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Really? no, Really? with Jason Alexander & Peter Tilden

Really? no, Really? with Jason Alexander & Peter Tilden

146 episodes — Page 2 of 3

Ep 94Meet The TV Veterinarian and Comic Who Protected Elvis, The Stones & The Wu-Tang Clan!

What do a bouncer for The Rolling Stones, Elvis, The Wu-Tang Clan and Willie Nelson…an Emergency Veterinarian who had a show on Animal Planet…a People Magazine most available bachelor, and a professional stand-up comedian all have in common? This episode’s guest! Dr. Kevin Fitzgerald is every one of those things… Really, no really! As a veterinarian, Kevin has assisted in 10 animal expeditions to Antarctica, Mongolia and Manitoba all focused on conservation. He was featured on Emergency Vets and E-Vet Interns for over 11 years on Animal Planet. As an established stand-up comedian, he has opened for Bob Hope, Jeff Foxworthy, George Lopez and Joan Rivers! IN THIS EPISODE: How a mild-mannered kid from Denver bounced for the Stones, Elvis, The Who, Bob Marley, Willie Nelson, Wu-Tang Clan, and even Billy Graham! The surprising and effective tricks professional bouncers use to dissuade you from rushing a stage. A professional bouncer’s take on the Will Smith slap and how it could have been prevented! Kevin reveals Mick Jagger’s little-known and heartwarming, pre-concert ritual. The wise words from Keith Richards that transformed Kevin into a veterinarian. How Kevin’s 24-hour veterinary practice became a hit Animal Planet show. Kevin’s unforgettable encounter with the Crocodile Hunter Steve Erwin 2-weeks before his death. Ferrari delivery man, hospital morgue worker: Jason & Peter share some of their oddest jobs. What Jason stole from the set and the Seinfeld wardrobe mystery! Do we define ourselves by our occupation? What does that mean? *** FOLLOW KEVIN: Website: drkevinfitzgerald.com YouTube: @kevinfitzgerald2456 Facebook: @kevin.t.fitzgerald.1 *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 19, 202453 min

Ep 93The Secret to Judd Apatow’s Success is... Self Help?

Is self-help real or nonsense? Jason and Peter have always been skeptical of the ability for self-help books and seminars to impact and improve a person’s life…they even delved into the comedic aspects of the self-help world with their 2001 ABC sitcom “Bob Patterson.” So, when they discovered that Judd Apatow…uber successful screenwriter, producer, noted comedian, author and director of a myriad of cultural-defining comedies such as The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up, This is 40, Funny People, Trainwreck and The King of Staten Island was a bit obsessed with the self-help genre… they needed to find out why! They discuss Judd’s journey to self-help, his unique Ayahuasca experience, and why he writes his comedies as dramas! Really,no Really!!! *** IN THIS EPISODE: Is self-help real or nonsense? How Judd’s parent’s constant fighting enabled him to become a good producer & comedian. That one-time Judd took the hallucinogen Ayahuasca in exotic Studio City, CA… His comedic choices have become more geriatric as he’s grown older. Was he afraid of being cancelled when returning to stand-up? The time high-school aged Judd asked Seinfeld to do a SECOND interview! Jason and Judd explore how they both came to the entertainment world. GoogleHEIM: David shares his Cable Guy faux pas! *** FOLLOW JUDD: Website: juddapatow.com Instagram: @JuddApatow Buy Tickets: www.juddapatow.com/events *** FOLLOW REALLY, NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 12, 202453 min

Ep 92Shark Tank’s KINDest Shark

To be successful in business you need to be tough, unrelenting, ruthless…a shark, right? That’s why one of the most successful shows about business is called, “Shark Tank”! But is there a kinder way to dominate the corporate world? Daniel Lubetzky created his self-made-multi-billions with one overriding agenda – to foster connection, understanding and most importantly, to promote kindness between people who are in conflict. Best known as the founder of KIND Snacks…in this episode he discusses how he almost made a $200 million dollar mistake, what it took to make Kind a successful brand, and his many charitable businesses, where his focus is empowering people to work across social divides, and to create real and lasting relationships. AND…this kind man, is also the newest member of NBC’s, Shark Tank. Really no really! *** IN THIS EPISODE: How a billionaire deals with time management…and…ADHD! The mistakes that were integral to Danny’s immense success. KIND Bars unexpected power to unleash kindness. How a soon-to-be billionaire learned when to trust his instincts (and when not to). Promoting understanding by dismantling the “us vs. them” and “oppressor/victim” frameworks. What attracted a do-gooder to become a Shark? What makes a Shark Tank idea investable? HINT: It’s not the product. If divisive messages flourish on Mainstream Media, social media and in politics…how do you create a positive message that cuts through? Hate and anger fuel online engagement …can humor trump those emotions? The one thing Jason disagrees with Daniel on. GoogleHEIM: Inspiring and easy ways to spread kindness! *** FOLLOW DANIEL: Website: daniellubetzky.com Instagram: @DanielLubetzky YouTube: @DanielLubetzkyOfficial TikTok: @DanielLubetzky X: @DanielLubetzky Facebook: Daniel Lubetzky Builders Movement *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 5, 202447 min

Ep 91What Really Happens When We Die - What One Man Saw on the Other Side

A violent undiagnosed aneurysm should have killed Sebastian Junger, a war reporter, a best-selling author, and an Academy Award winning documentarian. Junger came as close as anyone we know to dying, but he returned from the abyss and reveals what it was like. For years Jason and Peter have heard about so-called NDE’s – near-death experiences where the clinically dead - miraculously resuscitated - come back to life with eerily familiar stories. Whether it’s long-dead relatives speaking to them from the afterlife, or encountering an enormous tunnel, illuminated by a brilliant, welcoming light…. are these stories evidence of a “Great Beyond”, or simply wild spasms of a dying brain? After Junger’s NDE, he launched an investigation and uncovered a possible third answer that may expand our understanding of the universe itself. Really, no really. *** IN THIS EPISODE: The visions he saw that changed his conception of the universe. Who encouraged him toward the void? What causes similar near-death experiences… God or spasms of a dying brain? Panpsychism: A scientific explanation of a possible and universal post-life existence. Anxiety, derealization & depression, why Sebastian Junger doubted he was alive. He was an atheist…now? Jason and Peter share their out of body experiences. Googleheim: Other things we just can’t know. *** FOLLOW SEBASTIAN: His latest book: In My Time of Dying: How I came face to face with the idea of an afterlife Website: SebastianJunger.com Instagram: @SebastianJungerOfficial X: @sebastianjunger Facebook: @SebastianJunger *** FOLLOW REALLY, NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 29, 202447 min

Ep 90The Next Big Thing – Medieval Sports!

There is a growing phenomenon in the world of extreme fighting you might not be aware of. Of course there’s boxing, wrestling and mixed martial arts… but for people who want something more dangerous, more brutal…a sport that affords an opportunity to hit…or be hit with a sword, a mace, or even a battle axe - there’s now…Medieval Fighting! Really, no really! Jason and Peter wondered why seemingly average Joes would spend thousands of dollars on armor and 14th century weaponry and travel the globe for an opportunity to fight in this brutal way. So, they turned to Simon Rohrich, a multiple world champion and expert in Medieval Fighting. By day, Simon is an Arizona based inventor and technology consultant… but his other persona is, Baron Josef Donnerbauch, who is proficient in staff, axe and longsword armored combat, close quarters fighting, and grappling. He discusses the growing appeal of Medieval Fighting, how it may help war veterans suffering from PTSD, and what it felt like to have a large axe imbedded in his skull! *** IN THIS EPISODE: What exactly is Medieval Fighting and what are the rules? Rumors of infiltration by the Russian mob. Prize money? How protective is the hardened steel armor? That time an axe ended up lodged in Simon’s skull. What draws someone to this sport? Spoiler Alert: Trauma awaits ye! How this sport may help war veterans dealing with PTSD. Who’s tougher… Jason or Peter (The analysis might surprise you) GoogleHEIM: Medieval myths debunked! *** FOLLOW SIMON: Website: simonrohrich.com Instagram: @SimonRohrich YouTube: @axemaster X: @SimonRinventor *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 22, 202451 min

Ep 89The Power of Meat: Keto & Carnivore Diets and the Doctor Who Believes in Them!

In 2020 "keto" was the most Googled food-related topic in the world. More than 23 million Americans have been on the ketogenic diet, yet many of the foods on the keto diet have been linked to heart disease, stroke, and other illnesses. So…is the ketogenic diet harming us or leading us to a healthy, buttery, red meat “promised land”? In this episode we attempt to get the answer. Really, no really! Jason and to a lesser extent Peter have struggled with weight their entire lives. Jason can personally attest to his individual success/fail ratio on a multitude of diets AND his previous flirtation with the keto diet… which left him weighing less but with kidney stones and gout! Dr. Ken Berry, a board-certified family physician, speaker and author based near Nashville, Tennessee whose focus is on the chronic diseases caused by the Standard American Diet and Lifestyle joins Jason and Peter to explain the benefits and to discuss the potential issues with the keto diet and its relationship to type 2 Diabetes, chronic inflammation, dementia and …keto crotch! IN THIS EPISODE: Why keto may be the diet for almost everybody. Can the Keto diet help: obesity – hypertension - metabolic syndrome - fatty liver - heart disease – hypertension - type 1 or 2 diabetes - pre-diabetes? Bad breath? Keto flu? Odorless flatulence? Who shouldn’t try the keto diet. Eggs every day? Is veganism unhealthy? What happens when a carnivore dieter eats cake? Calories don’t matter. Really? Ozempic, Wegovy – enemies or part of the healing process? Keto cookies, keto supplements, keto bread, keto shakes – STAY AWAY!!!! Google-heim: Is Keto Crotch real…we investigate! *** FOLLOW DR. BERRY: Instagram: @KenDBerry.md YouTube: @KenDBerrymd Facebook @KenDBerry.md *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 15, 202443 min

Ep 88Crowdsourcing Creativity for Toy & Game Design

Many industries, including toy and game makers, are increasingly depending on crowdsourcing for fresh ideas and to help decide what products to make. Outsourcing creativity to the masses can offer valuable feedback… but that data can also be misinterpreted, misunderstood or provide just-plain-bogus ideas. The annual toy business in the United States is a $100 billion-dollar industry. It’s by far the biggest toy market in the world, but apparently the “titans of toys” are out of ideas. So now, their attitude about creating new “stuff” has shifted to an attitude of – you know what - you do it! Really, no really! To breakdown the inner workings of today’s toy and game world, Jason and Peter turned to an old friend, David Fuhrer who has created and licensed more than 300 toys, games, and household products, generating retail sales of over $1 billion dollars. These include iconic products such as Nerf Vortex Football, Aqua Doodle, Twisty Petz, Guitar Hero Air Guitar, Bounce Around Tigger, Hershey’s S’mores Maker, and more. AND…he’s also the Guinness World Record holder for being the fastest backwards talker. Really, no Really. *** IN THIS EPISODE: 24 toy companies rejected one of the best-selling toys! How does an idea become a product, solve an everyday problem or innovate a classic? In 2024 is it possible to successfully pitch a Beanie Baby-like idea? The billion-dollar idea for a Tailor Swift product. The surprising new trends in toys and games. Why physical games and puzzles have made a comeback. How do crowd sourced ideas pay off for the idea creators? How David’s “backward talking” launched a career. We challenged David to translate classic Seinfeld lines…backwards. The deadliest toys ever put on the market! Googleheim: Test your toy knowledge! *** FOLLOW DAVID: X: @funanuf123 *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 8, 202440 min

Ep 87Microplastics Exposed: What Consumer Reports Found in Our Food & Water Supply

We now know that microplastics are literally everywhere! In our water, in our food, even in the organs of wild animals - found in the most remote places on Earth! But wait! Now scientists are discovering that there are even smaller fragments, called nanoplastic…so small… we consume them, potentially, with every breath we take. Really, no really! These tiny particles and the chemicals that make plastics have been found in our brains, our lungs, kidneys, liver…even in men’s penises. Obviously, Jason and Peter had questions; so, they turned to the man who tests the levels of microplastics in the foods we buy and eat, Dr. James Rogers. He is the Director of Food Safety Research and Testing at Consumer Reports. He is responsible for leading the food safety and sustainability operations of the organization, including food testing, data analysis, and risk and safety assessments. As acting head of Product Safety Testing, he also oversees the team that assesses safe operation and use of consumer products. *** IN THIS EPISODE: Don’t wash your chicken! (Unless you own a hazmat suit.) Blowing things up, dropping them, smashing them! What’s it really like in the Consumer Reports testing lab? Ingesting microplastics, what are the effects on the body? Why you should rethink microwaving your food in plastic containers. Hidden issues that complicate ending our dependence on plastics. What CR found when they tested 85 commonly purchased foods for plastic contamination. Cut these foods from your diet to reduce phthalate consumption. Why are brominated vegetable oil, potassium bromate, propylparaben, red die number 3, titanium dioxide – all legal if known to be detrimental to our health? What must consumers do to demand safer food? Google-heim: How much do you know about recycling? Take our quiz to find out! *** FOLLOW JAMES: Consumer Reports website - www.consumerreports.org LinkedIN – James E. Rogers, Ph.D. *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 1, 202442 min

Ep 86Shipwreck Hunters: The Trillion Dollar Undersea Quest

We’re in the golden age of finding and recovering trillion-dollar shipwrecks. These high-stakes, highly dangerous expeditions have been supercharged thanks to revolutionary deep ocean technologies. But… it’s not just the good guys searching through sunken Spanish galleons for gold doubloons; the rush to be first can sometimes get you killed. Really, no really! Jason and Peter became aware of this phenomenon when they read about an elderly Florida couple arrested after appearing on PBS’ Antiques Roadshow. Appraisers were stunned to see gold ingots recovered “by a friend” from a shipwreck. Seeing the artifacts, French authorities claimed the couple were trafficking national treasures belonging to France. The old adage “finders’ keepers” seemingly doesn’t apply - EVEN after spending years researching where the ships might be, then spending millions on expeditions HOPEFULLY finding the ship... hopefully. It seems like a lot of trouble when the country that lost and forgot about the treasure - hundreds of years ago can suddenly demand it back! To help us salvage what’s actually going on… we turned to the “Indiana Jones” of underwater archeology -- Marine Scientist and Oceanographer, David L. Mearns – who is a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and the Explorers Club – he’s located 29 major shipwrecks and holds five Guinness World Records - including the deepest shipwreck ever found. *** IN THIS EPISODE: How does one find a shipwreck that sank hundreds of years ago? Why are the deep ocean recovery missions so extraordinarily expensive? Guys with eye-patches? Treasure Hunters? Actual pirates! Who’s doing this work? Material value (gold) VS. archeological value (historical record) The law under the sea! The complicated legalese of sunken treasure. Can you sell Spanish doubloons on eBay? Tales of stolen booty! Black markets, personal bodyguards, razor-wire covered ships – the life of a shipwreck hunter! Riding on Paul Allen’s $200 million superyacht treasure hunting ship, Octopus. The tragedy of the Titan submersible – What really happened? David shares his ‘great white whale’ shipwreck he’d still like to find. The impact of shipwrecks is way more emotional than we previously thought. Google-HEIM: Why are ship's toilets called “the head”? *** FOLLOW DAVID MEARNS: Website: Blue Water Recoveries X: @davidlmearns *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 24, 202443 min

Ep 85The 50-year Dungeons & Dragons Phenomenon Explained!

Dungeons & Dragons, the legendary tabletop role-playing game featuring elves, dwarves, wizards, fighters, and legions of nerds is currently observing… its 50th anniversary! Really, no Really! Over the five decades, the game has had its fair share of infamy with stories of “Satanic panic” and more recently, a resurgence after being featured on Netflix’s “Stranger Things.” But what is this game really about? And how can it be more popular than ever after 5 decades? Jason and Peter, after much needling from the self -identified nerds on their production staff (and Jason’s son who is a proud Dungeon Master) bravely walked into the never-known realms of D&D with one of the game’s quintessential experts... Jon Peterson, who studies the history of games, especially tabletop role-playing games and wargames. His first book has just been re-released as “Playing at the World, 2E, Volume 1: The Invention of Dungeons & Dragons” which has been called "the first serious history of the development of Dungeons & Dragons" by the Village Voice. IN THIS EPISODE: A painless and fun history of Role-Playing Games. D&D is an improvisational-collaborative- storytelling experience. What’s a Dungeon Master and does it involve black latex, mouth gags and whips? What’s the point of a game with no “winning”? Breaking down D&D to understand its appeal. Wait… watching other people livestream D&D is a multimillion-dollar thing? Why D&D has become popular in prisons, on death row and in solitary confinement? Is D&D a game or a lifestyle choice? D&D’s ongoing controversies. How should a novice approach starting to play D&D? How A.I. and other technology will affect the future of D&D. FOLLOW JON: X: @docetist Facebook: PlayingAtTheWorld *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 17, 202443 min

Ep 84How Hypnosis Is Changing Lives!

We’ve all seen videos of stage-hypnosis shows where seemingly random audience members are put to sleep, hypnotized and then… in no time, they’re clucking like chickens, dancing like ballerinas, or swatting away imaginary pests. Jason and Peter had to find out if this was something staged or “real” hypnosis. Today’s guest, Dr. David Spiegel had the answer and reveals whether hypnotism can make people do things against their will, increase their physical strength and he even hypnotizes both Jason and Peter. Really, no really! Dr. Spiegel has more than 40 years of clinical and research experience studying differing psychological disciplines, including hypnosis. He has used hypnosis since 1967, achieving and publishing results in more than 404 scientific journal articles, and 170 book chapters. He is also the founder of Reveri, a self-hypnosis app. So, sit back, get comfortable, and be prepared for a very, hypnotic episode…Really, no Really! IN THIS EPISODE: Stage hypnosis… is it real? (You might be surprised!) The therapeutic aspect of making a football coach dance like a ballerina. What happens inside the hypnotized brain Can hypnosis retrieve long lost memories… induce false memories? Therapeutic problems hypnosis can help. Is self-hypnosis a thing? How hypnosis can help alleviate self-destructive thinking. Jason and Peter get hypnotized by Dr. Spiegel – Really, no Really? Jason reveals his never before discussed personal encounters with hypnosis. Googleheim: Famous people who famously used hypnosis. FOLLOW DR. SPIEGEL: Website: reveri.com Instagram: @Reveri X: @reveri_health *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 10, 202442 min

Ep 83The Ig Nobel Awards Make You Laugh…Then Think

We’ve all heard of The Nobel Peace prize and the Nobel Literature prize, Science, and Medicine prizes. Well, this episode has absolutely nothing to do with any of that! But! If you come up with an idea that is an unusual or trivial or a bizarre achievement in scientific research, well then…we have an award for you. It’s called the Ig Nobel Prize, and anyone can win it, if their idea makes you laugh…and then… makes you think! Really, no really! The Prize was created by today’s guest, Marc Abrahams who has awarded it annually since 1991. And the awards are handed out annually by genuine Nobel laureates, as they honor and celebrate the unusual, the creative and the imaginative… while also spurring people’s interest in science, medicine, and technology. So be prepared to learn about woodpeckers and concussions, an unusual childbirth device and the importance of fish farts. That’s right… fish farts! IN THIS EPISODE: The unbelievable way Marc first became editor of a scientific magazine. Amusing inventors & scientists doing obscure, yet noble things should be honored. Right? The scientists who defied a Prime Minister and proved the impending submarine invasion was not happening. Meet the guy who studied whether gonorrhea could be transmitted by sex dolls. Colonoscopy researchers won the Ig Nobel twice and performed a live on-stage demonstration you won’t believe. The Blonsky centrifugal birthing device will defy your understanding of natural childbirth. Why don’t woodpeckers get concussions and how that applies to football. Your foot size to genitalia size ratio is… real? Jason has some “genius ideas” he thinks should win an Ig Nobel. The small but notable list of inventors who were killed by their inventions. GOOGLEHEIM: Have any nobility won the Nobel Prize? Yep! *** FOLLOW MARC: Website – Improbable.com Ig Nobel Prize 2024 Mastodon - @MarcAbrams Facebook - Marc Abrahams Podcast – Improbable Research *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 3, 202438 min

Ep 82Does Your Dog Really Love You? Science Has the Answer!

Does your dog truly love you or are they faking it? A recent Newsweek cover story posed that very question and revealed that scientific research provides an answer! Really, no Really! But can science really prove how your dog feels about you? Or for that matter, can it prove TRUE love, between animals or people? Fascinated by the scientific inquiry, Jason and Peter turned to Dr. Gregory Berns…the Distinguished Professor of Neuroeconomics at Emory University, and the scientist who conducted the actual “Love Research”, even going so far as using MRIs to discover what’s really going on in a dog’s brain! Pet parents…prepare yourself for the truth! IN THIS EPISODE: So…do our dogs actually love us? How the dog, hunting Osama bin Laden led to the first canine MRI. Utilizing MRIs to determine dog’s true emotions. Food and praise light up a dog’s brain reward center but is that love? Dog racism? Alligator companionship? Cow love? Re-examining animal psychology. Jason’s movie, Hachi: A Dog's Tale - a story of true dog love or just love for snacks? Does our increasing understanding of animal capabilities impact how we treat them? Eating or not eating the animals that have the capacity to love us. What’s too cute to eat and our definitive take on cannibalism. GoogleHEIM: The 3-year time window for certain types of dog lovers. *** FOLLOW DR. BERNS: Website - GregoryBerns.com X - @gberns Newly released book: “Cowpuppy: An Unexpected Friendship and a Scientist’s Journey into the Secret World of Cows” *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 27, 202442 min

Ep 81If Chemtrails Aren’t Real, Why Are They Being Banned?

We’ve all seen them…white streaks emanating from behind commercial airliners. Is it water vapor or is there something more nefarious being released at 30,000ft? Tennessee legislators were so alarmed by these white plumes, they just passed legislation banning so-called “chemtrails” and any other form of geoengineering. Really, no Really! Chemtrails have been linked to conspiracies about secretive government forces who are using them to release chemicals that could cause sterilization, reduction of life expectancy, mind and weather control and a whole host of other sinister outcomes. But are any of these conspiracies real? When Jason and Peter, saw that 6 or more states are taking up similar anti-chemtrail legislation, they turned to Dr. Joshua Horton, Senior Program Fellow for Geoengineering at the Harvard Kennedy School for answers. IN THIS EPISODE: If chemtrails aren’t real, why are they being banned? Geoengineering and manipulating our weather explained. The Chemtrail myths exposed! What are contrails and what causes them? Could geoengineering eventually reverse climate change? Shady companies that make geoengineering claims. The debate over geoengineering experiments explained. Google-heim: Cows produce how much methane??? FOLLOW JOSH: X – @joshuahorton533 LinkedIn – Joshua Horton *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 20, 202435 min

Ep 80How Fungi Could Save the World!

There is an entire world - just below our feet - that defies our conventional understanding of intelligence. It’s a superhighway of fungal interconnectedness, trillions of miles of fungal networks that enable trees to recognize their families, communicate with each other and even share resources. And those fungi, which may be hundreds of millions of years old, may just be the key to saving our planet from pollution and global warming! In this episode, Jason and Peter are joined by Louie Schwartzberg, director of the beautiful 2019 documentary film, “Fantastic Fungi” to explore the amazing world of fungi and mushrooms, and to discuss their awe-inspiring power to heal, protect, and transform our world. And what's most shocking… mushrooms are more closely related to humans than they are to plants…Really, no Really! IN THIS EPISODE: How trees communicate and help their kin. Our symbiotic relationship with fungus explained. The importance of no-till farming and curtailing the use of fossil fuel made fertilizers. The mycelium network could reduce climate change. How mushrooms clean oil spills! Using psylocibin to treat terminally ill cancer patients to lessen their fear of death. Mankind’s rapid evolution is attributed to psylocibin in mushrooms! James Cameron’s Avatar is effectively about Pandora’s mycelia network. The transcendent power of time-lapse photography. Mushrooms have beneficial antibodies & potentially cancer-fighting properties. Google-heim: The largest fungus is WAY bigger than you think & the most expensive mushroom in the world! *** FOLLOW LOUIE: Website - louiechannel.tv Instagram - @LouieSchwartzberg YouTube - @fantasticfungiofficial X - @LouieFilms TikTok - @louieschwartzberg *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 13, 202442 min

Ep 79The Holderness Family - ADHD can be a Superpower?

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or ADHD is a medical condition with symptoms that include difficulty focusing and staying on task, impulsivity and self-control issues. Worldwide over 336 million people live with ADHD including our own Peter Tilden – and they view it as a daily burden that makes simple tasks challenging and often anxiety-ridden. But one family, wildly famous throughout the social media stratosphere view their struggle with ADHD as something positive. Really, no Really! Today’s guests! Kim and Penn Holderness are best-selling authors and their most recent book is , “ADHD is Awesome: A Guide To (Mostly) Thriving With ADHD! Known for their award-winning videos, they have garnered over 2 billion views and over 8 million followers across their social media platforms. They’re also award-winning podcasters and were the winners on Season 33 of The Amazing Race. IN THIS EPISODE: Signs you or someone you love may have ADHD. ADHD/ADD – What’s the difference? The relationship between ADHD, intelligence & creativity. Medicating ADHD – Making the right decision! What it’s like living with someone who has ADHD? Keeping all the challenging stuff in mind…. how is ADHD awesome? You’ve been diagnosed with ADHD – Now what? What it takes to be a social media sensation? How Kim & Penn won The Amazing Race and should Jason do it? Google-HEIM: Gender differences & ADHD. *** FOLLOW THE HOLDERNESS FAMILY: Website - theholdernessfamily.com Facebook – The Holderness Family YouTube – The Holderness Family Instagram – The Holderness Family TikTok – The Holderness Family X – @KimDHolderness Pinterest – Holdernessfam Podcast – The Holderness Family Podcast *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 6, 202454 min

Ep 78Post-COVID Etiquette: The Dos and Don’ts

Post-COVID, we are all living under evolved or flat-out different protocols. And many of us may be unsure which societal rules have changed and what new rules have emerged. Thankfully, New York magazine reformulated and clarified the guidelines concerning how we should all behave in a post -pandemic world. Really, no Really! In this episode we discuss and analyze some of the “194 Modern Etiquette Rules for Life After Covid”with New York magazine editor Choire Sicha, who previously made waves as co-editor at Gawker (twice) and was the former editor at the “Styles” desk of the New York Times. You’ll learn whether it’s okay to Email, text & direct message at any hour. Whether it’s now okay to discipline your friend’s children. AND…if there’s ever a time when it’s okay to be a Karen? IN THIS EPISODE: Is it still okay to use “COVID” as an excuse for cancelling plans? The new rule for running into people you haven’t seen in a while. How badly have our post-COVID office manners degraded? It’s NOT okay for you to karaoke THIS word. Must a host accommodate your veganism, gluten-ism, allergies? Etiquette and the Ozempic-Effect explained. The correct way to listen to someone! The new tips on tipping that have many infuriated! Never wake up your spouse for any reason…EVER! The timelines for cancelling plans has changed a lot. How to properly stop people from telling you a story that you’ve heard before? Jason shares his traveling incognito disguise. Can you spot him? The latest fashion for Summer…Near nudity! Google-heim: The rudest thing we’ve ever witnessed! *** FOLLOW CHOIRE: Instagram - @choiresicha X - @Choire Substack The article: “Do You Know How to Behave? Are You Sure?” *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 30, 202440 min

Ep 77Dark Secrets of the $2 Billion Fortune Telling Industry

Psychics. We see their tiny storefront shops in some of the most exclusive zip codes; Beverly Hills, Uptown Manhattan, the fanciest streets in your town – with sun-faded curtains and neon signs promoting palm readings, cures for curses and prophecies from your future. But there’s a much darker side hidden behind the tarot cards and crystal balls. In this episode, Bob Nygaard, a private detective who has recovered millions of dollars for victims of psychic fraud reveals the techniques he uses to surprise and bust corrupt psychics. He also reveals a HUGE SECRET to Jason and Peter about the covert organizations that run many of the psychic scams in an industry with a projected income of over…2 billion dollars a year! Really, no Really! IN THIS EPISODE: Many psychics are part of an organized crime network! Is fortune telling illegal? How psychics identify vulnerable targets. Why law enforcement largely ignores psychic parlor scams. Should psychics be licensed, and the industry regulated? This best-selling writer gave her psychic $17 million dollars! The Seinfeld episode that nailed the psychic con. The 1918 Spanish Flu’s connection to the rise of spiritualism is comparable to COVID’s impact today! Jason’s psychic experience and its joyous outcome. GoogleHEIM: A list of different methods hucksters use to draw unsuspecting marks in. *** FOLLOW BOB NYGAARD: Website - about.me/bob.nygaard X - @buncopi LinkedIN – Bob Nygaard *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 23, 202448 min

Ep 76Real Life Ghostbusters – Meet the Ghost Files Guys

Over the past several years people’s belief in ghosts, hauntings, and the supernatural have steadily crept up and recent studies reveal that 67% of Americans believe in the paranormal. Really, no really! With the occult being one of Jason’s favorite topics, he and Peter wanted to examine the phenomenon with today’s hottest ghost hunters. Ryan Bergara and Shane Madej host Ghost Files – the popular show that investigates the world's most haunted locations in a quest to prove the paranormal. The unique twist in the Ghost Files format is that the hosting team consists of a true believer and a total skeptic! IN THIS EPISODE: How a teenage Ryan Bergara was transformed into a paranormal believer based on one night on The Queen Mary. The “cutting-edge” technology they use…or is it? Shane & Ryan mostly get along, except for that one time! Where are those voices coming from? The vetting process used to determine where they ghost hunt. Jason witnessed a stabbing in a Halloween Haunted House and the time he and his family stayed in a haunted house and ended up on the street. Why every theater keeps a ghost light! GoogleHEIM: The Top 5 Scary Ghost Movies of all time. *** FOLLOW RYAN & SHANE: Ghost Files Season 2 is coming in 2025 Instagram - @RyanBergara Instagram - @ShaneMadej YouTube – Ghost Files Website – WatcherEntertainment.com X - @wearewatcher *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 16, 202442 min

Ep 75Which Country Has the Happiest Kids? Why?

