Of Horses and Men

It’s new chapters and heartfelt endings on this episode of Of Horses and Men with Lesley and Ben. Folks, I was the Ben of that.

And I was the Lesley. This was a podcast about Netflix original comedy series Bojack Horseman.

Lesley and Ben are saying goodbye to Of Horses and Men, but not to each other.or to podcasting! We’re just switching up the topic a little bit.

We have a new, broader show on the horizon: Syndicated with Lesley and Ben - an exploration on television and genre that’ll be launching later this summer. There’s plenty of details on the show in this episode!

Regarding Of Horses and Men with Lesley and Ben, we greatly thank everyone who ever listened, wrote reviews and spread the word about our show about animation, depression and horses. Special thanks to Bethany Leuthold who made our logo and Mandra Sigma who made our theme song! Special shoutout to Glory Duda who edited this last episode of Of Horses and Men.

It’s a rough one! Coming off the heels of a fun and sexy romp, Lesley and Ben sit down to talk about gun violence in America, the creeping nature of dementia, and neglecting the problems directly in front of you. Don’t worry, they take plenty of time to talk about John Wick and their home cities. I hope you’re ready for a comparison of the relative population size of Austin and Portland!

Just as Lenny Turtletaub’s movie studio is about to release Courtney Portnoi’s new mall based revenge flick, Miss Taken, another mass shooting rocks America. Obviously this is bad for the film industry, so Princess Caroline, Turtletaub, Courtney and Todd for some reason, sit down to talk about how they can still release the movie and save their profits from the horrors violence. A request for GirlCroosh to do a piece on the upcoming film might save their skin more than intended, because Diane’s essay on women owning guns puts firearms in purses across the nation. Meanwhile, Bojack and Hollyhock come face to face with neglect and Alzheimer’s when Bojack takes his daughter to visit his mother.

It’s Campaign Season here in Hollywoo as Mr. Peanutbutter continues his ascent to the top by digging a political hole as deep as possible. Tension between the would be governor and journalist wife come to a head when.... *sigh* look it’s the episode where everybody bones and Bojack is trying to help hollyhauk find her mother. It’s Of Horses and Men let’s go.

Lesley and Ben less-than-daintily dance around the sensual moments of this episode while talking about the stability of Diane and Mr. Peanutbutter’s crumbling relationship and examine uncomfortable employee/boss power dynamics at work. It’s a slim one, folks, but don’t worry, it’s also an incredibly awkward one.

It’s self aggrandizing self pity and missed opportunities on this episode of Of Horses and Men with Lesley and Ben. We talk about asexual representation, democratic means testing, the importance of taking time for yourself in this latest episode.

The Mr. Peanutbutter gubernatorial campaign soldiers on with some means tested stances of Fracking while Todd, everyone’s favorite sidekick, runs rampant across Los Angeles running errands for the other members of the cast. When a mysterious stranger shows up on Bojack Horseman’s door step with a claim to the family name and a bottle full of chloroform, it’s up to Todd to decide how to break it to his former best friend.

Unable to cope with anything, Bojack retreats to his family retreat where he intends to just... well the plan isn’t very clear. When a neighbor starts to notice that he’s living in misery, Bojack is forced to confront the choices that brought him here and the decision that may keep him at the lakeside forever - all while the ghosts of the Sugarman family trauma watch on.

Ben and Lesley talk about non-linear editing in animation, the myth of hysteria, old timey vocal warbles and specifically Lin Manuel Miranda’s tweets. It’s a musically tragic time as your hosts tackle one of their favorite episodes of Bojack Horseman on Of Horses and Men with Lesley and Ben.

Let's do the show about the horse, but this time, without the horse!

Lesley and Ben kick off the fourth season of Of Horses and Men and Bojack Horseman by talking about the comparative privilege of Mr. Peanutbutter, internet gossip rags and the hesitancy some people have to adopting queer labels. It’s season four, you know the deal by now, surely.

The year is 1992, and Vincent D’Onofrio is struggling to perform the break dancing moves necessary to secure his role in Untitled Horsing Around Rip Off. Just as tensions are rising on the set, a young Los Angeles transplant and seeming not-actor Mr. Peanutbutter steps into the studio and starts accidentally performing for the live studio audience.

Now in the modern day, Mr. Peanutbutter is trying to capture a new audience as his ex wife pilots his attempt to run for governor. In order to even get on the ballot, Mr. Peanutbutter needs to successfully recall the current governor of California - Goodchuck Woodchuck. Their appeal fails, but Peanutbutter, unfortunately, has an idea for a way to unseat the governor.

Meanwhile, Diane is having trouble getting a hold of Bojack Horseman and Todd drifts away into space.

It’s Film Industry Golden Statue Satire and the gnawing sense that you’ll never be forgiven for being a monster on this week of Of Horses and Men with Lesley and Ben!

Your depressed hosts talk about the precarious perch on which Diane and Mr. Peanutbutter’s marriage is balanced, Bojack’s future in show business and his seemingly nagging desire to run wild with other horses, Princess Caroline’s last minute career change and un-retirement and Todd’s extremely wise financial investments. All this and discussions of entertainment satire, mental health and biological determinism.

It's the pains of personal growth and the potential of a very depressed golden retriever on this final season of Bojack Horseman! Ben and Lesley discuss the new trailer for the upcoming two part season of Bojack Horseman!

We talk about all the subtle hints about what’s to come woven into this trailer - from Mr. Peanutbutter’s new film to what’s happening with Todd’s family. Is Bojack actually recovering or is he just floating away on a Pink Cloud? What’s the deal with Diane, ringworms and GirlCroosh? Hear the Of Horses and Men team talk about the trailer with each other for the first time since it came out!

In 2007, Bojack Horseman finds himself outside the dressing room of international pop-star Sara Lynn with a handful of flowers and a teleplay. The stressed celebrity warmly welcomes in Bojack but turns cold when she realizes he’s only there to pitch her a guest spot on his failing tv show.

Now, in the modern day, following the death of his friend and coworker Sarah Lynn, Bojack copes with various stages of grief while reconnecting with Diane and agreeing to be in Ethan’s Horsing Around reboot. But when the child actress playing Bojack’s grand daughter expresses a desire to become a famous celebrity, Bojack panics and flees the set of the show. 

Meanwhile Princess Caroline finds that she can’t handle the pressure of staying on vacation, and decides a very semantic career change may be the best best for her. Meanwhile Meanwhile, Todd briefly flirts with being in the 1% while coming to terms with his asexuality.

Also, pasta related drama.

Lesley and Ben struggle to find things to say about one of the sadder episodes of Bojack Hoseman - but ultimately have an in depth discussion about carrying childhood trauma, fulfilling the dreams of others, apologies and breaking out of the cycle of suffering. And horses.

Unable to cope with the pain of failure and pushing his friends away, Bojack deals with his trauma the only way he knows how - medicating with booze and party drugs and watching his old television show. This time, however, he’s not alone. His former co-star, Sarah Lynn accompanies him on a manic road trip and apology tour that ends in tragedy.