Love: John Mayer

Alex takes his Love segment to proffer a defense of his admiration for guitarist, songwriter, and occasionally problematic figure, John Mayer. He discusses the eras of Mayer’s career (complete with clips), his controversies over the years, and why it’s cool if you don’t like him, or if you do. Andy is reasonably horrified at the phrase “David Duke cock,” but finds the guitar-p[laying pleasant enough.

Hate: The Bhopal Gas Tragedy

Andy gets serious for this episode’s hate topic, and discusses the events and (lack of) fallout from the Bhopal Gas Tragedy. He gives a history lesson on the garbage regulations that allowed it to happen, how thousands of people still live in a toxic waste site, and how basically no one in the Western World seems to really know about this. Alex, meanwhile, yells a bunch about capitalism and racism, so, you know…Tuesday.

This month’s Relationship question opens with Julia Cotton (Hellraiser) realizing that she, in fact, had an affair with her dead sister’s husband. Andy is appropriately appalled at this being a thing that needed to be realized while Alex gets to the uncomfortable brass tacks of honesty and the consequences that follow it.

The next question comes from Farrah Abraham (16 and Pregnant, Teen Mom) and concerns her pregnant daughter, whom she herself gave up for adoption, cutting off communication. Alex dwells for a while on the subject of adult children getting to choose whether or not they keep their parents around, and Andy is touchingly kind to remind her what is and is not her fault, especially when giving birth as a teenager.

Question number three has Dev (Master of None) asking for advice on how to navigate his girlfriend wanting to buy a bunch of new furniture and wanting him to pay for half despite his lack of interest in it. Taking the easy route, both Alex and Andy talk about the value of compromise, as well as what it means to decorate a space together and call it yours.

The final question has Bruce Wayne (Batman), trying to figure out how to deal with his wife and children’s fighting after a clear misunderstanding about whether she values the youngest sister over the two elder boys. The poster is reminded to not be an absolute a**hole and that there’;s an absolute value to sitting down and clarifying stuff, even when your teenagers don’t want to listen.

Andy takes this episode’s Love segment to discuss one of the most iconic Adult Swim shows, The Venture Bros. He talks its evolution from Hardy Boys/Johnny Quest parody to something unique unto itself (all while being irreverent and hilarious and so, so nerdy), while Alex sees how many Marvel, glam rock, and Hanna Barbera references he can point out in under 40 minutes.

Alex uses his Hate to discuss the little understood Telecommunications Act of 1996. He gives its historical context, the politics surrounding it, and why he blames it for the downfall of most media, especially local news and radio. Andy meanwhile gets fun reminders of all the reasons Bill Clinton sucked.

For this month’s Relationship questions, we begin with Elizabeth Solley (The Fog) inquiring about why a dude she was dating only really started liking her Facebook posts after they split up because he was so distant all of the time. Both Alex and Andy have thoughts on the value of emotional distance, especially after very short relationships, and further questions are asked about why so much is being invested in a couple of likes…on Facebook…

The next one has Ned Schneebly (School of Rock) asking what to do when his girlfriend asks him to step down from participating in his long-time best friend’s wedding because she didn’t get a token invite into the wedding party. There is an unsurprising lack of respect for this weird and singular idea of decorum, and everyone is reminded that brides, grooms, etc., get to do what they want on their big days.

Next is Violet Crawley (Downton Abbey) looking for advice on contending with her belligerent daughter holding time with her grandkids hostage because she doesn’t like her new partner. Andy commends a certain stick-to-your guns respect for oneself while Alex reminds her that sometimes it’s awful to miss out on a loved one’s childhood, but parents can’t do anything once the kid’s 18.

Finally, Becky Donaldson Katsopolis (Full House) wonders if she did something wrong by double-checking her husband’s packing job on their daughters’ suitcase before going on a vacation. There is much discussion of weaponized incompetence vs. clear communication, and two childless men try really hard not to act like they understand this struggle on too personal a level.

Alex talks about his favorite of the Fundamental Movement Patterns, the Squat. He discusses its essentialness, not just as an exercise but as a means to live. Andy meanwhile learns about the Get-Up Test, and everyone has questions about their mortality.

Andy takes the Hate to discuss the abysmal conditions of the current comic book royalties system, discussing how the people behind billion-dollar IP are so frequently left behind in terms of compensation, often to the point of poverty. Alex discusses the pitfalls of the work-for-hire model, and we all remember how awesome Jack Kirby was.

In an attempt to close out 2023 with something joyful, exuberant, new, and filled with a smattering of mostly Love (and a little Hate), LHR is proud to present what may become our new annual tradition, a holiday Tierlist.

