No Bad Ideas
294 episodes - English - Latest episode: 8 months ago - ★★★★★ - 104 ratingsThe No Bad Ideas Podcast is the creation of Gabriel Urbina, Sarah Shachat, and Zach Valenti, three writer and artist-types who, in order to stay fresh creatively, have an excuse to hang out with each other once a week, and check in on what they're working on, take a terrible idea they found on the Internet each week and turn it into a compelling narrative. Or as close as they can get in 30 minutes.
If you're someone trying to be creative yourself or even if you just appreciate a good story, you'll enjoy listening to Zach, Sarah, and Gabriel figure out how to make sense of the best (or worst?) absurdities the internet has to offer. We guarantee there have definitely been worse ideas.
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Episodes
Episode 46: Small Town Embarrassment (With Rebecca Seidel)
September 23, 2019 05:05 - 1 hour - 59.8 MBThis week on no bad ideas: cops, donuts, IKEA, hide-and-seek, and special guest star Rebecca Seidel! While Zach's away, Gabriel and Sarah get to play with Rebecca, audio producer extraordinaire at Marvel. Together, they turn the story of an ill-advised wager with the police into a twisted tale of a small town terrorized by an all-powerful performance artist troll. Then, IKEA's firm stance on people not playing hide-and-seek in their stores gets reworked into a harrowing graphic novel of psy...
Episode 45: Recalculating
September 16, 2019 03:58 - 50 minutes - 46.6 MBThis week on No Bad Ideas: breakups, questionable GPS routes, and all kinds of dough! First off, Gabriel's story about a museum for all those objects that remind you of failed relationships (but which you can't quite let go of) gives birth to a twisty tale of mystery that involves a much more literal stroll down memory lane. Then, Zach's story of a GPS route gone horribly awry and the dozens that blindly followed it gets reshaped into the Rat Race reboot that we all need right now. Finally, ...
Episode 44: Intense Mom Warfare
September 10, 2019 19:01 - 49 minutes - 45.8 MBThis week, a series of extreme challenges for the No Bad Ideas crew! First, Sarah lets us know about a government initiative to find a new giant secret lair - for completely legitimate research purposes, of course. Then Gabriel clues us into the one (horrifying) way you can find affordable housing on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. And finally, Zach takes us on a trip to the Granite State, where New Hampshire’s “Live Free Or Die” motto may or may not apply to personalized license plates. ...
Episode 43: Fly Me To The Moon
September 03, 2019 05:57 - 49 minutes - 45.1 MBThis week on no bad ideas: postal office shenanigans, reptilian interlopers, and Space Crimes! First off, Gabriel brings us the story of a man’s surprisingly simple, yet devastatingly effective defrauding of UPS. Then, Zach's outrageously bad idea, featuring oversized snakes and over-engineered doorbells, leads to a terrifying "I Know What You Did Last Summer"-style thriller. Finally, Sarah's story of the first crime being committed in space inspires our first sitcom idea, featuring an acr...
Episode 42: When In Doubt, Bible It Up
August 26, 2019 10:00 - 58 minutes - 53.6 MBDon’t worry. We’re not here to share the greatest story ever told, just to turn some bad ideas into better stories! First, Zach has us Hoots-ing and hollering over a famous case of fast food litigation that still haunts both an Illinois town and law school classrooms across the country. Next, Gabriel regales us with stories of the most extreme (and yet somehow also the most unsurprising) things that a French performance artist has done in the past decade. Finally, Sarah lets us know all abo...
Episode 41: There's No Place Like House Emoji
August 19, 2019 17:38 - 47 minutes - 43.4 MBToday on No Bad Ideas, the team goes to prison, gets mixed up in a housing dispute, and explores the untapped potential of using avocados as thermal detonators. First, a Brazilian drug lord's unusual attempt to escape from prison makes way for the strangest reboot of Some Like It Hot that anyone's ever come up with. Then, a story of truly stunning passive-aggression between neighbors gets turned into a war of gauche escalation. Finally, an inventive bank robber's fruity adventures inspire a...
