The Flopcast

Armed with their new Christmas gifts (a Big Bang Theory shirt and an inflatable beard of bees), Kevin and Kornflake are ready to make bold fashion statements in the new year. Also discussed: Archie McPhee, V66, the Boston Band Crush Holiday Spectacular (with Freezepop, of course), the very disappointing Mayan apocalypse, and the best way to spend New Year's Eve. (That would be staying home and doing nothing. Try it!) The show ends with another electrifying round of "What's in the Bag?", and that's it for Flopcast 2012. Next year we'll try to lighten things up and stop taking ourselves so seriously.

Direct download: Flopcast_034.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:06am EDT

A couple of weeks back, the Mayor of Chickentown joined Kevin and Kornflake to count down the Top 4 1/2 Christmas specials produced by Rankin/Bass. This week the Mayor returns, and we're counting down the Top 4 1/2 Christmas specials NOT produced by Rankin/Bass! The usual suspects are here -- including the Grinch, Charlie Brown, and miscellaneous Muppets -- but we cover quite a few lesser known shows too. (Does anyone besides Kevin remember "A Cosmic Christmas"?) We're also joined once again by a weird annoying singing bird, because why not. And through it all, we enjoy big hot mugs of Joe Chickenhead's Angry Glogg -- a beverage guaranteed to keep you nice and crazy through the whole stupid holiday season.

Direct download: Flopcast_033.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:29am EDT

Kornflake keeps getting touched by strangers, only some of whom look exactly like Dave Grohl; our holiday party stories involve giving bad directions to our dates and lying to magicians; Kevin recommends Christmas music from Air Supply (not chicken-themed) and Steve Foster (very, very chicken-themed); Steven Wright is a national treasure; Grant's Advent Calendar is back in business; and our friend Rich has a brilliant idea for a holiday special called, yes, "Murray Christmas."

Direct download: Flopcast_032.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:04pm EDT

As you may suspect, we're dangerously obsessed with the classic animated holiday specials produced by Rankin/Bass. Starting with Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer in 1964, Rankin/Bass cranked out one amazing cartoon after another right through the mid-80s. This week the Mayor of Chickentown joins Kevin and Kornflake for a very festive Top 4 1/2 List of our favorite Rankin/Bass holiday shows. We discuss Rudolph and Frosty, Santa and Mrs. Claus, the Heat Miser and Snow Miser, Yukon Cornelius and Hermey, and all their weird little pals. Hey, are these wholesome heartwarming shows for the whole family? Or, if you spend a few decades over-analyzing them (as perhaps we have) do any dark and disturbing themes emerge? Happily, the answer to both questions is an enthusiastic yes, and we all win.

Direct download: Flopcast_031.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:18am EDT

Our Chickentown studio halls have been decked, and there is now a festive Flying Spaghetti Monster creepily staring down from the top of our tree; Kornflake rescues a dog named after one of the kids from Fame; Kevin reports on his road trip to Buffalo, in which he encountered Monkees, squouses, and even a Skepchick; we mourn the death of Hostess, but at least it's an excuse to share more weird junior high stories; and we wrap up with a heartwarming holiday edition of Chickens in the News. This show is really the audio equivalent of figgy pudding, in more ways than we'd care to explain.

Direct download: Flopcast_030.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:48am EDT

Kornflake attends a Wazzumhog party (not sure of the spelling on that - and AutoCorrect did NOT help); Kevin and a bunch of other comic book geeks invade the Norman Rockwell Museum for an Alex Ross exhibition; Kornflake prepares for Bad Movie Night, which hopefully will feature Mindy Cohn; we are freaked out by Pinchy the Split Lobster; and we present a Top 4 1/2 List of our favorite giants. (Why didn't Paul Bunyan make the list? Maybe because in reality, he stood just five feet tall. It's true. Check Snopes.)

Direct download: Flopcast_029.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:48am EDT

The Mayor of Chickentown presides over another electrifying round of "What's in the Bag?"; Kevin reports from the Rhode Island Comic Con, where he meets costumed characters, horror hosts, giant snakes, and Holly from Land of the Lost; Kornflake meets an oddly chatty toll booth attendant, and plans a proper Thanksgiving dinner featuring toast and jelly beans; Kevin has one more story about juggling Spam on TV (this time it was on the streets of New York, on Thanksgiving Day, with Jennifer Grey); and in our most awesome "Chickens in the News" segment ever, a brave little rubber chicken is heading for outer space. So it's a pretty festive Thanksgiving show. We're like the giant Underdog balloon of podcasts.

