PopFury

The mustachioed JEFF MURDOCH goes with flow when we talk about his mustache, childhood toys, Transformers sequels, his relationships and possibly moving from Chicago.

SHOW NOTES:

0:00 Intro

1:30 Jeff explains the genesis of his mustache. “sell out mustache”

“Honestly, I just want to make a million dollars so I don't have to do anything in my life...is that so bad?”

7:15 Sammy wonders if Jeff's mustache influences his dating life.

10:35 A Harvard employee stole $80,000 and used it for toys and electronics. We reminisce about childhood toys and Jeff explains Simpsons Tapped Out to Sammy.

18:15 Sammy demands to know how high school Jeff, who was a superduper band nerd, had a girlfriend.

“We broke up over AOL AIM chat.”

24:40 Jeff is livid there are FOUR more Transformers sequels are on the way. He was surprised that liked New Girl and gave up on The Walking Dead (spoiler alert!)

30:15 A Birmingham, AL radio station has already started playing holiday music! We dive into our feelings about Halloween and Jeff's past costumes.

38:05 Please give a listen to friends of the podcast: Scareblast, Remake & Rabbit Hole!

"Just say 'I go with the flow' -- it sounds better than 'Beta Male'"

40:45  Jeff starts talking about his HS girlfriend off-air and Sammy spokes that into a conversation about his behavior in relationships.

49:30 A priest pointed a gun at child because the child rooted for the Dallas Cowboys.

52:00 Moving to LA or NYC is on Jeff's mind

57:20 Outro

Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this episode of the PopFury Podcast, please subscribe and rate us on iTunes or Stitcher!

Welcome to PopFury's second Spotlight episode!

While we have many fantastic guests, terrific stories & hilarious moments each and every episode, we realize that our listeners may not have heard them all.  This episode features a short excerpt from a past podcast that we feel truly deserves a moment in the spotlight.

For this Spotlight, we return to a conversation from episode 47 with Dan Bakkedahl where Dan candidly talks about leaving Second City and his experience on the Daily Show.

SHOW NOTES:

0:00 Intro

1:20 Dan talks about the circumstances surrounding his departure from Second City, his time on the Daily Show and the personal insights he’s had in the intervening years.

13:07 Outro

Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this episode of the PopFury Podcast, please subscribe and rate us on iTunes or Stitcher!

Quintuple threat LISA BURTON (@lisaburton) gets all spooky up in Studio 1Q as we talk about her new horror movie podcast SCAREBLAST, scary movies, the Hamilton soundtrack and transitioning back into the acting grind in Chicago.

SHOW NOTES:

0:00 Intro

0:50 The overachieving Lisa is hosting Scareblast, a once-a-day horror movie podcast in October. Sammy thinks it's a front for dating. Lisa breaks down M. Night Shyamalan's career and his new movie The Visit.

6:00 Lisa explains why she loves horror films.

“Princess Bride is the movie that calms me down after a hard day...or really any supernatural horror movie.”

7:25 Sammy asks Lisa what her favorite and least favorite horror movies are. She is afraid to hurt any specific movie's feelings and discusses a bevy of movies instead. Sammy was definitely her favorite guest on Scareblast.

20:00 Sammy wonders why we want to be scared. Lisa listens to a real life crime podcast.

“You know, Sammy, maybe you should wait until the podcast is already out to give me some criticism on my podcast.”

28:00 Please give a listen to friends of the podcast: Scareblast, Remake & Rabbit Hole.

29:35 Lisa is really loving the Hamilton cast recording. It's damn good y'all.

34:45 She talks about the transition from full-time paid actor back to the grind of having day job and acting for free. The wily Lisa snares Sammy  in a logic trap.

40:55 Outro

Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this episode of the PopFury Podcast, please subscribe and rate us on iTunes or Stitcher!

NICK REES overstuffs the podcast with words--oh so many words--as he rapidly chatters about the Little People reality shows, meeting his wife, almost dying from blood clots, being a heckler and The Martian!

SHOW NOTES:

0:00 Intro

0:50 Nick worked a full time job while working for Second City. He intentionally watched crappy movies when on tour.

"...I guess that's what happens when you have sex. Somebody needs to inform me."

5:05 He watches a frightening amount of the various Little People reality TV shows.

