“What Happened to the Magic of Disneyland?”

Disneyland was once a place where you could escape the real world and immerse yourself in something magical. But on a recent visit, we found ourselves asking: what happened?

From constant phone use and social media to endless monetization, intellectual property taking over the parks, and an experience that increasingly feels more transactional than magical, we explore how Disneyland has changed—and whether the magic really disappeared, or whether we simply grew up.

Because maybe the real irony is this: we went to Disneyland to escape the modern world, only to find the modern world waiting for us inside.

We talk nostalgia, technology, commercialization, and the strange experience of realizing that something you once loved may no longer exist in quite the same way.

Was the magic lost—or did we just change?

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What happens when the dark, seductive world of Bret Easton Ellis meets the glossy, meticulously crafted universe of Ryan Murphy?

In this episode of Why Are We Like This?, we dive into The Shards—a story of beautiful people, beautiful places, drugs, sex, violence and the loneliness hiding underneath the veneer. But our conversation quickly becomes about something much bigger: the loss of childhood, the consequences of growing up too soon, and what happens when young people are left to navigate the world without the guidance they need.

We explore why we're often drawn to the very things that make us uncomfortable, whether disturbing art can expand our empathy, and how our own experiences create the “keyhole” through which we see the world.

For Jarrod, Bret Easton Ellis's work also hits closer to home, opening a conversation about alienation, self-destructive choices, finding chosen family, and the difference between perpetuating our wounds and healing them.

Because maybe the reason artists keep revisiting uncomfortable places isn't because they're stuck there.

Maybe it's their process to process.

And maybe that's why we stay curious. 🎙️

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Download this and future episodes of our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocketcasts, and anywhere else to find your favorite shows. You can search Why Are We Like This? and please be sure to subscribe, and/or write a review if possible to help build our show.  Have an idea for a future episode, or want to join us for a conversation? Send us a message with the link above!

Why Do We Have to Be Right?

Why is being wrong so uncomfortable?

In this episode of Why Are We Like This?, Jarrod and Robert take a closer look at our need to be right—and what that need might actually be protecting.

Is being wrong really a threat to our identity, our intelligence, or our sense of control? Or have we simply learned to confuse being wrong about something with being wrong as a person?

The conversation explores vulnerability, ego, intellectual humility, and the ways our own experiences can limit how we see the world. Jarrod introduces the idea of our “keyhole perception”—the understanding that each of us sees only a portion of the larger picture—and Robert reflects on what happens when we become comfortable admitting that we don't have all the answers. 

Along the way, they talk about changing our minds, why being open to new information is a strength rather than a weakness, and why sometimes the most liberating thing we can say is simply:

“I don't know.”

Because maybe being wrong isn't the problem.

Maybe our need to never be wrong is.

And perhaps the answer to life isn't having all the answers—but being willing to embrace the questions.

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Download this and future episodes of our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocketcasts, and anywhere else to find your favorite shows. You can search Why Are We Like This? and please be sure to subscribe, and/or write a review if possible to help build our show.  Have an idea for a future episode, or want to join us for a conversation? Send us a message with the link above!

Why do we want to matter?

Is it survival? Ego? Legacy? Love? Or something even deeper?

This week, Jarrod and Robert explore one of the most fundamental questions of the human experience. From childhood bullying and people-pleasing to celebrity culture, social media, and the pursuit of fame, they examine why so many of us look outward for validation—and whether the answer has been within us all along.

Maybe mattering isn't about being remembered.

Maybe it's about how we experience our own lives.

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Download this and future episodes of our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocketcasts, and anywhere else to find your favorite shows. You can search Why Are We Like This? and please be sure to subscribe, and/or write a review if possible to help build our show.  Have an idea for a future episode, or want to join us for a conversation? Send us a message with the link above!

What started as a conversation about why Jarrod doesn't enjoy musicals quickly became something much bigger.

From Grease 2 and Book of Mormon to Death Becomes Her, drag, comedy, and storytelling, we explore why some art feels authentic while other art feels performative. Along the way we discuss nostalgia, originality, stereotypes, cancel culture, and why the best conversations aren't about changing minds—they're about expanding them.

This isn't really an episode about musicals.

It's an episode about honesty.

Stay Curious.

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Download this and future episodes of our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocketcasts, and anywhere else to find your favorite shows. You can search Why Are We Like This? and please be sure to subscribe, and/or write a review if possible to help build our show.  Have an idea for a future episode, or want to join us for a conversation? Send us a message with the link above!

