Too Much Information

The TMI gang is back when their second installment exploring the work of everyone's favorite besuited eccentric. Today they're looking at Paul Reuben's gift to TV — the trippy Saturday morning show that made an entire generation yearn for a talking chair. You'll learn about the insane lengths that Reubens went to preserve the illusion that Pee Wee was a real person, the insane lengths he went to achieve his creative vision of the perfect Googie Playhouse, and the insane lengths he went to create an all-natural breakfast cereal for kids that looked like dog food. You'll also hear about the time Imelda Marcos signed his marriage license, and... *checks notes​* something about a porn theater.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jordan and Heigl kick off the first in their two-part tribute to Paul Reubens and his beloved besuited character by examining his early years on the LA comedy scene and 1985 big screen breakthrough. You'll learn about the strange blend of influences that went into this offbeat comic creation, his surprising debut on The Dating Game, Reubens' early brushes with children's TV greatness, his rivalry with SNL, his friendship (and falling out) with Phil Hartman, the absurd price someone once paid for one of those famous bikes, and how we almost got a Pollyanna remake starring Pee Wee. Along the way, the TMI guys also somehow touch on Greek mythology, the murderous past of boxing promoter Don King, the wit and wisdom of Tom Waits, Michael Caine's fear of blinking, The Goonies star-studded set, Batman and....*shudder* Large Marge. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the record-breaking album turns 25 — and Ms. Hill announces an upcoming anniversary tour — Alex and Jordan educate you on The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. You'll learn all about the intense relationship drama that went into its creation, the controversy surrounding the proper credit for the album's songs, and how the stress of making and then living up to the masterpiece ultimately led Hill to retreat from public life. Plus, they also do a lengthy sidebar on the surprising genesis of "Killing Me Softly With His Song," and a rundown of celebrities who (reportedly) don't let non-famous people look them in the eye.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As Jordan reveals his true colors as an ardent aughts pop stan, the TMI gang celebrates Ms. Britney Jean Spears. While revisiting her much-maligned feature film debut — written by Shonda Rhimes!? — they somehow manage to touch on the work of Frank Zappa, the origin of the word "yikes," the specifics of the Lunchables product line, and MTV's aborted plans for a musical version of Alice in Wonderland featuring a who's who of TRL-era pop stars. (Plus, they fantasy-cast other epic road movies with Britney and her '02-era associates.) You'll learn about the surprising origins of the Crossroads script, the admirably hands-on role Britney had while working on the plot; her adorably humble culinary demands during the shoot, and the surprising role that Robert De Niro had in rounding out the cast. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jordan and Alex commemorate the recent loss of Robbie Robertson by taking a load off, Fanny, and revisiting The Band's iconic 1968 debut, 'Music from Big Pink.' They trace the group's path from Canadian bar-band hellraisers to woodsy Woodstock balladeers and the album that launched 1,000 Americana bands. Also featuring patented TMI detours that include Alex getting way too excited about Rick Danko's use of the fretless bass and a meditation on the very nature of what collaborative music making means in a capitalist society that demands having the least amount of people on the paperwork. And hey, why not let Alex get a little too angry at a recently deceased icon whose creative output he'd never be able to surpass if he worked ten lifetimes...as a treat? Also, Jordan brings up the Beach Boys at least twice! It's Too Much Information: Tears of Rage edition!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Get ready for an all-new iteration on the classic Too Much Information: Crystal TMI™!  No, just kidding, it's a game we stole from Tim Heidecker called Stump the Buff, in which a series of increasingly byzantine trivia questions in the buff's chosen field threaten to, well, stump them. And your two hosts couldn't have a more cognitively-dissonant spread for you: Heigl's answering questions about god's chosen movie genre, horror; Jordan's going HAM on his beloved Beatles. Along the way there will be the patented digressions spurred by each question, and Alex will slightly infuriate Jordan with his off-the-cuff question selection. It's Too Much Information: Stump the Buff: BLOOD AND BEATLES!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Your two bio-exorcists of big-ticket trivia dive into one of the most idiosyncratic movies of all time. This early Tim Burton joint gave Jordan nightmare as a kid, so they brought in a guest expert — the third member of the TMI triumvirate, beloved producer Mykal Alder June! You’ll learn all about the much darker original script, the perils of building a bridge in Vermont for the film, the gross look they landed on for the titular character and an update on its long-delayed sequel. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our Mexican Pizzas of minutiae make a run for the border this week, covering the history of the perennial late night fast food option, Taco Bell. From its origins in unabashed caucasian theft, the hilarious corporate pettiness that has kept the chain running for decades, the life and legacy of America's favorite ad campaign-affiliated Chihuahua, just where the hell Baja Blast came from (spoiler: not Baja, that's for damn sure), Alex and Jordan serve us a Deluxe Cravings Box of facts. Listen Más, my friends!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Barbie Fever has swept TMI thanks to Greta Gerwig's upcoming film, and Jordan forces Alex to discuss the making of one of the most polarizing hits of the '90s. You'll learn all about the doll's surprisingly scandalous backstory in the German red-light district, the band Aqua’s confounding fixation on Rick Astley, and the lengthy lawsuit that resulted from the hit song, and why it won't appear in the new movie. Alex's hatred of "Barbie Girl" leads to an expansive sidebar on the history of pop music as a method of torture, while Alex ponders his revenge on Jordan for making him talk about this song in the first place. It's a wild and shockingly dark journey through the world of Europop, feminism, toy manufacturing and the War on Terror — so let's go party! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With a new Indiana Jones movie allegedly out, Alex and Jordan prepare to likewise desecrate a sacred artifact in the spirit of scholarship and/or greed: 'Raiders of the Lost Ark'! They'll leave no stone — or idol — unturned as they comb through the minutiae of the film's genesis in a sandcastle-building session between Steven Spielberg and George Lucas, marvel at the myriad ways in which Harrison Ford could have been killed while performing most of his own stunts, and reveal just how they exploded those Nazis' heads so good. They'll also uncover the species of animal Indy's whip is made from, investigate how many snakes is too many snakes, and laugh about the time Karen Allen punched Harrison Ford in the face. Too Much Information: It ain't the podcasts, honey, it's the mileage.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.