Too Much Information

Jordan and Alex spend most of their lives living in a podcast paradise this week going deep on Stevie Wonder's magnum opus ‘Songs in the Key of Life’! They'll explore the chaos that was Stevie's work process at the time, including 3:30 a.m. call times for bassists and guitarists sleeping in the studio, scour the insane guest roster of the sessions for hidden gems (Alice Coltrane? Frank Zappa?) and run down the hallmarks of Stevie's keyboard sound. Along the way they'll marvel at the scope of Stevie's record-breaking contract with Motown, the still-unheard songs from the era he's got in the vault, and run down the expenditures for the premiere party for the album. (How much does a bespoke cowboy outfit cost, anyway?) Too Much Information: Pod's in Need of Pod Today.

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Jordan and Alex don their best Juicy Couture sweatsuits for a deep dive into one of the most iconic Aughties comedies of all time: 'Mean Girls'! They try to make fetch happen by going long on the author of the source material's gripe with the film's writer, Tina Fey, drill down into the difficult process of assembling the sterling cast, and figure out exactly how they made a movie written by a New Yorker and shot in Canada feel like a John Hughes comedy set in Illinois.  They'll also explore the film's very explicit connection to 'Heathers,' what went into the wardrobe and provide a lengthy update on the film's long-stalled sequel. Too Much Information: You CAN sit with us.

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Your VJs of very granular facts are back with behind-the-scenes stories from MTV's beloved countdown extravaganza. You'll hear all about the unholy bromance between Carson Daly and Kid Rock, the time he took the Backstreet Boys to their very first strip club, and the painfully awkward interview between him and Prince. Jordan and Heigl also discuss the moment when the BSB vs. NSYNC battle almost turned deadly on the air (and give their picks for the ultimate boy band), reminisce about the time Fred Durst blew up a boat, revel in Eminem's TRL-related beef with Mark Wahlberg, chuckle at the time Tom Green's "Bum Bum Song" caused a minor production crisis, and marvel at the crazy lengths fans went to get themselves inside MTV's Times Square studios. They'll also explore the complex pop cultural/technological convergence that made TRL the original example of social media, and also explain how these shifting trends ultimately doomed the show. And, of course, they'll get into the Mariah Carey ice cream incident. 

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Jordan and Alex crack open their sarcophagi for a deep-dive into one of the best popcorn flicks of the last century: The Mummy! THRILL as they trace the film's torturous development path through some of the biggest horror names of the era! CHILL as they recount the trials the cast faced from the climate, animals AND people of the remote filming location! GASP at Arnold Vosloo's body-shaving routine to play the titular character! JOIN the Brendan Fraserssance! It's Mummuary on Too Much Information!

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Jordan and Alex lock themselves into a shack with just a chess computer, a bottle of J&B and a shape-shifting cosmic horror for company in this week's Too Much Information on John Carpenter's 1982 classic "The Thing!" They'll delve into the hows and whys the film got made with the writer of "The Bad News Bears," give the SFX wunderkind responsible for the film's monsters his roses, and ponder why Ennio Morricone's film scoring contracts specify his contributions down to the minute.  Listeners will also be privy the boozy secret ritual of the bar the cast and crew drank at in Hyder, Alaska and learn the one aspect of this film's pre-production that Carpenter vowed to never do again. Whatever's in there, it's weird and it's pissed off: It's Too Much Information!

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What do Atari, Pixar, pizza, beer and rats have in common? Jordan and Alex dive into a suspiciously sticky ball-pit under the uncanny valley gaze of an animatronic rat to go deep on everyone's favorite source of cherished childhood memories and/or trauma: Chuck E. Cheese! They'll discover the roots the chain shares with the iconic video game company behind "Pong," get the heart of the vicious feud between Chuck and his closest competitor, and shine a light on the animatronics wunderkind and vexed utopian who crafted the indelible animatronic band whose songs live on in all our hearts. Also, there will be pizza. And fistfights! Alex won't stop calling the rat "Charles!" Jordan is baffled by all of this! So take a listen to where a kid can be a kid: Too Much Information.

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Jordan and Alex revisit the beloved 1986 masterwork that blended South African sounds with American dance pop — and became one of the most controversial albums of the decade. Paul Simon's unsanctioned trip to Johannesburg in the era of Apartheid violated a UN boycott, kicking off an international firestorm that nearly cost Simon his life. (Until E Street Band guitarist Stevie Van Zandt intervened...) They'll discuss the complex cultural questions surrounding the creation of this album, and also delve into history of these fascinating rhythms and melodies in South Africa. Plus, you'll learn how the album never would have come together without SNL producer Lorne Michaels, discover the dinner party faux-pas that inspired "You Can Call Me Al,' and hear why "Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes" was a last minute addition to the tracklist.

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You've never had a friend like the TMI guys, who dove deep into the making of this 1992 Disney animated classic. You'll get all the behind-the-scenes stories of Robin Williams' hilariously non-family friendly Genie dialogue, learn the truth behind his long-running feud with Disney, and discover how his role in the movie changed the course of animation forever. You'll also hear how the plot differs from the Aladdin story from antiquity, learn why the film caused some controversy upon its release, get to the bottom of the supposed hidden sex joke, and discover why "A Whole New World" is the greatest Disney song of all time. 

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With the global success of 'Wednesday' on Netflix, Alex and Jordan are exploring the history of everyone's favorite creepy, kooky, mysterious and spooky family — from its humble beginnings as a New Yorker cartoon to an endearingly weird '60s sitcom to the beloved '90s movies. You'll learn about the Addams Family's eccentric creator who had a secret affair with Jackie Kennedy, the show's mini-rivalry with 'The Munsters,' and the time director Barry Sonnenfeld built a pillow fort to hide from nightmare producer Scott Rudin. There's also the mystery of Lurch's missing bodily remains, the time Cher almost got cast as Morticia, and the story behind that banger of a theme song. 

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In the final installment of their TMI Titanic Trilogy, Jordan and Alex dive into the truly insane stories behind the many repeated sinkings of James Cameron’s gargantuan Titanic set — an experience that nearly killed Kate Winslet many times over and cost the sanity of the crew. They’ll also get into the true-life stories of heroism on the real Titanic, bust some myths about the lifeboats, and tackle the most enduring controversy associated with the Titanic production: could Jack have fit on that floating piece of wood paneling along with Rose? Perhaps most importantly, they’ll explain how Celine Dion’s iconic ballad “My Heart Will Go On” very nearly was cut from the film. 

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