Today on No Bad Ideas... Slapping! Hangovers! Sympathy magic! Operant conditioning! And more! In today's first idea, Gabriel brings us the story of a man who was so addicted to Facebook that he had to hire someone to slap him every time he goes to the website. The team turns it into the story of a wealthy businessman who has to resort to extreme measures to keep himself productive and civil. Then, Sarah presents the story of a hangover-prevention item from ancient times. The squad works to turn ...
Nov 19, 2021•37 min•Ep. 189
A trip back into the Bad Ideas Vault this week, as Sarah brings us a tale from the exotic world of art thievery, where everyone is super cool and sophisticated… everyone, that is, except for the thieves. What will Gabriel and Zach make of an entire town in on a police sting operation? And how many explosions will it involve? There are definitely more twists than you think. Plus, roles definitely played by Jason Statham, agents of chaos in the background, a fistful of art historians, and revoluti...
Nov 11, 2021•58 min•Ep. 188
Today on No Bad Ideas... Rumbles! Investigative reporters! Therapy lions! Community-building! And more! After a slight breakdown in our production assembly line, we are back with the first of two new episodes this week! In our first bad idea, Sarah brings us the story of a bus that is designed to put its riders to sleep. Wacky hijinks ensue when the sleepy passengers awake to find themselves in the middle of a high-stakes movie they don't know they're in. Then, Gabriel brings the squad the story...
Nov 08, 2021•31 min•Ep. 187
Our apologies for the delay this week, but sometimes ideas just are so bad that it takes a little extra time to put them together. These may be the worst things we've ever pitched. First, Gabriel brings us a story from the Internet’s homeland for bad ideas, Reddit’s Am I The Asshole?, and we turn the tale of a critical boyfriend into a contained family drama even Edward Albee would fear. Then, Zach tells us about a new initiative by Austrian museums and we, somewhat against our will, turn it int...
Oct 29, 2021•36 min•Ep. 186
Today on No Bad Ideas: Robots! Courtroom Dramas! Fake Marriages! Elaborate Hoaxes! And more! For our first bad idea, Sarah brings us a marriage made in hell: robot dogs and guns. The gang does their best to contain their terror and revulsion long enough to put together the pitch for a prescient court room drama. Then, Zach brings us the story of a man who is having his friendship with a single co-worker mercilessly exploited. The team does their best to turn it into a charming romcom of deceptio...
Oct 21, 2021•35 min•Ep. 185
Gabriel, Zach, and Sarah are taking a quick autumn break this week, but we didn't want to leave you without any No Bad Ideas this week! So check out this old favorite from our archives, featuring our friend Mark Pagán, producer of the podcast Other Men Need Help! We certainly could use a hand, as Gabriel issues us an idea about a very unconventional way to settle disputes, which leads to a mockumentary of a divorce for the (middle) ages. Then, Sarah shows us a question about one man's quest for ...
Oct 14, 2021•40 min•Ep. 184
Zach is off this week, but we’re delighted to welcome a long time friend of the show for some mayhem at NBI HQ: we're lucky to have author extraordinaire Zoe Tokushige in the Bad Ideas Hot Seat! Things get heated with Gabriel’s first idea about a photographer who has a terrible time at a friend's wedding, which we turn into a Fellini movie from hell, with a weird ending that even European arthouses would be proud of. Then Sarah brings us a story of high-stakes, deeply weird negotiations between ...
Oct 08, 2021•52 min•Ep. 183
We have cracked the code on badness this week and/or we’ve just cracked. First, Zach brings us a tale of woe from the world of cryptocurrencies and we turn it into a tale taking place during the actual age of piracy, because that’s somehow more grounded. Then Gabriel tells us about a business marketing strategy gone horribly wrong, and we craft a story about a man who's a little too weird to work but really vibes with his CEO. Plus: ironic hipsters, unnecessarily intense actors, the nuclear opti...
Sep 30, 2021•38 min•Ep. 182
Today in No Bad Ideas: detached human brains! Frankenstein technology! Lotteries! Drug kingpins secretly living in your home! In our first bad idea, Sarah presents the tale of a divorce that led to a heist of cryogenically frozen bodies... and then things started getting weird! The gang does their best to turn it into a thrilling heist story in a world where the über-rich guard their minds as closely as their bank vaults. Then, Gabriel brings us the tale of a government so desperate to get rid o...
Sep 23, 2021•37 min•Ep. 180
Today on No Bad Ideas... Imprisonment! Dystopias! Literature! Very intense judges! And more! In our first bad idea, Zach presents the horrific news story of an alternative to prison that may end up being even worse (and more exploitative) than jail-time. The gang tries to turn it into the story of an exploiter who is hoisted by his own exploitative petard. Then, Sarah brings us the story of a young ne'er-do-well who a judge attempts to rehabilitate by subjecting him to the greatest works of West...
