Way Too Interested
18 episodes - English - Latest episode: 10 months ago - ★★★★★ - 18 ratingsEmmy-winning writer and producer Gavin Purcell talks to interesting people about the subjects they’re currently obsessed with outside of their everyday lives. Then, an expert in that subject matter joins the conversation to answer all their questions.
Way Too Interested is a podcast about curiosity, discovery, creativity, and, most importantly, pursuing those little things that get stuck in your brain & end up being way more fascinating than you ever expected. Learn more at WayTooInterested.com, and follow Gavin on Twitter @gavinpurcell.
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Episodes
My New Podcast: AI FOR HUMANS
September 29, 2023 04:00 - 58 minutes - 53.1 MBHi everyone! Hope y'all have been doing good in the <checks notes> two years since I last updated this feed with a podcast. I *adored* doing Way Too Interested and I'm so thankful to all of my guests but at the time it turned out to be too much for me to do on a weekly basis. However, I'm not giving up on the idea of doing it again in the future! For now, I'd like to introduce you to my new podcast "AI For Humans" which I make with my old pal Kevin Pereria. The two of us worked on G4's A...
SNEAKER CULTURE with Heather Anne Campbell and Michael Sykes
February 16, 2022 04:00 - 58 minutes - 135 MBOn today's episode of Way Too Interested, writer/comedian Heather Anne Campbell, the co-host of the gaming podcast Get Played, talks with Gavin Purcell about her obsession, sneaker culture. Heather also talks about how she started doing live comedy when she was 14, why she no longer believes her interests and hobbies are totally in her control, and why her podcast — formerly known as How Did This Get Played? — moved away from "bad" video games. Then, Heather and Gavin are joined by Michael ...
FLY FISHING with Paul Bae and Stan Ulanski
February 02, 2022 04:00 - 51 minutes - 117 MBOn today's episode of Way Too Interested, screenwriter and "The Black Tapes" creator Paul Bae talks with Gavin Purcell about his obsession, fly fishing. Paul also talks about his circuitous path to being the creator of a hit podcast, why his grandmother flew into a rage upon being told that he had become a comedian ... and the time his stand-up comedy nearly went down in flames in front of some of his idols. Then, Paul and Gavin are joined by James Madison University professor emeritus Stan...
THE CONCEPTUALIZATION OF SEX with Dr. Eleanor Janega and David Halperin
January 26, 2022 04:00 - 1 hour - 161 MBOn today's episode of Way Too Interested, medievalist Dr. Eleanor Janega talks with Gavin Purcell about her current obsession: The conceptualization of sex. She explains how her field of study has been distorted in the popular imagination, how medieval people thought about sex, and the surprisingly similar way modern internet communities are talking about it now. Then, Eleanor and Gavin are joined by David Halperin, the Distinguished Professor of the History and Theory of Sexuality at the U...
INTERSTATE HIGHWAYS with Anil Dash and Dan McNichol
January 13, 2022 04:00 - 1 hour - 183 MBOn today's episode of Way Too Interested, writer/podcaster/Glitch CEO Anil Dash talks with Gavin Purcell about his fascination with America's interstate highway system, which started with his father — a civil engineer given a "genius visa" to immigrate from India to help build America's highways and bridges. Anil also talks about his personal history with technology, "living in the future" as a kid, and how the "information superhighway" of the internet is similar to actual highways. Then, ...
CREEPYPASTA with Chuck Wendig and Lucia Peters
January 05, 2022 04:00 - 1 hour - 146 MBOn today's episode of Way Too Interested, author Chuck Wendig talks with Gavin Purcell about the many types of apples you've never tasted, the state of Twitter in 2022, and his obsession with creepypasta, an online cousin to urban legends. Chuck also talks about the real-world impact of these spooky tales and how they have evolved in the transition from 4chan to Tumblr to TikTok. Then, Chuck and Gavin are joined by creepypasta expert Lucia Peters, the author of Dangerous Games to Play in th...
BROADWAY with Cliff Bleszinski and Hunter Arnold
December 15, 2021 04:00 - 1 hour - 194 MBCliff "CliffyB" Bleszinski, the lead designer on the "Gears of War" video games, talks with Gavin Purcell about his years in the gaming industry, how he discovered a passion for the theater in high school, and his main obsession outside of games: Broadway. This passion led him to become a co-producer of the hit show Hadestown, which won eight Tony Awards in 2019. Then, Cliff and Gavin are joined by theater producer Hunter Arnold, whose credits include Hadestown, Kinky Boots, and Dear Evan H...
KOTA IBUSHI with Spencer Hall and Chris Charlton
December 08, 2021 04:00 - 1 hour - 165 MBSports writer and Channel 6 co-founder Spencer Hall, formerly a contributor to SBNation and the founder of Every Day Should Be Saturday, joins Gavin Purcell on today's podcast to talk about his obsession with Japanese wrestling! And specifically, Spencer is way too interested in one athlete from the New Japan Pro Wrestling circuit: Kota Ibushi, who Spencer describes as both "the greatest wrestler alive" and also the answer to the question "what if Michael Jordan had just done Space Jam for 1...
