Really? no, Really? with Jason Alexander & Peter Tilden

Nuclear power is back in the headlines, fueled by climate goals and the growing demand for electricity. But are we ready for a nuclear renaissance—or still carrying the fears of Three Mile Island, Chernobyl and Fukushima? Jason Alexander and Peter Tilden ask nuclear engineer Dr. Leslie Dewan how reactors work, what happens to spent fuel, and whether small reactors and reopened plants can help meet the moment. They get into AI data centers, grid vulnerabilities, safety oversight, and the human decisions that can make or break even good engineering. Along the way, there’s a story from Fukushima—and Jason’s plan to send nuclear waste into space. Could nuclear energy power the future, or are we underestimating what can go wrong? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What does it take to get a dog to Westminster—and what happens when the judge starts checking under the hood? Jason Alexander and Peter Tilden welcome Kimberly Calvacca, a third-generation dog show competitor, handler, and breeder, for a funny, behind-the-scenes look at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. Kim explains how dogs qualify, why handlers can spend a hundred days a year at shows, and what it takes to get eight dogs ready to compete. The conversation gets into breed standards, judging, grooming, show business—and whether the whole thing is a bit of a racket. Then Jason and Peter get advice for their own dogs, with pug Tango stealing the spotlight. There’s a lot of work behind those ribbons, but Kim says the bond between handler and dog is what makes them shine: “We’re like a dance team out there.” Listen to the Show on all Podcast Apps "Really? no, Really?" https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-really-no-really-107027693/ Follow us: http://reallynoreally.com https://www.instagram.com/reallynoreallypodcast/ https://www.facebook.com/reallynoreallypodcast/ https://twitter.com/reallynoreally_ Jason's Socials: https://www.instagram.com/jalexander1959/?hl=en https://twitter.com/IJasonAlexander #jasonalexander #reallynoreally #dogshow #podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Just because something is going viral doesn't mean it's important but it can be divisive because not everyone is sharing and receiving the same information. But this is how social media platforms can cause us to get in our own bubbles causing serious dangerous divisiveness. Luckily, our guest on this episode of the Really? no Really? Podcast, Ruby Thelon, has been studying digital trends and has some thoughts on how to battle this enterprise of bots pushing the political propaganda and cultural maneuvers. Little background on Ruby: He is a designer, cyber ethnographer and teacher who's been studying the phenomena of of online trending for a while now. He'll explain to Jason and Peter how social media and isolation have to lead to a form of digital speciation creating it's own digital language. So how do we pop these algorithmic bubbles? Rudy will explain how his Tim To Touch solution works. Follow Ruby: https://www.instagram.com/being_on_line Pre-order his new book: In Defense of Being Online https://draw-down.com/collections/new/products/rubythelot Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Auctions are unique psychologically because instead of me putting your product up at a price that you determine, it's determined by the public as a way for the seller to get richer. Whether it's art, livestock or collectible toys, you'll notice that the auctioneer has a certain fast talking rhythm to the job and it's still a trade you can go to college for. Cole Morrison of the Western College of Auctioneering joins Jason and Peter on this episode of Really? no Really? to give us a closer look into the world of auctioneering.Cole is also the Montana Rookie Auctioneer of the year in 2020 and also the 2023 Montana State Auctioneer champion. He'll explain more about the psychological element behind his profession along with the different level of performances required to meet the expectations for different industries. It's all about facilitating the conversation.Cole also explains how learning how to nail the fast talk rhythm of the auction has helped people overcome stutters, stammers and speech impediments. #jasonalexander #auction #auction_techniques #podcast #reallynoreallyListen to the Show on all Podcast Apps "Really? no, Really?" https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-really-no-really-107027693/Follow us:http://reallynoreally.comhttps://www.instagram.com/reallynoreallypodcast/https://www.facebook.com/reallynoreallypodcast/https://twitter.com/reallynoreally_Jason's Socials: https://www.instagram.com/jalexander1959/?hl=enhttps://twitter.com/IJasonAlexander Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New episode next week! In the meantime, in honor of Star Trek: The Original Series turning 60 this year, we’re revisiting Jason and Peter’s 2023 conversation with Captain Kirk himself, William Shatner. If you’re new to the Really? No, Really? podcast—or simply want to hear it again—this is the perfect time to catch up. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you had told us to worry about the decline of people having sex fifteen years ago, we would've thought you were crazy. But the latest sociology reports have confirmed these dramatic declines in sexual activity. Sociology Professor, Brad Wilcox, joins Jason and Peter to break down the data and explain how we found ourselves in a sex recession on this episode of the Really? no Really? Podcast. Brad explains there's a number of factors that can explain what's contributing to the decline in adult relationship and human intimacy. The digital revolution, antidepressants and other medications, MeToo, isolation from the pandemic and the economics making it difficult for younger people to move out of their parents house and to afford their own homes, Brad breaks all of this down to prove how it's the perfect storm of causes for a sex recession. The United Nations is now forecasting we're going see a global population decline this century. We'll also cover how what type of impact this has on the world population. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Can you build a store nobody can steal from? Jason Alexander and Peter Tilden ask criminologist Dr. Reed Hayes—and his answer challenges the premise that brought him to Really? No, Really. The founder of the Loss Prevention Research Council reveals what he learns from interviewing active shoplifters, why everyday toiletries end up behind locked glass, and how stores use psychology to make thieves think twice. From self-checkout mistakes to organized retail crime, Hayes explains the security decisions shaping your shopping experience. Jason questions the privacy cost of constant surveillance, while Hayes recalls catching a jewelry thief whose disappearing act looked like magic. The conversation also confronts the human stakes of retail theft—and why chasing stolen merchandise can come at a devastating price. Plus, what helps protect your home? Hayes weighs cameras, dogs, and warning signs—including why advertising that you own a gun could attract thieves. Listen to discover what makes a thief think twice—and what might send the wrong message. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last year, Love Island USA got 2.3 billion hours of watch time, creating these huge communities of viewers who watch it together in bars and movie theaters. Especially amongst Gen Z viewers. So how did this show originate from Britain and went to have 8 insanely successful seasons in the United States? Jason and Peter bring in an actual pop culture expert, Doctor and Professor Steven Granelli, to explain what makes Love Island USA different from any other reality TV series on this episode of the Really? no Really? Podcast. For those of you unfamiliar with the show, the premise is to basically take a bunch of hot single people, put them on an island with the goal of them coupling up with somebody else. If you are coupled up with somebody else on this island, you're safe. You get to stay. But if you are single, you are vulnerable. It's sexual musical chairs but it's a manipulated game that airs nightly. The big debate we'll cover is do shows like Love Island USA cause damage to the entertainment industry by dumbing down the audience? Are their serious repercussions to appealing to the lowest common denominator? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Since Jason keeps getting George Costanza deepfake memes, we invited back technologist Hany Farid on this episode of the Really? no Really? Podcast. Hany explains that while the deepfake memes are AI generated, social media platforms play a major role in how these deepfakes spread creating the perfect storm for spreading misinformation. Plus, the tchnology has advanced so much that's it's getting harder to determine what's real and what's fake. Hany also explains how the courts and our justice system aren't equipped to deal with the real life consequences under the current state of deepfake technology where it can alter voice and images in police body cam footage. The problem is everything has a digital footprint and countries like North Korea are fueling their economies by stealing our data to create deepfake job interviews through Zoom. Another aspect that Hany touches upon is how AI learns off of Hollywood movies to create deepfake war footage. The problem though is it's not an accurate depiction of how bombs or missiles go off in battle so it's generating deepfake footage based off of fake depictions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Here's something may not have known: men's feet are more square and more rectangular and women's feet are more triangular. You'd think companies that design sneakers for women would understand that but instead, what they do is use the anatomy of a male's foot to design a woman's sneaker and then "shrink it and pink it". Creative designer and author of the book, Man-Made, Karen Korellis Reuther, previously served as Vice President of Creative Direction and Innovation at Reebok and Global Creative Director at NIKE, where she led major product, merchandising, and brand strategies. She joins Jason and Peter on this episode of the Really? no Really? Podcast to explain how fashion, clothing and other major industries haven't been accurately designing their products for female consumers through "shrink it and pink it" strategy. She joins us to explain how companies can rectify the lack of gender diversity in the design process to not just make their product serve an actual female consumer base without having to charge them more. It's not just the sneakers industry that's being impacted by the pink tax and the lack of gender diversity when it comes to design. Women firefighters have higher injury rates than their male counterparts because their helmets and uniforms are still designed for men Female surgeons have had to stand on stools because the operating tables didn't go low enough. Even the female dummies created for crash tests and CPR training are just male shrunken versions of male dummies. So how can we solve this problem? Korellis Reuther says the next big movement is to get companies attention to get them to fit their products properly for women to be safe in their professions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Here's something may not have known: men's feet are more square and more rectangular and women's feet are more triangular. You'd think companies that design sneakers for women would understand that but instead, what they do is use the anatomy of a male's foot to design a woman's sneaker and then "shrink it and pink it". Creative designer and author of the book, Man-Made, Karen Korellis Reuther, previously served as Vice President of Creative Direction and Innovation at Reebok and Global Creative Director at NIKE, where she led major product, merchandising, and brand strategies. She joins Jason and Peter on this episode of the Really? no Really? Podcast to explain how fashion, clothing and other major industries haven't been accurately designing their products for female consumers through "shrink it and pink it" strategy. She joins us to explain how companies can rectify the lack of gender diversity in the design process to not just make their product serve an actual female consumer base without having to charge them more. It's not just the sneakers industry that's being impacted by the pink tax and the lack of gender diversity when it comes to design. Women firefighters have higher injury rates than their male counterparts because their helmets and uniforms are still designed for men Female surgeons have had to stand on stools because the operating tables didn't go low enough. Even the female dummies created for crash tests and CPR training are just male shrunken versions of male dummies. So how can we solve this problem? Korellis Reuther says the next big movement is to get companies attention to get them to fit their products properly for women to be safe in their professions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why do smart people believe things that aren't true? Jason Alexander and Peter Tilden sit down with legendary magician, skeptic, and author Penn Jillette for a fascinating conversation about why we're so easily manipulated—and why it's happening more than ever. Penn explains how tribalism often beats truth, why persuasion is more powerful than knowledge, how social media algorithms exploit our need to belong, and why curiosity is disappearing. They explore conspiracy theories, misinformation, Wikipedia, loneliness, AI, clickbait, and the surprising role boredom plays in independent thinking. Along the way, the conversation takes hilarious detours into Joe Rogan, clown college, Siegfried & Roy, magic, wife-swapping jokes, and why Penn believes the greatest illusion isn't on stage—it's the stories we tell ourselves. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Norwegian soccer superstar Erling Haaland went viral when he walked off a plane carrying a stuffed taxidermied raccoon holding a whiskey bottle that he bought for $750 from Wild Bill's Western Store. His team went in and bought some other stuff sold out of all of their inventory and apparently taxidermy has gone through the roof. They have since defined this as the Haaland Effect. Ace Alexander, a master taxidermist and co-owner of Bischoff's Taxidermy & Animal FX, in North Hollywood, joins Jason and Peter on this episode of Really? no Really? The store has been around since 1922 and they were considered the taxidermist to the stars. Ace dives in on the lost of taxidermy and clears up a few misconceptions. We'll also reveal which celebrities like to collect stuffed animals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ventriloquist and comedian Jeff Dunham joins us on this episode of the Really? no Really? Podcast. Jeff joins Jason and Peter to discuss his journey from going from getting his first puppet as a Christmas gift to being a smash hit in the comedy clubs to selling out massive arena tours. Jeff also has a lot of great stories about his first time performing on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson to roasting GE CEO Jack Welch. Jeff will also tell us the origins behind his most famous characters and reveal which of his puppets is internationally loved all over the world. He'll also take some time to show us how to finally use our puppets. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I'm looking at a robotic dog that's freaking me out because it's kind of acting like a real dog in the way it looks at you, the way it responds. And I wasn't sure how I would feel about an animatronic dog design. I think specifically for people who have issues, neurological issues like Alzheimer's disease, dementia, and what this dog can do for those people. And is it for those people, or is it for the family who feels guilty that they have to care, take that person, and that is an intense job in this country: Caretaking. I know too many people who are dealing with parents and family members who have all times, and it is it's horrible for the person, but for the caregiver, it's just an endless 24 hour cycle. Will you get no break? So is this dog really helpful for that? I know that the CEO, Tom Stevens, created the dog for his mom, who had Alzheimer's and dementia because they had to take away her dog. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We originally wanted to title this episode "How the worst day of life became the best day of life", but we realized it was better to let Pete Holmes explain everything that happened to him leading up to his stand-up career and the creation of his HBO show, Crashing, that he made with Judd Apatow. On this episode of Really? no Really? Jason and Peter do a deep with Pete on how an incident liking catching your wife in an affair with another man can not only serve as comedic and artistic inspiration, they also delve into how you respond or handle such a situation. That's where factors like therapy and spirituality come into play and emphasizes the need for comedy in our lives. We'll also discuss comedy justice, Simpsons jokes that didn't get cut, those College Humor Batman sketches and why we all need a Larry David in our lives. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When comedian Rick Glassman was first diagnosed with autism, he loved talking about it in his act because it was a new discovery for him. But then he became more self-conscious about it because of people's preconceived ideas of what being on the spectrum is. On this episode of Really? no Really?, Rick explains to Jason and Peter how he found himself in these positions where he was teaching, explaining and selling something that didn't leave him feeling comfortable and didn't want to talk about it for a long time. Now, Rick is back on the other end where he's comfortable talking about it. However, Rick also explains this is a journey into his form of comedy involves an autism diagnosis and isn't exclusive to it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Steven Cyr, long time Las Vegas casino host, Vegas Insider, and a man who spent decades standing at the intersection of money, addiction, psychology, ego, luxury, and absolute human madness. That's a six way intersection, by the way. On this episode of the Really? no, Really? Podcast, you're about to hear the secrets of Vegas revealed, including whether casinos use coolers. The cooler. That's the thing I got to know to stop a player from winning big. We've seen that in movies. A guy quitting and the table is running too hot. They bring in a guy, a dealer to to take over the blackjack table. The cooler. Steve's going to tell us this guy can't manipulate the deck. Steve's job wasn't just booking suites and handing out show tickets. A casino host becomes part time therapist, a concierge crisis manager, and part adult babysitter for billionaires. I think pretty sure he's dealt with whales, celebrities, compulsive gamblers, mob adjacent characters, and people so rich that they treat losing $100,000 like normal people treat a banana. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chad Maisel and Neale Mahoney, authors of the report, Taking On The Annoyance Economy, explain why every app, website, airline, pharmacy, streaming service, grocery store and parking meter now feels like it's determined to break you on this episode of the Really? no Really? Podcast. We used to think companies wanted loyal customers. Now it feels like companies want hostages. Everything is designed to wear you down. The unsubscribe button is hidden like it's a nuclear launch code. Chad and Neale sit down with Jason and Peter to delve more into this $165 billion economy that's made of hidden fees and junk fees and what steps consumers are doing to fight back. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jason had an emergency this week and could make this episode but Peter held down the fort. With the Olympics heading to Los Angeles in 2028, the issue on how cities bid to hold the Olympics is one that drives Peter crazy. On this episode of Really? no Really? Podcast, Peter speaking economist, Andrew Zimbalist, author of the book, Circus Maximus: The Economic Gamble Behind Hosting the Olympics and the World Cup, breaks down how the bidding process works and the aftermath these cities have to deal with. You see all these executives flying around the world and behind closed doors, always bidding for the Olympics. And then you look up the fact that the Olympics arrive in a city, zoning laws disappear, environmental reviews are rushed, homeless are moved, areas are renamed, cities that had the Olympics are paying off debt after 20 years. They bid these things out and you're told, "Oh, it's going to be $7 billion to do this." And it turns out to be $170 millionThey're always underestimated. The real question though is is it all BS or is it intentional? As time passed in, the Olympics got bigger and bigger, and you had to build more and more stadiums and do more and more infrastructural work and so on and so forth. And it became impossibly expensive. We're still doing that same system. And the system back in 1896, which was a time when we didn't have international telecommunications, we didn't have international jet service. You basically had to move the games around every four years to get as much of the world participating in in the Olympics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gary Gulman is one of the sharpest and the most respected stand up comedians working today. Known for his brilliantly detailed observational comedy, Gary has built a career turning the smallest human anxieties into epic philosophical events. Whether he's talking about state abbreviations, Trader Joe's childhood misunderstandings or the emotional collapse triggered by a routine email, he somehow makes overthinking feel heroic. Gary's acclaimed HBO special, The Great Depression earned widespread praise for Very Good, Very Good for its honest and darkly funny exploration of depression and mental health, showing a level of vulnerability that's rare and stand up very rare. He's also appeared on nearly every major late night show, released multiple acclaimed specials, and is widely regarded by comedians as one of the best joke writers alive. He can take a completely normal thought buying cereal, sending a text standing in line and reveal that modern civilization may actually be hanging by a thread. On this episode of Really? no Really?, Jason and Peter dive in with how Gary has been able to not only handle his depression but also how to utilize it as a creative force for his brand of comedy. We'll also touch upon various topics and experiences that have helped shape Gary's trauma and art. From being bullied at Jewish Summer Camp to having Judd Apatow produce his special and offer him words of advice on his career. We have a lot to cover on this episode of Really? no Really?. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You know you've made it in the music industry when "Weird Al" Yankovic requests to parody your song. "Weird Al" has spent more than four decades turning hit songs into time capsules that often outlive the originals. In a career that includes Grammy Awards, Platinum records, best-selling tours and the number one album decades. On this episode of the Really? no Really? Podcast, Jason and Peter sit down with Al and discuss his journey being a shy kid on the accordion to being the king of parody music. "Weird Al" has an extensive library of parodies that not only spans genres and decades, it's also a reflection on music history and culture ranging from Madonna to Michael Jackson to Nirvana to Coolio just to name a few. But not everyone has been on board for the "Weird Al" bump. Jimmy Page is a fan of Al's but wasn't crazy about a Led Zepplin polka. Al, Jason and Peter delve more into this. We'll also discuss how Al's career has taken some pretty wild and amazing turns from selling out venues like Carnegie Hall and Madison Square Garden to writing his own parody biopic and casting Daniel Radcliffe playing himself. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Eighty-seven million households in the United States own pets. Over $147 billion in spending for the pet food industry and related services, such as grooming. But we bet of the 87 million pet owning households, nobody feels confident that they're feeding their pet the right food. On this episode of Really? no Really? Jason and Peter speak with Bonnie Wertheim, Cultural Bureau Chief for the Wall Street Journal and author of the article, "My Accidental Journey into the Wide Wild World of Pet Wellness." Bonnie will answer our big questions such as whether we are feeding our pets the right food? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alcohol consumption globally has hit it's lowest rate since the 1930s. This has resulted in $830 billion of liquor stocks being wiped off. Multiple US distilleries have filed for bankruptcy. There's supposedly a lake of 220 million gallons of alcohol somewhere that can't be sold. Wineries all over the world are backed up resulting in wine revenue down over $1 billion last year. So who's to blame for this? Millennials and boomers? On this episode of Really? no Really?, Jason and Peter sit down with with celebrated author, Doug Melville, who recently was a former board executive of luxury group in Switzerland. He'll break down down the complexity behind the the liquor industry's decline. It's easy to blame younger generations like Gen Z for the current situation because the liquor industry relies on younger drinkers. It's true the younger generation is more focused on living healthier lifestyles and are preferring liquor that has fewer calories and less likely to give them a hangover. However, Doug addresses that current state of drinking isn't just a generational issues. It's also a political issue with Republicans have a double digit drop in alcohol consumption whereas Democrats have had a two percent decrease in alcohol consumption over the past few years. Doug also explains how it's a class issue as well. You may have seen Doug interviewed by Charlamagne Tha God on The Daily Show regarding his best-selling book, Invisible Generals, The Quest To Honor America’s First Black Generals. We'll also delve more into that discussions. He's partnering his book with his favorite types of bourbon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You have to appreciate the guys who are getting hit for the love of the game, not for the money. And you know what's funny about it? It's just taking one. On this episode of the Really? no Really? Podcast, Jason and Peter learn more about the psychological and biological rational behind UFC Founder, Dana White's latest phenomenon, Power Slap. Writer and Essayist, Ander Monson, wrote about how Power Slap originated in Oklahoma City from two guys who worked at a Dollar Store and started Power Slap as a form of camaraderie and create a sense of community in a time of heightened isolation. We'll delve into how there's a deeper resonance than what the title is. What attracted Ander to this story was this kind of weird brotherhood that's not necessarily trying to hurt the other guy like you were just trying to win. Afterwards you still are in the same world. You're still in the same town, you're still in the same text chain. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Director Barry Sonnenfeld joins Jason Alexander and Peter Tilden on this episode of the Really? no Really? Podcast with more true stories from his career as both a Hollywood director and cinematographer. Peter discovered a TED Talk that Barry did called How to Get People to Do What You Want, that was fascinating, funny and very informative. Barry also has a new book out called, Best Possible Place, Worst Possible Time: True Stories from a Career in Hollywood, that's filled with fascinating stories spanning his whole career in Hollywood. From starting off as a cinematographer for the Coen Brothers to directing blockbuster movies like Men In Black, The Addams Family and Get Shorty. Barry will share some pretty entertaining stories. Some of our favorite stories include a scene from Get Shorty that needed to be cut for budget purposes but was also the head of MGM's favorite scene. Plus, you'll want to hear about his story working with Tommy Lee Jones and Rip Torn on Men In Black. They truly hated he each other. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are both economic and cultural issues why young people would opt into living with their parents. But with today's housing affordability crisis, the number of young people living with their parents has gone up 33%. This has contributed to the rise of the trend known as stay-at-home sons, made popular by influencer, Luke Parkhurst, but there's also a cultural aspect behind the stay-at-home sons movement. On this episode of Really? no Really?, Jason and Peter sit down with journalist, Shane O'Neill, who reported on the Stay-At-Home Sons trend for the Washington Post. Shane will provide us with his insight into how this trend started and how influencers like the Stay-At-Home Sons Club have been creating & monetizing content about living with their parents. Jason, Peter and Shane also highlight that with the demise of print media, it could lead to more people having to move back in with their parents. We'll let Shane elaborate more on that and how during COVID we saw a peak of young people moving back in with their parents. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thomas Smith is a Johns Hopkins trained artificial intelligence expert who was was hailed as a veteran veteran programmer by The New York Times for his work with human in the loop AI, and served as an OpenAI beta tester and a co-founder for 12 years of AI driven photography agency. He also gave ChatGPT money to invest $500. Jason and Peter sit down with Thomas to find or more about using ChatGPT and AI to handle to your money. We'll find out more if it's better to turn to a money manager than an AI chatbot. Is it also possible for AI chatbots to be messing with you when it comes to your investments? Is AI capable of shutting itself down before it goes off the rails? Thomas helps address our questions and many concerns. Also, we'll find out what happened to that $500 investment Thomas made with ChatGPT and see where he is now with his investments. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sadhguru is a spiritual leader who has billions of views, has at least 14 or 15 million followers on YouTube. Do people come to him for a fix to change or just for comfort? On this episode, Jason and Peter speak with Sadhguru about a prescription to change a world that seems challenged to take two minutes to turn inward. Can we be optimistic about humanity? Jason discovered Sadhguru during the pandemic and his views on how the whole human mechanism is a great miracle is of seeing how to work. They also debate how there is a whole science and technology to create a well-being. But it's a subjective science. It needs to be approached in a different way. They'll also debate and delve into the fixation on validation, confidence without clarity, presenting certainty, joyfulness and what's happening in your mind being manufactured, imagination also being psychological reality, and so much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You ever notice in podcast interviews, everyone's all comfortable? There's soft chairs, bottled water. The lighting that says you are important. Everybody's relaxed. Everybody's polished, and everything's lying just a tad or even more than a tad about who they are. Then there's Kevin Nealon. Kevin Nealon has done more episodes of Hiking show than Jason and Peter have of Really? no, Really?. But it's always a great time when Kevin stops to tell us stories about hiking with folks like Matthew Modine, Weird Al Yankovich and Rob Lowe. Kevin will also fill us in on his stories about working on Saturday Night Live and remind us what happened with him being replaced by Norm Macdonald on Weekend Update. He also has a great story about running into Sir Paul McCartney at the SNL 50th Anniversary party with Conan O'Brien. While he's here, Kevin will also explain how he went from stand up to writing sketches to becoming an actor. Not just on SNL but also after the show when he would go on to star on Showtime's Weeds. Kevin will also talk about his relationship with the legendary Gary Shandling. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Late Night talk shows are a unique art form that started with Jack Paar, Steve Allen, Johnny Carson and then continues today in whatever form it's in. But what made Carson special was because you got to see actors who weren't out there with the internet and take a look into their personal lives. In this episode, Jason Alexander and Peter Tilden sit down with Mark Malkoff, comedian and author of the book, Love Johnny Carson: One Obsessive Fan's Journey to Find the Genius Behind the Legend, and host of The Carson Podcast. Max will entertain us with several interesting stories about Carson and his time as the king of Late Night. Since Max is a also a self described "huge comedy nerd", Jason and Peter will get to share their stories about Carson and answer Max's questions about Jason's own late night appearances. This includes Jason's first time on Carson, being on both Letterman and Leno's shows, his experience with Craig Ferguson and his filling in for Jon Lovitz last minute on Conan O'Brien's test show. Something else you should know about Max; outside of being an author on comedy, Max has become well known for pulling off some incredible public stunts. These range from asking random New Yorkers to carry him to visiting 171 Starbucks to living in an Ikea to bringing a goat into an Apple Store. Of course we'll have a lot of questions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With prediction market apps and sites like Polymarket, Kalshi and WagerWeb, you can literally bet on anything: Labubus, criminal case verdicts, Stephen Hawkings black hole theories, natural disasters. You can even bet on when a celebrity is going to die. But prediction markets aren't just about making money from gambling, there's a darker truth here. On this episode, Jason and Peter talk to Jonathan D. Cohen, author of the book, Losing Big: America's Reckless Bet On Sports Gambling, to discuss America's sports betting public health crisis. On this episode, Jason and Peter also dive in with Jonathan about the coverage of insider trading becoming a problem in prediction markets. Something to note, we did film this episode before the story broke about MrBeast's editor being banned from Kalshi for insider trading. We do bring up the story about former Toronto Rappers player, Jontay Porter, who was fined and banned from the NBA, for making proposition bets based on his game performance. We'll also cover the role of AI when it comes to sports betting along with the endorphin release rush you get when you make a bet. We'll also cover mob sports betting, legitimate poker games and Jonathan's record as a competitive board game player. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Credit Card Churners are people who repeatedly open and close credit card accounts to primarily earn sign-up bonuses like cash back, points, or travel miles. Is this type of hack strategy illegal? On this episode, Jason and Peter ask financial expert and senior advisor at Magnetar, Roger Hochschild, to explain how this process works. We'll also have Roger clear up a few myths and answer some questions that you might also have when it comes to finance and credit cards. For example, does it actually hurt your credit score every time you check it? Is it actually a good thing or bad thing to pay off your credit card every month? Why do lenders look more at your Fico Score instead of your credit score? Roger also takes a moment to explain the process of closing our your loved ones credit cards after they have passed away. He'll also offer his advice on finding a good company for long term investments instead of trading. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some AI data centers known as "hyperscalers" need to consume as much water as the whole city of Philadelphia. On this this episode, Jason Alexander and Peter Tilden ask Eric Olson, the assistant professor of finance and the director of the Center of Energy Studies at the University of Tulsa, to not only reveal how much much water it takes for ChatGPT to answer one question but to also address why building an AI data center in some place like Phoenix, Arizona isn't a good option. They also address the concerns of rising energy costs from these AI data centers being passed on to the consumer and if recycled water, or greywater, could be a potential solution. Would it make sense to move the data centers to areas with colder climates like Alaska or Antartica to handle the evaporative cooling? Eric also clarifies what we've all heard about job creation during the developmental phase. The conversation also delves into why businesses like Netflix spend so much money on servers to keep up with the attention society and the demand society. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What makes Seinfeld feel more alive in 2026 than half the shows made today? In this episode, Jason Alexander and Peter Tilden sit down with Jennifer Keishin Armstrong (author of Seinfeldia) to unpack why the show’s jokes, catchphrases, and “no one learns anything” mandate still shape comedy—and culture. They dig into the streaming afterlife, the wild ratings era (including the infamous 78 million finale), and how characters like George Costanza and Kramer became modern archetypes. Jennifer shares behind-the-scenes reporting from writers and guest stars, including how icons like the Soup Nazi became permanent fandom fixtures, plus the unusual way ideas were pitched—sometimes literally in hallways. The conversation also gets real about the show’s controversies (Puerto Rican Day Parade, representation, jokes “of their time”) and why Seinfeld may have paved the road for TV’s anti-hero era. If you’ve ever quoted “no soup for you” or wondered why the show still hits without smartphones, this one’s for you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hollywood’s latest “anxiety hack” isn’t a new miracle drug — it’s an old medication with a new spotlight. Jason Alexander and Peter Tilden dig into the celebrity buzz around beta blockers with Dr. Nasser Ghaemi, an academic psychiatrist and professor of psychiatry at Tufts University. They break down what beta blockers (like propranolol) actually do, why actors and musicians use them for performance anxiety, and the big catch: they can reduce symptoms without addressing the root cause. Dr. Ghaemi explains when “situational” use can make sense — and when it can backfire with side effects like low blood pressure, cognitive dulling, or added risk for people with asthma or diabetes. Along the way, Jason and Peter riff on Hollywood nerves, guest-star pressure on Seinfeld, and a wild story about “anxiety drugs in rivers” making salmon bolder — because of course it does. The episode lands on a bigger debate: quick-fix culture, rising anxiety in young people, and why AI therapy can’t replace a human clinician (yet). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Waymo’s self-driving cars look futuristic — but what’s really happening behind the scenes may surprise you. On Really? No, Really., Missy Cummings — former U.S. Navy fighter pilot, MIT-trained engineer, and one of the world’s leading AI and robotics safety experts — explains why true self-driving cars don’t actually exist yet, how human “remote operators” may be quietly stepping in, and the hidden technical flaws that keep autonomous vehicles from being as safe as advertised. The conversation dives into phantom braking, transparency problems, Tesla’s camera-only approach, and why the hype around autonomy is racing far ahead of reality. If you’ve ever trusted a robot car, ridden in a Waymo, or wondered where this technology is really headed, this episode will make you rethink everything. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How do art heists actually work — and why do so many stolen masterpieces disappear forever? On Really? No, Really?, Jason Alexander and Peter Tilden talk with art-theft investigator Anthony Amore about the real mechanics of modern art crime. Amore cuts through the Hollywood myths, explaining why museums are more vulnerable than people think, how routine and insider knowledge get exploited, and why stolen art is often hidden for decades instead of sold. The conversation ranges from legendary unsolved heists and forgery scandals to the underground realities of fencing stolen art — plus some unexpected laughs, including Jason’s own “missing” Tony Award moment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Tom Petty died in 2017, but his music continues to live on thanks to hits like "Refugee", "Here Comes My Girl", and "Runnin' Down a Dream." But recently Jason and Peter were stunned to learn that Petty didn’t write those songs alone. Really, no Really! Mike Campbell was an original member of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and co-wrote many of the band's legendary hits and was considered by Petty to be the Heartbreakers’ co-captain. Campbell himself, continues to have an impressive career, now fronting the band The Dirty Knobs and playing and writing music with legendary rockers like Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, George Harrison and more. But that got the guys wondering, what it’s like being the “unrecognized talent” regularly standing just behind and co-writing with iconic names? While much of Mike’s career was alongside Petty, he notably gave Don Henley the music for his 1984 hit "The Boys of Summer" and he worked closely with Stevie Nicks, Aretha Franklin and too many others to name. Campbell just released his first book: Heartbreaker: A Memoir *** ON THIS EPISODE: Where Heartbreaker guitar lines came from. What gives guitarists their “sound”? Mike stores his guitars in a dry-cleaning rack? They say Bob Dylan is “enigmatic” – What does that mean? Tiny clubs vs. stadiums – Which is better to play? On-stage and having to pee. What do you do? How has the music business changed during Mike’s career? Jason has an insane pneumatic couch. ??? Googleheim: Dylan Fans… We gotchu! *** FOLLOW MIKE: Website (tour dates & tickets) - www.thedirtyknobs.com Book - Heartbreaker: A Memoir Instagram: @mikecampbellofficial YouTube - @mikecampbellofficial X - @MikeCampbellHQ Facebook – MikeCampbellOfficial *** FOLLOW ROBERT TILDEN: Spotify: Boyo *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Who isn’t a Paul Reiser mega fan? The dramas like Stranger Things! The comedies like “Mad About You”! How about the action/adventures with The Boys! And who could forget him in Aliens! ALIENS! And now after a 32-year hiatus he’s back on the road doing stand-up comedy again. Really, no Really! Comedian, actor, television writer, producer, author and musician Paul Reiser is one of Hollywood’s most prolific creatives. Voted by Comedy Central as one of the Top 100 Comedians of All Time, Reiser – who came up alongside folks like, George Carlin, Robert Klein, and Jerry Seinfeld. His most recent standup special – his first in 30 years – Life, Death, and Rice Pudding, was released late last year. *** IN THIS EPISODE: Comedian or actor? Which is it? Why can’t robots recognize crosswalks and bicycles? Why the 30+ year break with stand-up? How do comedians decide what to wear on stage? Jason’s feet are smaller than you can possibly imagine. Can couples switch which side of the bed? How a comedian bagged a role in Jim Cameron’s Aliens. When Paul realized Mad About You was a hit.  Jason pushed Helen Hunt into accepting Mad About You! How Paul cowrote a book with Doobie Brother’s frontman, Michael McDonald. Columbo’s Peter Faulk was… difficult. How’d “The Problem with People” get written? Is Paul Broadway bound? *** FOLLOW PAUL: Comedy Special: Paul Reiser: Life, Death, & Rice Pudding Stand-Up: Comedy & Magic Club/Hermosa Beach/April 17 Website: paulreiser.com X: @PaulReiser *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

She’s written several classic Seinfeld episodes including “Lip Reader” and “Rye Bread.” She’s also written more Oscar telecasts than any other woman… but neither of those facts are this week’s “Really”. No… she’s on to promote her new book with a really long title. Really, no Really! Emmy-nominated six times for her writing on such classic television shows as Seinfeld, The Larry Sanders Show, Saturday Night Live, and The Oscars, Carol Leifer won her first Emmy Award in 2024 for Outstanding Comedy Series as a co-executive producer of the HBO Max show Hacks. She’s also written for other shows such as Modern Family, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Ellen Show, and many more. *** ON THIS EPISODE: Jason reveals his post-Seinfeld epiphany Never before revealed alternate ending to Marine biologist! The unique way writers pitched episodes to Jerry and Larry. Writing jokes for the Oscars is hard. On becoming a writer, not only a standup comedian. When Jason hosted SNL and why he won’t be asked back. Inside the Curb Your Enthusiasm writer’s room. Carol’s mission to help regular folks make better speeches. Jason shares his "favorite” 2 Seinfeld episodes. Is Jason tired of being asked about Seinfeld? Carol shares a never-before-heard story of she and Jason on the Seinfeld set. Do not zoom in on the menu board at the back of the Diner! The quizzical comments Frank Sinatra made about Carol. *** FOLLOW CAROL: SEE: April 2nd, 2025 - BOOK SIGNING - BOOK SOUP WITH CO-AUTHOR RICK MITCHELL Book: “How to Write a Funny Speech: for a Wedding, Bar Mitzvah, Graduation & Every Other Event You Didn't Want to Go to in the First Place” Website: carolleifer.com Instagram: @carolleifer X: @carolleifer Facebook: @CarolLeifer *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Have you ever pondered leaving the country… permanently? Dreamed about a perpetual change of scenery? International job opportunities caught your eye? Moving abroad is not only possible but it’s actually easier than ever! Really, no really! If you’ve ever found yourself musing about any of those possibilities, we’ve got you covered. This is how you do it. Known in the travel industry as “The Travel Detective,” Peter Greenberg broadcasts breaking news and investigative reports from around the world each week as Travel Editor for CBS News. Additionally, Peter hosts The Travel Detective with Peter Greenberg, The Royal Tour, and Eye on Travel. *** IN THIS EPISODE: What’s a golden passport? It’s easier than it used to be to move abroad. What prevents people from moving overseas? The most popular states Americans are relocating to. Where to move? Follow the strength of the US dollar. The top 4 considerations when thinking where to move to. Secret flights the airline industry doesn’t want you to know! Gangs, drugs, political instability… are these reasons to avoid countries? Lost luggage? Not with these tips! Drip pricing, change fees, and other avoidable costs! Don’t be a loser! Don’t book flights online. Reasons to avoid room service. Reasons NEVER to stay in a hotel above the 7th floor. How to spot the Air Marshall! The best beds in the hotel business. No vacancy. Really? Is there a trick to beating jet lag? YES! The best app for travelers is…? *** FOLLOW PETER GREENBERG: Website: petergreenberg.com Instagram: @petergreenberg Facebook: @PeterGreenbergWorldwide YouTube: @PeterGreenberg X: @PeterSGreenberg *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Earlier this year we collectively watched in horror as Los Angeles burned. In all, at least 29 people were killed, 200,000 were forced to evacuate, and more than 18,000 homes and structures were destroyed. Many, like our own Peter Tilden were forced from their homes. While thankfully his house wasn’t destroyed, it remains covered in a toxic soot, consisting of noxious chemicals and other unknown particulates. Months later his home, like so many others is still uninhabitable. Really, no really. As Peter and other Angelinos struggle with insurance companies, shady contactors, temporary housing, and more, we wondered: How are people, whether by fires or floods, hurricanes or tornadoes, able to go home again? That’s why we invited James Mayfield CEO of Mayfield Environmental, to educate us on what we all need to know in the aftermath of catastrophe. For two generations James and his family have served Southern California as General Contractors for environmental cleanups. From biohazard and homeless encampment removal to Crime scene and drug lab clean-ups, Mayfield Environmental has seen it all and has a litany of certifications - making sure that when the worst happens, they clean it up the right way without taking you to the bank. *** IN THIS EPISODE: Peter’s house is still standing but... Testing for safety – What tests are really necessary? How traumatizing is it to cleanup a crime scene? Secrets to hiring the right firm to detox your life. HEPA vacuuming? What’s that smell? Can noxious smells be removed? Improper cleaning can actually create a second ecological disaster. So… what was in that smoke & how do you get rid of it? Hoarding, exploding rats and the threat of Hantavirus! FOLLOW JAMES: Website: mayfieldenv.com X: @mayfieldenviro Yelp: Mayfield environmental solutions Facebook: Mayfield Environmental Engineering *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While Sex in Hollywood movies goes in and out of style, we seem to be in an upswing moment with Academy Award wins for nudity-containing films like Anora and The Substance. Jason personally has some scenes, mostly for comedic purposes but even then, performing it is complicated and often very, very uncomfortable. The #metoo movement brought increased scrutiny to on-screen contact, and with that a relatively new position called an Intimacy Coordinator was born. Coordinators have recently become more common on set but… what does that person do? What qualifications does one have to have to be one… and does it really give performers a feeling of safety, security and control? To answer that question, we brough on one of the industry’s pioneers in the field. Yehuda Duenyas is a SAG-AFTRA accredited Intimacy Coordinator who provides full-service Intimacy Coordination for film, TV, and theater productions. Yehuda’s work and collaborations have received a Primetime Emmy award, 2 Webby awards, 8 Cannes Lions, 11 Clios, 2 Facebook awards, an OBIE award, among others. *** IN THIS EPISODE: Yehuda describes how and why he became an intimacy coordinator. What does a SAG-AFTRA certified intimacy coordinator actually do? The Blake Lively / Justin Baldoni lawsuit exposes potential on-set dangers. Many actors like Michael Douglas, Jennifer Aniston have questioned intimacy coordination. What happens when an actor changes their mind? That time an actress asked Jason to help her during a dramatic sex scene. Jason’s Game: Have they gone nude… or not? Google-HEIM: Other potential on-set coordination! *** FOLLOW YEHUDA: Website (Coordinator): yehudaintimacy.film Website (Director): xxxyehuda.com Instagram: ___x_x_x_y___ LinkedIN: Yehuda Duenyas *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Friend of the show, Howie Mandell is filling in for Jason Alexander. He’s the only man balder than Jason so… it works! Lately, TikTok has been in the news with claims that it’s an arm of the Chinese Government - but with 170 million Americans on the app, is there a danger? Billionaire Frank McCourt thinks this perceived danger can be turned into a positive by using TikTok’s American userbase to supercharge a brand new and improved internet. Really, no really! Frank McCourt, Jr. is a civic entrepreneur and the executive chairman of McCourt Global, a private family company committed to building a better future through real estate, sports, technology, media, and capital investment industries. Additionally, he's the founder of Project Liberty, a far-reaching, $500 million initiative focused on leading a movement of people who want to take back control of their lives in the digital age by reclaiming the internet. Frank also owns the French football club Olympique de Marseille and formerly owned the Los Angeles Dodgers. *** IN THIS EPISODE: How influential are apps like TikTok? The weaponization of social media has empowered mob rule. McCourt founded Project Liberty to take control of our data & privacy. TikTok poses an existential threat? People should have the right to own and sell their own data. Would Howie lose his 11 million followers if Frank buys TikTok? TikTok influencers don’t know who their followers are unlike other platforms. Influencers, not social media platforms should own their followers. The Chinese Government can feed disinformation to 170 million Americans; to get them to believe what the Chinese want them to believe. Mr. Beast, Kevin O’Leary… …and maybe Howie, are joining Project Liberty. But will Byte Dance actually sell U.S. TikTok? Jason returns and has thoughts! *** FOLLOW FRANK: Website (McCourt Global): mccourt.com Website (Project Liberty): projectliberty.io Website (Fix TikTok): thepeoplesbid.com Instagram: @pro_jectliberty X: @pro_jectliberty *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fatal and devastating fires recently upturned the lives of many Los Angelenos. Even now, with the fires thankfully extinguished, things aren't back to normal. As you may know, we record several episodes in a day, that's allowed us to keep publishing during these difficult days. Some on our staff are still dealing with significant issues in the aftermath which have unfortunately prevented us from recording a show for you this week. As we take care of some real-life business, we wanted you to know we aren’t going anywhere, we’ll be back NEXT WEEK with more of the zany, mind-blowing, off the wall science, pop culture, news of the day nonsense you’ve come to expect from us. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jeff "Skunk" Baxter is a missile defense expert and a counter-terrorist authority who has consulted for Congressional Committees, the Pentagon, and the US intelligence community… he’s also a legendary guitarist who performed that sick solo on “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number”. Really, no Really! Skunk is universally recognized as a legendary guitarist. Best-known for his work with Steely Dan (as a founding member) and the Doobie Brothers, his versatility and highly developed technique as a soloist made him a hugely in-demand session guitarist from the '70s on to today. In the mid-1980s, a series of chance encounters led Baxter to a second career working in the defense industry where his natural ability to look at existing technologies and to see alternate ways to use them, led to multiple security clearances and contracts consulting for a litany of major intelligence and defense agencies. *** IN THIS EPISODE: Explaining how musicians translate improvised melodies on stage from their mind to their fingers. Discovering his would-be passion – playing the guitar. How a founding member of Steely Dan end up being a missile defense thought maker. Predicting why and how the bad guys do what they do. What happens when government agents need you when you’re playing with Ringo Starr? Explaining Russia’s motivations in 5 seconds. Were Steely Dan’s founding members really taskmasters? What makes for a good rock solo? Insight into working with Elton John, Donna Summer, Eric Clapton, Dolly Parton and more… The difference between a good guitar player and an excellent one is…? *** FOLLOW SKUNK: Website - jeffskunkbaxter.com Facebook – SkunkBaxter Instagram - @JeffSkunkBaxter Album – Speed of Heat *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As TikTok America’s legal limbo continues, Australia became the first country in the world to ban minors under age 16 from social media. Australia’s eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant warned the world saying, tech companies aren’t doing enough to protect kids online. Really, no Really! While the powers of social media apps are undeniable, the harms they cause are more… enigmatic. Even if harmful effects of social media are established, are bans an effective response? As this international debate rages on, there are millions of parents and young people looking down at their smartphones wondering what if anything they should do differently. To break down the pros and cons of social media we’ve invited Dr. Jacqueline Nesi to make sense of it all. She’s an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at Brown University, where she studies how technology use affects kids and how parents can help. She’s published over 50 peer-reviewed publications related to youth and technology use, and her work has been funded by organizations like the NIMH, NICHD, and NSF. She’s also testified before U.S. congressional subcommittees at both the national and state level on issues surrounding tech and mental health. *** IN THIS EPISODE: How do we define social media and would a ban even work? So… how does social media affects us? Should kid’s online activities be treated like getting a driver’s license? Default privacy settings. Teaching media literacy is an important facet of modern parenting. What age should kids be allowed to use social media? The social media changes kids are actually asking for. Speaking to kids about dangers like bullying and pornography. Deleting, taking a break, downloading again… deleting again… and again. How Jason altered his social media algorithm in 6 weeks! REAL or FAKE: Jason stumps the panel on potentially actual websites. Google-HEIM: Mistakes! *** FOLLOW JACQUELINE: Website: jacquelinenesi.com X: @jacquelinenesi Substack: Techno Sapiens *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Survivor: Borneo – the very first season of Survivor, debuted on Network Television in the year 2000. And with it, reality TV began to transform America’s television industry. 25 years later the Hollywood Reporter proclaims that “Reality TV is on Life Support. Sure, shows like Love is Blind, Real Housewives and new, up-and-comers like The Traitors are still very popular. But at the same time, more and more reality shows are being canceled, less episodes are being produced, and dramatically smaller budgets are being offered for any of it - indicating to both audiences and industry leaders alike that reality shows may be becoming extinct. Really, no Really! Today, the guys will be talking to Emily Nussbaum, a Pulitzer Prize winning television critic and the author of: Cue The Sun!: The Invention of Reality TV. She’ll reveal some of the reality behind reality television and how much of it isn’t reality at all. Plus, she’ll discuss the long history of the genre, and the practicalities and impracticalities of its success and possible failure. Which leads me to say this episode of our show should be called: Reality. No Reality! In 2014 she won a National Magazine Award for Columns and Commentary and in 2016 she won thePulitzer Prize for criticism. She’s written for The New Yorker, New York Magazine, Slate and The New York Times. *** IN THIS EPISODE: Is Reality TV dead? Reality TV was birthed by radio “audience participation shows”. Alan Funt was a sneaky guy with a hidden microphone that invented prank shows! “Cinéma véritéto” to Abject Bull$%*t - Defining Reality TV Non-Disclosure Agreements are WAY worse than you think. Most morally compromising?  The Bachelor! Why Jason doesn’t think he’d do well on Survivor. Punking the guy who made “When Animals Attack”. Live Executions? Really? “Don’t try this at home!” born on Woody Frasure’s “That’s Incredible!” Forget Reality TV for a sec, will TV survive? Don’t miss Jason on Netflix’s “The Electric State” REAL REALITY TV SHOWS OR FAKE? Jason stumps the panel. Google-HEIM: The most watched TV EVER! EVER! *** FOLLOW EMILY: Website: emilynussbaum.com Instagram: @emilynussbaum *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ratings for professional sports are booming! Football is up, the WNBA continues to break records, people are even watching Major League Baseball! But despite record amounts of money flooding into professional basketball the ratings are actually sinking. Really, no Really! And while neither Jason nor Peter are known for their athletic prowess, they both had the same question. Why? Is it the number of games, the officiating, a marketing flaw or has the game itself changed? To answer those questions, we’ve brought in a true expert, four-time NBA champion, John Salley, he was the first player in NBA history to win championships with three franchises and he was a long-time host of The Best Damn Sports Show Period. If he doesn’t know… nobody does. IN THIS EPISODE: Basketball’s success led to a much more competitive sports consumption market. Streaming’s global impact on how we all consume sports. Caitlin Clark’s star power created tremendous excitement around the WNBA. Has the normalization of the 3-point shot broken the game? Refereeing can make or break the game. How NOT to be distracted by excitable spectators. The moment John fell in love with basketball wasn’t on the court. Talking to the Media in the locker room… naked. Cannabis, cocaine, and women in the NBA. How marijuana changed his life… after retirement. John’s scariest life moment was on a television set and what it taught him. *** FOLLOW JOHN: Website: johnsalley.com Instagram: @johnsalley TikTok: @johnsalley22 X: @thejohnsalley *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You’d be hard pressed to find a Seinfeld fan who doesn’t know what “shrinkage” is. But in real-life shrinkage is a phenomenon that’s happening all around us and it means, companies are secretly selling us less product for the exact same price or even, at an increased price! In fact, one in three supermarket products have stealthily, shrunk over the past 4 years. And that means, we’re all getting much less product but actually paying more! Really, no really! Edgar Dworsky who is known as “Mr. Consumer” has been a consumer advocate for over 45 years, and he joins Jason and Peter to expose selling scams, and to explain and reveal how many companies rely on and use “shrinkflation" and "skimpflation". *** IN THIS EPISODE: Shrinkflation is legal, so consumer beware. Where have all the local consumer reporters gone? When salad dressings replace oil …for water! The hidden shrinkflation inside dollar stores. How “Party Size” and “New and Improved” trick customers. Toilet paper rolls have 90% less sheets than they had in the 1960’s. Shrinkflation isn’t isolated to your supermarket. What triggers someone to become a consumer advocate? We’re celebrating 75 years of shrinkflation! Jason and Peter share their personal habits relating to expiration dates. The strange lengths Jason takes to postpone eating his bananas! Googleheim: The breath mint with “Retsyn”, and the dangerous truth about Retsyn! *** FOLLOW EDGAR DWORSKY: Website: consumerworld.org & Mouseprint.org *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

IN THIS EPISODE: William Shatner explains what would have happened, if he had suffered a heart attack during his recent mission to space. Dick van Dyke discusses his career, turning 100 AND he sings for us! Wayne Knight reveals the somewhat controversial atmosphere on the Seinfeld set. Tech entrepreneur Bryan Johnson attempts to de-age himself. Simpson’s producer, Mike Reiss explains why he vacations in dangerous places and shares his experience on the Titan submersible that later exploded. Bryan Cranston’s “Breaking Bad “character Walter White, meets George Costanza. Dr. Laurie Santos shows us the path to true happiness. Scam baiter Kitboga, enlisted Jason to scam a scammer, by impersonating a fake elderly couple. Dr. Samuel West explains why he created the Museum of Failure. Jason and Peter have the same favorite episode… *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's an encore presentation of our Festivus episode... with a TWIST. Jason will forever be associated with the 166th episode of Seinfeld, which featured Festivus...the holiday where families air their grievances, then demonstrate feats of strength around an unadorned, aluminum pole. For Seinfeld writer Dan O'Keefe, the horrors of the real-life Festivus, invented by his mad genius father, were traumatizing events. Really, no Really! But wait, that's not all. In this updated episode we have a very special performance of a brand-new Festivus song, with lyrics by Peter and music and vocals by Sunny and the Black Pack. *** FOLLOW SUNNY AND THE BLACK PACK: Instagram: @blackmediapresents Facebook: @sunnyandtheblackpack X: @blackmedia FOLLOW DAN: X: @djok_er See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today’s episode, our guest, Dr. Jonah Berger, a Wharton School professor, best-selling author, and world-renowned expert on word of mouth, and consumer behavior…discusses with Jason and Peter, how his cutting-edge research, revealed the six types of words that can increase your impact… in every area of your life! These are the “magic words” that salespeople use to convince clients to buy, customer service reps use to increase satisfaction, lawyers use to persuade juries, and you can use, to motivate people do things they otherwise wouldn’t do!  And by the end of this episode, you’ll understand how, by simply altering your words, you can increase your persuasiveness…by 30%!!!    Really, no Really! IN THIS EPISODE: The 6-types of Magic Words. Why Dr. Berger decided to study the power of words. The astounding difference between “helping” and “being a helper.” Why appealing to our identity is more persuasive than asking for an action. The power of evoking certainty. Revealing the science of contagion. Using language to intentionally manipulate – is that a good or bad thing? The difference between “should” vs “could” in motivating creative problem solving. What really happens when we ask people for advice. What’s the difference between saying a movie, “was good” as opposed to “is good”? Googleheim: What were the first ever words? *** FOLLOW DR BERGER: Website: jonahberger.com X: @j1berger *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Humans may be sent on a scientific round trip to Mars, potentially as early as 2035. Beyond the technical challenges, the big question is whether human beings would be capable of dealing with the long period of isolation and loneliness necessary to make the journey. Anxiety, depression, cognitive decline, emotional dysregulation, weakened immune system and even hallucinations and delusions are just some of the effects of isolation; not exactly great traits when sending people to a distant planet. That’s why scientists all over the globe have begun researching isolation in some of the most remote places on Earth. Dr. Beth Healey is not only one of those scientists…she’s also a research guinea pig who’s studying the effects of extreme isolation in Antarctica at the spaceflight research center ‘Concordia”, otherwise known as ‘White Mars’. Jason and Peter spoke with Dr. Healey about which human traits are best suited for handling long periods of isolation, how she personally deals with isolation and, how befriending a volleyball, like Tom Hanks did in the movie Cast Away… is an actual phenomenon. Really, no Really! *** IN THIS EPISODE: Who chooses to join an extreme isolation study? The personality traits that successful candidates possess. 3rd Quarter Syndrome and its effect on male and female participants. Dr. Healey discusses the traits, qualifications and abilities that made her a successful White Mars candidate. The psychological challenges of isolation. What happens to interpersonal relationships with friends and family back home? Wilson the volleyball from the Tom Hank’s film “Cast Away” is a real phenomenon. Why someone in Antarctica maliciously hid Dr Healey’s gloves? Really??? GoogleHEIM: We found her glove! *** FOLLOW BETH: Website – BethHealey.com Instagram - @BethAHealey X - @Bethahealey *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, actor, producer, author, and screenwriter, Jaleel White, discusses his instant fame playing Steve Urkel and how he dealt with the hostility it caused within his new TV family. He also explains the effect an all-white writing staff had on the all-black cast, and his feelings about Seinfeld and what the sitcom meant to 90’s kids of color. Jaleel also reveals why Family Matters could never exist again, and what happened when a studio boss told him to conceal the man-bulge in an aging Urkel’s pants. Really, no Really! Jaleel is the winner of 3 NAACP Image Awards and has starred in Big Fat Liar, Sonic the Hedgehog, Grown Ups, and Scooby Doo. Most recently he can be seen on Game Show Network’s “Flip Side” and he will soon be seen on Disney’s, “Star Wars: Skeleton Crew”. His memoir, “Growing Up Urkel” was released on November 19th of this year. IN THIS EPISODE: Jaleel was supposed to play Rudy on the Cosby Show. The moment he realized this one-off role had become a sensation! The hostility between Jaleel and his on-set family. How Jaleel coped with meteoric stardom. The unlikely reward Jaleel’s dad promised that motivated Jaleel into creating Urkel. Family Matters’ all white writer’s room and the effect it had on the all-black cast. Jaleel’s belief on why many child actors were exploited by predators. Seinfeld and what it meant to 90’s kids of color. What happened to Jaleel when Family Matters was cancelled. Wait, Jaleel has a marijuana company? What is “Just a Minute with Jaleel White”? The surprising book adaptation Jaleel is fighting to produce. Google-HEIM: Where did the word “Nerd” come from? *** FOLLOW JALEEL: Website: jaleelwhite.com Instagram: @jaleelwhite X: @jaleelwhite Facebook: @jaleelwhite BOOK: “Growing Up Urkel” *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As of November 2024, recreational cannabis is legal in 24 states and it’s available medically or decriminalized in an additional 20. Clearly, the floodgates have opened, and the normalization of marijuana’s positive efficacy has taken hold. But what do we really know about the effects of pot? Is there science-based evidence demonstrating what happens after long-term consumption? Is it true that teen emergency room visits are up, suicides and psychotic episodes are up, and schizophrenia is perhaps caused by cannabis? These became very personal questions when Peter realized he had become addicted to cannabis during the pandemic and struggled to stop. Dr. Bertha Madras, the Director of the Laboratory of Addiction Neurobiology at McLean Hospital, professor of psychobiology at Harvard Medical School and one of nation’s leading experts on marijuana provided answers to all of Jason and Peter’s questions. And if you smoke pot or know someone who does… you may be surprised and shocked by what you’re about to find out. Really, no Really! IN THIS EPISODE: With unprecedented THC levels, marijuana is way more addictive than you think. Has cannabis’ use as a pain reliever been oversold? Marijuana vs alcohol, the negatives will surprise you. Everything in your legally dispensed cannabis you didn’t know about. Signs someone you know may be addicted. The disturbing connections between schizophrenia and pot. Are there definitive studies proving marijuana’s medicinal value? The difference between smoking cannabis and edibles. Jason’s pot allergy. Has the legalization of cannabis set the stage for psychedelics? Google-heim: Other legal things we do that are REALLY bad for us! *** FOLLOW DR. MADRAS: X: @madras_bertha *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What do a bouncer for The Rolling Stones, Elvis, The Wu-Tang Clan and Willie Nelson…an Emergency Veterinarian who had a show on Animal Planet…a People Magazine most available bachelor, and a professional stand-up comedian all have in common? This episode’s guest! Dr. Kevin Fitzgerald is every one of those things… Really, no really! As a veterinarian, Kevin has assisted in 10 animal expeditions to Antarctica, Mongolia and Manitoba all focused on conservation. He was featured on Emergency Vets and E-Vet Interns for over 11 years on Animal Planet. As an established stand-up comedian, he has opened for Bob Hope, Jeff Foxworthy, George Lopez and Joan Rivers! IN THIS EPISODE: How a mild-mannered kid from Denver bounced for the Stones, Elvis, The Who, Bob Marley, Willie Nelson, Wu-Tang Clan, and even Billy Graham! The surprising and effective tricks professional bouncers use to dissuade you from rushing a stage. A professional bouncer’s take on the Will Smith slap and how it could have been prevented! Kevin reveals Mick Jagger’s little-known and heartwarming, pre-concert ritual. The wise