Direct download: Flopcast_028.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am EDT

It's episode 27, and that means Kevin and Kornflake are talking about "Weird Al" Yankovic! (If you're a Weird Al fan, you know why.) We discuss Al's songs, videos, and concerts, as well as his movie, his Saturday morning TV series, and yes, his mustache. Also, a tree fell on Kornflake's house! Some blame the hurricane. We blame Harvey the Wonder Hamster.

Direct download: Flopcast_027.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:28pm EDT

Kevin and Kornflake celebrate six months of Flopcasting by wandering from one silly topic to the next... but they keep coming back to Kenny Rogers. Also: Kornflake wins a contest at the Red Arrow Diner, recalls her college radio days, looks for lobsters on Twitter, stockpiles an emergency supply of bacon, and tries to explain "Numberwang" (which is impossible). Meanwhile Kevin meets one of his comedy heroes (it's Chris Elliott, and shut up), and attends a James Bond-themed concert by Niki Luparelli and the Gold Diggers. Then we end the show with some Chickens in the News! Now it's time to prepare for the Flopcast's next six months. Friends, we have a lot more unimportant work to do.

Direct download: Flopcast_026.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:50am EDT

Yes, it's Halloween in Chickentown! (But stay away, stupid trick-or-treaters! More Lemonheads for us.) Kevin tells the story of the bizarre Halloween when he carved pumpkins and juggled Spam on TV; Kornflake's past Halloween costumes include Yip Yip aliens, cows with weird piercings, and a pile of leaves; we discuss our favorite Halloween-type movies (like Mad Monster Party and Poultrygeist) and shows (like Monster Squad and, uh, The Facts of Life); and Kornflake ends the show with an eerily inaccurate Chewbacca impression. Listen closely, kids - some actual unexplained sounds and voices pop up throughout this episode! But it's still about as scary as a Frankenberry commercial.

Direct download: Flopcast_025.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:27am EDT

Kevin and Kornflake have slightly different opinions of "Gangnam Style" (you're shocked, aren't you?); Kevin recommends the novel "Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend" by his old neighbor, Matthew Dicks; we try to figure out which of Kornflake's friends are indeed imaginary; we recommend The Radio Adventures of Doctor Floyd and Rifftrax Live; and thanks to a suggestion from Blasted Bill Putt, we present a Top 4 1/2 List of talking birds. (Why did it take 24 episodes for us to do a bird-themed list? According to Mr. Owl, the world may never know.)

Direct download: Flopcast_024.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:08pm EDT

Fueled by Ninja Coffee, Kevin and Kornflake discuss their recent trips to Maine (where Kornflake's dog was not impressed by the foliage) and Vermont (where Kevin still can't find any lake monsters); Kornflake is quite befuddled by the sitcoms of Bob Newhart; we welcome the return of Ben Folds Five, especially since it involves robots and puppets; and our "Chickens in the News" segment features a chicken named Lucky. Not to be confused with our "Lobsters in the News" segment, which features a lobster named Lucky. Oh, how we wish we were making this up.

Direct download: Flopcast_023.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:27am EDT

Kevin and Kornflake ponder the comedic value of lobsters (sure, they might be funny, but not on the level of, say, chickens); we look back at 1980s cable TV, which mostly involved watching Toto's "Africa" video, again and again; our "Chickens in the News" segment takes us all the way to the White House; and, as requested by absolutely no one, we present a Top 4 1/2 List of our favorite green cartoon characters. (We're, uh, sort of making this up as we go along.)

Direct download: Flopcast_022.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:00am EDT

Kornflake is back from a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle-themed party, where she ate weird pizza, played weird card games, and climbed on weird people; Kevin is back from Jury Duty, where, it turns out, full Judge Dredd uniforms are frowned upon; and by request, we present a Top 4 1/2 List of awful snack foods. Oh, we also unveil a startling new version of our Flopcast theme music, and we get attacked by a helicopter. But don't worry. Despite this being such an action-packed show, nothing really happens.

Direct download: Flopcast_021.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am EDT

Our DragonCon coverage concludes (finally!) on a high note: an exclusive Flopcast interview with the Amazing One himself, James Randi! This leads to Kevin and Kornflake discussing Randi's career and the skeptic movement in general. (Dowsing! Psychic surgery! Psychic spoon-bending! Some of these things might not really work!) Then we switch gears and kick around some ridiculous new job ideas for Kornflake (involving ATMs and airport security, believe it or not). Finally we abandon the safety of our Chickentown studio and report live from a Dar Williams concert in Somerville, Massachusetts -- where the Irish pubs play country music, and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle-themed parties go all night.

