Baconsale: Hickory-smoked Pop Culture

On this episode of Baconsale, we’re making The Descent into horror once again with a new Decade Dance. This time, our Final Destination is a list of the ten best scary movies released between 2000 and 2009, brought to you by Shaun of the Dead. And as we go Behind the Mask on these freaky flicks, we see Signs that Zack has actually seen (Saw?) one or two of the picks on our lists, but not most of The Others. And please don’t hold a Grudge that Joel forgets about a heavy hitter in the horror game. He’s still kicking himself that he Mist (missed?) that one. Don’t wait seven days, press play now!

Joel’s a big fan of scary movies, and he wants his children to appreciate them, as well, so he’s created a four-phase training program to introduce his offspring to the horror genre. It’s not just for kids, though. This evolving spreadsheet of 80 frightening films could be for anyone who wants to dip their toes into the spooky swimming pool. Kent was thrown into the deep end as a kid and has his opinions about the flicks that Joel picked, while Zack is a horror novice who isn’t afraid of clowns, however he’s terrified of lady Gremlins. Press play to be another one of Joel’s guinea pigs in this Baconsale classroom of terror! And visit Baconsale.com to see the spreadsheet we discuss in this episode.

Cryptids are animals whose existence has not yet been proven. And it’s time for Baconsale to put some of these mythical creatures into hypothetical fights where only one of them will be left standing. Our friend Nicole, a cryptid enthusiast, is here to teach us about the folklore behind each contender and help decide who would win in such epic matchups as Bigfoot vs. The Flatwoods Monster, the Loch Ness Monster vs. the Bear Lake Monster, the Jersey Devil vs. the Dover Demon and, of course, Manananggal vs. Gef the Talking Mongoose. Press play to hear some horrible pronunciations during our most random tournament yet! And download your own Cryptid Bracket at Baconsale.com!

If you were able to pick a soundtrack to represent various times in your life, which songs would you pick? That’s the question we’re answering on this episode of Baconsale. Kent, Joel, Zack, and Jacob are all going to select music for things like their high school experience, their dating lives, their earliest childhood memories, and even their farewell songs. Jacob makes some odd choices, Joel was a little girl crazy, Kent sews his own pants, and even though Zack is the youngest, he tends to pick the oldest tunes. Press play to play the mamba with Marconi!

Jacob has taken a break from his busy schedule and his chalupas to join us in the Baconcave with the ultimate Jacob Twist: he’s stepping down as a regular host of Baconsale. This news is a little sad, yes, but it’s also kind of expected, right? It’s not all melancholy and infinite sadness, though. Jacob is going to give his skewed version of the history of Baconsale, Joel and Kent are going to give some of their favorite Jacob moments, and there’s an official passing of the torch ceremony from Jacob to Zack, where they almost burn down the place. It’s not goodbye, he’ll still return occasionally, but press play to hear it all straight from Jacob’s mouth.

The last time Mats was here, he had us watch a bunch of TV shows he enjoyed. Now it’s time for Baconsale to turn the tables on him. Kent and Joel have selected ten films for Mats to watch. These are not all best picture winners, these aren’t the highest-grossing films of all time, they may not even be our personal favorites, but we have chosen them because of their initial impact and the long-lasting influence they’ve had on pop culture. They are, in chronological order: The Wizard of Oz (1939), Psycho (1960), The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966), Jaws (1975), Rocky (1976), Star Wars (1977), Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Ghostbusters (1984), Jurassic Park (1993), and The Matrix (1999). Mats had only seen one of these movies beforehand and all of them were released before he was born, so press play to hear his fresh takes, unique insights, and his occasionally incorrect opinions (according to us).

Let’s get down to business to discuss Mulan. Disney had made another live-action remake of a 90s animated classic and decided to make this one a little more realistic. Or did they? Kent and Joel have watched the movie and are ready to share their opinions. We keep things spoiler-free for the first part of this BaconBit, but after that we’ll let you know what they kept, what they cut out, and if this version of the story works. We’ll also tell you whether or not it’s worth paying the extra $30 to watch this early on Disney Plus. Be a man (or a woman) and press play to listen to this BaconBit!