words from Keith Richards that transformed Kevin into a veterinarian. How Kevin’s 24-hour veterinary practice became a hit Animal Planet show. Kevin’s unforgettable encounter with the Crocodile Hunter Steve Erwin 2-weeks before his death. Ferrari delivery man, hospital morgue worker: Jason & Peter share some of their oddest jobs. What Jason stole from the set and the Seinfeld wardrobe mystery! Do we define ourselves by our occupation? What does that mean? *** FOLLOW KEVIN: Website: drkevinfitzgerald.com YouTube: @kevinfitzgerald2456 Facebook: @kevin.t.fitzgerald.1 *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is self-help real or nonsense? Jason and Peter have always been skeptical of the ability for self-help books and seminars to impact and improve a person’s life…they even delved into the comedic aspects of the self-help world with their 2001 ABC sitcom “Bob Patterson.” So, when they discovered that Judd Apatow…uber successful screenwriter, producer, noted comedian, author and director of a myriad of cultural-defining comedies such as The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up, This is 40, Funny People, Trainwreck and The King of Staten Island was a bit obsessed with the self-help genre… they needed to find out why! They discuss Judd’s journey to self-help, his unique Ayahuasca experience, and why he writes his comedies as dramas! Really,no Really!!! *** IN THIS EPISODE: Is self-help real or nonsense? How Judd’s parent’s constant fighting enabled him to become a good producer & comedian. That one-time Judd took the hallucinogen Ayahuasca in exotic Studio City, CA… His comedic choices have become more geriatric as he’s grown older. Was he afraid of being cancelled when returning to stand-up? The time high-school aged Judd asked Seinfeld to do a SECOND interview! Jason and Judd explore how they both came to the entertainment world. GoogleHEIM: David shares his Cable Guy faux pas! *** FOLLOW JUDD: Website: juddapatow.com Instagram: @JuddApatow Buy Tickets: www.juddapatow.com/events *** FOLLOW REALLY, NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To be successful in business you need to be tough, unrelenting, ruthless…a shark, right? That’s why one of the most successful shows about business is called, “Shark Tank”! But is there a kinder way to dominate the corporate world? Daniel Lubetzky created his self-made-multi-billions with one overriding agenda – to foster connection, understanding and most importantly, to promote kindness between people who are in conflict. Best known as the founder of KIND Snacks…in this episode he discusses how he almost made a $200 million dollar mistake, what it took to make Kind a successful brand, and his many charitable businesses, where his focus is empowering people to work across social divides, and to create real and lasting relationships. AND…this kind man, is also the newest member of NBC’s, Shark Tank. Really no really! *** IN THIS EPISODE: How a billionaire deals with time management…and…ADHD! The mistakes that were integral to Danny’s immense success. KIND Bars unexpected power to unleash kindness. How a soon-to-be billionaire learned when to trust his instincts (and when not to). Promoting understanding by dismantling the “us vs. them” and “oppressor/victim” frameworks. What attracted a do-gooder to become a Shark? What makes a Shark Tank idea investable? HINT: It’s not the product. If divisive messages flourish on Mainstream Media, social media and in politics…how do you create a positive message that cuts through? Hate and anger fuel online engagement …can humor trump those emotions? The one thing Jason disagrees with Daniel on. GoogleHEIM: Inspiring and easy ways to spread kindness! *** FOLLOW DANIEL: Website: daniellubetzky.com Instagram: @DanielLubetzky YouTube: @DanielLubetzkyOfficial TikTok: @DanielLubetzky X: @DanielLubetzky   Facebook: Daniel Lubetzky Builders Movement *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A violent undiagnosed aneurysm should have killed Sebastian Junger, a war reporter, a best-selling author, and an Academy Award winning documentarian. Junger came as close as anyone we know to dying, but he returned from the abyss and reveals what it was like. For years Jason and Peter have heard about so-called NDE’s – near-death experiences where the clinically dead - miraculously resuscitated - come back to life with eerily familiar stories. Whether it’s long-dead relatives speaking to them from the afterlife, or encountering an enormous tunnel, illuminated by a brilliant, welcoming light…. are these stories evidence of a “Great Beyond”, or simply wild spasms of a dying brain? After Junger’s NDE, he launched an investigation and uncovered a possible third answer that may expand our understanding of the universe itself. Really, no really. *** IN THIS EPISODE: The visions he saw that changed his conception of the universe. Who encouraged him toward the void? What causes similar near-death experiences… God or spasms of a dying brain? Panpsychism: A scientific explanation of a possible and universal post-life existence. Anxiety, derealization & depression, why Sebastian Junger doubted he was alive. He was an atheist…now? Jason and Peter share their out of body experiences. Googleheim: Other things we just can’t know. ***  FOLLOW SEBASTIAN: His latest book: In My Time of Dying: How I came face to face with the idea of an afterlife Website: SebastianJunger.com Instagram: @SebastianJungerOfficial X: @sebastianjunger Facebook: @SebastianJunger *** FOLLOW REALLY, NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There is a growing phenomenon in the world of extreme fighting you might not be aware of. Of course there’s boxing, wrestling and mixed martial arts… but for people who want something more dangerous, more brutal…a sport that affords an opportunity to hit…or be hit with a sword, a mace, or even a battle axe - there’s now…Medieval Fighting! Really, no really! Jason and Peter wondered why seemingly average Joes would spend thousands of dollars on armor and 14th century weaponry and travel the globe for an opportunity to fight in this brutal way. So, they turned to Simon Rohrich, a multiple world champion and expert in Medieval Fighting. By day, Simon is an Arizona based inventor and technology consultant… but his other persona is, Baron Josef Donnerbauch, who is proficient in staff, axe and longsword armored combat, close quarters fighting, and grappling. He discusses the growing appeal of Medieval Fighting, how it may help war veterans suffering from PTSD, and what it felt like to have a large axe imbedded in his skull! *** IN THIS EPISODE: What exactly is Medieval Fighting and what are the rules? Rumors of infiltration by the Russian mob. Prize money? How protective is the hardened steel armor? That time an axe ended up lodged in Simon’s skull. What draws someone to this sport? Spoiler Alert: Trauma awaits ye! How this sport may help war veterans dealing with PTSD. Who’s tougher… Jason or Peter (The analysis might surprise you) GoogleHEIM: Medieval myths debunked! *** FOLLOW SIMON: Website: simonrohrich.com Instagram: @SimonRohrich YouTube: @axemaster X: @SimonRinventor *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 2020 "keto" was the most Googled food-related topic in the world. More than 23 million Americans have been on the ketogenic diet, yet many of the foods on the keto diet have been linked to heart disease, stroke, and other illnesses. So…is the ketogenic diet harming us or leading us to a healthy, buttery, red meat “promised land”? In this episode we attempt to get the answer. Really, no really! Jason and to a lesser extent Peter have struggled with weight their entire lives. Jason can personally attest to his individual success/fail ratio on a multitude of diets AND his previous flirtation with the keto diet… which left him weighing less but with kidney stones and gout! Dr. Ken Berry, a board-certified family physician, speaker and author based near Nashville, Tennessee whose focus is on the chronic diseases caused by the Standard American Diet and Lifestyle joins Jason and Peter to explain the benefits and to discuss the potential issues with the keto diet and its relationship to type 2 Diabetes, chronic inflammation, dementia and …keto crotch! IN THIS EPISODE: Why keto may be the diet for almost everybody. Can the Keto diet help: obesity – hypertension - metabolic syndrome - fatty liver - heart disease – hypertension - type 1 or 2 diabetes - pre-diabetes? Bad breath? Keto flu? Odorless flatulence? Who shouldn’t try the keto diet. Eggs every day? Is veganism unhealthy? What happens when a carnivore dieter eats cake? Calories don’t matter. Really? Ozempic, Wegovy – enemies or part of the healing process? Keto cookies, keto supplements, keto bread, keto shakes – STAY AWAY!!!! Google-heim: Is Keto Crotch real…we investigate! *** FOLLOW DR. BERRY: Instagram: @KenDBerry.md YouTube: @KenDBerrymd Facebook @KenDBerry.md *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Many industries, including toy and game makers, are increasingly depending on crowdsourcing for fresh ideas and to help decide what products to make. Outsourcing creativity to the masses can offer valuable feedback… but that data can also be misinterpreted, misunderstood or provide just-plain-bogus ideas. The annual toy business in the United States is a $100 billion-dollar industry. It’s by far the biggest toy market in the world, but apparently the “titans of toys” are out of ideas. So now, their attitude about creating new “stuff” has shifted to an attitude of – you know what - you do it!  Really, no really! To breakdown the inner workings of today’s toy and game world, Jason and Peter turned to an old friend, David Fuhrer who has created and licensed more than 300 toys, games, and household products, generating retail sales of over $1 billion dollars. These include iconic products such as Nerf Vortex Football, Aqua Doodle, Twisty Petz, Guitar Hero Air Guitar, Bounce Around Tigger, Hershey’s S’mores Maker, and more. AND…he’s also the Guinness World Record holder for being the fastest backwards talker. Really, no Really. *** IN THIS EPISODE: 24 toy companies rejected one of the best-selling toys! How does an idea become a product, solve an everyday problem or innovate a classic? In 2024 is it possible to successfully pitch a Beanie Baby-like idea? The billion-dollar idea for a Tailor Swift product. The surprising new trends in toys and games. Why physical games and puzzles have made a comeback. How do crowd sourced ideas pay off for the idea creators? How David’s “backward talking” launched a career. We challenged David to translate classic Seinfeld lines…backwards. The deadliest toys ever put on the market! Googleheim: Test your toy knowledge! *** FOLLOW DAVID: X: @funanuf123 *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We now know that microplastics are literally everywhere! In our water, in our food, even in the organs of wild animals - found in the most remote places on Earth! But wait! Now scientists are discovering that there are even smaller fragments, called nanoplastic…so small… we consume them, potentially, with every breath we take. Really, no really! These tiny particles and the chemicals that make plastics have been found in our brains, our lungs, kidneys, liver…even in men’s penises.  Obviously, Jason and Peter had questions; so, they turned to the man who tests the levels of microplastics in the foods we buy and eat, Dr. James Rogers. He is the Director of Food Safety Research and Testing at Consumer Reports. He is responsible for leading the food safety and sustainability operations of the organization, including food testing, data analysis, and risk and safety assessments. As acting head of Product Safety Testing, he also oversees the team that assesses safe operation and use of consumer products. *** IN THIS EPISODE: Don’t wash your chicken! (Unless you own a hazmat suit.) Blowing things up, dropping them, smashing them! What’s it really like in the Consumer Reports testing lab? Ingesting microplastics, what are the effects on the body? Why you should rethink microwaving your food in plastic containers. Hidden issues that complicate ending our dependence on plastics. What CR found when they tested 85 commonly purchased foods for plastic contamination. Cut these foods from your diet to reduce phthalate consumption. Why are brominated vegetable oil, potassium bromate, propylparaben, red die number 3, titanium dioxide – all legal if known to be detrimental to our health? What must consumers do to demand safer food? Google-heim: How much do you know about recycling? Take our quiz to find out! *** FOLLOW JAMES: Consumer Reports website - www.consumerreports.org LinkedIN – James E. Rogers, Ph.D. *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re in the golden age of finding and recovering trillion-dollar shipwrecks. These high-stakes, highly dangerous expeditions have been supercharged thanks to revolutionary deep ocean technologies. But… it’s not just the good guys searching through sunken Spanish galleons for gold doubloons; the rush to be first can sometimes get you killed. Really, no really! Jason and Peter became aware of this phenomenon when they read about an elderly Florida couple arrested after appearing on PBS’ Antiques Roadshow. Appraisers were stunned to see gold ingots recovered “by a friend” from a shipwreck. Seeing the artifacts, French authorities claimed the couple were trafficking national treasures belonging to France. The old adage “finders’ keepers” seemingly doesn’t apply - EVEN after spending years researching where the ships might be, then spending millions on expeditions HOPEFULLY finding the ship... hopefully. It seems like a lot of trouble when the country that lost and forgot about the treasure - hundreds of years ago can suddenly demand it back! To help us salvage what’s actually going on… we turned to the “Indiana Jones” of underwater archeology -- Marine Scientist and Oceanographer, David L. Mearns – who is a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and the Explorers Club – he’s located 29 major shipwrecks and holds five Guinness World Records - including the deepest shipwreck ever found. *** IN THIS EPISODE: How does one find a shipwreck that sank hundreds of years ago? Why are the deep ocean recovery missions so extraordinarily expensive? Guys with eye-patches? Treasure Hunters? Actual pirates! Who’s doing this work? Material value (gold) VS. archeological value (historical record) The law under the sea! The complicated legalese of sunken treasure. Can you sell Spanish doubloons on eBay? Tales of stolen booty! Black markets, personal bodyguards, razor-wire covered ships – the life of a shipwreck hunter! Riding on Paul Allen’s $200 million superyacht treasure hunting ship, Octopus. The tragedy of the Titan submersible – What really happened? David shares his ‘great white whale’ shipwreck he’d still like to find. The impact of shipwrecks is way more emotional than we previously thought. Google-HEIM: Why are ship's toilets called “the head”? *** FOLLOW DAVID MEARNS: Website: Blue Water Recoveries X: @davidlmearns *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dungeons & Dragons, the legendary tabletop role-playing game featuring elves, dwarves, wizards, fighters, and legions of nerds is currently observing… its 50th anniversary! Really, no Really! Over the five decades, the game has had its fair share of infamy with stories of “Satanic panic” and more recently, a resurgence after being featured on Netflix’s “Stranger Things.” But what is this game really about? And how can it be more popular than ever after 5 decades? Jason and Peter, after much needling from the self -identified nerds on their production staff (and Jason’s son who is a proud Dungeon Master) bravely walked into the never-known realms of D&D with one of the game’s quintessential experts... Jon Peterson, who studies the history of games, especially tabletop role-playing games and wargames. His first book has just been re-released as “Playing at the World, 2E, Volume 1: The Invention of Dungeons & Dragons” which has been called "the first serious history of the development of Dungeons & Dragons" by the Village Voice. IN THIS EPISODE: A painless and fun history of Role-Playing Games. D&D is an improvisational-collaborative- storytelling experience. What’s a Dungeon Master and does it involve black latex, mouth gags and whips? What’s the point of a game with no “winning”? Breaking down D&D to understand its appeal. Wait… watching other people livestream D&D is a multimillion-dollar thing? Why D&D has become popular in prisons, on death row and in solitary confinement? Is D&D a game or a lifestyle choice? D&D’s ongoing controversies. How should a novice approach starting to play D&D? How A.I. and other technology will affect the future of D&D. FOLLOW JON: X: @docetist Facebook: PlayingAtTheWorld *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’ve all seen videos of stage-hypnosis shows where seemingly random audience members are put to sleep, hypnotized and then… in no time, they’re clucking like chickens, dancing like ballerinas, or swatting away imaginary pests.  