Direct download: Flopcast_020.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:29am EDT

Kevin braves the mean streets of Connecticut to see a George Hrab show and a million Pez dispensers; our DragonCon recap continues with an interview with mentalist Mark Edward, author of Psychic Blues; Kornflake climbs inside a human hamster ball; the start of the school year brings memories of lunch boxes and exploding bridges; Kornflake recommends crazy British mustaches and sock puppets; and we close with yet another bizarre Chickens in the News segment. You know, in some cultures, this would almost be considered a weird show.

Direct download: Flopcast_019.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:54pm EDT

Kevin and the Mayor of Chickentown are back from Atlanta, with a full DragonCon report to share with Kornflake and with you! This extra-long episode (sorry) starts with some nice calm day-by-day reports of encountering folks like The Amazing Randi, Alice Cooper, Levar Burton, Nichelle Nichols, Adam West and Burt Ward, and yes, Freezepop. But then the show descends into chaos, as we head right into the middle of the DragonCon late night party scene and encounter some, uh, colorful characters. Hang on, kids; this one gets a little weird...

Direct download: Flopcast_018.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:21pm EDT

Warning! This is NOT your typical Flopcast episode! It's a lot shorter, and (they said it couldn't be done) a lot stupider.

We're actually taking a little break this Labor Day weekend. We're sleepy. You know, it's hard work giggling into a microphone, week after miserable week...

But we didn't want to leave you lost and confused all week, totally Flop-free. And so... the Flopathon. Enjoy.

The Flopathon was filmed in front of a live studio audience. (Well, not really. But I always wanted to say that. Just like Tom Bosley...)

Direct download: Flopcast_017.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am EDT

Pack up your finest Spock ears and beam yourself to Atlanta -- it's our DragonCon preview episode! Kevin and Kornflake get ready for our favorite annual gathering of geeks -- featuring costumers, gamers, steampunks, skeptics, puppets, robots, mad scientists, mutants, and misfits of all sorts. And then for this week's Top 4 1/2 List, we count down our favorite mermaids! (Yeah, we're trying to pick up more listeners in Atlantis -- a market totally ignored by most podcasts...)

Direct download: Flopcast_016.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am EDT

Kornflake goes to a wild keg party hosted by a one month old baby; Kevin is obsessed with Fame reruns and character actor Dick Miller; the Mayor of Chickentown joins us for a very scientific root beer taste test (which somehow involves the Brady Bunch); and we look forward to some upcoming geek-friendly live shows -- be there, even if you have to crash through the ceiling, Judd Nelson-style. The Flopcast -- we're NOT gonna learn how to fly! (Manage your expectations, silly Fame kids.)

Direct download: Flopcast_015.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:58am EDT

Kevin takes a highway to the danger zone (assuming your definition of "danger zone" is a Kenny Loggins concert), Kornflake visits the crazy dancing non-showering people at the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, our latest "Chickens in the News" story takes us to Arkansas (a hotbed of chicken-themed crime, we assume), and we count down our Top 4 1/2 favorite goofy old commercials. So how many licks does it take to get to the center of this podcast? Please keep the answer, and your suspiciously moist iPod, to yourself.

Direct download: Flopcast_014.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am EDT

A super-short episode, because we're sleepy! This week: Thanks to her trusty expired sunblock, Kornflake is now a healthy Kool-Aid Man shade of red; Kevin's trip to North Carolina and Kornflake's trip to Maine both involve weird ducks; and we sneak in a little Spider-Man movie talk too. Warning: The show ends with some genuine Morgan Freeman narration, as if a bunch of penguins were breaking out of Shawshank.

Direct download: Flopcast_013.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:13am EDT

Kevin and Kornflake exchange weird summer job stories -- Kornflake worked at a mysterious warehouse which may or may not have contained little suits for turkeys, while Kevin drew edible Legos on TV; our latest Chicken in the News resides in a town all too familiar to us; and we count down our Top 4 1/2 favorite mustaches. (Yikes, Magnum PI didn't even make the list! You know where to send your complaints.)

Direct download: Flopcast_012.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:55am EDT

Kevin and Kornflake celebrate Independence Day by avoiding fireworks and people (especially people); the San Diego Comic-Con is discussed (but not in detail, since we didn't go -- remember, we're avoiding people); it's almost time for Kornflake's beach vacation, during which a 102-year-old woman must do her bidding; and there is much silly TV talk, including a look back at the greatest TV crossover ever. (Uh, that'd be when Boss Hogg visited Mel's Diner. We're a little disappointed that you had to ask.)

