No Bad Ideas

It’s back to basics this week as just Gabriel, Sarah, and Zach are at NBI HQ today, but we’ve brought some truly terrible ideas with which to torment each other!

First, Gabriel finds a sweaty Reddit post about unreasonable expectations for normal water temperature and personal space, and we turn it into a horror meet-cute where the audience is going to end up rooting for a literal hell demon. Then Zach brings us tale of unintended environmental consequences and we turn it into a political farce that hopefully would lure Simon Pegg back into acting.

Plus: giant eagles, surveillance-oriented boyfriends, two tanks just lying around, Jerry from down the pub, and lost episodes of Seinfeld.

Today’s Bad Ideas™:

Idea #1

Idea #2

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Today on No Bad Ideas: Bears! Legal advice! Revolution! Fandom! And special guest star, Marissa Tandon, creator of new audio fiction series, That Vampire Show!

In our first idea, the gang has to confront the Bear League! When a family discovers that the strange noises coming from the crawlspace under their house are a family of five bears, how will they evict these unwanted woodland tenants? Then, a bakery's new fire policy defies all common sense and good practices. In our imagination, it sparks a revolution of the working class, who seize the means of hot dog production by force! 

All of that, plus: NFTs of buns, this is fine dogging, digitally aged-up Kristen Stewart, environmental ramifications, and things that make you realize you need to eat the rich at a certain point. 

Today’s Bad Ideas™:

Idea #1

Idea #2

For more of Marissa's work, check out Tandon Production's website and her Twitter. And tune into That Vampire Show wherever quality podcasts are sold! 

Support the show: http://patreon.com/NoBadIdeas

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We’re delighted to be joined this week by the incredibly talented Ellen Winter, musician, writer, and teaching artist extraordinaire! 

First, Zach brings us a Reddit query which we immediately decide is a horror movie, and what follows is a quest to decide just how weird a horror movie we’re making. Then Gabriel puts us all on blast with the story of a specialized cafe for writers in Japan, and we turn it into a story that is absolutely not about writers but is about creativity on a deadline and a young producer who must contend with the most dysfunctional band of all time. 

Then Ellen comes back to us with an idea of her own: a short but evocative missed connection from Craigslist, which we turn into a twisted reckoning between Nick Cage and Cate Blanchett which is also obviously a meet cute; then we talk to Ellen about the importance of play and jam sessions to the creative process, how to get started and think about the component parts of a piece, and how to plug into what you’re most excited about. 

Plus: a pre-wrapped A24 movie, an impressive amount of surveillance, a Miyazaki liminal multiverse, some perpetually too hot tea, and Adam Drivers all the way down.  

If you want to check out Ellen’s work, go listen to Every Feeling I’ve Ever Felt, 36 Questions, and follow her on Twitter. 

Today’s Bad Ideas™:

Idea #1 

Idea #2 

Idea #3

Support the show: http://patreon.com/NoBadIdeas

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Today on No Bad Ideas... long-winded essays! Lost ideas! And special guest star, podcast producer Ponders!

On our first bad idea... well, we run into some technical problems and lose the audio for the first chunk of the episode. Oh no! But never fear, we come back with a vengeance for our second bad idea, a tale of woe featuring a friend breakup and the longform essay that accompanied it. The gang and Ponders turn it into the quirky, Spike Jonze romcom we didn't know we needed. Then, Sarah and Gabriel have a fascinating conversation with their guest about empathy in podcasts and how it impacts the writing of audio fiction. 

All of that, plus piña colada song situations, underpaid writers, Editing Gabriel, Arcade Fire soundtracks, and email notifications that know you far too well. 

Today’s Bad Idea™

For more of Ponders's work, check out their Twitter as well as their shows Accession and The Wanderer. 

Support the show: http://patreon.com/NoBadIdeas

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Sarah’s out today, so we’re especially delighted to be joined by the incredible Mary Kate Wiles, of Lizzie Bennett Diaries, Shipwrecked Comedy, and web video fame!

Mary Kate’s first go in the NBI hot seat begins with the story of a bad liar from Alabama, which the gang turns into a heist with high rewards, deeply annoying stakes, and incredibly slow moving escapes. Then they meet the soon-to-be mother-in-law from hell and turn it into a family drama that is a trick, potentially a trap, and features the worst piggy bank of all time. 

Then the guys talk to Mary Kate about, among other things, the origin of Shipwrecked, the legacy of The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, wearing many hats at all times, and why every actor should produce something. 

Plus: a new sub-genre of heists, Eugene O’Neill plays come to life, decoy invites, Timothée’s Logan Lucky moment, and the Rachel Getting Married of it all.  

Today’s Bad Ideas™: 

Idea #1

Idea #2

If you’d like to check out more of Mary Kate’s work, follow her on Twitter and Instagram, check out The Fairly Oddparents: Fairly Odder, and go explore the fine literary comedy of Shipwrecked! 

Support the show: http://patreon.com/NoBadIdeas

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We’re so lucky to be joined this week by not one but two adorable little audio guys: Multitude’s own Eric Silver and Mischa Stanton!

We start with the worst/most bored security guard of all time and we turn it into a high espionage heist (of course), with the plots coming from inside the Kremlin, but not before making a ton of Red Notice jokes along the way. Then we visit the capital of world/bored ideas: Florida. We take a story about a man’s crossbow theft and turn it into the remake of Don Quixote that all of us end up really wanting to see. 

