Read it and Weep

It's a new season of Read it and Weep! Alex has graciously passed the hosting mic on to Ezra and it's gonna get a little weird.   This season, Ezra's trying to break out of his algorithms. He's looking for media that his friends love, but that no one's talking about these days.   First up, Sarah Hatheway brings us Gene Kelly's 1951 Technicolor musical, An American in Paris.   Dream ballets! Questionable 1950s romantic subplots! And rhythm? Yeah, we've got rhythm.   Who could ask for anything more? (Also, the recording date was 1/28/25, thus the timely Oscars talk.)   Editing by Zach Hahn Music by @mitrxxx

Cold soup for the soul.

Wake up shot out of a canon

While Best Thing Ever is on break, we checked in with Anthony about being a new dad including lack of sleep, low expectations, and declawing babies. Parenting is fun and not that hard! 

Alex Falcone and Ezra Fox accidentally became mummy romance experts when they wrote their best-selling young adult novel (http://unwrapmyheart.com). For Spooktober they're reviewing three classic pieces of mummy pop culture and analyzing how good the mummies are if they can get it. Today they dive into a young-adult romance that is close to mummies but crucially different: zombies. With Warm Bodies (2016) we find out why zombies bit the love bug before mummies did. It's the gushy boys vs the bony boys on the finale of Mummy Minute. #podcast #moviereview #zombies #monsters #monstermovie #spooky #halloween

Part two of our mini-series about mummies for spooky month. This time we talked about the most famous mummy romance novel (besides ours): The Mummy or Ramses the Damses by Anne Rice. Next week we'll wrap things up (sorry) with a slant rhyme on mummies, zombie romance.

Alex and Ezra accidentally became mummy romance experts when they wrote their best-selling young adult novel (http://unwrapmyheart.com). For Spooktober they're reviewing three classic pieces of mummy pop culture and analyzing how good the mummies are if they can get it.

All good things must come to an end and so must all okay things! With that, we're calling this the official end of season 1. We talked about 27 things all of which could have been the best thing ever but today we decide once and for all which one is (you'll be surprised). Plus a mini ranking and a bunch of list stuff sure to annoy almost anybody. Enjoy! Thanks for the support this season and we'll see you again in a bit!

Since 2017 our boy Hunter has been one of the most famous players of the uber-complicated boardgame Twilight Imperium. His show Space Cats Peace Turtles chronicled the game's evolution from 3rd to 4th edition and allegedly helped shape the rules that turned it into an internationally competitive game. He takes us back through that history and carefully avoids explaining too much of the game. But we think it's about war? And furries? Hard to say. But it's final ranking will probably surprise you!

The bad news is that you're dead. The good news is that you're part of an exceptional cast on a surprisingly high-concept NBC sitcom with a high jokes-per-minute and good moral center. 

In 1969 two men walked on the surface of the moon (and their friend waited in the car). It was without a doubt the greatest publicity stunt of all time. But even more than that, it was the only time everybody in the world watched TV at the same time because of good news. Plus we talk about why Michael Collins was a national treasure and guess how much shit we left on the moon.

They outnumber us 3-to-1, they make breakfast possible, and they're cute as heck. They're chickens and they're everywhere. We welcome back comedian and writer Phoebe Bottoms to talk about her love of chickens plus we tell the story of their history from wild jungle fowl to backyard friends. It's a new top 10 topic!

Look, this definitely isn't an episode we slapped together because of a guest mishap. It was the plan all along to talk about the joys of taking the easy way out, of minimizing effort, of doing enough for it to still be called an episode. We presented three mini stories this week about what really happened at Roswell, Scandinavian modesty culture, and Ezra's favorite middle school teachers. It was so fun we might half ass again in the future.

What's uld is nu again as everybody's favorite mashup of hip hop and metal music (and costumes) is gaining in popularity for the first time since the 90s. Anthony takes us on a deep dive of the music's history including his favorite nu metal bands that actually hold up. It's never a serious contender for a top spot on the master list but at least we understand it better.

This week we've got comedian Monica Nevi here to tell us why women's basketball is the best thing ever. Along the way we'll learn about Iowa 6-on-6 and why Brittney Griner was in Russia in the first place.

We're not going to tell the story of how the movies were made (mostly) and we're not going to talk about whether or not their good (except a bit) but instead Anthony's going to tell the story of the different ways Star Wars was a watershed in film making. And then we'll talk a bit about how bad Attack of the Clones was.

If there's one thing Ezra loves it's human children. In particular, his children. Ezra loves his children. Over the last 10 years he's learned a few things about raising kids that he'd like to share today such as "remember they're new here" and "you're always worried about the wrong thing." 

The world has seen many heros over the years. But it has never seen a puzzle-solving sword-wielding short king constantly dressed for a night at a gay dance club until Link came along. We discuss a little history of the Zelda franchise, the different ways we each approached Tears of the Kingdom, and Alex's conspiracy theory about princess Zelda.

Are arcades the best thing ever? For three guys raised in the 90s, we definitely think they could be. They've got games, they've got yelling, they've got variety. Lots of the things that are high on the list already.  Plus Hunter finally unveils his definitive list of the 11 best arcade cabinets of all time and number 1 will SHOCK YOU.

We've got TikTok sensation and creator of wild projects Kyle Scheele on but he disagreed with the entire premise of the show. So instead of picking one best thing ever we just talked about four random interesting things: Ball Jars, the meta-sweater, tragedy themed commerce, and the hype cycle. 

Brilliant comedian Myq Kaplan and RiaW favorite Amanda Leinbaugh joins us to talk about his favorite thing, advice columns. We do a shallow dive into the history from the first one ever to the sibling rivalry that defined advice for many decades. Then we play a new game called The Second Opinion where Ezra, Amanda, and Myq competitively answer advice questions not directed at us. 

Comedian Liz Glazer loves the NordicTrack Ski Machine. She's bought and sold many over the years, has received them as gifts, and worked out on one this morning. Why does she like it so much? You'll have to listen to find out. Plus we have a history of fad workouts and difficult ranking on the Master List.

The podcast just keeps getting hotter and hotter and this week we tackle a job that can cool things off in just the right places: firefighters. The most respected civil servants, the rescuers of treed cats, the makers of pancakes. And sometimes they even fight fires. Learn about the history of firefighting as Anthony takes you from the Romans to present day.

The sun AKA the Evil Day Star AKA Sky Daddy. It shapes our days and burns our noses. There's nothing more powerful in our solar system (except maybe Emma Thompson). But is it the best thing? Find out as we give a complete history of the sun, a complete future of the sun, and a series of fun facts about the sun that will have you saying "I have to wear sunscreen those facts are so fun. 

What is the best thing ever? We've got 8 new nominees forged in the fire of a topic draft. Okay, it was more a friendly discussion but I think it was really interesting. Watch now to find out what the next era of BTE will look like.

What do you bench, bro? Can you dead lift me? If I'm dead? It's powerlifting and it's good for you body and mind, apparently. At least Rachel likes it, and she's here to tell us why. Learn the history of powerlifting, learn about a few cool powerlifters including a nine year old who can lift 3x her body weight, and learn about our new funding idea: a brain supplement called Triple Blind where you don't know if you're getting the real supplement or a placebo and we don't know if we own the company or not. Triple Blind Supplements: Bust a Nut In Your Cortex.

It's our first ever Hunter episode and he takes things in a slightly different direction, deeply personal journey across state lines to his favorite late night eatery, the one and only Waffle House. He teaches you how to order properly, the traps to avoid, and whether or not you should start anything with your server. Plus he calls out David. Seriously, David. What the hell man.

