Listener Q&A Episode 8

Pop-ups (23 · 3 fan picks from YouTube comments)

1. Jorma defends the real ladder injury

   2:05

   Jorma insists he really fell off a ladder and broke his pelvis, joking that his surgeon was not a paid actor. The hosts treat the rumors as a running gag about the sympathy he's getting.

   I did fall off a ladder and I did break my pelvis, you guys.

2. Pee-Wee Herman at Portugal. The Man show

   3:38

   Jorma came out dressed as Pee-Wee Herman at a Portugal. The Man show in Brooklyn and riffed on stage. The surprise appearance is what got the video passed around.

   Well, I was asked to do this. I didn't just like do it on my own accord.

3. Fans point here

   14:55

   1 YouTube comment timestamps this moment, 69 likes.

   Later, Arnold. Wait, no, I say that. Okay. So here's some of the things that he sent me notes on. One, circling back to the New York Times games. We're not calling for Jack Black yet for you, Andy, because we need to…

4. Strands spangram mention

   15:32

   The New York Times Strands puzzle offered a spangram that the hosts found impressive. The bit feeds into the ongoing Spelling Bee and puzzle conspiracy talk.

   Oh, yeah. When we were together, Andy, you were like, look at this. It was like a boss.

5. The hosts as Winter Soldiers

   16:54

   The hosts riff that they are secretly Winter Soldiers, waking up sore after nights of activation. The bit recurs as a joke about their tiredness and bruised bodies.

   I always do think we're like winter soldiers or something, the three of us.
   winter soldierwinter soldier activation word

6. Andy's Mount Rushmore of television

   19:32

   Andy is grouped with Griffith, Kaufman and Sandberg in a crossword answer, which Jorma jokes makes him the Mount Rushmore of television. The hosts riff on Andy Dick's reaction.

   You're the Mount Rushmore of television. Andy's. Yeah.

7. Fans point here

   25:40

   2 YouTube comments timestamp this moment, 2 likes.

   This was a question Seth had for me. Keith said Groundhog Day. Oh, I don't know if this came from Seth or from a comment, but said Groundhog Day should have swept the Oscars. Knowing that Schindler's List won Beck's…

8. Groundhog Day wins a BAFTA

   27:15

   Groundhog Day won a BAFTA, and the hosts quiz each other on the category. Andy answered screenplay, which the hosts say it deserved.

   Yeah, I got it right and Jorm was wrong. Fuck. Which it definitely deserved.

9. Seth's beige appearance quiz

   28:40

   A listener comment about Seth's beige background sparks a quiz about what the next six comments said. The answer is a reference to Seth's teeth from earlier in the show.

   Seth has teeth. Oh, Seth has teeth. Seth has teeth, yeah.

10. Seth's intro recorded on his phone

    29:58

    Seth recorded the episode intro on his iPhone from a closet at the last minute so listeners know video is available. He read his note to Akiva, who read it on his behalf.

    One detail here is not in the transcript.

    So, yeah, I banged it out quick and with bad quality.

11. Top turnbuckle as a phrase of highest achievement

    33:03

    The phrase 'top turnbuckle' is coined here as the peak of a wrestling leap, extended by the hosts to mean the highest possible point. It fits the Macho Man wedding story.

    that's what you call top turnbuckle right there.

12. Andy's Finding Your Roots DNA reveal

    35:53

    Andy reveals that the PBS show Finding Your Roots linked him to Carole King through DNA testing. The segment didn't air, which the hosts note.

    when I did Finding Your Roots on PBS, at the end, they tell you another person that works in entertainment

13. Carole King's 'Been to Canaan' and Jorma's accident

    36:19

    Jorma points out Carole King wrote 'Been to Canaan' about Canaan, Connecticut, where his fall happened. Jorma's ladder accident is a recurring reference across these episodes.

    She wrote a song called Been to Canaan, which is about Canaan, Connecticut, which is where my accident happened.

14. Jorma's ladder fall is real, not AI

    37:28

    Jorma insists the fall was real, not a fake or AI-generated story, after fans questioned it. The hosts keep returning to this as a running joke.

