Paul F. Tompkins clears his throat as he welcomes everyone back to Spontaneanation! This time out, Paul’s special return guest is actress and comedian Alice Wetterlund of TBS’ People of Earth! They chat about the moment Alice was at her very hottest and the moment she was at her very not hottest, whether she has a preference between having a baby boy or baby girl, and her short-lived marriage. Paul is then joined by Mandell Maughan, Annie Savage, and Matt Gourley, to improvise a story set at Casting Auditions for the New Haunted Hayride. And as always, Eban (only the best) Schletter scores it all on piano!

This episode is brought to you by Indochino (www.indochino.com code: PFT).

Writer Carina Chocano joins Amy this week to discuss the original 1975 horror/thriller “The Stepford Wives.” First, Carina tells Amy about her new book You Play the Girl, and then they get into “The Stepford Wives,” noting how the film plays to director Bryan Forbes’ strengths and what it says about the power of perspective. They pick apart the use of sound design in the film, how it deals with themes of cultural abuse, and its lasting impact. Does “The Stepford Wives” belong in The Canon? Head to the Earwolf forums now to cast your vote!

Comedy superstar Andy Richter returns this week to talk about co-hosting Conan and to help fix everything about Comic-Con. Then, Denmark native Tina Danish arrives to map out her plan to achieve a Guinness World Record, and educator Patricia Primm makes a scheduled appearance to give etiquette tips and to perform some observational humor.

This episode is brought to you by Legal Zoom (www.legalzoom.com/PREPARE) and Blue Apron (www.blueapron.com/CBB).

Join your host John Tortorro (Sean Conroy) for another episode of “Why Ma? Why Ma! Weimar.” After the usual rant and Brand New Rules, John welcomes his ma Rose Marie Tortorro to answer all his burning questions including why she had so many jobs when he was growing up. Plus, Traci Reardon stops by to answer Twitter questions about John in another edition of “Help Me, Rhonda.”

This episode is brought to you by Modcloth (www.modcloth.com code: LAPKUS) and Sun Basket (www.sunbasket.com/LAPKUS).

Airplane maintenance, suction cups, and a man who watched 8 Andy Sidaris movies on this week’s mini-sode! Paul goes through Corrections and Omissions for Hard Ticket to Hawaii and Blake J. Harris returns to talk to Rodrigo Obregon, the main villain of Hard Ticket to Hawaii (for the full interview go to www.slashfilm.com). Paul gives some recs in Paul’s Picks and the Movie Bitches review 47 Meters Down. Plus, you’ll find out which gross movie we will be covering next!

This episode is brought to you by SKYN condoms (www.skyn.com).

Check out new HDTGM merch over at https://www.teepublic.com/user/howdidthisgetmade

Where to Find Jason, June & Paul:

Paul’s new comedy Drive Share is available on Go90. Paul can be seen on Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later, Opening Night, and Veep. You can see June and Paul on NTSF:SD:SUV:: on HULU. June stars in Grace and Frankie on Netflix, as well as Lady Dynamite alongside with Jason.

Jason can be seen in The House, The Lego Batman Movie, How to Be Single, Sleeping with Other People, and is still indeed in The Dictator.

On the premiere episode of HOMOPHILIA, Dave Holmes and Matt McConkey welcome the amazing Cameron Esposito (Take My Wife, Queery) to the studio to talk about bad break-ups, poorly-timed tattoos, her wife Rhea’s tiny hat, and more on what they’re loving & who they loving.

Huddle up! It’s time for a dream team lineup of some of Fake the Nation’s smartest and funniest guests. Maeve Higgins (Maeve In America) and Seema Iyer (The Bollywood Lawyer) ponder how to take control of their emotions. John Fugelsang (Tell Me Everything) and Dean Obeidallah (The Dean Obeidallah Show) discuss interracial dating and look ahead to America’s mixed race future. Plus, Stephanie Butnick (Unorthodox) and Azhar Usman (Ultra American) take a deep dive into cultural appropriation.

This episode is brought to you by Casper Mattresses (www.casper.com/FAKE) and Modcloth (www.modcloth.com code: FAKE).

After a week of great tragedy, Casey and Danielle are joined by Leslie Grossman to help them mourn, process and heal from the loss of Tommy’s cookies. There is song, prayer, and discussion of Tamra’s rotten insides, all to help in the grieving process. Plus, Greg Bennett chimes in with his thoughts and wishes for the future of his precious Countess O Countess.

This episode is brought to you by Texture (www.texture.com/HOUSEWIVES) and Rent the Runway (www.renttherunway.com/unlimited).

Bracing for impact with Dave Holmes.

