We Regret To Inform You: The Rejection Podcast

We're heading back to Paris with an encore of one of our favourite episodes. Featuring an intro from our producer and researcher Allison, where she shares the story behind the inspiration for this episode. The Eiffel Tower is the most-visited paid monument in the world. 300 million people have climbed its stairs – or its elevators – since the landmark first opened in 1889. You’ve seen it in countless movies, you’ve marvelled at its 20,000 lights. But did you know back when the tower's design was first revealed to the public, 300 of France’s most-respected cultural luminaries called it a humiliation, a mockery and an "odious column of bolted metal?"Ask us Anything:Email us: [email protected] to us on socials: @apostrophepodLeave us a voicemailWe don’t regret to inform you – you can now listen ad-free! Plus bonus episodes, chats with Sidney, Terry, Allison & more. Subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to a brand-new mini-series all about reviews. Reviews are tricky things. They have the ability to set something on fire – in one way or the other. They can be totally wrong. They can be devastatingly right. And they can be downright hilarious. Ask us Anything:Email us: [email protected] to us on socials: @apostrophepodLeave us a voicemailWe don’t regret to inform you – you can now listen ad-free! Plus bonus episodes, chats with Sidney, Terry, Allison & more. Subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As part of our summer hiatus, we’re bringing you an extended version of one of our favourite episodes – the doctor who was fired for washing his hands. We originally released this episode in 2023 as a short story. Then this summer, as part of our CBC Radio Summer Series, we reworked and extended the episode – to become a full-length show. Reminder we’re back in September resuming our regular season episodes. But for now, enjoy the crazy story of Dr. Ignaz Semmelweis.Did you know in the late 1800s, doctors didn’t wash their hands? When Dr. Ignaz Semmelweis – an obstetrician in Vienna – realized women in his hospital were dying at staggering rates, he implemented staff-wide mandatory hand washing. Maternal death rates dropped by 90%. But doctors weren’t happy. Semmelweis was called "crazy," told his idea was superstitious, not scientific.Ask us Anything:Email us: [email protected] to us on socials: @apostrophepodLeave us a voicemailWe don’t regret to inform you – you can now listen ad-free! Plus bonus episodes, chats with Sidney, Terry, Allison & more. Subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A special encore put together by our chief sound engineer Geoff Devine. Featuring an intro from Geoff and a favourite episode, reworked and revisited.The Sopranos is widely considered the greatest television show of all time. Just ask TV Guide, The Writer’s Guild of America and Rolling Stone. But before revolutionizing the one-hour drama and ushering in what’s become known as the second Golden Age of Television, the idea for The Sopranos was rejected. By every major network. At nearly 50 years old, the show’s creator David Chase nearly shelved his script – then his manager got an idea.Ask us Anything:Email us: [email protected] to us on socials: @apostrophepodLeave us a voicemailWe don’t regret to inform you – you can now listen ad-free! Plus bonus episodes, chats with Sidney, Terry, Allison & more. Subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hear the full episode in Apostrophe All Ears. Try seven days, free.Ask us Anything:Email us: [email protected] to us on socials: @apostrophepodLeave us a voicemailWe don’t regret to inform you – you can now listen ad-free! Plus bonus episodes, chats with Sidney, Terry, Allison & more. Subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's been a minute since we've done a Q&A episode. Join us, won't you, as we answer your thoughtful Qs and let you know what's in store this summer.Tell us your rejection story:Email us: [email protected] us a voicemail."Let Me Down: Reflections on Abuse and Love" by Callie-Rae O'Reilly, available now for pre-order.Ask us Anything:Email us: [email protected] to us on socials: @apostrophepodLeave us a voicemailWe don’t regret to inform you – you can now listen ad-free! Plus bonus episodes, chats with Sidney, Terry, Allison & more. Subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We DON'T regret to inform you that our show will be airing on the CBC again this summer.Find us on CBC Radio One & SiriusXM ch.169 for 10 weeks, beginning July 8th:Wednesdays at 11:30am (CBC & Sirius)Thursdays at 2:30am (CBC – yawn)Thursdays at 7:30am (Sirius)Sundays at 12:30pm (Sirius)Or stream us any time on the CBC Listen app.It's a CBC summer. Hope you'll join us.Ask us