The Flopcast

Here in miserable freezing Massachusetts, a knitting club is making tiny sweaters for chickens. (Yes, this is our kind of news item.) But this week we're also celebrating funny women (for She's Funny That Way Day), discussing Planters Cheez Balls (because they're tasty and weird and really good for you), and looking forward to the upcoming Super Megafest convention (April 7-9 in Marlborough, Massachusetts -- hopefully the weather will be more chicken-friendly by then). Super Megafest's guests include stars from Smallville, I Dream of Jeannie, WKRP in Cincinnati, Star Trek, The Outsiders... and a certain sitcom legend who has us absolutely terrified. Also: For some reason, we can't stop talking about Mr. Peanut. Maybe it's the monocle.

Direct download: Flopcast_255.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:19am EDT

Kornflake is back from Minnesota with a full report on MarsCon, which featured performances by: Carrie Dahlby, the great Luke Ski, Mikey Mason, Devo Spice, Marc with a C, Power Salad, Insane Ian, the Library Bards, and Guest of Honor Judy Tenuta! Plus: Dementia Smackdown Wrestling, Kyle and Luke Talk About Toons, the Space Oddity Music Club and Brew Pub, Klingons, karaoke, and a chicken! And yes, Kornflake found a way to terrify the hotel staff while preparing for her Dementia Water Aerobics class. We also play a round of What's in the Bag, celebrate Swedish waffles, and get Kevin's report from Northeast Comic Con, featuring Adam West and Burt Ward in the middle of an abandoned department store. So it was a busy week. Next week we're staying home.

Direct download: Flopcast_254.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:36am EDT

Although they're not Air Supply, we're still excited about the upcoming reunion tour by another great Australian band, Midnight Oil. (Hey, Air Supply and Midnight Oil should tour together! And Men at Work too! We'll bring the Vegemite sandwiches.) However, acquiring Midnight Oil tickets has been tricky. (Who knew there would be this much demand to see a giant screaming bald dude from down under? We thought it was just us.) Anyway, this week we're recalling how we used to get concert tickets back in the pre-internet era. Remember calling the box office a billion times (and getting nothing but busy signals)? Trying to win radio contests? (Be the 92nd caller next time we play Wang Chung!) Lining up at dawn outside a record store with hundreds of annoying crazy people? What fun... These days, of course, we're all just online, clicking little boxes, desperately trying to convince Ticketmaster that we're not robots. (As far as they know...) Also: Kornflake's March podcast recommendation is Manic Mondays, hosted by our pal Devo Spice! And it's International Ask a Question Day! (We're thankful for the "international" part, because most of our questions involve Vegemite.)

Direct download: Flopcast_253.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:26am EDT

The Mayor of Chickentown returns with a report from the Los Angeles Doctor Who convention known as Gallifrey One, where she found the original K9 robot dog (and yeah, some robot mummies), but did not find the great Luke Ski (or pants). Meanwhile Kevin breaks his vow never to leave the house again, first to butcher a Men at Work song at karaoke, and then to play Tron at a crazy little movie theater hidden deep inside an ancient mill. But when we're done with Tron, Kornflake suggests we play Mario Brothers, because Mario Day is this week! (Time to hang that Mario Lopez poster in your locker again...) Also: Our friends at the Foxes in the Hen House podcast just released their annual romantic fan fiction episode. It's hilarious, and we just might have suggested one of the ridiculous characters involved...

Direct download: Flopcast_252.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:25am EDT

We know you've all been wondering what we would do for our big milestone episode 251 celebration... and the answer is... not much! But this is still a fun little show with several classic Flopcast segments: National Whatever Day (which involves flowers and strippers, as all days should), What's in the Bag (it's something festive and delicious and 251-themed), and Chickens in the News (lock up your giant concrete hens; those chicken statue thieves have struck again). We also flip through a big stack of 251 comic books (trust us, it's a weird collection), and run through a list of sitcoms with at least 251 episodes. (The Simpsons is way out in front with over 600 episodes, while another old favorite, The Jeffersons, just barely makes the cut. But when it comes to wacky neighbors, we'll still take Mr. Bentley over Flanders.) So thanks for joining us, stick around for our next 251 episodes, and we'll see you at the big 502 celebration...

