Things That Keep Me Up at Night
136 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 1 year ago - ★★★★★ - 50 ratingsThe podcast that asks the question: What keeps you up at night? Hosts Brooke and Olivia discuss a variety of topics from cults to genocides to conspiracies to plagues. Are you interested in learning more about corporate greed, human exploitation, and the many, many things that can kill you? Do you want to leave feeling broken with a complete lack of faith in humanity but, like, in a funny way? Then welcome home, son.
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Episodes
Episode #045 - When They See Us (2019)
August 14, 2020 11:00 - 2 hours - 103 MBTRIGGER WARNING: This episode touches on explicit descriptions of sexual assault and abuse, attempted murder, prison abuse, mental health issues, racism and police brutality, and other sensitive subjects. Please listen with discretion and with your own emotional health in mind. As we close out our Serial Killers series, we decided that we should focus on something that rarely gets attention in the True Crime community. Oftentimes, police officers are seen as the bumbling inconveniences at ...
Naptime Nightmares #039 - Hot Girls Wanted (2015)
July 17, 2020 11:00 - 1 hour - 80.3 MBWe're back with a lighter minisode, this time unpacking the mixed bag that is the Netflix documentary, Hot Girls Wanted. Produced by Rashida Jones, it seeks to unveil the sordid world of amateur pornography and the women who perform in it. But does it do its job well? Or does it commodify and moralize the very women it seeks to humanize? Featuring: Body Odor Mountain, a lot of common misconceptions, and economists.
Episode #044 - Jean-Claude Romand, Definitely a Real Doctor
July 03, 2020 11:00 - 1 hour - 82.3 MBJean-Claude Romand is just like you and me - except that he faked finishing medical school and becoming a highly regarded research scientist at the WHO, scammed everyone he knew to get money, and then murdered his whole family when his lies started falling apart. You know, the usual stuff. Featuring: Olivia's gross tongue story, an Animal Crossing betrayal, and a dog who deserved so much better. Trigger warnings: murder, infanticide, dog-murder, abuse and assault, and gore in the case o...
Naptime Nightmares #038 - Dismantling White Supremacy and Systemic Racism
June 19, 2020 20:04 - 1 hour - 60 MBThe last few weeks have only served to reinforce the continuous systemic racism and anti-blackness that permeates our society. Instead of our normal episode schedule, we decided to amplify black voices, businesses, and media while sharing resources for educating against and combating white supremacy in honor of Juneteenth.
Naptime Nightmare #037 - The Forest (2016)
June 05, 2020 11:00 - 1 hour - 77.9 MBIn an unfortunately apt turn of events, Brooke and Olivia watched and reviewed The Forest (2016), one of the most racist films either has seen in a loooong time. As a secondary item of business, our next episode will be entirely focused on providing resources for combating internalized and systemic white supremacy, recommending black-run podcasters, products, media, etc., and learning what we can do to support the Black Lives Matter movement. All Patreon proceeds will go to the charity or...
Naptime Nightmares #036 - Plandemic (2020)
May 23, 2020 11:00 - 2 hours - 119 MBLook, we know it's been done to death, but this insanity had to be addressed. What was supposed to be a simple take-down minisode turned into a 2+ hour analysis of every single claim Judy Mikovits makes throughout Mikki Willis' viral video. Let's sit around the fire, kids, and talk about why Judy Mikovits, disgraced microbiologist, is wrong all the time forever. Featuring: science fact vs. science fiction, an Ojai dad, and 26 minutes of agony. Promo: The Harpy Hour Podcast
Episode #043 - The Mystery of Leonarda Cianciulli
May 08, 2020 11:00 - 2 hours - 111 MBWe start off our Serial Killers Part 2 heavy hitter series and take a trip to lovely Italy, where we meet the infamous Soap-Maker of Correggio, Leonarda Cianciulli. But is she infamous for the right reasons? Olivia uncovers the truth about Cianciulli's life - and more than a little evidence that the American True Crime world has done her story a deep injustice. Featuring: Neil Labute's twitter account, Google Translate, and some chocolate you should definitely not eat.