Direct download: Flopcast_011.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:20am EDT

Kevin and Kornflake celebrate the Flopcast's 10th episode, and (perhaps wrongly) assume this is now the longest-running podcast ever; Kornflake's vacation plans keep getting weirder; despite being total nerds, we look at the world of sports for our latest "Chickens in the News" segment; and we count down the Top 4 1/2 funny songs of the last ten years. If there is a lesson to be learned from today's show, it's that you probably shouldn't set trampolines on fire. (The more you know...)

Direct download: Flopcast_010.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am EDT

Flopcast 009: Watch It, Jive Turkeys

For reasons we do not completely understand, Kornflake is wearing a roll of caution tape; we discuss angry crane operators and Muppet Theory; and the Mayor of Chickentown joins us to talk about summer movies, some of which apparently do not star Kevin Bacon. Which is sort of a big problem.

Direct download: Flopcast_009.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:56am EDT

We're back in the basement, still hiding from the crazy heat wave. This week Kevin can't remember all the Ramones drummers; Kornflake has one more Rock and Roll Hall of Fame suggestion; a 'Chickens in the News' segment takes us to the mean streets of Black Jack, Missouri; on Kornflake's new dating show, your dog chooses your date; and because the people demanded it, we count down the Top 4 1/2 cartoon robots.

Direct download: Flopcast_008.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:43am EDT

Desperate to escape the miserable heat, Kevin & Kornflake record the Flopcast from a secret subterranean bunker! Kornflake's commute involves sprinklers and weird abandoned phone booths; we offer a correction about Sir Todd Bridges; despite the advice of medical professionals, Kevin won't shut up about goofy old sitcoms; and we review this year's Logan Awards for comedy music (and whine about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame). But worry not; through it all, we somehow never stop making fun of Richard Marx.

Direct download: Flopcast_007.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:26am EDT

Connecticut is a hotbed of chicken-themed crime, cucumber lemonade is a bad idea, Kevin and Kornflake declare war on Venus, our new Flopcast business cards create the illusion of professionalism, and we present a Top 4 1/2 List of Pleasant Surprises (only some of which involve black coffee and turkeys). And as usual, somewhere in there, we tell a big fat lie about Todd Bridges.

Direct download: Flopcast_006.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:41am EDT

The Flopcast welcomes its first special guest, as the Mayor of Chickentown joins Kevin and Kornflake for a round of "What's in the Bag?" We also compare goofy prom stories, and debate whether dogs or rubber chickens make better pets. Strap yourselves in, kids; today's show flies by faster than Bulletman the Human Bullet.

Direct download: Flopcast_005.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:08am EDT

Kornflake's dog joins meetup.com, Kevin is frightened by "Laughter Yoga," Bonnie Tyler leads the Bully Parade, karaoke is usually a big mistake, and we present a Top 4 1/2 List that's way stupider than the last one.

Direct download: Flopcast_004.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:17am EDT

Mr. Bubble meets Mr. Mister, we acknowledge past mistakes, Kornflake has a Prank War update, Kevin infiltrates the Nerdist podcast, skunks love Kenny Loggins, we love Weird Al... and the episode ends with a murder! Somebody call Quincy -- this podcast needs a tiny chalk outline.

Direct download: Flopcast_003.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:34am EDT

Kornflake's ridiculous new super-hero identity is revealed, Kevin visits the Boston Comic Con (featuring Mad Magazine artists, and Boston's own version of Mr. T), we sing the praises of a couple of nerd-friendly local bands, and we count down the Top 4 1/2 Supporting Characters in 1980s Cartoons. Hard to believe we get paid the big bucks to do this...

Direct download: Flopcast_002.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am EDT

It's our first official episode! Kevin and Kornflake are strangely fascinated by their coffee mugs, Kornflake attends an Australia-themed wedding (but not really), the Prank Wars begin, Kevin goes to MarsCon and plays Boob Tree, we recall weird candy from the 80s, and the contents of a Mystery Bag are revealed. It's just another day in Chickentown.

Direct download: Flopcast_001_mp3.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:06pm EDT

It's the Flopcast secret sneak preview episode! Don't tell anyone! Kevin & Kornflake ramble for a few minutes about novelty license plates from Honey Combs cereal boxes, the cultural phenomenon that is The Fall Guy, and not having any friends. (Hey, if that's all you talked about, how many friends would YOU have?) You're welcome, Internet! Time for a beverage!

Direct download: Flopcast_000.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:38pm EDT

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