Then Eric and Mischa discuss benefits of and considerations to take into account when you work with your friends, the kinds of creativity that happens when you feel free to collaborate, making things for yourself vs. making things in the hopes it’ll be made by a big company, and much more! 

Plus: Zoom’s newest software update, absurdist period pieces, CGI monstrosities, a fleet of windmills, and the most obnoxious motorcycle in the state of Florida.  

Today’s Bad Ideas™: 

Idea #1

Idea #2

If you want to check out more of Eric and Mischa’s work, check out some of their wonderful shows like Join The Party, History Daily, and StarTripper!!, follow Eric and Mischa on Twitter, and sign up to join the MultiCrew for even more Multitude goodness. 

Support the show: http://patreon.com/NoBadIdeas

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Sarah is out this week, but we are joined by special guest co-host Sam Long of Singing Land Studios and Honey and the Sting. Together, we tackle two new bad ideas, featuring brains, snakes, and other slithering creepy-crawlies!

In our first story, Zach brings us a report on the neurologist who was so set on pushing the envelope on what's possible that he ended up getting his own brain operated on. The team does their best to turn it into a Jekyll and Hyde drama of a man who expands his mind but maybe gets a little more than he bargained for. Then, for our second idea, Gabriel brings us the story of a man who tried to smuggle a lot of reptiles past the border. The squad tries to turn it into the story of a man who makes his living by providing a witch's coven with their animal supplies. 

All of that, plus: hypothetical story land, tongue hissing sounds, cesspools, curses, and hours-long sunbaths.

Today’s Bad Ideas™:

Idea #1

Idea #2 

For more of Sam's work, check out Singing Land Studios and the EarthSpirit Voices Podcast. For more work by other members of Honey and the Sting, check out work by Melanie Hsu and Jess Best!

Support the show: http://patreon.com/NoBadIdeas

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Minus a mortifying impression, Sarah Shachat is out this week, but heroically filling the third spot in NBI hot seat is one of our favorite sci-fi creators, the great Erik Saras! 

We start with the story of a very off-his-game, but very well armed burglar, and the boys prove that even the world’s most fractured fairy tale can be perfected. It just takes Keanu Reeves. Next, we marvel at the resilience of Hank the Tank, and take this giant bear’s story and turn it into a gritty reboot of a beloved cartoon for a more adult audience, with a bit of a Robin Hood angle. 

Finally, we talk to Erik about his audio journey from music down into the pit of podcasting, the evolving nature of work-life balance, managing long-running mysteries, the importance of score, and the allure of making rip-offs of LOST.  

Plus: low key Kill Bill energy, covert Airbnb ads, bear gangs, quality nicknames,  punching up… and clawing down. 

Today’s Bad Ideas™:

Idea #1

Idea #2 

For more of Erik, check out Marsfall and follow them and Erik on twitter. 

Support the show: http://patreon.com/NoBadIdeas

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Warning: This episode of No Bad Ideas contains some discussions of sexual activity in its first idea and gun violence occurring around underage people in its second idea. Listener discretion advised. 

Today on No Bad Ideas: Temptation! Frustration! Sexting! Guns! Reincarnation! And special guest star Alan Rodi!

In our first bad idea, Zach brings us the story of a subreddit dedicated to testing romantic partners' loyalty. The shocked and appalled gang does their best to turn it into a romance based on roleplaying and pretending. Then, Sarah brings us a truly horrendous story of a man inciting their young child to violence. The team tries to turn it into a mind-melting, time-bending story of an assassin that dies and then returns to the world as a baby. 

All of that, plus: hyper-intelligent toddlers, heart attacks, things that makes everything worse, a Dennis the Menace gritty reboot, and the British Broadcasting Corporation. 

Our first bad idea begins at 5:00 and ends at 19:16. The second idea begins at 19:35 and ends at 23:40. 

Today’s Bad Ideas™:

Idea #1

Idea #2

For more of Alan's brilliant work, visit his website, or check out the Kinda Evil Genius and Long Story Short Bandcamp pages.

Support the show: http://patreon.com/NoBadIdeas

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Today we have the pleasure of sharing some very silly ideas with one of our favorite folks in podcasting:  thoughtful writer, voice actor extraordinaire, and sometimes-business person, the great Leslie Gideon! 

The silliness starts with Sarah bringing us Disney’s newest, er, immersive experience and the gang turning that into a thriller for the ages, exploring the conflict between freedom and safety, and the choices that one family makes as a utopia falls apart. Then Zach shares one of the driving world’s most frivolous record attempts, and we take that, add an AI-driven car, and maybe create a sci-fi reboot of How To Train Your Dragon? 

Finally, we get a chance to talk to Leslie about the differences between writing for pleasure and writing for pay, finding the balance between separating ideas out to be passion projects vs. to be sold, how plans to build a resume can aren’t something you can necessarily time, and more. 

Plus: the friends we made along the way, background street-sweeper #24, real “Witness Me” energy, draft #2 questions, and the slow reverbed edgy version of “It’s A Small World” 

Listen to The Path Down and Leslie’s soccer history podcast Sideline Tackle, and learn more about Leslie’s work by checking out her website and following her on Twitter. 

Today’s Bad Ideas™
Idea #1

Idea #2

Support the show: http://patreon.com/NoBadIdeas

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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