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The Complete Guide to Everything
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Cathy
01:05:38|This week, we explore the high-anxiety, chocolate-loving world of Cathy, the comic strip that spent 34 years capturing the crushing weight of modern womanhood.Before we analyze the intersection of boomer humor and second-wave feminism, we address the target demographics of the new He-Man movie, the tragic decline of checkout-counter tabloids, and an internet pitch to fuse the three dad hosts of Full House into a singular, mega-father via Steve Urkel’s transformation ray.
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Nielsen Ratings
01:03:49|It's a classic Sweeps Week episode of TCGTE, so we're talking about the company that measures who's watching and listening to stuff. And how's this for a dramatic plot: Tim has been chosen to be a Nielsen household (a very prestigious honor), making Tom very jealous. Tune in for some classic drama!
Jell-o
01:07:54|This week we are diving spoon-first into the history of America's most famous gelatinous dessert. We break down Jell-O's humble beginnings as boiled animal bones, Kraft Heinz’s plan to eliminate artificial dyes, and why Utah consumes twice the national average of green slop.Also: Tim recounts his terrifying encounters with vending machines in London and Boston and the nightmare that is the Sloppy Joe sandwich. Plus, we brainstorm a new podcast-branded food line.
Greatest Living American Songwriters
01:07:55|The eggheads over at The New York Times put together a list of the 30 greatest living American songwriters in order to get people to get mad on the internet and it worked! This week we're going through the list and lamenting the lack of Billy Joel and Weird Al on it.
Eurovision
01:05:02|This week we’re covering a long-time topic request for the contest that made ABBA and Celine Dion famous: The Eurovision Song Contest. Also, Tim recovers from a stomach bug, the latest in deciphering cat’s brains, and a critique of the financial dynamics surrounding the Howard Stern Show's "Whack Pack."
Magicians
01:10:56|Tom saw a magic show and his mind was so blown that he hasn't talked about anything else for over a week. So this week, we just turned on the microphones and let him go. We talk about a bunch of magicians and magic shows, and much like Val Valentino -- the Masked Magician himself! -- we break the magician's code and reveal some of magic's biggest secrets.
Aging
01:07:36|This week Tom turns another year older. We explore the history of birthday parties (a surprisingly recent invention born of 19th century consumerism), the decades-long legal battle over who owned "Happy Birthday to You," and the unsettling data showing you're more likely to die on your birthday. Also: the latest update to the Meet the Parents’ franchise.