For our first outing, we’re heading back to an old favorite ⁠Triple Love Topic⁠, the James Bond franchise. Instead if just rehashing our old conversation, however, we are issuing our definitive ranking of more or less every Bond film, touching on each in order of release.

Every meaningful Bond actor gets a discussion. Loads of Bonds Songs, Bond Girls, Bond Villains, and Bond moments get their due. Also, every more mediocre-to-terrible entry gets its proper kiss-off. The full list is displayed below for those whose podcatchers will display it or available to view ⁠here⁠. Or if you simply want to blindly follow along on this two hour and 20 minute journey, we welcome that too.

Happiest of holidays to all of our listeners, and we can’t wait to talk more at you in 2024. Until then, keep telling your enemies.

This month’s all-questions episode opens with Penelope Alvarez (One Day at a Time) asking if she’s wrong to be upset when her partner locked their kid out of the house after he came home drunk. Both Andy and Alex are unequivocally supportive of the anger, remind everyone that underage drinking shouldn’t be a death sentence, and if it were, at least one host of the show would be a literal, actual mummy.

Our second question from Angie Lopez (The George Lopez Show), comes to the Internet asking if she should let her partner know that she accidentally found out that he’s not a US Citizen. Andy has some sweet words of encouragement for her well-meaning but ultimately misguided approach, and Alex feels vindicated in his loathing of surprises.

The next question from Jimmy Shive-Overly (You’re the Worst) sees the asker wondering what he can do regarding his partner, who is so over-worked and stressed, she is literally unable to shower for days at a time. Andy has a poignant discussion about depression and prioritization, and Alex is insistent that couples in haphazard situations shouldn’t get puppies.

The episode ends with Stephanie Tanner (Full House) asking about how to deal with her sister, who wants to use her prom photos for a Christian photo books of examples of sins to give her children. Alex and Andy both agree that privacy and presentation to young families trumps all of the everything in this one, and that DJ is surprisingly judge-y for someone who got caught by Uncle Jesse with a beer in her hands.

Andy and Alex return after an annoyingly long hiatus with an episode actually recorded some months ago (apologies for the Diane Feinstein reference), and Andy kicks it off with a discussion of Visual Encyclopedias. He discusses DK Publishing, who were responsible for some of the favorites, Alex spends a long time talking about Star Wars vehicles and weaponry, and the Scholastic Book Fair gets its due.

Alex takes his Hate time to rag on one of the worst of all fitness standards, the Body Mass Index. He relates exactly what it is and why it’s awful, Andy is again forced to discuss eugenics, and everyone is surprised to have the American Insurance Industry as the not-so-secret villain.

For our latest all-question extravaganza, we begin with Nick Young (Crazy Rich Asians), wondering if he was wrong to lie to his girlfriend about how rich he was while they were dating. Alex is surprisingly empathetic to the difficulties of dating when there might be other factors affecting perception, and Andy calls out how weird it is that rich people buy their partners gifts as “rewards.”

After that, things get modestly serious as Michael Corleone (Godfather II) asks how to internally handle his wife getting an abortion that he ultimately supports her decision for despite personal pain about it. Andy commends his willingness to be supportive despite his reservations, Alex reminds him that it’s okay to grieve even when making a good decision, and nobody makes an inappropriate joke about whacking.

On a more light-hearted note, Remy (Ratatouille) asks how to navigate their roommates ruining a vegetarian dish they were making and then mocking it and saying it was tasteless. Andy discusses the importance of forthright communication and self-advocacy while Alex stops himself from yelling about clueless meat-eaters.

And to end on another serious note, Pacha (The Emperor’s New Groove) looks to figure out how to tell his sister of his suspicions that her manipulative husband is poisoning their son. Andy discusses the practicality of making such an assertion and how it should be presented while Alex discusses fallout and weighing risk and reward in life-threatening circumstances, while both of them agree this question was probably faked.

Alex finally uses his Love to dive into a bit of the obvious, and talk about his favorite instrument, the Electric Guitar. He goes into the history, both large-scale and personal, and shares just so many thoughts and feels and photos (see below). Andy eggs him on, of course, but also forgets the title to “Johnny B. Goode.”

The “Frying Pan” lap steel guitar (1931)
The Kay Roberts Electro-Spanish (1935)
Gibson ES-150 “Charlie Christian” model, 1936
Gibson ES-335 Semi-hollow (1960)
Fender Esquire and Telecaster
Gibson Les Paul and SG
St. Vincent guitar

Hate: WGA Writer’s Strikes (A History and a Prediction)

Andy talks the history of the 5(!!!!!) strikes that have occurred since the WGA’s founding, the ongoing ways that writers are continually screwed over year after year, and the reverberations it’s had on media since. Alex rails at some of those reverberations (looking at you, reality TV), and everyone mourns the loss of Heroes and Pushing Daisies.