Direct download: Flopcast_251.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:01am EDT

Kevin returns to his old stomping grounds of Woonsocket, Rhode Island for a frighteningly close encounter with 1980s pop icon (and our personal hair hero) Richard Marx. (Yes, he was right there waiting, and yes, we should've known better... yikes, these Richard Marx references are becoming something of a hazard... 'twas a great concert nevertheless.) Not knowing when to quit, Kevin then makes a second visit to Rhode Island, this time to see The Mads (that is, Mystery Science Theater 3000's Frank and Trace, who brought along a goofy old movie, believe it or not). And along the way, we just might run into a member of our favorite synthpop band, and discover the Golden Chicken award. Meanwhile, Kornflake has her latest podcast recommendation (featuring science, and grit, and barking people), and teaches us about Single Tasking Day. (Single tasking is way more effective than multi-tasking -- especially if, like us, you lack the wisdom of a wombat.)

Direct download: Flopcast_250.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:36pm EDT

In honor of Champion Crab Races Day, we recall weird pet hermit crabs, weird comic book ads for Crazy Crabs, and weird late night calls for crab rangoon. And to keep a weird animal theme running through the whole show, we also have a lobster-inspired round of "What's in the Bag," and Kornflake reports on her visit to Zoo Creatures in Plaistow, New Hampshire. Stop by and make friends with the goats, eels, snakes, skinks, a turkey, and yes, a kookaburra. (A little touch of Australia in the Granite State; Air Supply would be so proud.)

Direct download: Flopcast_249.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:42am EDT

It's time to review our long crazy day at the Boston Women's March! (The ride into the city was crazy enough; all 175,000 marchers squished into the same subway car, or so it seemed...) Lots more friends of the Flopcast were out that day too, both in Boston and throughout the world... but the only familiar face we found in the crowd was Keytar Bear. (A bear playing a keytar does tend to stand out...) And in an effort to be completely exhausted, we also attended the ACLU benefit after-party, with awesome performances by Stars Like Ours, Carissa Johnson, and Petty Morals. (Did the whole night end with an appropriate George Michael cover? But of course.) Plus: Listener feedback from last week's Top 4 1/2 List of doctors! (Yikes, we missed some big ones.) And Kornflake reminds us to celebrate Plimsoll Line Day, because these may not be good times, but you still have to keep your head above water. (See, no matter how bad things get, we'll just keep making sitcom references...)

Direct download: Flopcast_248.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:18am EDT

After a brief but vital discussion about hula dancing in the winter (we highly recommend a weather-resistant adhesive for your coconut bikini), Kevin and Kornflake present a Top 4 1/2 List of our favorite doctors. Plenty of Muppets are on the list (you'd be surprised how many puppets and cartoon characters are licensed medical professionals), as well as doctors from Star Trek, The Krofft Supershow, Lost in Space, and even some doctor songs. (Apparently Doctor Worm is NOT a real doctor. But he's still on the list, and his drumming is getting better.) But if we missed your favorite doctor (because yikes, there are a bunch of them), let us know! We look forward to all those cards and letters from angry Whovians...

Direct download: Flopcast_247.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:08am EDT

Kevin is back from Arisia (Boston's big science fiction convention, held in the middle of winter, to eliminate the weak), with a full report including cosplayers, birdwatchers, bad science, a parade of wet singing people, and some Foxes in the Hen House. Meanwhile Kornflake is preparing for MarsCon (also a science fiction convention, but in Minnesota, where they must think our Boston winters are just adorable). And this year, MarsCon's Dementia Track (a whole weekend of comedy music concerts) will feature as Guest of Honor... Judy Tenuta! Prepare to surrender to the Love Goddess. We also recommend a couple of MarsCon-related fundraisers, and we suspect that Kornflake's MarsCon Dementia Water Aerobics class will be ruined by Neil Diamond. As Judy says, it could happen.

Direct download: Flopcast_246.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:45pm EDT