Mt. Rushmore Podcast

We’re not sure if it’s breakup or break up or break-up, but anyway you spell it, it spells the end of a relationship...in song! 

No, we're not talking about our personal experiences with death this week. That would be sad and creepy! Instead, we're talking about all of the fun ways that death has been portrayed in pop culture. If (as Eddie Izzard would say) you have a morbid fascination with death, this week's episode is for you. SHOW NOTES "Heaven Can Wait" (Richard's Choice) "Hot Shots Part Deux" (Michael's Choice) "Don't Fear the Reaper" (Richard's Choice) "The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (Michael's Choice) "Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey" (Richard's Choice) Thanatos (Michael's Choice) SNL's "The Assassination of Buckwheat" (Richard's Choice) Death Sandman/Hob Gabling (Michael's Choice)

Ad wizards. Created by the goddess Yeva (who also created Middle Earth as well as Sterling Cooper). These geniuses have been tinkering around with our collective wants and desires since oh, before you were born.  But what happens when these wizards' spells go...too...far. 

Sure, Daniel-Day Lewis might be the greatest actor of his generation. Yes, he can immerse himself into a role so completely that it's easy to forget the actor who is playing the character. But has he ever played himself beating up Adam Sandler on a golf course in a fit of range? No? Score one for Bob Barker, Master Thespian. This week we're looking at one of the most difficult roles an actor can play: themselves. These are ridiculous and over-the-top portrayals that require the actor to have a pretty healthy sense of humor. SHOW NOTES Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in "Airplane!" (Richard's Choice) Jay Leno in Literally Every 90s Movie (Michael's Choice) Keanu Reeves in "Always Be My Maybe" (Richard's Choice) David Bowie in "Zoolander" (Michael's Choice) Bob Barker in "Happy Gilmore" (Richard's Choice) Julia Roberts in "Ocean's 12" (Michael's Choice) John Malkovich in "Being John Malkovich" (Joint Choice)  

There are good movies.  There are dumb movies.  Sometimes the two meet in the unicorn known as the good-dumb movie. A movie that is so dumb, it's good. Or a movie that is so good in spite of how dumb it is. Either way. It's a win-win. SHOW NOTES "The Jerk" (Michael's Choice) "Happy Gilmore" (Richard's Choice) "Airplane!" (Michael's Choice) "Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery" (Richard's Choice) "Commando" (Michael's Choice) "Volcano" (Richard's Choice) "Brüno" (Michael's Choice) "Road House" (Richard's Choice)  

Muppet movies are events for several reasons, but one of the most important is that you need to watch to catch all of the human celebrities who have signed up to be part of the insanity. Sometimes it's a cameo and sometimes it's a featured role, but more often than not something special happens when a big star crosses paths with the Muppets.  SHOW NOTES Steve Martin in "The Muppet Movie" (Joint Choice) Zack Galifinakis in "The Muppets" and "Muppets Most Wanted" (Michael's Choice) John Cleese in "The Great Muppet Caper" (Richard's Choice) Michael Caine in "A Muppet Christmas Carol (Michael's Choice) Joan Rivers in "The Muppets Take Manhattan" (Joint Choice) Dave Grohl in "The Muppets" (Richard's Choice)

It’s a very special episode of the Mt. Rushmore Podcast! This week we’re celebrating Batman Day with a LIVE EPISODE from Black Cat Comics in Burbank! We’re joined by the Con Guy as we discuss some of the Caped Crusader’s lesser known foes. Listen, they can’t all be about Joker or Penguin, and there’s nothing wrong with a bad guy whose main weapons are mustard and ketchup!