Jason and Peter had to find out if this was something staged or “real” hypnosis. Today’s guest, Dr. David Spiegel had the answer and reveals whether hypnotism can make people do things against their will, increase their physical strength and he even hypnotizes both Jason and Peter. Really, no really! Dr. Spiegel has more than 40 years of clinical and research experience studying differing psychological disciplines, including hypnosis. He has used hypnosis since 1967, achieving and publishing results in more than 404 scientific journal articles, and 170 book chapters. He is also the founder of Reveri, a self-hypnosis app. So, sit back, get comfortable, and be prepared for a very, hypnotic episode…Really, no Really! IN THIS EPISODE: Stage hypnosis… is it real? (You might be surprised!) The therapeutic aspect of making a football coach dance like a ballerina. What happens inside the hypnotized brain Can hypnosis retrieve long lost memories… induce false memories? Therapeutic problems hypnosis can help. Is self-hypnosis a thing? How hypnosis can help alleviate self-destructive thinking. Jason and Peter get hypnotized by Dr. Spiegel – Really, no Really? Jason reveals his never before discussed personal encounters with hypnosis. Googleheim: Famous people who famously used hypnosis. FOLLOW DR. SPIEGEL: Website: reveri.com Instagram: @Reveri X: @reveri_health *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’ve all heard of The Nobel Peace prize and the Nobel Literature prize, Science, and Medicine prizes. Well, this episode has absolutely nothing to do with any of that! But! If you come up with an idea that is an unusual or trivial or a bizarre achievement in scientific research, well then…we have an award for you. It’s called the Ig Nobel Prize, and anyone can win it, if their idea makes you laugh…and then… makes you think! Really, no really! The Prize was created by today’s guest, Marc Abrahams who has awarded it annually since 1991. And the awards are handed out annually by genuine Nobel laureates, as they honor and celebrate the unusual, the creative and the imaginative… while also spurring people’s interest in science, medicine, and technology. So be prepared to learn about woodpeckers and concussions, an unusual childbirth device and the importance of fish farts. That’s right… fish farts! IN THIS EPISODE: The unbelievable way Marc first became editor of a scientific magazine. Amusing inventors & scientists doing obscure, yet noble things should be honored. Right? The scientists who defied a Prime Minister and proved the impending submarine invasion was not happening. Meet the guy who studied whether gonorrhea could be transmitted by sex dolls. Colonoscopy researchers won the Ig Nobel twice and performed a live on-stage demonstration you won’t believe. The Blonsky centrifugal birthing device will defy your understanding of natural childbirth. Why don’t woodpeckers get concussions and how that applies to football. Your foot size to genitalia size ratio is… real? Jason has some “genius ideas” he thinks should win an Ig Nobel. The small but notable list of inventors who were killed by their inventions. GOOGLEHEIM: Have any nobility won the Nobel Prize? Yep! *** FOLLOW MARC: Website – Improbable.com Ig Nobel Prize 2024 Mastodon - @MarcAbrams Facebook - Marc Abrahams Podcast – Improbable Research *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Does your dog truly love you or are they faking it? A recent Newsweek cover story posed that very question and revealed that scientific research provides an answer! Really, no Really! But can science really prove how your dog feels about you? Or for that matter, can it prove TRUE love, between animals or people? Fascinated by the scientific inquiry, Jason and Peter turned to Dr. Gregory Berns…the Distinguished Professor of Neuroeconomics at Emory University, and the scientist who conducted the actual “Love Research”, even going so far as using MRIs to discover what’s really going on in a dog’s brain! Pet parents…prepare yourself for the truth! IN THIS EPISODE: So…do our dogs actually love us? How the dog, hunting Osama bin Laden led to the first canine MRI. Utilizing MRIs to determine dog’s true emotions. Food and praise light up a dog’s brain reward center but is that love? Dog racism? Alligator companionship? Cow love? Re-examining animal psychology. Jason’s movie, Hachi: A Dog's Tale - a story of true dog love or just love for snacks? Does our increasing understanding of animal capabilities impact how we treat them? Eating or not eating the animals that have the capacity to love us. What’s too cute to eat and our definitive take on cannibalism. GoogleHEIM: The 3-year time window for certain types of dog lovers. *** FOLLOW DR. BERNS: Website - GregoryBerns.com X - @gberns Newly released book: “Cowpuppy: An Unexpected Friendship and a Scientist’s Journey into the Secret World of Cows” *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’ve all seen them…white streaks emanating from behind commercial airliners. Is it water vapor or is there something more nefarious being released at 30,000ft? Tennessee legislators were so alarmed by these white plumes, they just passed legislation banning so-called “chemtrails” and any other form of geoengineering. Really, no Really! Chemtrails have been linked to conspiracies about secretive government forces who are using them to release chemicals that could cause sterilization, reduction of life expectancy, mind and weather control and a whole host of other sinister outcomes. But are any of these conspiracies real? When Jason and Peter, saw that 6 or more states are taking up similar anti-chemtrail legislation, they turned to Dr. Joshua Horton, Senior Program Fellow for Geoengineering at the Harvard Kennedy School for answers. IN THIS EPISODE: If chemtrails aren’t real, why are they being banned? Geoengineering and manipulating our weather explained. The Chemtrail myths exposed! What are contrails and what causes them? Could geoengineering eventually reverse climate change? Shady companies that make geoengineering claims. The debate over geoengineering experiments explained. Google-heim: Cows produce how much methane??? FOLLOW JOSH: X – @joshuahorton533 LinkedIn – Joshua Horton *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There is an entire world - just below our feet - that defies our conventional understanding of intelligence. It’s a superhighway of fungal interconnectedness, trillions of miles of fungal networks that enable trees to recognize their families, communicate with each other and even share resources. And those fungi, which may be hundreds of millions of years old, may just be the key to saving our planet from pollution and global warming! In this episode, Jason and Peter are joined by Louie Schwartzberg, director of the beautiful 2019 documentary film, “Fantastic Fungi” to explore the amazing world of fungi and mushrooms, and to discuss their awe-inspiring power to heal, protect, and transform our world. And what's most shocking… mushrooms are more closely related to humans than they are to plants…Really, no Really! IN THIS EPISODE: How trees communicate and help their kin. Our symbiotic relationship with fungus explained. The importance of no-till farming and curtailing the use of fossil fuel made fertilizers. The mycelium network could reduce climate change. How mushrooms clean oil spills! Using psylocibin to treat terminally ill cancer patients to lessen their fear of death. Mankind’s rapid evolution is attributed to psylocibin in mushrooms! James Cameron’s Avatar is effectively about Pandora’s mycelia network. The transcendent power of time-lapse photography. Mushrooms have beneficial antibodies & potentially cancer-fighting properties. Google-heim: The largest fungus is WAY bigger than you think & the most expensive mushroom in the world! *** FOLLOW LOUIE: Website - louiechannel.tv Instagram - @LouieSchwartzberg YouTube - @fantasticfungiofficial X - @LouieFilms TikTok - @louieschwartzberg *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or ADHD is a medical condition with symptoms that include difficulty focusing and staying on task, impulsivity and self-control issues. Worldwide over 336 million people live with ADHD including our own Peter Tilden – and they view it as a daily burden that makes simple tasks challenging and often anxiety-ridden. But one family, wildly famous throughout the social media stratosphere view their struggle with ADHD as something positive. Really, no Really! Today’s guests! Kim and Penn Holderness are best-selling authors and their most recent book is , “ADHD is Awesome: A Guide To (Mostly) Thriving With ADHD!   Known for their award-winning videos, they have garnered over 2 billion views and over 8 million followers across their social media platforms. They’re also award-winning podcasters and were the winners on Season 33 of The Amazing Race. IN THIS EPISODE: Signs you or someone you love may have ADHD. ADHD/ADD – What’s the difference? The relationship between ADHD, intelligence & creativity. Medicating ADHD – Making the right decision! What it’s like living with someone who has ADHD? Keeping all the challenging stuff in mind…. how is ADHD awesome? You’ve been diagnosed with ADHD – Now what? What it takes to be a social media sensation? How Kim & Penn won The Amazing Race and should Jason do it? Google-HEIM: Gender differences & ADHD. *** FOLLOW THE HOLDERNESS FAMILY: Website - theholdernessfamily.com Facebook – The Holderness Family YouTube – The Holderness Family Instagram – The Holderness Family TikTok – The Holderness Family X – @KimDHolderness Pinterest – Holdernessfam Podcast – The Holderness Family Podcast *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Post-COVID, we are all living under evolved or flat-out different protocols. And many of us may be unsure which societal rules have changed and what new rules have emerged. Thankfully, New York magazine reformulated and clarified the guidelines concerning how we should all behave in a post -pandemic world. Really, no Really! In this episode we discuss and analyze some of the “194 Modern Etiquette Rules for Life After Covid”with New York magazine editor Choire Sicha, who previously made waves as co-editor at Gawker (twice) and was the former editor at the “Styles” desk of the New York Times. You’ll learn whether it’s okay to Email, text & direct message at any hour. Whether it’s now okay to discipline your friend’s children. AND…if there’s ever a time when it’s okay to be a Karen? IN THIS EPISODE: Is it still okay to use “COVID” as an excuse for cancelling plans? The new rule for running into people you haven’t seen in a while. How badly have our post-COVID office manners degraded? It’s NOT okay for you to karaoke THIS word. Must a host accommodate your veganism, gluten-ism, allergies? Etiquette and the Ozempic-Effect explained. The correct way to listen to someone! The new tips on tipping that have many infuriated! Never wake up your spouse for any reason…EVER! The timelines for cancelling plans has changed a lot. How to properly stop people from telling you a story that you’ve heard before? Jason shares his traveling incognito disguise. Can you spot him? The latest fashion for Summer…Near nudity! Google-heim: The rudest thing we’ve ever witnessed! *** FOLLOW CHOIRE: Instagram - @choiresicha X - @Choire Substack The article: “Do You Know How to Behave? Are You Sure?” *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Psychics. We see their tiny storefront shops in some of the most exclusive zip codes; Beverly Hills, Uptown Manhattan, the fanciest streets in your town – with sun-faded curtains and neon signs promoting palm readings, cures for curses and prophecies from your future. But there’s a much darker side hidden behind the tarot cards and crystal balls. In this episode, Bob Nygaard, a private detective who has recovered millions of dollars for victims of psychic fraud reveals the techniques he uses to surprise and bust corrupt psychics. He also reveals a HUGE SECRET to Jason and Peter about the covert organizations that run many of the psychic scams in an industry with a projected income of over…2 billion dollars a year! Really, no Really! IN THIS EPISODE: Many psychics are part of an organized crime network! Is fortune telling illegal? How psychics identify vulnerable targets. Why law enforcement largely ignores psychic parlor scams. Should psychics be licensed, and the industry regulated? This best-selling writer gave her psychic $17 million dollars! The Seinfeld episode that nailed the psychic con. The 1918 Spanish Flu’s connection to the rise of spiritualism is comparable to COVID’s impact today! Jason’s psychic experience and its joyous outcome. GoogleHEIM: A list of different methods hucksters use to draw unsuspecting marks in. *** FOLLOW BOB NYGAARD: Website - about.me/bob.nygaard X - @buncopi LinkedIN – Bob Nygaard *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the past several years people’s belief in ghosts, hauntings, and the supernatural have steadily crept up and recent studies reveal that 67% of Americans believe in the paranormal. Really, no really! With the occult being one of Jason’s favorite topics, he and Peter wanted to examine the phenomenon with today’s hottest ghost hunters. Ryan Bergara and Shane Madej  host Ghost Files – the popular show that  investigates the world's most haunted locations in a quest to prove the paranormal. The unique twist in the Ghost Files format is that the hosting team consists of a true believer and a total skeptic! IN THIS EPISODE: How a teenage Ryan Bergara was transformed into a paranormal believer based on one night on The Queen Mary. The “cutting-edge” technology they use…or is it? Shane & Ryan mostly get along, except for that one time! Where are those voices coming from? The vetting process used to determine where they ghost hunt. Jason witnessed a stabbing in a Halloween Haunted House and the time he and his family stayed in a haunted house and ended up on the street. Why every theater keeps a ghost light! GoogleHEIM: The Top 5 Scary Ghost Movies of all time. *** FOLLOW RYAN & SHANE: Ghost Files Season 2 is coming in 2025 Instagram - @RyanBergara Instagram - @ShaneMadej YouTube – Ghost Files Website – WatcherEntertainment.com X - @wearewatcher *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Jason and Peter heard about a study suggesting that children in The Netherlands were the happiest kids in the world, their reaction was naturally…Really, no really! They were determined to find out how The Netherlands was able to lay claim to having the happiest children in the world! And more importantly…if their claim was true, what could be learned from their child rearing techniques. They also wanted to figure out the correct name for the country, since people refer to it as - “Netherlands” or “The Netherlands” or “Holland”! For answers they turned to an actual Netherlander (or whatever they’re called) Veronique van der Kleij. She is a child and school psychologist who has worked at The International School of the Hague with children, adolescents, and their families. She specializes in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). She also has a master’s in child and Adolescent Psychology, and a 2-year post-master degree in School Psychology. IN THIS EPISODE: What differentiates kids in Holland from those in other countries. The impact of helicopter parenting. Bikes and kids…the surprising benefits! Dutch kids & social media – how they interact. How the Dutch discuss sex, drugs, gender and other difficult conversations. The shocking differences in parental leave in The Netherlands! How parents punish their children in Holland. The importance of allowing kids to make mistakes. Jason’s extraordinary journey to happiness and contentedness. Googleheim: The Netherlands or Holland? *** FOLLOW VERONIQUE: Website: Calm-Mind-Psychology.nl LinkedIN @Veronique van der Kleij *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The pandemic thrust millions of us into remote work, and the consensus for most of us is – we love it! Reduced commutes, getting deliveries, our own bathrooms, and the ability to hang out with our pets! So then why are major employers increasingly pushing back against remote work while bemoaning quiet quitting and the degradation of office culture? And their biggest corporate complaint…less productivity…seems to be a lie! Really, no really! Jason and Peter were surprised by this revelation and needed more info, so they enlisted the help of Nick Bloom. He’s Co-Director of the Productivity, Innovation & Entrepreneurship Program at the National Bureau of Economic Research, and well equipped to explain not only the latest technological innovations created for at-home work but also the changing socio-economic realities that make working from home a critical part of our economy. Professor Bloom is the William Eberle Professor of Economics at Stanford University. He is the co-founder of WFH Research. He’s also the recipient of the prestigious Frisch Medal in 2010. In 2022 he was granted a Guggenheim Fellowship and Bloomberg ranked him as one of its 50 Most Influential. IN THIS EPISODE: The Definitive Answer: Which environment is more productive home or office? Toenail clipping, zero privacy…who’s the a-hole who invented open floor plans? The most hated workplace related activity revealed! The things we LIKE about working in an office. The blackhole of mentorship when working from home. Big Brother Surveillance: Monitoring keystrokes, productivity screen shots, face cameras & Mouse movers! The future of massively empty skyscrapers is…? The Great Migration from city-centers to the suburbs and its extortionary repercussions. How our commutes have been changed by remote work. Medicine, therapy, warfare, romance – Jason ponders in-person vs remote. Googleheim: The worst places to work are…? FOLLOW NICK BLOOM: Website: WFHresearch.com X: @I_Am_NickBloom LinkedIN: Nick Bloom *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Like most people, you’ve probably heard of Mike Rowe because of his willingness to do over 300 strange, disgusting and unique jobs like – sewer inspector – cow inseminator and shark suit tester as the creator and host of Discovery Channel’s popular show “Dirty Jobs”. But when Jason and Peter heard about his unusual start in the entertainment business, they invited him to discuss that…AND…the secret sauce that made Dirty Jobs a phenomenon. His podcast, “The Way I Heard It”, which has been downloaded nearly 300 million times. His new movie, “Something to Stand For” in theaters June 27th and available HERE. And his dirty joke... on Sesame Street! Really, no Really!!! IN THIS EPISODE: Joan Rivers impact on Mike Rowe, Howie Mandel and many others. Hear Mike’s mother’s criticism led to his creation of Dirty Jobs. Why Mike demanded no “second takes” on any of his shows. The dirty joke on Sesame Street that polarized the audience. How Mike’s became a professional opera singer. Deadliest Catch taught him hammer fighting, yes, hammer fighting! The lost promos that Mike Rowe voiced for the Spice Channel. How many ways can someone say… Mazda? *** FOLLOW MIKE: Website – www.MikeRowe.com Facebook – Mike Rowe X - @MikeRoweWorks YouTube - @TheRealMikeRowe Instagram - @MikeRowe Podcast – The Way I Heard It with Mike Rowe Movie – “Something to Stand For” Foundation - Mike Rowe WORKS *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sleep deprivation can lead to hypertension, compromised immunity, stroke, obesity, premature death, and a whole host of other serious maladies. Between 25 and 30 million Americans have insomnia at any given time; no wonder the newest trend in wellness is… “Sleep Tourism”.  