Mt. Rushmore Podcast

Listen, we all love Christmas, but even the most hardcore enthusiasts have to admit that it can be a little bit weird sometimes. This week we're diving head-first into the oddities of the holidays with a very knowledgable guest: Craig Brewer, aka Craig Kringle of the Weird Christmas website and podcast. Make sure you check him out at www.weridchristmas.com for great stories, bizarre holiday cards and more.

SHOW NOTES

• Christmas mushrooms (Craig's Choice)
• Christmas songs by current bands (Michael and Richard's Choice)
• Strange Christmas cards (Craig's Choice)
• Sinterklaus (Michael and Richard's Choice)
• Poop (Craig's Choice)
• Individual family traditions (Michael and Richard's Choice)
• Santa Claus the Movie (Craig's Choice)
• Buying a car for your spouse (Michael and Richard's Choice)

Come on down...and check out the fabulous episode up for bid! The Price Is Right has been a staple of weekday afternoon programming for almost 50 years. The tradition of yelling at your TV because some ding dong doesn't know the price of a box of Rice-A-Roni has been passed down from housewives to kids pretending to be sick for generations.

Much of the excitement found in the show comes down to the variety of games that contestants play in order to win their prizes. This week we're looking at some of the most iconic games in the history of the show. And as always, make sure you spay and neuter your pets.

Kitsch is like pornography: you know it when you see it. Sometimes it ventures into camp, and sometimes it can be enjoyed unironically. No matter what flavor it comes in, you have to admit that a little bit of kitsch can be a lot of fun.

SHOW NOTES

• "Edward Scissorhands" (Michael's Choice)
• Keane Paintings (Richard's Choice)
• "Rock Lobster" (Michael's Choice)
• Lava Lamps (Richard's Choice)
• The Color Pink (Michael's Choice)
• 1970s Variety Shows (Richard's Choice)
• The Shirley Temple (Michael's Choice)
• Esquivel (Richard's Choice)

Do you ever listen to the show and talk back to us when we make a choice you love or hate? Now, imagine having that experience, but we can actually hear you! That's what happened when our friends Paddy Culham and Anderson Dahdouh muscled their way into our recording session and played Peanut Gallery.

The topic they are interrupting? Some of the most famous books that never actually were written, because they only exist in movies. These are works of fiction that are truly fiction.

SHOW NOTES

• "The Princess Bride" (Joint Choice)
• "Misery's Return" from "Misery" (Joint Choice)
• "Handbook for the Recently Deceased" from "Beetlejuice" (Michael's Choice)
• "Death and Taxes" from "Stranger Than Fiction" (Richard's Choice)
• "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" (Michael's Choice)
• "Old Custer" from "The Royal Tenenbaums" (Richard's Choice)

If you like hearing tales of sad sacks with horrible luck, then you just happen to...well, be in luck. This week we're discussing all sorts of bad luck, from real life to pop culture. So watch out for broken mirrors and get out of the way of that black cat before you throw this bad boy on! SHOW NOTES

• Tsutomu Yamaguchi (Michael's Choice)
• Melanie Martinez (Richard's Choice)
• Clayton Kershaw (Michael's Choice)
• "The Cooler" (Richard's Choice)
• The Black Cat (Michael's Choice)
• Kostus Mitsotaukus (Richard's Choice)
• Ed Rooney from "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" (MIchael's Choice)
• "Superstition" by Stevie Wonder (Richard's Choice)

While this week's election (which might bleed into next week, and the week after...) is fresh on everyone's minds, let's not forget that not all voting is political. This week we're looking at the range of other things that you can vote on. From comedian's fates to new action figures, we want you to cast your vote for this podcast!

SHOW NOTES

• "Survivor" (Richard's Choice)
• Boaty McBoatface (Michael's Choice)
• MLB All-Star Game (Richard's Choice)
• Baseball Hall of Fame (Michael's Choice)
• Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (Richard's Choice)
• Jason Todd/Robin's Death (Michael's Choice)
• Andy Kaufman on "Saturday Night Live" (Richard's Choice)
• "Masters of the Universe" Figure Contest (Michael's Choice)

Halloween. Beloved by all. You know, except when it feels like it's more tricks than treats. This episode the lads break down the more exasperating aspects of one of the tentpole holidays in our country.

Joint Picks: Un-clever costumes, Pumpkin Carving

Michael's Picks: Spider Web Decorations, Office Costuming

Richard's Picks: His Ruined Childhood, The Walk Home

When you think of a film composers, you probably think of...well, you 100 percent think of John Williams. But not all great film scores are created by respected classical music composers. Every once in a while, some rock 'n' roll hooligan busts in and shakes things up.

This week we're looking at members of rock bands who turned into respected film composers. Joining us is Ryan Pak of the Soundtrack Your Life podcast, who provides some deep insights into some of your favorite film scorers.

SHOW NOTES

• Trent Reznor (Joint Choice)
• Daft Punk (Richard and Michael's Choice)
• Danny Elfman (Joint Choice)
• Mark Mothersbaugh (Joint Choice)
• Jonny Greenwood (Ryan's Choice)

Girls rock! We all know this, so let's celebrate some amazing female rockers. Joining us this week to help Jeff with the judging is Miki Black, musician, model and all-around badass.

SHOW NOTES

• St. Vincent (Joint Choice)
• Siouxie Sioux (Michael's Choice)
• Exene Cervenka (Richard's Choice)
• Karen O (Michael's Choice)
• Chrissie Hynde (Richard's Choice)
• Sharon Van Etten (Michael's Choice)
• Joan Jett (Richard's Choice)

It's almost Halloween, and chances are that you've had next to no time to put any thought into a costume. Sure, maybe you aren't going to a party or going trick or treating this year, but that doesn't mean you can't have fun getting dressed up at home. And do we have a last-minute costume for you...

Yes, just take some scissors to a bedsheet and viola, you're all set. I'm not sure anyone has ever done this in real life, but people sure have on TV and film. This week we're discussing this strange phenomenon with comedian PJ Baio, who schools us on the history of the bedsheet ghost.

SHOW NOTES

• Michael Myers from "Halloween" (PJ's Choice)
• Charlie Brown (Michael and Richard's Choice)
• "A Ghost Story" (PJ's Choice)
• The Playmobil Ghost (Michael and Richard's Choice)
• Boo Berry (PJ's Choice)
• The Maitlands from "Beetlejuice" (Michael and Richard's Choice)
• Zero and Oogie Boogie from "Nightmare Before Christmas" (PJ's Choice)
• E.T. (Michael and Richard's Choice)