The Beak » Breakfast with the Beak

It’s one of the great internet success stories: a novel posted on the web, which became a real book, which became a movie. And now John Dies at the End has somehow become this podcast. We’re not just reviewing the movie; we’re looking into its curious history, debating what it means for internet culture, and […]

These days, you can’t tell a story about one kind of monster without every other kind of monster trying to steal the spotlight. But which creature deserves to have its story told? We’re looking at a couple of the most popular, in hopes of finding out how vampires became sexy and how werewolves wound up […]

We’re getting downright educational this week! Bedbugs have made their homes in our fair city, and we have the inside scoop from a real-life ex-exterminator. Where did these tiny bloodsuckers come from? How can you protect yourself? Who can we blame? Guaranteed to feature at least one very uncomfortable host, plus a nice bit about […]

We’ve been tasked with reviewing the career of one of the most influential filmmakers of all time, and we don’t know his work. The solution? How about an all-day Kurosawa movie marathon so we can talk half-knowledgeably about a handful of his best-known films. We got our brains melted by Rashomon, our senses overloaded by […]

It’s time for our annual holiday special, and you know what that means: we’re completely half-assing it. As in, barely even bothering to make sense. Instead, we’re more concerned with weaseling out of the latest topic, debating the premise of old arcade games, and maybe – just maybe – arguing with a certain sock. Basically […]

Is it possible for two people on the internet to discuss the career of David Bowie without getting distracted by Labyrinth? It turns out, no, that is not possible. But we get to a lot of other good stuff before that! For example, tales of the golden age of anything-goes radio and a hierarchy of […]

Reincarnation is definitely one of the nicer afterlife options, so obviously we’re trying to think of funny stuff to say about it. And that means mocking psychics, recapping forgotten supernatural romantic comedies, and debating whether or not microbes have souls. Presented with a cherished belief held by millions of people, how long does it take […]

This week, we’re breaking format all over the place, inviting a guest into the Breakfast Kitchen to discuss her own topic. And we’re asking the hard questions. Can Plinko ever be made truly handicap accessible? Is Pat Sajak a Highlander? Do people want to see oiled-up hunks on game shows? How sturdy are those sets? […]

Comparing a real news story to a piece of satire is basically a cliche at this point, but that doesn’t mean the resemblance isn’t there. Real people still get fooled by fake stories, and real stupidity is more carefully documented than it’s ever been. It’s entirely possible that this is the episode that ends up […]

You dared us to talk about it, and we took the bait! That’s right: a whole show about the mysterious, seemingly impossible structure on Donald Trump’s head. How does it work? What does it look like when it hasn’t been styled? Is it a wig, a combover, or some kind of animal companion? And what […]