Really, no really! But what exactly is “Sleep Tourism”? Jason and Peter were determined to find out, so they sought out global hospitality and travel expert Kaushik Vardharajan. And what they discovered was a world filled with A.I. powered beds, smart-sheets, quiet floors, and lots of fascinating hotel secrets you need to know. So, sit back, relax and maybe tonight, you’ll finally be able to get a good night’s sleep… IN THIS EPISODE: A.I. powered beds, smart-sheets and mattress pads. Yes, those are real things. How hotels are capitalizing on our need for sleep. The “Weston Heavenly Bed” instituted a hotel mattress arms race. The difference between traditional and sleep tourist-quality rooms. Quiet floors and the hotels that enforce them. Hotel Secrets Exposed - You will be shocked! “Over Tourism” – It’s a real and destructive issue. The secret to avoiding horrific hotels. Jason explains how he avoids wife-induced hotel injuries. The top movies to fall asleep to. Google-heim: What’s with Jason’s mustache, who the F is Edgar Winter, and the word you shouldn’t use for people affected by albinism. *** FOLLOW KAUSHIK: You can find Kaushik on LinkedIn *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the United States, the airline industry loses an estimated 2 million bags annually. Now you might be wondering, where do all those lost bags end up? Well Jason and Peter were able to get a definitive answer to that question. The majority end up in Alabama! Really, no Really! Our guest Bryan Owens discusses his unique family business…which has been dealing with lost and unclaimed luggage for over 50 years. Their enormous store, in Scottsboro, Alabama - which covers more than a city block - sells tens of thousands of unclaimed baggage items every year. And with five decades of experience processing enormous volumes of lost items, Bryan reveals some of the one-of-a-kind pieces found in unclaimed luggage… including a 3,000-year-old Egyptian burial mask, a live rattlesnake, and even a shrunken human head which you can see in the store’s recently opened museum. IN THIS EPISODE: The Unclaimed Baggage origin story and how they stock 7,000 new items every day. Airlines responsibility regarding lost luggage, settling claims and when Bryan’s team can take over. Who gets first dibs on valuable or in-demand items when lost luggage is recovered? A highly secret F14 guidance system, live venomous snakes and suits of armor are just a few of the bizarre things Bryan must deal with. How you can save up to 80% by purchasing someone else’s lost items! How Bryan Owen’s business employs dozens of pricing experts, authenticators and even GIA certified appraisers so he can issue certificates of authenticity. The psychology behind why most people don’t attempt to reclaim their stuff! Jason’s secret to finding lost items…look in the pickle barrel! Googleheim: Jason’s spring-loaded blackjack and a list of obvious and not so obvious items you can’t bring on an airplane. *** FOLLOW BRYAN: Website: UnclaimedBaggage.com Instagram: @UnclaimBag X: @UnclaimedBag *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You can now rent a professional bridesmaid for your wedding! Really, no really! Before you ask the inevitable and logical question…why anyone would need to rent somebody to be their bridesmaid, consider this: twenty two percent of Americans say that it has been at least five years since they’ve made a new friend and nearly one-third say they have three or fewer close friends. With friendship in decline no wonder one woman, today’s guest has acted as a bridesmaid in hundreds of weddings for brides she didn’t know. Jen Glantz is the world’s first professional bridesmaid and founder of Bridesmaid for Hire, she’s also a best-selling author, a blogger, she writes several newsletters, and she hosts the wildly popular podcast, You’re Not Getting Any Younger. IN THIS EPISODE: How Jen stumbled into the professional bridesmaid business. Wedding disasters! Arguments, mistresses, fistfights, inappropriate speeches, and dog bites! Which couples won’t last…can Jen tell the difference? The surprising origin of many of your wedding traditions Anybody interested in attending a vow renewal? They have a registry! Destination weddings & why we hate them. Has Jen ever been busted as a pseudo friend? If you’re asked to be a bridesmaid…answer these questions BEFORE saying yes. The inherent sadness of needing a paid bridesmaid. The wedding Hokey Pokey incident Jason will never forget. Google-heim: Hokey Pokey controversies and producer Lorre’s dubious wedding! *** FOLLOW JEN GLANTZ: Website: BridesmaidForHire.com Blog: The Things I Learned From Podcast: You're Not Getting Any Younger Instagram: @jenglantz TikTok: @BridesmaidForHire X: @jenglantz Facebook: Jen Glantz YouTube: @jenglantz *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A man attempted suicide by overdosing on a drug he was given in a clinical trial. He was rushed to a hospital in bad shape…shaking, breathing rapidly with a dangerously low pulse, and blood pressure that had bottomed out. He was eventually stabilized, but not by anything the staff at the hospital did. The treatment and cure?  He was informed that the overdose he had taken was a placebo. He had downed 29 capsules that were effectively sugar pills and the cause of his medical emergency… was all in his mind…Really, no really! Jason and Peter were fascinated by the seemingly lethal effects of an inert substance. And while they had heard about the placebo effect, they were amazed that it could be this powerful. To find out more, they sought out the world’s foremost expert and researcher on the subject. Dr. Luana Colloca is a distinguished professor at the University of Maryland and the Director of the Placebo Beyond Opinions Center. As an NIH-funded, internationally recognized expert, Dr. Colloca and her team research human pain modulation in patients suffering from chronic pain hoping to deepen understanding of placebo and nocebo effects. IN THIS EPISODE: The reason for the placebo’s creation in 1799. Why the placebo effect is more powerful than you think. The lesser-known nocebo effect and how it works. How do placebos mimic active treatments? Is it ethical to prescribe placebos without informing patients? Why patients who KNEW they were getting placebos improved! The placebo effect on positive vs negative-minded people. Acupuncture, reiki, other alternative treatments - placebos? Jason’s trick for alleviating pain using the power of his mind. A placebo to replace erectile dysfunction medications? Pondering non-medical uses for placebos - placebo vacations? Google-:heim: Placebo “isn’t” but “is.” Here are other things we think “are” that “aren’t.” FOLLOW LUANA: The Colloca Lab Placebo Beyond Opinions (PBO) Center Instagram: @CollocaLab Facebook: @LuanaColloca *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Have you heard about Wally the 5-foot-long, 60-pound emotional support alligator? Wally’s owner sleeps with him, walks him on a leash, and even hosts children’s pool parties featuring the supposedly docile reptile. With their inhuman eyes, prehistoric looks, razor sharp teeth, and propensity to eat small dogs (and sometimes their owners), most of us have concluded that alligators are mindless, aggressive killing machines. Today’s guest says…we’re wrong. Really, no really! We wanted to know if Wally’s antics represented the tip of the iceberg when it came to alligators demonstrating intelligence, receptiveness to petting and scratching, and if gators could express affection towards their human companions. Thousands of videos on Instagram and Tik Tok show people interacting lovingly with alligators so to understand the dichotomy of a predator with feelings we sought out Paul Bedard, one of the most knowledgeable people on the planet when it comes to understanding the psyche of wild alligators and how humans can interact with them in a safe and…get this… fun way. Paul was featured on Animal Planet’s “Gator Boys” for 6 seasons where viewers saw him catch and rescue alligators that were deemed a threat to people, pets, or livestock. Outside of the reality show, Paul leads The Gator Boys Alligator Rescue Sanctuary housed in the Everglades Holiday Park in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. ON THIS EPISODE: The improbable altruistic inclination that led Paul to become a savior to alligators. Why some gators can be successfully trained! Are gators capable of feeling affection, frustration, pleasure, anxiety, distress and able to plot and plan? The unusual way Paul catches wild alligators, while swimming in canals…Really! Paul reveals what went through his mind when an alligator clamped down on his skull!!! Do alligators sense your fear? Do humans care more about the welfare of cute animals?   Google-heim: Play along with the game, “Can you do THIS in Florida?” *** FOLLOW PAUL: Everglades Holiday Park: EvergladesHolidayPark.com Instagram: @gatorboysalligatorrescue YouTube: @gatorboysoutdoors Facebook: @GatorBoysPaul *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s episode is all about our frustration with customer service… which by anyone’s standards is getting worse and worse! You experience it every time you encounter a phone tree, interact with a chatbot, or deal with increasingly longer hold times. The truly shocking fact, the apparent ineptitude of most customer service departments is by design. Really, no Really! Jason and Peter had to find out the reason a company would intentionally offer unsatisfactory customer service and became even more bemused when they realized that A.I. is going to impact the entire sector. That’s why they sought out Amas Tenumah, a customer service expert and technologist who has advised DirecTV, Fastly, Wendy's, Teleflora, and Coca-Cola. His work has been featured on NPR, Forbes, The Huffington Post, Entrepreneur, and other business journals. IN THIS EPISODE: Poor customer care is part of the design! Amas’ secret trick to navigating customer service. How companies treat customer service employees: bathroom time tabulated, tethered to headsets, ridiculous scripts, terrible pay, and worse! Part of the customer service problem… YOU, the consumer! Every Call Center has one: the profanity policy. Correlating CEO tenure and inferior customer service. Can AI and technology improve people’s customer service experience? Peter’s “million-dollar idea” to revolutionize customer care. The growing number of companies that have terminated ALL phone interaction with customers. When chatbots go rogue! Why Amas almost got his hand cut off. Really! Google-heim: The Oldest continuously operating company in the world must have the best customer service, right? You will be shocked to learn how long these folks have been in business. *** FOLLOW AMAS: Website: AmasTenumah.com Instagram: @AmasTenumah YouTube: @AmasTenumah Facebook: Amas Tenumah X: @AmasTenumah LinkedIn: Amas Tenumah *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Robert Sapolsky a MacArthur Foundation “genius” grant winner and professor of biology and neurology at Stanford University has rankled the scientific and philosophic communities by arguing one simple point: There is no free will! We only THINK we’re making our own decisions. Really, no really! When Jason and Peter heard this, they realized that they had absolutely no choice but to contact Dr. Sapolsky so they could get him to explain his thesis…in a simplistic way…that even they could understand. And he did! Dr. Robert Sapolsky is a research associate with the Institute of Primate Research at the National Museum of Kenya, and the author of: Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers, A Primate's Memoir, The Trouble with Testosterone, Monkeyluv, and his latest is Determined: A Science of Life Without Free Will. He is a regular contributor to Discover. IN THIS EPISODE: Why a 14-year-old Robert Sapolsky concluded there is no free will. Misunderstanding what free will is; Dr. Sapolsky provides his definition. Determinism verses anti-determinism. How our sense of smell can affect our beliefs and choices. Thanks mom! How your pregnant mother’s elevated stress levels gave you a 20-fold likelihood of developing an anxiety disorder. Minority Report’s “pre-crime” idea is real and being implemented. Professor Sapolsky realizes that most philosophers and scientists reject his conclusions. Sapolsky says the world becomes more humane when we accept his hypothesis. Right, wrong, ethics, morality, compassion – What do we do with those concepts in a world without free will? Google-heim: No free will BUT the best things in life are free! (Sort of.) *** FOLLOW ROBERT: His latest book: “Determined: A Science of Life Without Free Will” TikTok: @ aprimatestiktok *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The cannabis available today is much, much stronger than the weed grandma was smoking back in her day and the effects on our brains are much more significant than previously thought. Really, no really!  Jason and Peter sought out Dr. Ryan Sultan an Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at Columbia University to understand the underlying reasons for our growing inability to get along but when we had him in studio we also picked his brain relating to his expertise in cannabis. He's also an expert in the areas of anxiety, mood disorders, depression, ADHD, and substance abuse. Ryan graciously agreed to help us understand why Peter has been so edgy lately since he's gone cold turkey off marijuana. IN THIS EPISODE: Peter isn't alone in having a hard time coming off pot. Lung cancer, stroke, anxiety, a shrinking brain? The new huge study on long-term cannabis use. The effects of long term cannabis consumption. What happens to your brain when you stop regular use of pot. Cannabis, rebound anxiety + ADHD. The reason kids should stay away from pot until at least age 25. *** FOLLOW DR. SULTAN He is the director of Integrative Psych, as well as being director of Sultan Lab at Columbia University. Instagram @rsultanmd X @DrRyanSultan *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s becoming impossible to ignore the epidemic of public incivility. Tirades in supermarkets, performers pelted with projectiles, drunken movie goers brawling, tantrums on airplanes, and of course, the Oscar slap seen around the world! This can’t all just be coincidence. Social media constantly churns out evidence of this growing trend which begs the question: Which came first, the incivility or the smartphone cameras capturing it all? Really, no really? Jason and Peter sought out an expert in human behavior to help discover the underlying reasons for our growing inability to get along. And Dr. Ryan Sultan an Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at Columbia University graciously agreed to help us understand society’s current decline in decency. IN THIS EPISODE: What is “Main Character Syndrome” and is it real? Performers who’ve spectacularly called out disrespectful audience members. How COVID affected people’s temperament and children’s ability to mature and develop. How our reality has been impacted by smart phones, social media, and curated feeds. Anger, happiness and the algorithms that feed us. The restorative power of interpersonal relationships - can they be replicated online? Airplane tantrums, toxic Yelp reviews, prolific road rage, are there common threads instigating these behaviors? Is the “Karen phenomenon” new or are we just catching it on camera more? Broadway memories – How Jason dealt with onstage outbursts. Google-heim: Stemming the tide of incivility using the 4 Agreements. *** FOLLOW DR. SULTAN He is the director of Integrative Psych, as well as being director of Sultan Lab at Columbia University. Instagram @rsultanmd X @DrRyanSultan *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Harvard is teaching a course on…Taylor Swift? Yes! Harvard University, the one in Cambridge, Massachusetts has a new course about T-Swizzle whose Eras Tour has earned over 1 billion dollars so far. And whose latest album just broke multiple streaming records within hours of its release. Really, no Really! Our initial reaction was to poo-poo the Harvard course because we happen to be congenital born poo-poo-ers. But when we investigated the course syllabus, we found it fascinating, and an easy A it’s not. Jason and Peter have enlisted the talents of Professor Stephanie Burt -who teaches the Taylor Swift course at Harvard - to not only discuss her class, but to also take a closer look at the woman, her music, the music industry she has upended and her rabid fan base, the Swifties. Professor Stephanie Burt is the Donald and Catherine Loker Professor of English at Harvard University and has published various collections of poetry and a large amount of literary criticism and research. The New York Times has called Professor Burt "one of the most influential poetry critics of her generation". You’ll also hear how Jason and Peter gave Taylor a job, way back in the day. Really, no Really! IN THIS EPISODE: How Prof. Burt sold Harvard’s Administration on doing a Taylor Swift course. Is Taylor Swift just about skewering her x-boyfriends? Do you have a Hermeneutic Friendship with Taylor? And what does that even mean? Does Taylor use “lects”? And what does that even mean? How Swift’s social media consciously builds and deepens community with her fans. Taylor Swift’s success: amazing business acumen or smart consultants? The songs a Swift novice should listen to first. GoogleHEIM: Quiz: Who sung it - Taylor Swift or the Sex Pistols? *** FOLLOW PROFESSOR BURT:X: @accommodatingly BlueSky Social: @notquitehydepark.bsky.social Podcast: teamupmoves.com *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode attempts to answer the question… “Are airlines putting dangerous planes into the sky?” Recently, a Boeing 737 Max 9 had a door plug blow out at 16,000 feet, creating a gaping hole that sucked out, among other things…the shirt off the back of a startled teenager. Really, no Really! That incident (along with a few others) reminded us of that Netflix documentary exposing the egregious decline of Boeing, a once great American manufacturer. 