How Did We Get Weird with Vanessa Bayer and Jonah Bayer

Today on the podcast the Bayer siblings are thrilled to welcome back their old friend Beck Bennett! Fresh off the release of his new podcast with Kyle Mooney "What's Our Pod?" Beck and the Bayers talk about what it feels like to start hosting a podcast and how there's definitely a learning curve! Then, the trio brainstorms ways to get on the "Kid Cuisine" Wikipedia page and did you know that the first reference on Beck's Wikipedia page is from his first time on this podcast?? Plus we reminisce about Block Parties and Beck recalls the epic parties in his neighborhood that included the game Bloody Murder (sounds scarier than it is), and Jonah and Vanessa talk about the Fourth of July parade and baseball game in their neightborhood that could kind of pass for a block party? And in a rousing game of CHANGE DOT DORK the trio debate the merits of bringing back Lean Cuisines, getting rid of algebra, and getting the boys lunch table back. And speaking of lunch, will this episode get us all free Ooni Pizza Ovens which we love and would love? You'll have to listen to find out, and a reminder to also check out Beck and Kyle's new podcast "What's Our Pod" wherever you get your pods!

This week on the podcast, Vanessa and Jonah are joined by singer-songwriter and musician, Philadelphia's own Dave Hause! You may know Dave from his work with The Loved Ones and The Falcon, but did you also know that he's a big Spinal Tap fan? In that spirit, Vanessa talks about attending the film's Hollywood premiere, Jonah laments his tendency to get sucked into YouTube clip shows like "Neighbor Wars" and all three of us discuss why it seems so difficult to find anything to watch these days! For our topic, Dave reminisces about family trips to the Boardwalk in Ocean City, New Jersey, on the other end of the coast to where Jonah and Vanessa had their own childhood adventures in Atlantic City. Also is gambling fun or just stressful... and why doesn't Dave have a strong Philly accent?  We get into all of it here! Finally in a round of CHANGE DOT DORK we discuss petitions for dismantling the Philadelphia Parking Authority (PPA), putting Tom Petty on a Forever stamp and should they serve tofu at Quiznos, Jimmy John's and Subway? We hope all of youse remember to pick up Dave's new album "Dave Hause... And The Mermaid" when it comes out this Friday, September 26th!!!!

Give a tweet tweet because today on the podcast Vanessa and Jonah are thrilled to welcome their hilarious friend Mary Sohn!! They get into Mary and Vanessa's old Chicago days where Vanessa tried red velvet cake for the first time at one of their countless expensive brunches, plus what the trio are cooking at home and what kitchen appliances are worth the counter space?! Plus, Mary and Vanessa discuss what it's like having many records but no record player and Jonah explains why he doesn't care what color clothes are as long as they're less expensive. Along along those lines, the Bayer siblings are wearing almost exclusively restaurant merch these days. (Shout out to NO COMPLY FOODS in Great Barrington, Massachusetts!)  For our topic, we get into our family jokes from restaurant bits to impressions of relatives, and why they're so much funnier (to us) than any other jokes! We also reminisce about piano lessons and trying to fake it 'til we make it re: telling our piano teachers that we had done our piano practice. Finally, in a rousing game of CHANGE.DORK, we discuss the merits of bringing back sour blue Skittles, cell phones in school,and Saturday replacing Sunday as the official brunch day. So stop tweeting around and check out this wonderful new episode!!

This week the Bayers sit down with Guerilla Toss vocalist Kassie Carlson to learn all about what it was like growing up on Cape Cod. From dumpster diving for Cape Cod chips at the factory to steering clear of whatever is happening over at Nantucket Nectars HQ, we learn all about what the locals think of the "Upstreamers" who visit every summer. We also discuss whale watching, touring with indie-rock legend Stephen Malkmus (Pavement) and Smashmouth/Smashbox. For our topic, we discuss the soothing sounds of the radio host Delilah and the way she lulled us into an adult-contemporary cocoon as kids. (Also is there a Guerilla Toss/Kenny G collab in the works?) Finally we play a round of LEGIT MOAN OR UNNECESSARY GROAN where we discuss if radio DJs should talk over the beginning of songs, the prevalence of the phrase "you know?" and airplane/movie etiquette for kids and their parents. Don't forget to check out Guerilla Toss' new album "You're Weird Now," which comes out this Friday Sept 12th on Sub Pop Records. That much we do know! 

