How Did We Get Weird with Vanessa Bayer and Jonah Bayer

On today’s new episode we are thrilled to kick off season 3 of HDWGW with our friend Lance Bangs!! We’re talking about everything from the time Lance and his wife Corin Tucker took the Bayer siblings to dinner and Jonah almost had a panic attack, to Lance’s work on Jackass and the recent George Harrison video he directed that Vanessa got to be in. Plus, we reminisce on the days of watching tv shows and films during school and Lance introduces the Bayer siblings to the incredibly bizarre “educational” short film Cipher in the Snow and we all have a lot of thoughts. Finally, in a round of CHANGE.DORK we discuss whether a fandom summer camp is possible and how much Vanessa thinks it would cost! Want the answers to both? You gotta check it out!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As we prepare for season 3 (yes, you heard that right!), we would love to stroll down memory lane with our forever iconic guest, JEWEL! In the meantime, rate and review the podcast and stay tuned for new episodes starting June 26th on Will Ferrell's Big Money Players Network.  -- 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.

This week on the podcast we are joined by... no one! That's right, on this episode Jonah and Vanessa are reminiscing about the phenomenon of going to shoe stores as a kid and trying on shoes the old-fashioned way. We also discuss real-life current shopping experiences at malls, the time Jonah accidentally wore Vanessa's Doc Martens to school and are Vans just cooler versions of Keds? We also get deep into the history and demise of the Reebok Pump, although we still aren't sure if they actually do anything other than look cool. But that's not all. We also play a round of a game called CEO TAKEDOWN: THE SHOE IS ON THE OTHER FOOT, where we examine some statements made by Foot Locker's CEO about online shopping versus going to the mall to try on shoes and explore if the company has enough "runway" and "brand awareness" to offset the inevitable demise of mall culture. (Spoiler alert: Jonah doesn't think so although he would consider a leadership position on the company's board of executives should that opportunity become available.)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week we are thrilled to be joined on the podcast by the hilarious writer and actor, Jeremy Beiler who you might know as the co-creator of Vanessa's incredible Showtime series I LOVE THAT FOR YOU. On this episode of the podcast, Vanessa and Jeremy reminisice about writing sketches together on SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE when they weren't hunting down snacks in other departments of 30 Rock in the early morning hours. We also do a collective deep dive into one of the most unhealthy kids foods of all-time, Lunchables! Did you know that they had a short-lived spin-off called Brunchables? Sorry, but you do now. Finally we play a nostalgic round of BACK TO THE PRESENT where Jonah wishes he could experience the joy of shopping for concert T-shirts using tiny pictures tucked away in magazines, Vanessa recalls using wooden shoe stretchers as a painful childhood toy and Jeremy makes a very convincing case for bringing back the color teal. So break out your shark's tooth necklace and let's get into this! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on the podcast we are so incredibly thrilled to welcome Grammy Award-winning musician Aimee Mann! Vanessa recalls the first time that the Bayers worked with Aimee on their old web series and how Jonah got so nervous about a joke they'd written he had to walk out of a taping with her to regain his composure. The three of us also discuss, you guessed, Scholastic Book Clubs and the sheer joy of getting a bundle of books delivered onto your desk by your homeroom teacher as a kid. We also discuss the brilliance of a perfectly crafted young adult novel, Aimee's experience working at the first Newbury Comics and talk about that time she and husband Michael Penn experienced the cultural phenomenon known as Four Loko. Finally, we play a captivating round of CHANGE DOT DORK where we review petitions for bringing back dessert-flavored gums, producing a proper physical release for the DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES soundtrack and Snapple's not-so-memorable line of Elements drinks. Was Aimee a vocal advocate for Motorhead back in the day? You'll have to listen to this episode to find out! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fans of the Marvel Universe, "How I Met Your Mother" and Canada rejoice because this week we are joined by actress and all-around great person, Cobie Smulders! On this episode of the podcast, Vanessa discusses why one of the greatest nights of her life was spent watching THE BODYGUARD at Cobie and Taran's house, Cobie gives us the sweet details about the Tom Cruise holiday cake and Jonah recalls his teenage fascination with Steven Seagal. Even though Cobie grew up without cable television in a rural part of the Canadian outback, she did have access to a little show called SAVED BY THE BELL and we discuss how it informed Cobie's perception of the United States and teenage life in general. To bring things full circle, Cobie also recounts the time that she met Mark-Paul Gosselaar as an adult... and had a very different experience than Vanessa did. Finally we play a powerful round of CHANGE DOT DORK where we review petitions about a "How I Met Your Mother" reunion, bringing back chicken noodle soup at Tim Horton's and, finally, the three of us try to give a definitive answer of the age-old question: Is lasagna technically cake? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week we couldn't be more thrilled to welcome our friend, the hilarious little sweetie Kenan Thompson!! We're talking SNL nostalgia, Nickelodeon nostalgia, classic rock nostalgia and everything in between. Plus, we get into the craze around the legendary Bo Jackson, including the "Bo Knows" campaign, and his arch nemesis Brian Bosworth aka "The Boz" and Jonah's obsession with the 1991 action fiilm "Stone Cold." Finally, we play a round of LEGIT MOAN OR UNNECESSARY GROAN that has us asking society to please show some respect for meteorologists. What's up with that? You'll have to listen to find out!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Vanessa and Jonah are joined by an absolute legend: The First Todd aka their dad. Join our hosts on an audio journey that sees them finally getting the answer to childhood questions like why did they have a refrigerator full of Gyros for a full year of their adolescence, how close was their dad to buying a Dunkin' Donuts franchise and what do you do with a freezer full of sundaes? As you might guess, this food-centric episode sees our dad bemoaning the demise of McDonald's highly popular (and portable) Snack Wrap and explaining why Wendy's take on the fast food menu item doesn't live up to the hype. Todd also fills us in on a charitable and delicious promotion by Wendy's called the Wendy's Frosty Key Tag which allows him free Frosty Jr. 's for a full year for a one-time $2 donation to charity. Finally we introduce a new segment called TODD TALK where we get our dad's "hot takes" on food items he such as Peter Pan peanut butter, Pierre's Ice Cream and A1 Steak Sauce. So run, don't traipse, to this incredible new episode!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on the podcast we are joined by actor and comedian Tony Hale, who you might recognize as Buster Bluth from ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT or Gary Walsh from VEEP. We caught up with Tony while he was on location in Rome to discuss the culture of buffet restaurants (and the anxiety it instilled in Jonah as a kid), Vanessa's four months as a cruise-ship comedian and Tony's experience shooting the ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT pilot two decades ago on a boat, we mean, ship. We also discuss Tony's favorite childhood and current chain restaurants, the familiarity and nostalgia of fast food and hanging out at the mall back when Banana Republic had a safari vibe. We also play a round of LEGIT MOAN OR UNNECESSARY GROAN where we debate if charities should be sending potential donors free stamps, if it's inconsiderate to stand up at a Bob Seger concert and give our takes on some office drama when it comes to feeding birds during business hours. Make sure to check out Tony in the upcoming Netflix series THE DECAMERON and if you see him, buy him a slice of pizza from literally anywhere. It truly does not matter. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week we stop being polite and start getting real with comedian, writer and podcaster Hari Kondabolu! We reminisce about our internships: Vanessa's time at the Oxygen network and Sesame Street, Hari's time as a "Clintern" for Hilary Clinton and Jonah's days interning in the music department at the production company behind this week's topic: MTV's THE REAL WORLD! Together, the three of us reminisce about the groundbreaking reality show, our favorite memories from the early seasons, how the show mirrored our culture—and Jonah gives a behind-the-scenes glimpse about working the front desk of Bunim/Murray Productions in fear of an appearance by Puck! Finally we play a round of LEGIT MOAN OR UNNECESSARY GROAN where we debate the difference between bedspreads and quilts, the trend of false advertising when it comes to fast food commercials and why there aren't enough greeting cards for super specific events. Hari's new comedy special VACATION BABY is now streaming for free on YouTube and the companion album (EXTENDED) VACATION BABY is available on Bandcamp. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.