Why does no one remember a set of singing vegetables from an Oklahoma grocery store in the 80s? We have a Patreon now ! Sign up to support the show and get access to our bonus podcast, Overunderstood. Show notes: 01:27 - Homeland on Wikipedia 02:45 - Stew Leonard's on Wikipedia 05:46 - Matt's Reddit post 06:45 - Melody Farm Follies on YouTube 06:45 - Melody Farm Follies on YouTube 13:06 - An incredible promo video for Big Fresh 13:15 - Animatronics at Big Fresh 13:40 - Jungle Jim's 14:20 - Anti-...
Dec 15, 2020•47 min•Season 3Ep. 9
A famous datset of Reuters articles from the 1980s includes “Blah blah blah.” in place of some stories. Why? We have a Patreon now ! Sign up to support the show and get access to our bonus podcast, Overunderstood. Show notes: 00:31 - The link Jess sent 8:31 - SGML 8:46 - This is what the blahs look like and this is what all the entries look like. 24:00 - FTP 24:34 - Linguistic Data Consortium 29:00 - RCV1 at NIST and David D. Lewis’s README 30:22 - Construe-TIS: A System for Content-Based Indexi...
Dec 08, 2020•37 min•Season 3Ep. 8
What ever happened with those mysterious seeds that were showing up in U.S. mailboxes? 00:33 - Michigan Department of Agriculture tweet 03:10 - USDA answers frequently asked questions about the mystery seeds, including “What should I do if I already planted the seeds?” 02:30 - Facebook post from the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development 03:52 - Invasive species are no joke!!!! 04:50 - As of this writing, Snopes said there was no motive determined for the seed shipments: Are Am...
Nov 24, 2020•43 min•Season 3Ep. 7
Billy digs into how The Masked Singer got a studio audience to show up during COVID. If you like the show and want access to our bonus feed, Overunderstood, join our Patreon for $5 a month: patreon.com/underunderstood Show notes: 00:35 - The Masked Singer (Wikipedia) 02:29 - King of Mask Singer (Wikipedia) 05:00 - After the Mask - May 6, 2020 (YouTube) 05:07 - The Masked Singer s04e01 (Tubi) - skip to 1m5s to see the clip we're talking about 08:43 - FOX MLB virtual fans (YouTube) 08:58 - tweet 1...
Nov 17, 2020•42 min•Season 3Ep. 6
An unsolved mystery from our members-only podcast, Overunderstood . You can sign up and get access at patreon.com/underunderstood . 1:50 - Unfriendly Chimp Stolen From Cage In Central Park (NYT) - March 6, 1970 4:24 - Thief Says A Rare Bird Needed Love (NYT) — July 14, 1999 and Rare Bird Is Back in Hand, and So Is a Suspect (NYT) — January 28. 1999 6:31 - History of Central Park Zoos . There are no chimps today. 9:34 - Found a relevant crime, with a very different ending, while uploading these s...
Nov 10, 2020•36 min•Season 3Ep. 5
Regina searches for the true story behind a sexist remark. Show notes: 00:40 - This is Geraldine Ferraro's Wikipedia page. 0:52 - And this is Walter Mondale's. 01:21 - This episode published on November 4, 2020, which is election day in the United States for the 2020 Presidential election. 01:31 - The 2020 Democratic National Convention kicked off on August 17, 2020. It was technically in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, but because of the Coronavirus pandemic it was a mostly virtual event. 03:15 - Edit de...
Nov 03, 2020•35 min•Season 3Ep. 4
The origin story of a wobbly toy with a peculiar name. We have a Patreon now! Members get access to Overunderstood, our bonus podcast. Check it out at patreon.com/underunderstood . Show Notes: 1:47 - Nickelodeon's Wild & Crazy Kids Gwok Ball on Dailymotion 4:26 - Google Books Ngram Viewer results for "guac" 4:57 - Maureen Down piece from the New York Times Magazine, May 29, 1994: The Lost Quayle Diaries 5:27 - The New York Times, January 22, 1997: Snacks to Fix in Super Bowl Timeouts 6:16 - ...
