Secret Histories of Nerd Mysteries

In the modern day, we're so used to being advertised to, that an ad in our favorite films doesn't even phase us anymore.  However, the history of product placement and film might be more intertwined than you think, and while it wasn't the first, the film, E.T. definitely played important part in shaping advertising in movies as we know it today.  

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What if I told you that there was a manga in Japan that not only revolutionized the genre of sports manga, but inspired a plane Hijacking?  Today, Host Austin talks about the famous boxing manga, Ashita no Joe and how this series, though still relatively unknown in the west, has influenced so much of our favorite anime and manga.   

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When the Walt Disney company set out to open a new international theme park under their umbrella, they had no idea that they were entering into a venture that would result in millions of dollars in debt, a graveyard of cancelled projects, and the company teetering on total collapse.  It's just one little theme park in Paris.  What could possibly go wrong?

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Betty Boop is one of the oldest animated characters in existence, and yet she is really only known as a face on t-shirts and purses.  How did she come into existence, and more importantly, is Betty Boop Black?  

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In 1992, the UK unleashed a force so terrible, so annoying, that the world would never be the same.  

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Before Dreamworks released the box office hit, Shrek, they were a small studio trying to find their footing with ambitions of becoming larger than Disney.  In what would soon become Dreamwork's signature move, they decided to try and capture the success of Disney's Toy Story, but make it EDGY and COOL.  Who was the man for the job?  Joe Dante, director of Gremlins, and a man who does not know at all how to make a children's movie.  Will this become a bigger problem down the line, or does Dreamworks have a slam dunk film on their hands?  

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It's hard to believe that there was a time before Hannah Montana, before That's so Raven, before Even Stevens, when The Disney Channel was a much different place.  You have Zoog Disney to thank for the success of all these shows.  Now, what's a Zoog?  Why, it's a creature that lives on the Zether, the place between the internet and TV.  If that didn't make much sense to you, well buckle in.  It only gets wilder from here. 

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Before Drake and Josh.  Before Ned's Declassified.  Before Pete and Pete, there was "Salute Your Shorts" a kid sitcom about the highs and lows of middle school summer camp.  

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Welcome to a special episode of Secret Histories of Nerd Mysteries!  Not only is this episode the first of the 2026 Max Fun Drive, but it's also the very first video episode.  But don't worry, you can still listen to the episode too.  This week, Host Brenda introduces Lunch Meat, the Furby, and talks about whether or not Furbys were ever banned from government buildings!

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It's MaxFunDrive. And here, for the first time, we give you an exclusive look (well, listen) at the craft of podcasting: presenting Casters on Casters.

In this episode, John Moe (Sleeping with Celebrities & Depresh Mode with John Moe) talks about his double life, as a person who speaks in a normal voice, and the host he becomes for Sleeping with Celebrities. And Brenda Snell (Secret Histories of Nerd Mysteries) tells us about what she's learned from her listeners, including what actor/basketball star Shaquille O'Neal is like in real life.

If this glamorous, in-depth journey into what makes your favorite hosts tick inspires you, support them by joining as a member at maximumfun.org/join.

Edited by Jesus Ambrosio and Produced by Laura Swisher for Maximum Fun.

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