This episode is brought to you by Mack Weldon (www.mackweldon.com code: PARDO), Hot Mic with Dan Savage, ZipRecruiter (www.ziprecruiter.com/PARDO), and Casper Mattresses (www.casper.com/PARDO code: PARDO).

In 2010, Christopher Nolan pissed off Batman fans around the world by taking a break in between Dark Knight movies to make an original film about dream thieves. Inception went on to become a genuine phenomenon, grossing only slightly less money than either of Nolan’s Batman sequels and becoming the subject of countless message board arguments that pop up across the internet to this day. And it almost starred James Franco.

This week, Tom and Abe are joined by Cracked’s Head of Video Cody Johnston as they dive headfirst into the undeniable creative artistry behind one of the biggest films of all time, the imagery Nolan used to simultaneously connect and separate the dream world from reality, and how to make sense of what is easily the most nonsensical crime thriller ever produced.

This episode is brought to you by RiffTrax Live: Doctor Who – The Five Doctors (www.fathomevents.com/RiffTraxDoctorWho).

Bryan and Erin spend some time this week digging into the leather-bound collection of nonsense Suzanne Venker calls her new book as well as the concept of the unloving “Alpha Female.” Then, they give a rundown of Australia’s messy gay marriage situation, and writer Diallo Riddle sits in to talk about writing for Jimmy Fallon and to share his feelings about everything from Despacito to sex after Chinese food.

This episode is sponsored by ModCloth (www.modcloth.com code: SHADE), Care/of (www.takecareof.com code: SHADE), Southern New Hampshire University, Society 6 (www.society6.com/throwingshade code: throwingshade), and Lyft (www.lyft.com/shade).

Jessica St. Clair, Lennon Parham, and Will Hines join Matt Besser for this week’s improv4humans! They perform scenes about a group audition involving jetpacks, having your name drawn out by an improv coach, and a couple that won’t tolerate peeking while kissing. Plus, a family game of Monopoly gets extremely tense, and Jessica goes through a series of challenges in order to change her IMDB profile picture.

This episode is brought to you by Squarespace (www.squarespace.com code: IMPROV).

This week, Kamau and Hari cope with possible nuclear threat, learn how Jessica Byrd helps underrepresented communities engage in the political process, and “bravely” release the interview with Jake Tapper. How has the Trump administration affected Tapper’s reporting style? Why hasn’t Byrd given up all hope on the Democratic party? ALL OF THIS IS ANSWERED HERE.

Find Jessica Byrd on Twitter at @JessicaLBYRD and at http://threepointstrategies.org.

Follow Jake Tapper on Twitter at @jaketapper and on CNN as host of ‘The Lead’ (4pm ET) and ‘State of the Union’ (9am and 12pm ET).

For updates about us, follow Politically Re-Active on Facebook and Twitter (@PoliticReActive) and send us your comments using the #politicallyreactive.
Thanks!

Check out Hari’s tour dates and albums at Harikondabolu.com and for all Kamau’s projects check out wkamaubell.com.

This episode is sponsored by Helix Sleep (www.helixsleep.com/REACTIVE), ZipRecruiter (www.ziprecruiter.com/REACTIVE), and Simon & Schuster: An Inconvenient Sequel.

Actor, writer, producer, Diallo Riddle joins Andrew to discuss fetish territory when it comes to dating, HBO’s Confederate, and more. As always, leave us a message about anything you think is racist at (323) 389-RACE.

Former White House press secretary Sean Spicer (Will Hines) discusses his upcoming “transition” from the Trump administration and why he couldn’t get a photo with Spiderman on Hollywood Blvd, in between punching himself in the crotch. Plus: Mark is going to Burning Man!

Dave Holmes and Matt McConkey of the new podcast Homophilia join Howard and Kulap for this week’s Who Charted! They count down Spotify’s Top 5 Songs in the US, and Matt professes his love for all things Jennifer Aniston. Then, Dave and Matt get into talkin’ gay stuff and everyone shares their heartbreak stories during the Movie Chart. Later, Howard explains why we’re in the Golden Age of Tech and Stard helps open some long-lost gifts while the gang counts down Kevin’s Hot Picks during Two Charted.

This episode is brought to you by Squarespace (www.squarespace.com code: CHARTED).

Matt and Matt say goodbye to their favorite Bond. Joining them for this special episode is Brith.Movies.Death’s resident Bond, Phil Nobile Jr.

This episode is brought to you by Mack Weldon (www.mackweldon.com code: BONDING).

Atlanta rapper Joye Marelyn joins Jensen and Matty to talk about his love of horror films, rapper China Mac, a new song from Joye Marelyn, The Vision, how we were late on rapper Amine, and many more things you should know about.