11:05 Sammy notices Nick doesn't wear a wedding ring. Nick recounts how he met his wife and the magical movie that inspired him to propose.

“So I just spit on the side of the street and it was just blood."

15:40 Nick shares his harrowing hospital visit and near-death experience....

23:40 ...and how he learned absolutely nothing from it.

25:25 Nick is healthier now. Sammy misremembers Nick as a much bigger man. Nick is a heckler by nature and foolishly believes he would survive prison.

“I was on an MTV thing about heckling, you can't open the door of heckling to me and think, 'Oh, he's not gonna flip back into that...'”

31:45 Please give a listen to PopFury's friends: Rabbit Hole, Remake & ScareBlast!

33:30 Nick enjoys reading time travel books and is a fan of Back To The Future. He accidentally got a history degree.

39:00 Nick outlines his disappointment with the Marvel movies and we discuss our favorite comic book movies. He hated Guardians of the Galaxy and loved V for Vendetta.

“If I could travel back in time and meet myself...I would probably bully myself.”

46:20 We are both excited for The Martian. Nick says being bullied led him into comedy.

50:50 Outro

Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this episode of the PopFury Podcast, please subscribe and rate us on iTunes or Stitcher!

 

EDDIE MUJICA (Chicago Tribune Hot New Faces of Chicago Theater 2015) and BEX MARSH (Bellevue East Nebraska Class A Girls Basketball State Champion 2006) lace up their sneakers and hit the hardwood at PopFury Stadium. We talk about how they met, getting married, Bex's 3-on-3 Hoosiers moment, Eddie's suspicions about Facebook, and what they'll miss about Chicago.

SHOW NOTES:

0:00 Intro

“I am starting to realize how big of a sham the wedding industry is. It's so ridiculous!” - Bex

1:00 Eddie and Bex, a cagey veteran in her third straight state finals appearance, are totally and absolutely enthusiastic about getting married.

5:30 They were recently on vacation in L.A. … but it really wasn't a vacation. Eddie and Bex, who scored 17 points and grabbed 7 rebounds against Lincoln Northeast to cinch the state championship, travel well together.

“I was like I'm gonna make it a feminist point not to date...but then I saw him and was like, 'Uh Oh...'” - Bex

 

“She was the first other person that walked into the Annex upstairs at iO...and immediately I was like, 'Oh man, I'm in trouble.'” - Eddie

9:45 Eddie and Bex, a 5'10” senior who will be attending Doane College after graduation, detail how they first met...right after they both had decided not to date anyone.

17:45 Bex tells the greatest Hoosiers-meets-White-Men-Can't-Jump-at-super-church-camp basketball story ever. She played HORSE against old white men for money in high school.

29:10 Eddie will be moving further away from his family. Eddie and Bex's parents have already asked about grandkids.

33:40 Whitney Houston and Billie Holiday hologram shows are coming next year. Eddie suspects Facebook is spying on him and we formulate a plan to prove it.

“I got nothing on Rick Bayless.” -Eddie

38:30 They are leaving for L.A in two weeks. Their Chicago bucket list includes lots of restaurants and they recommend Cho Sun Ok (but only with a Korean). Bex would marry Rick Bayless over Eddie and Eddie is OK with that.

44:00 Eddie and Bex share what they will and won't miss from Chicago.

47:30 Outro

“This is well-deserved,” Marsh told the Columbus Telegram. “We've been waiting so long for this. It's amazing to be a part of it.”

 

Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this episode of the PopFury Podcast, please subscribe and rate us on iTunes or Stitcher!

 

CAROLYN SINON (@CarolynSinon) and KAETLYNN DAOUST (@kaetlynnd) get very shouty about Tinder, relationship status etiquette, men's capes, the saga of the blue pants and basic bitches! A very special Tinder gallery is available in the show notes...

SHOW NOTES:

0:00 Intro

1:25 Kaetlynn begins to explain Ultimate Frisbee to a confused Sammy; Carolyn translates.

“We're having a really great conversation about jelly and assholes. So this might be a potential suitor.” -Kaetlynn

3:15 Kaetlynn snagged her current beau through Tinder...with an assist from Carolyn. They describe the type of men they saw on Tinder.

