Raised by parents who moved from Vietnam to the United States in search of a better life, this week’s caller is her family’s first American-born child. She talks about defying stereotypes and asserting her independence by dying her hair. Find out how her “Tiger parents” reacted when she embraced a goth punk identity in middle school and later when she went to work for a non-profit.

This episode is brought to you by Mailchimp (www.mailchimp.com), Talkspace (www.talkspace.com/beautiful), Secrets, Crimes and Audiotape podcast from Wondery, and Blue Apron (www.blueapron.com/beautiful).

Comedian Candace Carrizales joins Deanna and Emily this week to talk about her millennial journey from Columbus, Ohio to Los Angeles thanks to SoulPancake, becoming the first big lady magician, and why her dad leaving at a young age might have steered her into doing comedy.

Comedian/Actor/Musician triple-threat Nick Thune joins the Sklars and Dan Van Kirk on Dumb People Town’s inaugural (no pun intended) episode! Nick talks about his new SeeSo comedy special, Good Guy, and an ill-fated birthday gift he once gave his father. The guys discuss an illicit sex act performed upon a snowman and a good ole gas station defecation — plus they receive a voicemail from Steven Seagal!

Check out Dumb People Town’s official feed here: http://www.feralaudio.com/show/dumb-people-town/

Sean gets dropped off at Brett’s house to record a secret episode.

This episode is brought to you by Harold Ramis Film School, Blue Apron (www.blueapron.com/handbook), and ZipRecruiter (www.ziprecruiter.com/first).

It’s easy to think every piece of great art or unforgettable pop-culture is the result of effortless genius and precise intentionality. It separates the gods who create from us lay-people who like to eat cheese and can barely decide what to watch on Netflix. Take Spock’s “Live Long and Prosper” hand signal. Yeah, it seems a little trivial, it’s not ‘Starry Night’ or ‘Hey Jude’ or anything, but it’s an icon that’s lasted in the popular culture for 50 years and stands only second to “May the Force be with you” as the most recognizable totem of the sci-fi genre. Only a genius could’ve come up with that, right? Not really. Gene Roddenberry and company wanted the Vulcan salute to be the peace sign until Lenoard Nimoy took a stand for what was right and was like, “hey, this is dumb. I know this is coming from the dude wearing pointy ears right now, but can I just try this other thing so I don’t look like the stupidest person on television?”

And thank god Nimoy did that, because otherwise everyone would’ve thought ‘Star Trek’ was cheesy crap, or at least cheesier than it already was considered. So sometimes genius isn’t in the intention as much as it is being able to realize a mistake, correct it and pray to god your new solution isn’t as dull as the idea that preceded it. And pop culture is so littered with examples like these, there’s a lone Native American man shedding a single tear over it. That much litter.

So Jack O’Brien is joined on the podcast this week by Cracked’s Teresa Lee and Alex Schmidt to talk about the behind the scenes mistakes and last-minute casting changes that made some movies and video games better. They also talk about some ghastly original versions of famous scripts that thankfully never saw the light of day. You don’t want to know what the original description of Han Solo was (hint: it included the words “green” and “gills”).

Footnotes:

Article: Cracked: 5 Famous Roles Obviously Written For a Different Actor: https://goo.gl/PZD4Se

Video: Cracked: 8 Times Your Favorite Actors Almost Died on Film: https://goo.gl/FTpSWN

Article: Cracked: 5 Iconic Pop Culture Moments Improvised at the Last Second: https://goo.gl/5V8Tl

Article: Cracked: 6 Glitches That Accidentally Invented Modern Gaming: https://goo.gl/WbOZ5

Article: Cracked: 6 Iconic Video Games That Were Created By Technical Problems: https://goo.gl/e2DBHN

Article: Cracked: 7 Characters Clearly Designed for Different Famous Actors: https://goo.gl/nNrcJD

Article: Cracked: 6 Iconic Movie Scenes That Happened By Accident: https://goo.gl/Q49cx

Article: Cracked: 5 Amazing Performances From Actors Who Weren’t Acting (Part I): https://goo.gl/W6KRf

Article: Cracked: 6 Amazing Performances by Actors Who Weren’t Acting (Part II): https://goo.gl/W6KRf

Article: Cracked: 5 Amazing Performances by Actors Who Weren’t Acting (Part III): https://goo.gl/R7Kebk

Article: Cracked: 5 Amazing Performances by Actors Who Weren’t Acting (Part IV): https://goo.gl/jNMCHl

Article: Cracked: 5 Great Performances By Actors Who Weren’t Acting (Part V): https://goo.gl/bLft7q

Article: Cracked: 5 Actors Who Weren’t Acting In Their Most Iconic Roles: https://goo.gl/kk5lV4

Article: Cracked: 6 Actors Who Thought They Had Made A Totally Different Movie: https://goo.gl/Wi6QWh

Kyle Ayers’ #RoofBreakup: https://goo.gl/KH3j3P

Zach Broussard’s Top 1000 Comedians: https://goo.gl/nKVn0r

SoCal Comedy Fest: https://goo.gl/voRTUN

This episode is brought to you by Squarespace and Real Time with Bill Maher on HBO.

Comedian Chris Gethard (Beautiful Stories From Anonymous People) was introduced to musical theatre when, as he puts it, he played Conrad Birdie as a “prepubescent, feminine eighth-grader.” Flash forward two decades and Chris met Lin-Manuel Miranda in rehearsals for a This American Life live show. “This guy is genius, this is next level,” he remembers thinking. He joins Travon to discuss seeing the original cast of Hamilton, what lyric he sings to make his wife laugh, and what he likes about  “Dear Theodosia.”

This episode is brought to you by Squarespace.

We got a hot mic this week! Gary makes a shocking private revelation to our guest Naomi Ekperigin… while the tape is rolling. Plus, dreams of fiery rebirth, drug dealer moms, and Dance Dance Revolution.

Go to www.casper.com/dreams and use the offer code “DREAMS” for $50 off your next mattress purchase.

Comedians Brendon Walsh and Randy Liedtke of The Bone Zone join Scott this week to talk about clapping song parodies, how Brendon got pranked on the set of Conan, and some of Brendon’s pranks over the years. Then, our old friend Traci Reardon returns to tell us about her New Year resolutions and to announce the very big prize she won. Plus, Rene Faberge stops by to spill some celebrity gossip.

This episode is brought to you by Jeff and Some Aliens on Comedy Central and Legal Zoom (www.legalzoom.com code: BANGBANG).

Prince Tomblain has infiltrated Shrike to spy on the Baron and Dark Lord. It’s time to hear what he’s learned.

Arnie: Arnie Niekamp
Chunt: Adal Rifai
Usidore: Matt Young
Tomblain Belaroth: Steve Waltien
Mysterious Man: Tim Sniffen
Craig: Ryan DiGiorgi

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

Special Thanks: David Herman

This episode is brought to you by Harold Ramis Film School, Squarespace, and ZipRecruiter.

Radio and podcast personality (and lifelong Gilbert fan) Ira Glass drops by the studio to share his love of, among other things, old-school entertainment, classic comedy albums, the Frank Sinatra songbook and the grand spectacle of “The Poseidon Adventure.” Also, Sammy Davis Jr. finds religion, Davy Jones finds inspiration, Ruth Buzzi hangs (or doesn’t) with Orson Welles and Ira crashes the set of a legendary sitcom. PLUS: “The Komodo Dragon Expert”! Red Buttons’ sister! The mercurial Zero Mostel! Yoko Ono improvises! And “The Incredible Mr. Limpet!”

This episode is brought to you Harold Ramis Film School.

Paul F. Tompkins welcomes New York to Spontaneanation, recorded in front of a LIVE audience at The Bell House in Brooklyn! This week, Paul’s special guest is singer-songwriter Rhett Miller of the Old 97’s! They chat about how the movie ‘The Sandlot’ affected Rhett’s life, unexpected reactions to Taylor Swift songs, and Rhett’s young son taking a stand against the music industry. Paul is then joined by Chelsea Clarke, Shannon O’Neill, and Gary Richardson, to improvise a story set Backstage At A Rock Club. And as always, Eban (only the best) Schletter scores it all on piano!

This episode is brought to you by Harold Ramis Film School (www.ramisfilmschool.com)

How far did Snake Plissken travel in Escape From L.A.? Where did all the Quiznos in Las Vegas go? These questions are answered as well as what our next movie will be in our trilogy of bad sequels. Paul also goes through Corrections and Omissions for Escape From L.A., Blake J. Harris interviews Escape From L.A. original screenwriter Coleman Luck (go to www.slashfilm.com to read the whole thing), and the Movie Bitches review Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Plus, Paul, June, and Jason go through the mail bag!