POKER with Aaron Dworkin and Phil Gordon
December 01, 2021 04:00 - 1 hour - 155 MBPerforming artist, social entrepreneur, professor, and author Aaron Dworkin joins Gavin Purcell on today's podcast to talk about his obsession with poker! He also talks about how diversity has defined his life and passions, and how he uses a "lottery test" and a "death test" to decide what new projects to pursue. Then, they're joined by star player and commentator Phil Gordon, who explains how newbies can improve their poker game, why physical "tells" are overrated, and why "emerging player...
THE SUPPLY CHAIN with John August and Peter S. Goodman
November 24, 2021 04:00 - 1 hour - 152 MBToday, on an unusually topical episode of Way Too Interested, screenwriter and Scriptnotes co-host John August joins Gavin Purcell to talk about how his experience selling a custom deck of playing cards — the Writer Emergency Pack — awakened him to the complex and fascinating world of the supply chain. He also talks about his writing habit and the thing he misses most in the current supply chain crunch: Caffeine-free Coke Zero. Then, they're joined by the New York Times' global economics co...
MOSS with Helen Rosner and Annie Martin
November 17, 2021 04:00 - 1 hour - 174 MBNew Yorker staff writer Helen Rosner joins Gavin Purcell to talk about how visiting Japan awakened her interest in moss, why "at least three-quarters of my job is internet stalking," and why we focus too narrowly on careers when we talk about our passions. Then, they're joined by Annie Martin, a.k.a. "Mossin' Annie," a moss expert from North Carolina, who talks about how she began planting and rescuing mosses, her favorite species, and how she acquires new moss. She also explains how mosses...
RUBBER STAMPS with Tim Schafer and Roberta Sperling
November 10, 2021 04:00 - 1 hour - 152 MBOn this episode of Way Too Interested, video game designer Tim Schafer (Psychonauts, Grim Fandango) joins Gavin Purcell to talk about his obsession with rubber stamps. They also discuss how Tim got into game design and how his young mind was blown by the digital "rubber stamp" tool on early Macintosh computers. Then, they're joined by Roberta Sperling, a.k.a. Rubberta Stampling, the editor and owner of the website and magazine Rubber Stamp Madness. She explains the history of the publicatio...
ANIMAL NAVIGATION with Zito Madu and David Barrie
November 03, 2021 04:00 - 1 hour - 167 MBOn this episode of Way Too Interested, writer Zito Madu joins Gavin Purcell to talk about poetry, being a voracious reader, and his interest in how animals like homing pigeons and monarch butterflies navigate around the world. Then, they're joined by David Barrie, the author of the books Sextant — about human navigation — and Supernavigators: Exploring the Wonders of How Animals Find Their Way. Barrie explains what we know and don't know about the topic and shares some mind-blowing examples...
WOLVES with Dani Fernandez and Garrick Dutcher
October 27, 2021 04:00 - 57 minutes - 132 MBActor and writer Dani Fernandez joins Gavin Purcell to talk about the deep connection she feels with wolves, and how the symbol of the wolf has guided her through personal and mental health challenges. Then, they're joined by the research and program director of the non profit Living with Wolves, Garrick Dutcher, who talks about the inaccurate stereotypes about wolf conservation, harmful stereotypes that misrepresent the dangers posed by wolves, and what to do when camping in their territory...
DEEPFAKES with Rex Sorgatz and Henry Ajder
October 20, 2021 04:00 - 1 hour - 169 MBWriter and web designer Rex Sorgatz (The Encyclopedia of Misinformation) joins Gavin Purcell to talk about his obsession with deepfakes, why he's less worried about them now than he used to be, and why he believes a dead actor will win an Oscar someday. Then, deepfakes and synthetic media expert Henry Ajder joins to explain whether we should be worried about deepfakes — and how much — and to talk about "shallow fakes," revenge porn, and the perverse way the existence of deepfakes has affecte...
BIBLE STORIES with Felicia Day and Dr. Malka Simkovich
October 13, 2021 04:00 - 1 hour - 158 MBActor and writer Felicia Day (The Guild, Embrace Your Weird) joins Gavin Purcell to talk about her obsession with religious mythologies and, specifically, the origins of Bible stories. Then, they're joined by Dr. Malka Simkovich — the director of the Catholic-Jewish Studies Program at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago — to talk about the historical origins of Jews, Jesus, the canonical Bible, and more. Please follow or subscribe to Way Too Interested in your podcast app of choice! A...
PUZZLES with Roy Wood Jr. and Steve Richardson
October 06, 2021 04:00 - 1 hour - 142 MBComedian Roy Wood Jr. (The Daily Show, Roy's Job Fair) joins Gavin Purcell on the first-ever episode of Way Too Interested to talk about his obsession with jigsaw puzzles. Then, Stave Puzzles co-founder Steve Richardson joins to talk about the handmade wooden puzzles that Stave crafts for jigsaw enthusiasts. Please follow or subscribe to Way Too Interested in your podcast app of choice! And if you liked this episode, then tell a friend to check it out. Also ... Follow Gavin on Twitter @ga...
What is Way Too Interested?
September 29, 2021 04:00 - 1 minute - 3.35 MBAbout the show Way Too Interested is a new podcast where we talk to interesting people and ask them about a subject they’re currently obsessed with outside of their everyday lives. Then, the two of us talk to an expert in that subject matter and do a deep dive. It’s a show about curiosity, discovery, creativity, and, most importantly, pursuing those little things that get stuck in your brain & end up being way more fascinating than you ever expected. About Gavin Purcell Gavin Purcell is ...