Sep 16, 2021•33 min•Ep. 179
We’re back at full strength this week, just in time for a pair of ideas that really go all the way. First, Gabriel brings us a nugget from the proverbial well of online bad ideas, and by “well” we mean the "Am I The Asshole?" subreddit. We take a prank gone wrong and turn it into the world's latest trend/cult/international conspiracy. Then Zach invites us to The Garden, and we take the story of a utopian community who took to the Internet and turn it into a thriller set in the near-future that i...
Sep 10, 2021•35 min•Ep. 178
Today on No Bad Ideas: ketchup! Chefs! Football! Side gigs! Moral victories! In today's first bad idea, Gabriel presents an "Am I the Asshole?" spiritual successor to one of our favorite past episodes: the story of a man who will stop at nothing to sell his own particular brand of ketchup. The gang turns the ridiculousness up and concocts a story of culinary revenge. Then, Sarah brings us the story of a high school that plays football against Division 1 athletes... even thought it has no earthly...
Sep 02, 2021•44 min•Ep. 177
This week, we have a couple super cute/disturbing ideas ready-made for your next Netflix comedy/rom-com evening. First, Sarah brings us the story of just how many ancient artifacts might be in the US illegally (but conveniently all in one place) and we take it to a world where demons and devils have real power, and it’s up to a band of rag-tag experts to track them down. Then Gabriel brings us one of the most harrowing stunts ever attempted in the name of love, and we fictionalize it just enough...
Aug 26, 2021•34 min•Ep. 176
Today on No Bad Ideas, a special episode from our vault of past episodes, featuring the amazing Lindz Amer and a lot of lions! This week, we’re joined in the studio by Lindz Amer of Queer Kids Stuff for two bad ideas and a roundtable discussion. First, we bring a Scooby-Doo-style ghost hunting gang into the YouTube Era and they form an unlikely alliance with an eccentric horror writer fighting off the bank from foreclosing his historically haunted mansion. Next, faced with an animal rights night...
Aug 20, 2021•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 175
Today on No Bad Ideas: Pranks! Ex-boyfriends! Roars! Internet links! Spies! And more! In our first bad idea, Gabriel presents the story of a miscreant who decides to prank his ex-girlfriend by staging a contest looking for the best Chewbacca imitator. The gang turns it into a film about a man who is willing to go as far as it takes to get the role of a lifetime. Then, Zach brings us the story of old broken links being usurped for nefarious purposes. The gang cooks up the story of a disgruntled s...
Aug 12, 2021•34 min•Ep. 174
Gabriel is out this week, but stepping up to fill the void is a truly special guest star: the mastermind behind The Message, Steal the Stars, and the recently unleashed Give Me Away - it's Mac Rogers! In our first bad idea, Sarah brings us the story of a car company bringing old school smells kicking and screaming into the future. The squad turns it into a story about a one-of-a-kind event that immerses its patrons in the sights, sounds, and smells of the past. Then, in our second bad idea, Zach...
Aug 05, 2021•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 173
Ready for some terrible decisions, everyone? First, Sarah brings us a report of strange doings at a local Home Depot, and we turn it into a competition that turns into a war that turns into a supernatural battle between the forces of good and the forces of meh. Then Zach offers up the story of an odd house in California and we craft a themed murder mystery party perfect for a bunch of (un)suspecting billionaires. Plus: people having too much money, famous lines from Chinatown, out of body experi...
Jul 29, 2021•33 min•Ep. 172
Gabriel, Zach, and Sarah are taking a brief summer break this week, but we didn't want to leave you without any No Bad Ideas! So check out this old favorite from our archives, featuring our good comrade Christian T. Kelley-Madera. This week on No Bad Ideas... bugs, bugs, bugs! But before that, the Bad Ideas Band is joined by their dear friend Christian T. Kelley-Madera, co-creator and director of The Once and Future Nerd. But soon, it's all business, and (thanks to Sarah's bad idea contribution)...
Jul 22, 2021•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 171
Today on No Bad Ideas: Phone calls! Arrests! Dystopias! Bad breakups! As many crimes as possible! In our first bad idea, Gabriel brings the squad the tale of a man who called the police to ask why he hadn't been arrested... and was then promptly arrested. The team turns it into a film about a world so broken and destroyed that going to jail may be preferable to what you'll find in the "free" world. Then, Sarah presents a report of a heartbroken woman who went on a traffic-offense odyssey in her ...
Jul 15, 2021•29 min•Ep. 170
We’re back with a couple ideas that go deeper and deeper! First Sarah brings us the story of a very inappropriate toy and we turn it into a Harriet the Spy reboot working a case on a clock in time for the Christmas Rush. Then, Zach has an update on an old bad idea: the deep fakes a mom put together to sabotage a cheerleading team may not be so deep faked. We switch genres from superhero to mystery, with a high school journalist who gets in way over their head. Plus: WallStreetBets but more evil,...
