligators that were deemed a threat to people, pets, or livestock. Outside of the reality show, Paul leads The Gator Boys Alligator Rescue Sanctuary housed in the Everglades Holiday Park in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. ON THIS EPISODE: The improbable altruistic inclination that led Paul to become a savior to alligators. Why some gators can be successfully trained! Are gators capable of feeling affection, frustration, pleasure, anxiety, distress and able to plot and plan? The unusual way Paul catches wild alligators, while swimming in canals…Really! Paul reveals what went through his mind when an alligator clamped down on his skull!!! Do alligators sense your fear? Do humans care more about the welfare of cute animals?   Google-heim: Play along with the game, “Can you do THIS in Florida?” *** FOLLOW PAUL: Everglades Holiday Park: EvergladesHolidayPark.com Instagram: @gatorboysalligatorrescue YouTube: @gatorboysoutdoors Facebook: @GatorBoysPaul *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads XSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s episode is all about our frustration with customer service… which by anyone’s standards is getting worse and worse! You experience it every time you encounter a phone tree, interact with a chatbot, or deal with increasingly longer hold times. The truly shocking fact, the apparent ineptitude of most customer service departments is by design. Really, no Really! Jason and Peter had to find out the reason a company would intentionally offer unsatisfactory customer service and became even more bemused when they realized that A.I. is going to impact the entire sector. That’s why they sought out Amas Tenumah, a customer service expert and technologist who has advised DirecTV, Fastly, Wendy's, Teleflora, and Coca-Cola. His work has been featured on NPR, Forbes, The Huffington Post, Entrepreneur, and other business journals. IN THIS EPISODE: Poor customer care is part of the design! Amas’ secret trick to navigating customer service. How companies treat customer service employees: bathroom time tabulated, tethered to headsets, ridiculous scripts, terrible pay, and worse! Part of the customer service problem… YOU, the consumer! Every Call Center has one: the profanity policy. Correlating CEO tenure and inferior customer service. Can AI and technology improve people’s customer service experience? Peter’s “million-dollar idea” to revolutionize customer care. The growing number of companies that have terminated ALL phone interaction with customers. When chatbots go rogue! Why Amas almost got his hand cut off. Really! Google-heim: The Oldest continuously operating company in the world must have the best customer service, right? You will be shocked to learn how long these folks have been in business. *** FOLLOW AMAS: Website: AmasTenumah.com Instagram: @AmasTenumah YouTube: @AmasTenumah Facebook: Amas Tenumah X: @AmasTenumah LinkedIn: Amas Tenumah *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads XSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Robert Sapolsky a MacArthur Foundation “genius” grant winner and professor of biology and neurology at Stanford University has rankled the scientific and philosophic communities by arguing one simple point: There is no free will! We only THINK we’re making our own decisions. Really, no really! When Jason and Peter heard this, they realized that they had absolutely no choice but to contact Dr. Sapolsky so they could get him to explain his thesis…in a simplistic way…that even they could understand. And he did! Dr. Robert Sapolsky is a research associate with the Institute of Primate Research at the National Museum of Kenya, and the author of: Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers, A Primate's Memoir, The Trouble with Testosterone, Monkeyluv, and his latest is Determined: A Science of Life Without Free Will. He is a regular contributor to Discover. IN THIS EPISODE: Why a 14-year-old Robert Sapolsky concluded there is no free will. Misunderstanding what free will is; Dr. Sapolsky provides his definition. Determinism verses anti-determinism. How our sense of smell can affect our beliefs and choices. Thanks mom! How your pregnant mother’s elevated stress levels gave you a 20-fold likelihood of developing an anxiety disorder. Minority Report’s “pre-crime” idea is real and being implemented. Professor Sapolsky realizes that most philosophers and scientists reject his conclusions. Sapolsky says the world becomes more humane when we accept his hypothesis. Right, wrong, ethics, morality, compassion – What do we do with those concepts in a world without free will? Google-heim: No free will BUT the best things in life are free! (Sort of.) *** FOLLOW ROBERT: His latest book: “Determined: A Science of Life Without Free Will” TikTok: @ aprimatestiktok *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads XSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s cannabis is significantly stronger than in previous generations, affecting mental and physical health in profound ways. Experts discuss alarming findings linking long-term use to increased risks of stroke, lung cancer, and anxiety. The conversation dives into why young individuals should avoid cannabis until at least 25, and how it may impact conditions like ADHD. Personal stories of quitting highlight the challenges of withdrawal and the importance of self-awareness in cannabis consumption. It's a candid exploration of cannabis' dark side and its complex relationship with mental health.

It’s becoming impossible to ignore the epidemic of public incivility. Tirades in supermarkets, performers pelted with projectiles, drunken movie goers brawling, tantrums on airplanes, and of course, the Oscar slap seen around the world! This can’t all just be coincidence. Social media constantly churns out evidence of this growing trend which begs the question: Which came first, the incivility or the smartphone cameras capturing it all? Really, no really? Jason and Peter sought out an expert in human behavior to help discover the underlying reasons for our growing inability to get along. And Dr. Ryan Sultan an Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at Columbia University graciously agreed to help us understand society’s current decline in decency. IN THIS EPISODE: What is “Main Character Syndrome” and is it real? Performers who’ve spectacularly called out disrespectful audience members. How COVID affected people’s temperament and children’s ability to mature and develop. How our reality has been impacted by smart phones, social media, and curated feeds. Anger, happiness and the algorithms that feed us. The restorative power of interpersonal relationships - can they be replicated online? Airplane tantrums, toxic Yelp reviews, prolific road rage, are there common threads instigating these behaviors? Is the “Karen phenomenon” new or are we just catching it on camera more? Broadway memories – How Jason dealt with onstage outbursts. Google-heim: Stemming the tide of incivility using the 4 Agreements. *** FOLLOW DR. SULTAN He is the director of Integrative Psych, as well as being director of Sultan Lab at Columbia University. Instagram @rsultanmd X @DrRyanSultan *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads XSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices