Mt. Rushmore Podcast

YARRRR! In honor of the upcoming International Talk Like a Pirate Day, we're talking about pirates. All kinds of pirates, from those that roam the Seven Seas to the ones that illegally download Pearl Jam bootlegs. SHOW NOTES The Dread Pirate Roberts (Richard's Choice) Blackbeard (Michael's Choice) Captain Hook (Joint Choice) Scalawag from the Pirates of the Caribbean Ride (Michael's Choice) Brad Hamilton from "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" (Richard's Choice) Napster (Michael's Choice) The Pirate Parrot (Richard's Choice)

It's a trap! Specifically, a booby trap - a Rube Goldberg set-up that ends in someone being crushed, captured or otherwise harmed. This week we're looking at some of the most iconic booby traps in pop culture. Enjoy the listen and whatever you do, don't step on the trip wire! SHOW NOTES The McAllister House from "Home Alone" (Joint Choice) "The Goonies" Traps (Michael's Choice) "Raiders of the Lost Ark" Boulder Scene (Richard's Choice) The Final Battle from "Predator" (Joint Choice) Spy vs. Spy (Michael's Choice) Woodland Creature Explosives from "Caddyshack" (Richard's Choice)

Sometimes you want to rock and other times you want to yacht rock. What are some of the smoothest songs ever made? We discuss them this week with special guest Tim Granlund, who is a seasoned air guitar veteran and master of easy listening. SHOW NOTES "Sailing" by Christopher Cross (Joint Choice) "Rosanna" by Toto (Tim's Choice) "Escape (The Pina Colada Song" by Rupert Holmes (Richard and Michael's Choice) "What a Fool Believes" by the Doobie Brothers (Joint Choice) "Midnight Feels Right" by Starbuck (Richard and Michael's Choice)

We all know that pretty much everything on television is EXACTLY like it is in real life. Except for the rare occasions when it isn't, and that's never more the case than with bars and restaurants. This week we're looking at the fictional service industry and where it differs from real life. And we're lucky enough to be joined by Kate Gaffney of the Service from Hell podcast, who shares her first-hand experience with the customer always being right - except when they're really, really wrong. SHOW NOTES It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (Kate's Choice) Cheers Shifts (Joint Choice) Fonzie's Office at Arnold's in Happy Days (Richard and Michael's Choice) All the Bacon and Eggs from Parks and Recreation (Kate's Choice)  The Entirety of the Movie Cocktail (Richard and Michael's Choice) Ordering Drinks on Law and Order SVU (Kate's Choice) The Langford Lunch Box (Richard and Michael's Choice)

For some of us, high school was great. For others, it was a nightmare. But for most people, it was a mixture of the two. It's a place where you got to hang out with your best friends every day without all of that adult "responsibility" getting in the way. At the same time, it was also a place where even the slightest embarrassment might turn into an abject humiliation that would spell the end of your social life. Good times! This week we're looking back at some of the things that we wish we'd done differently in high school, aka "the episode where the boys have a midlife crisis." The good news: no one talks about how they could have had a football scholarship if it wasn't for that knee injury, since we're all a bunch of nerds!

Who doesn't want a little bit of danger with their fun? Certainly kids do - that's why some of the most popular toys and games are also the most likely to cause death and dismemberment. This week we look at toys that changed the world, or at least the ER. SHOW NOTES Legos (Michael's Choice) Lawn Darts (Joint Choice) Slip 'n' Slide (Richard's Choice) My Friend Cayla (Michael's Choice) Snack Time Cabbage Patch Doll (Richard's Choice) Don't Whiz on the Electric Fence (Michael's Choice) Happy Fun Ball (Richard's Choice)

Teddy Roosevelt famous said "speak softly and carry a big stick." Knowing him, he was probably just done shouting "BULLY!" at someone right before, so take that with a grain of salt. But TR was correct in stating that there's nothing like having a nice stick in your hand (keep your minds out of the gutters) to make you feel alive. SHOW NOTES Gandalf's Staffs (Joint Choice) Willy Wonka's Cane (Michael's Choice) Charlie Chaplin's Cane (Richard's Choice) Me Ol' Bamboo from "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" (Michael's Choice) Loki's Scepter (Richard's Choice) The Vaudeville Hook (Michael's Choice) The Peterman Walking Stick from "Seinfeld" (Richard's Choice)

You know the saying: behind every supervillain is a henchman who is probably getting killed off early in the final battle. But where would our evil geniuses of the world be without their loyal toadies? Who would man the computers at their underground lair, or strap the hero to a chair so they can hear the entire nefarious plot explained to them right before they are killed? Because they sure aren't doing these things for themselves! SHOW NOTES Jaws from the James Bond Franchise (Richard's Choice) Bob the Goon from "Batman" (Michael's Choice) Luca Brasi from "The Godfather" (Richard's Choice) The Three Storms from "Big Trouble in Little China" (Michael's Choice) Grover Dill from "A Christmas Story" (Richard's Choice) Gogo Yubari from "Kill Bill Vol. 1" (Michael's Choice) Homer Simpson from "The Simpsons" Episode "You Only Move Twice" (Richard's Choice) Kronk from "The Emperor's New Groove" (Michael's Choice)