Naptime Nightmares #035 - The Wicker Man (2006)
April 24, 2020 11:00 - 1 hour - 57.2 MBYou've heard people talk about it on every film podcast in the world - now hear two completely sleep deprived scary-podcasters weigh in on the so-bad-it's-good classic: The Wicker Man. Featuring: Neil Labute Definitely Doesn't Hate Women, Nic Cage's Oscar-worthy commitment, and THE BEEEEEES.
Episode #042 - The Things We Do for Oil
April 10, 2020 11:00 - 2 hours - 119 MBAn episode eight months in the making, we finally wrap up our War Crimes heavy hitter series with the abuses and tortures at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. It's time to get mad about the human tendency to exploit power and systemic violence in the military, folks. Featuring: a second recording of a very long episode, imagining how tired we are, and the strange creative horrors that broken humans create. Yeesh.
Naptime Nightmares #034 - COVID-19 (Coronavirus)
March 27, 2020 11:00 - 2 hours - 113 MBIn a long-overdue, extremely long minisode, Olivia returns to her infectious disease roots and covers the current (as of March 24) state of the COVID-19 - or Coronavirus - outbreak. We discuss the timeline thus far, the biological differences between COVID-19 and the influenza virus, and explain our general unease about the whole affair. Please note that at the time of posting, statistics and numbers are drastically different from what is said in the recording. Keep updated on the situati...
Episode #041 - Joseph Goode
March 13, 2020 11:00 - 1 hour - 64.5 MBThis week, we interview friend of Olivia and Reseach & Communication Officer Joseph Goode from the Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative. We clarify just what a war crime really is, and find that it's not so simple as it may seem. We also talk systemic and societal trauma, what it costs to ignore it, and how we heal it. And don't worry - we end on a light note. Featuring: green M&Ms, the violin, and three week-old cupcakes.
Naptime Nightmares #033 - Gong Noise 4: Gong Fast, Gong Furious
February 28, 2020 12:00 - 58 minutes - 53.2 MBHey guys. Let's sit on cushions. Wrap ourselves in blankets. Pour some tea or hot chocolate. Forget about the world for a while, and talk about the good things that have happened recently to make our hearts warm. We all need to see the positive sometimes. *sip* Featuring: The Scholastic Book Fair, Lo-Fi Hip Hop Beats to Study/Chill To, and human-sized onesies.
Naptime Nightmares #032 - Truth or Dare (2017)
February 14, 2020 12:00 - 1 hour - 70.2 MBNewsflash: bad horror movies suck. This is a fact that continuously surprises Olivia and Brooke. Good thing it makes for good radio. This time, it's the not-Blumhouse Truth or Dare. Featuring: gratuitous teeth horror, a general understanding of electricity, and eight of the worst characters ever written.
Episode #040 - The Forgotten Genocide
February 07, 2020 12:00 - 1 hour - 84.6 MBTRIGGER WARNING: The content of this episode is extremely graphic and should be consumed responsibly. Triggers include violence, gore, graphic descriptions of injuries, rape and sexual assault, kidnapping, suicide, and death. Listen with your mental and emotional health in mind. After a week of hearing Olivia weep via text about her War Crimes heavy hitter, we finally get to find out what it is. To start off the new series, we uncover what happened during the six-week Rape of Nanking. Than...
Naptime Nightmares #031 - Haunting on Fraternity Row (2018)
January 31, 2020 12:00 - 1 hour - 54.9 MBWhat did we expect? I'm not sure why Brooke was hoping for Schindler's f***ing List, but boy was she disappointed. In any case, she and Olivia put their film analysis skills to good use and analyzed the hell out of this absolute dumpster fire of a movie. Enjoy. We sure did. Featuring: Daddy Warf***s, Tanner's beautiful pecs, and gingivitis C-3PO
Episode #039 - Zak Kadletz
January 24, 2020 14:48 - 1 hour - 98.2 MBAhh, the Paris Agreement, the world's humanitarian and selfless endeavor to save the planet. Or is it? Zak Kadletz joins us today to unveil the truth about the Paris Agreement, how we've done since its installation, and where we're predicted to go. Spoiler alert: it ain't pretty. Featuring: internalized capitalism, the Bachelor, and the simple and elegant design of the guillotine. Disclaimer: murder is bad
Episode #038 - The Kafka-Esque World We Live In
January 17, 2020 12:00 - 1 hour - 98.8 MBOlivia focused on how we screwed up the environment, but this week Brooke focuses on how the environment screws with us. Well, in addition to hundreds of years of systemic racism, slavery, and financial dependence. Featuring: loud neighbors, neoliberalism reinventing slavery, and a no-win situation that plays out like a soap opera Promo: Fresh Hell Podcast
Naptime Nightmares #030 - Chasing Coral (2017)
January 10, 2020 12:00 - 1 hour - 67.1 MBAnd on today's episode of "What Documentary is Emotionally Wrecking the The Gals," we have Jeff Orlowski's masterfully documentary Chasing Coral. We discuss the realities of coral bleaching, what we can do about it, and the damn fine cinematography that broke our hearts. Featuring: polyps, incredible music composition, and the dedication of scientists. PLEASE GO TO WWW.CHASINGCORAL.COM AND SHOW YOUR SUPPORT. SAVE THE CORAL!
