Baconsale: Hickory-smoked Pop Culture

Discussions faster than a speeding bullet. Opinions more powerful than a locomotive. Able to jump to wild conclusions in a single bound. Listen! Up in your earbuds! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's Baconsale! Yes, on this episode we’re talking about Superman—that strange visitor from another planet who has been portrayed in live-action movies with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men. Your mild-mannered hosts, Joel, Kent, and Zack, will have to decide which actor portraying the Man of Steel will get their vote for such categories such as Best Costume, Best Clark Kent, Best Chemistry, and Best Acting. We’ll also be making our picks for Best Lois, Most Emotional Moment, Best Lex Luthor, Who’d Win in a Fight, and Best Movie Overall.   Take off your glasses and press play to fight for truth, justice, and the American way.

Yes, Baconsale has ranked basic condiments before, but these brand-name sauces add a whole new flavor to the discussion. Joel, Kent, and Zack are taking a dip into the fast-food realm to discuss dressings such as Arby’s Horsey Sauce, Del Taco Del Scorcho, Chick-fil-A Sauce, In-N-Out Burger Spread, McDonald’s Sweet 'N Sour Sauce, Popeyes Mardi Gras Mustard, Papa John’s Special Garlic Sauce, Wingstop Ranch, Raising Cane’s Cane Sauce, and more. As we debate on which condiments are Fire, which ones are just Good Good, and which ones blackened our taste buds, we’ll unintentionally do Sean Connery impersonations, reveal all the copycat recipes, occasionally change tiers, and learn which podcasters can’t handle spice.   The tangy delta cow wants you to press play.

So, here’s the deal: the Baconsale boys are going on a road trip to see “Weird Al” Yankovic in Idaho, and their music playlist ran a little short. Therefore, they’re going to pass the final hour of their journey by playing a series of games based on information found on IMDb (the Internet Movie Database), and you can play along with us! Joel, Kent, and Zack will be guessing film titles during such games as Actor Stacker, Tagline You’re It, Movie Password, Status Quote, Body of Work, and 20 Questions. And with actual concert merch on the line for the winner, the stakes have never been higher. Witness our cinematic strengths and our film failings as we reassuringly offer some pity points, randomly pick the same flicks, and repeatedly predict Armageddon.   Press play, because this episode is for sure animated.

Strike a pose. Baconsale is ready to discuss the best-selling female recording artist of all time. Who’s That Girl? Well, it’s the Queen of Pop herself: Madonna. Everybody may not Cherish all the Music this Material Girl has produced, but it’s no Secret that she’s a Popular figure in pop culture. Joel, Kent, and Zack won’t get Hung Up on Madonna’s controversial past as we try to keep this episode on the family-friendly side of the Borderline. The (True Blue) truth is that it was no Holiday to listen to all of her studio albums, but we managed to get Into the Groove with some new tunes and we Live to Tell you five songs that do not deserve to Take a Bow as well as five songs we think are a Ray of Light.   Life is a mystery, but you can Express Yourself by pressing play.   Visit Baconsale.com to Open Your Heart by listening to the Spotify playlist we created for this episode.

Start your engines, because on this BaconBit, Kent and Zack are going to be reviewing F1 The Movie. It’s a story about a Formula One driver who comes out of retirement and has to… wait, you know what? It’s a summer movie with fast cars starring Brad Pitt. That’s enough to get some people to see it. And after a brief spoiler-free review, Joel will leave (since he hasn’t seen the movie yet), and Kent and Zack will give a spoiler-full review for this story about high-performance, single-seater, open-wheel racing vehicles with spoilers.   It's lights out and away we go! Press play!

Houston, we have a problem, because, believe it or not, the movies we’re discussing on this episode of Baconsale are now 30 years old. As if! Joel, Kent, and Zack have each looked back to infinity and beyond (a.k.a. 1995) to choose films for their own personal Mount Rushmores, before going just around the riverbend to pick answers for categories such as Childhood Favorite, Hipster Pick, The Stuff of Nightmares, and Favorite Soundtrack Song. And while we may ruffle some feathers with our hot takes, repeated picks, and Mickey Mouse/Adam Sandler impersonations, just know that we have the FREEEEEDOM to do so.   Holy schnikes, Batman! Strap on your rollerblades, experiment with computer graphics, and press play!

