Don't Get Me Started
148 episodes - English - Latest episode: 11 months ago - ★★★★★ - 235 ratingsCo-hosted by Anthony King and Will Hines. Talking to talented people not about what they do but what they love.
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Episodes
May 2023 Minor Obsessions
May 20, 2023 01:27 - 1 hour - 65.8 MBWe're back! For no reason! Well, maybe because there's a writer's strike and Anthony has time. And maybe because Will figured out that if he just sent Anthony a scheduled zoom link with no warning, Anthony would accept it! But whatever the reason is, your hosts are back with another "minor obsessions" only episode. We go over apps, books, games, other podcasts and waking up early. Please enjoy this "for no reason" bonus epsiode!
Hosts Only Reunion Special
July 23, 2020 03:57 - 1 hour - 73.5 MBAnthony and Will resurrect the podcast for one episode because... well, just kinda because! No guests! They each describe three minor obsessions. Oddly, their first ones are almost identical. They get into: music, liquor, video games, statistics, social media, Broadway, the pandemic, 9-11 and wondering how they will let anyone know that this episode exists! Thanks to Connor Ratliff for encouraging us to do this!
The End
August 22, 2017 13:00 - 1 hour - 96.4 MBFinal episode! After almost three years, we are ending the podcast! "Why?" you ask, you DEMAND, to know? Well, we just wanted to. We've loved it every step of the way but now we can sense it becoming more of a chore than a labor of love so we're ending it before that happens. In this final episode, we talk about the reasons we started the podcast, the things we tried in our real lives, the nature of adult friendships, Seinfeld, Facebook algorithms, learning new music, Anthony's run of bein...
Hayes Davenport - City Planning
August 15, 2017 16:00 - 1 hour - 90.6 MBHayes Davenport is a co-host of the very funny podcast Hollywood Handbook, as well as being a writer for many great television comedies. We don't talk to him about any of that. We get into his obsession with CITY PLANNING. Why are cities set up the way they are? What are the issues with making them better? What's going with Los Angeles? Who made NYC have all those bike lanes? We love this episode and so will you. Also, Will discusses the cat petting/hair-pulling tool The Furminator and Anthon...
Neil Campbell - Sketch Comedy
August 08, 2017 16:00 - 1 hour - 103 MBWe break our "not about what you do" rule yet AGAIN to talk to television writer/former UCB Artistic Director Neil Campbell about SKETCH COMEDY. We get nerdy early and often as we go back to Neil's days at the University of Iowa, his thoughts on the early days of the UCB sketch scene, how he adjusts strategies when writing for television and way more! No minor obsessions because why follow ANY RULES?
Jackie Johnson - The Sims
August 01, 2017 16:00 - 1 hour - 85.6 MBWe talk to Jackie Johnson, comedian actor and host of the hit podcast Natch Beaut, about her jaw-droopingly long obsessing with the SIMS. You know, the virtual family game where you set up a little community and they age and do stuff? Jackie has done this for like 15 years. Holy jeebs. Also, Will talks about the sketch comedy podcast from Austin called Victrola, and Anthony talks about Croation singing sensation Jacques Houdek.
Beth Appel - Odyssey of the Mind
July 25, 2017 16:00 - 1 hour - 85.1 MBWe talk to comedian Beth Appel about ODYSSEY OF THE MIND, the middle-and-high-school competition designed to encourage creative problem solving. What got Beth so obsessed? How is it not like a quiz bowl or a math team or other nerdy competitive things? What's with all the building things out of wood? We get into all that and MORE! Plus Will is into a teahouse he visited in Beijing and Anthony likes Malcolm Gladwell's podcast Revisionist History.
Will McLaughlin - The JFK Assassination
July 18, 2017 13:00 - 1 hour - 96.5 MBWe talk to comedian Will McLaughlin (TBS' show "Wrecked") about the JFK ASSASSINATION. Seeing the Oliver Stone movie JFK set Will on a path of researching President Kennedy's murder to see what parts of the official story really DON'T hold up. Will has three main issues with the official story, and if you listen to the episode you will hear WHAT THOSE ARE. Also, Will (Hines) talks about the Alessi Brothers' song "Seabird" and Anthony, after trying water skiing for the first time in years, pon...
David Zwick - The 1924 Democratic Convention
July 11, 2017 13:00 - 1 hour - 87.8 MBWe talk to producer/director David Zwick about the 1924 Democratic National Convention! In what could have been a shoo-in for the Democratic party, infighting and factions led to taking almost 2 weeks to pick someone who turned out to be an incredibly weak candidate! We hear about how the party couldn't decide whether or not to condemn the KKK, and how being Catholic meant you were a political liability! Hoo boy. Plus Will discusses the idea of "competency porn" especially related to the book...
Dominique Johnson - Listening to New Music
June 27, 2017 13:00 - 1 hour - 87.5 MBComedian Dominique Johnson comes on to talk about LISTENING TO NEW MUSIC. Through Facebook, the hosts realized that Dom had an interesting set of opinions on music: he's both very opinionated but also very open. Meaning: he'll listen to new music, even music that's very outside of his tastes. Yet he doesn't blindly accept artists just because they are widely viewed as good. It turns out there's a reason Dom is so open to music. We get into his childhood, moving from town to town -- black neig...
Jim Santangeli - The NFL Draft
June 20, 2017 16:00 - 57 minutes - 78.7 MBComedian/musician/phenomenon Jim Santangeli talks to us about The NFL Draft. "What is it?" asks Will, and Jim answers. We also get into: college football, Connecticut pride, old podcast ideas, forgotten web series and love! Hey and there's more: Will likes Twin Peaks, and Anthony is fascinated by the story of Billy Joel backup singer Mike DelGuidice.
Jen Krueger - British Panel Shows
June 13, 2017 16:00 - 1 hour - 82.6 MBReturning guest Jen Krueger (from the "Notebooks/Day Planners") episode talks to us about her obsession with British Panel Shows. From the perhaps most well-known "QI" to the less-well-known-but-more-fun-named "8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown," she tells us why she likes these shows, which are her favorite guests, why she thinks these types of shows haven't made it in the US and about a reddit user who is a hero for uploading all these shows to YouTube. Plus Will talks about his processes for...
Ben Rodgers - Audiobooks
June 06, 2017 16:00 - 1 hour - 55.7 MBComedy mastermind Ben Rodgers talks to us about audio books. Great books, great narrators, great settings for listening to them. Why are Stephen King books so great? What should a good audiobook reader's IMDB profile be like? And much more! Will talks about watching movies on planes and Anthony discusses the website "Burbankia."
Matt Walsh - Improv
May 30, 2017 16:00 - 56 minutes - 52.2 MBWe break our rule (talking to people not about what they do) to talk to UCB co-founder MATT WALSH about IMPROV. We also get into sketch, and live comedy, and old school UCB shows like Robot TV and Killgore, and his time at the Annoyance Theater and improvOlympic, and Will implies that Matt has never done a Harold, which is unfair and untrue. No minor obsessions this week. ALL IMPROV. If you like this, make sure to check out Matt's podcast "UCB Sports and Leisure" which features lotsa UCB star...
Ariana Lenarsky - Tarot
May 23, 2017 16:00 - 1 hour - 56.1 MBComedian/musician Ariana Lenarsky talks to us about TAROT. Cards, the image, the history, tips of doing a reading, how she got into it, history of the classic cards that you are thinking of, and MORE! Plus Anthony is into the XM radio app and their station "70s on 7." And Will is really into hotels.
Dru Johnston - Evolution
May 16, 2017 16:00 - 59 minutes - 54.3 MBWe talk to comedian Dru Johnston about EVOLUTION. How did he get interested in it? How much of it is getting mad at creationists? Why DO people get passionate about creationism? What happened to the neanderthals? What books are good to read about this stuff? AND MORE! Plus Anthony talks about the Fijian dish Kokoda, and Will abhors the process of condemning tropes in TV/movies just because they have a cool label.
John Purcell - U2
May 09, 2017 17:29 - 1 hour - 91.8 MBJohn Purcell talks about the rock group U2. Why does he love them? Why was he ashamed of that at first? What are some deeper cuts people don't appreciate? Why did he see 4 shows in one week one year when their set list doesn't really change that much? Plus Will talks about both the audio book "The Kid Stays in the Picture" and podcast playing speeds; while Anthony discusses flower gardening. NOT VEGETABLE GARDENING.