This week we’re looking at TV shows that overstayed their welcome and were on the air longer than they should have been. In some cases, the writers had clearly run out of ideas. In others? The show wasn’t that great to begin with, but because it was successful enough or cheap enough to make, it kept popping up on the network schedule season after season. We’re not just picking on shows that survived despite their own mediocrity, however. We’re also calling out some of the biggest and most beloved shows in TV history for having stayed on air more than a little bit past their expiration date. You’ll want to listen to some of the HOT TAKES we have on this topic. SHOW NOTES “Happy Days” (Michael’s Choice) “Wings” (Richard’s Choice) “The Simpsons (Joint Choice) “MASH” (Richard’s Choice) “American Idol” (Michael’s Choice) “The Andy Griffith Show” (Richard’s Choice) “Saturday Night Live” (Michael’s Choice)

TV and film can make any professional seem WAY more glamorous than it really is. But the truth is that most jobs are just that: jobs. Even internationally-renowned cat burglars spend most of their time dealing with mundane things like washing their ski masks or ordering more smoke bombs and grappling hooks.  This week we're taking a closer look at some of the coolest jobs in movies and television and seeing if they would really be all that great if you had it in real life. SHOW NOTES Cowboy (Michael's Choice) Assistant District Attorney (Richard's Choice) Bounty Hunter (Michael's Choice) Crime Lab Investigator (Richard's Choice) Scientist (Michael's Choice) Astronaut (Richard's Choice) President (Michael's Choice) Firefighter (Richard's Choice)

Musicians have been making songs about other musicians since the days when Amadeus released his hit single “Suck It Salieri” (also known as the first diss track). But not all songs are about putting down a rival. Just as many have been made as tribute to an act that an artist admires (or at least wants to get cool points for by referencing.) This week we’re looking at some of the best songs that musicians have written about other musicians. Everything from shameless grabs for cash to angry putdowns are included, along with some possibly psychotic ramblings about Elvis. SHOW NOTES  “Alex Chilton” by The Replacements (Richard’s Choice) “I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone” by Sleater Kinney (Michael’s Choice) “Kool Thing” by Sonic Youth (Richard’s Choice) “Dio” by Tenacious D (Michael’s Choice) “Rock Me Amadeus” by Falco (Joint Choice) “Daft Punk Is Playing at My House by LCD Soundsystem (Michael’s Choice) “Elvis Is Everywhere” by Mojo Nixon and Skid Roper (Richard’s Choice)

We all have love/hate relationships. These are the things that can make us so happy but also bring us down. But enough about our marriages.  (Editor's Note: ba-dump-ba!) This week we're exploring the range of things that can be the best but also the worst. We're talking about a lot of different stuff this week including fast food, entertainment and general great/terrible life choices. SHOW NOTES Eating French fries on the way home (Michael's Choice) Social media (Richard's Choice) Living across the street from a liquor store (Michael's Choice) Yoshinoya Beef Bowl (Richard's Choice) Leaving the dishes for the morning (Michael's Choice) College football (Richard's Choice) Bingo (Michael's Choice) Disneyland (Richard's Choice)

What makes a couple a "power" couple? It could be the sheer force of their celebrity. It might be the literal power that they wield. Or, there might be some sort of X factor that allows their relationship to be much larger than the sum of their parts. Our own Power Trio is taking some time this week to talk about Power Couples throughout the worlds of entertainment, politics and history. Not all of these relationships were smooth sailing, but they were legendary. SHOW NOTES Beyonce and Jay Z (Michael's Choice) FDR and Eleanor Roosevelt (Richard's Choice) Barack and Michelle Obama (Michael's Choice) Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip (Richard's Choice) Sherri Ann Cabot and Christi Cummings from "Best in Show) (Michael's Choice) Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz (Richard's Choice) Gomez and Morticia Addams (Michael's Choice) Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love (Richard's Choice)  

Yeah, being in a rock band is pretty cool. Four or five guys and gals jamming and touring and livin' that rock n' roll lifestyle.  But what happens when its just two people in a band? On this week's episode we go back and forth debating those bands that are made up of the bare minimum to disqualify them from being a solo act on the Mt. Rushmore of Duo Bands. 