When Jason and Peter heard about a study suggesting that children in The Netherlands were the happiest kids in the world, their reaction was naturally…Really, no really! They were determined to find out how The Netherlands was able to lay claim to having the happiest children in the world! And more importantly…if their claim was true, what could be learned from their child rearing techniques. They also wanted to figure out the correct name for the country, since people refer to it as - “Netherlands” or “The Netherlands” or “Holland”! For answers they turned to an actual Netherlander (or whatever they’re called) Veronique van der Kleij. She is a child and school psychologist who has worked at The International School of the Hague with children, adolescents, and their families. She specializes in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). She also has a master’s in child and Adolescent Psychology, and a 2-year post-master degree in School Psychology. IN THIS EPISODE: What differentiates kids in Holland from those in other countries. The impact of helicopter parenting. Bikes and kids…the surprising benefits! Dutch kids & social media – how they interact. How the Dutch discuss sex, drugs, gender and other difficult conversations. The shocking differences in parental leave in The Netherlands! How parents punish their children in Holland. The importance of allowing kids to make mistakes. Jason’s extraordinary journey to happiness and contentedness. Googleheim: The Netherlands or Holland? *** FOLLOW VERONIQUE: Website: Calm-Mind-Psychology.nl LinkedIN @Veronique van der Kleij *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 9, 202442 min

Ep 74The Return to Office Lie: Why It’s Failing Companies

The pandemic thrust millions of us into remote work, and the consensus for most of us is – we love it! Reduced commutes, getting deliveries, our own bathrooms, and the ability to hang out with our pets! So then why are major employers increasingly pushing back against remote work while bemoaning quiet quitting and the degradation of office culture? And their biggest corporate complaint…less productivity…seems to be a lie! Really, no really! Jason and Peter were surprised by this revelation and needed more info, so they enlisted the help of Nick Bloom. He’s Co-Director of the Productivity, Innovation & Entrepreneurship Program at the National Bureau of Economic Research, and well equipped to explain not only the latest technological innovations created for at-home work but also the changing socio-economic realities that make working from home a critical part of our economy. Professor Bloom is the William Eberle Professor of Economics at Stanford University. He is the co-founder of WFH Research. He’s also the recipient of the prestigious Frisch Medal in 2010. In 2022 he was granted a Guggenheim Fellowship and Bloomberg ranked him as one of its 50 Most Influential. IN THIS EPISODE: The Definitive Answer: Which environment is more productive home or office? Toenail clipping, zero privacy…who’s the a-hole who invented open floor plans? The most hated workplace related activity revealed! The things we LIKE about working in an office. The blackhole of mentorship when working from home. Big Brother Surveillance: Monitoring keystrokes, productivity screen shots, face cameras & Mouse movers! The future of massively empty skyscrapers is…? The Great Migration from city-centers to the suburbs and its extortionary repercussions. How our commutes have been changed by remote work. Medicine, therapy, warfare, romance – Jason ponders in-person vs remote. Googleheim: The worst places to work are…? FOLLOW NICK BLOOM: Website: WFHresearch.com X: @I_Am_NickBloom LinkedIN: Nick Bloom *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 2, 202439 min

Ep 73Mike Rowe’s Dirtiest Jobs, Joan Rivers Help & His Mother’s Challenge!

Like most people, you’ve probably heard of Mike Rowe because of his willingness to do over 300 strange, disgusting and unique jobs like – sewer inspector – cow inseminator and shark suit tester as the creator and host of Discovery Channel’s popular show “Dirty Jobs”. But when Jason and Peter heard about his unusual start in the entertainment business, they invited him to discuss that…AND…the secret sauce that made Dirty Jobs a phenomenon. His podcast, “The Way I Heard It”, which has been downloaded nearly 300 million times. His new movie, “Something to Stand For” in theaters June 27th and available HERE. And his dirty joke... on Sesame Street! Really, no Really!!! IN THIS EPISODE: Joan Rivers impact on Mike Rowe, Howie Mandel and many others. Hear Mike’s mother’s criticism led to his creation of Dirty Jobs. Why Mike demanded no “second takes” on any of his shows. The dirty joke on Sesame Street that polarized the audience. How Mike’s became a professional opera singer. Deadliest Catch taught him hammer fighting, yes, hammer fighting! The lost promos that Mike Rowe voiced for the Spice Channel. How many ways can someone say… Mazda? *** FOLLOW MIKE: Website – www.MikeRowe.com Facebook – Mike Rowe X - @MikeRoweWorks YouTube - @TheRealMikeRowe Instagram - @MikeRowe Podcast – The Way I Heard It with Mike Rowe Movie – “Something to Stand For” Foundation - Mike Rowe WORKS *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 25, 202453 min

Ep 72The Billion Dollar Nap: The Rise of Sleep Tourism

Sleep deprivation can lead to hypertension, compromised immunity, stroke, obesity, premature death, and a whole host of other serious maladies. Between 25 and 30 million Americans have insomnia at any given time; no wonder the newest trend in wellness is… “Sleep Tourism”. Really, no really! But what exactly is “Sleep Tourism”? Jason and Peter were determined to find out, so they sought out global hospitality and travel expert Kaushik Vardharajan. And what they discovered was a world filled with A.I. powered beds, smart-sheets, quiet floors, and lots of fascinating hotel secrets you need to know. So, sit back, relax and maybe tonight, you’ll finally be able to get a good night’s sleep… IN THIS EPISODE: A.I. powered beds, smart-sheets and mattress pads. Yes, those are real things. How hotels are capitalizing on our need for sleep. The “Weston Heavenly Bed” instituted a hotel mattress arms race. The difference between traditional and sleep tourist-quality rooms. Quiet floors and the hotels that enforce them. Hotel Secrets Exposed - You will be shocked! “Over Tourism” – It’s a real and destructive issue. The secret to avoiding horrific hotels. Jason explains how he avoids wife-induced hotel injuries. The top movies to fall asleep to. Google-heim: What’s with Jason’s mustache, who the F is Edgar Winter, and the word you shouldn’t use for people affected by albinism. *** FOLLOW KAUSHIK: You can find Kaushik on LinkedIn *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 18, 202442 min

Ep 71Inside the Secret World of Lost Luggage

In the United States, the airline industry loses an estimated 2 million bags annually. Now you might be wondering, where do all those lost bags end up? Well Jason and Peter were able to get a definitive answer to that question. The majority end up in Alabama! Really, no Really! Our guest Bryan Owens discusses his unique family business…which has been dealing with lost and unclaimed luggage for over 50 years. Their enormous store, in Scottsboro, Alabama - which covers more than a city block - sells tens of thousands of unclaimed baggage items every year. And with five decades of experience processing enormous volumes of lost items, Bryan reveals some of the one-of-a-kind pieces found in unclaimed luggage… including a 3,000-year-old Egyptian burial mask, a live rattlesnake, and even a shrunken human head which you can see in the store’s recently opened museum. IN THIS EPISODE: The Unclaimed Baggage origin story and how they stock 7,000 new items every day. Airlines responsibility regarding lost luggage, settling claims and when Bryan’s team can take over. Who gets first dibs on valuable or in-demand items when lost luggage is recovered? A highly secret F14 guidance system, live venomous snakes and suits of armor are just a few of the bizarre things Bryan must deal with. How you can save up to 80% by purchasing someone else’s lost items! How Bryan Owen’s business employs dozens of pricing experts, authenticators and even GIA certified appraisers so he can issue certificates of authenticity. The psychology behind why most people don’t attempt to reclaim their stuff! Jason’s secret to finding lost items…look in the pickle barrel! Googleheim: Jason’s spring-loaded blackjack and a list of obvious and not so obvious items you can’t bring on an airplane. *** FOLLOW BRYAN: Website: UnclaimedBaggage.com Instagram: @UnclaimBag X: @UnclaimedBag *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 11, 202437 min

Ep 70Confessions of a Rented Bridesmaid

You can now rent a professional bridesmaid for your wedding! Really, no really! Before you ask the inevitable and logical question…why anyone would need to rent somebody to be their bridesmaid, consider this: twenty two percent of Americans say that it has been at least five years since they’ve made a new friend and nearly one-third say they have three or fewer close friends. With friendship in decline no wonder one woman, today’s guest has acted as a bridesmaid in hundreds of weddings for brides she didn’t know. Jen Glantz is the world’s first professional bridesmaid and founder of Bridesmaid for Hire, she’s also a best-selling author, a blogger, she writes several newsletters, and she hosts the wildly popular podcast, You’re Not Getting Any Younger. IN THIS EPISODE: How Jen stumbled into the professional bridesmaid business. Wedding disasters! Arguments, mistresses, fistfights, inappropriate speeches, and dog bites! Which couples won’t last…can Jen tell the difference? The surprising origin of many of your wedding traditions Anybody interested in attending a vow renewal? They have a registry! Destination weddings & why we hate them. Has Jen ever been busted as a pseudo friend? If you’re asked to be a bridesmaid…answer these questions BEFORE saying yes. The inherent sadness of needing a paid bridesmaid. The wedding Hokey Pokey incident Jason will never forget. Google-heim: Hokey Pokey controversies and producer Lorre’s dubious wedding! *** FOLLOW JEN GLANTZ: Website: BridesmaidForHire.com Blog: The Things I Learned From Podcast: You're Not Getting Any Younger Instagram: @jenglantz TikTok: @BridesmaidForHire X: @jenglantz Facebook: Jen Glantz YouTube: @jenglantz *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 4, 202440 min

Ep 69The Shocking Power of the Placebo Effect!

A man attempted suicide by overdosing on a drug he was given in a clinical trial. He was rushed to a hospital in bad shape…shaking, breathing rapidly with a dangerously low pulse, and blood pressure that had bottomed out. He was eventually stabilized, but not by anything the staff at the hospital did. The treatment and cure? He was informed that the overdose he had taken was a placebo. He had downed 29 capsules that were effectively sugar pills and the cause of his medical emergency… was all in his mind…Really, no really! Jason and Peter were fascinated by the seemingly lethal effects of an inert substance. And while they had heard about the placebo effect, they were amazed that it could be this powerful. To find out more, they sought out the world’s foremost expert and researcher on the subject. Dr. Luana Colloca is a distinguished professor at the University of Maryland and the Director of the Placebo Beyond Opinions Center. As an NIH-funded, internationally recognized expert, Dr. Colloca and her team research human pain modulation in patients suffering from chronic pain hoping to deepen understanding of placebo and nocebo effects. IN THIS EPISODE: The reason for the placebo’s creation in 1799. Why the placebo effect is more powerful than you think. The lesser-known nocebo effect and how it works. How do placebos mimic active treatments? Is it ethical to prescribe placebos without informing patients? Why patients who KNEW they were getting placebos improved! The placebo effect on positive vs negative-minded people. Acupuncture, reiki, other alternative treatments - placebos? Jason’s trick for alleviating pain using the power of his mind. A placebo to replace erectile dysfunction medications? Pondering non-medical uses for placebos - placebo vacations? Google-:heim: Placebo “isn’t” but “is.” Here are other things we think “are” that “aren’t.” FOLLOW LUANA: The Colloca Lab Placebo Beyond Opinions (PBO) Center Instagram: @CollocaLab Facebook: @LuanaColloca *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 28, 202443 min

Ep 68The Secret Life of Alligators!