It's not who you are underneath, it's what you do that defines you. And Christopher Nolan has done some very good films. Therefore, it’s finally time for Kent to go full fanboy as we discuss his favorite director’s movies and rank them from eleven to one. Are you watching closely? Because along the way, we point out any and all Michael Caine appearances with poorly done impersonations, Zack expresses some serious “McConaughate,” and Joel continuously reminds you that Nolan has directed Following, Memento, Insomnia, Batman Begins, The Prestige, The Dark Knight, Inception, The Dark Knight Rises, Interstellar, Dunkirk, and Tenet. Why so serious? Stop waiting for a train, a train that will take you far away, and press play to enter the fifth dimension of Baconsale.

Whoa! Did Baconsale just combine two trippy time travel movies into one BaconBit? Yes way, dude! First, we’re going to review the third installment in the Bill & Ted universe, Bill & Ted Face the Music, a reboot long awaited by some. But will it be a most excellent return, or will it be totally bogus? We will also be discussing Christopher Nolan’s latest film, Tenet, a movie that will test the limits of your brain your of limits the test will that movie. Join us for a journey through time and space by pressing play! And don’t worry, we won’t give any spoilers during the first part of this BaconBit.

Kent and Joel have been acquaintances for a long time (8 years & one-and-a-half months, to be precise), but how well do they really know each other? Well, their podcasting relationship is going to be put to the test during The Podlywed Game! Woo-boo! Zack has created a series of questions with help from you, the listener, that are designed to cause lots of warm fuzzies and plenty of cold pricklies between the co-hosts of Baconsale. You’re going to learn more than you wanted to know about their personal lives, including driving records, eating habits, and kissing histories. Plus, since the winner of this self-indulgent episode gets to feed their family, the stakes (steaks?) have never been higher. Press play to start counting the number of bruises on Kent’s and Joel’s egos!

Believe it or not, we’re talking on air about the theme songs you hear on the TV! We had so much fun discussing the greatest music on television last time, that we’ve decided to do it again, and, much to Kent’s dismay, we can’t use any songs that any of us used on the last show. On this episode of Baconsale, we’re picking answers for such categories as Best Theme of The Past Decade, Doesn’t Fit the Show, Gets You Pumped Up, and Most Annoying. There are some strangely dark turns along the way (poor Barney), and Zack gets a few votes of no confidence, but there must be some magic clue inside these gentle walls, ‘cause all we see is a tower of dreams, and real love burstin' out of every seam! Put down that tossed salad and those scrambled eggs and press play!

Kids watch the darndest things, and the hosts of Baconsale were once children with questionable tastes in movies. Therefore, on this episode, Kent, Joel, and Zack are all bringing a lesser-known childhood favorite to the table for the others to critique. We even got Jacob to submit a film for this discussion. Our choices are kind of strange—in fact, you may not have heard of some of these direct-to-video picks—but we’ll see if they still hold up decades after they were released. Press play to hear which features were filmed for your family!

Look, we’re not perfect here at Baconsale. And despite many listener believing that we’ve watched every movie and TV series ever, it’s simply not true. So on this episode, we’re acknowledging the gaps in our pop culture knowledge and admitting to popular films and television shows that we have not seen. This isn’t easy for us, and these painful confessions may be shocking for some. However, we’re going to do our best to be sensitive to one another’s vulnerability…for the first few minutes. Press play to hear which classic horror movie Kent hasn’t experimented with, a major martial arts blind spot for Joel, and whether or not Zack will go to prison for one of his omissions.