This week the Bayer siblings are thrilled to welcome to the podcast their friend and star of shows like "Baskets" and "Euphoria," the delightful Martha Kelly! Not only do Martha and Vanessa use their comedy skills to punch up Jonah's new joke about texting, but Martha confesses to some ATM fraud she did score some pizza years ago, that still has her banned from one of our country's most popular banks. And speaking of, we dive deep into the time when Pizza Hut Personal Pan PIzzas hit the scene and the huge effect that had on Vanessa's favorite crew, the lunch crowd! Plus we reminisce on Pizza Hut dishes of yore, and Martha regales us with stories of her days delivering Domino's Pizza! And finally in a rousing game of CHANGE.DORK: PIZZA HUT EDITION, the trio must choose which Pizza Hut item they'd choose to come back between "Hershey's Dunkers," the "Priazzo" and "Spaghetti and Meatballs." (Spoiler alert: it is not spaghetti and meatballs.) So check out this delightful and delicious episode!!

Today on the podcast, the Bayer siblings are thrilled to welcome their hilarious and wildly talented friend Patty Guggenheim!! You may know Patty from her role as Raven in Peacock's Twisted Metal, but did you know she grew up loving the game Dream Phone?!! We get into all the Dream Phone deets plus Patty's connection to one of the Dream Phone guys? Speaking of, remember calling boys at sleepovers? Scary! Plus we ask the age old questions: why did our mom's answer their phone calls by saying "this is she" and why do we do it now?? And we hear how Jonah is doing post-colonoscopy and and get into embarrassing anesthesia antics, like being sure we can beat out the anesthesia while we're counting down from ten. We also get into some BTS stories from Jonah and Vanessa's appearance on Family Feud and in doing so find out that both Bayer siblings have an affinity for the Gin Blossoms. And in a delightful game of CHANGE.ORG we discuss the merits of digitizing the Christian Slater vehicle "Pump Up The Volume", removing Sopranos spoilers from "She-Hulk: Attorney at Law", and bringing back Grad Dance to (Patty's!) North Central Highschool. WARNING: This episode contains spoilers from the 1999 film "The Sixth Sense" so proceed with caution!!

This week the Bayer siblings are thrilled to welcome Taylor Hanson!! You may know Taylor from the epic band Hanson but mmmbop know that he is also in the supergroup Tinted Windows or that he and Vanessa recently met when she awkwardly circled him multiple times at the Freakier Friday premiere party? Plus, hear the story of how Vanessa's old pal Sarah went to prom in a group with Taylor and his girlfriend (now wife!) and don't worry, Vanessa mentions that she was Prom Queen (again!) We also get into Hanson's many performances at various malls across America—and what was the free food sitch? Speaking of, Vanessa talks about almost uprooting her weekend to get a free room service dinner during Freakier Friday press. PFinally we talk about getting to meet our heroes, from Billy Joel to Carole King to the cast of Blossom? And in a rousing game of CHANGE.DORK, the trio are debating the merits of MTV devoting one day a week to the nineties, Hostess bringing back Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle cpudding pies and the animated cast of Arthur performing Hanson's hit song "MMMBop." So whether you're at home, on the road or in the middle of nowhere, be sure to listen to this incredible episode where Taylor claims to have gotten smarter!! Sorry, but he did say it!

Who better to be on the back to school edition of HOW DID WE GET WEIRD? than a guest who has been on the academic calendar for most of her life??? This week on the podcast, we are joined by Professor Victoria Papa, who you have heard Jonah talk about a lot because she is also his wife! We discuss Vicky growing up in New York's capital district, mall culture and the easiest way to get Jonah to wear something. (Just put it in the closest proximity to where he is located.) As we already mentioned, we also get deep into the thrill of back to school fashion from picking out the latest outfits at Limited Too to postal pants as a trend that isn't just for those of you who deliver mail for a living. We also discuss Vicky's legendary fashion sense, Jonah's disdain for trying things on at department store dressing rooms and Vanessa's constant striving to get style compliments from teenagers. Finally in today's installment of LEGIT MOAN OR UNNECESSARY GROAN we debate the merits of kids in commercials, the societal limits of customer service etiquette and should the entire banking system be overhauled? Your homework this week is to listen to this episode and leave us lots of positive ratings!!! 