This episode is brought to you by ProFlowers (www.proflowers.com code: GETUPONTHIS).

Sasquatch. Bigfoot. Skunk-Ape. Yeti. Whatever you want to call it, this week’s caller is on the hunt. A homeschooled paranormal enthusiast, he tells Chris about some of the things he believes in.

This episode is brought to you by Talkspace (www.talkspace.com/beautiful), The Butterfly Effect with Jon Ronson (www.audible.com/butterfly), Brooklinen (www.brooklinen.com code: BEAUTIFUL), and Honest Tea (www.honesttea.com/podcast).

Join Kevin as he sits down with professional poker player Antonio Esfandiari for a must-see episode. Antonio chats about partying hard with his dad in Las Vegas, performing magic while waiting tables at 19, and his love of prop betting.

This episode is brought to you by Casper Mattresses (www.casper.com/KEVIN) and Hello Fresh (www.hellofresh.com code: CHATSHOW30).

Jamie Denbo (Orange is the New Black, Ronna and Beverly) stars in a very explicit new musical about the conflicts between children, their parents, witches and talking horses. Theater-goers will be entranced by such stand-out hits as “Sleepin’ With Barbara”, “Parenting is Hard” and “Children Are Our Future”, but never forget that ponies are also the future, the future for horses.

This episode is brought to you by Mack Weldon (www.mackweldon.com code: OFFBOOK) and Leesa (www.leesa.com/offbook).

Welcome to NICOLE BYER from Loosely Exactly Nicole to talk about the game show Family Feud she did and to do other funny shows.

This episode is sponsored by Casper Mattresses (www.casper.com/HANDBOOK code: HANDBOOK) and Chapman University (www.chapman.edu/GRAD).

Silva, a creative team member at ATTN, joins Emily and Deanna this week to explain her One Direction feelings and why she swears by Twitter. Plus, Silva talks about creating content for ATTN, filling the girls in on what she’s learned about transgender issues like gender dysphoria and reassignment surgery.

This episode is brought to you by ThirdLove (www.thirdlove.com/HTBLO).

Radio personality, actor and voice artist Larry Kenney (Lion-O, Sonny the Cuckoo Bird) stops by the studio to trot out his array of impressions (Richard Nixon, Paul Lynde, George S. Patton, et al.) and to talk about some of the industry’s legendary voice talents, including Mel Blanc, Paul Frees, Bob McFadden, June Foray and Paul Winchell. Also, Larry hosts “Bowling for Dollars,” Don Imus clashes with Howard Stern, Peter Lorre tries to sound like Peter Lorre and William Conrad cleans up the Old West. PLUS: Jerry the Bellybutton Elf! Vaughn Meader returns! “The Great American Dream Machine”! Lauren Bacall praises Larry’s Bogie! And Count Chocula meets Dracula Gottfried!

Photos by Charles Eshelman charleseshelman.com

Do you know what you want to do with the rest of your life? Well the good news is nobody really knows. You’re not alone! The bad news is you were supposed to know by age 13 or so. And if you didn’t know back then, society’s been watching you flail around ever since. We’re a nation of human beings, facing more change and “economic anxiety” than ever before. And if you look close enough, you’ll realize the answer to that problem has a lot less to do with border walls and coal jobs, and a lot more to do with welcoming immigrants, encouraging adaptability, and rethinking our entire educational system.

On this week’s podcast, Alex Schmidt is joined by Jason Pargin (aka David Wong) and Kristi Harrison, to point out our ongoing national crisis of mis-preparation derailing the lives of America’s teenagers, middle-aged parents, and everybody in between.

East Coast! The Cracked Podcast is coming to you! The Cracked Podcast will be a part of the Now Hear This podcast festival in New York, taking place September 8th-10th. For $20 off your ticket, head to NowHearThisFest.com and enter code ‘CRACKED’ at checkout.

West Coast! Pack an extra life, some elixirs and a poke ball. The next live Cracked Podcast is Saturday, August 12th at 7pm at the UCB Sunset Theatre in Los Angeles. Alex Schmidt asks Michael Swaim, Adam Ganser, Monika Scott, Mike Drucker and Christian Ramirez, “what is the best video game universe to live in?” Tickets are $7 and available here: https://goo.gl/WCKg8f

*Extremely Michael Caine Voice* Master Wayne, now that it’s August, it’s Christopher Nolan month on Cracked Movie Club. Join hosts Tom Reimann and Abe Epperson for crazy behind-the-scenes stories, philosophical fan-theories and jokes – lots of stupid jokes – about Christopher Nolan’s filmography, starting with The Prestige: https://goo.gl/saER6v

To hear the newest episode each and every Thursday, search for Cracked Movie Club in your podcast app of choice or click here to find it on Apple Podcasts: https://goo.gl/fQ2o72