Anything:Email us: [email protected] to us on socials: @apostrophepodLeave us a voicemailWe don’t regret to inform you – you can now listen ad-free! Plus bonus episodes, chats with Sidney, Terry, Allison & more. Subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we tell the stories of three pioneers in the NBA – Chuck Cooper, Nat “Sweetwater” Clifton & Earl Lloyd. Three Black men that broke basketball’s colour barrier. Three incredible human beings whose stories we hope you remember. Ask us Anything:Email us: [email protected] to us on socials: @apostrophepodLeave us a voicemailWe don’t regret to inform you – you can now listen ad-free! Plus bonus episodes, chats with Sidney, Terry, Allison & more. Subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rejection + creativity = air quality. Who knew.This week, we bring you something a little different. From the Apostrophe Podcast Network, enjoy "Air Quality: Innovations in Radio" from Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly. Ask us Anything:Email us: [email protected] to us on socials: @apostrophepodLeave us a voicemailWe don’t regret to inform you – you can now listen ad-free! Plus bonus episodes, chats with Sidney, Terry, Allison & more. Subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sid here. This week we bring you another Minisode in our Mantras series – but this one is a little unusual. If you've listened to our Matt Damon & Ben Affleck episode, I wonder if you clocked the mantra moment. Hope you'll join us. Ask us Anything:Email us: [email protected] to us on socials: @apostrophepodLeave us a voicemailWe don’t regret to inform you – you can now listen ad-free! Plus bonus episodes, chats with Sidney, Terry, Allison & more. Subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The total box office earnings for Matt Damon and Ben Affleck round out to a cool $10B. They’re A-list actors, Oscar-winners, writers, directors, production company founders. But back in the mid-90s, the best friends were rejected – for movies, for television shows, for commercials. Then one day Matt Damon took a playwriting course at Harvard. What happened next, is a rejection story all of its own. Ask us Anything:Email us: [email protected] to us on socials: @apostrophepodLeave us a voicemailWe don’t regret to inform you – you can now listen ad-free! Plus bonus episodes, chats with Sidney, Terry, Allison & more. Subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Beaches. A neighbourhood of Toronto. A band originating from that neighbourhood. The starting point on a long road of rejection, rebuilding, pivoting and triumph. It’s a homegrown story this week. Hope you’ll join us. Ask us Anything:Email us: [email protected] to us on socials: @apostrophepodLeave us a voicemailWe don’t regret to inform you – you can now listen ad-free! Plus bonus episodes, chats with Sidney, Terry, Allison & more. Subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With a special intro from our series director Callie, give our Alanis episode another listen – through a new lens. Alanis Morissette’s Jagged Little Pill is one of the biggest debut albums of all time – selling 33M copies worldwide and earning Morissette the Grammy for Album of the Year. But you oughta know that just one year prior, Morissette was rejected by every major label, on a plane back home to Ottawa and “deeply depressed.” What changed everything? A spaghetti dinner, a pair of sweatpants and a glittery surfboard.Hope you'll join us.Ask us Anything:Email us: [email protected] to us on socials: @apostrophepodLeave us a voicemailWe don’t regret to inform you – you can now listen ad-free! Plus bonus episodes, chats with Sidney, Terry, Allison & more. Subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we bring you a Short Stories episode. It’s been a minute since we’ve done a two-er. Behold, the stories of two 2019 Oscar nominees – 'The Wife' and 'The Favourite.' Both written by women, both produced by women, both starring women, both rejected for a combined 34 years. Hope you’ll join us. Ask us Anything:Email us: [email protected] to us on socials: @apostrophepodLeave us a voicemailWe don’t regret to inform you – you can now listen ad-free! Plus bonus episodes, chats with Sidney, Terry, Allison & more. Subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we bring you a Mini courtesy of TikTok and a young graphic design student named Ellie – who's in crisis mode.Ask us Anything:Email us: [email protected] to us on socials: @apostrophepodLeave us a voicemailWe don’t regret to inform you – you can now listen ad-free! Plus bonus episodes, chats with Sidney, Terry, Allison & more. Subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Part 2 of our George R.R. Martin episode, those who can do, teach. Martin enters the Twilight Zone before rolling the dice on a Game of Thrones. Hope you'll join us. Ask us Anything:Email us: [email protected] to us on socials: @apostrophepodLeave us a voicemailWe don’t regret to inform you – you can now listen ad-free! Plus bonus episodes, chats with Sidney, Terry, Allison & more. Subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