Jul 09, 2021•38 min•Ep. 169
We’re off to Europe this week, with a pair of historical farces from different eras! First Zach, brings us a tale of Swiss aristocrats trying to enforce feudal rights and we turn it into a Succession-esque thriller of a young heir who may or may not try to burn it all down. Then, Gabriel takes us all the way back to Biblical times, with a story of a Noah’s Ark stranded on the coast of England. We take it and create a contest to determine the one true ark, and the family who have devoted themselv...
Jul 01, 2021•32 min•Ep. 168
Zach is out again this week but we’ve pulled in not one but two (three if you count the doggo that trotted up to Sarah’s mic) of our favorite people in podcasting: Victoriocity’s own Jen and Chris Sugden! First, Gabriel brings us a tale of an aspirational identity swap and we turn it up and add a bunch of twisty layers that culminate in a cross-country road trip to the lights of Vegas. Next, Sarah offers up a particularly silly idea from congress and we turn it into this summer’s next action-pac...
Jun 24, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 167
Today on No Bad Ideas: Crime! Cheese! Photographs! Meditation! Corporate synergy! Personalized prompts! In our first bad idea, Sarah brings us the story of a notorious crime boss that was brought down by an untimely social media post. The squad does their best to spin it into the story of a floating platform in the middle of the ocean, where you can find a free-for-all black market where everything is up for sale. Then, in our second idea, Zach presents a corporate giant's latest attempt to cont...
Jun 17, 2021•40 min•Ep. 166
Zach is out for the week but we’ve convinced Lillian Holman, a very talented audio creator and one of our dear friends, to pitch hit in the NBI Hot Seat and help us mix some metaphors! First, Gabriel brings us a battle over exactly what’s in a name, and we turn it into a marriage plot based on the most convoluted inheritance scheme of all time. Then, Sarah presents us with an Italian artist’s latest project, and we turn it into a touching coming-of-age story about what can happen when you go to ...
Jun 03, 2021•58 min•Ep. 165
We’re back for yet another round of untangling the sad, the stupid, and the gross. First, Zach brings us a horrible, heartbreaking story of abandonment at sea and we feel the best thing we can do with the idea is launch it at Mars. Then Gabriel delivers a story of botched revenge and we turn it into a tale of spies who really wish their neighbors would leave them alone. Plus: Teelon Tusk, a perfect comedy sketch, all sorts of bobby-traps, very petty vengeance, and dying of old age in the Zombie ...
May 27, 2021•34 min•Ep. 164
We’re back to sift through fake posts and posers for another couple rounds of Bad Ideas! First, Gabriel brings us an artifact from the depths of Reddit and we turn it into a battle of cartoon chefs for the ages (and for equal pay). Then, Sarah brings us a story of a wedding wrecked for an excellent reason, and we turn it into a long-running TV show that combines the best parts of Charlie’s Angels and 90-Day Fiancé. Plus: a Ruse Cruise captained by Mr. Trollface, all the billionaires ex-wives, go...
May 20, 2021•28 min•Ep. 163
Today on No Bad Ideas: 90's fads! Grief counseling! Erotica! Devious librarians! And special guest star, Sarah Rhea Werner! First, Zach brings us the story of a 90's fad that, when it died, had its very own wake, funeral, and memorial service. The team turns it into a heartwarming period dramedy about families, grieving, and confronting our own mortality through parenthood. Then, Sarah presents an article about a town that made the news when a book swap box got a little too saucy. The squad turn...
May 14, 2021•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 162
Today on No Bad Ideas: girlfriends! Birthdays! Scams! Tokens! Art! On our first bad idea, Gabriel brings the team a report of a man who was dating a lot of women so that he could have birthdays all year round. We try our best to turn it into the story of a spy who is very desperately trying to get caught. Then, Sarah presents an article about an NFT whose auction may result in a real art piece getting destroyed. We come up with the elite team of museum curators who is going to save the art world...
May 06, 2021•36 min•Ep. 162
Today on No Bad Ideas: it's special guest star Christopher Dole, co-creator of Arden! Also bear fighting, incompetent criminals, and a conversation about creating content while the world is upside down! In our first story, the gang takes Sarah's story about a man who (unsuccessfully) tries to fight a bear and turns it into a film about a has-been wrestler who tries to jump start his career by... yep, you guessed it! Then, Zach brings us the story of a scam based around getting young children add...
Apr 29, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 161
We’re back after a quick Unseen hiatus (have you listened to the latest episode of Unseen? It’s very good!) with some visibly bad ideas! First, Sarah delivers a wheelbarrow full of pennies to Zach and Gabriel, who turn a story of petty bullying by a horrible boss into a Leprechaun with the absolute worst luck. Then, Gabriel presents a research expedition that no one asks for and we turn it into a psychological thriller that plays with the limits of human endurance and the passage of time. Plus: ...
Apr 23, 2021•35 min•Ep. 160