This episode is brought to you by Jeff and Some Aliens on Comedy Central and Casper Mattresses (www.casper.com/how).

Get yourself a BB-8 “What Is Its Mission?” T-shirt or Tote Bag over at http://howdidthisgetmade.bigcartel.com

Where to Find Jason, June & Paul:

Paul is in the new Nicolas Cage film “Army of One” available on VOD.

Paul’s new comedy Filthy Preppy Teen$ is now avail on the FullScreen and you can see June and Paul in their old show NTSF:SD:SUV:: on HULU. Paul also appears on Fresh off the Boat on ABC.

June stars in Grace and Frankie on Netflix, as well as Lady Dynamite alongside with Jason.

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

Mike Pesca (The Gist) and Ben Kissel (The Last Podcast On The Left) join Negin to digest President Obama’s farewell address, Donald Trump’s first press conference since July and Meryl Streep’s Golden Globes remarks. Plus, Mike offers his one-sentence take on Rex Tillerson.

The very talented director Pam Fryman joins Ronna & Beverly to chat about being an intern for The Mike Douglas Show in high school, her love of working How I Met Your Mother, meeting her husband while working on Hollywood Squares, and much more. Plus, the ladies tell us about their trip to St. Barths and read some of the beautiful cards they’ve received from their lovely listeners.

Please help out Penelope’s “Where Are The Women” cause by purchasing some Girl Scout Cookies by visiting: https://digitalcookie.girlscouts.org/scout/penelope687715 (link goes live Jan. 3)

This episode is brought to you by Third Love (www.thirdlove.com/shalom and Squarespace (www.squarespace.com code: SHALOM).

Comedian Beth Stelling joins the Sklars for this week’s episode of Sklarbro Country. During Takes, Randy and Jason talk former Celtic Orien Green’s breaking-and-entering (and rubbing) and the Giants’ post-loss plane bashing. Then, they grill Beth on her stand-up roots, assessing the competitive value of hitting open mics and getting the scoop on her first podcast in Chicago. Quick Hits brings Jeremy Sprinkle’s on-brand socklifting and an account salesman tapped to play goalie for the Panthers, and finally, Kris Kristofferson calls in to share his experiences at the National Football Championship.

This episode is sponsored by ZipRecruiter (www.ziprecruiter.com/happy).

Actor Alec Baldwin has delighted millions of viewers playing Donald Trump on Saturday Night Live, but it wasn’t so long ago that he tried to say goodbye to public life entirely. He joins Katie and Brian for a frank discussion about the arc of his career, his personal challenges with tabloid journalism, and the political tensions within his own family. Plus, he dishes on his favorite Jack Donaghy lines from 30 Rock and why no one is more thrilling to work with than Tom Cruise.

This episode is brought to you by Dunkin’ Donuts, Hello Fresh (www.hellofresh.com code: COURIC35), and Princess Cruise Lines (www.princess.com/KATIE).

Noah Oppenheim is a writer, Emmy-winning television producer, and Executive-in-charge of the Today Show. Noah joins Franklin to talk about working as a senior producer for Hardball with Chris Matthews, being a senior producer for The Today Show, moving to LA to pursue writing, writing the screenplay for Jackie, and returning to The Today Show.

This episode is brought to you by Seed & Spark (www.seedandspark.com/blacklist) and Harold Ramis Film School (www.ramisfilmschool.com).

This week: James Wong Howe! Movie tag lines! The cinema of Peter Yates! And the Coen brothers send up Raymond Chandler!

Running the gauntlet with Matt Iseman.

This episode is brought to you by Harold Ramis Film School (www.ramisfilmschool.com), ZipRecruiter (www.ziprecruiter.com/first), and Blue Apron (www.blueapron.com/NEVER).

Kevin and Kamau reunite in person as they welcome actor and stand-up comedian Matt Braunger to discuss the latest in Denzel happenings. They analyze Denzel clips, check out a Denzel fan reenactment, and debate which Denzel movie would be most appropriate on the cover of a lunchbox. Then, they address all things Denzel about the Golden Globes, and Matt shares how he developed his first comedy albums before listing his Top 5 Denzel Films. Finally, they dive into a discussion on “The Magnificent Seven,” noting how you deal with shootouts that never happened and who earns the title of “Most Handsome Man in the West.”