Every band has to start somewhere, but not every debutant is going to be the belle of the ball. On this episode of Baconsale, we’re taking a look at the first commercial releases of some very popular musical artists. Joel and Kent have each picked five debut albums that put certain bands on the map, as well as five others that make us wonder how they got a second chance. Zack, meanwhile, will be opining on their choices, failing to resist the urge to roll his eyes, and giving a few honorable mentions of his own. We hope you enjoy this audio glimpse into these musicians’ past along with a few shocking revelations.   Press play to find your voice and release a self-titled album.   And visit Baconsale.com to find the Spotify playlist of the debuts we discussed on this episode.

Good morning, listener. The Baconsale episode you’re about to hear is all about the Mission: Impossible film series. The hosts, Joel, Kent, and Zack, have watched all eight of the movies and will begin this operation by giving a brief history of this Tom Cruise-led franchise. Following that, they will present their findings for such categories as Best Stunt, Favorite Gadget, Worst Villain, Most Threatening MacGuffin, Best Run, and Silliest Action Scene. And finally, they will take on the impossible task of ranking these action spy films against each other. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to sit back and enjoy the fallout as we go rogue, ignore protocol, and disavow each other’s reckonings.   Press play before this podcast self-destructs.

It’s been a hot minute since we’ve discussed hot guys on Baconsale, but it seems that time has arrived once again. Joel, Kent, and Babs are going to be choosing the most attractive male celebrities for such categories as Could Pull Off Any Hairstyle, King of Charisma, Looks Great in a Suit, It’s All About the Voice, and Smoothest Dance Moves. Joel will have to look up many of Babs’ picks, and Kent is kind of obsessed with everyone’s height (SPOILER ALERT! Everyone is 5’10”), but we hope you enjoy the deep (and occasionally catty) conversations we have about a very shallow topic.   Grab yourself a vest, watch out for Grey's Anatomy spoilers, and press play.

Well we have done 500 shows, and we would do 500 more, but first we want to celebrate the fact that we’ve made it this far! Therefore, this is a special episode of Baconsale because Joel, Kent, and Zack recorded it live in front of patrons and listener at The Studio at Parker Theatre. We’ll give a bit of a Baconsale sampler platter to the audience as we complete a menu quest bracket, tier some bands we’ve discussed before, and do a streaming services category show. We’ll also play some rounds of the Parents Guide Game and the game of Baconsale with the crowd before opening the microphone for a Q&A session. Things may get a little chaotic, and the show may run a little long, but we hope you enjoy the silliness and the sentimentality of our 500th episode.   Don’t give to peer pressure, but make sure you know who Teri Garr is before you press play.

It’s time to go bold or go home, because Baconsale is celebrating the hardest working hands in fast food: Del Taco. Joel, Kent, and Zack have conquered another fast-food menu and they’re ready to share their epic eating experiences with you. We’ll Feed the Beast by giving a brief history of this Tex-Mex restaurant chain and then get Guac'd Up as we talk about some terrible tacos, mediocre burritos, and surprising hamburgers. Don’t worry, we won’t be too harsh, because we’re grading on a Del curve.   Press play to get some FR E SH A VOCA DO from Of The Taco.

Get this, listener! Zack has finally gotten his dream job of managing The Wonders (Oneders?) and he’s trying to find their next big gig. Luckily, both Joel and Kent are planning big music festivals featuring famous fictional bands from film and TV such as Powerline, Wyld Stallyns, Josie and the Pussycats, School of Rock, The Blues Brothers, The Partridge Family, Mouse Rat, Hannah Montana, and Zack Attack. However, the festivals are on the same day, so Zack will have to decide at which event his boys will play based solely on which acts are already booked to perform.   Will you be attending Joelchella or When We Were Dunn? Press play to decide!   And visit Baconsale.com to find our YouTube playlist of bands featured in this episode.

Spielberg, Nolan, Bigelow, Kubrick, Cameron, Hitchcock—each of these directors are known for their well-crafted films and contributions to cinema. However, every car lot has a lemon and, on this episode of Baconsale, we’re taking a look at the lowest point of some of the highest-revered filmmakers. Joel, Kent, and Zack will be joined by our guest Jonathan to examine each director’s filmography and call out the weakest movie.   Does Netflix ruin directors? Has Kent lost his edge? How do you spell Scor-seysey? Press play to find out.

I Know What You Did Last Summer, you listened to our movie preview, right? Well, we’re not waiting until 28 Years Later to do that type of show again because, on this episode of Baconsale, we’re going to Bring Her Back and discuss the films that are coming out in the summer of 2025. Our (Fantastic Four) First Steps will be presenting the films we want to flop. And we don’t want to be The Bad Guys 2, so we’ll dance around some sensitive topics like a graceful Ballerina. Then, like a Clown in a Cornfield, we’ll rise up and The Final Reckoning of our conversation will be about the movies we think will be Super(man). Though our Friendship will be tested as we get closer to our Final Destination (Bloodlines) and our opinions differ.   Press play to initiate the latest live-action/computer-generated animation hybrid film remake.