Oct 27, 2020•31 min•Season 3Ep. 3
The FDA gets salty. 0:01 - Underunderstood is on Patreon . THANK YOU SO MUCH to everyone who subscribed so far! 4:50 - TITLE 21--FOOD AND DRUGS CHAPTER I--FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES SUBCHAPTER B--FOOD FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION PART 164 -- TREE NUT AND PEANUT PRODUCTS Subpart B-- Requirements for Specific Standardized Tree Nut and Peanut Products Sec. 164.110 Mixed nuts. 7:15 - People on YouTube like counting nuts: Planters Mixed Nuts - Less Than 50% Peanuts?...
Oct 20, 2020•35 min•Season 3Ep. 2
Once a photo gets on the internet, it could end up anywhere. 0:01 - We have a Patreon now! 2:13 - Product on Amazon 4:10 - Billy's tweet 4:22 - Hellicus's tweet 4:48 - Ryan Broderick 7:00 - CCbeauty's webpage 10:00 - HDcrafter link 1 11:20 - HDcrafter link 2 12:53 - Buzzfeed article 14:33 - Medium account 15:29 - About.me page 17:18 - Mr. Sparkle 25:53 - The guy who replaced Ryan is everywhere 26:46 - iFlashDeal bib 28:26 - Buzzfeed article translated into Chinese 29:19 - Francis on 17qq 31:56 -...
Oct 13, 2020•43 min•Season 3Ep. 1
Adrianne tries to figure out if there is a right way to play Netflix’s awkward social media game. 10:08 - Social Learning and Coordination in High-Stakes Games: Evidence from Friend or Foe 11:55 - Friend or Foe clip - YouTube 15:35 - Shubham Goel for Governor 2018 and video of Shubham’s campaign speech - Instagram 19:15 - Shubham's diagram 21:44 - Here's Why Richard Hatch Won't Be on Survivor's All-Winners Season - Men's Health 23:24 - The Winner of The Circle Opens Up About Life IRL - Wired and...
Feb 10, 2020•36 min•Season 2Ep. 9
Why do so many Pennsylvania homes have freestanding toilets in their unfinished basements? 01:21 - Pittsburgh toilet - Wikipedia 02:44 - The dual toilets at Cloister Cafe - Yelp 04:19 - Peculiar Pittsburgh: The Pittsburgh potty ... explained - YouTube 06:50 - Documenting The Pittsburgh Potty - 90.5 WESA 07:46 - The original version of this story misidentified this quote. It's from realtor Stephen Cummings. 08:11 - Slavery in Pittsburgh - Popular Pittsburgh 11:33 - Architect Offers Explanation Fo...
Jan 28, 2020•21 min•Season 2Ep. 8
Is H&M using Billie Eilish to greenwash? 01:19 - H&M Now Sells Billie Eilish Merch — & It's Sustainable - Refinery29 03:05 - Sustainable Fashion on Wikipedia 04:29 - A copy H&M's press release 05:15 - Greenwashing on Wikipedia 05:49 - H&M's Billie Eilish collection 05:53 - H&M's Conscious Collection 06:20 - Here are some of the publications that called this line sustainable: Teen Vogue , MTV.com , Mic , WWD , NME 10:56 - "Is Billie Eilish's line at H&M sustainable?" -...
Jan 21, 2020•37 min•Season 2Ep. 7
Add “Smurf butt” to the list of things to expect when you’re expecting. 00:43 - Maile's original email included this article . 01:45 - When jeans bleed onto your skin, you can tell . 03:40 - According to a study done at Johns Hopkins there is a correlation between heartburn and hairiness. The heartburn is due to estrogen causing the esophageal sphincter to relax, which allows stomach acid to splash up into the esophagus. That estrogen is also responsible for hair growth in the developing baby. 0...
Jan 14, 2020•26 min•Season 2Ep. 6
We’ve done 12 stories so far, and since we first published them there have been some updates, and new details have emerged. Today we’re rounding those up. Where’s My Chile? 3:50 - Elitech RC-4 Temperature Data Logger Recorder with External Temperature Sensor 7:50 - Ben Chapman and Don Schaffner of the Food Safety Talk podcast Underunderwear 10:26 - Chris' custom undies 10:34 - Here's a stock graphic that breaks it all down for you. Recorded for Awesomeness 14:22 - A screenshot of Yelp's app upda...
Jan 07, 2020•26 min•Season 2Ep. 5
00:22 - Cap'n Crunch was created by Pamela Low in 1963. 01:50 - Urban Dictionary defines Cap'n Crunch Mouth as "When the roof of your mouth gets all torn up after eating Cap'n Crunch or some other rough food." 02:23 - Underunderstood: The 9/11 Hoax That Wasn't 03:15 - The Try Guys: Eugene Ranks The Most Popular Cereals 07:11 - A collection of tweets claiming Cap'n Crunch has shrunk 08:21 - My Brother, My Brother and Me 16:20 - Partially hydrogenated oils (or PHOs) were deemed to be no longer cla...
Dec 17, 2019•36 min•Season 2Ep. 4
A small town fights for internet justice by boycotting biscuits. 2:23 - LulaRoe Defective Fail on Facebook 3:29 - Biscuitville page on Wikipedia 4:51 - Petition: BRING ABED HASSAN BACK on Change.org 13:53 - The First Pizzaville vs. The First Biscuitville 17:47 - Biscuitville announces a new president 18:56 - Jim Metevier (LinkedIn) 19:59 - Zaxby's (BONUS: Zaxby’s made it on My Brother My Brother and Me’s Munch Squad segment .) 21:48 - Mountain Mike's announces a new president...
Dec 10, 2019•26 min•Season 2Ep. 3
How a misfit polka band scored a premium spot on the World Wide Web in 1995. 0:35 - " The Verge is an ambitious multimedia effort founded in 2011 to examine how technology will change life in the future for a massive mainstream audience." (The Verge) 4:05 - More Brave Combo accolades are on their Wikipedia page 4:11 - Bob Dylan's version of Brave Combo's polka arrangement of "Must Be Santa" (YouTube) 6:53 - Domain Name Journal 8:11 - What Brave.com/bo looked like in 1998 (Wayback Machine) 11:23 ...
Dec 03, 2019•29 min•Season 2Ep. 2
McFlurries aren't what they used to be. Why did McDonald's stop stirring them? Show notes: 2:29 - McFlurry demo (YouTube) 6:40 - Adrianne's McFlurry 8:40 - Why Is the McFlurry Machine Down Again? (WSJ) 9:07 - Ice Check 10:10 - Are McFlurry's supposed to be mixed? (Reddit) 12:08 - On the Clock: What Low-Wage Work Did to Me and How It Drives America Insane 15:06 - Whatever Happened to Pizza at McDonald's? 19:55 - VitaMix VM0804A - McFlurry Ice Cream Mixer (Used) 23:51 - I Tried To Get A Flurried M...
Nov 26, 2019•30 min•Season 2Ep. 1
While we’re working on new episodes of Underunderstood, we we'd share an episode of another podcast we love: Endless Thread. It’s a show that brings Reddit to life by tracking down its strangest, most compelling stories, and talking to the folks involved in those stories. This episode is about an old dice game called The Deadly Double. In order to find the origins of the game, Amory Sivertson and Ben Brock Johnson fall into a series of rabbit holes, including an enormous dice collection, a forme...
Oct 22, 2019•37 min•Season 1Ep. 9
Adrianne buys some money online in order to track down a rumor about Chinese bank tellers. 2:06 - Photos of the $100 bills: Front / Back 3:35 - Hell money 13:18 - Reporter Jon Christian 16:35 - Wayne Homren's blog post from 2011 19:00 - Money Makers (99% Invisible) 21:30 - Fascinating ways to count money! Bank teller shows quick counting skills (YouTube) 21:40 - Chinese cashier's amazing cash counting skills (YouTube) 21:50 - Chinese bank teller counts money by ear (YouTube) 25:59 - The Knowledg...