Have you heard about Wally the 5-foot-long, 60-pound emotional support alligator? Wally’s owner sleeps with him, walks him on a leash, and even hosts children’s pool parties featuring the supposedly docile reptile. With their inhuman eyes, prehistoric looks, razor sharp teeth, and propensity to eat small dogs (and sometimes their owners), most of us have concluded that alligators are mindless, aggressive killing machines. Today’s guest says…we’re wrong. Really, no really! We wanted to know if Wally’s antics represented the tip of the iceberg when it came to alligators demonstrating intelligence, receptiveness to petting and scratching, and if gators could express affection towards their human companions. Thousands of videos on Instagram and Tik Tok show people interacting lovingly with alligators so to understand the dichotomy of a predator with feelings we sought out Paul Bedard, one of the most knowledgeable people on the planet when it comes to understanding the psyche of wild alligators and how humans can interact with them in a safe and…get this… fun way. Paul was featured on Animal Planet’s “Gator Boys” for 6 seasons where viewers saw him catch and rescue alligators that were deemed a threat to people, pets, or livestock. Outside of the reality show, Paul leads The Gator Boys Alligator Rescue Sanctuary housed in the Everglades Holiday Park in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. ON THIS EPISODE: The improbable altruistic inclination that led Paul to become a savior to alligators. Why some gators can be successfully trained! Are gators capable of feeling affection, frustration, pleasure, anxiety, distress and able to plot and plan? The unusual way Paul catches wild alligators, while swimming in canals…Really! Paul reveals what went through his mind when an alligator clamped down on his skull!!! Do alligators sense your fear? Do humans care more about the welfare of cute animals? Google-heim: Play along with the game, “Can you do THIS in Florida?” *** FOLLOW PAUL: Everglades Holiday Park: EvergladesHolidayPark.com Instagram: @gatorboysalligatorrescue YouTube: @gatorboysoutdoors Facebook: @GatorBoysPaul *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 21, 202439 min

Ep 67Your Bad Customer Service was No Accident!

Today’s episode is all about our frustration with customer service… which by anyone’s standards is getting worse and worse! You experience it every time you encounter a phone tree, interact with a chatbot, or deal with increasingly longer hold times. The truly shocking fact, the apparent ineptitude of most customer service departments is by design. Really, no Really! Jason and Peter had to find out the reason a company would intentionally offer unsatisfactory customer service and became even more bemused when they realized that A.I. is going to impact the entire sector. That’s why they sought out Amas Tenumah, a customer service expert and technologist who has advised DirecTV, Fastly, Wendy's, Teleflora, and Coca-Cola. His work has been featured on NPR, Forbes, The Huffington Post, Entrepreneur, and other business journals. IN THIS EPISODE: Poor customer care is part of the design! Amas’ secret trick to navigating customer service. How companies treat customer service employees: bathroom time tabulated, tethered to headsets, ridiculous scripts, terrible pay, and worse! Part of the customer service problem… YOU, the consumer! Every Call Center has one: the profanity policy. Correlating CEO tenure and inferior customer service. Can AI and technology improve people’s customer service experience? Peter’s “million-dollar idea” to revolutionize customer care. The growing number of companies that have terminated ALL phone interaction with customers. When chatbots go rogue! Why Amas almost got his hand cut off. Really! Google-heim: The Oldest continuously operating company in the world must have the best customer service, right? You will be shocked to learn how long these folks have been in business. *** FOLLOW AMAS: Website: AmasTenumah.com Instagram: @AmasTenumah YouTube: @AmasTenumah Facebook: Amas Tenumah X: @AmasTenumah LinkedIn: Amas Tenumah *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 14, 202439 min

Ep 66Free Will Might be an Illusion!

Dr. Robert Sapolsky a MacArthur Foundation “genius” grant winner and professor of biology and neurology at Stanford University has rankled the scientific and philosophic communities by arguing one simple point: There is no free will! We only THINK we’re making our own decisions. Really, no really! When Jason and Peter heard this, they realized that they had absolutely no choice but to contact Dr. Sapolsky so they could get him to explain his thesis…in a simplistic way…that even they could understand. And he did! Dr. Robert Sapolsky is a research associate with the Institute of Primate Research at the National Museum of Kenya, and the author of: Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers, A Primate's Memoir, The Trouble with Testosterone, Monkeyluv, and his latest is Determined: A Science of Life Without Free Will. He is a regular contributor to Discover. IN THIS EPISODE: Why a 14-year-old Robert Sapolsky concluded there is no free will. Misunderstanding what free will is; Dr. Sapolsky provides his definition. Determinism verses anti-determinism. How our sense of smell can affect our beliefs and choices. Thanks mom! How your pregnant mother’s elevated stress levels gave you a 20-fold likelihood of developing an anxiety disorder. Minority Report’s “pre-crime” idea is real and being implemented. Professor Sapolsky realizes that most philosophers and scientists reject his conclusions. Sapolsky says the world becomes more humane when we accept his hypothesis. Right, wrong, ethics, morality, compassion – What do we do with those concepts in a world without free will? Google-heim: No free will BUT the best things in life are free! (Sort of.) *** FOLLOW ROBERT: His latest book: “Determined: A Science of Life Without Free Will” TikTok: @ aprimatestiktok *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 7, 202443 min

Ep 21Blunt Truths on Marijuana

The cannabis available today is much, much stronger than the weed grandma was smoking back in her day and the effects on our brains are much more significant than previously thought. Really, no really! Jason and Peter sought out Dr. Ryan Sultan an Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at Columbia University to understand the underlying reasons for our growing inability to get along but when we had him in studio we also picked his brain relating to his expertise in cannabis. He's also an expert in the areas of anxiety, mood disorders, depression, ADHD, and substance abuse. Ryan graciously agreed to help us understand why Peter has been so edgy lately since he's gone cold turkey off marijuana. IN THIS EPISODE: Peter isn't alone in having a hard time coming off pot. Lung cancer, stroke, anxiety, a shrinking brain? The new huge study on long-term cannabis use. The effects of long term cannabis consumption. What happens to your brain when you stop regular use of pot. Cannabis, rebound anxiety + ADHD. The reason kids should stay away from pot until at least age 25. *** FOLLOW DR. SULTAN He is the director of Integrative Psych, as well as being director of Sultan Lab at Columbia University. Instagram @rsultanmd X @DrRyanSultan *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 3, 202416 min

Ep 65What’s Driving Public Bad Behavior?

It’s becoming impossible to ignore the epidemic of public incivility. Tirades in supermarkets, performers pelted with projectiles, drunken movie goers brawling, tantrums on airplanes, and of course, the Oscar slap seen around the world! This can’t all just be coincidence. Social media constantly churns out evidence of this growing trend which begs the question: Which came first, the incivility or the smartphone cameras capturing it all? Really, no really? Jason and Peter sought out an expert in human behavior to help discover the underlying reasons for our growing inability to get along. And Dr. Ryan Sultan an Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at Columbia University graciously agreed to help us understand society’s current decline in decency. IN THIS EPISODE: What is “Main Character Syndrome” and is it real? Performers who’ve spectacularly called out disrespectful audience members. How COVID affected people’s temperament and children’s ability to mature and develop. How our reality has been impacted by smart phones, social media, and curated feeds. Anger, happiness and the algorithms that feed us. The restorative power of interpersonal relationships - can they be replicated online? Airplane tantrums, toxic Yelp reviews, prolific road rage, are there common threads instigating these behaviors? Is the “Karen phenomenon” new or are we just catching it on camera more? Broadway memories – How Jason dealt with onstage outbursts. Google-heim: Stemming the tide of incivility using the 4 Agreements. *** FOLLOW DR. SULTAN He is the director of Integrative Psych, as well as being director of Sultan Lab at Columbia University. Instagram @rsultanmd X @DrRyanSultan *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 30, 202440 min

Ep 64Harvard’s Taylor Swift Course -What You’re Really Learning!

Harvard is teaching a course on…Taylor Swift? Yes! Harvard University, the one in Cambridge, Massachusetts has a new course about T-Swizzle whose Eras Tour has earned over 1 billion dollars so far. And whose latest album just broke multiple streaming records within hours of its release. Really, no Really! Our initial reaction was to poo-poo the Harvard course because we happen to be congenital born poo-poo-ers. But when we investigated the course syllabus, we found it fascinating, and an easy A it’s not. Jason and Peter have enlisted the talents of Professor Stephanie Burt -who teaches the Taylor Swift course at Harvard - to not only discuss her class, but to also take a closer look at the woman, her music, the music industry she has upended and her rabid fan base, the Swifties. Professor Stephanie Burt is the Donald and Catherine Loker Professor of English at Harvard University and has published various collections of poetry and a large amount of literary criticism and research. The New York Times has called Professor Burt "one of the most influential poetry critics of her generation". You’ll also hear how Jason and Peter gave Taylor a job, way back in the day. Really, no Really! IN THIS EPISODE: How Prof. Burt sold Harvard’s Administration on doing a Taylor Swift course. Is Taylor Swift just about skewering her x-boyfriends? Do you have a Hermeneutic Friendship with Taylor? And what does that even mean? Does Taylor use “lects”? And what does that even mean? How Swift’s social media consciously builds and deepens community with her fans. Taylor Swift’s success: amazing business acumen or smart consultants? The songs a Swift novice should listen to first. GoogleHEIM: Quiz: Who sung it - Taylor Swift or the Sex Pistols? *** FOLLOW PROFESSOR BURT:X: @accommodatingly BlueSky Social: @notquitehydepark.bsky.social Podcast: teamupmoves.com *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 23, 202441 min

Ep 63CNN’s Richard Quest: Is Airline Safety Declining?