Writer Sarah Hatheway joins us to talk about a thing that's brought her so much joy over the years, romance novels. She loves them so much she's written her own (more on that soon, we hope). We learn about the history of the genre and a bit more about how genre works in general. It's a really good episode.  Get the best selling novel "Unwrap My Heart" Follow along on the Figma Watch this episode on YouTube

If there's one thing that's a shoe-in for Best Thing Ever it's the thing that our hosts have pursued for a combine 20+ years. But after a great history of standup comedy from Anthony, we prove that we're a lot more conflicted about our careers than even we knew. Is standup the best or is it stinky? If you're enjoying the show please give us an honest 5-star review on Apple Podcasts and tell us if we're right or wrong in our placement of standup comedy. Get Alex's standup record "Vanilla" Follow along on the Figma Watch this episode on YouTube

Trees. They're everywhere. Watching. Biding their time. Providing us everything we need to live but always threatening to take it away. They're the beauty and the danger, but are they the best thing ever? Alex gives a presentation on his 15 favorite trees in an effort to convince people they are but where do they end up? Find out. Follow along on the Figma here Please take a second and leave us an honest 5 Star Review on Apple Podcast and tell us which tree got overlooked in this episode.

It's the moment you've been waiting for, that Anthony has been saving all his political capital for, it's time for the pro wrestling episode. Along with special guest Jamie Carbone, we go on a journey into the world of wrestling and how we can appreciate it more. We learn words and phrases like "the shine", "a work", "gaga", and controversially, "some color." We hope you learn something too and maybe even rank wrestling higher than you ever thought you would. Watch this episode on video Follow along with the FigJam

As a beverage goblin I'm thrilled to present my strongest application for best thing ever so far, warm beverages. We give you a brief history of coffee and tea as well as a guide for how to find the best coffee shops.  PLUS we're joined by incredible standup comedian Irene Tu (irenetu.com) who recently opened for Patton Oswald and Sarah Silverman and has a new record out that's just the best. Watch this episode on YouTube Browse the FigJam as you listen

Everybody connect to your LAN and settle into your hunched-over position so we can tell you the tale of a transformational video game (and masculinity both good and bad). We're talking about communal video games generally and Halo specifically. Grab your Bawls and let's dive in! Plus this week we've got a very special guest. Laser The Boy just dropped his debut LP and you can (and should) listen to it now. Watch this episode on YouTube Browse the Figjam as you listen

Our search for the best thing ever continues with a deep dive into one of the cuddliest movies of all time, Studio Ghibli's "My Neighbor Totoro." Will it unseat bread and cat videos? It's a tough call. Plus the briefest history of Japan you've ever seen and an update on bay leaves.  Explore the My Neighbor Totoro slide deck at your leisure

We're back for our second episode ever and the first one where we actually have a tough time ranking the topic. And this topic is a strong possibility for Best Thing Ever, it's fresh baked bread, featuring a complete history of bread written by Ezra Fox. Is it better than cat videos? Find out! Plus we give advice to Ali on moving in with a partner for the first time. You can get really mixed advice by becoming a Meat Buddy! Watch this episode on YouTube Peruse the Figma as you listen

It's the first episode of our new show! After months of work we're here to launch our brand new podcast investigating all things to find the best one. And our first contestant out of the gate is Cat Videos. Featuring a history of Cat Videos written by Anthony Lopez and and immediate first place ranking. Watch this episode on YouTube Peruse the Figma as you listen

And that's it. We've finished one full year of playing the game we made up, Kevin Bacon's Exquisite Corpse. It's a mixed success, so we spend the episode talking about how we could have improved if we'd thought about it earlier. Plus we re-rank a few movies on our master list to make it a little bit better but still pretty weird. Next up: A VERY COOL THING WE'LL TELL YOU MORE ABOUT SOON

IT ALL COMES DOWN TO THIS! Well maybe it doesn't since weather prevented Hunter from joining us today. But we watched his movie choice anyway, the Tom Cruise orgy movie Eyes Wide Shut and it was a fun chat. Plus in the news, Tom Cruise jumped off a thing. Next up: That's a wrap on season 5! We'll do a post mortem in early January and then talk more about where we go from here.

After much controversy, we travel back to PT Anderson's 1992 epic about chance and fate, Magnolia. It earns a pretty high place on our list of best films of all time. Plus in the news, Alex's video finally worked. Next up: Controversy continues and that ends in the weirdest way possible, and we're traveling through the Cruise Missile and watching Eyes Wide Shut (1999)

Our second Batman movie of season 5 is also our third time visiting the 90s Batman series and it's probably our best stop on the bat train.  Plus in the news, Alex is performing in Austin, TX next week and Santa is a conspiracy. Next up: After a LOT of rules lawyering, we're watching Magnolia (1999)

Alex chooses Anthony's movie and Anthony chooses violence. Plus in the news, a very important month is over, Alex posts a video, and the Wall Safe Wallsafe is on sale now. Next up: Ezra moves through Danny DeVito to Batman Returns.

Hunter had to leave for the Holidays early so we did a special bonus about the just-wrapped Disney+ Star Wars series Andor. Alex is less enthusiastic than the others would like but it's always nice to talk about how George Lucas sucks. Plus in the news, Disney switches Bobs and donuts get real. Next up: We finally watch Virgin Suicides (1999).

From a princess who wants to be a wolf to a princess who just wants to know her own name, we watch another 90s animated film not made by Disney, this one the oddly a-historical Bluth joint Anastasia. The panel isn't thrilled but it has its supporter(s). Plus in the news, Alex gives a Zelda update and talks about his new project Fauxcella. Next up: Ezra's gambit backfires as Alex steers us to Anthony's movie and everybody scores but Ez. It's Virgin Suicides (1999).

Alex comes roaring back onto the score board with a complete 5-point play as we watch the Miyazaki film Princess Mononoke and talk about it's greater meaning about how many bullets it takes to kill god and when to date a wolf girl. Plus in the news, Alex is haunted by Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Next up: Ezra sets himself and Anthony up with Anastasia (1997)

Hunter's back in tiptop so we can finish our journey down the Lost Highway to spooky David Lynchville. Plus a long discussion of Halloween decorations and the long-awaited exercise update. Next up: Alex power-cards his way to points with a double move that lands at Princess Mononoke.

Hunter's out sick so the rest of the crew does a six-topic lightning round in slow motion. Topics include "What would media like look if we lived in a world with a Purge" and "Who took the Devil out of Halloween?" Next up: Hunter recovers and we talk about Lost Highway (1997) with him.

Anthony takes the free point for picking a spooky movie as he moves via Cathy Moriarty to the 90s childhood crowd pleaser Casper, which holds up pretty well as long as you don't overthink the mechanics of the Lazarus Machine or Casper kissing a girl while she's sleeping and a couple other standard 90s cringe moments. Next up: Hunter moves via Bill Pullman to the David Lynch film Lost Highway (1997)

Alex comes roaring back onto the leaderboard with his fourth target movie, the 1999 classic of queer cinema, But I'm A Cheerleader. It's funny and heart warming and maybe we don't talk about it as much as it deserves because we just kinda loved it and didn't have many jokes about it. But we loved it. Next up: Anthony wins the draw YET AGAIN and takes a bonus point for moving us to the spoopy movie Casper (1995), available to stream on Peacock.

After what feels like ages, Hunter scores his second points movie of the year with the Wong Kar-wai movie Happy Together. Anthony loves it but Alex and Ezra both feel like they're not smart enough to like it all the way. But they do love the cinematography and waterfall. Plus big news from Alex's TikTok and his newest video from his YouTube series about the future. Next up: Alex joins the scoring bonanza as he power cards his way to But I'm a Cheerleader

I need a hero. He's gotta be brave, and he's gotta be bold, and he's gotta be sponsored by the propaganda arm of the Chinese Government. That's right, after 2 weeks of strategic slogging we finally got to a target movie, Ezra's 5th! And it's a good one, so long as you focus on the visuals and not the message. Next up: the good movies (and bad news for Alex) continues with Happy Together (1997)

A guy who's good at fighting and a horny guy go on a racially insensitive journey across the world. There are two Jackie Chan stunts that briefly make the movie watchable but overall, it's clearly the worst movie we've seen all year. Next up: the scoring bonanza (for everybody but Alex) kicks off with Ezra's 5th successful score, Hero (2002)