Baconsale: Hickory-Smoked Pop Culture

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.

Magic mirror, on the wall, who's the most controversial live-action Disney remake of all? On this BaconBit, Joel, Kent, and Zack will be giving their thoughts and opinions about Snow White (2025), Disney's latest reimagining/money grab. We'll (yellow) skirt around the multiple controversies before debating if this movie is a bad apple or not, all while keeping it spoiler-free for the first 20 minutes or so. After that, we'll wander deep into the forest of spoilers and whistle while we work to remember the various changes from the original animated film and discuss how we feel about them.   Does Snow White dwarf the competition? Press play to find out.

Hello, listener! What's the craic? We're grand, but seein' as how we've done a few of these country-centric episodes before, we figured it was high time we talked about Ireland. And while neither Joel nor Kent nor Zack have been to The Emerald Isle before, two of them really want to go there one day. And yes, there will be some attempts at Irish (or Oirish) accents as the boys are gabbin' about the pop culture influences of Ireland and givin' answers for such categories as A Fine Irish Film, A Lad You Could Hang Out with at the Pub, Celts in Your Mouth, Quite a Lovely Lass, Top O' the Music Industry, and Wails like a Banshee. And we hope you learn a thing or two as you experience Zack's travel facts about Ireland and multiple Pierce Brosnan references.   Brúigh imirt! (That's Gaelic for "press play!")

It's a topsy-turvy world, and maybe the podcast of three people don't amount to a hill of beans. But this is our hill. And these are our beans! Therefore, on this episode of Baconsale, we're ranking parody movies. What are those? They're films that spoof previous works, but that's not important right now. What's really groovy, baby, is that we have 24 comedies that Joel, Kent, and Zack are going to be tiering, including funny flicks like Hot Shots!, Spaceballs, MacGruber, Tropic Thunder, Scary Movie, Robin Hood: Men in Tights, and Waiting for Guffman. Some of them may not rank as high as you'd like, but that's a sacrifice we are willing to make. And beware of exclamation points(!), my wife references, and the Joel genre, as we decide IF we're going to make a sequel.   Put... the candle... back! Then press play.

Having issues logging in? If so — we're on it! Our team is actively investigating, and we hope to have things back up and running soon. Wait, we're Baconsale, not Hulu, so this BaconBit about the 97th Academy Awards should work just fine. Kent was the only one to watch the ceremony live this year, and Zack has regrets because he thought the clips he watched afterwards were funny. But was having Conan O'Brien as the host enough to boost viewership for the Oscars? What was in the big nominee gift bags this time? Is Timothée Chalamet cool? And who won our Baconsale Oscar ballot contest?   Press play to open the envelope and find out.

Neighborhoods are important to Zack, and he's looking for a new place to move his family. Luckily, Kent and Joel are both creating special subdivisions of hand-selected citizens. However, the residents are all annoying families from various TV series that were suggested by you, the listener. Therefore, on this episode of Baconsale, we'll be doing a schoolyard pick of characters from sitcoms such as Arrested Development, The Simpsons, Family Matters, The Beverly Hillbillies, Married with Children, The Goldbergs, Home Improvement, The Addams Family, Malcolm in the Middle, and more. Then it's up to Zack to decide which neighbors he'd like to deal with. There will be plenty of theme song singing, some over-the-shoulder reading, and the shocking revelation that Kent likes blondes.   Press place to decide whether you'd like to live in Kenterville or The Sunshine Sitcommune.

Well, the 97th Academy Awards kind of snuck up on us this year. And while Kent has seen many of the nominees, most others haven't. That's why Baconsale is here. We're fulfilling our duty of giving you the skinny on a bunch of lackluster movies so you don't have to watch them, but you can still sound like an informed film geek around the water cooler. Joel, Kent, and Zack will explain why they're predicting each category winner, and they'll throw in a lot of architecture puns, too. And with Dylan's/Warrens on the line, the stakes have never been higher. Will A Complete Unknown become a household name? Will the Nickel Boys change Academy voters' minds? Will Wicked be green with envy? Does The Substance have the stuff to win? Will Anora escort some Oscars home? Will the Academy be kind to The Brutalist? Is Emilia Pérez el mal? Press play to discover the shocking truth.   Oh, and we're also bribing you to listen. Visit Baconsale.com to fill out our official 2025 Oscars ballot for a chance to win a cinematic prize!

The Baconsale interns may have been fired from their last job at an automated dating service, but some companies just don't learn. This time, Joel, Kent, and Zack are running the applications of lonely movie villains through the high-tech D.A.T.E. machine, then determining how correct the algorithm is. We'll decide if Norman Bates is too much of a momma's boy, if Nurse Ratched will go cuckoo for a man, if Hannibal Lecter would enjoy a taste of romance, and if a cute guy will make the Wicked Witch of the West just melt. Things get a little strange and there are a LOT of puns, but we hope this episode proves that some of us still believe in love.   Press play to be Ruthless Wainwight.

Last season, Baconsale explored the music of specific years in the past. This time, we've decided to put a cinematic spin on that idea and discuss the films we love, the movies we hate, and the flicks we've completely forgotten about from 1985. Joel, Kent, and Zack will start off sharing their Mount Rushmore of movies made 40 years ago, and then we'll give answers for such categories as Better Left in the Past, Guilty Pleasure, Overrated, The Lesser Sequel, and Most Watched. There will be some overlapping choices, and Zack goes full hipster on two 80s babies, but we hope you enjoy the nostalgic vibes and play along as we share synopses first and reminisce about how dark children's films were back then.   Press play to question why Out of Africa was named the best picture of 1985.

Nothing can stop us now. We'll tell you how we're gonna be ranking Disneyland rides again. Ka-chow! This time, Joel, Kent, Zack, and our guest Josh will be talking about Disney California Adventure and ranking the newer attractions in both parks. We have 26 rides to tier, so we'll start things rocking with Astro Orbitor in 1998 and we'll finish up with Tiana's Bayou Adventure in 2024. And during this adventure/voyage/jamboree, we'll share our personal experiences with waiting in lines, riding with kids, shooting game injuries, Winnie the Puh, and terrifying water sprinkles. It's a web-slinging, astro-blasting, Millenium Falcon smuggling, emotional whirlwind on this episode of Baconsale!   Press play to help us find Jack-Jack. Five, four, three, two, one! GO!

Since this is the second episode of a Baconsale season, you can probably predict what we're going to do. However, you won't be able to guess what will be said during our pop culture forecast for 2025. Joel and Kent will try to turn each prophecy into a pitch show, whereas Zack attempts to estimate actual events. We'll chat about celebrities, expound on movies we're excited about, and hold space for soup. We also added a new category to our sports section, and we definitely know what we're talking about this time. But is Joelstradomus dead? Do Kent's conspiracy theories hold merit? And how many times will Zack offer an apology? Listen to find out.    Press play if you're #TeamSessyStitch or #Teamothy.

What should we do for dinner? That's the simple question that spawned a spontaneous adventure for Joel, Kent, and Zack during their recent trip to California. And on this BaconBit, we're going to share our experience going to Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament for the first time. We'll talk about how a day of canceled plans turned into a magical & memorable evening that included an unexpected crowd, some sad horses, eating food with our bare hands, enthusiastic cheering for the color yellow, being served by a very nice wench, and a few embarrassing moments.   Join us, lords & ladies, for a look into how a ridiculous idea became a Baconsale reality.

Baconsale is back and ready to rank our favorite and least favorite movies from the previous year! Zack has decided to only opine during this first episode of our eleventh season, but Kent & Joel have each brought their top five and bottom five films to the table. After some quick cinematic stats, we'll begin with the bad as fulfill our childhood dream of dancing with Post Malone and Satan. For the record, some of these terrible movies have good soundtracks. Then, after discussions about stabbing, misleading posters, and how jelly works, we'll jump into the realm of good and talk about Glen Powell's face, dark & disturbing mainstream picks, and appreciating movies even if you don't like them.   Press play to kick off the season premiere of Baconsale!

Doesn't seem to matter what we do, it's time to say adieu. And as Joel, Kent Daddy, and Zack wrap up season 10 of Baconsale, we're taking a look back at the episodes we've done this year. We'll throw out some seasonal stats first, then we'll begin patting ourselves on the back as we talk (in parentheses) about our favorite intros, outros, images, blurbs, moments, running gags, and more. We'll reminisce about converting to Arby's or cream cheese, we'll offer episode numbers right off the tops of our heads, we'll steal each other's jokes, and we'll even start planning for the future as we discuss the past.   Don't be a cheese pansy, press play to hear the final episode of 2024.

What a bright time, it's the right time, for Baconsale to discuss Christmas music again. It seems that every classic holiday song has been covered hundreds of times, but on this episode, Joel, Kent, and Zack have whittled that down to three popular versions of 25 iconic songs, including "Jingle Bell Rock," "Let It Snow," "O Holy Night," "Sleigh Ride," “Here Comes Santa Claus,” and "Winter Wonderland." We're going to debate each tree-o of tunes and decide which one should be the default on your smart speaker. We'll also talk in parentheses, break some triple ties, and bare some bias about Bing and Bublé.   Beware of Big Gulps making mouth sounds after you press play.   You can also find the Spotify playlist of all the Christmas cover song candidates we bring up on this episode at Baconsale.com.