We couldn’t fit all of these morning beverages into our breakfast food tiering show, so we decided to take another ridiculous dive into liquid refreshment and rank popular drink choices such as orange juice, milk, coffee, energy drinks, hot chocolate, tomato juice, and more on this BaconBit. As we do so, we learn that grapefruit juice can kill you, everything seems to make Zack sick, and Kent cheats…or maybe he’s just bad at math. Press play to enjoy a freshly-squeezed cup of Baconsale!

Breakfast. It’s the most important meal of the day. But let’s face it, some breakfast meals are more important than others. So, on this episode of Baconsale, we’re ranking popular morning dishes, from bacon and the incredible, edible egg to fruit and fancy yogurt. We’ll also talk about the history of these dishes, which may include some ridiculous attempts at foreign accents. Joel has a deep love for most breakfast foods (much like Ron Swanson), Zack is fond of gruel and thinks things just taste better in New York, while Kent has a strange dedication to Pop Tarts and other bachelor cuisine. Wake up, pop a Dutch baby in the oven, and press play to join the breakfast party!

We’re modern-day warriors with a mean, mean stride and today's episode is a mean, mean ride. Our guest and working man, Ryan, is joining us to gush about his favorite band, Rush. Zack is already a big fan of Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, and Neil Peart, but Kent and Joel are relatively new to their music—however, they prepared for this show by listening to all 19 of their studio albums. And while there may be subdivisions in our fandom, we all come together to discuss the history of Canada’s greatest progressive rock group and try to bring them closer to the heart. Press play to listen to this extended play episode, which, let’s face it, is actually shorter than some Rush songs.

Sidekicks. You give them an inch, they swim all over you. And on this episode of Baconsale, we’re going to finish what we started and allow the secondary protagonists & antagonists of popular Disney movies duke it out in a no-holds-barred battle to the death. We don’t always agree, and it isn’t pretty when some beloved animated characters meet a terrible demise, but Kent, Joel and Zack are determined to complete the bracket and declare an ultimate winner. Will Olaf live to see another summer when he goes up against Timon & Pumbaa? Who has more horsepower, Mater or Maximus? And will the world finally know the name of Helga Sinclair? Press play to find out! And print your own advanced bracket at Baconsale.com.

Heroes & villains have all the fun, so Baconsale felt that it was time for Disney sidekicks & henchmen to get the spotlight. We’ve created a tournament-style bracket with animated characters you love (Kronk, Sebastian, Tinkerbell) and some that you’ll barely remember (Wiggins, Morph, Helga Sinclair) and we’re pitting them against each other in a battle to the death. You won’t always agree with Kent, Joel, and Zack but, in the end, you’ll have to admit that we put WAY too much thought into this. Will Little John outfox Baloo? Will Flotsam & Jetsam give Horace & Jasper a thrashing? Will Genie be able to take on all of the Seven Dwarfs? Press play to find out! And visit Baconsale.com to print out your own bracket and play along at home.

You say a podcast review of this play is a little too late. You’ve sighed as you’ve seen us give C’s to fun scenes and movies that you’ve liked. Please don’t fuss. Remember the play is expensive to see on the stage. Now it’s on Disney Plus. And thus Baconsale must discuss Hamilton. No take backs, from all three—our reviews are out for all to see. No take backs, time will tell, and if we got it wrong, oh well. Hopes, they rise, franchises fall, we have seen each other through it all. And when push comes to shove, keep in mind our opinions are not facts and come from a place of love. Da da-da press play!

Where’s the beef? Well, it’s in Kent’s, Joel’s, and Jacob’s bellies, because Baconsale has completed another menu quest! Despite a global pandemic, we managed to eat every single item at Wendy’s and we’re ready to talk about the best & worst offerings the world's third-largest hamburger fast-food chain has to offer. We’ll also discuss Dave Thomas, strange slogans, chili scandals, Twitter roasts, and more—all while uncovering Joel’s fondness of Frostys, Kent’s soft spot for spicy things, and Jacob’s passion for potatoes. Don’t be a square (burger), press play!