And if you were really hurting for more Cracked podcasts, we have great news for you. We’re proud to announce our newest podcast venture, Cracked Gets Personal. In this 10-part miniseries, Cracked’s Robert Evans and Rick and Morty’s Brandon Johnson are adapting some of Cracked’s most popular Personal Experience articles into an audio-documentary. Hear what it’s like to live a day as a heroin addict, a garbageman, and rural ER doctor. The first two episodes premiere on Wednesday, August 16th and you can subscribe now by searching for Cracked Gets Personal on your podcast app of choice or clicking here to find it on Apple Podcasts: https://goo.gl/Q1bFap

FOOTNOTES

Article: Cracked: 6 Facts That Will Clear Up Your Confusing Life: https://goo.gl/vL8M9f

Article: Cracked: 5 Reasons You Hated School (That You Were Right About): https://goo.gl/PSH13C

Book: Tony Wagner & Ted Dintersmith: Most Likely to Succeed: Preparing Our Kids for the Innovation Era: https://goo.gl/LXNPZN

Video: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO): Coal: https://goo.gl/f75xiG

Article: Washington Post: If Trump restricts skilled immigrants, the U.S. could lose jobs to other countries: https://goo.gl/kWJWmp

Article: New York Times: Rural Areas Brace for a Shortage of Doctors Due to Visa Policy: https://goo.gl/7UHTja

Article: Washington Post: U.S. faces 90,000 doctor shortage by 2025, medical school association warns: https://goo.gl/6pKpbB

Article: Fortune: Technology will replace 80% of what doctors do: https://goo.gl/2yP1eY

This episode is brought to you by Squarespace (www.squarespace.com code: CRACKED) and ZipRecruiter (www.ziprecruiter.com/CRACKED).

Paul F. Tompkins welcomes everyone who can hear his voice on this week’s Spontaneanation! This time out, Paul’s special guest is This American Life host and producer Ira Glass! They chat about what memory from Ira’s childhood he wishes he could change, not getting the point of drinking alcohol until he turned 30, and becoming involved with the rerelease of The Adventures of Chickenman. Paul is then joined by Little Janet Varney, Jean Villepique, and Craig Cackowski, to improvise a story set in Jury Deliberations. And as always, Eban (only the best) Schletter scores it all on piano!

Paul F. Tompkins will be in Detroit this weekend for the Detroit Improv Festival! Check out DIF’s full schedule to see when PFT and some of your favorite Spontaneanation improvisors will be improvising!

http://www.detroitimprovfestival.org/schedule.html

This episode is brought to you by RiffTrax (www.fathomevents.com/RiffTraxDoctorWho), Mack Weldon (www.mackweldon.com code: PFT), Leesa.com (www.leesa.com code: PFT).

Comedian Joe Mande joins Scott to talk about his new special “Joe Mande’s Award-Winning Comedy Special” on Netflix, his social media stunt where be bought his followers, and the 2017 NBA Draft. Then, Jesse “The Mind, Body, and Soul” Ventura has been released from the plug bag to talk about his new show “Off the Grid.” Plus, Morpheus, The Dream Lord is back with an agenda to help fix Joe’s troubled dreams.

This episode is brought to you by Squarespace (www.squarespace.com code: BANGBANG), Black Tux, and Leesa.com (www.leesa.com code: BANGBANG).

We meet a gnome named Aprel and learn several important lessons about friendship.

Credits:
Arnie: Arnie Niekamp
Chunt: Adal Rifai
Usidore: Matt Young
Aprel Füls: Asher Perlman
Mysterious Man: Tim Sniffen
Craig: Ryan DiGiorgi

Producers: Arnie Niekamp, Evan Jacover, Ryan DiGiorgi
Editor: Chris Rathjen
Theme Music: Andy Poland
Magic Tavern Logo: Allard Laban
Audio Assistance: Jason Knox
Production Assistance: Garrett Schultz

Film editor Alan Scherstuhl of Village Voice/LA Weekly joins Amy this week for a Dolly Parton double-hitter! They pit Dolly’s 1980 landmark comedy “9 to 5” against the classic 1982 film “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.” Amy and Alan assess Dolly Parton and Burt Reynolds as the epitome of the ultra-feminine and ultra-masculine, the historical significance of each film, and Dolly’s unique comedic chemistry with her co-stars in both pictures. Plus, we hear about how “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas” plays with the idea of hypocritical politics and what “9 to 5” reveals about how much the workplace has evolved for women. Which Dolly Parton film will enter The Canon? Cast your vote on the Earwolf forums now!

This episode is brought to you by Casper (www.casper.com/canon code: canon).