Mt. Rushmore Podcast

Everyone loves a good comeback story - we love people who have seen the lowest of lows and the highest of highs. This week we're celebrating people who didn't let their circumstances keep them down. (Even if most of their circumstances were self-caused).

SHOW NOTES

• The Grinch (Michael's Choice)
• Robert Downey, Jr. (Joint Choice)
• J.K. Rowling (Richard's Choice)
• "The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar" by Roald Dahl (Michael's Choice)
• Georgia Durante (Richard's Choice)
• Darth Vader (Michael's Choice)
• Danny Trejo (Richard's Choice)

As we slowly creep towards the holiday season, the idea of giving the perfect gift to our loved ones starts dominating our minds.

But what happens when you start trying to go above an beyond?

This week we unwrap the most Extravagant Gifts imaginable that one can give to another. Be it a Roomba, Cartier diamond or a 305' statue to the idea of liberty.

SHOW NOTES

• Statue of Liberty (Joint Choice)
• The Burton-Taylor Diamond (Richard's Choice)
• Cars With Bows on Them for Christmas (Michael's Choice)
• Kim Kardashian's Burger King Franchises (Richard's Choice)
• Championship Rings (Michael's Choice)
• "The Toy" (Richard's Choice)
• Roomba (Michael's Choice)

We're not sure if it's breakup or break up or break-up, but anyway you spell it, it spells the end of a relationship...in song!

No, we're not talking about our personal experiences with death this week. That would be sad and creepy! Instead, we're talking about all of the fun ways that death has been portrayed in pop culture. If (as Eddie Izzard would say) you have a morbid fascination with death, this week's episode is for you.

SHOW NOTES

• "Heaven Can Wait" (Richard's Choice)
• "Hot Shots Part Deux" (Michael's Choice)
• "Don't Fear the Reaper" (Richard's Choice)
• "The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (Michael's Choice)
• "Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey" (Richard's Choice)
• Thanatos (Michael's Choice)
• SNL's "The Assassination of Buckwheat" (Richard's Choice)
• Death Sandman/Hob Gabling (Michael's Choice)

Ad wizards. Created by the goddess Yeva (who also created Middle Earth as well as Sterling Cooper). These geniuses have been tinkering around with our collective wants and desires since oh, before you were born.

But what happens when these wizards' spells go...too...far.

Sure, Daniel-Day Lewis might be the greatest actor of his generation. Yes, he can immerse himself into a role so completely that it's easy to forget the actor who is playing the character. But has he ever played himself beating up Adam Sandler on a golf course in a fit of range? No? Score one for Bob Barker, Master Thespian.

This week we're looking at one of the most difficult roles an actor can play: themselves. These are ridiculous and over-the-top portrayals that require the actor to have a pretty healthy sense of humor.

SHOW NOTES

• Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in "Airplane!" (Richard's Choice)
• Jay Leno in Literally Every 90s Movie (Michael's Choice)
• Keanu Reeves in "Always Be My Maybe" (Richard's Choice)
• David Bowie in "Zoolander" (Michael's Choice)
• Bob Barker in "Happy Gilmore" (Richard's Choice)
• Julia Roberts in "Ocean's 12" (Michael's Choice)
• John Malkovich in "Being John Malkovich" (Joint Choice)

There are good movies.

There are dumb movies.

Sometimes the two meet in the unicorn known as the good-dumb movie. A movie that is so dumb, it's good. Or a movie that is so good in spite of how dumb it is. Either way. It's a win-win.

SHOW NOTES

• "The Jerk" (Michael's Choice)
• "Happy Gilmore" (Richard's Choice)
• "Airplane!" (Michael's Choice)
• "Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery" (Richard's Choice)
• "Commando" (Michael's Choice)
• "Volcano" (Richard's Choice)
• "Brüno" (Michael's Choice)
• "Road House" (Richard's Choice)

Muppet movies are events for several reasons, but one of the most important is that you need to watch to catch all of the human celebrities who have signed up to be part of the insanity. Sometimes it's a cameo and sometimes it's a featured role, but more often than not something special happens when a big star crosses paths with the Muppets.

SHOW NOTES

• Steve Martin in "The Muppet Movie" (Joint Choice)
• Zack Galifinakis in "The Muppets" and "Muppets Most Wanted" (Michael's Choice)
• John Cleese in "The Great Muppet Caper" (Richard's Choice)
• Michael Caine in "A Muppet Christmas Carol (Michael's Choice)
• Joan Rivers in "The Muppets Take Manhattan" (Joint Choice)
• Dave Grohl in "The Muppets" (Richard's Choice)

It's a very special episode of the Mt. Rushmore Podcast! This week we're celebrating Batman Day with a LIVE EPISODE from Black Cat Comics in Burbank! We're joined by the Con Guy as we discuss some of the Caped Crusader's lesser known foes. Listen, they can't all be about Joker or Penguin, and there's nothing wrong with a bad guy whose main weapons are mustard and ketchup!

This week we're looking at TV shows that overstayed their welcome and were on the air longer than they should have been. In some cases, the writers had clearly run out of ideas. In others? The show wasn't that great to begin with, but because it was successful enough or cheap enough to make, it kept popping up on the network schedule season after season.

We're not just picking on shows that survived despite their own mediocrity, however. We're also calling out some of the biggest and most beloved shows in TV history for having stayed on air more than a little bit past their expiration date. You'll want to listen to some of the HOT TAKES we have on this topic.

SHOW NOTES

• "Happy Days" (Michael's Choice)
• "Wings" (Richard's Choice)
• "The Simpsons (Joint Choice)
• "MASH" (Richard's Choice)
• "American Idol" (Michael's Choice)
• "The Andy Griffith Show" (Richard's Choice)
• "Saturday Night Live" (Michael's Choice)