Superweird: A Quest for the Absurd in Children's Television with Ben & Dexter

Welcome to the last episode of Superweird.Last meaning the most recent, not the end of the series. Was this episode recorded 3 months before it was ever edited and uploaded? Who can really tell?In this installment, Ben and Dexter discuss a local legend, the recasting of T.U. Tutwater, and why law enforcement officers are almost always assholes.

Joy to the weird! The lads are back at Joy Junction learning about the "heavenly menu" whatever that means. Has the crew at Joy Junction upped their game since last we visited? Let's write our answers on a hotdog bun and find out together.

The lads are rusty and almost completely wasted a recording session. However, they were able to course correct and save the episode. Probably. I don't know. I just edit this crap. You have to listen to it.Velocity: No-ing God

We recorded this episode in 2009. I'm just getting around to it. 

This one has commercials. Video

It's game night at Superweird HQ. The lads play along with a game show that's less game and more Sunday school. Put your hands over your buzzers and join the fun at Joy Junction. Though, we promise the fun is at a minimum. 

Bird, as a wiseman once said, is the word. That's right. We're celebrating Thanksgiving in the only place we can call a home(in that we hate it there), the small town of Odyssey. Now, who's ready to ripoff some Dickens?

Today, we introduce a new character in to our Superweird tapestry. Say hi to Bob Larson as he attempts to suck all the joy from this most spooky of holidays.The Horrors of Halloween

More Odyssey! YAY! This one is about lies. Tiny lies. Microscopic lies that grow in to gargantuan monster lies!

When you take that long of a break, then you should ease back in to your normal routine. Unfortunately, our version of normal is a rockbottom quality anti-drug puppet show. We're back, baby!When Will We Learn Who To Trust?

Harddrives!Worms!America!

This is the episode where they talk about chairs.

The lads endure a theatrical production put on by the characters of Odyssey. Things get predictably heavy-handed.

Our cursed lads make the most of it with a particularly irritating episode of Adventures in Odyssey.

Upon reaching episode 50, Ben and Dexter are confronted  by a demon claiming to hold the future of Superweird in his grasp. The boys discuss Native American curses, critical thinking, and why you'd name a fictional character after the KKK. Will the podcast survive past episode 50?!

So it's come to this...Ad.Galileo.Neil Armstrong.Snake and Frog.The American Trinity.Benjamin Franklin.

CONTENT WARNINGThis is easily the most horrid piece of media the lads have covered. From dead ducks to lady robots, Life With Grandpa is an emotional rollercoaster for which they were not prepared.Source

HEY KIDS! I'M A SCREAMING FROG PUPPET! WON'T YOU LET ME TELL YOU HOW YOU'RE ONLY A PART IN THE JESUS MACHINE?!Source

The lads return to AiO. Listen as Dexter drags Ben kicking and screaming through a fumbled episode about stealing and the importance of WHO is teaching the Bible.

The lads return to Odyssey to see how Focus on the Family addresses the subject of child beauty pageants. Are they for or against objectifying children? Should kids be involved in pageants or is it easier to blame the parents?

Yee haw! The lads take a trip to the old west town of Dry Gulch for an episode of The Gospel Bill Show. How did they get here? What does the ostrich teach us? Is that question too out of context? These answers and more!

Our Halloween episode came a little late and limped to the barn. The lads watch a long forgotten VHS cassette from the year 2000. They tackle this media completely blind and with utter confusion.Also, Mandy Moore!?

Ben and Dex go back to the well of misguided morality called Superbook to learn the story of Job. God and Satan have a little pow wow and a farmer loses everything to teach a lesson to... someone.

Ben and Dexter delve into YouTube's The Parlor channel of strange and obscure VHS media, finding Thought, Word, and Deed - a children's cautionary tale in being honest. They're fascinated with the cheap props, the awful dialog, and the kookiness of Carol Kane.

Ben and Dexter celebrate their 40th episode by remembering the life of the late Norm MacDonald…by doing the worst impressions imaginable. Also, they take you camping with a giant, blue book that sings to kids about Jesus and the alphabet. You know, A, B, C…the others. 

Dexter and Ben review what they consider the worst piece of children's media they've ever come across, and that's saying something. From bullying to bad band names, gun safety to gore, the discussion moves from one bad movie to another. 

In this episode, the fellows discuss faith, Noah, the Department of Health, unions, and taking your dirty dishes to the kitchen.

Ben and Dexter contribute their review of Castles & Cauldrons with part 2 of the Adventures in Odyssey episode of the same name. They discuss mental health issues, Whit’s force powers, and whether playing games can make you crazy.

It's time to play a game. And it can't be stressed enough that this is just a game. In this episode of Adventures in Odyssey, Focus on the Family display a complete misunderstanding of Role Playing Games and undiagnosed mental disorders. Email: superweirdpod@gmail.comFacebook: facebook.com/superweirdpodYouTube Channel

In this episode, Ben and Dexter discuss first dates, affluenza, and whether or not model trains should be confined to one room.Email: superweirdpod@gmail.comFacebook: facebook.com/superweirdpodYouTube Channel

Fortune! Luck! Blessing! All words to mean the same thing. $#!+ happens. The lads get in to the history of superstitions in this new arc follow the Focus on the Family produced Adventures in Odyssey. Email: superweirdpod@gmail.comFacebook: facebook.com/superweirdpodYouTube Channel

Wow. Friend of the show, Dr. James Dobson, is back with more christian propaganda. This time he's gonna spit a hot fire's worth of misinformation aimed at teens. Featuring Kirk Cameron and Chelsea Noble comparing sex to a carnival, suspicious testimonies from teens, and too many early 90s c-list athletes advocating for abstinence before marriage.Email: superweirdpod@gmail.comFacebook: facebook.com/superweirdpodYouTube Channel

