Give Us the Launch Codes

America couldn't get through one full week in the new year without violating a country's sovereignty, making plans for global conquest, and having government agents murder Americans on public streets with impunity. Travis & Tom come together to talk about how to grapple with understandable fear of what's coming next and what you can do to make things better.

Subscribe to Patreon to listen to an exclusive episode - this one being about popular video games in our lifetime!: https://www.patreon.com/c/GiveUstheLaunchCodes

Instagram: @giveusthelaunchcodes

TikTok: @giveusthelaunchcodes

The-Platform-Formerly-Known-as-Twitter: @giveusthelaunchcodes

Travis’ IG: @musicalnotextr

Travis shows Tom the amazing futuristic world that is video chat! Since this episode was also kind of a guinea pig for this WAY more efficient method of recording episodes, we decided to do a light subject to ring in the new year - CARTOON PHYSICS! (Don't worry, the heavier stuff is coming next week).

Subscribe to Patreon to listen to an exclusive episode - this one being about popular video games in our lifetime!: https://www.patreon.com/c/GiveUstheLaunchCodes

Instagram: @giveusthelaunchcodes

TikTok: @giveusthelaunchcodes

The-Platform-Formerly-Known-as-Twitter: @giveusthelaunchcodes

Travis’ IG: @musicalnotextr

We're at the end of our first year doing this podcast thing. Travis & Tom reflect on 2025, our growing pains and what we'd like to do with this podcast in the future. In the meantime, Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year!

CORRECTIONS:

• 46:47 - The version of the first Gears of War game that’s available for the PlayStation 5 - Gears of War: Reloaded - is technically a REMASTER, not a remake. Is there a difference? Technically yes, but not really with marketing.
• 57:00 - Travis meant to say “…at time of RELEASE”, his dog Tater Tot will have been neutered already.

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/GiveUstheLaunchCodes

Travis’ IG: @musicalnotextr

Clips Cited

• “Glory Hole: Dallas Cowboys Jerry Jones wants some” YouTube, uploaded by Brickmaster2757, 1 August 2012, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5w7zKC3MFs.
• “Strange Energies” Star Trek: Lower Decks, written & created by Mike McMahan, directed by Jason Zurek, performances by Jack Quaid, Jonathan Frakes and Nolan North, CBS Studios, 2021.
• The Three Musketeers, directed by Stephen Herek, performance by Oliver Platt, Walt Disney Pictures

When was the last time a character on death on TV made you sad? Or mad? Or even GLAD?! Been a while, eh? Why is that? Travis & Tom explore the broader issues with modern TV and how people are less compelled with what they see anymore.

The TL;DR? Smaller budgets, more episodes, faster turnaround. Please.

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/GiveUstheLaunchCodes

Travis’ IG: @musicalnotextr

Travis & Tom turn the dial on their radios to look back at the last 30 years in music, reminiscing on the trends in music by looking at what finished on Billboard as the highest charting singles and albums - all in a futile search for a good, genuine rock band to breakthrough!

Shoutout to Todd in the Shadows who made this video indictment about “Ordinary”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrIPGgqUaT0&pp=ygUcdG9kZCBpbiB0aGUgc2hhZG93cyBvcmRpbmFyeQ%3D%3D

Travis’s Favorite Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1OqtIqzScI&pp=ygURZ3JlZW4gZGF5IGhvbGlkYXnSBwkJBgoBhyohjO8%3D

Tom’s Favorite Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYPoMjR6-Ao&pp=ygUtYWlyYm9ybmUgdG94aWMgZXZlbnQgc29tZXRpbWUgYXJvdW5kIG1pZG5pZ2h00gcJCQYKAYcqIYzv

CORRECTIONS:

• 25:31 - Travis was on to something there. Eminem’s “The Real Slim Shady” was on the album, ‘The Marshall Mathers LP’, which released two years before ‘The Eminem Show’.
• 26:57 - To answer Travis’s question, no Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson did not lend his voice to a GTA game. He did, however, have a voice cameo as a Navy SEAL in THE ORIGINAL ‘Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2’.
• 33:50 - No, The Black Eyed Peas album for 2009 (which had the song “I Got a Feeling”) was titled ‘The E.N.D.’
• 36:02 - Couldn’t’ find anything about a mental breakdown, but Susan Boyle did suffer a stroke in 2022.
• 50:34 - Actually, Post Malone’s debut was with the album, ‘Stoney’ in 2016. He just broke out in 2020.

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/GiveUstheLaunchCodes

Travis’ IG: @musicalnotextr

Clips Cited

• “Dark Shadows” Mad Men, written by Erin Levy, directed by Scott Hornbacher, performances by Jon Hamm & Ben Feldman, Lionsgate Television, 2012.
• “Louis Armstrong sings ‘Low’ (Apple Bottom Jeans) - AI” YouTube, uploaded by There I Ruined It, 28 July 2023, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koSkj-xios4.
• Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, directed by George Lucas, performance by Alec Guiness, 20th Century Fox, 1977.

Music Cited

• “Hanging by a Moment” by Lifehouse (‘No Name Face’, 2000, DreamWorks Records)
• “Irreplaceable” by Beyoncé (‘B’Day’, 2006 - Columbia)
• “It’s Not Over” by Daughtry (‘Daughtry’, 2006 - RCA)
• “Levitating” by Dua Lipa (‘Future Nostalgia’, 2020 - Warner)
• “Lose Control” by Teddy Swims (‘I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy (Part 1)’, 2023 - Warner)
• “Love Yourself” by Justin Bieber (‘Purpose’, 2015- Def Jam)
• “Some Hearts” by Carrie Underwood (‘Some Hearts’, 2005, Arista)
• “Too Close” by Next (‘Rated Next’, 1998 - Arista)
• “We Belong Together” by Mariah Carey (‘The Emancipation of Mimi’, 2004 - Island Def Jam)

As Black Friday/Cyber Monday approaches and the Holiday shopping fiasco begins, Mandi-She-Who-Works-At-Returns offers Travis & Tom some insight you'll hardly hear anywhere else on the trends of people returning things to the store they bought it from (or in some cases, DIDN'T buy it from). Horrowing and hilarious true stories of retail horror ensue!

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/GiveUstheLaunchCodes

Travis’ IG: @musicalnotextr

Clips Cited

• “A Allan Adventure” Smiling Friends, storyboarded by Michael Dockery, Jake Ganz, Paul Georghiou, Paul ter Voorde & Sheldon Vella, directed by Voorde, performances by Michael Cusack and Zach Hadel, season 2, episode 3, Goblin Caught on Tape and Williams Street, 2024.

Music Cited

• “Ireland’s Call” by Phil Coulter, 1995.

It's our SHORTEST EPISODE YET (!!!)... and it's an episode about bowling. That's right - bowling. Professional bowling! Tom interviews professional bowler, Sila about the wild world of rolling heavy balls towards ten pins!

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/GiveUstheLaunchCodes

Travis’ IG: @musicalnotextr

The 2025 elections and to our surprise, they actually mattered! Or at least they got everyone's attention! From the West Side to the East Side, Travis & Tom give you the best low-rent coverage of these election results that no money can buy! Forgive us if you listen and ask, "When is Tom gonna be able to pronounce 'Mamdani' correctly?"

CORRECTIONS:

• 7:36 - Actually it was more like 13% for NJ Governor-elect Mikie Sherrill.
• 8:50 - With 91% of the vote reported, the Yes-No percentage for Prop 50 is currently 64/36.
• 25:19 - Travis meant to say that Eric Adams chose to not run as a DEMOCRAT, not Republican.
• 48:58 - According to election analysis from the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism, Andrew Cuomo earned 57.6% of “Registered voters w/Jewish surnames” - which obviously wouldn’t necessarily include those without “Jewish surnames”. But Cuomo did receive a majority. Nevertheless, Zohran Mamdani earned 37.3% of that demographic, meaning that over 1/3 of the Jewish New Yorkers that voted in the election chose Mamdani to be the next Mayor. Travis would consider that a “big chunk”. https://abc7ny.com/post/nyc-election-results-see-how-new-york-city-voted-mayoral-race/18117581/

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/GiveUstheLaunchCodes

Travis’ IG: @musicalnotextr

News Theme by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Artist: http://incompetech.com/

Travis & Tom reminisce on the Halo saga (the ones that Bungie made that is) and how these games were truly treatises on the dangers of mixing organized religion and government. One can ponder as to how Halo really teaches us lessons that can be applied to the world today... or perhaps it's just a fun video game where you get to shoot at aliens a whole bunch.

NOTE: We recorded this episode BEFORE 'Campaign Evolved' was announced.

CORRECTIONS:

• 7:19 Bungie was acquired by Sony in 2022, so they probably won’t be involved in Halo again anytime soon.
• 22:57 This was recorded right before the recent ceasefire deal was made between Israel and Hamas, though it’d be foolish to say any underlying problems there have actually been resolved.

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/GiveUstheLaunchCodes

Travis’ IG: @musicalnotextr

Clips Cited

• Halo 2. Directed by Jason Jones, performance by Michael Wincott, 2004, Microsoft Xbox game.
• Halo 3. Bungie/Microsoft Game Studios, 2007, Microsoft Xbox 360 game.
  • Prophet of Truth, performance by Terrance Stamp
  • Brute dialogue, unknown voice actor
  • Shipmaster, performance by Robert Davi

Music Cited

• “Deference for Darkness” by Martin O’Donnell & Michael Salvatori (Halo 3: ODST, Microsoft Game Studios, 2009).
• “Halo Theme MJOLNIR Mix (ft. Steve Vai)” by Martin O’Donnell & Michael Salvatori (Halo 2, Microsoft Game Studios, 2004).
• “The Last Spartan” by Martin O’Donnell & Michael Salvatori (Halo 2, Microsoft Game Studios, 2004).

SPOILERS ABOUND IN THIS ONE

Travis & Tom talk about two big movies that came out in 2025. Though really Travis just wanted to talk about Superman but Tom forced him to watch A Minecraft Movie. An odd conversation follows.

CORRECTIONS:

• A Minecraft Movie made $957M at time of editing - so SHY of a billion dollars. Technically the “Billion Dollar Movie” for this year (at time of release) was the Lilo & Stitch remake… and f*** that!
• 28:44 - According to our research, Tom may be paraphrasing C. S. Lewis (The Chronicles of Narnia) who actually said, “A children’s story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children’s story in the slightest.”
• 39:53 - Kinda. In Byrne’s The Man of Steel (1986), Jor-El is merely apathetic at Lara’s suggestion that Kal-El will use his powers to rule Earth. As mentioned, Smallville went further with the idea in 2002 of Superman being sent with a mission of conquest. And in the comics as recent as 2017, Jor-El was revealed to be the villain known as Mister Oz, having actually survived Krypton’s destruction with help from Dr. Manhattan (yes, THAT Dr. Manhattan) and manipulates events from behind the scenes in the DC Universe. So regardless, there’s been precedent for at least a less altruistic Jor-El.

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/GiveUstheLaunchCodes

Travis’ IG: @musicalnotextr

Clips Cited

• “Agendas” Young Justice, written by Kevin Hopps, directed by Michael Change, performances by George Eads, Dee Bradley Baker and Kevin Michael Richardson, Warner Bros. Animation, 2012.
• ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers’ directed by Peter Jackson, New Line Cinema, 2002.
• ‘Superman’ directed by James Gunn, performance by David Corenswet, DC Studios, 2025.
• ‘Superman: The Movie’ directed by Richard Donner, performances by Christopher Reeve & Margot Kidder, Warner Bros. Pictures, 1978.