No Bad Ideas

This week, we’re lucky to be joined by the luminous Emma Sherr-Ziarko - voice actor, writer, podcast creator, wine expert, and cat mom extraordinaire. There’s nothing Emma can’t do, so naturally we decided to throw some truly questionable ideas at her!

First Gabriel takes us to A Short Time Ago and A Galaxy Very Close, with a very unorthodox candidate for high public office who claims to be able to slice through the red tape and get things done - with a lightsaber. Then Sarah sails us down to the Indian Ocean, and a very special rock concert designed for an audience that really has teeth - five to six layers of them.

And finally we talk to Emma about her love of storytelling, how learning about wine has taught her more about the world, and what it takes to start a podcast.

Plus: literal satire, delusional doors, Emperors of America, many, many, jumping the shark jokes, and one last really stupid thing. 

Today’s Bad Ideas™:

Idea #1

Idea #2

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Another week, another test of the limits of three humans’ endurance to spin stories from bad ideas they saw on the Internet! 

This week, things get weird. First, Gabriel brings us a story of emotional support taken to its most comical extreme in the most unlikely of circumstances. Then, Zach brings us a tale of the malfunction of both elevators and empathy on the Upper East Side. Finally, Sarah flies us to the most (intentionally) strange hotel in Japan, with a staff that proves automation isn’t quite here yet.

Plus: Joaquin Phoenix’s next role, the Most Dangerous Game terrarium, cancelling the cancelling, and things we're not going to do to children.

Today’s Bad Ideas™:

Idea #1

Idea #2

Idea #3

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We’re so delighted to be joined this week by Erin Jones, author of the fabulous YA novel Tinfoil Crowns, and now author of a couple adaptations of very bad ideas, alongside Gabriel, Sarah, and Zach!

The first idea comes to us courtesy of Gabriel, in which a man is mistaken for someone else with his name… a someone else who’s been court-ordered to move out of his parents’ home.

The second is something we did not asked for but Sarah delivered: what happens when a waste management train breaks down outside of a small Alabama town… and just sits there. For months.   

Finally, we talk to Erin about the process of writing a novel, the terror of staring down a blank page, and the power of deadlines.

Plus, Macaroni Grumpy Cats, Twitch-streaming tea parties, literal sh*tstorms, and the sweet smell of death!

You can check out more of Erin’s work through her (friend’s) website, or follow her on Twitter. And, Tinfoil Crowns is available to purchase wherever fine books are sold. 

Today’s Bad Ideas™:

Bad Idea #1

Bad Idea #2

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This week on no bad ideas: cops, donuts, IKEA, hide-and-seek, and special guest star Rebecca Seidel! 

While Zach's away, Gabriel and Sarah get to play with Rebecca, audio producer extraordinaire at Marvel. Together, they turn the story of an ill-advised wager with the police into a twisted tale of a small town terrorized by an all-powerful performance artist troll. Then, IKEA's firm stance on people not playing hide-and-seek in their stores gets reworked into a harrowing graphic novel of psychological terror and survival in the face of truly unsettling odds. 

Plus, creepy Stephen King books, ice cream truck jingles, police pranks, and other misdemeanors. 

Today's Bad Ideas™:

Idea #1

Idea #2

To check out more of Rebecca's work, say hi to her on Twitter, @BeccaHope24, or visit her website! 

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This week on No Bad Ideas: breakups, questionable GPS routes, and all kinds of dough!

First off, Gabriel's story about a museum for all those objects that remind you of failed relationships (but which you can't quite let go of) gives birth to a twisty tale of mystery that involves a much more literal stroll down memory lane. Then, Zach's story of a GPS route gone horribly awry and the dozens that blindly followed it gets reshaped into the Rat Race reboot that we all need right now. Finally, Sarah's story of a daring inside job at a trendy boutique bakery leads to yet another story designed to poke fun at our favorite punching bag: toxic masculinity.

Plus, all the things that Gabriel loves: sadness, memory shenanigans, mystery, and making fun of LA. 

Today’s Bad Ideas™:

Idea #1

Idea #2

Idea #3

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This week, a series of extreme challenges for the No Bad Ideas crew! First, Sarah lets us know about a government initiative to find a new giant secret lair - for completely legitimate research purposes, of course. Then Gabriel clues us into the one (horrifying) way you can find affordable housing on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. And finally, Zach takes us on a trip to the Granite State, where New Hampshire’s “Live Free Or Die” motto may or may not apply to personalized license plates. 

Plus, crowdsourcing taken to its logical extreme, running away from an Instagram shame campaign, why you never cross the picket fence, and Project Daedalus getting off to a great start.

Today’s Bad Ideas™:

Idea #1 

Idea #2

Idea #3

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This week on no bad ideas: postal office shenanigans, reptilian interlopers, and Space Crimes! 

First off, Gabriel brings us the story of a man’s surprisingly simple, yet devastatingly effective defrauding of UPS. Then, Zach's outrageously bad idea, featuring oversized snakes and over-engineered doorbells, leads to a terrifying "I Know What You Did Last Summer"-style thriller. Finally, Sarah's story of the first crime being committed in space inspires our first sitcom idea, featuring an acrimoniously divorced couple that’s forced back together in an ever-lengthening assignment at the International Space Station.

Plus, unassuming postal workers, a detailed map of America, headlines that deliver, and people growing weary of snakes.

Today's Bad Ideas™: 

Idea #1

Idea #2

Idea #3

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Don’t worry. We’re not here to share the greatest story ever told, just to turn some bad ideas into better stories!

First, Zach has us Hoots-ing and hollering over a famous case of fast food litigation that still haunts both an Illinois town and law school classrooms across the country. Next, Gabriel regales us with stories of the most extreme (and yet somehow also the most unsurprising) things that a French performance artist has done in the past decade. Finally, Sarah lets us know all about a cunning new Chrome extension designed to help you waste even more time at work… and chill. 

Plus: the dumb Arnold Schwarzenegger movie, a farewell to sympathy, the most French thing we’ve ever heard, and no step at all for mankind!

 

Today’s Bad Ideas™:

Idea #1

Idea #2

Idea #3

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Today on No Bad Ideas, the team goes to prison, gets mixed up in a housing dispute, and explores the untapped potential of using avocados as thermal detonators.

First, a Brazilian drug lord's unusual attempt to escape from prison makes way for the strangest reboot of Some Like It Hot that anyone's ever come up with. Then, a story of truly stunning passive-aggression between neighbors gets turned into a war of gauche escalation. Finally, an inventive bank robber's fruity adventures inspire a story of accidental crime and inevitable punishment. 

All of that, plus, the many weaknesses of hyper-masculine culture, extreme ways to send a message, and many a forced avocado pun. 

Today's Bad Ideas™: 

Idea #1

Idea #2

Idea #3

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This week, the team brings you some bad ideas of monumental proportions, a culinary tale like none you've dug up before, and definitive proof that real criminals have curves.

First, an article about how human diets are affecting Toronto's raccoon population inspires the story of a wide-eyed, small-town raccoon chef struggling to make his dreams of culinary superstardom in the big city come true. Then, the story of a truly bizarre heist leads to a twisted tale of crime, fashion, and modern art. Finally, one sculpture's massively strange designs for his massive sculpture give way to a very familiar story with a very cold-blooded twist ending!

All of that, plus, body positivity among small furry mammals, a fajas ATM, (not) another Indiana Jones ripoff, and a tentacle-filled "A-Ha!" moment. 

Today’s Bad Ideas™:

Idea #1

Idea #2

Idea #3

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