Episode 40: In Pursuit of Lizardness
August 12, 2019 01:12 - 55 minutes - 50.5 MBThis week, the team brings you some bad ideas of monumental proportions, a culinary tale like none you've dug up before, and definitive proof that real criminals have curves. First, an article about how human diets are affecting Toronto's raccoon population inspires the story of a wide-eyed, small-town raccoon chef struggling to make his dreams of culinary superstardom in the big city come true. Then, the story of a truly bizarre heist leads to a twisted tale of crime, fashion, and modern a...
Episode 39: Beezlebros (With Zach Libresco)
August 05, 2019 12:00 - 1 hour - 76.8 MBWe're honored to be joined this week by our friend, actor extraordinaire and the official Bad Ideas Bat, Mr. Zach Libresco! Zach brings his incredible intelligence and humor to a pair of truly awful notions from the Internet, and then shares his perspective on craft and inspiration, and what it means to be really present. But before all the philosophy, Zach Valenti introduces us to an ancient Athenian who lives (and dies!) for the applause; and then Gabriel invites us to a quite diabolical ...
Episode 38: Leave Santa Alone (With Josh Perault)
July 29, 2019 10:00 - 1 hour - 71 MBContent Warning: The first story this week involves Nazi paraphernalia and war, and the second story centers on sterilization and eugenics. Check out the time-codes below if you want skip one or both of them. With Sarah gone and a pair of pretty grim-dark ideas on the table, who else would Gabriel and Zach call to join them but dungeon master extraordinaire Josh Perault of the Taking Initiative podcast! First, Gabriel brings us to a nice little German town where a nice German man lives in s...
Episode 37: Re-Occurring Night Terrors
July 22, 2019 12:09 - 53 minutes - 49.2 MBFor appetizers, Gabriel brings us Fear and Loathing in Logan, Colorado, where we discover an amazing cocktail of whiskey, a rattle snake, and powdered uranium in a stolen automobile. Sarah follows up with a less bizarre - but equally horrifying - plane story for our entrée, one that makes Zach curse a record number of times before the end of the article. And, finally, for dessert, a silly, Olympic-sized fail that we hastily cram into a train. Here’s to that feel when uranium is any card i...
Episode 36: Written In Stone
July 15, 2019 05:26 - 53 minutes - 49.4 MBThis week on No Bad Ideas: badass nurses, killer laptops, a really big sign, and more! First up, a terrifying kill-or-be-killed tale leads to buddy cop movie with a very unusual protagonist. After that, drastic measures in a small English village lead to a series of P.R. choices so bad they might just fail all the way to the top! And finally, the tale of an auction that is truly fit for both the super villains and the avant-garde artists of the world! Plus, generic pictures from the Intern...
Episode 35: Not Everyone Is Wall-Of-Death Material (With Lindsay Amer)
July 08, 2019 15:20 - 1 hour - 64.4 MBThis week, we’re joined in the studio by Lindsay Amer of Queer Kids Stuff for two bad ideas and a roundtable discussion. First, we bring a Scooby-Doo-style ghost hunting gang into the YouTube Era and they form an unlikely alliance with an eccentric horror writer fighting off the bank from foreclosing his historically haunted mansion. Next, faced with an animal rights nightmare from the 1930s, we avoid “Green-Booking” the situation with Hugh Jackman and look for a more nuanced way to approa...
Episode 34: Tooth Club
July 01, 2019 05:17 - 46 minutes - 42.3 MBThis week, Sarah, Gabriel, and Zach prove once again the mind-meld is real as we find ourselves with a full set of body-horror bad ideas. First, we delve into some Cthulhu shit after finding too many teeth in too many walls. Next, we plot out the scam of the century - just not this century - and, boy, does it get *hairy.* Finally, will we find a way to parlay the grim origin of the chainsaw into a satisfying story? Plus, a dark god seeking an avatar body, Gunther screwing up *again*, and s...
Episode 33: Robot Doctor Mulan
June 24, 2019 05:17 - 50 minutes - 46.6 MBThis week, Sarah and Zach are joined once again by Gabriel, returned from vacation. First, we explore all our A.I. feels and once again crib from one of our eternal faves, Gattaca, with a robot that must pretend to be human to follow its dreams. Then, we go through the Snapchat-looking-glass to discover the Grumpy Cat of politics. And then we explore what happens when a small community tries to get rid of time… just for a bit. Plus, mistaking cat pictures for guacamole, a day with no end, c...
Episode 32: All Human is Probably Free Range (With Julia Schifini)
June 18, 2019 12:00 - 58 minutes - 54 MBThis week, Sarah and Zach are joined by the multi-faceted podcaster, historian, writer, and budding wrestler Julia Schifini, of Multitude and The Whisperforge. First, one of the more delightfully creepy turns we’ve had in a bit as we transform a poorly placed 911 call into a full-blown Sweeney Todd situation. Then, one of the most objectively dangerous ideas we’ve had to-date, inspiring a very Nick Cage like spectrum of emotions. Plus, an unstoppable casual dining for cannibals, real guns b...
Episode 31: Rainbow Force Five (With Kristen DiMercurio)
June 10, 2019 04:00 - 1 hour - 62.4 MBThis week, Gabriel is away but Sarah and Zach are joined by none other than voiceover actor and writer Kristen DiMercurio, of Ars Paradoxica and Archive 81 fame. Kristen helps us tackle a pair of true-life tales. First, one of the silliest bad ideas we’ve had in a while, why a hippie community police force has a very specific agenda for Ann Arbor, MI. Then, one of the most objectively bad ideas we’ve had in a while, why tourists taking selfies on indigenous monuments means we can’t have nice...
Episode 30: The Ministry of Dragons And Psychics
June 03, 2019 10:00 - 47 minutes - 43.5 MBWelcome to Episode 30! The gang celebrates this completely arbitrary milestone by picking three awful ideas to throw at each other for ten minutes each. First, Sarah challenges the boys to see what they can make of the power of free beer. Then, Zach clues us all into a possible supernatural conspiracy in the halls of New Zealand’s government. And finally, Gabriel gifts Zach and Sarah with a completely legitimate golden ticket and its $500 price tag. Plus Gabriel’s Australian accent, Zach's c...
Episode 29: The Army of the Twelve Space Monkeys
May 27, 2019 06:56 - 54 minutes - 49.9 MBThis week, the squad brings you two bad ideas for the price of one. First, an intricate game of cat and mouse that goes bam, zoom, straight to the moon! And then, a case of cops working undercover… way, way too much cover! Plus, solar systematic treasures, aggressively lawful neutral characters, and doves flying away as characters shoot in an upwards direction. Today's Bad Ideas™: https://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2019/05/the-moon-rock-hunter/ https://www.nhttps://internationalhighlife...
Episode 28: The Full Metamorphosis
May 20, 2019 22:59 - 1 hour - 56.9 MBOur May experiments continue with two of the grossest, most horrifying, and most hilarious ideas the gang has tackled yet. With only fifteen minutes on the clock, first Sarah and Gabriel have to grapple with an unusual, alchemical way to get rich quick from Zach. Then Zach and Sarah have to contend with a startling home invasion story courtesy of Gabriel. Plus, the historical applications of urine, a cackling Alexa, late stage capitalism, and, obviously, a full page ad in Goop. Today's Bad ...
Episode 27: It's Not All Boats and International Waters
May 13, 2019 17:09 - 59 minutes - 54.9 MBAvast! On today's No Bad Ideas, Gabriel brings Zach and Sarah a tale of love gone wrong and not-so-smooth sailing on the high seas. Will the three of them be able to take the strange tale of a woman's very unique divorce and turn it into a pirate ghost romantic comedy fueled by Bermuda Triangle craziness? Plus, the Ghost Rewrite of Paradise by the Dashboard Lights, method piracy, and the It's a Small World After All Cruise. Today's Bad Idea™: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/amanda-teague-spl...
Episode 26: John Wick - Traffic Stop Edition
May 06, 2019 04:00 - 46 minutes - 42.7 MBIn this episode of No Bad Ideas, an experiment! In an effort to shake things up, the gang has brought not one, not two, but three bad ideas to the table and will try to turn each of them into stories in just ten minutes. How will our heroes cope with a criminal’s job interview, a library full of taxidermic animals, and the perils of pulling over an undercover cop? You’ll just have to listen to find out. Plus, sleep-stealing, the punishment for fracking, yet another deeply traumatizing family...
Episode 25: Veggie Ville (With Brandon Grugle)
April 29, 2019 16:58 - 1 hour - 62.2 MBIn today's episode, the Bad Ideas Squad is joined by the great Brandon Grugle, audio producer extraordinaire at Multitude and Marvel. Together with him, Zach and Gabriel are thrown into a wild world of mashed potato intrigue and mystery in which they will find the basis for a wholesome, kid-friendly animated film. But will it stay that way? Or will Gabriel's irrational impulses to turn it into a macabre tale of death and vengeance be successful? Plus, a terrible murder cult, some really ripe...
Episode 24: Get Pope-ed
April 23, 2019 01:14 - 56 minutes - 51.6 MBThis week, Zach brings us a violent chapter of Chinese history that Gabriel and Sarah spin into conspiracy and intrigue in the Catholic Church. Together, the Bad Ideas squad imagine the pettiest hypothetical coup Vatican City will never see. Plus, staged escapes from heaven, Jude Law’s sexy beach pics, and shot-for-shot remakes of classics. LINKS: Today's Bad Idea™: https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-19977188 Support the show.
Episode 23: Hell Hotline (With Eli Barraza)
April 15, 2019 06:24 - 1 hour - 58.5 MBOn today's episode... Sarah is away, but Gabriel and Zach are joined by Eli Barraza, creator of The Far Meridian! The three of them go on an odyssey of truly blasphemous proportion, following two embezzling nuns on the gambling, binge-drinking, hard-sinning Las Vegas trip of a lifetime. Sister Act meets the Hangover in this battle of good, evil, money, chance, destiny, and souls. Plus, God-like presences, the letter of the law, and The Divine Comedy (The Casino). LINKS: Today's Bad Idea™: ...
And Now Something From the Blooper Reel...
April 08, 2019 18:07 - 3 minutes - 3.16 MBNo new episode today, but we'll be back next week! In the meantime, here's a little something from the archives we think you might enjoy... Support the show.
Episode 22 - Redacted At Sea (With Eric Silver)
April 01, 2019 23:30 - 1 hour - 64 MBThis week, Eric Silver - co-host of Horse, Dungeon Master for Join the Party, and all-around great Multi-Dude - joins the Bad Ideas team for a harrowing story of survival at sea and capitalistic conspiracy. But most alarming of all, the team takes on the challenge of spinning this yarn into their first video game pitch. Plus, oil companies that just don't give a shit, great skips, and the fact that the world isn't going to change because of a C+ grade. LINKS: Today’s Bad Idea™: https://ww...
Episode 21: Not a History Podcast
March 25, 2019 15:54 - 57 minutes - 52.8 MBBefore you listen to this episode, make sure you read the terms and conditions. Go and read them, right now. ... Did you do it? Great! That makes you smarter than the people in today's bad idea anecdote, who all signed away something very valuable just to get some free WiFi access. How can Zach, Sarah, and Gabriel turn these impulsive bad decisions into a compelling narrative? Plus, epistolary novels, daemons, the Great Forever, and the master of the universe. Today's Bad Idea™...
Episode 20: End With Everyone On Fire
March 18, 2019 17:56 - 58 minutes - 53.2 MBThis week, Sarah brings us a tale from the exotic world of art thievery, where everyone is super cool and sophisticated… everyone, that is, except for the thieves. What will Gabriel and Zach make of an entire town in on a police sting operation? And how many explosions will it involve? There are definitely more twists than you think. Plus, roles definitely played by Jason Statham, agents of chaos in the background, a fistful of art historians, and revolutions which will not be monetized. To...