Sarah-Violet Bliss - Sociopaths
May 02, 2017 16:00 - 57 minutes - 79.3 MBFilm and television creator Sarah-Violet Bliss talks about sociopaths! What makes one a sociopath, how should you deal with them and what's the difference between them and narcissists? Plus Will discusses the tropes of business self-help books and Anthony talks about a great video for the song "Wyclef Jean" by Young Thug.
Joel Spence - Frankie Goes To Hollywood
April 25, 2017 16:00 - 53 minutes - 73.2 MBComedian Joel Spence is a multi-talented, well-educated man who knows about a lot of things. Despite that, he choose to talk to us about the band Frankie Goes to Hollywood. "Why?" we thought. "Aren't they just a one-hit wonder band from the 80s?" Turns out that they are a several hit wonder band, as well as a group of truly talented musicians and also the creators of a fascinating and ambitious double album "Welcome to the Pleasuredome." We go through it. Plus Will discusses conversation star...
Nate Dern - George Saunders
April 18, 2017 16:00 - 1 hour - 89.6 MBComedy writer Nate Dern discusses author George Saunders! Absurdist! Heartbreaking! Sci-fi-ish? And more! Plus Anthony talks about the strange public domain movies in the Prelinger Archives and Will reminisces about NYC columnist Jimmy Breslin.
Dylan Snowden - Disaster Response
April 11, 2017 16:00 - 1 hour - 85.5 MBComedy writer Dylan Snowden tells about his time working for FEMA and the world of responding to disasters! Plus Will talks about the song "Magic" by B.O.B. and Anthony discusses an innovate production from the theatre group Teatro Republica.
Sasha Feiler - Dog Sports
April 04, 2017 16:00 - 1 hour - 83.6 MBComedian/writer/editor Sasha Feiler talks to us about DOG SPORTS. We get into how great her dog Spoon is at dog sports. We talk about "nose work." We talk about "dog agility." We talk about training. We talk about how dog owners in the world of dog sports can be, ironically, catty. We also touch very briefly on how Russia views WWII, as seen from Sasha's childhood in Siberia. But it's mostly dog sports. This is one of our favorite segments ever. Also Anthony discusses Planet Earth II and Will...
Michael Hartney - Unfavorable Semicircle
March 28, 2017 16:00 - 1 hour - 89.5 MBComedian/writer/Broadway actor Michael Hartney returns to the podcast to discuss the internet phenomenon called "Unfavorable Semicircle." Basically, someone (or perhaps, some program) is uploading videos of seemingly incoherent video and audio noise, which is vaguely machine like in nature. But wait, is it incoherent? Theories abound in discussion groups which are tracking these videos: is there a message buried in these vids? And what does Steamboat Willie have to do with it? Plus, Will disc...
Liz Rodriguez - Studio Ghibli
March 21, 2017 16:00 - 53 minutes - 73.7 MBWe talk to artist Liz Rodriguez about her lifelong obsession with Studio Ghibli - the Japanese animation/production house behind My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki's Delivery Service, Howl's Moving Castle and Spirited Away. Beautiful illustration! Female protagonists! A lack of formulaic storytelling! And just... it's good! Plus Will gives a poorly organized telling of the baseball mishaps of "Snodgrass' Muff and Merkel's Boner" and Anthony discusses APPLE SLICERS!
Todd Fasen - Coachella
March 14, 2017 16:00 - 56 minutes - 77.3 MBComedian Todd Fasen talks to us about the music festival institution Coachella! Why is it good? How has it changed? What are the best ways to enjoy it? What's the deal with the camping? Plus Will discusses Vertigo comics editor Karen Berger and Anthony raves about a newfangled device he has - the Fidget Cube.
Jesse Fox - SNL as Sport
March 07, 2017 17:00 - 1 hour - 92.4 MBVulture.com writer Jesse Fox talks to us about watching SNL as a sport. Good episode, bad episode, good season, bad season -- you keep watching at least partly because you want to see how the "team" does. We love this theory and talk forever about it. Also, Will talks about some computer programming thing (PHP framework called Laravel) and Anthony talks about the forgotten 1980 film "How To Beat The High Cost of Living."