Aug 27, 2019•33 min•Season 1Ep. 8
John finds out if it is safe to eat a suitcase full of chili peppers that have been missing for three days. 5:45 - Where’s My Suitcase 8:16 - #wheresmysuitcase on Twitter is a harrowing scene 10:50 - Bags, Inc. 11:11 - Bags VIP 11:50 - Bags, Inc.’s corporate video on Vimeo 14:04 - We cannot link to F-14 Baggage because they have absolutely no web presence 18:40 - The Middle Seat at the Wall Street Journal 21:00 - The weather in Albuquerque in January 2019 22:56 - The weather in New York City in ...
Aug 20, 2019•42 min•Season 1Ep. 7
The surprising history behind a charming marquee in downtown Newark, New Jersey. Show notes: 00:06 - Billy shot and edited Underunderstood's trailer video in one day. 00:24 - KCRW's 7th Annual 24-Hour Radio Race 00:58 - KCRW announced the theme on Twitter 01:09 - Wiktionary defines "where the sun don't shine" as "up or in the anus." 03:27 - Little Theatre on Cinema Treasures 03:36 - This little porn movie house learned to survive for decades -- until last week - NJ.com 04:51 - Whitney Strub blog...
Aug 13, 2019•11 min•Season 1Ep. 6
Adrianne tries to order from a local sushi restaurant, but an unfamiliar voice answers, promising "awesomeness." Awesomeness for whom? Show notes: 2:16 - “ GrubHub is buying up thousands of restaurant web addresses. That means Mom and Pop can’t own their slice of the internet ,” published June 28, 2019 by H. Claire Brown at The New Food Economy. 13:07 - Dark patterns 13:54 - A report about Munish Narula’s class action lawsuit from Nation’s Restaurant News 14:19 - “Restaurateurs across the countr...
Aug 06, 2019•38 min•Season 1Ep. 5
Billy’s sister thinks a photo that repeatedly goes viral on Reddit is suspicious. Show notes: 0:40 – All of the photos discussed in this episode are available on our website 2:02 – Snopes: “Is This a Photograph of a World Trade Center Tourist on 9/11?” 3:23 – Pinball Gallery 5:59 – The Balloon Saloon has nothing to do with this episode, but it is a place in Tribeca. 6:39 – In 2014, Austin Sansone popped up on Reddit to claim the photo. 8:05 – Former child actor Mark Lester 26:35 – r/AlternateAng...
Jul 30, 2019•33 min•Season 1Ep. 4
A Wikipedia stub about the worst Florida theme park idea ever sends John on a search for the reason it never opened. Show notes: 0:45 - New Vietnam on Wikipedia 1:12 - Dolly Parton's Stampede (formerly Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede) 2:16 - Carl McIntire on Wikipedia 3:52 - Wild West City 5:50 - New Vietnam in Uncle John's Ahh-Inspiring Bathroom Reader 7:25 - Portable Press 8:11 - 20th Century Reformation Hour 8:44 - Some clips of the 20th Century Reformation Hour 9:37 - Christianity Today, May 2...
Jul 23, 2019•44 min•Season 1Ep. 3
A tweetstorm about men’s role in pregnancy leads Regina to find a man who spent over a decade suppressing his sperm count with a piece of yarn. Show notes: 00:33 - Wikipedia page for heat-based contraception 00:57 - The movie 'Heat' is the first time Robert De Niro and Al Pacino starred in a movie together 01:31 - Regina would like to state for the record that said baby is now 1 year old, absolutely adorable, and spends significantly less time crying than she did at the time of the initial pitch...
Jul 16, 2019•35 min•Season 1Ep. 2
After watching an episode of “Catfish: The TV Show,” Billy goes on a deep dive to find the meaning of a curious ankle tattoo, the eccentricities of the Philadelphia accent, and one man’s fixation with the word “gas.” Show notes: 00:40 - Catfish: The TV Show - Wikipedia 00:57 - Catfish - Season 7, Episode 18 - Nick and Jasmine (video) 01:35 - To Catch a Predator - Wikipedia 01:46 - Definition of Catfish by Merriam-Webster The scene (video) from Catfish (the 2010 documentary) where the term was co...
Jul 09, 2019•41 min•Season 1Ep. 1
There are questions the internet just hasn't answered yet. We investigate those questions and get the answers.
Jun 28, 2019•1 min