Naptime Nightmares #029 - Maybe I Misunderstood the Prompt
January 03, 2020 12:00 - 1 hour - 90.5 MBIt's been a hot minute since the gals did a Freak Accidents minisode. What better way to take our minds off the crippling realities of capitalism and systemic corruption than discussing the Bhopal disaster? Also planes spontaneously exploding, but that's way less cool. Featuring: a small, orange idiot, a slippery slope of bad decisions, and a superhero named Chris Fogg.
Episode #037 - Jellyfish DNA in My Peas?
January 03, 2020 12:00 - 1 hour - 102 MBOur new Environmental Heavy Hitter series is up in full swing, and this time Olivia gets to use her years of agricultural studies to give GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms) a fair shake and explain what they really are - and what they're not. Add a dash of classism and manipulation, and presto! You've got yourself the newest season of Things That Keep Me Up at Night. Featuring: fish DNA, militant activists, and very tired scientists
Naptime Nightmares #028 - The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley (2019)
December 27, 2019 16:19 - 1 hour - 104 MBWE'RE BACK, BABY. Welcome to Season 3, where we kick things off with the last tiny tidbit from our Snake Oil Salesmen series. Today, we're discussing Theranos as presented in the 2019 documentary The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley. We know we promised a double upload this week, but some mic issues made that impossible. Instead, we'll be uploading two episodes next week as we start up our Environmental series! Featuring: lying, old people who shouldn't have money, and more ly...
Episode #036 - The Horrible Doctor of Oz
November 15, 2019 12:00 - 1 hour - 83.9 MBNo, green coffee isn't going to miraculously melt your fat away. But that's not what this multi-million dollar television personality would have you believe! Today our guest, Perci Watson, reveals the truth about Dr. Oz - cardiothoracic surgeon, professor at Columbia University, and pseudoscience promoter (as labeled by Wikipedia). Does he truly believe the snake oil he sells? Or has he, too, been lured in by the lucrative appeal of scamming desperate folks? You decide! Featuring: green...
Naptime Nightmares #027 - I Survived... Weird Specific Scam Artists
November 08, 2019 12:00 - 1 hour - 82.3 MBIt happens to the best of us. Maybe we were tired. Maybe we don't like conflict. Or maybe we were 5 years old. Whatever the reason, Olivia and Brooke got got by scam artists (sort of), but at least they got to turn it into podcast content. You win some, you lose some. Featuring: weebs, Disney pin trading, and a $75 warm neck. MILD TRIGGER WARNING: brief rape mention
Episode #035 - A Big, Oily Pyramid Scheme
November 01, 2019 11:00 - 1 hour - 86.1 MBIt's Brooke's turn to get all riled up about some real-life oil salesmen. But not snake oil - essential oils. This time on ttkmeup, we're talking about Young Living Essential Oils. Let's talk about what essential oils can do, what they can't do, and why Multi-Level Marketing companies are pyramid schemes designed to cheat honest, impressionable people out of their money by exploiting their personal relationships. Dope! Featuring: the normal air room, a whirlpool bath, and the blood of a...