This episode attempts to answer the question… “Are airlines putting dangerous planes into the sky?” Recently, a Boeing 737 Max 9 had a door plug blow out at 16,000 feet, creating a gaping hole that sucked out, among other things…the shirt off the back of a startled teenager. Really, no Really! That incident (along with a few others) reminded us of that Netflix documentary exposing the egregious decline of Boeing, a once great American manufacturer. 2023 was considered a travel nightmare for many and 2024 looks to be no better with shortages of air traffic controllers, pilots, and planes. To enlighten us about the current state of air travel, Jason and Peter invited CNN’s, always entertaining - aviation expert and correspondent- Richard Quest. Richard has interviewed every major airline executive and covered the crashes of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, and the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370. IN THIS EPISODE: Aviation’s surprising “Do Not Pair” list! Safest seat on the aircraft is…? Ailine pilot statistics you hope aren’t true. Richard breaks down why Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 & Lion Air Flight 610 went down and what’s changed. Why airlines outsource critical maintenance overseas. What happens when a plane depressurizes at 35,000 ft? Are pilots being pushed to the breaking point? True/False: Water and ice on an airplane are safe to drink? Is it possible to be sucked out a broken window? “Sully” Sullenberger’s genius! Jason’s favorite Seinfeld plane episode. GoogleHEIM: How far can a commercial airline glide without engines? *** FOLLOW RICHARD QUEST: X @RichardQuest Quest Means Business, airs weekdays at 3pm ET / 12pm PT on CNN International Pick up Richard’s book: 'The Vanishing of Flight MH370: The True Story of the Hunt for the Missing Malaysian Plane' *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 16, 202442 min

Ep 62Comedian Leanne Morgan: From Housewife to Fame at 57!

Fame! That mystical quality that often leads young stars to crushing downfalls, addiction, financial ruin, even personal tragedy. So, is it better to become famous later in life, when you hopefully have the wisdom and experience to handle it? For one Tennessee housewife and in-home jewelry salesperson Leanne Morgan, success didn’t happen till her late 50s. That’s when her incredible talent, perseverance and whit enabled her to go from playing small comedy clubs, to arenas, landing a Netflix special, and getting the part of Reese Witherspoon’s big sister in her upcoming comedy with Will Ferrell! When Peter saw Leanne perform, it evoked memories of comedic timing reminiscent of Joan Rivers. When Jason caught her stand-up act, he immediately fell in love. And apparently, he’s not the only one. Her first YouTube comedy special reached - over 50 million views! Really, no Really! And we’re happy to say Leanne is joining us to talk about her special brand of Southern-inspired comedy and what it’s like to hit it big… later in life. IN THIS EPISODE: How a woman peeing on a couch led Leanne to a her successful career in comedy. Really! Dealing with kids leaving home, beagles’ buttholes and menstrual mishaps. Popcorn tubs, hernias & plantar fasciitis aka, date night at a Journey Concert! Learning what a table read is with “little” Reese Witherspoon & Will Ferrell. Talking about family in your act-even when they don’t want you to! What it’s like for Leanne to ‘make it’ in her late 50s. GoogleHEIM: The top 10 things you SHOULD NOT DO…If you don’t want to look old (#10 is controversial) *** FOLLOW LEANNE: Netflix Special: Leanne Morgan: I’m Every Woman Website: LeanneMorgan.com Instagram: @LeanneMorganComedy TikTok: @LeanneMorganComedy YouTube: @LeanneMorganComedy Facebook: @Leanne Morgan X: @LeanneComedy Pre-Order Book: “What in the World?!: A Southern Woman's Guide to Laughing at Life's Unexpected Curveballs and Beautiful Blessings” Watch her on Amazon Prime’s forthcoming feature, You’re Cordially Invited, alongside Will Ferrell & Reese Witherspoon. *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 9, 202447 min

Ep 61The Dark Side of Celebrity Endorsements

As celebrities bask in their own fame, they are frequently offered exceptionally lucrative endorsement deals, often worth obscene amounts of money. But as this trend has grown over the past decade, many of the deals seem to be encountering significant problems! Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s wine brand may take a hit due to their acrimonious divorce. Diddy (formerly Puff Daddy, P. Diddy, Puffy and more) reportedly lost 18 brand partnerships due to assault allegations. And Adidas’s billion-dollar deal with the controversial Ye (formerly Kanye) may end up costing them over a billion dollars…Really, no Really! So, is it worth hiring a well-known star to create awareness for your brand or has it now become a recipe for disaster? To help find the answer, Jason and Peter invited Mark Haas to join them. Mark is the CEO of The Helmsman Group which helps brands navigate the world of consumer-packaged goods and he’s helped over 200 new product platforms enter the commercial market— representing more than $2 billion in sales over the last decade. IN THIS EPISODE: Would you buy a Jason Alexander rum called “No Rum For You”? What makes a celebrity and a product the right fit? The amazing story of how Don King committed Michael Jackson to do a Pepsi commercial without his permission. The one thing Samsung DIDN’T want to hear from celebrity endorser LeBron James. Do celebrities really need to enjoy the brands they’re shilling for? How celebrities get involved with food and alcohol brands. The quality of the product or the veneer of the celebrity, which is more important? The difference between Ryan Reynold’s remaking the gin market vs Orson Wells selling wine form a chair he’s clearly been sitting in for quite a while. Jason pitches products that don’t have a celebrity endorser…yet! GoogleHEIM: More brilliant Jason Rum ideas! *** FOLLOW MARK: Web: HelmsmanGroup.com Instagram: @HelmsmanGroup Facebook: The Helmsman Group LinkedIN: Helmsman Group *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 2, 202442 min

Ep 60Wayne Knight on Seinfeld, Jurassic Park, Basic Instinct and more!

Today’s episode could be titled, “Hello Newman” because the internationally loved actor, Wayne Knight visits Really, no Really to talk about his iconic roles... including Seinfeld’s scheming Postman Newman, and Jurassic Park's techno-wiz Dennis Nedry. In this episode, Jason and Peter get Wayne to discuss what it’s like to get cast in projects based on his weight, being held hostage on the set of Oliver Stone’s JFK, and his bizarre audition with the director of Basic Instinct - Really, no Really! In addition to the credits listed above, Wayne has appeared on Broadway in the plays Gemini, Mastergate, Art and Sweet Charity plus the movies… Dirty Dancing, Born on the 4th of July, Dead Again, JFK, Space Jam, For Richer or Poorer, Rat Race – and the list goes on! He also voiced the villainous toy collector Al McWhiggin in Toy Story 2, plus characters in Tarzan, Kung Fu Panda, Harley Quinn and many other animated projects. IN THIS EPISODE: Wayne Knight the biochemist? Wayne Knight, private Investigator, and his real-life case: “The Husband, The Wife & The Pregnant Au Pair! Why he wore a fat suit…Really, no really! Meeting Steven Spielberg at the entrance to Jurassic Park. The disgusting reality of being spit on by a dinosaur. Jason & Wayne compare notes on losing weight. Warm? Cold? Unwelcoming? Guest star’s views on the Seinfeld set. Googleheim: Who wore it worse? Fat suits in Hollywood. *** FOLLOW WAYNE: X: @iWayneKnight Wayne’s upcoming shows: Amazon Prime’s season 2 of Them and Max’s Bookie. *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 26, 202457 min

Ep 59Understanding TikTok – Should it Stay, or Should it Go?

This episode is all about trying to figure out if TikTok - the video hosting platform owned by the Chinese company Byte Dance should be banned or not. Over 70% of young Americans use TikTok, which critics claim is spying on, manipulating, and spreading misinformation to its users. But is TikTok any different than Meta, Google, or X? Our guest’s answer may surprise you… Really, no really! Bruce Schneier is a cryptographer, computer security professional, privacy specialist, who has been writing about security issues since 2004 and is a fellow at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University; a Lecturer in Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School; a board member of the Electronic Frontier Foundation and AccessNow; and an Advisory Board Member of the Electronic Privacy Information Center and VerifiedVoting.org. He is the Chief of Security Architecture at Inrupt, Inc. IN THIS EPISODE: Surveillance as a business model is 100% legal. Breaking down the types of information companies are collecting, and what they’re doing with it. Why does China want to know about our affinity for puppy videos? Social Media’s ability to manipulate is greater than you might think. Russia and China’s preferred platform for transmitting misinformation is…? (Spoiler Alert: It’s not TikTok) Facebook has data on you… even if you aren’t on Facebook-RnR! Data Privacy is a national security issue, but not treated like one. The European Union leads the world in protecting data privacy. The unsettling future of A.I. and personal data surveillance. Cougar hemorrhoids? Googleheim: What you are missing… if you’re NOT on TikTok! *** FOLLOW BRUCE: Bruce’s Blog: Schneier.com X: @schneierblog Facebook: Bruce Schneier *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 19, 202437 min

Ep 58Secrets From Tom Cruise’s Death-Defying Stunts Revealed!

This episode should be titled “Mission Insanity” because it’s all about exploring how Tom Cruise performs his own death-defying stunts…and why! Jason and Peter were determined to find out the real reason Tom “risks it all” in every film. How he trains for a stunt that’s never been done before and whether he’s going to continue to try and outdo himself with each new film now that he’s in his 60’s! And they succeeded in finding the person with the answers… Wade Eastwood. He’s best known as the Action Director and Stunt Coordinator for the Mission: Impossible franchise. He’s also a fixed wing & helicopter pilot, sky diver, rescue scuba diver, accomplished black belt martial artist, boxer, fencer, yacht skipper, highly graded horse rider who has advanced weapons skills… plus he races cars internationally, with a string of wins! And - he knows the secret to how Tom Cruise creates and executes jaw dropping, mind-blowing stunts. IN THIS EPISODE: The film star considered the original Tom Cruise. Train for deadly stunts that’ve never been done before. Has Tom Cruise ever said no to a stunt because it’s too dangerous? There’s much more to fight scenes than you know. Fatalities still happen. How can stunts go wrong? Wade comments on the tragedy on the Rust set. Is Tom Cruise actually going to space? Jason shares his death-defying stunts! Seinfeld’s stunt that went very, very wrong for Jason. Googleheim: The first stunt woman! FOLLOW WADE: Instagram @wadeeastwood *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 12, 202440 min

Ep 57Everyone’s Using Subtitles – The Fascinating Reasons Why!

In case you haven’t noticed, there appears to be a subtitle revolution, with current research showing that as many as 61% of us are using subtitles regularly. And that number is rapidly growing! Really, no really! Everyone hasn’t suddenly become hard of hearing, so why are subtitles suddenly becoming the norm? This global entertainment trend is transforming the way we watch television and movies…and content creators secretly admit there is a problem that necessitates subtitles! So, we had to unravel the reasons why more of us are opting for on screen text. To help us explain the subtitle takeover, Jason and Peter enlisted the services of film researcher and producer Ed Vega, who specializes in - as his bio says - all things cinema, from the intricacies of film history to the nuts and bolts of filmmaking AND prolific dialogue editor and sound designer Austin Olivia Kendrick whose notable work includes - Star Trek Discovery, the HBO series Barry, Monster High, Rugrats, Transformers: Earthspark among many others. IN THIS EPISODE: The pros and cons of using subtitles. How today’s actor’s vocal performances differ from those in the past. Generational reasons and differences in subtitle use. Why the 1970’s era -inferior technology- seemed to work better. Do modern TVs really have speakers facing the wrong way? Is A.I. the answer to better sound mixing? Wait…competing streaming services have no audio standards! What about the George Lucas created THX? Which do we prefer in foreign language movies-Dubbed or subtitled? Have subtitles and audio descriptions made entertainment more accessible? How Jason accidentally watched the original Squid Game. Googleheim: Other cutting-edge technologies that have made life worse! *** FOLLOW ED: Website: Vox.com Instagram: @edfromqueens *** FOLLOW AUSTIN: Instagram: @aok.wav TikTok: @aok.wav Facebook: Austin Olivia Kendrick *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 5, 202436 min

Ep 56MrBeast Dominates YouTube…but who is he?

MrBeast aka 25-year-old Jimmy Donaldson is the biggest solo performer on YouTube. He’s followed by over 400 million people who watch his insane stunts and his enormous acts of philanthropy. So, who is this introverted twenty-five-year-old and what makes him tick? Did he really figure out the YouTube recommendation algorithm, and what makes him different from thousands of similar creators on YouTuber? For answers we contacted a writer who for three days, embedded herself with MrBeast, in his enormous compound, in Greenville, North Carolina…Ej Dickson. Ej is a Senior Writer for Rolling Stone and covers internet culture. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, New York Magazine, Elle, GQ, and Playboy, among others. She's also been featured on NPR's All Things Considered and This American Life, as well as the Hulu docuseries "Only Fans: Selling Sexy," The New Yorker once called her "ineffably cool." ON THIS EPISODE: YouTube was birthed after a wardrobe malfunction. What's MrBeast’s strategy for becoming the biggest YouTuber? How he created an old-school, Hollywood-style, studio system. MrBeast’s parents, his house, and seeing 1 million dollars in cash. MrBeast cracked the YouTube algorithm. Or did he? Some call MrBeast’s charitable videos - “inspiration porn” Is it? MrBeast and Tyler Perry - What they have in common. How long can MrBeast dominate? Ej introduces us to the odd world of Skibidi Toilet. Really??? Googleheim: The most popular social media star across ALL platforms is… *** FOLLOW EJ: Web RollingStone.com Podcast: Pod…CATS with Ej Dickson Instagram @ejdickson X @ejdickson *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 27, 202443 min

Ep 55Jesse Tyler Ferguson - Modern Family Issues

In 11 years on ABC’s Modern Family, Jesse Tyler Ferguson never won a Primetime Emmy even though he was nominated 5 times. Jason, who reminds us often, was nominated 7 times for Seinfeld so in this episode, we find out who lost it, better. And Jesse’s show is so popular there are even versions in Chile, Greece, Russia, and even Iran! Really, no really? Actor, author, podcaster, philanthropist, restaurateur, and activist Jesse Tyler Ferguson is best known for his portrayal of Mitchell Pritchett on the hit sitcom Modern Family. He’s also done a variety of stage and screen work including “Cocaine Bear”, and “Ice Age: Collision Course.” He won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play for his performance in the 2022 Broadway revival of Richard Greenberg's “Take Me Out” and for his performance in 2016’s “Fully Committed”, Jesse won a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Solo Performance. IN THIS EPISODE: The strange commonalities between Jason and Jesse. The documentarian on Modern Family finally revealed! Jesse on the responsibility of representing the Gay Community. When you podcast from a restaurant, is the food free? Straight actors cast as LGBTQ characters? Jesse came out to his dad 3 times. Really! Living an actual “Modern Family.” How to play 40 roles in a one-man show? Jesse responds to criticism for “wearing a fat-suit” in Cocaine Bear. How Jason and Jesse fostered such collaborative ensembles. In Hollywood, being gay is no longer included as a diversity hire, RnR? FOLLOW JESSE: Website: www.jessetylerferguson.com Podcast: Dinner’s on Me with Jesse Tyler Ferguson Instagram: @jessetyler TikTok: @jessetyler X @jessetyler FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 20, 202445 min

Ep 54What an AI-Generated George Carlin Means for Us All

There’s a brand-new, George Carlin comedy special, which is mystifying and disturbing since he died in 2008! Legendary comedian George Carlin was unceremoniously resurrected from the grave by a comedy podcast claiming to have created an AI-generated Carlin, based upon decades worth of his existing material. The special they created - “I’m Glad I’m Dead”- had the AI created legend commenting on current issues such as mass shootings, America’s class system, streaming services, social media…even Taylor Swift’s sex life…Really, no Really! But the computer-generated version lacks Carlin’s brilliance and has created a brouhaha that leads us to an unsettled legal question…whether training A.I. language learning models on publicly available written, visual and audio content infringes on the copyrights of artists and authors. Is it ethical or legal for someone to create a new George Carlin, without his or his estate’s permission? Jason and Peter needed to find out, so they went to the source, Carlin’s daughter, Kelly Carlin to discuss the controversy, her lawsuit, her dad’s legacy, and what she feels her father would have to say about the current controversy? Kelly Carlin is a storyteller, writer, performer, photographer, a practitioner of Zen Buddhism and the daughter of the legendary comedian George Carlin who died in 2008. Since then, Kelly has upheld his legacy by spreading his life’s work through many media, protecting his work and image in the public sphere, and stepping into the limelight in her own right. IN THIS EPISODE: What’s the purpose of ANY AI-written or performed standup? Was this truly AI-written and performed - does it matter? Future protections for performers and their likenesses. The true story behind George Carlin and his 7 dirty words. Which would you trust more: An experienced doctor or an AI diagnostician? When the AI Carlin feeds the future AI, what happens then? An AI with empathy, does it exist? The upside to AI hacking comedians, is there one? FOLLOW KELLY: Website: TheKellyCarlinSite.com Memoir: A Carlin Home Companion: Growing Up with George Podcast: Waking from the American Dream Instagram: @KellyCarlinisHere X: @kelly_carlin SiriusXM: The Kelly Carlin Show on Sirius XM’s Raw Dog (ch.99) FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 13, 202439 min

Ep 53America’s Funniest Science Author on Orgasms, Cadavers & Space Travel

Author Mary Roach is a hands-on writer specializing in science related topics that tap into some of the more curious and unexpected nooks of our lives. But “hands-on” doesn’t fully capture the lengths she’ll go to capture her stories – for her book examining the intricacies of sex, science, and relationships, she convinced her husband to have sex while monitored and recorded in an MRI, Ultrasound, Sonogram-like device…Really, no Really! Mary Roach is an author specializing in popular science and humor having written seven New York Times bestsellers, including Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex, STIFF: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers; GULP: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal, and PACKING FOR MARS: The Curious Science of Life in the Void and her latest book, FUZZ: When Nature Breaks the Law. Mary has written for National Geographic, Wired, The New York Times Magazine, Vogue, GQ, and the Journal of Clinical Anatomy, among many, many others. Her 2009 TED talk, "Ten Things You Didn't Know About Orgasm", made the organization's list of top 10 most popular talks of all time. IN THIS EPISODE: How Mary chooses esoteric and often taboo topics. Women’s sexual arousal can be measured…or can it? Mary embraces the taboo, including researching how astronauts avoid “fecal decapitation.” The shocking places where donated cadavers can end up. Using the Scientific Method to “prove” the existence of a higher power. India’s battles with elephants and monkeys. Googleheim: Science Myth vs. Science Fact Website: MaryRoach.net X/Twitter: @mary_roach FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X (Twitter) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 6, 202443 min

Ep 52Florida Has a Python Problem…Our Guest is the Solution

Snakes…why'd it have to be snakes? There’s a Burmese Python problem in Florida’s Everglades which is dramatically altering the ecological balance in the Sunshine State. Currently, the only way to control these non-native, invasive snakes, is to send hunters deep into allegator infested swamps to find, capture, and kill these apex predators. Really, no Really! You might imagine these Hunters as burly “Crocodile Dundee-types” with sophisticated equipment, night vision, Rambo-style bowie knives, and guns, lots of guns. But reality is quite different. Our guest today Amy Siewe styles herself as the “Python Huntress;” she’s a 5’4, 120lbs. woman who by trade is a realtor, who regularly captures these beasts – some as big as 20 feet, 250 pounds - using only a canvas bag and her wits. She has killed over 400 pythons using a quick and humane method but the number of endangered or threatened native species being eaten by these pythons is getting longer each year. Is this really the best solution to this problem and what does she do with all those dead snakes? The answers might surprise you. IN THIS EPISODE: How Amy transformed from mild-mannered Indiana-based realtor to “Python Huntress.” Does she speak Parseltongue…the language of snakes? Step-by-step instructions capturing a 17-footer…alone! What snake Periscoping means. Vipers, allegators, panthers, and bears oh my! All the things stalking Amy as she hunts. We analyze our collective fear and loathing of snakes. How do you humanely euthanize huge snakes while in the muck of Florida’s Everglades? Amy’s message to prospective buyers of commercial pythons and exotics… Jason’s close encounter with a snake at “America’s Stonehenge.” SEE one man’s emotional support allegator. Is this legit? Googleheim: Pythons are just one of the many invasive species harming Florida’s ecology. FOLLOW AMY SIEWE: WATCH Amy take down a 17ft python Website: PythonHuntress.com Instagram: @ThePythonHuntress YouTube: Python Huntress Amy Siewe X/Twitter: @AmySiewe Facebook: Amy Siewe FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X (Twitter) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 30, 202438 min

Ep 51Extreme Tourism: A Simpsons Writer Goes Where You Wouldn’t

It’s an understatement calling it adventure tourism, at minimum its extreme travel, more accurately it’s insanely dangerous. Diving to crushing depths to glimpse the Titanic, sightseeing hostile dictatorships, postcard-shopping in active war zones – increasingly, people are choosing to go to these places…for vacation. Really, no really! What could possibly possess a person to willingly put their lives in danger for a few photographs and an unusual stamp on their passport? You might expect these reckless tourists to be former Special Forces or folks with cultural ties so deep that it neutralizes the danger. Well…maybe those people exist but today Jason and Peter are talking to Mike Reiss, a middle-aged, Emmy-winning, Simpsons writer-producer whose wife compelled him to visit 136 countries, including Iran, Syria, and even North Korea! Mike Reiss has won four Emmys and a Peabody Award during his twenty-eight years writing for The Simpsons. He ran the show in Season 4, which Entertainment Weekly called “the greatest season of the greatest show in history. And Mike claims to be happily married for over thirty years. We believe him…? ON THIS EPISODE: Why more and more people are doing these extreme activities… How Mike went from homebody to extreme world traveler. True tales from Iran, Iraq, Syria & Afganistan. Almost forced to make movies for Kim Jung Il in North Korea. Diving in the doomed Ocean Gate experimental submarine 4 times! That time he almost died on a Namibian sand dune on New Year’s Eve. Jason’s main travel fear - toilet uncertainty! Mike shares his top travel tips from his years as an extreme tourist. The one vacation so bad Mike had to cut it short – you’ll never guess the country. He’s willing to go to Mars, but THIS place he refused to go. Googleheim: The most dangerous places…in your home. FOLLOW MIKE REISS: Podcast: What Am I Doing Here? with Mike Reiss X/Twitter: @MikeReissWriter FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X (Twitter) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 23, 202439 min

Ep 50The Shocking Truth of Holiday Returns - Where Your “Stuff” Really Ends Up!

The Eco-Consequences, Why We Overconsume and Deceptive Costs! If you’ve returned holiday gifts or things you bought but didn’t need or the pants you bought in multiple sizes that didn’t fit…you are part of what’s being called the “return tsunami” - which costs the planet about a trillion dollars annually. Really, no really! With free shipping and easy return policies, American’s are over-consuming and then sending stuff back in record numbers. But most buyers are completely unaware of what really happens to their returned items. When Jason and Peter discovered that many essentially ‘brand-new’ items end up in a pile so enormous that it can be seen from space…they had to find the expert who could break down the issues like a huge pile of Amazon boxes. Dr. Dale Rogers is a supply chain guru. He is the recipient of the Academic Giant Award from the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals and in the Supply Chain Hall of Fame. He is currently the Director of the Frontier Economies Logistics Lab and the Director of the Internet Edge Supply Chain Lab at Arizona State University. IN THIS EPISODE: If returns are resold…how is there a giant pile you can see from space? Residue, stains, & nasty scents: Who’s sniffing and smelling your returned clothing? Retail secrets that allow the retailers of the last century to dominate. The unseen salvage dealers that making a fortune from your returns. How did 39,000 tons of unsold clothing end up in Chile? The real story behind Expiration Dates. Post-COVID, are American supply chains still dependent on China? The non-political reason why inflation has gone down. Walmart’s attempt to diminish sensory overload for shoppers. Explained: Why a huge box contains your tiny item? Googleheim: The top 5 returns in history! FOLLOW DR. DALE ROGERS: X/Twitter: @CariscaProf FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X (Twitter) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 16, 202440 min

Ep 49The Secrets of Scent Marketing – How Smells are Manipulating Your Behavior

Disneyland has “smellitizers” that stealthily blow aromas to intensify visitor’s sensory experiences and create lasting memories! And Disney isn’t alone in this over 40-billion-dollar mechanization of our sense of smell. Celebrities, auto manufacturers, insurance companies and even the military have employed scents to influence people’s behavior, without them even realizing it. Really, no really! To help Jason and Peter understand the enormous impact of the communal and commercial use of scents, they enlisted Dawn Goldworm, an internationally recognized olfactive expert. Commonly referred to as a “nose” Dawn has more than 20 Years of experience designing fragrances for luxury brands such as: American Express, Lady Gaga, Mercedes Benz, Fendi, Ritz Carlton, Valentino and many more. She also possesses a rare ability called “synesthesia” which blends her sense of sight, touch, sound, and smell, and is her secret weapon in designing unique and innovative scent creations. IN THIS EPISODE: Explaining “synesthesia” and the intertwining of 5 senses! Cell phones that emit odor? How scent marketing can increase sales up to 300%! The psychological process of creating Lady Gaga’s signature smell. Artificial smells can unknowingly manipulate employee’s productivity. Successful and disastrous scents used by the military. The only smell humans universally like and the one we all dislike. Dawn smells what you can’t…including who you’ve been with last night. How Walmart accommodates “sensory-sensitive” shoppers. Certain scents that can reduce stress during MRI’s. Googleheim and the Olfactory Challenge! FOLLOW DAWN: Instagram: @dawn_goldworm & @12.29scent & @scentforgood Twitter: @DawnKiren Web: 1229scent.com Dawn’s TED Talk: How to control emotion and influence behavior FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X (Twitter) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 9, 202438 min

Ep 48Bryan Cranston on Retirement + That Time he was Wanted for Murder

When Jason and Peter read that actor, producer, director, author, philanthropist, and entrepreneur Bryan Cranston was retiring to spend more time with his family, in France, or something like that…they had to find out if it was true. Why would an actor in his prime retire now? The actual answer may surprise you. Really, no Really! He has two Tony Awards, a Golden Globe, and an Academy Award nomination - and you probably know him best as Walter White from the series Breaking Bad which won him 6 Primetime Emmys. In this in-studio sit-down, Bryan addresses his curtain call, takes a deep dive into his creative process, and reveals some quite novel and shocking life experiences…like being wanted for murder! IN THIS EPISODE: Bryan’s final bow: from meth lab to rocking chair? Who wears their old TV wardrobe more, Jason or Bryan? What it feels like to be covered in thousands of bees! Surprising activities he’d embrace after acting. Bryan wrote a memoire why hasn’t Jason? His experience guest hosting “The Late Late Show with James Corden” The recipe for a successful audition. What would happen if George Constanza met Walter White? QUIZ: Cranston or Not Cranston? Googleheim: Retirement is changing drastically and things to do in modern retirement. FOLLOW BRYAN: Instagram: @BryanCranston X: @BryanCranston Facebook: Bryan Cranston FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X (Twitter) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 2, 20241h 3m

Ep 47Feeding Frenzy: Buffets, Consumerism + the Allure of Overabundance!

COVID killed the all-you-can-eat buffet, right? With fogged sneeze guards, giant shared tongs and serving spoons, communal cheese boards, bread baskets and chocolate fountains, buffet line etiquette issues, and the threat posed by double dippers…the all-you-can-eat-buffet suddenly became a high stakes game of food roulette forcing us to become amateur epidemiologists. But wait, post COVID, America’s appetite for all-you-can eat gluttony has apparently returned - perhaps bigger than ever. Really, no really! We had to find out the reasons for the resurgence of the buffet and the complex relationship between food and desire. And to help explain the buffet’s renewed appeal, economics, and practicalities, we enlisted one of the country’s most knowledgeable restaurant experts… Restaurant Business Magazine Editor-in-Chief Jonathan Maze. Jonathan is a longtime industry journalist who writes about restaurant finance, mergers and acquisitions and the economy, with a particular focus on quick-service restaurants. He writes daily about the factors influencing the operating environment, including labor and food costs and various industry trends such as technology and delivery. He writes a weekly blog, “The Bottom Line,” and is the host of the weekly podcast “A Deeper Dive.” IN THIS EPISODE: Secrets of the buffet. A good deal for the consumer? The origin and appeal of unlimited gorging. Surprise, the reality of what restaurants do with repurposed food. Why we are consumed with consuming. Buffet horror stories you won’t believe. Buffets: How safe are those oysters? The hottest new restaurant trends including Eatertainment! QUIZ: Top 20 buffet items – can you name them all? Googleheim: Is it pronounced boo-fay or buh-fay? FOLLOW JONATHAN MAZE: Web: Restaurant Business Magazine Podcast: A Deeper Dive Blog: The Bottom Line Instagram: @jonathanmaze X: @jonathanmaze TikTok: @jonathanDmaze Facebook: Jonathan Maze FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X (Twitter) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dec 26, 202337 min

Ep 46The REAL Festivus with Seinfeld Writer Dan O’Keefe + Why Families Create Bizarre Holiday Customs

Jason will forever be associated with the 166th episode of Seinfeld, which featured Festivus…the holiday where families express their disappointment in each other, then demonstrate feats of strength around an unadorned, aluminum pole. For Seinfeld writer Dan O'Keefe, the horrors of the real-life Festivus, invented by his mad genius father, were traumatizing events. Really, no Really! Since the Festivus episode aired, it has been celebrated by a multitude of families, as an alternative to traditional holidays. But Festivus isn’t the only neuvo-holiday tradition; 20% of Americans say their families celebrate similarly bizarre holiday traditions. To discuss the true origin and lesser-known details of his family’s holiday and talk about the phenomenon that Festivus has become, we invited Dan O'Keefe to reminisce and reflect. Dan is a writer and producer, who in addition to working on Seinfeld also worked on The Drew Carey Show, The Tonight Show, Married…with Children, Bevis and Butthead, Silicon Valley, Veep and many more. ON THIS EPISODE: How Seinfeld showrunners had to pressure Dan to get his Festivus story. The bizarre origins of other holiday traditions. Proper Festivus music, including Italian Chip Monk songs, and the music of the Irish Republican Army. The Festivus Pole and the other, bonkers, real-life symbols! Dan’s out-of-body experience…making the Festivus episode. Jason and Dan’s memories of filming the Festivus dinner scene. Revealed: The proper main course for Festivus Dinner! Dan’s father’s reaction to the episode was surprising. The actual meaning of “a Festivus for the rest of us.” Dan’s dad created other, even weirder, holidays. Googleheim: The Roman influences of modern-day Christmas. FOLLOW DAN: X: @djok_er FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X (Twitter) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dec 19, 202343 min