How Did We Get Weird with Vanessa Bayer and Jonah Bayer

This week on the podcast we are joined by our friend, musician Rachael Cantu! Rachael stopped by the podcast to talk about how she has a lot in common with both of the Bayers. Among other topics we discuss our mutual friendship with the vastly underrated band Limbeck, message board culture, our "bad kid" moments as teenagers (straight-edge kids can be a bad influence, too) and the time Jonah missed seeing Sublime at a tiny club in Cleveland because of his weeknight curfew. We also dig deep into our favorite movie soundtracks ranging from Baz Luhrmann's "Romeo + Juliet" to "Empire Records" and Vanessa gives her take on what we'll call "Sugar Ray fan mentality." Finally we play a round of YESTOLGIA OR NOSTALGIA where we tackle deep dish pizza chips, the Frasier reboot and the return of McDonald's Peppermint Mocha coffee drink. If you're not content listening to all this incredible content, frankly we don't know what to tell you! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.

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!!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Vanessa and Jonah wish you all a Happy Holidays and listen to one of their favorite episodes with dear friend of the pod, Beck Bennett. Please rate and review the show on Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-did-we-get-weird-with-vanessa-bayer-and-jonah-bayer/id1586365658 -- 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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on the podcast we are joined by the Bayers' longtime friend, solo artist and the frontman of the band Motion City Soundtrack, Justin Courtney Pierre, to reminisce about CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE books. We discuss why this book series was the most interactive entertainment a kid could find in the 1980s and how it encouraged creativity in a way we didn't fully comprehend at the time. Along the way we dig into formative childhood memories, why Jonah rebelled against pencil grips to write in a way that has never once interfered with his life and Vanessa's guess-and-check chemistry class controversy that has led her on a decades-long campaign against a certain high-school teacher's reasoning. We dig deep into the new Dunkin Donuts' inferior new rewards program on a segment called CONGRATULATIONS, YOU PLAYED YOURSELF and explore how corporate profits and diluted coffee go down even smoother than a Peanut Butter Cup latte. We also talk CEO culture, frequent flyer point strategies and the slippery slope of stoichiometry. If you're looking for a podcast where the coefficient equals tons of laughs plus psychological insights, you've come to the right place. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We could not be more psyched to be joined this week by New York Times bestselling author, podcast legend and Vanessa's "Ibiza" co-star, Phoebe Robinson! On this incredible episode we talk about how the three of us all grew up in the same suburbs of Ohio and our favorite hang-outs, reminisce about our favorite shops to hit at the local mall and talk about how our teenage fashion choices were informed by our developing sense of identity. We also dig deep into the history of Sketchers shoes and the controversy surrounding their "Shape-Ups" shoes that almost led to the company's downfall. Finally, we play a powerful game of LEGIT MOAN OR UNNECESSARY GROAN where we celebrate the legacy of local newscaster Ramona Robinson, debate if aesthetics are more important than doctors when it comes to hospitals and explore if the world is truly made up of—as one disgruntled Plain Dealer reader puts it—"crooks and liars." In a universe of unlimited podcasts, this is a conversation that cuts through all of the fluff and proves why Phoebe is a truly podcasting legend as well as a very cool friend. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To celebrate Vanessa's birthday we are joined by a very special guest: JEWEL! That's right, we caught up with the acclaimed singer, actress and author to discuss the era before Starbucks where coffee shops were places to see live music and maybe even see Jewel demo songs that would go onto be nineties radio staples such as "Who Will Save Your Soul?" and "Foolish Games." We also discuss Jewel's career journey from a living on a remote homestead in Alaska to becoming a household name, Vanessa and Jewel's mutual love of Cyndi Lauper, how Jewel was able to channel her trauma into lasting art and how she came up with her own mental health curriculum by channeling her own "bunny nature." Finally we play a round of BACK TO THE PRESENT where we reminisce about The Body Shop, Dutch Apple Pop-Tarts and other nostalgic things that Jewel is a very good sport about discussing with us. Be sure to check out Jewel's new album Freewheelin' Woman and the other incredible work she does at jewelneverbroken.com and notalonechallenge.org . If you're looking to be as entertaining as you are inspired, you will not want to miss this episode! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.