Naptime Nightmares #026 - Enlighten Us (2016)
October 25, 2019 11:00 - 1 hour - 92 MBJames Arthur Ray can eat a dirty sock. And then fall off a cliff. Olivia and Brooke discuss the 2016 documentary Enlighten Us and the frightening implications of self help gurus acting as medical professionals despite their lack of training. We pinky swear therapy is better than a $10,000 seminar (even if it is in Egypt). Featuring: indoctrination techniques, AC/DC, and one hell of a god complex.
Episode #034 - Energy Warz
October 18, 2019 11:00 - 1 hour - 75.8 MBWARNING: This episode contains highly graphic mentions of animal abuse and electrocution. Please listen responsibly and keep your mental health in mind. Welcome to the wild wild west of snake oil salesmen, except it was actually during the Industrial Revolution. Today Olivia kicks us off by talking about the not-inventor of the light bulb himself - Thomas Edison, the OG terrible billionaire (Bezos...). Think you know everything about the Edison/Tesla debacle? Guess again! Turns out, Thomas...
Naptime Nightmares #025 - Leasing Companies from Hell
October 12, 2019 11:00 - 2 hours - 134 MBWhat’s small and muggy and full of black mold? As it turns out, both of our apartments! This week we decided to allow Olivia some room to breathe while she preps for and takes her GRE, so we substituted the first episode of Snake Oil Salesmen for the long-awaited Leasing Companies Minisode. And boy is it a doozy - a two and a half hour long tirade filled to the brim with meticulous and excruciating detail. Health hazards? We've got 'em. Long emails filled with legal jargon and civil code...
Naptime Nightmares #024 - Gong Noise 3: Gong Hard With a Vengeance
October 04, 2019 11:00 - 1 hour - 56.9 MBAnyone else feel like the world is getting more and more on-fire with each passing day? Well, we sure do. So we settled into our respective closets and broke out the Good News - it's time to talk positivity, baby. Plus, in a rare show of emotional articulation, the gals get real about the state of their lives and the happiness that can be found with a little patience and a lot of therapy. Featuring: the Amazon, tiny sea urchins, font talk, and more of the Amazon. Promo: Ignorance was Bliss
Episode #033 - The SoCal Body Image feat. Solveig Erngren
September 27, 2019 11:00 - 2 hours - 228 MBWARNING: This episode centers heavily on the hosts' and guest's personal experiences with eating disorders, orthorexia, anorexia, body dysmorphia, etc. Be gentle with your own mental health and feel free to sit this one out if the subject matter is potentially triggering for you. Three girls from Southern California walk into a bar. They drink water because they're too concerned about their BMI to consume calories. Today, the gals have special guest and biology major, Solveig Erngren, ch...
Episode #033 - The SoCal Body Image feat. Solveig Erngren
September 27, 2019 11:00 - 2 hours - 228 MBWARNING: This episode centers heavily on the hosts' and guest's personal experiences with eating disorders, orthorexia, anorexia, body dysmorphia, etc. Be gentle with your own mental health and feel free to sit this one out if the subject matter is potentially triggering for you. Three girls from Southern California walk into a bar. They drink water because they're too concerned about their BMI to consume calories. Today, the gals have special guest and biology major, Solveig Erngren, ch...
Naptime Nightmares #023 - What the Health (2017)
September 23, 2019 20:30 - 1 hour - 198 MBThis one really got under the gals' skin. This episode we review the vegan, cult-classic What the Health from the same documentarian behind Cowspiracy. You may be wondering, "but where could a health-food documentary go wrong?" Don't worry, the documentary is 97 minutes and our episode is 108 minutes (more or less) so you can bet your beans we tear it to shreds. Sit down and toast a marshmallow as Olivia returns to her agricultural engineering roots and Brooke discusses lucrative book deal...
Episode #032 - Food Orgasms and Other Crimes of Nature
September 13, 2019 14:00 - 1 hour - 85.1 MBLet it be known that Brooke is tired of constantly being surprised at the utter depravity and stupidity of the human population. Then again, it does supply and endless stream of content... pros and cons. Today Brooke follows up the ever-topical Keto Diet with something a little more extreme - Breatharianism! What's that, you ask? Welcome to the world where people believe they don't need to drink or eat anything to survive, but rather self-create their energy from the air and the sun. Seri...