8:20 Tinder is introducing the “Super Like.” Kaetlynn and Carolyn  share horrible Tinder photos with each other. Enjoy the gallery below:

Chest Tattoo

Neck Tattoo

Gun Tattoo

Cupid

40 oz (NSFW)

12:15 Carolyn has a “real-life boyfriend.” Sammy wonders about the Facebook etiquette for relationship statuses. Kaetlynn asked for a relationship upgrade.

“Slampieces don't fold laundry.” -Kaetlynn

21:45 Antonio Banderas wants to resurrect capes as menswear -- this sparks an extremely spirited and passionate debate. Also, Kaetlynn is some sort of nature baby.

29:10 Kaetlynn recounts the saga of the blue pants. Carolyn had a boyfriend get mad that she got a haircut.

33:15 An Alabama town is considering a ban on saggy pants and short miniskirts.  A UK school sent female students home for "too tight trousers." We recall our own personal high school attire.

"Thank God for straight-legged jeans--I can just roll those fuckers up! It's great!" - Carolyn

44:00 Kaetlynn and Carolyn love Fall. They explain the concept of “basic bitches” to Sammy.

48:10 outro

Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this episode of the PopFury Podcast, please subscribe and rate us on iTunes or Stitcher!

Sammy loses control of the podcast when SARAH SHOCKEY (@sarahjoyshockey) and BEN VIGEANT (@bvigeant) seize control of Studio 1Q! The racous and rambling duo talks romance, text-back tempo, Pokemon & their religious upbringings.

SHOW NOTES:

0:00 Intro

2:00 Ben is reading “The Shining Girls” about a time-traveling serial killer. Sarah gets nervous when fictional characters get in trouble and always wants the good guys to win. Ben & Sarah break down the kind of books they do and don't like.

“For each smooch, pull away, look into the eyes, say 'thank you' and then go in for another.” - Sarah

9:00 Ben recalls a romantic picnic date he planned.

12:30 Sarah doesn't love “Transitional Sarah” - the Sarah she was between long-term relationships. We dissect text-back tempo.

“Let's get back to this monogamous, comfortable, sweet little cocoon of romance and kissing and you can fart sometimes...not too often, please.” - Sarah

20:45 A man has quit his job to focus on breaking the Guinness World Record for Selfies. Ben and Sarah are both anxious people.

24:15 Ben and Sarah both play the Pokemon games. They are not enthused by the augmented reality Pokemon Go mobile game coming out. Sarah's first Tamagotchi is most likely covered in poop and sad.

“What are they doing to these people?!?! They came back like Pod People!!!!” - Ben

28:45 Sammy is intrigued by Sarah's religious buffet of faith growing up...and confused by how her high school boyfriend broke up with her. Ben was raised Catholic and shares the secret of weekend trips. Naturally, the topic of sex and religion comes up.

43:15 Ben describes catholic confession and the worst Christmas mass ever.

“He just made me say a whole bunch of Hail Marys and promise I wouldn't masturbate again. And you know what? I haven't.” - Ben

48:34 Sarah likes cozy books like Mary Higgins Clark. Ben was worried about Toby in the Labyrinth. Sarah outlines the things she wasn't allowed to watch or hear about as a kid.

55:25 Outro

Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this episode of the PopFury Podcast, please subscribe and rate us on iTunes or Stitcher!

RENE DUQUESNOY & ANDY CAREY repeatedly splish splash through a puddle metaphor  as we talk Star Wars, Mad Max: Fury Road, The Princess Bride, HGTV and Road House. Bobcat Goldthwait and Woody Allen make unexpected appearances.

SHOW NOTES:

0:00 Intro where Sammy, who has known Rene for years, muffs Rene's last name.

1:15 They break down Haterade for Sammy.

3:35 Rene introduced Andy's son to Star Wars.

“That's a special Facebook folder called, 'Jamie Loves Dessert'” - Rene

5:25 Rene is going to be a father. He and his wife love Chicago and would never leave; Andy explains why he moved to the suburbs.

12:00 Rene and Andy (and Bobcat Goldthwait) disagree on Fury Road.

“It felt like 2 hours of pod racing.” - Rene

16:20 Andy is watching the Twilight Zone as white noise. Rene, who is training for a marathon, talks about what he uses for distraction (or not).