On today's new episode, the Bayer siblings are thrilled to be welcoming the actor, podcaster and comedian Paul Scheer! We're talking about being adults who still follow rules we learned as kids (no tv in your bedroom!) plus some other things we learned as kids (Vanessa has the same birthday as Prince Charming?) And we get into Paul's amazing book "Joyful Recollections of Trauma" and how and why we find humor in sad or difficult times. Plus, Jonah teaches us about active listening from a therapist's POV and Vanessa realizes she's not the best at it? Then we get into TV show theme songs and intros, specifically the one that introduced the short-lived ABC sitcom "He's the Mayor." And on that topic, Paul tells us the real story of how the "Friends" theme song came to be! Plus, Jonah and Paul know almost too much about Steven Segall. And in a rousing game of "LEGIT MOAN OR UNNECESSARY GROAN" we're discussing complaints due to unfilled potholes, cranberry juice that also contains other juice, and incompetent contractors who think they can get away with it because they have... a dog? Check out this fantastic episode and be sure to check out Paul's delightful and enthralling podcasts "How Did This Get Made" and "Unspooled"!!

This week Jonah and Vanessa are joined by Austin Durry and Taryn Durry of the sibling band, Durry! Vanessa and Jonah compare and contrast the experiences of the Durrys with the Bayers' own sibling supergroup Jammin' Vibes, get into the dynamics of their seven-year age gap and explore the Minnesota phenomenon of nighttime running. We also discuss hanging out as kids at the Mall Of America, Austin's dream job working (and playing a show at) Hot Topic and Jonah's memorable visit to Hot Topic's corporate headquarters. We also discuss parental approval of tattoos, Durry's viral success and the way nostalgia is integrated into the band's lyrics. Finally we play a snack-oriented version of YESTOLGIA OR NO-STALGIA, where we debate the merits of Five Guys' coffee milkshake, the return of McDonald's Snack Wrap and Dairy Queen's questionable menu item known as the Oreo Dirt Pie Blizzard. Make sure to check out Durry's latest album "This Movie Sucks" which is available now and catch them on tour this fall!  Thanks to our sponsors: Magic Mind & Quince! Get 60% OFF the Magic Mind offer: WEIRD60 - https://www.magicmind.com/weird60  Code: WEIRD60 #magicmind #mentalwealth #mentalperformance Elevate your fall wardrobe essentials with Quince. Go to Quince.com/WEIRD for free shipping on your order and three hundred and sixty-five -day returns.

This week Jonah and Vanessa are thrilled to welcome their old pals Mike O'Brien and Brad Morris! You may know Mike and Brad from the various shows they've created, written and acted in, but did you know that Vanessa used to understudy for their Mainstage show at Second City and they would lovingly make fun of her right on stage in front of the paying audience? Plus, they talk about a topic that Vanessa may have pushed them toward, Prom! From Mike's date with an older college student who may now be an Oscar-winning actress, to Brad's Pool Ball tie and cumberbund set, to Vanessa being Prom Queen! And Mike also tells us about Mom Prom and along those lines, Vanessa reminisces about how much she loved having her mom and dad at After Prom working in "The Casino." They also get into Senior Superlatives from Jonah being Most Radical to Vanessa getting Best Personality and several others that sorry she was forced to say!! Plus in a hilarious round of CHANGE.DORK, we're debating the merits of legalizing hilarious crimes, allowing students to take AP Bio every year, and tearing down Wrigley Field. Be sure to check out this hilarious episode with two Chicago comedy legends (and Mike!) (LOLZ) and be sure to check out the new season of Mike and Brad's hilarious podcast BUSINESS TRIPS on All Things Comedy and wherever you get your podcasts!

This week the Bayer siblings are thrilled to welcome the hilarious and delightful Ty Burrell! You may know Ty from his starring as Phil Dunphy on "Modern Family," but did you know that as a child he went to school in a literal one-room schoolhouse? Plus we get into his time working at his dad's store where he got to pump Steve Miller's gasoline and down incredible amounts of free snacks! Speaking of things he and Vanessa have in common, we learn that they both will take an entire pack of gum from a craft services table rather than taking a single piece (it just makes sense?) and they both get into how they got the acting bug, and how Ty's dad and Jonah got the therapist bug! Finally, in a rousing game of CHANGE.DORK, the trio discuss petitions for a Modern Family Christmas Reunion Special, opening a Dutch Bros in Bellingham (and Ty also teaches us what a Dutch Bros is), and some guy named Ben making an appearace on The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City. Be sure to check out this fantastic episode and speaking of fantastic episodes, be sure to listen to Ty's new podcast "The Good Life," which you can find wherever you get your podcasts! Tell them Todd, Melissa and Noah sent you!