Naptime Nightmares #022 - An Actor's Life for Us?
September 06, 2019 15:02 - 1 hour - 89.2 MBActor, more like nah-ctor! Today, Olivia and Brooke talk about their delightful histories with theater - a beautiful performing art with so much potential for utter, utter chaos. And for the finale, a thrilling recount of Brooke's first and most... memorable experience with short films. Featuring: a lot of bleeps because the internet is mean, baby chucking, and The Murder Room. Promo: The Rise of King Asilas
Episode #031 – That Episode Where They Talk About Bagels
August 30, 2019 14:00 - 1 hour - 155 MBTrigger Warning: Disordered eating described. The series you've all been waiting for is finally here: fad diets. We begin our wending through the crazy world of disordered eating by unpacking one of the most hyped diets in the past few years. That's right, we're talking bagels–oh wait we're not? What are we talking about? Keto? Well alright, it's not bagels but I bet it'll be interesting nonetheless. Circle round and get ready to be shocked and terrified. Promo: Cutting Class Podcast
Minisode #021 - The Happening (2008)
August 23, 2019 14:00 - 1 hour - 60.2 MBCongrats, M. Night. You broke us. Way to go. You did it. In one fell swoop, this movie demolished our belief that every movie has redeeming qualities. I hope you folks like mental breakdowns about utter mediocrity, because that's what you're getting this week. For the love of all that is holy, watch this absolute train wreck before listening. You'll still be confused, but at least you'll get where we're coming from with our impassioned ranting. Christ. Featuring: a film major's second s...
Episode #030 – That's Hardly the Beginning
August 09, 2019 14:00 - 1 hour - 189 MBNew episode with a special guest! Our guest Matt Gallaugher discusses the privatization of the US voting system and how affordable it is to buy the US. Well, affordable for those who can afford it. It's a good one, folks, so gather round and help us nail the last nail in the coffin as we close our series on corporate greed. Promo: Best Forevers
Naptime Nightmares #020 - The Great Hack (2019)
August 02, 2019 14:00 - 1 hour - 156 MBToday the gals discuss Netflix's new documentary, The Great Hack. The Great Hack documents the public unraveling of Cambridge Analytica and its impact on both the 2016 presidential election and the Brexit vote. How could one data mining company control elections? Why should you be worried about the amount of information Facebook has on you? Do they have access to the account you made in middle school and use that information to make the specific brand of alternative hair dye you used appear ...
Episode #029 - Also, Don't Touch the Water
July 26, 2019 14:00 - 1 hour - 78.1 MBIt's Part 2 of our thrilling descent into Corporate Greed, and this time the ttkmeup gang tackles the single worst oil spill in human history: the BP Oil Spill on the Deepwater Horizon. As Brooke so aptly puts it, "You're gonna want to burn this company to the ground." Featuring: the worst case scenario, Dawn dish soap, and a cameo by Quiche the cat. Promo: Yikes! Murder and Stuff
Naptime Nightmares #019 - The Emoji Movie (2017)
July 19, 2019 14:00 - 1 hour - 119 MBYes! The episode that no one has asked for–a review of The Emoji Movie. This minisode contains many spoilers and a very impassioned Brooke Morris. If you're ready to hear about the 90-minute ad that Sony called a movie then this isn't the episode for you. However, if you are ready to hear us tear apart the 90-minute ad that Sony called a movie then you are in for quite the treat. Promo: Evidence Locker
Episode #028 - Don't Drink the Water
July 12, 2019 14:00 - 1 hour - 88.4 MBWe didn't announce the topic last week so SURPRISE: it's time to get down and dirty with Corporate Greed! Olivia kicks us off with a United States crisis still in the works - the lead and copper pollution in Flint, Michigan's water. Yeah, the water's poison, but it's so much more than that. Featuring: unsustainable business plans, ignoring our problems until they go away, and the absolute lack of human empathy of the upper class. Promo: Twisted Britain
Naptime Nightmares #018 - Gong Noise 2
July 05, 2019 14:00 - 1 hour - 118 MBWait, didn't you guys just do one of the–*muffles mouth with hand*. Today we return to positive thinking and meditative gong noises. No on-brand sad vibes, just holographic goldfish.