Baconsale has talked about Hallmark Christmas movies before, but on this episode, we're creating our own holiday-themed rom-com by making a list, checking it twice, and using the childhood game of M.A.S.H. to find out whose films are naughty and nice. Joel, Kent, and Zack will each star in their own movies while a random number generator will pick things like their job, their love interest, their tragic backstory, and their reason for going back to their hometown. Then they'll have to tie everything together in a magically festive way. After we're done, it's up to you, the listener, to decide which clichéd Christmas flick you would choose to watch this winter.   Watch out for Twister references as Twinkle, Jolly, and Mistletoe help you press play!

You know, 2004 doesn't seem that long ago. . .until you start discussing the songs that came out back then. And that's precisely what we're doing on this episode of Baconsale. Joel, Kent, and Zack are going to relive their college and teenage years through music. We're picking our favorite and least favorite tunes for categories such as There's No Way It's 20 Years Old, Iconic Angsty Student/Teen Song, It's Grown on Me, I Hate It Still, and more. There will be some repeated answers, more than a few honorable mentions, and plenty of references to Hoobastank, but you can rest assured that most of these artists are still alive.   Hey, hey, Luda! Press play!   You can also find our official Spotify playlist of songs we discussed on this episode at Baconsale.com.

Are we not merciful that we decided to do another BaconBit for you, our listener? Are you not entertained that Ridley Scott decided to do a sequel to his own Oscar-winning film over 20 years later? Joel hasn't seen the movie yet, but Kent and Zack watched Gladiator II and they're ready to give their review. The first part will be spoiler-free, except for a few plot points they already gave away in the trailer. After that, Joel will exit the arena so that Zack and Kent may unleash the full force of their GladIIator thoughts.   Use those fantastic arms of yours to press play.

The Hot Light is on, which means it's time for Baconsale to discuss Krispy Kreme doughnuts! Or are they donuts? Regardless, Joel, Sprinkles, and Zack have tried over 20 different flavors of yeast-raised, fried, filled, and glazed treats and they're ready to rank them, top to bottom. We'll start with a discussion about the seasonal and limited-time offerings before moving along the icing-caked conveyor belt to our ratings for a baker's dozen of core confections. We may unleash some kontroversies as we chat about the history of the Krispy Kreme chain and offer our opinions, but don't worry, we'll do our best to keep things sweet, light, and fluffy.   Press play to microwave this podcast for 8 seconds.

Let's Get Loud, because it's time for Baconsale to discuss divas. It doesn't matter Whenever, Wherever these powerful female vocalists come from, we've put 32 of them on a bracket to determine which diva is The Best. And there might be One Moment in Time when you'll Roar because we came in like a Wrecking Ball and knocked your favorite singer out after a Shallow argument, but you must Believe that No One thinks these decisions are easy. Joel, Kent, and Zack are going to attempt to keep their Emotions in check, try not to be Toxic, give the proper amount of Respect to each artist, Shake it Off when we lose, and Work to balance recency bias and legacy bias.   Press play to be a Material Girl who is Irreplaceable.   At Baconsale.com, you can download our official Dueling Diva bracket and find our Spotify sampler platter of popular songs from all of these famous women.

It all comes down to this. Joel, Kent Daddy, and Margot Kidder (Zack) are finally concluding their trilogy talk with this third Baconsale episode. You know, unless we decide there's another batch of worthy film trilogies to discuss and release a fourth installment. But this time we're rating famous movie franchises such as Sam Raimi's Spider-Man, Star Wars (Sequels), Pirates of the Caribbean, Jurassic Park, Blade, Cars, Pitch Perfect, The Hangover, and The Lord of the Rings. And who knows? We may be pulling up next to you in a van to offer you some of these DVDs sometime soon. Keep an eye out!   Grandma recommends that you press play, thieves of Steves.

It's alive! Baconsale's episode all about Frankenstein is alive! And before you say it, yes, we know that Frankenstein is the name of the doctor, not his monster. However, Mary Shelley's creation has become so integrated into pop culture that it's hard to tell which ideas actually came from her novel and which were brought to life by Hollywood. That's where we come in. Joel, Kent, and Zack have donned their lab coats to discuss the differences between the book and the movies. Then, we'll share our findings about real-life experiments by mad scientists which ***WARNING*** gets a little gruesome. And finally, we'll wrap things up by letting you know which Frankenstein films are Baconsale-approved.   Flip the switch Fritz/Igor and press play!

Like a cursed frogurt, Baconsale is back to haunt you with another spooky discussion for October. Joel, Kent, Zack, Kang, and Kodos have watched every Simpsons Treehouse of Horror episode and we're ready to share our favorite and least favorite segments with you. Some (Kent and Zack) may say that the episodes have sharply declined in quality over the years and have nothing to do with Halloween anymore, whereas others (Joel) may be a little too positive and end up being a hype man for average parodies. But that's okay, because all podcast and no conflict make Homer something something. Quoth the raven, “set your podcast to evil and press play!”

We want to play a game. During this episode of Baconsale, Joel, Kent, and Zack are going to try and determine how much of a “final girl” they really are. Therefore, we've created a list of horror movie villains, from A to Xenomorph, and will decide in each round if we'd defeat these monsters, if we'd barely survive the attack, or if we'd die a cowardly death. Along the way, there may be some humorous, though semi-graphic descriptions of how we (or they) would meet our (or their) demise, so listener discretion is advised. However, we invite you to play along and let us know how you'd fare in each hypothetical Halloween scenario.   Press play to see if you'll end up being buddies with bad guys.

Don't be afraid, listener, it's just Baconsale. And we're kicking off this October with an episode about frightful feelings. We'll begin with a discussion about the most common fears in the world and confess which of us are afraid of the mainstream. Then we'll let Zack pronounce some bizarre phobias while Joel and Kent explain what each term means. And finally, we asked you for your most irrational fears, and we're going to list them (with some semblance of anonymity), judge them, and then rank them from the most rational to the most absurd. It's a fearfully fun time!   Press play to let raw meat be your constant and unlock your Californiaphobia.

Ahoy, listener! Welcome aboard this episode of Baconsale, where Joel, Kent, and Zack are going to be discussing the smooth sounds of yacht rock with our friend, Scott. If you're not familiar with this style of music, don't worry, we'll explain (as best we can) which songs & artists are considered part of it. Then we'll present our choices for such categories as Best Love Song, Smoothest Saxophone, Would Make Me Jump Off the Yacht, Favorite Solo Artist, and Best Song Featuring Michael McDonald That Isn't from The Doobie Brothers. And if we're not sure about an answer, we can always turn to Captain Yacht Rock himself for approval.   Press play to set a course for smooth sailing tunes!   And visit Baconsale.com to find our official Spotify playlist of the yacht rockers we discussed on this episode.

In honor of the 20th anniversary of Oceanic Flight 815's crash, we've opened our eyes and are ready to talk about the TV series Lost. We'll start off on the spoiler-free side of the island, giving some general background about this iconic ABC drama and flashing back to our personal experiences with the show. Then, after some time has passed, we'll climb down the spoiler hatch to discuss specific plot points and rank our favorite characters, moments, and episodes. Joel, Kent & Zack, won't answer every question you may still have about Lost, but we'll attempt to clear some black smoke away from the bigger mysteries. And we're going to try to finish this Baconsale episode in less than 4.815162342 hours.   Don't be a purposeful Poochie, press play!

Yip yip! M. Night Shyamalan's film The Last Airbender has been derided as one of the worst films ever made since it was released in 2010—perhaps rightly so, since it offended fans of the original animated TV series and bewildered newcomers to the story. However, on this episode of Baconsale, it's up to Joel, Kent, and Zack to defend this attempt at a live-action adaptation and keep things positive. Why? Because you told us to. We'll justify odd pronunciations, we'll present our favorite scenes, we'll make Taco Bell comparisons, and we'll give ourselves the occasional rant break, so we don't bend fire from our eyes or lose control and angrily enter the Avatar State (Ahvahtar Stahte?).   Ladies and gentlemen of the listener, press play.

Now that Joel, Kent, and Zack have built their industry-revitalizing shopping malls earlier this season, it's time for them to create the perfect food court. Therefore, on this episode of Baconsale, we've got a list of popular mall eateries including Orange Julius, Sbarro, Hot Dog on a Stick, Wetzel's Pretzels, Panda Express & Mrs. Fields, and we're going to take turns picking restaurants one by one. In the end, it's up to you, the listener, to decide which of our food courts you would frequent. Listen as we debate which foods are real, critique each other's choices and, for some reason, make references to brassiere stores.   Grab a sample at one of the many pretzel vendors and press play.

Attention, Kmart Shoppers! After 36 years and a failed attempt at going Hawaiian, Tim Burton has finally made a sequel to Beetlejuice. Joel and Kent were able to watch this return to the Neitherworld and are ready to share their thoughts with you. We'll begin this BaconBit with a spoiler-free review, where we'll discuss our feelings about the film and how it compares to the original movie. Then, after Zack leaves, we'll turn on the spoiler juice and see what shakes loose as we talk specific plot points and try to avoid sounding like stereo instructions.   Press play to hear if Michael Keaton is still the ghost with the most.

Baconsale has already taken a look at the music of 30 years ago this season, so why not roll back the clock another decade and pick some tunes from 1984? Well, because trying to decide which songs to include is like choosing a favorite child. There are so many good options from that year, even for Zack, who wasn't even born yet! Nevertheless, we are going to press forward with this episode and select answers for such categories as Feels Older than 40, Overrated, Best Love Song, Favorite One-Hit Wonder, and more. Listen to hear which tracks get by on technicalities, what music is on Joel's Kissy List, and which songs are the one & only obvious choice for that category. Put that VHS tape in the VCR and press play! You can also find our official 1984 Spotify playlist at Baconsale.com.

Whether you're listening to this episode on Monday morning or Saturday Night, the Wicked Baconsale boys are ready to present the Megalopolis of movies that are slated to be released this fall & winter. We'll begin by unleashing our Venom on five films we're hoping will flop and throw them to the Wolfs. Then we'll Transformers One topic into another and Speak No Evil against the five movies we're wanting to watch. Joel, Kent, and Zack may move slow at first, but then we'll try to Mufasa and you'll be Gladiator we did because we have a lot of ground to cover.   Which button should you push? The Red One that says play, you Joker.

Oh yeah! This Baconsale commercial mascot battle just keeps going and going and going. What can we say? We like to party. And while things may get a little cuckoo on this episode, we are going to finish the bracket and declare which mascot packs the biggest vitamin-packed punch. Do you believe in magic? Because that's going to come into play a few times, as well as some Bible stories. Our logic may be difficult to follow, but just follow your nose and you'll be fine.   Will a snowmobile be the leprechaun's lucky charm? Can Smokey Bear prevent tire fires? Would the silly Trix Rabbit do better against kids? Will a pepper bar be the downfall of Cap'n Crunch? Press play to find out.   You can also download the advanced mascot bracket at Baconsale.com.

Well, we know you heard it through the grapevine and the rumors are true! Baconsale is doing another ridiculous deathmatch. Why? Because they're gr-r-reat! On this episode, Joel, Kent, and Zack have randomly placed 64 popular brand mascots on a bracket to discover who can take a bite out of crime (and their opponent). And as these colorful commercial characters and animated anthropomorphic animals do battle with one another, things get sour, then sweet, then just plain weird.   Will Twinkie the Kid be able to avoid the Noid? Will the Geico Gecko survive a nice Hawaiian Punch? Will Little Caesar be forced to Eat Mor Chikin? Does this episode contain the most references to beer & cigarettes in Baconsale history? Press play to find out.   You can also download the official bracket for this tournament at Baconsale.com.

Remember that time we tiered trilogies? Well, it's time for the sequel. On this episode of Baconsale, we have another batch of movie sets that Joel, Kent, and Zack are going to rank, including The Godfather, Austin Powers, Toy Story, Evil Dead, Bridget Jones, The Mighty Ducks, Divergent, and Crocodile Dundee. During this journey, we discover that Kent hates second movies, some films are best left in your memories, and not all film franchises can make Endgame money.   Press play to thank the Matrix and enjoy a Goldmember summer!

The uncanny X-temps are at it again! Joel, Kent & Zack have been hired to rank & organize villains from the X-Men universe as they arrive at Ryker's Island. We have a limited number of maximum-, medium-, and minimum-security cells at the prison, so we have to make sure we put the most formidable fictional foes in the right spots. However, let's face it, with most of these mutants being seriously overpowered, and Kent constantly getting seduced, everyone's getting out. We hope you enjoy the journey as we start the inmates on special diets, steal some supervillain gear, and discover latent mutant powers in ourselves.   Press play to avoid death spores.

Due to a clerical error, Baconsalia has been chosen as the next host city for the Summer Olympics. Prime Minister Bigmustache has tasked Joel, Kent & Zack to make some adjustments to help these games fit our limited budget and space. Therefore, on this episode of Baconsale, we're going to be cutting traditional Olympic events and presenting simpler, more cost-effective competitions instead, such as four square, freeze tag, and mini golf. We'll then have to justify why we removed an event and explain why the new event would be better.   Don't hold your breath! Come on down to Lou's Bowling Alley & Tavern and press play!