    Don't forget that I fell off a ladder, guys. And it's real.

15. The origin of the name Sergio

    48:17

    Asked how the character Sergio in The Curse got his name, Andy says it fit the look and the silliness of Ham yelling it. No specific real person inspired the name, though the hosts joke about Sergio Leone.

    I thought of the name Sergio and I don't remember why. I think it was just it matched the look

16. George Zimmer, Men's Wearhouse, and the eighth graders

    49:08

    A listener recalls George Zimmer, founder of Men's Wearhouse, being taunted by eighth graders over his fence in Oakland, who would yell 'say it George.' He was also a marijuana legalization supporter.

    My idiot classmates used to come over and torture this poor man by yelling over the fence, say it George

17. Jorma's Pee-wee suit from Men's Wearhouse

    50:49

    Jorma reveals the Pee-wee suit used for his Pee-wee Herman dance came from Men's Wearhouse, which has a whole Pee-wee section.

    Yep, there's a whole peewee section.

18. Edie's kids' favorite Ross Trent line

    51:32

    A listener quotes her favorite Ross Trent line, asking 'Did you ever wonder why bald heads suck?' Andy and Jorma enjoy the reading.

    Did you ever wonder why bald heads suck?
    me toil part time at ja

19. Andy's winter soldier Spelling Bee routine

    56:13

    Andy describes playing the NYT Spelling Bee late at night, and the hosts riff on the winter soldier idea that the Bee's activation words trigger the guys' missions.

    we were very likely all winter soldiering our little buns off last night.

    Goes back to Queen Bee, Ep. 8, 18:30, Seth: By the way, I also got, he didn't tell me to check my phone, but he also got Queen Bee on the spelling bee, which he texted me right before this started.

    winter soldiersqueaky cleancleanQueen Bee

20. Winter soldier explained as sleepiness excuse

    56:58

    The hosts decide 'winter soldiering' is an acceptable excuse for sleepiness: a clandestine night of combat missions followed by memory erasure, explaining sore elbows and knuckles.

    if you're feeling extra sleepy, it is acceptable to tell someone it's because you were very likely winter soldiering
    winter soldier

21. Fans point here

    58:05

    2 YouTube comments timestamp this moment, 3 likes.

    Oh, right. Yeah. Good point. All right, well, I got Queen Bee, if you accept my rules. Yep, we got to the end. Oh, look, Jeff made a side-by-side of me in high school with a picture of a young Carole King.

22. Andy's yearbook and bow tie photo

    58:12

    Jeff makes a side-by-side of Andy's high school photo with Carole King. The guys discuss the mismatched bow ties they wore for senior portraits and Andy's appearance in the Berkeley yearbook despite not attending the school.

    Oh, look, Jeff made a side-by-side of me in high school with a picture of a young Carole King.

23. 'I Guarantee It' book by George Zimmer

    ~59:25

    A new book by George Zimmer has the subtitle 'You're gonna like the way you look', the Men's Wearhouse slogan, as shown on the cover handwritten like the original Naked Gun poster.

    it's called I Guarantee It, colon, The Untold Story Behind the Founder of Men's Warehouse by George Zimmer.

24. Critics' Choice nominations for Palm Springs and Late Night

    1:00:42

    Akiva points out Palm Springs and Late Night with Seth Meyers were nominated for Critics' Choice awards; Andy wishes Seth was there to celebrate.

    No, it's got a Critics' Choice nomination for Best Comedy Movie.

25. Akiva's restaurant 86ed over credit card fraud

    1:02:04

    Akiva recounts being defrauded while shooting Neighborhood Watch in Atlanta, then discovering a charge at a restaurant near UCB Franklin. He put up a 'do not serve' headshot in the window, with help from Jake Johnson and Nick Jasanovic.

    I finally look at one of my credit card things because I'm so busy shooting a movie

26. Owner's 'Liz Kikowski' misunderstanding

    1:04:07

    The owner refused to take down the 86 sign after Liz called as Liz Kikowski and he insisted she should be Akiva's wife with his last name, leading to the Wolfgang Puck jokes.

    I thought you said you were Akiva Schaffer's wife.