This is one of the worst single episodes of a kids show the lads have ever seen. Featuring a sub par puppet, Bible stories with invisible characters, and a chorus of children singing. A triple threat that Ben and Dex were not prepared for. Email: superweirdpod@gmail.comFacebook: facebook.com/superweirdpodYouTube Channel

Well, this is awkward. Ben and Dex stumble on to a Focus in the Family produced VHS cassette . They learn how to make better choices about the media they consume. Or they complain about FotF's lack of presenting context for any claim they make.OH BOY! You can WATCH this episode WITH YOUR EYES on our Youtube channel.Email: superweirdpod@gmail.comFacebook: facebook.com/superweirdpod

It's the McGee and Me swan song. Do Ben and Dex turn around on the show? No, but they do have a good time watching Nick's Romanian penpal(and his father) outshine the Martins by being better christians. The lads also get very angry over their favor character, Louis, being written out of the series on the final episode!Email: superweirdpod@gmail.comFacebook: facebook.com/superweirdpodYouTube Channel

What's cool and hip according to fundamentalist Christians in 1993? Vests and dark sunglasses. But sometimes being cool has a cost. What will it cost Nicolas Martin?Email: superweirdpod@gmail.comFacebook: facebook.com/superweirdpodYouTube Channel

Ben and Dexter are still the same, but McGee and Me has changed. It's the kick off to the extremely short lived New Adventures of McGee and Me. Kids are older, but the shallow messages remain true. In this episode, the lads discuss camping, fathering with a mental handicap, and bear encounters.Email: superweirdpod@gmail.comFacebook: facebook.com/superweirdpodYouTube Channel

This ain't the big leagues. This is the cut throat world of intramural little league baseball. Can one man carry a team? No. Perhaps we can learn a lesson on hero worship. Featuring a cameo by baseball legend, yet Hall of Fame snubbed, Orel Hershiser.Email: superweirdpod@gmail.comFacebook: facebook.com/superweirdpodYouTube Channel

Showing a child's thought process could be an educational experience. However, McGee and Me miss this mark and the message, prompting a discussion on frugality, making choices as a kid, and the future domain name for this podcast.Email: superweirdpod@gmail.comFacebook: facebook.com/superweirdpodYouTube Channel

It's the most wonderful time of the worst year. We go in for the McGee and Me's holiday special "Twas the Fight Before Christmas". The lads discuss holiday pageants, petty theft, and the wrong ways to decorate a Christmas tree.Email: superweirdpod@gmail.comFacebook: facebook.com/superweirdpodYouTube Channel

This week is all about envy and jealousy. Dexter tells a story about drawing during a school assembly, the lads look through the PureFlix library, and we see the return of our favorite dimwitted bully, Derrick.Email: superweirdpod@gmail.comFacebook: facebook.com/superweirdpodYouTube Channel

We're trying out a new recording format. Does it work? Technically, yes. In this episode we discuss McGee and Me's "Twister and Shout" which deals with topics like sibling power dynamics, tornado preparedness, and the importance of having a man in charge.Email: superweirdpod@gmail.comFacebook: facebook.com/superweirdpodYouTube Channel

Today we're going to learn about sticking up for others, bullying, and the importance of cheating when the stakes are high enough. Also the Great Lakes.Email: superweirdpod@gmail.comFacebook: facebook.com/superweirdpodYouTube Channel

Lets all go to the movies! Provided they're wholesome, family approved films that don't pollute our minds because secularism is bad, I guess. Ben and Dexter talk about garbage movies, early bedtimes, and Christian versions of music.Email: superweirdpod@gmail.comFacebook: facebook.com/superweirdpodYouTube Channel

Ben and Dexter send their thanks to you in the form of a bonus episode. They talk about some of the more ridiculous aspects of Focus on the Family and its founder, James Dobson.Email: superweirdpod@gmail.comFacebook: facebook.com/superweirdpodYouTube Channel

Fame can sometimes go to your head. Nicolas Martin learns this the hard way in this installment of McGee and Me. Also, Ben and Dexter talk about WOMBATS!Email: superweirdpod@gmail.comFacebook: facebook.com/superweirdpodYouTube Channel

We've had our fill of Pokemon and have decided to move on. This week we being a new series on the Focus on the Family produced McGee and Me, a seamless blend of live action, animation, and conservative Christian values. In this episode we discuss 90's TV tropes, child discipline, and keeping your mouth shut.Email: superweirdpod@gmail.comFacebook: facebook.com/superweirdpodYouTube Channel

After our month long break, we poke-pick back up right where we poke-left off with Showdown at Pewter City. In this episode we talk about parental abandonment, taking help from strangers, and the Boy Scouts(like a lot).Email: superweirdpod@gmail.comFacebook: facebook.com/superweirdpodYouTube Channel

The lads are still shuffling through the Viridian forest with Ash, Misty, and Pikachu. The gang will encounter a new rival in the form of a nameless kid cosplaying as a samurai. Has Ash learned to use strategy in battle? No, but he's not short on confidence. Also, we read an email from a listener.Email: superweirdpod@gmail.comFacebook: facebook.com/superweirdpodYouTube Channel

In this episode, the chaps watch Ash Catches a Pokemon, prompting a discussion on Pokemon being used as anti-drug propaganda, the feelings of bugs, and the ineptitude on Ash Catchem.Email: superweirdpod@gmail.comFacebook: facebook.com/superweirdpodYouTube Channel

Ben and Dexter continue their excursion through Pokemon with episode 2 "Pokemon Emergency", prompting a discussion on suspicious fishing, inept antagonists, and how a 10 year old kid can blow up a hospital.Email: superweirdpod@gmail.comFacebook: facebook.com/superweirdpodYouTube Channel