Too Much Information

Oct 1

Jordan and Alex do a little fandango, as a treat, as they dive into the stygian depths and falsetto highs of Queen's immortal hit "Bohemian Rhapsody!" Thunderbolts and lightning are the least of their worries as they try to pronounce "Zoroastrian" to get to the bottom of Freddie Mercury's lyrics, dive deep into the literal pieces of trash that make up Brian May's iconic guitar sound and ponder a timeline in which Guns N' Roses soundtracked *that* scene in 'Wayne's World'! Along the way they'll get into the acoustic phenomena behind Freddie Mercury's voice, find out exactly how many vocal overdubs make up "Bohemian Rhapsody," and explore how the band sort-of pioneered the music video as an art form out of laziness! Too Much Information: Beelzebub has a podcast put aside for you! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sep 22

Your two camp counselors of crap that really doesn't matter are back to cover this cult comedy classic and say farewell to summer. You’ll hear how director David Wain and Michael Showalter scraped the film together from camp memories, half-baked funding promises, and an indie script so dark at one point it featured a silencer and two bullets to the brain. Shot on a shoestring at a real Pennsylvania camp, the production was less summer idyll and more soggy boot camp: freezing rain, muddy cabins, and craft services that amounted to pizza bagels every day until the cast staged a mutiny. And because Wet Hot American Summer is as much pop culture oddity as it is comedy, they'll tour its stranger corners: Bradley Cooper skipping his graduation to shoot, Elizabeth Banks shivering through bikini scenes in 40-degree weather, Alex's beloved Christopher Meloni method-acting his way into a “cuddly Rambo” character, and a post-production fart-only DVD commentary track that may be the film’s most enduring legacy. From box office disaster to cult-comedy ur-text, this is the story of how a little camp movie with no budget and no buzz wound up shaping the absurdist humor of a generation. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sep 3

Your Boardwalk barons of boredom are back after a brief hiatus to bring you the surprisingly drama-filled history behind this most American of games. You’ll learn about the wholesale theft at the heart of its creation, the murderers it sparked, the gigantic case of corporate fraud it inspired, and the prisons it sprung from German POW camps. And because Monopoly is as much pop culture as it is cardboard, they'll tour its stranger afterlives: the mascot who officially became “Mr. Monopoly” in 1999 (still no monocle—sorry, Mandela Effect), the ever-shifting lineup of tokens, the globe-trotting board swaps from Boardwalk to Rue de la Paix, a jewel-encrusted $2 million set, and world championships held in places fancy enough to make a hotel on Park Place blush. Even the late Queen reportedly banned it at Christmas—proof that nothing says “festive” like a property dispute. Support your friendly neighborhood TMI Guys here! https://ko-fi.com/toomuchinformationpodcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jul 30

Jordan and Alex descend into the druggy (and groundbreaking! but also druggy) world of 'There’s A Riot Goin’ On,' a monumental testament to the power of individual creative drive (and also drugs). After literally conquering 1969 with the hat trick of Woodstock, the Harlem soul concerts, and [insert the third one here], Sly Stone and his Family (non-Manson edition) decamped from San Francisco to LA and began the dual processes of making an iconic album and dissolving into mess of ego, paranoia, and—we can’t stress this enough—drugs. THRILL to the story of how Sly went from a preternaturally talented kid from Texas into the polymath musician who assembled the only band to actually exemplify the progressive ideals of The Sixties! CHILL to Alex’s unasked-for WOKE CORNER on how San Francisco hasn’t been super-cool to Black people! SPILL… like, tears? Kinda sucks about Sly. Jordan keeps bringing up Brian Wilson. It’s Too Much Information: Sixties Black Guy Being Overshadowed by Sixties White Guy Edition! Support your friendly neighborhood TMI Guys here! https://ko-fi.com/toomuchinformationpodcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jul 23

Alex and Jordan turn their eyes to the pioneering First Family of reality TV. You’ll learn the truth behind the famous flying ham incident, discover all the ways the Osbournes tried to dodge the camera crew when they didn’t want to be filmed, and find out whether it’s medically possible for Ozzy to snort a line of ants. They’ll also explore the family feud with the sister who didn’t want to end up on camera and unpack the drama between Kelly and Christina Aguilera —who later bought the Osbourne family home and turned her old bedroom into a shoe closet. Jordan also shares his weirdly plausible theory of how Jay Leno could have fronted Black Sabbath….(really). (Recorded in 2022.) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jul 15

Your two alien-slaying trivia nerds are back, and this time they’re firing up the VHS and saluting Independence Day — the film that blew up the White House, made Will Smith the King of July 4th, and gave us the only speech that rivals St. Crispin’s and “Four score.” The TMI guys explain how the movie was born at a press conference, written in a hotel room, and sold in 48 hours — all with the intent of crushing Tim Burton. You’ll learn why the Pentagon pulled support (spoiler: Area 51 drama), how Goldblum improvised his way through the movie and the cigar smoke, and why Randy Quaid nearly saved the world in a crop duster. Also covered: mass UFO panic in Orange County, Lebanese censorship courtesy of Hezbollah, and the moment Bill Clinton watched the White House explode from inside the White House. It’s a tale of German visionaries, binary code, K-Y jelly, patriotic pee scenes, and a sci-fi B-movie that accidentally rewrote the playbook for modern blockbusters. Today, we celebrate… Too Much Information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jun 27

Jordan and Alex discuss the family blood feud that led to the beloved cookie's creation, as well as the physics behind dunking, psychology behind twisting, chemistry behind the cream, and the mystery behind its iconic name. They'll also go deep on the 50+ different varieties, the rumored hidden meanings in the wafer embossing, and some truly gross Oreo-related hazing rituals. (Recorded in 2022.) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jun 23

Your two men on the internet telling you useless information supposed to fire your imagination are back with their 60th anniversary deep-dive into this deathless rock anthem. After a heated Beatles vs Stones debate, the TMI guys explain how the classic riff came to Keith Richards in a dream — and run down a list of other great art that came to people while they slept. They’ll explain the song’s unexpected connection to unexplained Scientology deaths, and the role it played in inadvertently breaking up the Beatles. You’ll also learn how the success of “Satisfaction” lead to a schism within the Stones themselves, which ultimately lead to the death of their founder and long-time leader, Brian Jones. Heigl delivers a stunning history of guitar distortion while Jordan explains how the Beatles delighted in trolling their friendly rivals. It’s a story of ego, electricity, obsession, and the song that turned the Rolling Stones into the most dangerous band in the world. For those interested in learning more about The Rolling Stones, here’s the podcast Jordan worked on about the sessions for ‘Exile on Main Street’ and their groundbreaking American tour in the summer of 1972: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stones-touring-party/id1698938627 Support your friendly neighborhood TMI Guys here! https://ko-fi.com/toomuchinformationpodcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.