Today the Bayer siblings are thrilled to have hilarious comedian, actor and writer Tim Baltz on the podcast! You may know Tim from his brilliant work starring as the character BJ in "The Righteous Gemstones," but did you know that he and Vanessa are old Chicago pals? They talk about that time, from auditioning for SNL in Chicago and how Vanessa may have been through an unintended but genius stress test in the process, to the vivid memory they both have of speaking French to each other at Chicago comedy institution IO. And speaking of, they get into what is punk in Chicago other than Jonah's band when it would tour there! And also how Vanessa would bomb every time she opened for them! And Jonah and Tim get into how one of them is really a mental health counselor, one of them played one on a show, but both of them used their therapists for various kinds of research. Plus we're talking everything NERF! From Nerf Herder(s) to Nerf Footballs, to the Nerf Whistler Football (not a great swing by the Nerf ppl), to Tim's elementary homeroom classes where there was a Nerf basketball league that seems to have taken what some might call "too much" time in his school day? And finally, in an incredible game of LEGIT MOAN OR UNNECESSARY GROAN, we're discussing the lore of Cleveland radio's own John Lanigan, the overuse of the term "ya know," and using earplugs to block out the noise of people talking on their cellphones? Or something like that? Either way you've gotta check out this fantastic episodes with one of Chicago's finest!

You may know our guests today from their popular podcast series "Buffering: A Rewatch Adventure," but did you know they also co-wrote a fantastic new book “Slayers, Every One Of Us” that is out now! Are you noticing a theme? That’s right, this week the Bayer siblings welcome their DREAM guests and old friends: Musician Jenny Owen Youngs and producer, speaker and consultant Kristin Russo! The group dive into the world of nostalgic TV from Buffy to Angel to My So-Called Life. And speaking of, they each call out their own Jordan Catalano’s of yore and you wouldn’t believe what some of them are up to these days… Plus the crew dives deep on vampires, why we live them, why and how some of us dressed like them and how did the ending of Interview with the Vampire differ from book to movie. (Warning: there will be spoilers!)(Other Warning: Vanessa tries out the term “smoke show” to describe Christian Slater and honestly it goes pretty well?) Finally, in a wonderful game of LEGIT MOAN OR UNNECESSARY GROAN we’re talking swooshing and banging on tv, a former DHL driver with a controversial car and sandwiches on flights. None of the topics make a ton of sense but we have a great time discussing them! So check out this vamp-tastic episode and be sure to pick up Jenny and Kristin’s new book, "Slayers, Every One Of Us” out now!!

Today we are joined by actor Shane McRae, the current star of the Apple+ TV series "Silo"! We talk about McCrae being a huge David Bazan fan and hanging out house shows with Jonah back in the day. In that spirit we also reminisce about Williamsburg in the early 2000s, Shane's early auditions alongside some of today's biggest actors and how he a kid from Mississippi was exposed to underground music. We also get deep into the culture of hanging out in 24-hour diners from useless non-smoking sections to tipping etiquette for teenagers. Finally in a game of LEGIT MOAN OR UNNECESSARY GROAN, we discuss forgetting parents' birthdays, justice in advertising and should people walk on bike paths? (Vanessa has very strong opinions about this last one.) Don't forget to check out Shane on "Silo" and say hi to him at the next Bazan show! 

We could not be more psyched this week to be joined by actor, comedian and star of TV show "Severance" and "Fallout," Zach Cherry! We explore our long history with Zach, from an improv class he took with Jonah in 2015 to his recent gig as a judge during Vanessa's appearance on "The Great American Baking Show." We also get into Zach's time performing improv comedy as a kid at a performing arts camp, trying to hide his comedic aspirations from his day job coworkers when he was starting out (something Vanessa did NOT do when she was starting out) and when he realized he could make a living as a performer. We also get deep into Zach's topic, XBOX PARTIES, which basically consisted of Zach and his friends all bringing their XBOXs to a friend's house before it was possible to play online. We also get deep into snack talk from the underrated status of pretzels to the intimidating thrill of wasabi peas. Finally in a game of YESTOLGIA OR NOSTALGIA, we debate the return of Rainforest Cafe, vintage record players and block windows. Also what's more depressing than office parks? Learn about all this and more on this incredible episode of the podcast! People like it!!

This week on the pod, the Bayer siblings are thrilled to welcome musician and authentic version of comedian Kyle Mooney, Kyle M! They get into Kyle's incredible new album "The Real Me" (available wherever you get your music!), from what inspired the album to the music videos to what inspired Kyle to find his true self. Plus, Vanessa's mind is blown when she realizes Kyle's music can be interpreted a bunch of different ways. And Jonah and Kyle talk about where ideas come from- wow. Finally, in an exciting game of CHANGE.DORK the trio debate the merit of getting rid of blue cars on a roller coaster, making a Brigsby Bear full length film-within-a-film, and did Kyle himself start a petition to make Pluto a planet? You'll have to listen to find out! But you'll also have to catch Kyle M on his "The Real Me / Fake Me" tour this summer at a city near you! Tickets at kylemooneylive.com

Today the Bayer siblings are thrilled to welcome music journalist and editor Daniel Kohn to the podcast! You may have seen Daniel's work in SPIN, OC Weekly or Rolling Stone, but did you know he's kind of a Cleveland Expert? We get into the Cleveland bagel scene, the long island bagel scene, and the LA bagel scene! And we get into the beloved (not by Vanessa) computer game "The Oregon Trail " and Dan teaches us that the way to win is to be the banker! Life imitating art! And Jonah teaches us that his character's name in The Oregon Trail was always Bo Jackson! Jonah being a weirdo! JK! Plus we inform Daniel that growing up in Long Island would have allowed him to audition for the best kids shows- Carmen Sandiego, Sesame Street- must be nice! And in a rousing game of LEGIT MOAN OR UNNECESSARY GROAN we get into bathroom breaks at Blossom Time, leaving flags up for too long (and other ways to "disrespect" a flag) and the etiquette of exciting Marc's stores! Be sure to check out Daniel's incredible new book that he co-wrote with Nate Jackson TEARING DOWN THE ORANGE CURTAIN: HOW PUNK ROCK BROUGHT ORANGE COUNTY TO THE WORLD out now!!!

We are so lucky to have comedian, actor and singer Cole Escola drop by the podcast this week. You may know Cole from their scene-stealing roles in "Search Party," "At Home With Amy Sedaris" and "Difficult People," but before all that they were learning about sophisticated, cosmopolitan female leads on nineties shows like "Fired Up" and "Mad About You." We also get into how the calcium industry hijacked TV commercials in the nineties to the point where Cole ate so many Kraft single slices it made them puke, explore what will now be dubbed "The Snackwell aesthetic" and hear about the time Vanessa misunderstood what seems like a pretty straightforward reference from "Troop Beverly Hills" so deeply that it's still difficult to comprehend. The CEOs get a short-lived break this week as we bring back our "Back To The Present" segment where Jonah makes a compelling case for CD long boxes, Vanessa makes a plea to bring back WOW! chips (despite Olestra's uncomfortable side effects) and Cole would like to bring back Sunday night family movie programming, the latter of which should not cause intestinal bloating. 

This week on the podcast we are joined by New York Times bestselling author, Susannah Cahalan! We talk about the phenomenon of the Sharper Image stores, the ubiquity of tetherball courts in the nineties and why are kids seriously still playing Dodgeball? We also discuss Susannah's experience of landing a coveted job at Abercrombie & Fitch when she was in high school and why she didn't like the job despite getting a thirty percent discount. Plus we get into Vanessa's experience as a judge on "Nailed It!" and the phenomenon of the Bob Vila era of "This Old House" in the pre-Internet age. We also discuss famous people from Summit, New Jersey, and play a round of LEGIT MOAN OR UNNECESSARY GROAN where we debate accidental gender reveals, the need for 15-minutes of fame and if newspapers need more columns about people complaining. Check out Susannah's amazing new book THE ACID QUEEN: THE PSYCHEDELIC LIFE AND COUNTERCULTURE REBELLION OF ROSEMARY WOODRUFF LEARY and make sure to catch her on her book tour and tell her you listened to this episode!