George R.R. Martin is the architect behind the greatest fantasy series of all time. Game of Thrones has 59 Emmys, with 159 Emmy nominations – making it the most nominated dramatic television series of all time. Martin’s book series “A Song of Ice and Fire” has reportedly sold nearly 100 million copies. And yet, back in the 1970s, Martin was living at his parents' house in New Jersey, covering local baseball part-time and getting rejected by sci-fi publications. Then he had a thought – should he abandon writing altogether and become a realtor?Ask us Anything:Email us: [email protected] to us on socials: @apostrophepodLeave us a voicemailWe don’t regret to inform you – you can now listen ad-free! Plus bonus episodes, chats with Sidney, Terry, Allison & more. Subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're back! Welcome to Season 7 of The Rejection Podcast. Joan Jett carries two titles – the Queen of Rock ’n’ Roll and the Godmother of Punk. She's also the first woman rocker to ever start her own record label. Jett is an inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, with a dozen albums to her name. But back when she enrolled in her first guitar lesson, the teen was told rock and roll was NOT for girls. And that was only the beginning. Jett faced sexism, violence and 23 label rejections. Hope you’ll join us.Ask us Anything:Email us: [email protected] to us on socials: @apostrophepodLeave us a voicemailWe don’t regret to inform you – you can now listen ad-free! Plus bonus episodes, chats with Sidney, Terry, Allison & more. Subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We don't regret to inform you that Season Seven of the Rejection Pod will begin in one week's time. Authors, rockers and...trees? Join us for more inspiring stories of grit, determination and courage – with some signature twists and turns along the way. See you March 11th. Ask us Anything:Email us: [email protected] to us on socials: @apostrophepodLeave us a voicemailWe don’t regret to inform you – you can now listen ad-free! Plus bonus episodes, chats with Sidney, Terry, Allison & more. Subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, with a special intro from our chief sound engineer Geoff Devine, we bring you part two of our Hayley Wickenheiser Olympic encore. Let’s pick up where we left off, shall we?The results of the 1998 Canadian Olympic hockey games are brought to parliament. Pro teams come calling, then name-calling, then calling again. And Wickenheiser takes a shot at spinning her rejections into gold.Ask us Anything:Email us: [email protected] to us on socials: @apostrophepodLeave us a voicemailWe don’t regret to inform you – you can now listen ad-free! Plus bonus episodes, chats with Sidney, Terry, Allison & more. Subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The 2026 Winter Olympics have officially begun. In celebration we look back on a team favourite two-parter – the story of Hayley Wickenheiser. She’s the longest-serving member of Canada’s national team with seven World Championships and four Olympic gold medals to her name. Many consider her the GOAT. But before becoming Canada’s women's all-time leader in international goals, assists and points, Wickenheiser was told hockey was for boys. She was rejected for teams, bullied on the ice and kicked off teams solely on the basis of sex. Hope you’ll join us – and let’s go Canada! Ask us Anything:Email us: [email protected] to us on socials: @apostrophepodLeave us a voicemailWe don’t regret to inform you – you can now listen ad-free! Plus bonus episodes, chats with Sidney, Terry, Allison & more. Subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hi from our hiatus. This week, we bring you a Minisode about the incomparable Diana Nyad – and the mantra she repeated to herself. For 52h, 54m. On her record-setting swim from Cuba to Florida.Ask us Anything:Email us: [email protected] to us on socials: @apostrophepodLeave us a voicemailWe don’t regret to inform you – you can now listen ad-free! Plus bonus episodes, chats with Sidney, Terry, Allison & more. Subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For the first time ever, we're offering a subscriber-only bonus option – for all devices, on all major podcast apps. Introducing Apostrophe All Ears.You get: ad-free listening, early access, bonus episodes, Q&As PLUS access to all other Apostrophe shows (Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly, Backstage at the Vinyl Cafe, The Beatlology Interviews) – with extended episodes, virtual events, merch discounts & more.Our favourite feature is that you also get access to all of our hosts. Chat with us. Ask us anything. We're All Ears.Ask us Anything:Email us: [email protected] to us on socials: @apostrophepodLeave us a voicemailWe don’t regret to inform you – you can now listen ad-free! Plus bonus episodes, chats with Sidney, Terry, Allison & more. Subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We regret to inform you, this week marks the final episode of our 2025 season. So, we thought we'd bring you one of our most-loved episodes. Certainly our most loved holiday episode – Rejecting Elf.Elf is a beloved and timeless Christmas classic. Starring Will Ferrell, the film brought in over $200M at the box office, and 20 years later remains a holiday tradition for many. But back in the year 2000, the script was rejected by production companies, studios, directors and actors, championed only by two producers with no producing experience. Then when it finally did land a studio, executives nearly left Elf on a shelf. Join us, won’t you, as we pass through the seven levels of the Candy Cane forest, through the sea of swirly twirly gum drops, then through the Lincoln Tunnel for Rejecting Elf. Thank you for joining us this season. We'll meet you back here in a couple short months for Season 7 – and in the meantime, we have some fun Minis coming your way.From all of us at Apostrophe, Merry Christmas. Have a safe and happy holiday.Ask us Anything:Email us: [email protected] to us on socials: @apostrophepodLeave us a voicemailWe don’t regret to inform you – you can now listen ad-free! Plus bonus episodes, chats with Sidney, Terry, Allison & more. Subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Part Two of our Rejecting Willie O'Ree episode, another unexpected invitation lands on the pioneer's doorstep. History is made – then forgotten – and Willie welcomes a third act he never saw coming.The major source for this episode is Willie: The Game-Changing Story of the NHL's First Black Player by Willie O’Ree and Michael McKinley. Ask us Anything:Email us: [email protected] to us on socials: @apostrophepodLeave us a voicemailWe don’t regret to inform you – you can now listen ad-free! Plus bonus episodes, chats with Sidney, Terry, Allison & more. Subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Willie O’Ree made history in 1958, when the Boston Bruin became the first Black player in the NHL. It is a heroic story of strength, courage and resilience. Hope you’ll join us.The major source for this episode is Willie: The Game-Changing Story of the NHL's First Black Player by Willie O’Ree and Michael McKinley. Ask us Anything:Email us: [email protected] to us on socials: @apostrophepodLeave us a voicemailWe don’t regret to inform you – you can now listen ad-free! Plus bonus episodes, chats with Sidney, Terry, Allison & more. Subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to another Minisode. This week, we travel to 30 Rock and take a look at courage through the eyes of hopeful [comma] sweaty young comedians.Ask us Anything:Email us: [email protected] to us on socials: @apostrophepodLeave us a voicemailWe don’t regret to inform you – you can now listen ad-free! Plus bonus episodes, chats with Sidney, Terry, Allison & more. Subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Vera Wang is synonymous with bridal. The designer's eponymous brand brings in a whopping $700M a year. But before launching her own company in 1990, Vera was rejected for editor-in-chief at Vogue. And before that, she didn’t make the cut for the U.S. Olympic figure skating team. Two major setbacks that left her thinking – now what? Then her dad proposed a crazy idea.Ask us Anything:Email us: [email protected] to us on socials: @apostrophepodLeave us a voicemailWe don’t regret to inform you – you can now listen ad-free! Plus bonus episodes, chats with Sidney, Terry, Allison & more. Subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On “The Beatlology Interviews,” Biographer David Sheff talks to Terry about the rejection and resilience of Yoko Ono.Listen to more Beatlology Interviews in the Under the Influence feed.Ask us Anything:Email us: [email protected] to us on socials: @apostrophepodLeave us a voicemailWe don’t regret to inform you – you can now listen ad-free! Plus bonus episodes, chats with Sidney, Terry, Allison & more. Subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to another “Minisode” – where we zoom in on individual moments or facets of rejection we’ve come across in our research. This week, let us introduce you to Yankees superfan Gwen Goldman, as we reopen a rejection letter dated June 23, 1961.Ask us Anything:Email us: [email protected] to us on socials: @apostrophepodLeave us a voicemailWe don’t regret to inform you – you can now listen ad-free! Plus bonus episodes, chats with Sidney, Terry, Allison & more. Subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The novel Slow Horses by Mick Herron tells the story of a team of disgraced MI5 agents assigned to a bureaucratic dumping ground known as Slough House. They’re, by all accounts, failures – demoted from top tier intelligence to basement busy work. That is, until a kidnapping case lands squarely on their dusty desks – thrusting the slow horses into fast paced espionage.The irony? That book was rejected. For seven years. Then it was pitched as a television series – and rejected by multiple networks. To quote Slough House loser-in-chief Jackson Lamb: “They’re losers. But they’re my losers.”Hope you’ll join us.Ask us Anything:Email us: [email protected] to us on socials: @apostrophepodLeave us a voicemailWe don’t regret to inform you – you can now listen ad-free! Plus bonus episodes, chats with Sidney, Terry, Allison & more. Subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Part Two of our Rejecting Dawn Staley episode, Staley is informed of her shortcomings, it’s play abroad or die trying – and a dusty VCR tape changes her life.Ask us Anything:Email us: [email protected] to us on socials: @apostrophepodLeave us a voicemailWe don’t regret to inform you – you can now listen ad-free! Plus bonus episodes, chats with Sidney, Terry, Allison & more. Subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dawn Staley graduated high school National Player of the Year. She went on to become a two-time National College Player of the Year. She is a five-time WNBA All-Star, a three-time Olympic gold medallist and was the United States flag bearer at the 2004 Games. As a coach, she has won three NCAA titles, four National Coach of the Year titles, and the hall-of-famer coached Team USA to Olympic gold in 2020. Yet, Dawn Staley was told basketball was for boys. Hope you’ll join us.The major source behind this episode is: "Uncommon Favor: Basketball, North Philly, My Mother, and the Life Lessons I Learned from All Three" by Dawn Staley.Ask us Anything:Email us: [email protected] to us on socials: @apostrophepodLeave us a voicemailWe don’t regret to inform you – you can now listen ad-free! Plus bonus episodes, chats with Sidney, Terry, Allison & more. Subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For our first episode back, we bring you the stories of two bad guys. Breaking Bad guys – Bryan Cranston aka Walter White and Giancarlo Esposito aka Gus Fring. Both spent decades bouncing around Hollywood. Both faced major rejection. Both the least suspecting drug overlords of all time. ICYMI, Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan has a rejection story of his own. The pilot for Breaking Bad was rejected by Showtime, FX, TNT & HBO. Find our "Rejecting Breaking Bad" episode here.Hope you’ll join us.Ask us Anything:Email us: [email protected] to us on socials: @apostrophepodLeave us a voicemailWe don’t regret to inform you – you can now listen ad-free! Plus bonus episodes, chats with Sidney, Terry, Allison & more. Subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello from our summer hiatus. We hope you’re soaking up the rays. Whether you're on the road, on the job or on the dock, we thought you might enjoy another team favourite. This week our director Callie shares how she first learned about this two-time Academy Award nominated actor in one of her all-time favourite shows. Adam Driver is known for his roles in films like Marriage Story, BlacKkKlansman and the Star Wars franchise as Kylo Ren. But before landing his breakout role on HBO's Girls, Driver was rejected from Julliard, turned his Lincoln Town Car around before he reached Los Angeles and was medically discharged from the Marines prior to deployment. Broke and struggling to find his way, Driver made a bold decision: to apply to Julliard again. Ask us Anything:Email us: [email protected] to us on socials: @apostrophepodLeave us a voicemailWe don’t regret to inform you – you can now listen ad-free! Plus bonus episodes, chats with Sidney, Terry, Allison & more. Subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Each week on this series, we tell the stories of famous names who overcame debilitating career rejection. We’ve talked through the careers of actors, artists, authors, athletes and even one astronaut. But rejection affects us all. So we put out a call for listener rejection stories. Your stories.They’re inspiring, they’re insightful, they’re remarkable. Take a listen.P.S. We're on our summer hiatus starting this week – but – we'll be dropping some fun new Minis and listener faves from the past six years. Back into the regular season at the end of August. See you soon.Ask us Anything:Email us: [email protected] to us on socials: @apostrophepodLeave us a voicemailWe don’t regret to inform you – you can now listen ad-free! Plus bonus episodes, chats with Sidney, Terry, Allison & more. Subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Part II of our "Rejecting Monty Python" episode, the Knights of the Round Table head west. Led Zeppelin enters the chat. Rabbis protest – and the Life of Monty Python is saved by a Beatle.Hope you’ll join us.Ask us Anything:Email us: [email protected] to us on socials: @apostrophepodLeave us a voicemailWe don’t regret to inform you – you can now listen ad-free! Plus bonus episodes, chats with Sidney, Terry, Allison & more. Subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We DON'T regret to inform you that our show will be airing on the CBC this summer. Find us on CBC Radio One & Sirius XM ch.169 for 10 weeks, beginning June 25th:Wednesdays at 11:30am (CBC & Sirius)Fridays at 4:00pm (Sirius)Sundays at 7:00pm (CBC & Sirius)Or stream us anytime on the CBC Listen app.It's a CBC summer. Hope you'll join us.Ask us Anything:Email us: [email protected] to us on socials: @apostrophepodLeave us a voicemailWe don’t regret to inform you – you can now listen ad-free! Plus bonus episodes, chats with Sidney, Terry, Allison & more. Subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lo! Upon the first breath of Monty Python’s Flying Circus o’er the enchanted waves of BBC One, scribes within the castle walls did trade many a curious whisper and scroll, to wit:“This episode contained two really awful sketches.”“The treatment of the national anthem is not amusing.” “Parts of this...are disgusting.”And, “The death sequence was in appalling taste.”Prithee, join us.Ask us Anything:Email us: [email protected] to us on socials: @apostrophepodLeave us a voicemailWe don’t regret to inform you – you can now listen ad-free! Plus bonus episodes, chats with Sidney, Terry, Allison & more. Subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today we bring you another favourite episode from our Apostrophe team. On the eve of The Truman Show's 27th anniversary, our sound engineer Geoff Devine explains why this timeless film is one of his all time favourites and why Carrey's stand up story stands out for him. Jim Carrey is Ace Ventura. He’s the Grinch. He’s Bruce Almighty. Need we say more? But in 1989, Carrey was getting routinely crucified on stage, rejected for parts and was nearly starving to death – living in a bachelor apartment with a baby basket on the floor. Then one day, he wrote himself a check for $10M for “acting services rendered” – dated five years in the future.Ask us Anything:Email us: [email protected] to us on socials: @apostrophepodLeave us a voicemailWe don’t regret to inform you – you can now listen ad-free! Plus bonus episodes, chats with Sidney, Terry, Allison & more. Subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to another “Minisode” – where we zoom in on individual moments or facets of rejection we've come across in our research. This week, we talk about the golden piece of advice Rue McClanahan’s mother gave her when she was told she’d never make it in television. Ask us Anything:Email us: [email protected] to us on socials: @apostrophepodLeave us a voicemailWe don’t regret to inform you – you can now listen ad-free! Plus bonus episodes, chats with Sidney, Terry, Allison & more. Subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mariska Hargitay has played Captain Olivia Benson on Law & Order: SVU for 26 years and counting. In 2024, Forbes named Hargitay the highest paid TV actor by a wide margin. But in 1999, she had been a struggling actor for decades, landing only a handful of substantial roles. She turned 35 and decided to leave Los Angeles. Then she got a call about an audition – for a “dark” New York-based show called “Sex Crimes.”Ask us Anything:Email us: [email protected] to us on socials: @apostrophepodLeave us a voicemailWe don’t regret to inform you – you can now listen ad-free! Plus bonus episodes, chats with Sidney, Terry, Allison & more. Subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Billie Holiday’s life is one of perseverance like we’ve never seen before on our show. Her story is heartbreaking, beyond inspiring and important. Hope you’ll join us.Ask us Anything:Email us: [email protected] to us on socials: @apostrophepodLeave us a voicemailWe don’t regret to inform you – you can now listen ad-free! Plus bonus episodes, chats with Sidney, Terry, Allison & more. Subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Happy NFL Draft Day to all who celebrate.Quarterback Josh Allen just signed a six-year, $330M contract with the Buffalo Bills, with $250M guaranteed – the largest guaranteed contract ever given to an NFL player. Yet, when Allen graduated high school, he had zero four year scholarship offers. He bounced around junior college before deciding to send 1000 emails to D-1 coaches across the country. The opening line? “I want to be your quarterback.”Hope you’ll join us.Ask us Anything:Email us: [email protected] to us on socials: @apostrophepodLeave us a voicemailWe don’t regret to inform you – you can now listen ad-free! Plus bonus episodes, chats with Sidney, Terry, Allison & more. Subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In honour of the 13,700 women running today in the Boston Marathon, we bring you an encore of our favourite episodes, and take you back to a not-so-distant time when the number of women running the marathon was one. Join us as we remember the stories of two brave women – Bobbi Gibb and Kathrine Switzer – the first women to ever run the Boston Marathon, after 70 years as a men’s-only event. Plus, a few thoughts on the story from our producer, Allison.Ask us Anything:Email us: [email protected] to us on socials: @apostrophepodLeave us a voicemailWe don’t regret to inform you – you can now listen ad-free! Plus bonus episodes, chats with Sidney, Terry, Allison & more. Subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alanis Morissette’s Jagged Little Pill is one of the biggest debut albums of all time – selling 33M copies worldwide and earning Morissette the Grammy for Album of the Year. But you oughta know that just one year prior, Morissette was rejected by every major label, on a plane back home to Ottawa and “deeply depressed.” What changed everything? A spaghetti dinner, sweatpants and a glittery surfboard.Hope you’ll join us.Ask us Anything:Email us: [email protected] to us on socials: @apostrophepodLeave us a voicemailWe don’t regret to inform you – you can now listen ad-free! Plus bonus episodes, chats with Sidney, Terry, Allison & more. Subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to our first ever “Minisode” – where we zoom in on individual moments or facets of rejection we've come across in our research. This week, we tell the story of Bill Hader’s Saturday Night Live anxiety and what happens when you come face to face with your biggest hater.Ask us Anything:Email us: [email protected] to us on socials: @apostrophepodLeave us a voicemailWe don’t regret to inform you – you can now listen ad-free! Plus bonus episodes, chats with Sidney, Terry, Allison & more. Subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Some companies actually advertise to their haters.Every advertiser gets negative comments on social media. Some brands shrink away – and some take those negative comments and spin them into marketing gold.In this episode of Under the Influence, Terry looks at Supercuts – who took negative comments about cheap haircuts and created a hilarious advertising campaign. Spirit Airlines gave haters a place to vent – then offered them 8,000 free airmiles. And drink maker Oatly actually dedicated a website to their haters.Ask us Anything:Email us: [email protected] to us on socials: @apostrophepodLeave us a voicemailWe don’t regret to inform you – you can now listen ad-free! Plus bonus episodes, chats with Sidney, Terry, Allison & more. Subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Masks prevent goalies from seeing the puck at their feet.”“Masks eliminate fear in goalies – the fear that drives them to play well.”“Masks make goalies complacent.”“A real man wouldn’t hide his face from his opponents.”Rejecting the Goalie Mask.Hope you’ll join us.Ask us Anything:Email us: [email protected] to us on socials: @apostrophepodLeave us a voicemailWe don’t regret to inform you – you can now listen ad-free! Plus bonus episodes, chats with Sidney, Terry, Allison & more. Subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The season five premiere of Yellowstone drew 16 million viewers. The series creator, writer and showrunner Taylor Sheridan recently signed a nearly $200M deal with Paramount to produce the hit show and its subsequent franchise. But rewind 10 years, Sheridan had $800 to his name. He had been trying to make it as an actor in Hollywood for the better part of two decades, before deciding to quit altogether and move to Wyoming. But just then, someone said, “Why don’t you write a pilot script?”It's good to be back. Hope you'll join us for Season 6.Ask us Anything:Email us: [email protected] to us on socials: @apostrophepodLeave us a voicemailWe don’t regret to inform you – you can now listen ad-free! Plus bonus episodes, chats with Sidney, Terry, Allison & more. Subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.