Baconsale: Hickory-smoked Pop Culture

With a new Listener crowned, it’s time for all three contestants to combine their forces against the undefeated-ish Team JK. Listen as Zack tests who has the quicker buzzer finger and the most correct answers on TV trivia, video game history, literary queries, chess facts, and far too many math questions (according to Joel & Kent). Will Team JK prove their dominance once again? Or will Team Listener rise to the occasion?   Whether you live in Genovia, Genosha, or Geonosis, press play!

Now that we’ve passed Supernatural in number of episodes, it’s time for Baconsale to celebrate our anniversary show! Spencer, the former Listener, has graciously resigned from his position. This left a power vacuum, which is being courageously contended for by three respectable replacements: Valerie, Mark, and Chad. Listen as we quiz our contestants on highest-grossing movies, Behind the Bacon trivia, chiptune covers, poorly sung one-hit wonders, and of course, the game of Baconsale.   Press play to give golf claps at Blake’s Barber Shop.

Summer just gets earlier and earlier in theaters, doesn’t it? On this episode of Baconsale, we’re going to guide you through the next four months or so, and let you know which movies we’re excited for and which movies we want to bomb (and have wanted to bomb for the past couple years). We’ll be spiteful, we’ll be hopeful, and occasionally some breaking news bulletins come across our desk. Does Kent’s love for A24 have any boundaries? Is Jordan Peele the new M. Night Shyamalan? Are our picks going to be released in theaters or on streaming? Does anyone remember Marcel the Shell with Shoes On?   Nope. Press play!

We had so much fun putting similarly titled songs head-to-head last time, that we’ve decided to do another 22 rounds of mini musical matchups. And this time, Baconsale is going to prove how hip they are to kids’ music these days, because we’re including such hits as “All I Want,” “Dynamite,” “Somebody to Love,” and “Sugar.” We’ll try our best to not confuse you about which song we’re talking about, but we can’t guarantee that Zack will use words like triple and quadruple—that’s just too easy. We’ll also retire a couple songs, and we all get kicked off the show at some point.   Press play to waffle down with the twin-twins.

We’re going The Whole Nine Yards on this episode of Baconsale and discussing everything from when Bruce Willis was The Kid with the stutter to our shattered feelings about Glass. Joel, Kent, and our friend Emily are going to pick answers for 12 Monkeys, er… 10 categories from Bruce’s many film & TV roles, based on The Sixth Sense we each have. Sometimes we’re Split, and our picks are Unbreakable, so we’ll Die Hard before we agree with the others. Other times, our choices are taken Hostage by other Bandits at the table, which pushes us Over the Hedge, and we start seeing RED. Either way, we hope you accept us as your Surrogates for making these decisions.   Press play to initiate podcast Armageddon!

Hi, welcome to Baconsale! How many are in your party? On this episode, we’re discussing dining etiquette, with Kent offering the dating perspective, Joel speaking as a parent of many children, and Zack giving his thoughts as a former food service employee (and table tickler). We’re also going to read some of your recommended restaurant rules and let you know which ones we think are well-done and which opinions are rare. Plus, we’ll supply you with pro dining tips and discuss which eating establishments are collar-worthy.   Press play to fall on the wrong food sword.

It’s time you got to know Baconsale a little better, because we’ve invited some special guests on this BaconBit: our pets! Listen as Cruz, Quigley, and Stella speak the truth about their respective owners, while Kent, Joel, and Zack just have to sit there and take it. Our canine and feline guests don’t stay for very long, though, because they’ve got places to go and people to sniff. However, we hope you enjoy this brief insight into our lives on the first day of April.   Press play to drop it! And by “it,” we mean this episode.

The Academy Awards have been hit hard with low ratings lately, which has been quite a blow to Hollywood’s ego. However, this year’s Oscars clapped back and scored the second-lowest viewership ever! They think they deserve a pat on the back (or face), but we’re going to critique how the ceremony went, even when things went out of whack. Joel, Kent, and Zack are going to attack their predictions from the past and punch up this dry BaconBit with a little bit of humor and some smack talk. We’re going to strike every award category and announce each winner, along with the winner among Baconsale hosts, and the winner of our 94th Academy Award listener ballot bash.   Press play to become a vessel of love.

Don’t Stop Believin’ that this Baconsale episode is going to be a Thriller, because we’re going to finish our quest to find the One song to rule them all. And while some of this music gives us Good Vibrations and makes us want to be a Dancing Queen, other tunes are barely Livin’ on a Prayer and will sink Like a Stone and take the Stairway to Heaven. What a Wonderful World it is, listener, because of the song submissions you gave us. We couldn’t have done this tournament With or Without You.   Hey Jude! You’re the Fortunate Son who gets to press play! Download and print our advanced Song of Songs bracket at Baconsale.com.

In order to salvage their continually plummeting ratings, the Academy Awards asked three quasi-famous hosts to help people care about the films that no one has seen and the ceremony no one is watching. Unfortunately, Joel, Kent & Zack were busy recording this episode, so the Oscars will have to settle for less. Nevertheless, we’re going to continue our tradition of making predictions for the Academy Award winners on this episode of Baconsale. Listen as Kent tries to not follow his heart, Joel scours the web to find answers, and Zack plays the odds in Vegas.   Is something coming for Spielberg’s West Side Story? Will King Richard finally be crowned? Can Encanto work its magic on the voters? Will The Power of the Dog receive Best in Show? Press play to hear our thoughts. And visit Baconsale.com to submit your own predictions for the 94th Academy Awards on our official ballot for a chance to win a fabulous cinematic prize!

