Mt. Rushmore Podcast

We're going ape this week, and that's no horsin' around! (No, seriously, we already did an episode about horses eons ago.) We're looking at a few of our favorite simians, both real and fictional.

Talent can be a blessing or a curse. Some people don't have the temperment to handle the pressure of being at the top of their field. Other people can be really good at something that they just don't love. Still others are Nicolas Cage. This week we're turning our attention to people with a ton of talent, but also with a ton of baggage.  

Contractually, we are obligated to do this episode about contractual obligations, which is a weird clause to put into a contract but HEY always hire a lawyer before you sign, kids. The good news is that this is actually a fertile topic, with lots of options from film, TV, music and more. You're under no obligation to listen to this episode, but we think you'll enjoy it all the same.

The Mt. Rushmore boys are hosting a sleepover, and YOU'RE INVITED! We've got plenty of pizza and soda, some pranks to pull and maybe a movie that your parents wouldn't let you watch.

Do we talk about The Beatles a lot on our show? You bet, because they are the biggest band of all time. With 213 songs to choose from, there are a lot of people - real and fictional - who are referenced in their catalog. So, this week we're looking at some of the most intriguing name checks from the wide variety of Beatles songs.

Unique segments are the backbone of any decent late night talk show. Nothing gets an audience fired up like knowing that one of their favorite segments is coming up. You can also tell a lot about the show's concept, target audience and sense of humor based on what are the recurring bits. Think that Dancing Itos is just HILAROUS? Then brother, do we have a show for you. We're exploring some of the most iconic late night talk show bits in history on this week's episode. And our special guest this week knows a lot about talk shows - he hosts one every month in Los Angeles. Mike Perkins' "Another Late Show Tonight" gives you everything you could want from a great late night show - without the pesky need for television cameras.

This week we're turning our eye on the Iron City. We touch on everything from local food and drink to, of course, the sports teams. Joining us are a couple of local ringers: Kyle Chrise and Greg Benevent from the What Yinz Talkin' Bout, which is a lively conversation about the Steelers social media conversation.

Happy Wrestlemania Season, everyone. Wrestlemania is the one time when even the most casual fans pay attention to what's happening in wrestling. A lot of that has to do with the fact that big-time celebrities have a tendency to get involved inside - or outside - the ring during Wrestlemania. This week we're looking at some of the most high-profile, exciting and shocking moments involving celebrities and wrestling!

Sometimes the best bands aren't even real! That's the premise of this week's episode, as we talk about musical acts that started out as fictional and turned into hitmakers and live acts. Joining us to sort through the thousands of possible entries is T. Mike Childs, author of "The Rocklopedia Fakebandica" and proprietor of the FakeBands.com Wiki.

We're not talking fancy restaurant appetizers in this episode. Get out of here, arancini! No, we're discussing and debating what are the most iconic bar foods. We take a trip down Cholesterol Lane with our favorite items to nosh on while tossing back a pint!

Klutzes are staples of entertainment, because they are so relateable. After all, pobody's nerfect! We all have felt like a stumblebum at some point in our lives, so we feel the pain of the klutz, whether it's on the screen or in real life. This week we're looking at all forms of klutzes and isolating some of our favorite. Let's hope we don't fumble the bag with our picks!

So now, the end is near...of the movie, that is. And it's time to go out with a bang - sometimes literally - and wrap up the whole theme of the movie in one neat bow. What better way to do that than with the perfect song. This week we're discussing the ultimate meetings of music and visuals that leave indelible marks on people who watch their favorite films.

Sometimes, a song you love can because an automatic fast-forward when it comes on. It's not because the song is suddenly bad. Maybe the song is overplayed, or maybe the lyrics haven't held up. No matter what the case, it's a song that you don't need to hear for a long time. We're discussing songs that we feel that way about this week, and yes, we're taking down some sacred cows along the way.

Robert De Niro - a titan of the film world and certainly one of the most talented actors ever to grace the big screen. He is totally dedicated to his craft, even if that means engaging in all manner of method acting nonsense. Still, no one can question the intensity of a De Niro performance. Ahead of the release of "KIllers of the Flower Moon," we're honoring Robert De Niro (or "Bobby" to his friends and people who want you to think they are Hollywood insiders) by buiding a whole episode around him. We're looking at everything from his greatest roles to musical tributes (sort of) to him.

No matter how many ridiculous nicknames Hollywood creates for its Mafia movie characters, they still can't hold a candle to the ones sported by real-life Mob members. This week we're joined by Frank Hayde, author of several books including "The Mafia and the Machine" to discuss the funniest and most adorable names possible for truly horrendous people.

Pixar has done more than make some of the most beloved animated films of the last three decades. The "Pixar Magic" also extends to short films, where talented creators often have the chance to explore and experiment with fewer restrictions or expectations. This episode is dedicated to Pixar shorts, whether they were shown before a feature-length film or on television.

Remember magazines? They were sort of like books, but with less pages and more pictures, and you could get them delivered to your home every week or maybe every month. And when you were younger, there was probably a time when getting a magazine subscription delivered to your door was a big deal. This week we're talking about different magazine subscriptions we've had over the years - from classic magazines to ones that went out of business years ago.

Few musical artists have been as pop culture savvy as the Beastie Boys. Their lyrics include a litany of references to obscure musicians, athletes, TV shows and films. It can feel like you need Wikipedia up to "get" all of the references, but somehow it always works. This week we're exploring the encyclopedic world of Beastie Boys pop culture references. And we've got a certified Beastie Boys expert in the house with good friend of the show Alex Gradet, who has more hits than Rod Carew. 

This week we want to know: who is the Hostess with the Mostest? Snack cakes, that is! We're talking about everyone's favorite brand of sweet junk food induglence and break down which product would come out on top in any middle school lunch swap.

Jack Black has been charming us for...at this point, it's actually been decades, which feels very strange to type. Maybe you find him charming, or maybe you think he can sometimes be a bit much. But there's no denying that he's seemingly always there. This week we're discussing all aspects of Jack Black, whether he's on his on or melting faces with his partner-in-crime Kyle Gass in Tenacious D. So sit back, get your squiddley diddley doosh on and check out our new episode!

This week we're (mostly) talking about people with million dollar smiles! Smiles that can light up a room! And every other cliche you can think of for a brilliant, winning smile.

Things that you can expect the bands are our list to do: Come to your town Help you party down And not necessarily in that order! This week we're turning our gaze to the greatest American rock bands in history. No Beatles, Rolling Stones or The Who here - just pure American bands who can rock all night long if needed.

Fans know all about the BIG sports here in the U.S. - football, basketball, baseball, etc. But there's literally a whole world of incredibly fun sports to watch outside of the standard fare. This week, we're taking a look at all of the sports that may be foreign to you but have their own diehard fans who love it with a passion.

For a country of seven million people, Ireland has had an outsized impact on popular culture. Think about Ireland and there are some things that are going to immediately come to mind. And that's exactly what we're discussing in this episode: from the authnetically Irish to the "only in America" type of Irish things.

Bargain hunters of the world, unite! This week we're discussing some of the best bargains that we've ever seen. We're exploring everywhere from the local supermarket to some unusual stores to find some of greatest deals imaginable.

This episode slices and dices its way through a very fun topic - single use kitchen gadgets. They are the kitchen tools that don't have a lot of uses, but you're sure glad you have it when you need it. We take a trip through the junk drawer in our cabinet to discover some of the most useful (or ridiculous) things that are occasionally part of our cooking repertoire. 

The redemption arc is a classic trope of entertainment, but it's especially true when it comes to comic books. Time after time, you see a classic foe turn into a friend because of change of heart or circumstance. Now, does it always stick? Well... We're debating reformed bad guys in comics this with and here to help us out is Alex Squiers.

Great sports moments don't just happen in a vacuum. You remember exactly where you were and what you were doing when some amazing play or fantastic finish happens. This week we're taking a stroll down sporting memory lane with our new friend Jack Hewson of the Tiger Fonix Podcast. We're talking everything from baseball to Australian Rules Football.

One person's dream job is another person's nightmare. Just because you are good at one career path doesn't mean that you could do any job. In fact, there are probably some jobs that, deep down inside, you know you would just be horrible at doing. We're talking about the career paths we'd prefer not to take this week, thanking the heavens that someone else is able to do what we cannot.

There's nothing that will put a dent in your wallet quite like an unplanned home renovation or repair. Sure, you could try to DIY the work, but you barely know which end of the hammer is the handle. Do you really trust yourself to do anything but make a mess and create even more problems for a professional to fix? Jeff, Richard and Michael have some stories to tell about unexpected home repairs they've dealt with. You'll laugh until you cry, while the boys are in tears for different reasons.

Dreams are a landscape where literally anything can happen. Dreams can be hyper-realistic, frightening or just plain weird. This week we drift away into a discussion of all things dreams and dreaming.

It seems like just a few weeks ago that you resolved to better yourself this year. That's because it was! We thought that now was a great time to discuss New Year's resolutions, while they were fresh in our minds and we haven't abandoned them entirely.

Every knows that the lead singer is the alpha dog in a band. But sometimes, lurking somewhere behind the drums or a stack of bass amps, is a singer whocan bring something unique to the table - and maybe bring a band a big hit record in the process. This week we're looking at songs that were sung by someone other than a band's main vocalist.

Ring in the new year with a new episode of the show. This week we're returning to the familiar topic of wrestling but taking a look at what wrestlers do outside of the ring. This week we're debating the Mt. Rushmore of Wrestlers' Second Careers - whether it's something they did before getting into the ring or after their careers ended.

When you watch a movie, willful suspension of disbelief is your friend. There are a lot of things that happen which maybe don't make complete sense, but you're willing to let it slide if the film is good. But sometimes there are plot holes so gaping that you just cant ignore them. This week we're talking about plot holes from some of our favorite films of all time. Things that make you scratch your head and say "why didn't someone catch that before the movie was made?"

Happy holidays! We hope you have a joyous season, filled with plenty of activities. This week we're tlking about our favorite things to do over the holidays. And also our least favorite, because we're a bunch of Grinches at heart.

Winter is finally here and you know what that means? Well, beyond Season Affective Disorder, it means it's time to play in the snow, and what's better to do than building a snowman? This week we're talking about all aspects of snowmen, both real-life and fictional.

We're back! After an extended hiatus, we've returned and we're talking about one of our favorite topics - music! This week we're discussing musical acts who have their own unique sound and style that are literally incomparable.

Not every TV show has to be "Breaking Bad" or "The Sopranos". Don't get us wrong, Prestige TV is great. But sometimes, you just want to watch a familiar show that makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside. This week we're looking at Comfort TV shows that you can turn on anytime and will instantly make you feel better, like the TV equivalent of a hot bowl of chicken noodle soup.

Some actors have a talent for seamlessly slipping into their roles, until you forget that you are watching someone play a character. We're not talking about those actors this week. Instead, we're discussing actors who are so tied to their real-life personas that it can be impossible to imagine them playing a character.

It's officially sports season! Baseball and football are going strong, while basketball and hockey are right around the corner. And then there's also soccer! Before you head out to a game this fall, we're here to help you with useful tips and tricks for getting the most out of your time out at the old ball park/stadium/arena/cricket grounds. OK, not really, but we are talking about some of the most exciting, infuriating and interesting things that happen to fans at a live sporting event.

On this week's episode, the boys discuss fictional royalty. You know, like real royalty except just slightly more dramatic.

It's time to bust out your Huffy (sorry if that sounds dirty) and join us as we discuss the greatest cycling scenes in film and television. Just make sure you're wearing proper protective gear when listen to this week's episode.

This episode is scorching hot! We don't mean the content - that's lukewarm at best - but we mean the actual topic. We're talking about what you can do to beat the heat when the temperatures rise over the summer. With global warming, we're going to go ahead and consider this "evergreen content" moving forward.

Every state in the US has its own quirky charm. But some states? Man, they can be just plain weird. Join us as we discuss the strangest places you can live in the United States.

It's natural to worry about things in our everyday lives. But when worrying turns into anxiety and obsession, we've got a problem to worry about. This week Richard and Michael dicsuss things that have them nervous, as well as famous worriers throughout pop culture.

Do you believe in miracles? You probably do if you're a sports fan. And that's because the announcer broadcasting a game can play as big of a role in your memory of a great sporting event than the players on the field. This week we discuss the late Vin Scully and other great broadcasters and their best calls.

This week you're going to get what you deserve! By that, we mean another great episode of the Mt. Rushmore Podcast - and this one is all about people getting their comeuppance. Whether it's fictional or real-life, MIchael, Richard and Jeff deliberate and debate examples of people getting their just deserts.

Not every holiday gets the love it deserves, but this week we're putting a spotlight on some of the "lesser" holidays. If you've ever wondered why we don't make a bigger deal out of Arbor Day, then this episode is for you. (Also, get some professional help.)

This week's episode addresses a subject near and dear to our clogged hearts: fast food. Specifically, we're talking about menu items that are only arond for a limited time. We're talking everything from classics that everyone craves to one-off items that no one wanted to see back.