Episode #027 – Kate Wallinga
June 28, 2019 14:00 - 1 hour - 137 MBToday we wrap up our series on prisons with a special celebrity guest, Kate Wallinga from the podcast Ignorance Was Bliss. Kate is a former prison psychologist and crisis clinician so, if anyone can definitively say that prisons are bad and stuff, it's probably Kate. Join in and feel the sads with us as we sing a kumbaya.
Episode #026 - I'll Take the Firing Squad
June 14, 2019 14:00 - 1 hour - 97.2 MBWARNING: This episode of Things That Keep Me Up at Night contains some graphic descriptions of executions. Specific trigger warnings below, but, as the entire last third of the episode includes graphic descriptions of botched lethal injections, listen with your own mental health in mind. Where do YOU stand on the death penalty debate? For our second installment of the Prison System Series, Brooke breaks down just what goes into sentencing someone to death. Spoilers: it's not as simple as y...
Naptime Nightmares #017 - The Cat in the Hat (2003)
June 07, 2019 14:00 - 1 hour - 127 MBFor some reason the episodes where we review terrible, terrible movies do very well. I don't know why you all keep doing this to us, but here's our latest installment of movie reviews. We go for the low hanging fruit that is The Cat in the Hat starring the man, the myth, the ogre, Mike Myers. Will you leave this episode feeling as if you could have cherished this movie as a classic? Or will you yell at us through your radio? Only one way to find out!
Episode #025 - The Gang Gets Mad About Racism... Again
May 31, 2019 14:00 - 1 hour - 102 MBWARNING: THIS EPISODE CONTAINS GRAPHIC DESCRIPTIONS OF POLICE BRUTALITY AND ABUSE. Listen responsibly and take care of your own mental health first. Trigger warning especially starting 1:07:38. This time, we've come for Australia. That's right, you asked and we answered. Olivia kicks off our new Heavy Hitter series with the systematic abuse and imprisonment of the Aboriginal Australian people. As is becoming tradition, we start in the 1800s and work our way into what is far too recent fo...
Naptime Nightmares #016 - Educational Horror Stories 2: Electric Boogaloo
May 24, 2019 14:00 - 1 hour - 84.9 MBJust when you thought they were done, Olivia and Brooke come back to yell about their time in the public education system. This time: college edition. They are also punished for their hubris and learn that they are still a baby podcast who cannot scream into the microphone for 15 minutes without peaking the audio. They apologize profusely in advance for their passion. Featuring: teeth in weird places, Brooke's cat in the background, using theater as a surrogate for love, and a deep hatred ...
Episode #024 – Munch Munch
May 17, 2019 15:00 - 1 hour - 142 MBTime to buckle up and feel bad about our purchases. Our guest Hassan (Stalinmate) talks about the modern enslavement of immigrants and refugees in the Middle East. Can you believe it gets worse? You should by now.
Naptime Nightmares #015 - Gong Noise
May 10, 2019 14:00 - 46 minutes - 43 MBBreathe in... and breathe out. Everything is okay. Or at least it is for the next roughly forty-five minutes while Olivia and Brooke talk about only Good Things and Good Feelings. We each bring three Good Things to the table and talk about how Good they are. That's it. We just needed to feel good. Hopefully it makes you feel good, too. Featuring: marine mammal government agents, Lizzo, and a big ole hole. Promo: Our True Crime Podcast
Episode #023 – Are We Karl Marx?
May 03, 2019 15:00 - 1 hour - 152 MBThis week we're back to talk about slavery. What kind of slavery? Literal slavery. Don't believe that's still happening? Give it a listen and prepare for the worst. At the end of the day, there is a little bit of Karl Marx in all of us. Promo by: Yikes! Murder and Stuff
Naptime Nightmares #014 - Behind the Curve (2018)
April 26, 2019 14:00 - 1 hour - 60.2 MBThis time Olivia and Brooke take on an EXCELLENT documentary on one of the most baffling growing trends in recent memory: the Flat Earth movement. Expect about an hour of high blood pressure and confused yelling. So much confused yelling. Also wherein we try to answer the age-old question: Why can't we all just get along? Featuring: some damn good editing, dramatic irony, and a comically powerful laser. Promo by: Ladies of Strange