There are plenty of actors who dabble in directing, and there are plenty of directors who also famous for acting in their own movies. But what about famous directors who aren't actors but decide to go on the other side of a camera because of vanity or a favor to a friend? There are many more of those than you would think, which gave us an abundance of choices for this week's episodes. From silly cameos to key supporting roles, we show the gamut of directors acting badly (or, sometimes, quite well.) SHOW NOTES Steven Spielberg in "Goldmember" (Michael's Choice) Quinten Tarantino in "Desperado" (Richard's Choice) Peter Jackson in "Hot Fuzz" (Michael's Choice) Cecil B. Demille in "Sunset Boulevard" (Richard's Choice) George Lucas in "Beverly Hills Cop 3" (Michael's Choice) Spike Jonze in "Three Kings" (Richard's Choice) Francois Truffaut in "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" (Joint Choice)

Personally, I have never seen a large wooden shipping crate in real life. But I have seen them in movies, TV shows and cartoons. This week we're breaking out the crowbar to pry open our takes on the most iconic uses of this classic prop. SHOW NOTES "Raiders of the Lost Ark" crate (Joint Choice) Wile E. Coyote's ACME crates (Joint Choice) The Leg Lamp crate from "A Christmas Story" (Joint Choice) Tyrion Lannister's crate from "Game of Thrones" (Richard's Choice) The Trojan Horse (Michael's Choice)

Nothing can be more traumatizing for hardcore fans of a band than learning that the lead singer is gone. Whether they leave to find greener pastures or are forced out because of "creative differences," few bands survive the replacement of a lead singer. But sometimes it happens! In fact, sometimes the band can even reach greater heights with a new person at the front. This week we're looking at (mostly) successful transitions of lead singers for some of the biggest bands in the world. SHOW NOTES Sammy Hagar for David Lee Roth in Van Halen (Joint Choice) Phil Collins for Peter Gabriel in Genesis (Richard's Choice) Joy Division becoming New Order (Michael's Choice) Brian Johnson for Bon Scott in AC/DC (Richard's Choice) Diana Ross and the Supremes becoming the Supremes (Michael's Choice) Todd Rundgren for Ric Ocasek in the Cars/New Cars (Richard's Choice) Various singers for Oderus Urungus in Gwar (Michael's Choice)

We were promised a future where robots would do, literally, everything for us. Well, it's 2020, and guess what? I STILL HAVE TO TIE MY OWN SHOES! But that doesn't mean that robots aren't still cool as hell. This week, per Jeff's request, we're looking at robots. Just regular robots that do regular robot stuff.  SHOW NOTES The Roomba (Michael's Choice) R.O.B. the Robot from Nintendo (Richard's Choice) BigDog (Michael's Choice) Biohazard from "Battlebots" (Richard's Choice) Robots from "Flight of the Conchord" (Michael's Choice) DaVinci Surgical System (Richard's Choice) Bender from "Futurama" (Michael's Choice) The Opportunity Mars Rover (Richard's Choice)

Great special effects do more than just look cool. When done right, they can make the impossible seem like reality and completely immerse you into a movie. This week we're celebrating some of the visual effects scenes that made our jaws drop and wonder how they did that?!? Joining us for the conversation is Iain Failes of "Befores and Afters." He's a veteran visual effects and animations journalist whose website enlightens people about the finer aspects of the VFX scenes we love. SHOW NOTES Bullet Time from "The Matrix" (Joint Choice) Mirror Shot from "Contact" (Iain's Choice) T Rex Attack from "Jurassic Park (Richard and Michael's Choice) Paris Building Fold from "Inception" (Iain's Choice) Final Race from "Speed Racer" (Richard and Michael's Choice) Lobby Fight from "Jurassic Park" (Iain's Choice) Hallway Fight Scene from "Inception" (Richard and Michael's Choice)

Three is the magic number...when it comes to movies. For some reason, some of the best franchises in film history came out with three great movies (or at least two great movies and one that is OK.) It makes perfect sense when you think about it: three is enough to completely tell a story, but not too much so you leave them wanting more. Joining us this week in our journey down the world of movie trilogies is Brock from the Now Playing Podcast. He has some HOT TAKES about film trilogies and isn't afraid to put Richard and Michael in their place. Take a listen and make sure you swing by their website to check out all of their great shows. SHOW NOTES "Star Wars" Original Trilogy (Brock's Choice) "Lord of the Rings" (Joint Choice) "Back to the Future" (Richard and Michael's Choice) "Toy Story" (Brock's Choice) "Three Flavours Cornetto" (Richard and Michael's Choice) "Indiana Jones" (Brock's Choice) "The Dark Knight" (Richard and Michael's Choice)

