How Did We Get Weird with Vanessa Bayer and Jonah Bayer

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!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You've seen comedian and writer Adam Conover break down important topics on his hit TV shows "Adam Ruins Everything" and "The G Word With Adam Conover," but his intellectual expertise also extends to nostalgia. On this episode of the podcast, Adam tells us about the video games he played on his graphing calculator in school, his his indie rock/funny folk music band and why he hopes no one listening to this podcast will ever hear it. We also dive deep into the educational television series Square One Television, Vanessa and Jonah reminisce about Ben Affleck's memorable role in "Voyage of the Mimi" and we trace the career traject of the vocal group Rockapella from Carmen Sandiego's house band to Folgers instant coffee fame. Finally, we play a round of YESTOLGIA OR NOSTALGIA where we debate the merits of Cinnabon-flavored cereal, the return of Taco Bell's Enchirito and the rebooted Teletubbies. If you're looking for a podcast that's entertaining as it is educational (especially when it comes to the properties of the number nine) look no further, podcast listener! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week we welcome lead singer of "Lamb of God" our friend Randy Blythe! We talk about everything from Indiana Jones movies to real-life encounters with Keanu Reeves, like when Vanessa recently talked to him for twenty minutes about his star turn in the Paula Abdul "Rush Rush Video" (uh oh are they best friends now?) plus Randy and Jonah try to teach Vanessa the difference between punk and metal, concert etiquette and much more. We also dive into the classic Old El Paso taco kit and how the seasoning still holds up today. And we get into the allure of Boboli and Digiorno pizza, which made you feel you were really making the real stuff/delivery! We also discuss classic family recipes like chicken tetrazzini, noodle kugel, and Jonah's ultimate favorite: orange juice (according to our Grandma). And we play another exciting game of "Legit Moan or Unnecessary Groan" that covers texting at dinner, holding the door at post offices, and radio stations playing Christmas music around Thanksgiving. If you miss this episode you might get a visit from Krampus, and if you don't know who that is, you will learn from this episode- obvi it's a must-listen!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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

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! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week we are excited to welcome writer, actress and comedian Julie Klausner to the podcast, who you may know from her popular Hulu series "Difficult People," her podcast DOUBLE THREAT with Tom Scharpling and/or her brand new podcast ASK JULIE! on the Forever Dog Plus Network. We discuss with Julie the many similarities between the films "Singles" and "Reality Bites" (including highlights from both soundtracks), dissect "Empire Records" and "So I Married an Axe Murderer" (GWAR discussion included) and reminisce about the time Vanessa introduced Jonah to Eddie Vedder and he said Vanessa was cool. We also revisit one of the most dangerous toys of the nineties aka the Pogo Ball, and explore their unorthodox commercial campaign which for some reason featured a giant monster hand trying to destroy the universe? Then we round things out with our viral segment "Legit Moan or Unnecessary Groan?" where we scan the Plain Dealer from a decade ago to find out what Clevelanders were complaining about, from smoking in casinos to extreme couponers. Unlike a Pogo Ball commute this podcast moves fast, so don't forget to don protective gear before listening. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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

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/cassandraprojectfilmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's late August and that can only mean one thing: Back To School! In this this special episode, Vanessa and Jonah recall their visceral memories from that time which include picking out the perfect school supplies, shopping for the previous year's hottest fashions at Marshalls, and the oh so important task of planning an outfit for the first day of school. We also get deep into our former high school's current website on our new segment "Congratulations, You Played Yourself" and make a compelling argument for why Jonah should be included in the "notable alumni" section alongside Vanessa, former HDWGW guest JD Samson (Le Tigre) and, amazingly, the original bassist for Filter who would probably tell Jonah, "Hey man, nice shot" when it comes to his chances for inclusion. We also discuss how wild it is that high school class presidents have a lifetime appointment and our dad chimes in with his own personal history when it comes to the McDonald's Snack Wrap and its enduring influence on the fast food franchise. If you DON'T listen to this episode, well, then congratulations, you played yourself (meaning you should listen).See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.