2023 was considered a travel nightmare for many and 2024 looks to be no better with shortages of air traffic controllers, pilots, and planes. To enlighten us about the current state of air travel, Jason and Peter invited CNN’s, always entertaining - aviation expert and correspondent- Richard Quest. Richard has interviewed every major airline executive and covered the crashes of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, and the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370. IN THIS EPISODE: Aviation’s surprising “Do Not Pair” list! Safest seat on the aircraft is…? Ailine pilot statistics you hope aren’t true. Richard breaks down why Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 & Lion Air Flight 610 went down and what’s changed. Why airlines outsource critical maintenance overseas. What happens when a plane depressurizes at 35,000 ft? Are pilots being pushed to the breaking point? True/False: Water and ice on an airplane are safe to drink? Is it possible to be sucked out a broken window? “Sully” Sullenberger’s genius! Jason’s favorite Seinfeld plane episode. GoogleHEIM: How far can a commercial airline glide without engines? *** FOLLOW RICHARD QUEST: X @RichardQuest Quest Means Business, airs weekdays at 3pm ET / 12pm PT on CNN International Pick up Richard’s book: 'The Vanishing of Flight MH370: The True Story of the Hunt for the Missing Malaysian Plane' *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fame! That mystical quality that often leads young stars to crushing downfalls, addiction, financial ruin, even personal tragedy. So, is it better to become famous later in life, when you hopefully have the wisdom and experience to handle it? For one Tennessee housewife and in-home jewelry salesperson Leanne Morgan, success didn’t happen till her late 50s. That’s when her incredible talent, perseverance and whit enabled her to go from playing small comedy clubs, to arenas, landing a Netflix special, and getting the part of Reese Witherspoon’s big sister in her upcoming comedy with Will Ferrell! When Peter saw Leanne perform, it evoked memories of comedic timing reminiscent of Joan Rivers. When Jason caught her stand-up act, he immediately fell in love. And apparently, he’s not the only one. Her first YouTube comedy special reached - over 50 million views! Really, no Really! And we’re happy to say Leanne is joining us to talk about her special brand of Southern-inspired comedy and what it’s like to hit it big… later in life. IN THIS EPISODE: How a woman peeing on a couch led Leanne to a her successful career in comedy. Really! Dealing with kids leaving home, beagles’ buttholes and menstrual mishaps. Popcorn tubs, hernias & plantar fasciitis aka, date night at a Journey Concert! Learning what a table read is with “little” Reese Witherspoon & Will Ferrell. Talking about family in your act-even when they don’t want you to! What it’s like for Leanne to ‘make it’ in her late 50s. GoogleHEIM: The top 10 things you SHOULD NOT DO…If you don’t want to look old (#10 is controversial) *** FOLLOW LEANNE: Netflix Special: Leanne Morgan: I’m Every Woman Website: LeanneMorgan.com Instagram: @LeanneMorganComedy TikTok: @LeanneMorganComedy YouTube: @LeanneMorganComedy Facebook: @Leanne Morgan X: @LeanneComedy Pre-Order Book: “What in the World?!: A Southern Woman's Guide to Laughing at Life's Unexpected Curveballs and Beautiful Blessings” Watch her on Amazon Prime’s forthcoming feature, You’re Cordially Invited, alongside Will Ferrell & Reese Witherspoon. *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As celebrities bask in their own fame, they are frequently offered exceptionally lucrative endorsement deals, often worth obscene amounts of money. But as this trend has grown over the past decade, many of the deals seem to be encountering significant problems! Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s wine brand may take a hit due to their acrimonious divorce. Diddy (formerly Puff Daddy, P. Diddy, Puffy and more) reportedly lost 18 brand partnerships due to assault allegations. And Adidas’s billion-dollar deal with the controversial Ye (formerly Kanye) may end up costing them over a billion dollars…Really, no Really! So, is it worth hiring a well-known star to create awareness for your brand or has it now become a recipe for disaster? To help find the answer, Jason and Peter invited Mark Haas to join them. Mark is the CEO of The Helmsman Group which helps brands navigate the world of consumer-packaged goods and he’s helped over 200 new product platforms enter the commercial market— representing more than $2 billion in sales over the last decade. IN THIS EPISODE: Would you buy a Jason Alexander rum called “No Rum For You”? What makes a celebrity and a product the right fit? The amazing story of how Don King committed Michael Jackson to do a Pepsi commercial without his permission. The one thing Samsung DIDN’T want to hear from celebrity endorser LeBron James. Do celebrities really need to enjoy the brands they’re shilling for? How celebrities get involved with food and alcohol brands. The quality of the product or the veneer of the celebrity, which is more important? The difference between Ryan Reynold’s remaking the gin market vs Orson Wells selling wine form a chair he’s clearly been sitting in for quite a while. Jason pitches products that don’t have a celebrity endorser…yet! GoogleHEIM: More brilliant Jason Rum ideas! *** FOLLOW MARK: Web: HelmsmanGroup.com Instagram: @HelmsmanGroup Facebook: The Helmsman Group LinkedIN: Helmsman Group *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s episode could be titled, “Hello Newman” because the internationally loved actor, Wayne Knight visits Really, no Really to talk about his iconic roles... including Seinfeld’s scheming Postman Newman, and Jurassic Park's techno-wiz Dennis Nedry. In this episode, Jason and Peter get Wayne to discuss what it’s like to get cast in projects based on his weight, being held hostage on the set of Oliver Stone’s JFK, and his bizarre audition with the director of Basic Instinct - Really, no Really! In addition to the credits listed above, Wayne has appeared on Broadway in the plays Gemini, Mastergate, Art and Sweet Charity plus the movies… Dirty Dancing, Born on the 4th of July, Dead Again, JFK, Space Jam, For Richer or Poorer, Rat Race – and the list goes on! He also voiced the villainous toy collector Al McWhiggin in Toy Story 2, plus characters in Tarzan, Kung Fu Panda, Harley Quinn and many other animated projects. IN THIS EPISODE: Wayne Knight the biochemist? Wayne Knight, private Investigator, and his real-life case: “The Husband, The Wife & The Pregnant Au Pair! Why he wore a fat suit…Really, no really! Meeting Steven Spielberg at the entrance to Jurassic Park. The disgusting reality of being spit on by a dinosaur. Jason & Wayne compare notes on losing weight. Warm? Cold? Unwelcoming? Guest star’s views on the Seinfeld set. Googleheim: Who wore it worse? Fat suits in Hollywood. *** FOLLOW WAYNE: X: @iWayneKnight Wayne’s upcoming shows: Amazon Prime’s season 2 of Them and Max’s Bookie. *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode is all about trying to figure out if TikTok - the video hosting platform owned by the Chinese company Byte Dance should be banned or not. Over 70% of young Americans use TikTok, which critics claim is spying on, manipulating, and spreading misinformation to its users. But is TikTok any different than Meta, Google, or X? Our guest’s answer may surprise you… Really, no really! Bruce Schneier is a cryptographer, computer security professional, privacy specialist, who has been writing about security issues since 2004 and is a fellow at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University; a Lecturer in Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School; a board member of the Electronic Frontier Foundation and AccessNow; and an Advisory Board Member of the Electronic Privacy Information Center and VerifiedVoting.org. He is the Chief of Security Architecture at Inrupt, Inc. IN THIS EPISODE: Surveillance as a business model is 100% legal. Breaking down the types of information companies are collecting, and what they’re doing with it. Why does China want to know about our affinity for puppy videos? Social Media’s ability to manipulate is greater than you might think. Russia and China’s preferred platform for transmitting misinformation is…? (Spoiler Alert: It’s not TikTok) Facebook has data on you… even if you aren’t on Facebook-RnR! Data Privacy is a national security issue, but not treated like one. The European Union leads the world in protecting data privacy. The unsettling future of A.I. and personal data surveillance. Cougar hemorrhoids? Googleheim: What you are missing… if you’re NOT on TikTok! *** FOLLOW BRUCE: Bruce’s Blog: Schneier.com X: @schneierblog Facebook: Bruce Schneier *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode should be titled “Mission Insanity” because it’s all about exploring how Tom Cruise performs his own death-defying stunts…and why! Jason and Peter were determined to find out the real reason Tom “risks it all” in every film. How he trains for a stunt that’s never been done before and whether he’s going to continue to try and outdo himself with each new film now that he’s in his 60’s! And they succeeded in finding the person with the answers… Wade Eastwood. He’s best known as the Action Director and Stunt Coordinator for the Mission: Impossible franchise. He’s also a fixed wing & helicopter pilot, sky diver, rescue scuba diver, accomplished black belt martial artist, boxer, fencer, yacht skipper, highly graded horse rider who has advanced weapons skills… plus he races cars internationally, with a string of wins! And - he knows the secret to how Tom Cruise creates and executes jaw dropping, mind-blowing stunts. IN THIS EPISODE: The film star considered the original Tom Cruise. Train for deadly stunts that’ve never been done before. Has Tom Cruise ever said no to a stunt because it’s too dangerous? There’s much more to fight scenes than you know. Fatalities still happen. How can stunts go wrong? Wade comments on the tragedy on the Rust set. Is Tom Cruise actually going to space? Jason shares his death-defying stunts! Seinfeld’s stunt that went very, very wrong for Jason. Googleheim: The first stunt woman!   FOLLOW WADE: Instagram @wadeeastwood *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In case you haven’t noticed, there appears to be a subtitle revolution, with current research showing that as many as 61% of us are using subtitles regularly. And that number is rapidly growing! Really, no really! Everyone hasn’t suddenly become hard of hearing, so why are subtitles suddenly becoming the norm? This global entertainment trend is transforming the way we watch television and movies…and content creators secretly admit there is a problem that necessitates subtitles! So, we had to unravel the reasons why more of us are opting for on screen text. To help us explain the subtitle takeover, Jason and Peter enlisted the services of film researcher and producer Ed Vega, who specializes in - as his bio says - all things cinema, from the intricacies of film history to the nuts and bolts of filmmaking AND prolific dialogue editor and sound designer Austin Olivia Kendrick whose notable work includes - Star Trek Discovery, the HBO series Barry, Monster High, Rugrats, Transformers: Earthspark among many others. IN THIS EPISODE: The pros and cons of using subtitles. How today’s actor’s vocal performances differ from those in the past. Generational reasons and differences in subtitle use. Why the 1970’s era -inferior technology- seemed to work better. Do modern TVs really have speakers facing the wrong way? Is A.I. the answer to better sound mixing? Wait…competing streaming services have no audio standards! What about the George Lucas created THX? Which do we prefer in foreign language movies-Dubbed or subtitled? Have subtitles and audio descriptions made entertainment more accessible? How Jason accidentally watched the original Squid Game. Googleheim: Other cutting-edge technologies that have made life worse! *** FOLLOW ED: Website: Vox.com Instagram: @edfromqueens *** FOLLOW AUSTIN: Instagram: @aok.wav TikTok: @aok.wav Facebook: Austin Olivia Kendrick *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

MrBeast aka 25-year-old Jimmy Donaldson is the biggest solo performer on YouTube. He’s followed by over 400 million people who watch his insane stunts and his enormous acts of philanthropy. So, who is this introverted twenty-five-year-old and what makes him tick? Did he really figure out the YouTube recommendation algorithm, and what makes him different from thousands of similar creators on YouTuber? For answers we contacted a writer who for three days, embedded herself with MrBeast, in his enormous compound, in Greenville, North Carolina…Ej Dickson. Ej is a Senior Writer for Rolling Stone and covers internet culture. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, New York Magazine, Elle, GQ, and Playboy, among others. She's also been featured on NPR's All Things Considered and This American Life, as well as the Hulu docuseries "Only Fans: Selling Sexy," The New Yorker once called her "ineffably cool."   ON THIS EPISODE: YouTube was birthed after a wardrobe malfunction. What's MrBeast’s strategy for becoming the biggest YouTuber? How he created an old-school, Hollywood-style, studio system. MrBeast’s parents, his house, and seeing 1 million dollars in cash. MrBeast cracked the YouTube algorithm. Or did he? Some call MrBeast’s charitable videos - “inspiration porn” Is it? MrBeast and Tyler Perry - What they have in common. How long can MrBeast dominate? Ej introduces us to the odd world of Skibidi Toilet. Really??? Googleheim: The most popular social media star across ALL platforms is… *** FOLLOW EJ: Web RollingStone.com Podcast: Pod…CATS with Ej Dickson Instagram @ejdickson X @ejdickson *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 11 years on ABC’s Modern Family, Jesse Tyler Ferguson never won a Primetime Emmy even though he was nominated 5 times. Jason, who reminds us often, was nominated 7 times for Seinfeld so in this episode, we find out who lost it, better. And Jesse’s show is so popular there are even versions in Chile, Greece, Russia, and even Iran! Really, no really? Actor, author, podcaster, philanthropist, restaurateur, and activist Jesse Tyler Ferguson is best known for his portrayal of Mitchell Pritchett on the hit sitcom Modern Family. He’s also done a variety of stage and screen work including “Cocaine Bear”, and “Ice Age: Collision Course.” He won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play for his performance in the 2022 Broadway revival of Richard Greenberg's “Take Me Out” and for his performance in 2016’s “Fully Committed”, Jesse won a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Solo Performance. IN THIS EPISODE: The strange commonalities between Jason and Jesse. The documentarian on Modern Family finally revealed! Jesse on the responsibility of representing the Gay Community. When you podcast from a restaurant, is the food free? Straight actors cast as LGBTQ characters? Jesse came out to his dad 3 times. Really! Living an actual “Modern Family.” How to play 40 roles in a one-man show? Jesse responds to criticism for “wearing a fat-suit” in Cocaine Bear. How Jason and Jesse fostered such collaborative ensembles. In Hollywood, being gay is no longer included as a diversity hire, RnR?     FOLLOW JESSE: Website: www.jessetylerferguson.com Podcast: Dinner’s on Me with Jesse Tyler Ferguson Instagram: @jessetyler TikTok: @jessetyler X @jessetyler FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook   Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There’s a brand-new, George Carlin comedy special, which is mystifying and disturbing since he died in 2008! Legendary comedian George Carlin was unceremoniously resurrected from the grave by a comedy podcast claiming to have created an AI-generated Carlin, based upon decades worth of his existing material. The special they created - “I’m Glad I’m Dead”- had the AI created legend commenting on current issues such as mass shootings, America’s class system, streaming services, social media…even Taylor Swift’s sex life…Really, no Really! But the computer-generated version lacks Carlin’s brilliance and has created a brouhaha that leads us to an unsettled legal question…whether training A.I. language learning models on publicly available written, visual and audio content infringes on the copyrights of artists and authors. Is it ethical or legal for someone to create a new George Carlin, without his or his estate’s permission? Jason and Peter needed to find out, so they went to the source, Carlin’s daughter, Kelly Carlin to discuss the controversy, her lawsuit, her dad’s legacy, and what she feels her father would have to say about the current controversy? Kelly Carlin is a storyteller, writer, performer, photographer, a practitioner of Zen Buddhism and the daughter of the legendary comedian George Carlin who died in 2008. Since then, Kelly has upheld his legacy by spreading his life’s work through many media, protecting his work and image in the public sphere, and stepping into the limelight in her own right. IN THIS EPISODE: What’s the purpose of ANY AI-written or performed standup? Was this truly AI-written and performed - does it matter? Future protections for performers and their likenesses. The true story behind George Carlin and his 7 dirty words. Which would you trust more: An experienced doctor or an AI diagnostician? When the AI Carlin feeds the future AI, what happens then?  An AI with empathy, does it exist? The upside to AI hacking comedians, is there one? FOLLOW KELLY: Website: TheKellyCarlinSite.com Memoir: A Carlin Home Companion: Growing Up with George Podcast: Waking from the American Dream Instagram: @KellyCarlinisHere X: @kelly_carlin SiriusXM: The Kelly Carlin Show on Sirius XM’s Raw Dog (ch.99)   FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices