Average Joe Nerdcast | Pop Culture, Nostalgia & Critical Thinking

Nerdoween is back. And this year, we're leaving home.

Welcome to Nerdoween 2026: Passport to the Paranormal, a four-week journey around the world chasing the stories people tell when the lights go out.

Our first stop: Japan.

We begin aboard a train in January 2004, where a person posting online as Hasumi claims their familiar ride home suddenly stopped being familiar at all, eventually leaving them alone at a station nobody could seem to find:

Kisaragi Station.

But that's only where tonight begins.

Around our first international campfire, we're traveling from the haunted well of Okiku at Himeji Castle to the late-'70s panic surrounding Kuchisake-onna, the Slit-Mouthed Woman. Then we're passing the flashlight to people who claim they've had their own unexplained encounters in Japan before returning to Kisaragi Station to discover what happened after Hasumi stepped off that train.

Finally, we'll turn the lights back on and explore how Halloween found a home in modern Japan, from early celebrations in Harajuku to Shibuya and the absolute insanity of Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Japan.

Welcome to Nerdoween 2026.

GOT A PARANORMAL STORY OF YOUR OWN?

Send it to [email protected] or join The Lobby and drop it in the Nerdoween channel. Your story might make it around the fire before October is over.

Link to Discord: https://discord.gg/4Cx7FZw3Q

A QUICK NERDOWEEN SCHEDULE NOTE:

Week Two of Nerdoween may look a little different from our normal release schedule. Everything's okay on the AJN side, we're just giving a little room to something important happening outside the show.

Stay tuned for Thursday's episode for a brief explanation and an update on what to expect next week.

Thanks for bearing with us, Average Joes. The Passport to the Paranormal isn't finished yet.

Stay Gold. Nerd Bold.

© 2026 Average Joe Nerdcast. All rights reserved.

#Nerdoween #AverageJoeNerdcast #PassportToTheParanormal #KisaragiStation #JapaneseGhostStories #JapaneseFolklore #KuchisakeOnna #OkikusWell #UrbanLegends #GhostStories #Paranormal #Halloween #Halloween2026 #HorrorPodcast #NerdCulture

Remember when October seemed to take over the entire television?

This week on Average Joe Nerdcast, Nate fires up the CRT and heads back to Halloween TV in the ’90s, when TGIF felt like an appointment, sitcoms went spooky for the season, and one random creepy episode could permanently lodge itself in your childhood brain.

We’re remembering the Wereman from Dinosaurs, Tim Taylor’s completely unhinged commitment to Halloween pranks, Boy Meets World turning into a full-blown slasher movie in “And Then There Was Shawn,” and Sabrina the Teenage Witch doing what Sabrina did best: making every week feel a little like Halloween.

Along the way, Producer Steve returns from wherever the hell he’s been to correct one very important childhood memory, Nate discovers that his internal television calendar is apparently based entirely on vibes, and we get into why TGIF, SNICK, Disney Channel and those old seasonal TV traditions meant so much in the first place.

Because maybe what we really miss isn’t just the shows.

Maybe it’s who was sitting on the couch beside us.

Happy Halloween, Average Joes.

Nerdoween 2026 is officially upon us.

Stay Gold. Nerd Bold.

#AverageJoeNerdcast #90sKids #90sNostalgia #Halloween #HalloweenTV #TGIF #BoyMeetsWorld #HomeImprovement #SabrinaTheTeenageWitch #Dinosaurs #Nerdoween

© 2026 Average Joe Nerdcast. All rights reserved.

Going to the mall used to BE the plan.

So why does walking through one today feel so different?

After looking down an almost completely empty hallway in his local mall a hallway Nate remembers being lined with stores your resident Average Joe accidentally found himself asking a much bigger question:

What happened to the mall?

This week, we’re heading back to the mall of our childhood: game stores, arcades, music shops, food courts, Spencer’s, wandering around with absolutely no money, and somehow spending an entire Saturday there anyway.

Then we’re following the rabbit hole into what changed, why the story of the “dead mall” isn’t quite as simple as it seems, and what these places gave us beyond somewhere to shop.

Because maybe what we miss isn’t the stores.

Maybe we just miss having somewhere to go.

ENOYING THE SHOW? THEN JOIN THE LOBBY

The official Average Joe Nerdcast Discord: https://discord.gg/4Cx7FZw3Q

Stay Gold. Nerd Bold.

#AverageJoeNerdcast #90sNostalgia #ShoppingMall #90sKids #Nostalgia

© 2026 Average Joe Nerdcast. All rights reserved.

Remember when the snack aisle was absolutely UNHINGED?

Butterfinger BB's. PB Crisps. Doritos 3D. Surge. Fruitopia. Life Savers Holes.

The '90s gave us some of the greatest snacks and drinks of our childhood, and then, somewhere along the way, a bunch of them just...disappeared.

This week on Average Joe Nerdcast, Nate is taking you on a trip back to the glorious days of questionable food innovations, unforgettable commercials, and brightly colored beverages that probably had no business being sold to children.

We're talking about Bart Simpson selling Butterfinger BB's, why Surge had a bunch of Kentucky kids pretending to be Stone Cold Steve Austin, and the time Life Savers managed to create a choking hazard with the packaging.

Plus, we discover that Canada is apparently hoarding Fruitopia, give the legendary SoBe lizard drinks their flowers, and discuss the sacred parenting tradition known as the Dunkaroos Dad Tax.

So grab your favorite childhood snack, crack open a cold one (preferably Surge), and come hang out with us over in The Lobby, the official Average Joe Nerdcast Discord server! We're building a digital campfire for average Joes who love gaming, movies, nostalgia, and everything in between.

And don't forget: Nerdoween 2026 is almost here! Our Passport to the Paranormal is getting ready to take you around the world for spooky stories, folklore, and things that go bump in the night.

Subscribe or follow Average Joe Nerdcast so you don't miss a thing!

Stay Gold, Nerd Bold! 🤘

#AverageJoeNerdcast #90sKid #90sNostalgia #ForgottenFoods #90sSnacks #ButterfingerBBs #PBCrisps #Doritos3D #Surge #Fruitopia #Dunkaroos #SoBe #90sCommercials #ChildhoodNostalgia #CheckpointThursday #Nerdoween2026

© 2026 Average Joe Nerdcast. All Rights Reserved.

⚠️ MAJOR MOVIE SPOILERS AHEAD. Watch the film first if you want to go in fresh!

What happens when two longtime Resident Evil fans and one horror-loving Player Two walk away from the same movie saying, “Holy shit, that was good” but for completely different reasons?

This week on the Average Joe Nerdcast, Nate heads back into Raccoon City to talk about Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil movie. After going media-dark following the first teaser, Nate and Ian came out of the film comparing creature mutations, weapon progression, missed healing items, and one spectacularly mishandled diamond key. Player Two? She was too busy being terrified and hoping Bryan would make it home.

We’re digging into what makes an adaptation feel like Resident Evil, why an original story can belong in a familiar universe, and how one unlucky courier made us think twice about all those anonymous monsters we’ve blasted through in the games.

Plus: the Resident Evil fandom’s impossible expectations, the legacy of the earlier live-action movies, Ian’s biological-weapons detective work, and a dog whose head opens like a goddamn banana.

Join the conversation in The Lobby! Our Discord community is the place to share your thoughts on the movie, swap theories, and tell us which Resident Evil game still scares the hell out of you.

Link to the Discord: https://discord.gg/4QugKGfaV

🎃 Nerdoween is almost here! Have a supposedly true paranormal story? Share it in The Lobby’s Nerdoween channel or email [email protected] for a chance to have your story featured on the show.

Stay Gold, Nerd Bold.

#AverageJoeNerdcast #ResidentEvil #ResidentEvilMovie #ZachCregger #RaccoonCity #SurvivalHorror #HorrorMovies #VideoGameAdaptations #ResidentEvilFans #NerdCulture #Nerdoween #StayGoldNerdBold

© 2026 Average Joe Nerdcast. All rights reserved.

What happens when a talented creator becomes something bigger than a creator?

A legend.

After The Kojima Conundrum, Nate couldn't quite let one part of that rabbit hole go. Because the way we talk about Hideo Kojima isn't unique to Hideo Kojima. We do the same thing with filmmakers like Ridley Scott and James Cameron: hundreds of people collaborate to make something incredible, but eventually history remembers one name.

So, what exactly is an auteur? How much credit should the person steering the ship get? And when does celebrating someone's, creative vision turn into the mythology of the singular genius who apparently just needs everyone else to “let him cook”?

This week on Checkpoint Thursday, we're going from Alien and H.R. Giger to The Terminator, Aliens, and Metal Gear Solid 2, including a fascinating look back at 2001 Hideo Kojima, when the artist was also a Konami executive who understood firsthand that sometimes creative ambition needs somebody in the room willing to say:

“Dude... no.”

This isn't about tearing down Kojima, Scott, Cameron, or anybody else.

Give the auteur their flowers. Just remember there's an entire orchestra behind the person holding the baton.

If you haven't heard The Kojima Conundrum, check that episode out first for the rabbit hole that started this whole mess.

Then Come Join The Lobby, the official Average Joe Nerdcast Discord, and tell us where you land: Is auteur theory useful? When does appreciation become mythology? And should Producer Steve ever be allowed a director's cut?

(He should not.)

Link to Discord: https://discord.gg/4QugKGfaV

Follow the Average Joe Nerdcast wherever you listen, and if you're enjoying these rabbit holes, ratings, reviews, shares, and recommendations help more Average Joes find the show.

Stay Gold, Nerd Bold.

#AverageJoeNerdcast #CheckpointThursday #AuteurTheory #HideoKojima #MetalGearSolid #MetalGearSolid2 #RidleyScott #Alien #JamesCameron #Terminator #Aliens #VideoGames #Movies #GamingPodcast #MoviePodcast #NerdCulture

© 2026 Average Joe Nerdcast. All Rights Reserved.

Is Hideo Kojima a genius?

Yeah. Probably.

But somewhere along the way, “Hideo Kojima is a brilliant game director” became “Hideo Kojima can do no wrong.”

With Sony walking away from Physint, Xbox stepping in, and the internet once again declaring that somebody should simply “let Kojima cook,” Nate started wondering how we got here.

And, naturally, that turned into a rabbit hole.

From the messy history of Metal Gear Solid V and the development philosophy behind MGS2, to Tomokazu Fukushima, Jeremy Blaustein, Yoji Shinkawa, David Hayter, Norihiko Hibino, Death Stranding, and the rise of “A Hideo Kojima Game” as a brand unto itself, we're looking past the legend to tell the much more interesting story underneath it.

Because maybe Kojima really is one of gaming's great creative geniuses.

But no genius creates alone.

And sometimes the people standing behind the auteur deserve their flowers too.

Be sure to Come hang out in The Lobby, the official Average Joe Nerdcast Discord, and tell us where you land on the Kojima Conundrum. Is the auteur mythology deserved? Did Sony make a smart business decision or an enormous mistake? And can Metal Gear truly exist without Kojima?

Link To Discord: https://discord.gg/4QugKGfaV

Stay Gold, Nerd Bold.

#AverageJoeNerdcast #TheKojimaConundrum #HideoKojima #MetalGearSolid #MetalGear #Physint #DeathStranding #DavidHayter #GamingPodcast #VideoGames #GamingHistory #KojimaProductions

© 2026 Average Joe Nerdcast. All Rights Reserved.

Remember when breakfast came with loot?

