Answering machines and mixtapes: Vanessa Bayer and Jonah Bayer are trying to find out ‘How Did We Get Weird’ in this nostalgic podcast
Before siblings Vanessa Bayer and Jonathan Bayer were virtuosic comedic and musical performers, they were just two weird kids. Now, they are embarking on journey with each other and some exciting guests to reminisce on their childhoods. From nostalgic toys, restaurants, food fads, and trends, “How Did We Get Weird” is an effort to pinpoint when exactly in our early years things got so strange.
Unless you are a monster who hates sentimental, sweet, and hilarious stories, “How Did We Get Weird” is all of the above. Those formative years can take a really wacky turn, and odds are, this podcast will dig up some repressed memories of weird commercials, dimly lit restaurants you thought were super fancy, and shows like He-Man and She-Ra.
Remember those exciting guests we mentioned? Well, as a cast member of Saturday Night Live, Vanessa has some sweet connections. In their second episode, (soon-to-be) SNL alum Beck Bennett sat down to discuss his love for Lean Pockets, which were officially discontinued at the very start of 2021, and Beck Hansen, who may or may not be the only other person named Beck. They reminisce about hanging out in Dunkin’ Donuts during high school and remembering when cigarettes were banned indoors, which is always surprisingly not that long ago.
“How Did We Get Weird” is also joined by Vanessa’s former SNL castmate Bobby Moynihan, where they chat about the aforementioned Masters of the Universe franchise and Sodalicious fruit snacks. Comedian and actor Claudia O’Doherty tells us about a nostalgic, slightly nonsensical Australian commercial involving Tom Cruise, a very young Naomi Campbell, and a rack of lamb. On the subject of cooked meats, Vanessa soliloquizes on the defunct Mountain Jack’s chain restaurant and her childhood love for prime rib, which, had she not became a vegetarian at a young age, probably would have messed with her cholesterol. And for anyone who is missing Taco Bell’s 7-Layer Burrito, Jonah is right there with you.
If you were also a little weirdo kid looking to marinate in the nostalgia of Jack Black’s and Gwyneth Paltrow’s Shallow Hal, 3D Doritos, AND1 mixtapes, or even answering machines, Vanessa and Jonah have got you covered. Listen along to their new podcast “How Did We Get Weird” to learn if you, too, started normal but got weird.
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