We Regret To Inform You: The Rejection Podcast

We regret to inform you, this week marks the final episode of our 2023 season. And, as it’s the 20th of December, we thought it only fitting to tell a holiday-themed story. Elves love to tell stories. I bet you didn’t know that about elves…Elf is a beloved and timeless Christmas classic. Starring Will Ferrell, the film brought in over $200M at the box office, and 20 years later remains a holiday staple for many. But back in the year 2000, the script was rejected by production companies, studios, directors and actors, championed only by two producers with no producing experience. Then when it finally did land a studio, executives nearly left Elf on the shelf. Join us, won’t you, as we pass through the seven levels of the Candy Cane Forest, through the sea of swirly twirly gum drops, then through the Lincoln Tunnel for "Rejecting Elf."Have a safe and happy holiday. We'll meet you back here for more stories of rejection and triumph in the spring.Tell us YOUR rejection story, and you may be featured in an upcoming episode:Record your voice: https://speak-to.us/rejectionWrite to us: hello@apostrophepodcasts.caWe don’t regret to inform you – you can now listen ad-free! Plus bonus episodes, chats with Sidney and Terry, & more. Subscribe here.Get to know Apostrophe:InstagramXYouTube Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last week, we told the story of EGOT winner Jennifer Hudson. Hudson put the O in EGOT when she won the Oscar for her role as Effie White in Dreamgirls. It’s said Dreamgirls is based on the story of The Supremes – Deena as Diana Ross, Effie as Florence Ballard. And in researching that episode, we discovered it wasn’t just Jennifer Hudson who had a rejection story – The Supremes had a fascinating journey of their own. So, join us this week as we discover how the glamour girls of Motown went from the “No-Hit Supremes” to the female group with the most #1 songs in history on the Billboard Hot 100.Tell us YOUR rejection story, and you may be featured in an upcoming episode:Record your voice: https://speak-to.us/rejectionWrite to us: hello@apostrophepodcasts.caWe don’t regret to inform you – you can now listen ad-free! Plus bonus episodes, chats with Sidney and Terry, & more. Subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Like Rita Moreno last week, Jennifer Hudson is an EGOT winner. She’s won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony – not to mention a Golden Globe. But before earning THE major award in every major entertainment category, Hudson was eliminated from American Idol – twice. Rejected after her first Hollywood audition, she had fallen off the radar. That is, until she got an unusual phone call from her cousin.Tell us YOUR rejection story, and you may be featured in an upcoming episode:Record your voice: https://speak-to.us/rejectionWrite to us: hello@apostrophepodcasts.caWe don’t regret to inform you – you can now listen ad-free! Plus bonus episodes, chats with Sidney and Terry, & more. Subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rita Moreno is a member of the coveted and exclusive EGOT club. Meaning, throughout her career, she’s won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony. And not only that, Moreno is the first and only Latina EGOT winner in history. But before earning her Academy Award for West Side Story, Moreno was dropped by MGM. She spent years typecast – or simply not cast – because of her ethnicity. Join us this week as we tell Moreno’s incredible story – from being discarded by Hollywood to earning the Presidential Medal of Freedom.Tell us YOUR rejection story, and you may be featured in an upcoming episode:Record your voice: https://speak-to.us/rejectionWrite to us: hello@apostrophepodcasts.caWe don’t regret to inform you – you can now listen ad-free! Plus bonus episodes, chats with Sidney and Terry, & more. Subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we thought we’d do something a little different. The Apostrophe Podcast Network has several shows on its roster. Four, to be exact. And one of those shows just crossed 1M listens in its very first season. Introducing Backstage at the Vinyl Cafe.Backstage welcomes listeners into the warm and comforting world of the Vinyl Cafe. Each episode features stories about Canada’s favourite fictional family – Dave, Morley and the kids – narrated by the late, great Stuart McLean. And, for the first time ever, listen in on hilarious backstories from the popular show with long-time Vinyl Cafe producer Jess Milton.It's some of our country's best storytelling, and it's a show we're proud share with you.Hope you’ll join us each week at the world’s smallest record store. You can find more episodes here.We don’t regret to inform you – you can now listen ad-free! Plus bonus episodes, chats with Sidney and Terry, & more. Subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Did you know in the late 1800s, doctors didn’t wash their hands between procedures? When Dr. Ignaz Semmelweis – an obstetrician in Vienna – realized women in his hospital were dying at staggering rates, he implemented staff-wide mandatory hand washing. Maternal death rates dropped by 90%. But doctors weren’t happy. Semmelweis was called "crazy," told his idea was superstitious, not scientific.75 years later, Dr. Robert Goddard – an American professor of physics – published a report via the Smithsonian theorizing that, one day, a rocket could reach the moon. A New York Times editorial was published the very next morning slamming Dr. Goddard – writing that the professor lacked the knowledge ladled out daily in high schools.Join us this week for an unusual one: Rejecting two pioneers in science – the fathers of hand washing and rocketry – Dr. Ignaz Semmelweis and Dr. Robert Goddard.Tell us YOUR rejection story, and you may be featured in an upcoming episode:Record your voice: https://speak-to.us/rejectionWrite to us: hello@apostrophepodcasts.caWe don’t regret to inform you – you can now listen ad-free! Plus bonus episodes, chats with Sidney and Terry, & more. Subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Johnny Unitas is one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history. But once upon a time, the boy with the big hands and the golden arm was 6’1 and 140 pounds. He was told he was too "slight" to play high school football. He was rejected by Notre Dame. He was drafted, then cut from the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was told he’d never make it in the NFL. Join us as we tell Johnny-U’s incredible story – from pile driving to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.Tell us YOUR rejection story, and you may be featured in an upcoming episode:Record your voice: https://speak-to.us/rejectionWrite to us: hello@apostrophepodcasts.caWe don’t regret to inform you – you can now listen ad-free! Plus bonus episodes, chats with Sidney and Terry, & more. Subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Part Two of Rejecting Walt Disney, Disney plays around with his ‘mouse’ idea – but is quickly deterred. Suits are afraid the public is afraid of mice – especially 10-foot-tall mice. Disney plays with sound, then colour. Then, he has his craziest idea of all: feature-length cartoons.Tell us YOUR rejection story, and you may be featured in an upcoming episode:Record your voice: https://speak-to.us/rejectionWrite to us: hello@apostrophepodcasts.caWe don’t regret to inform you – you can now listen ad-free! Plus bonus episodes, chats with Sidney and Terry, & more. Subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Walt Disney Company is worth $147B today. With over 800 films to its name, multiple television networks like ESPN and ABC, Pixar, Marvel, streaming, resorts and theme parks worldwide, it's the second-largest media conglomerate in the world. But before Mickey, before poisoned apples and before roller coasters, Walt Disney was rejected. He was fired from a local newspaper for “lacking creativity.” He was told drawing cartoons did not a legitimate career make. And his very first animation company went under. Join us this week as we tell Disney's story – from bankruptcy to billions.Tell us YOUR rejection story, and you may be featured in an upcoming episode:Record your voice: https://speak-to.us/rejectionWrite to us: hello@apostrophepodcasts.caWe don’t regret to inform you – you can now listen ad-free! Plus bonus episodes, chats with Sidney and Terry, & more. Subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Eiffel Tower is the most-visited paid monument in the world. 300 million people have climbed its stairs – or its elevators – since the landmark first opened in 1889. You’ve seen it in countless movies, you’ve marvelled at its 20,000 lights. But did you know back when the tower's design was first revealed to the public, 300 of France’s most-respected cultural luminaries called it a humiliation, a mockery and an "odious column of bolted metal?"Tell us YOUR rejection story, and you may be featured in an upcoming episode:Record your voice: https://speak-to.us/rejectionWrite to us: hello@apostrophepodcasts.caWe don’t regret to inform you – you can now listen ad-free! Plus bonus episodes, chats with Sidney and Terry, & more. Subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.