It's an episode of laughter, an episode of tears, because Baconsale is talking about the music of Disneyland. Some of these soundtracks may even be more famous than the rides they come from. We’ll surprise each other (and repeat some answers) as we pick songs for such categories as Annoying Earworm, Bring it Back, Captures Disney Magic, Overrated, Pairs Perfectly with a Churro, Oddly Relaxing, and I’d Play this at My Wedding. Joel, Kent, and Zack will also share some fun facts about each attraction's soundtrack, which may include multiple references to Thurl Ravenscroft and/or Michael Giacchino.    Press play, me hearties, yo ho!   And visit Baconsale.com to find our Disneyland music playlist on YouTube.

The battle to see who will be The Listener of Baconsale is over, but the pop culture war is just beginning. On this BaconBit, Scott, Taylor, and Kris will be put to the test as they represent Team Listener and take on the semi-undefeated Joel and Kent (a.k.a. Team JK). Zack has done away with the buzzers this time, so it’s not about who has the fastest reaction time, but rather who knows the most about Power Rangers, rappers, The Matrix, Full House, Ireland, rated-R movies, Taylor Swift, and more.   Press play to let the record show what the peanut gallery has on their whiteboards.

Happy anniversary, Baconsale! We’re celebrating 10 years of our podcast by bringing on some contestants and having them compete against each other to see who will be The Listener for the next year. Scott, Taylor, and Kris have proven their pop-culture prowess and picked their walk-up music, but only one will come out victorious. Zack will be quizzing them on such topics as Disneyland rides, mall food court menus, Lost trivia, trilogy truths, brand mascots, and background Baconsale knowledge. We’ll also have them play the Parents Guide Game, a few rounds of Jeopardy, and the game of Baconsale itself.   But who will be the GOAT this year? How will our competitors fare with imaginary buzzers? What kind of off-color, off-mic comments will Babs make? How big is the trophy for this year? Press play to find out!

It’s time for Joel, Kent, and Zack to speak about the solicitors we seek out each selling season: Girl Scout Cookies! On this episode of Baconsale, we’ll be talking about Thin Mints, sounding off on Samoas (a.k.a. Caramel deLites), and debating about Do-si-dos (a.k.a. Peanut Butter Sandwiches). As we rate each of the 12 types of cookies we acquired, we will do our best to be honest and fair, friendly and helpful, considerate and caring, courageous and strong, and responsible for what we say and do. We’ll also discuss some cookie controversies, utilize Baconscience, reveal which treats are (not-so) secretly vegan, and occasionally talk like grandmas.   Press play to hear an on-air taste test and discover which of us is scared of coconut flakes.

Welcome to the Jungle, listener, because Baconsale has begun The Final Countdown to finish our 1980s rock bracket. The previous episode was the Glory Days, when we could Jump to conclusions relatively easily. But now Joel, Kent, and Zack are experiencing a New Sensation of stress as each matchup tastes like Bad Medicine and each decision could give them a Bad Reputation. But We Won’t Back Down from this journey we started, and in The Spirit of Radio we’ll swallow our Pride and continue on until only One band remains Alone.   Join us on this Flight of Icarus to determine who plays the best Rock of Ages by pressing play.   If you’d like to Bark at the Moon along with us, you can download the advanced 80s rock bracket at Baconsale.com.

For those about to listen to this 80s rock tournament, we salute you! This episode of Baconsale Hurts so Good, because Joel, Kent, and Zack have gathered some of the greatest Juke Box Heroes from the 1980s on a bracket to determine who is the best. It’s going to be a Heartbreaker whenever we put two amazing bands up against each other and have to decide who’s visited by the Angel of Death in the Heat of the Moment. And it may seem like a Madhouse as we share our reasoning, but don’t let our picks Rock You Like a Hurricane. Don’t Run to the Hills or Bang Your Head, either. Just keep in mind that you Don’t Know What You Got Till It’s Gone, and this is still Nothin’ But a Good Time.   Who’s gonna win? Well, Our Lips are Sealed until the second half of this tournament.   Download our official bracket at Baconsale.com to Rock the Casbah at home, and if you’re living in a Land of Confusion, you can find our sampler platter playlist on our website, as well.