Brandon Gardner - Woody Allen
February 28, 2017 17:00 - 1 hour - 111 MBComedian Brandon Gardner talks about his interest in comedian/filmmaker Woody Allen. Heard of him? Genius comedy writer and stand-up comedian? Maker of brilliant films (both comedies, dramas and some that are in-between)? Oh yeah, and the guy who dated and then married the 19 year old daughter of his longtime girlfriend, and then later was publicly accused by his daughter of molesting her? Uh, yeah. Him. We get into it. The appeal of Allen's comedy and his movies, and the trouble of separatin...
Luke Kelly-Clyne - Zoloft
February 21, 2017 17:00 - 1 hour - 97.7 MBA very cool and interesting personal episode. We talk to comedian Luke Kelly-Clyne about Zoloft and how this anti-depressant ended up being the thing that helped him handle his clinical depression. We talk a lot about the stigmas of anti-depressants, and therapy and admitting that you're dealing with depression at all. We also get into some of the basics of medications. Please note that we are not doctors and thus much of what we say is almost definitely oversimplified and is not official adv...
Billy Merritt - Birds
February 14, 2017 17:00 - 1 hour - 84 MBComedian Billy Merritt returns to discuss BIRDS. "I'm ready to talk about birds now," he emailed us, and even though we didn't know what he meant by "ready" and "now" we scheduled a podcast immediately. We get into bird watching, birding, and going birding. We get into sparrows and swallows and cardinals and titmouses and California condors. We get into how Billy is an excellent "animal spotter" and lots of other stuff! Plus Will discusses the 111-year-old Beijing man who was the father of Pi...
Nicole Erb - Shakespeare's Problematic Plays
February 07, 2017 17:00 - 1 hour - 99.2 MBNicole Erb (actor, comedy writer, you know the drill) talks to us about Shakespeare's "problematic plays." This includes the "problem plays" (neither comedies nor tragedies) but also any play which either drops plot threads, or makes enemies suddenly decide to get married, or has tragic scenes in the middle of otherwise happy acts, ET CETERA! Nicole likes the awkwardness they creates, but many directors try to hide them. We also get into Shakespeare in general. Spoiler: he's popular. In addit...
Charles Rogers - Pranks
January 31, 2017 17:00 - 1 hour - 67.2 MBWE FIND OUT THAT CHARLES PRANKED US AT 19:30. Charles Rogers, co-creator of the TBS show "Search Party" and the South by Southwest winning film "Fort Tilden" comes on the podcast to discuss PRANKS. But not little pranks like you're thinking of. These pranks sometimes involve months of setup, or elaborate fictional characters, or daring phone calls, and sometimes even outright lies. Charles talks about how his approach to doing pranks has changed over the years as he learns about what makes a ...
Connor Ratliff - Charles Schulz
January 24, 2017 17:00 - 1 hour - 107 MBWe talk to returning guest/comedian/madman Connor Ratliff about the comic strip PEANUTS. We get into how it changed over its 50 year run, how amazingly devoted creator Charles Schulz was to it, why Connor likes drawing so much, the TV specials and MORE! Plus Will talks about the book "Thinking, Fast and Slow" and Anthony talks about his new Alexa Dot from Amazon.
Lauren McGuire - RuPaul's Drag Race
January 17, 2017 14:00 - 1 hour - 85.7 MBComedian/writer Lauren McGuire discusses the tv show "RuPaul's Drag Race." What is so compelling about it? How is it different than other reality/competition shows? Where does the positivity come from? What is it about drag queens that are so compelling and inspiring? And what are the factors that let someone win? EDITED TO ADD: LAUREN MEANT TO SAY THAT SEASON 7 IS LACKLUSTER, NOT THE TERRIFIC SEASON 6! SHE KNOWS BETTER AND SHE IS SORRY! Also Will discusses a new podcast he's doing about The ...
Robbie Pickering - Boxing
January 10, 2017 14:00 - 1 hour - 58.2 MBWe talk to writer/director Robbie Pickering about BOXING. How did he get into it? What do you learn about yourself? Are you, the listener, intrigued by the idea of being hit in the face? Then BOXING could be for you! Also Will talks about Batman: The Animated Series (yes the 90s one) and Anthony discusses indie video game "The Swapper."