Alright, everyone who's depressed in the locker room...gather round. Take a knee. We may be a rag-tag team of underdog ne'er-do-wells, that somehow has acquired the best player in the league mid-season, and it may be halftime and we're losing because the other team has taken the concept of winning one step too far. But if we play team ball, and use that special trick-play we've been working on all season, as well as rely on our well-worn superstitions, we may just win this whole. Damn. THING! Insert slow-clap here.  With Paul Preston from Bleav Podcasts  

We all love two things: Our Moms and The Internet. OK. Well we love ONE of those things. ... Moms. It's our moms. SHEESH! But sometimes these two things go together like oil and vinegar. On this week's episode we discuss, debate and deliberate how the inter-tubes and our dear sweet mamas just seem so constantly at odds in our 21st century digital world. 

Animals. God's worst mistake.  But put a click track behind them on a music video and boy-howdy! do they shine!  This week we chat about dogs and cats and snakes and oh, let's say... the emu... that appear in some iconic music videos.  SHOW NOTES "Stray Cut Strut" by the Stray Cats (Michael's Choice) "Patience" by Guns 'n' Roses (Richard's Choice) "The Love Cats" by the Cure (Michael's Choice) "Billie Jean" by Michael Jackson (Richard's Choice) "Who Am I (What's My Name)" by Snoop Doggy Dogg (Michael's Choice) "Epic" by Faith No More (Richard's Choice) "Where's Your Head At?" by Basement Jaxx (Michael's Choice) "Opposites Attract" by Paula Abdul (Richard's Choice)

Sorry for the late release this week. We were busy. Busy loafin'.  This week we take a look at the mysterious hobo. That boxcar hopping gadabout who lives by his own laws, works his own hours and lives on the outskirts of society.  Also: Eats boiled shoes. The history of the hobo in pop culture is an interesting one. So here are three schmoes who screw that history up.  

We all secretly wish we could have one of two superpowers: flight or invisibility. Or this one time, I was walking home from high school and these junior high kids were across the street and they were throwing rocks at me, and I was like "boy, if I could turn into the Hulk that would be soooo cool" as I ran away from those kids who were three years younger than me... So yeah, invisibility! This week we're joined by guest Paul Preston from www.themovieguys.net to take a look at... well, you know, try to take a look... at that most sacred of powers that renders one... imperceptible to the naked eye. From magic cloaks to "magic" cloaks to The One Ring we try to make the intangible a little more tangible.  Follow Paul and the rest of The Movie Guys on Twitter @TheMovieGuys and check out The Movie Guys Podcast on your favorite pod catcher.  SHOW NOTES Mac King's Cloak of Invisibility (Paul's Choice) Harry Potter's Cloak of Invisibility (Richard and Michael's Choice) Monty Python's "How Not to Be Seen" Sketch (Pau

Months. From caterpillarn to month. We see the beautiful transformation of...  **SPELLCHECK** Month. The thing one crams pizzah intah.  We are on vacay!! But we didn't want to miss an episode. So we dug deep into our archives in 2015, before we started recording and releasing podcasts, to when we recorded a "test" episode to see if this was a viable podcast. And we went through with it anyway.       

It’s game day! Time to head out to the stadium and root for your favorite team! Well, that’s fine if you are some sort of Rockefeller who can afford tickets to any college or pro sports team, or if you like watching ants run around on the field from your nosebleed seats. For the rest of us, heading out to watch the game usually means hitting up the bar. This week we’re talking about everything – and everyone – that makes a trip to the sports bar great and miserable at the same time. Win or lose, these are the fans you’re likely to encounter while watching the Big Game. So, put on your throwback jersey, order 20 pounds of wings and a couple of pitchers of Miller Lite and check out this week’s new episode. SHOW NOTES Going to a Specific Team Bar (Michael’s Choice) Guy Who Wants to Watch a Random Game (Richard’s Choice) Getting the Audio and the TV Channel Correct (Michael’s Choice) Timing When to Arrive and Leave (Richard’s Choice) An Excuse to Drink Morning Beers (Michael’s Choice) The Guy Who Thinks He Knows