Few artists have shaped popular culture the way Madonna has. For more than four decades, she's reinvented herself, challenged expectations, sparked conversations, and remained at the center of music, fashion, and entertainment. But what is it about Madonna that has allowed her to stay relevant while so many others have faded from the spotlight?

In this episode, we explore the lasting appeal of the Queen of Pop—from her fearless creativity and business savvy to her willingness to evolve with the times while staying unapologetically herself. We'll look at the risks she's taken, the controversies she's embraced, and the influence she's had on generations of artists who followed in her footsteps.

Whether you've been a fan since the '80s or you're discovering her impact for the first time, this conversation examines why Madonna continues to inspire, provoke, and captivate audiences around the world. Love her or question her, there's no denying that her legacy is one of the most remarkable in modern entertainment.

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Download this and future episodes of our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocketcasts, and anywhere else to find your favorite shows. You can search Why Are We Like This? and please be sure to subscribe, and/or write a review if possible to help build our show.  Have an idea for a future episode, or want to join us for a conversation? Send us a message with the link above!

Success isn't always about talent, luck, or having the perfect plan—more often, it's about showing up and putting in the effort, day after day. In this episode, we explore why consistent effort matters in every area of life, from our careers and relationships to our health, personal growth, and everyday responsibilities.

We'll discuss how small, intentional actions create lasting change, why persistence often outperforms natural ability, and how embracing the process can help you overcome setbacks and build resilience. Whether you're chasing a big goal or simply trying to become a better version of yourself, this conversation will remind you that effort is one of the few things always within your control.

Join us as we unpack the mindset and habits that turn ordinary moments into extraordinary progress—because every meaningful achievement begins with the decision to keep showing up.

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Download this and future episodes of our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocketcasts, and anywhere else to find your favorite shows. You can search Why Are We Like This? and please be sure to subscribe, and/or write a review if possible to help build our show.  Have an idea for a future episode, or want to join us for a conversation? Send us a message with the link above!

Streaming was supposed to make entertainment easier—but somehow it feels more complicated than ever. In this episode, we dive into the growing frustrations of modern streaming platforms, from endless subscription fees and disappearing content to confusing interfaces, password crackdowns, and the overwhelming challenge of deciding what to watch. We explore how the promise of convenience has evolved into a fragmented ecosystem that leaves viewers juggling apps, budgets, and recommendations.

Whether you're tired of chasing your favorite shows across multiple services or just miss the days when finding something to watch didn't feel like a part-time job, this conversation unpacks the highs, lows, and future of streaming. Tune in as we discuss what's working, what's broken, and whether the streaming industry has lost sight of the audience it was built to serve.

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Download this and future episodes of our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocketcasts, and anywhere else to find your favorite shows. You can search Why Are We Like This? and please be sure to subscribe, and/or write a review if possible to help build our show.  Have an idea for a future episode, or want to join us for a conversation? Send us a message with the link above!

We promised that we wouldn't fall into the trap of becoming the next gay Bravo commentary podcast, but the drama is RIPE this season on Summer House. With the drama between stars Amanda Batula and West Wilson, and it's completely imploded following Amanda’s separation from Kyle Cooke. Their messy romance, conflicting timelines, and explosive reunion confrontations led to West's exit from the show and caused a massive rift within the cast.
And it's delicious. We chat about why West is (and has been) a problem on the show, we try to psychoanalyze Amanda's poor decision-making, and we discuss why a show that "should be fun" is sometimes just tragic.

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Download this and future episodes of our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocketcasts, and anywhere else to find your favorite shows. You can search Why Are We Like This? and please be sure to subscribe, and/or write a review if possible to help build our show.  Have an idea for a future episode, or want to join us for a conversation? Send us a message with the link above!

"The Podcast is coming from inside the house..."
If you've listened to us before, you KNOW we love horror, Halloween, and all things spooky. We invite you, if you dare, to listen in because, in tonight's episode we revisit some of our favorite (and not so favorite) horror films from the last few years since we've been "ghosted", including new classics like The Substance, Late Night with the Devil, and a little underrated gem called Imaginary. We also chat about what makes a great horror film, as well as a little vent of our frustrations with over-marketed horror film ad campaigns. To be fair, we haven't seen Obsession, but if you've got to tell people that your film is changing the genre...

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Download this and future episodes of our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocketcasts, and anywhere else to find your favorite shows. You can search Why Are We Like This? and please be sure to subscribe, and/or write a review if possible to help build our show.  Have an idea for a future episode, or want to join us for a conversation? Send us a message with the link above!