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! 

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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