You know how we always say that you can suggest a topic and maybe even be a guest on the show? Well, that's exactly what happened this week. Listener Vince Pagano came up with a great topic, so we invited him on the show to debate it with us. His topic was athletes who would have crushed it no matter when they played. Forget pudgy Babe Ruth and his roly-poly body. We're talking about the best of the best athletes only. SHOW NOTES LeBron James (Vince's Choice) Wilt Chamberlain (Richard and Michael's Choice) Ray Lewis (Vince's Choice) Randy Johnson (Richard and Michael's Choice) Rickey Henderson (Vince's Choice) Pele (Richard and Michael's Choice) Jaromir Jagr (Vince's Choice) Carl Lewis (Richard and Michael's Choice)

When we think back on our Saturday mornings, we often remember the ads as much as we do the cartoons. That's the power that a well-crafted corporate mascot has over us. They can make us feel a connection to an otherwise faceless conglomerate. Tony the Tiger would never give me childhood diabetes. He's my friend. This week we're looking at some of the most beloved - or controversial - fictional prepackaged food spokesperson and we have a great guest joining us. Michael and Richard are going up against Moxie LaBouche of the "Your Brain on Facts" podcast (and book), who, not shockingly, has a brain full of facts about food mascots. SHOW NOTES Tony the Tiger (Moxie's Choice) The Frito Bandito (Richard and Michael's Choice) Cap'n Crunch (Moxie's Choice) Poppin' Fresh Pillsbury Doughboy (Richard and Michael's Choice) Snap, Crackle and Pop (Moxie's Choice) Betty Crocker (Richard and Michael's Choice) Jolly Green Giant (Moxie's Choice) Kool-Aid Man (Richard and Michael's Choice)

The best movie experiences are completely immersive and take you to another world for a few hours. Few elements of a movie are more crucial to this than the makeup. Whether it's gory special effects or subtle aging, iconic makeups help to create the illusion of fantasy that is so important to the viewing process. This week we're saluting some of the greatest makeups in film history with the help of Hollywood practical effects artist Dan Crawley, who brings his years of experience to the table and, quite frankly, wipes the floor with Michael and Richard.  SHOW NOTES Frankenstein's Monster from "Frankenstein" (Michael and Richard's Choice) Father Merrin from "The Exorcist" (Dan's Choice) The Apes from "Planet of the Apes (Michael and Richard's Choice) Bela Lugosi from "Ed Wood" (Dan's Choice) David Kessler from "An American Werewolf in London" (Michael and Richard's Choice) The Phantom from "The Phantom of the Opera" (Dan's Choice) The Joker from "The Dark Knight" (Michael and Richard's Choice) The Lord of Dar

The wrestling business is no stranger to pushing the envelope with their content, where it's a little bit of female skin or a whole lot of blood and ultra-violence. But even in wrestling, there can be some storylines that go just a bit too far. This week Michael and Richard team up - the Mega Powers coming together, if you will - to take on a worthy foe in former WWE Magazine graphic designer James Walker to discuss some of the most controversial angles in wrestling history. And while Jeff would usually serve as referee for this catch-as-catch-can brawl, he's a little too biased. Wait? Is that Eddie Firth's music? Yes, we have an actual wrestling referee and stand up comedian here to tell us exactly everything we botched.

There are tough guys and then there are, like, the toughest guys. This week we're looking at the baddest of the bad - both real-life and fictional. We're debating who belongs on the Mt. Rushmore of the guys (or gals) you wouldn't want to meet in a dark alley - or even a well-lit one. SHOW NOTES Sen. John McCain (Richard's Choice) Teddy Roosevelt (Michael's Choice) Charles Bronson (Richard's Choice) John McClane from "Die Hard" (Michael's Choice) Evel Knieval (Richard's Choice) Leonard Small from "Raising Arizona" (Michael's Choice) Haku (Richard's Choice) Private Vasquez from "Aliens" (Michael's Choice)

This week we're discussing what it's like to be sick. The REAL kind of sick, not the kind when you have a paper due the next morning or just don't want to go into work. Think of our podcast like a hot bowl of chicken soup to make you feel all warm inside when you're feeling under the weather. SHOW NOTES The "Sick" Episode of "The Young Ones" (Michael's Choice) Wanting Everyone to Leave You Alone (Richard's Choice) Nyquil (Michael's Choice) Getting Your First Good Night's Sleep After Being Sick (Richard's Choice) "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" (Michael's Choice) Watching Afternoon TV (Richard's Choice) The American Work Ethic (Michael's Choice) The Cascade of Sickness Hitting Your Family (Richard's Choice)