Clay Larsen - Game Structure
January 03, 2017 17:00 - 1 hour - 55.3 MBWe talk to comedian / director Clay Larsen about game structure. "Game" like board games, party games, things-you-play games, and "structure" meaning the stories you get into while you play games. Like if you play Risk and start acting like a tyrant, you know? Oh, you'll see. Also, Anthony talks about the mash-ups of our friend Daniel "Chambaland" Chamberlin and Will talks about the super-exciting computer language SHRDLU!
Mark David Christenson - Deerhoof
December 20, 2016 17:00 - 1 hour - 55.1 MBWe talk to comedian Mark David Christenson about the band Deerhoof. How does one categorize their indie but epic but funky style? How did he get into them? Why does Anthony like them right away? In addition, Will talks about the two recorded versions of Buddy Holly's "That'll Be The Day" and Anthony discusses the deliciousness of a low country boil.
Bridgid Ryan - Japan
December 13, 2016 17:00 - 1 hour - 57.5 MBWe talk to comedian/musician Bridgid Ryan about her love of JAPAN. Like Anglophilia, but for Japan. Japandamania? Japandamonium? We talk the language, the culture, the media, the style and more! Plus Anthony talks about trying to stay off of his phone and Will discusses the book Dracula.
Shaun Diston - Pre-History
December 06, 2016 17:00 - 1 hour - 58.2 MBWe talk to comedian Shaun Diston about PRE-HISTORY, meaning the human civilizations that existed before current recorded history. We're talking lost coastal cities, a hypothetical EARLIER Egyptian dynasty, the people who first figured out how to build pyramids, the cities beneath the ancient ruins, the ships at the bottom of the Black Sea, and more! Plus Will talks about the British tradition of observing a two-minute silence on Armistice Day, and Anthony talks about the surprising appeal of ...
Amy Silverberg - Wiener Dogs
November 29, 2016 17:00 - 50 minutes - 46 MBWriter and stand-up comedian Amy Silverberg loves wiener dogs, and she tells us all about it. What breeds? What types of coats? What are her preferred names? What is the appropriate voice to make when you are addressing a wiener dog? How about if you are making a voice on BEHALF of a wiener dog? What instagram accounts should you follow? We cover all of this and somehow much more! Also Will and Anthony review the different minor obsession theme songs that listeners have sent in!
Jamie Lee - Movies Where People Die
November 22, 2016 17:00 - 1 hour - 55.2 MBWe talk to comedian Jamie Lee about her obsession with MOVIES WHERE PEOPLE DIE. Tragedies, preferably involving a fatal disease and a group of tight-knit friends getting even tighter. We're talking "Steel Magnolias," we're talking "Boys on the Side" but we are NOT talking "Forrest Gump!" Why not? Listen to find out! Also, Anthony talks about the Garry Marshall memoir "Wake Me When It's Funny" and Will discusses the creepy/beautiful video game Limbo.
Oops! Election Followup [AUDIO SKIPS - SORRY]
November 15, 2016 17:00 - 56 minutes - 51.5 MBNOTE: The audio starts cutting in and out after 14 minutes. My recording error. It's ironic that a conversation about trying to communicate better is ITSELF having trouble communicating. We're leaving it up but it unfortunately skips. Our apologies. Mary Sasson returns as she, Anthony and Will do a follow-up to their Election 2016 episode, in which they all seemed pretty confident that Hillary Clinton was going to win. Titled "Oops!" this episode gets into why they had gotten so wrongly confi...
Devin Field Likes Fast-Talking Weirdos in Comedy Movies Like Michael Keaton and Maybe Just Michael Keaton
November 08, 2016 17:00 - 1 hour - 64.8 MBWe talk to comedian Devin Field about FAST-TALKING WEIRDOS IN COMEDY MOVIES. Michael Keaton is the best example, and maybe the only example? No, there are others and we talk about them! Also, Anthony talks about The Seven-Year Itch and Will discusses musician Emilyn Brodsky.