23:10 Andy's son just watched The Princess Bride for the first time.

“I had it for the Mac Classic before it was a classic.” - Rene

26:10 Surge soda is returning to store shelves. Rene is way too into HGTV and he and Andy break down what it's like to be homeowners.

34:15 Ronda Rousey is in talks to star in a remake of Road House. We (and Woody Allen) discuss movie remakes in general.

“You don't have to service my childhood...but you can try to make a movie that's watchable.” - Andy

39:20 Outro with a special PopFury-flavored improvised rap.

Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this episode of the PopFury Podcast, please subscribe and rate us on iTunes or Stitcher!

ComedySportz improvisors Kelsey Wagner and Brian Tabak stop by Studio 1Q for the Second Annual PopFury Fall Movie Preview! As a special treat, marvel as Kelsey decides she'd rather talk about old people or the West Wing or a Broadway musical  rather than the movies that are actually coming out this fall! All trailers are linked to in the show notes for this episode.

SHOW NOTES:

0:00 Intro

0:45 Kelsey doesn't understand that we only have time to talk about the Fall Movie Preview. She's just the worst.

2:25 SEPTEMBERThe Maze Runner: The Scorch TrialsCootiesEverestBlack Mass (and Johnny Depp's career)The Intern (and Kelsey's love of old people)

“Kelsey has watched so many documentaries about old people doing things that old people shouldn't be doing.” - Brian

16:25 OCTOBERThe Martian Steve Jobs (and the funniest story ever, but only just to Kelsey)GoosebumpsJem and the Holograms Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse (Red Band Trailer NSFW)

“The people in the 80s don't even remember Jem—why are we bothering to bring her back?” - Kelsey

33:25 NOVEMBERThe Peanuts MovieSPECTREThe Hunger Games: Mockingjay part 2Creed (and the Broadway musical Rocky)The Good Dinosaur

“Mostly when I go to the movies I'm going to see kids' films.” - Brian

47:45 DECEMBERSistersStar Wars: The Force AwakensThe Hateful EightThe RevenantPoint Break

58:35 Outro

The Annoyance Theater's JIMMY PENNINGTON (@jimmyofnazareth) shares how he's changed for the better over the years, his hate of social media, his hate of True Detective Season 2, his hate of iPhone apps and his hate of a Hitler Time Travel study.

SHOW NOTES:

0:00 Intro

0:40 Sammy's alliterative intro leads into a discussion of skinheads and the rape allegations against Blackhawk player Patrick Kane.

5:40 Jimmy explains what he would do if he took over America.

“I'd say 70% of the time I get angry because I know it's funny.”

7:30 Sammy wonders if Jimmy is an angry man. He is a definitely a tattooed man.

10:25 Jimmy openly and honestly discusses who he used to be and why he changed. He shares his personal struggles from college and his early years in Chicago. Jimmy also talks about how this affects his improv.

“I don't think I'd be alive if I hadn't stopped all that stuff...but I also think I wouldn't have this gift of hindsight.”

30:00 Jimmy hates social media and thinks it is a garbage can. You can follow him on Twitter at @jimmyofnazareth.

31:15 Jimmy HATES a study that says people are spending more time on Netflix. He calls bullshit. BULLSHIT!

33:30 Jimmy HATES True Detective Season 2. So, he watched the entire season.

“Popular culture is garbage. It's always been garbage. It will always be garbage. There's no difference between the garbage now and the garbage from the 80s and 90s...which is why nostalgia is bullshit and an opiate of the masses.”

36:15 Jimmy HATES EVERY THING about Avoid Humans, an app that helps you find sparsely populated locations. He also HATES EVERY THING about popular culture. Sammy retorts with the seminal classic, Battle of the Network Stars.

39:45 A SpongeBob Squarepants musical is coming to Chicago. Jimmy, surprisingly, LOVES that...but not for the reasons you would think.

44:55 In a graceful return to form, Jimmy ¡¡¡HATES!!1!1! a study that says women are less likely than men to kill Hitler.

“That's a bullshit article that doesn't need to exist!”

48:40 Jimmy once traded a gun for a tattoo. He shares his advice for getting tattoos.

51:30 Outro