MVP All-Stars Mary Holland, Jon Gabrus, and Jessica McKenna join Matt Besser this week for scenes about time-telling menstrual cycles, Hans Zimmer’s worst movie score, and an airline taking extreme measures to make air travel fun. Later, Bo Bice has a tough time getting a soda, a young Apple genius goes way above and beyond, and a new boyfriend operates a finger-in-the-pie site.

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

Join Casey and Danielle in the nook with a verrrrry special yet somewhat unlikely housewives fanatic Michael Rapaport. He enlightens us on why Meryl Streep couldn’t handle the role of Ramona Singer and why Mariah needs to give up on the leotards. Danielle shares some tough feedback from her high school days as a passionate/loud/manic songstress.

This episode is brought to you by NatureBox (www.naturebox.com/housewives), Third Love (www.thirdlove.com/housewives), and Texture (www.texture.com/housewives).

By November, 1964, detective Phil DiNatale was closing in on a prime suspect, Albert DeSalvo, who had a long record of sexual assaults. DeSalvo was already in custody, in fact, at Bridgewater State Hospital for the Criminally Insane, where he was undergoing psychiatric evaluation. But while the police were gathering evidence, DeSalvo was confessing to a fellow inmate, George Nassar, that HE was the Boston Strangler. In this episode, host Portland Helmich visits George Nassar in prison to learn more about DeSalvo’s confession. She also meets DeSalvo’s attorney, F. Lee Bailey, who rose to prominence in his defense of DeSalvo, and who changed the course of the Boston Strangler investigation by getting to Bridgewater and DeSalvo one day ahead of the police.

This episode is brought to you by Squarespace (www.squarespace.com code: STRANGLERS), Casper Mattresses (www.casper.com/STRANGLERS code: STRANGLERS), Blue Apron (www.blueapron.com/Stranglers), Audible (www.audible.com/stranglers), and Investigation Discovery.

Comedians Brittani Nichols and Ariana Lenarsky, hosts of Brand New Podcast join Andrew to talk about New Year’s resolutions, the Golden Globes, La La Land, and much more. As always, leave us a message about anything you think is racist at (323) 389-RACE.

Back in September we did a callout asking for boob stories, and got a ton of responses. So this week, we’re bringing you stories about boobs. Two of them! Because, duh—boobs come in pairs. To join the conversation go to longestshortesttime.com!

This episode is brought to you by Third Love (www.thirdlove.com/time), Squarespace (www.squarespace.com code: LONGSHORT), Yogi Teas, Howl, and Tweed Wolf (www.tweedwolf.com/longshort).

Golden Globe nominees Casey Affleck (Dan Klein) and Viggo Mortensen (Kelly Hudson) break down this year’s awards crop on a cinephilic Hard Nation! Viggo gets emotionally and physically revealing when he shows off his rows of tiny teeth, while Casey’s favorite city will surprise absolutely no one. Plus: Mark identifies strongly with Florence Foster Jenkins.

This week, UCB founder and host of Improv4humans Matt Besser joins Howard and Kulap for a midwinter chartstorm. Matt shares his Top Musical Picks of 2016 and explains what he puts his CDs into while Howard complains about his yurt-mates’ excessive social media presence. During the Movie Chart, we hear what “La La Land” gets wrong about opening a jazz club, and Style Matchups: Division Round Playoffs forces Matt to defend why he won’t pick a Patriot in his fantasy league. Finally, Stard joins in for Two Charted, where tales are told of black beetles and Amazon suit shopping.

This episode is sponsored by Squarespace (www.squarespace.com code: CHARTED).

How horny are high school marching band kids? Is it appropriate for a boy to dye his hair in the girls bathroom? This week’s caller drank a sh**-ton (sorry Sally) of coffee and raises these very important questions. She also uses her practiced ‘compassionate teacher’ voice on Chris, and gets him to open up about his feelings on creativity, fame and success.

This episode is brought to you by Mailchimp (www.mailchimp.com), Squarespace (www.squarespace.com code: CG), Blue Apron (www.blueapron.com/BEAUTIFUL), and Casper Mattresses (www.casper.com/beautiful).

Rapper Micah James joins Jensen and guest co-host Intuition to talk about the importance of connecting to a live audience while performing, Chicago rapper/hip hop artist Noname, rapper Thed Jewel, The Love Witch, how we were late on scented candles, and much more.