Color-changing spoons. Wacky straws. Pokémon and Star Wars collectibles. Mini Hot Wheels. Mail-away prizes that took six-to-eight agonizing weeks to arrive. CD-ROM games you somehow got from buying breakfast. And the sacred childhood ritual of shaking the entire box to figure out where the prize was hiding.

This Checkpoint Thursday, Nate's heading back down the cereal aisle to remember when the box was half the fun and to figure out where all that ridiculous stuff went.

Don't want the fun to end after the episode? Then consider this your reminder to Join the Lobby: Come hang out in the Average Joe Nerdcast Discord and tell us the cereal prize you would absolutely lose your mind over finding again.

Link to The Lobby: https://discord.gg/4QugKGfaV

Stay Gold. Nerd Bold.

#AverageJoeNerdcast #90sKid #90sNostalgia #CerealPrizes #MillennialNostalgia #CheckpointThursday #SaturdayMorning #StayGoldNerdBold

© 2026 Average Joe Nerdcast. All Rights Reserved.

Have you ever heard a song, caught a familiar smell, booted up an old game, or seen something completely ordinary from your childhood, and suddenly felt like you were somewhere else?

Not just remembering it but missing it.

In this episode of the Average Joe Nerdcast, Nate goes down a rabbit hole that starts with a nostalgic TikTok song and one fascinating Welsh word: Hiraeth.

From there, we're digging into why some people seem to feel nostalgia so deeply, what empathy might have to do with it, why smells and music can seemingly teleport us decades into the past, and the particularly cruel phenomenon of missing a moment before it's even gone.

Along the way, we're talking Blockbuster, PlayStation, school pizza, old commercials, childhood Christmases, terrible 2000s music choices, and why the stupidest little things can somehow carry entire pieces of our lives inside them.

Maybe nostalgia isn't about believing everything used to be better. Maybe it's just about remembering what mattered.

AUDIO / MUSIC CREDITS

“aquatic ambience” - Scizzie

Written/composed by Jake Calum Mercier; performed and produced by Scizzie.

℗ 2022 Scizzie, under exclusive license to The System.

Used as a brief excerpt for commentary and discussion.

Original PlayStation startup audio - Sony Computer Entertainment / Sony Interactive Entertainment.

Used as a brief excerpt for commentary and discussion.

“The Reason” - Hoobastank

Written by Douglas Robb, Daniel Estrin, Markku Lappalainen, and Chris Hesse.

Performed by Hoobastank. Produced by Howard Benson.

℗ 2003 UMG Recordings, Inc. / Island Def Jam Music Group.

Brief excerpt used for commentary and discussion.

All copyrighted audio remains the property of its respective rights holders. No ownership is claimed by the Average Joe Nerdcast.

And after the episode be sure to come hang out with us in The Lobby Discord and tell us: what's your sensory time machine? A song, smell, food, game, commercial, anything that instantly takes you somewhere else.

Link to Discord: https://discord.gg/4QugKGfaV

Nerdoween is upon us! Be sure to get your true paranormal stories sent over to [email protected] some of your stories will be read on an episode during October!

Stay Gold. Nerd Bold.

© 2026 Average Joe Nerdcast. All Rights Reserved.

Every town has a story.

A haunted house. A road you don’t drive at night. A bridge everybody knows something happened on.

Nate grew up five minutes from one.

Years ago, he and some friends went looking for the ghosts of Richardsville Road Bridge and what happened that night is still a little hard to explain. But digging into that old hometown legend uncovered an even stranger rabbit hole about where our ghost stories come from, how they travel, and why the version you grew up with might not have started anywhere near home.

Consider this your first taste of Nerdoween 2026.

And this year, we want your stories around the campfire.

Submit your ghost stories, unexplained encounters, family folklore, and hometown legends: [email protected]

Or drop them in the dedicated Nerdoween channel in The Lobby Discord: https://discord.gg/wbVWKPVsp

Anonymous submissions are welcome.

The campfire is almost ready.

We’ve saved you a seat.

Stay Gold. Nerd Bold.

© 2026 Average Joe Nerdcast. All rights reserved.