This Is Bad

Norm, Sam, and Patrick reflect on what is bad. Will we dissect American imperialism thru the lens of pop culture? Will we just cringe at fart jokes? Is it hate-watching if we love to do it? Subscribe to find out. Our "first season" attempts to follow along with the ill advised laugh track sitcom United States of Al about a veteran of the war in Afghanistan bringing his Afghan interpreter to Ohio for hijinks to ensue. You need not watch the media we discuss to enjoy our episodes, and its probably for the best.

Last refreshed: July 25th, 2025 at 7:50 PM ⓘ

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Episodes

Episode 8: United States of Al Is Bad

Return of the Macks! Well...return of the podcasters at least. In this episode Norm explains why we've been gone so long. Then, at long last, hear our analysis of the final two episodes of the awful sitcom United States of Al. The show runners made our jobs easy by making these two of the worst episodes to date. One of which even solidifies that they have no interest whatsoever in broadening the public understanding and acceptance of the people of Afghanistan. Who cares about Afghanistan anyhoo ...

Sep 09, 2021•1 hr 24 min•Season 1Ep. 8

Episode 7: Paul Newman's Lemonade

The penultimate podcast of our first season! We talk about how all Big Brother really wants to know is when you went to Chili's. Is toxoplasmosis what is keeping Jair Bolsonaro alive? Norm cannot hold himself back from ranting about the worst dating advice YouTuber he has stumbled across. We discuss episodes 10 and 11 of United States of Al where our heroes make binders full of women, we learn of heavenly hall passes, Californians spare no expense in keeping their butts clean, we get SO EXCITED ...

Jul 22, 2021•1 hr 8 min•Season 1Ep. 7

Episode 6: The Principles of Micrositcoms

Unlike most episodes of our podcast, where we treat the show United States of Al as the almost afterthought of our podcast it deserves to be, we actually spend almost this entire podcast talking about episodes 8 and 9 of the sitcom. Mostly because episode 8 was *almost* a "Very Special Episode" about war. But in true United States of Al fashion the conflict and arguments are abandoned almost as soon as they are referenced. Also Norm sings the Picard Song as he ponders if Wesley Crusher really wa...

Jun 26, 2021•1 hr 14 min•Season 1Ep. 6

Episode 5: Buy It for the New Baby Smell

We discuss many things on this episode including the eye care grift Life Strength Network, how Gwyneth Paltrow and Alex Jones are selling the same sawdust, the pressing global concerns we would love to shill products for, Paul McCartney's eye kegels, and Norm just cant help going on a tangent about youtube grifter Prince EA. After some discussion of episode 7 of United States of Al we had to cut our recording so Sam could make his vaccine appointment. Somehow when we resumed recording a few days...

Jun 14, 2021•1 hr 17 min•Season 1Ep. 5

Episode 4: Gatorade and Advil for the Troops

Sam explains how Metallica attained legendary irony. Norm references two of his favorite comedies from his youth. Elon Musk cauterizes Patrick's sense of humor. Eventually we do get to discussing the overachieving if mediocre Episode 6 of United States of Al. We meet the consensus new favorite character of the pod with a Catalan flare. And Parker/Riley wont tell us why he's mad. Later, in wanting to revisit inspirational youtube grifter Dhar Mann, we end up instead introducing you to inspiration...

May 23, 2021•57 min•Season 1Ep. 4

Episode 3: The Guru of Grift - Dhar Mann

We expand the This Is Bad Podcastematic Universe of characters by introducing you to youtube motivational grifter Dhar Mann. Before that special treat for dessert, we eat our greens by discussing episodes 4 and 5 of United States of Al. We learn that the real stories of the war in Afghanistan and the opioid epidemic were the friends we made along the way. We know it's a strange format to hear us talk about a show you hopefully haven't subjected yourselves to watching, and we would love to hear f...

May 15, 2021•1 hr 16 min•Season 1Ep. 3

Episode 2: I Used To Think That My Life Was a Tragedy, Now I Realize Its a Sitcom

War, Addiction, Sexism, Grief; all heavy topics which United States of Al makes some water cooler small talk with in episodes 2 and 3, before moving on to some more goat jokes! We discuss. Patrick keeps making analogies to The Sopranos until a hawk flies by his window, it's a whole vibe. Please give us feedback. Does this podcast make sense? Does it make you laugh? What is wrong with you/us?

May 05, 2021•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 2

Episode 1: We Need to Talk About Al

Norm, Sam, and Patrick discuss the pilot episode of United States of Al. The dreadful new sitcom about an Afghan interpreter who escapes to Ohio to join his American veteran friend for hijinks and jokes that punch down. After talking about the show and episode, we make prop bets about what will happen in the future, who will be shipped, who will be My Fair Lady-ed, are the characters the same as those on Frasier, and whether the Iraq War will be mentioned at all?

Apr 17, 2021•1 hr 11 min•Season 1Ep. 1

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