Episode 19: Netflix For Journalism (with Amanda McLoughlin)
March 11, 2019 17:13 - 1 hour - 72.7 MBThis week we take a trip back to a faraway time when news could be faked and editorial controls were suspect at best. We, of course, are talking about the 19th century and are delighted to be joined this episode by Amanda McLoughlin, co-founder of Multitude, co-host of the shows Spirits and Join the Party, and all around badass podcaster. From the darkest corner of Reddit to the cobbles of Fleet Street, we take Zach’s trollface idea all kinds of places. Plus, monetization strategies, stickin...
Episode 18: The Tale of Jeremy
March 04, 2019 21:16 - 1 hour - 61.9 MBThis week on No Bad Ideas: a first for the show! In today's fan-sponsored episode, Gabriel, Sarah, and Zach have to go head-to-head with a bad idea chosen by our listeners! So strap in, grab your broadswords, and get ready to go on a madcap adventure of dark lords, gallant heroes, and LSD. Plus, the unspoken line between the supernatural world and the world most people live in, high high elves, and cautionary tales about why you should always be nice to your interns. Today’s Bad Idea™: ...
Episode 17: You've Been Stepford'd (with Todd VanDerWerff)
February 25, 2019 05:00 - 1 hour - 59.9 MBAnother week, another amazing guest to help us tackle a truly terribly idea! This time, Todd VanDerWerff, critic-at-large at Vox.com and co-creator of the podcast Arden, has signed up to help us unpack the real-life trend of hiring fake friends to save face at your wedding. We toy with keeping up appearances and/or burning it all down. Plus, the perils of rock climbing, the defeat of The Patriarchy, and when having it spoiled somehow makes it better. Today’s Bad Idea™: https://www.npr.org/s...
Episode 16: A Boy and His Rock 'n' Roll Cricket (With Christian T. Kelley-Madera)
February 18, 2019 20:09 - 1 hour - 71.2 MBThis week on No Bad Ideas... bugs, bugs, bugs! But before that, the Bad Ideas Band is joined by their dear friend Christian T. Kelley-Madera, co-creator and director of The Once and Future Nerd. But soon, it's all business, and (thanks to Sarah's bad idea contribution) that business is a truly unhinged tale of illness and entomology in the Caribbean. Plus, cockroaches bent on world destruction, the wrong way to eat a Reese's, and a very different kind of Cuban crisis. This Week's Bad Idea™:...
Episode 15: Enhance, Enhance, Enhance (with Mike Schubert)
February 11, 2019 21:23 - 1 hour - 64.6 MBA wild Mike Schubert has appeared! And he's here to help Gabriel and Sarah wind their way through a twisty courtroom mystery, courtesy of Zach Valenti. Just who was it that really killed the defense's surprise witness? And how do the lives of twelve jurors depend on one single security camera? It's a locked room murder mystery, No Bad Ideas-style! Plus a young, plucky lawyer, #Sheriffed, and the world's highest stakes game of Mafia. This Week's Bad Idea™: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattl...
Episode 14: The Crimeys (with Mur Lafferty)
February 04, 2019 18:53 - 1 hour - 63.8 MBThis week on No Bad Ideas, Zach, Sarah, and Gabriel are joined by author and podcasting pioneer Mur Lafferty! Together, they dive into the story of one of Europol's strangest schemes for catching criminals. From there, things only get weirder as the team descends into the world of Caribbean real estate development and the philosophical quandary of honey, vinegar, and their respective fly-catching abilities. Plus, vampire parades, tourism at all costs, and a whole new level of Good Cop/Bad Co...
Episode 13: The Lopular Front
January 28, 2019 18:34 - 1 hour - 70.7 MBMy fellow podcasters! We here at No Bad Ideas promise that we will find an idea on the Internet, bring it to our group of NY-based writer ne'er do wells, and give them 30 minutes to turn it into a good story - and this time our bad idea is a series of deeply strange campaign promises from the 1930s. Plus, Gabriel's French accent, what the universe rewards, and the elimination of poverty... after 10pm. Links: This Week's Bad Idea™: https://www.thoughtco.com/history-of-weird-campaign-promis...