Jake and Amir Love Dancing
November 01, 2016 16:00 - 1 hour - 57.6 MBWe talk to comedians and Headgum network founders Jake Hurwitz and Amir Blumenfeld about their obsession with DANCING. These guys get dressed up, hit the bar/clubs (but usually bars) and get into the music. We talk about what kind of bars they like, what kind of music, how the act of dancing fills you with joy, how they got into this and how they are honestly not being creepy but yes incidentally girls like it when you dance. Also Will talks about the Stephen King book "Misery" and Anthony ra...
Travis Helwig and Mary Sasson Help Us Obsess Over The 2016 US Election
October 25, 2016 16:00 - 1 hour - 70.9 MBThere's not enough talk about the elections, we figured, so here's our contribution. We talk to comedians Travis Helwig and Mary Sasson about the 2016 US presidential election. More than in previous elections, we are fascinating with the race this year. How did Trump get here? What went down with Bernie vs. Hillary? Why does everyone want to think everything is rigged? Will the president and congress ever work together? How did Hillary clean Trump's clock in the debates when no one else could...
Casey Feigh - Facebook
October 18, 2016 16:00 - 1 hour - 63.8 MBWe talk to comedian Casey Feigh about the radical idea that Facebook is good and fun. People love to criticize it, but Casey is here to defend it. We get into the main criticisms people have, and Casey has ideas of how one can get around those criticisms. We talk about getting in touch, and posting fun photos, and letting friends know how you're doing and even -- gasp -- having empathy for other people's life choices! Will talks about the first 13 seconds of the song "Dancing in the Moonlight...
Alex Fernie - Robert Kennedy
October 11, 2016 16:00 - 1 hour - 58.7 MBComedian / writer / director Alex Fernie returns to the podcast to discuss ROBERT KENNEDY. We get into his strengths (committment to civil rights), he weaknesses (er, being real cool with Communist witch-hunting), his impromptu speech on the night Martin Luther King Jr. died, how he might have been a more transformative figure than JFK, and how his assassination in 1968 may have changed American politics forever. Anthony talks about the two different musicals' interpretations of the jazz age ...
Nicole Byer - Fake Hair / Stealing
October 04, 2016 16:00 - 51 minutes - 47.2 MBWe talk to comedian Nicole Byer, star of the MTV shows "Girl Code" and her own "Loosely Exactly Nicole" about her obsessions STEALING and FAKE HAIR. It's our first two-obsession podcast, including one that is straight-up a criminal activity. First, Nicole talks about her (past) days as a shoplifter, how she got into it, how to do it right, how she eventually stopped. Then we just downshift into fake hair: we get into extensions, weaves and wigs. Anthony and I reminisce on some of Nicole's pas...
Mike Carlson - Grant Morrison
September 27, 2016 16:00 - 1 hour - 65.4 MBWe talk to comedian Mike Carlson about comics writer Grant Morrison! He's written almost everything in the super hero world! He's into chaos magick! He's cerebral and laid-back and Scottish! We talk about what Mike likes about him so much. We get into several of his famous works, like All-Star Superman, The Invisibles, his run on Batman and X-Men, as well as some more minor but awesome things like We3. Also Anthony talks about Galco's Soda Pop Shop and Will talks about the movie "My Dinner Wi...
100th Episode: Anthony King and Will Hines - Gun to Your Head
September 20, 2016 16:00 - 1 hour - 71.4 MBTo celebrate the 100th episode of their podcast, Anthony and Will interview... each other! They ask a series of "gun to your head" questions, many posed by listeners. They answer "Which branch of the UCB would you shut down?" and "Would you rather have a new album by the Beatles or Nirvana?" and, oddly, "If you had to pick one, which of Anthony's children should be given to Will?" Also, Will talks about how a brilliant music producer saved the Simon and Garfunkel song "The Sounds of Silence" ...
Nate Shelkey - William Goldman
September 13, 2016 16:00 - 1 hour - 61 MBWe talk to comedian Nate Shelkey about screenwriter William Goldman. Though he's most famous writing the book and movie "The Princess Bride," as well as the screenplay for "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," Goldman has written many other movies you've likely seen, and also wrote a ton of novels which you likely have not read. Nate has seen and read them all and we talk about it. We also get into many of the great anecdotes Goldman has shared in his two books on screenwriting, and we predic...