Everybody Wants to Rule the World, but Baconsale just wants to determine the best song in the world. Therefore, we looked In Your Eyes and used your musical submissions to see which tunes you thought embody The Spirit of Radio. As Kent, Joel, and Zack make their way through this tournament, some of your picks will be given the Respect that they deserve, whereas others will be quickly given The Kill. Regardless, you’re bound to feel some Sweet Emotion as we complete the first round of this epic Song of Songs bracket.   Press play to hear us ruin our vocal cords with falsetto and then try to Shake It Off.   Download and print off our official bracket at Baconsale.com.

Listener, start your engines! We’re gearing up to talk about cars on this episode of Baconsale. Unfortunately, Kent & Joel know as much about cars as they do sports, but Zack is a motorhead, and we are joined by our automotive enthusiast friends, Adam & Rachel. We’ll each be picking answers for such categories as our first vehicles, the best car for a date, the one we’d buy if money were no object, and the vehicle we would want in a zombie apocalypse. It’s a humbling episode, especially as Joel and Kent are trying to understand horsepower, engine liters, and displacement, but we hope you enjoy the ride as much as we did. Press play to shift into high gear!   Also, you can find an interactive slideshow of the cars, trucks, and vans we talk about on this episode at Baconsale.com.

Fear is a tool. And it seems that Matt Reeves is utilizing that tool as much as possible with his version of The Batman. But does this film lean too much into the dark & brooding tone? And will Baconsale ever see Robert Pattinson as the World’s Greatest Detective instead of just a sparkling vampire? Listen as we give our review of The Batman and deftly avoid spoilers for the first part of this BaconBit. However, once we descend into spoiler territory, watch out... because we are vengeance!   Riddle me this: why haven’t you pressed play yet?

It’s a wild night in Gotham City! Twenty-four of Batman’s most notorious foes are on the loose. And every time the Caped Crusader drops them off on the steps of Arkham Asylum, it’s up to the three guards (Joel, Kent & Zack) to decide which level of security each one of these villains needs for their holding cell. Listen as we do our best to keep Kent away from the clutches of Catwoman, try to stop Man-Bat from messing with Zack’s hair, and safely detain the Joker during Joel’s many lunch breaks.   Press play to tune in and hear what happens! Same Baconsale-time! Same Baconsale-channel!

For years, Kent and Joel have downplayed their knowledge of sports and sports-related trivia. But Zack is suspicious that they actually know more than they let on. Therefore, on this episode of Baconsale, Zack is going to quiz the other two on basic sports knowledge, but this time it’s going to be with Joel’s & Kent’s powers combined as Team JK. If they win, they get a sport trophy. However, if they lose, they’ll have to do a choreographed cheer on social media, so the stakes have never been higher.   Don’t be a back-wanderer! Press play to get your head in the game and see if they can knock it out of the park. Go sports!

Some of us at Baconsale haven’t really understood the hype behind the character Boba Fett since he was knocked into the Sarlacc pit by a blind guy with a stick, but will this new Disney Plus series change our minds? Joel, Kent, and Zack have watched all seven episodes and they’re ready to review it for you on this BaconBit. If you haven’t watched it yet, don’t worry, the first part is spoiler free. After a clear warning, we’ll dive into all sorts of spoilers as well as other Star Wars lore like the books and The Clone Wars series.   Don’t worry, Peopledalorian, the hip Mods will protect you from the fish head mafia.

Baconsale would do anything for love, it seems, because we’re back for a third round of love songs! You’d think that by this point we’d be scraping the bottom of the romantic music barrel, but even we were surprised to discover how many amazing tunes we still hadn’t talked about. Listen as we pick answers for categories such as Most Emotional, How You Feel After That First Kiss, Best Power Ballad, and Favorite Foreign Language Love Song. There is so much love in the room on this episode…that is, until Kent brings the room down with his hipster picks. Nevertheless, you should still check out our playlist at Baconsale.com.   Press play to get kissed by a rose!

After our amazing showing in the Summer Olympics, Baconsale has been invited to participate in the Winter Olympics. We’ll first share a brief history of the Winter Games, then Kent, Joel, and Zack will rank each sport and choose a champion to compete in that event. And since these sports are more dangerous than the summer ones, the stakes have never been higher. Hear Joel’s proposed adjustments to our official Baconsalia uniforms, beware of Kent’s snowboarder bias, and learn how Zack became a human blanket.   Press play to (kind of) learn the difference between a toe loop jump, a flip, and a Lutz.

Oh no! Zack was invited to two different sleepovers on the same night at the same time. How ever will he choose which one to go to? It’s up to Kent and Joel, who are hosting the separate shindigs, to pick the best possible party video games that will entice Zack to attend their event. And it’s a schoolyard pick, so they’re both choosing from the same list and stealing games (and guests) from one another. Is Super Smash Bros. the ultimate? Will Baconsale start a Dance Dance Revolution? Who is the greatest Guitar Hero? Baby, can you see our Halo?   Press play to pick your video game party.

What is that sound? Those crunching noises pervading the air? Well, it seems as if Baconsale has a few chips left in our bag of bags, and Joel, Kent & Zack are ready to rank! No crackers are allowed this time as we take on Tostitos, meditate on Miss Vickie’s, pick on Pringles, review Ruffles, and debate Doritos. And as we tier 21 of these popular corn & potato snacks, watch out for wooofs of onion, Zack’s impromptu slogans, and salt shaming. Oh, and does anyone want to count how many times we say the word “cheese”?   Press play to truly understand what cheetle means.