Episode 12: The Clumsy Pilot
January 21, 2019 15:50 - 1 hour - 59.9 MBAnother week, another terrible idea that someone in the world once had, and which we must now somehow turn into a compelling story. On today's episode, Zach brings Sarah and Gabriel the story of a man who was running late, forgot his keys, and resorted to truly unbelievable and desperate measures to get to work. Plus, Comedy Airport editions, pure adrenaline, and thorny situations. Today's Bad Idea™: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6589941/Pilot-filmed-Heathrow-climbing-window-...
Episode 11: Sharknappers!!
January 14, 2019 17:44 - 1 hour - 80.3 MBWelcome back to No Bad Ideas, the show where we take bad ideas from the real world and try to turn them into good stories (and the points don't matter). This week, Gabriel takes Zach and Sarah on a wild journey to the seedy world of San Antonio aquarium heists. What is the most dangerous thing you could try to steal? And what is the most ridiculous way you could steal it? Plus illegal exotic pet farms, Oceans 11 as a pun now, and the place where everything good was stolen from somewhere else...
Episode 10: Poor Billy Bob Tough Guy
January 07, 2019 17:50 - 1 hour - 71.4 MBWelcome back, everyone! New year, same old set up: we find some bad ideas, and then bang our heads together until we've figured out how to turn them into a good story. This week, Sarah infects Gabriel and Zach with the idea behind a truly (and thankfully) one-of-a-kind museum. Plus, much more ado, chaotic agents, and the closest you're going to get to death without actually dying. This Week's Bad Idea™: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/outbreak-museum-portland Support the show.
Episode 9: Cyrano™ (with Michelle Agresti)
December 28, 2018 21:39 - 1 hour - 60.7 MBHappy Holidays, everyone! As an end-of-year present to ourselves, we brought our first guest on the show: actress and performer extraordinaire, Michelle Agresti! Michelle worked with us on our audio drama series Wolf 359, and she brings to the table a bad idea unlike any we've tackled before. Grab your smart phones, boot up your Instagram filters, and get ready for a rom-tragi-com, No Bad Ideas style! Plus, happy endings (for some people), the world's best/worst wingmen, and Peonies for Alg...
Episode 8: All Flash, All Bang
December 20, 2018 05:21 - 57 minutes - 53.1 MBOur first really Not Safe For Work episode, so beware of listening out loud at work. Zach takes Gabriel and Sarah to the world of theater with 100% the poetic irony and pretentiousness you expect, and at least 50% more genitals than you expect. Plus, totally BS fire safety laws, tortured metaphors, and costumes you shouldn't think about too much. Links: Today's Bad Idea™: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/as-it-happens-thursday-edition-1.4944705/quebec-play-about-a-man-and-his-penis-f...
Episode 7: Shadow Kung Fu Wresting... with Bulls
December 13, 2018 00:17 - 1 hour - 75.9 MBNo, you read that right. This week on No Bad Ideas, we tackle a new twist on an old sport that is so, so unnecessarily dangerous, that... we just had to try to turn it into a story. Plus: how did yogurt happen, yet another twist on the Rocky formula, and the heebie jeebies of it all. Today's Bad Idea™: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/update-1-enter-the-bull-fighters-mix-kung-fu-and-bullfighting-in-china_us_5c09b84be4b04046345a88fa Support the show.
Episode 6: Yabba-Dabba-Don't
December 05, 2018 07:22 - 1 hour - 79.5 MBThis week on No Bad Ideas: a year of living cartoonish-ly, car chases against traffic, and a really jaded Mario. Links Today's Bad Idea™: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/fred-flintstone-arrested-florida-speeding_us_5beb09f0e4b044bbb1a99787 Support the show.
Episode 5: We Know How Cults Work
November 28, 2018 00:45 - 1 hour - 72.8 MBZach is back with a decidedly deep cut from the deep web for Sarah and Gabriel. Ready or not: the world's weirdest brochures, gas-lighting roommates, and secret codes abound! Links Today's Bad Idea™: https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/3b0kwl/whats_your_deep_web_story/csi2tfk Support the show.